Behind the stage, in the waiting room, Haneul fiddled nervously with her hair in front of the mirror. Sujin gave her a sly grin.
“Nervous? Confession mission time. Are your hands sweating yet?”
Haneul let out a tiny sigh.
“I can’t even tell if what I’m feeling is real or just part of the act.”
Sujin nudged her shoulder, grinning wider.
“Just follow your heart, girl! Everyone’s going to notice anyway.”
Just then, Taeo walked in, looking unusually serious. Their eyes met and the room seemed to freeze.
Taio spoke up, voice low with tension.
“During rehearsal, it felt like you meant what you said. I can’t get it out of my head.”
Haneul fiddled with her fingers, flushing.
“Honestly, I feel the same. Taeo, I—”
But before she could finish, Wooseok threw open the door.
“Places! Confession mission starts now! Haneul, Taeo, Sujin—move it!”
Everyone scrambled to their feet and headed for the stage. In the hallway, Taeo gently pulled Haneul aside.
“Can you promise to listen to me after the stage tonight? For real?”
She gave a small, nervous nod.
“I promise.”
At the edge of the stage, the lights flickered. Their names were called, and all four lined up in the bright glare. Sujin whispered with mischief.
“Let’s choose who goes first with rock-paper-scissors!”
Jimin shouted, “Ready, set—shoot!”
Everyone held out their hands, faces a mixture of nerves and excitement. Haneul wondered if everyone could hear her heart pounding.
But just as the winner was decided, the mission song’s intro boomed from the speakers. All eyes snapped to the stage.
“Wait, are we doing this right now?”
Taeo leaned in and whispered to Haneul.
“After this, meet me behind the stage, okay? No more interruptions.”
Haneul took a shaky breath and stepped toward the glowing lights. The look on both their faces was pure nervous anticipation.
Suddenly, the MC’s voice thundered.
“Our first confession—happening now, right here on stage!”
(To be continued)