Ji-an
The crowd was electric.
A sea of flashing lightsticks, glowing pink and silver, waving in perfect rhythm with the beat of our music. Thousands of voices called our names, some chanting in sync, others screaming whatever they could just to be heard.
I had performed in massive venues before, but every time, it still hit me like the first.
That raw, overwhelming energy.
That instant when the entire world blurred into a single, breathless moment.
And this was our moment.
As the final notes of the last song faded, Min-ji, Hye-won, Jisoo, and I gathered at the front of the stage, catching our breath.
The audience roared louder, and I lifted the mic, grinning as I called out in Korean, "Moses Lake, how are you feeling?!"
The crowd erupted.
Someone near the front screamed, "I LOVE YOU, JI-AN!"
Another voice cut through the noise, "WILL YOU MARRY ME?!"
I laughed, shaking my head. "Marriage? Already? You move fast!"
Hye-won turned to me, mic still in hand. "Hey, Ji-an, should we get a group wedding? Since apparently, they want to marry all of us!"
Min-ji wiped the sweat from her forehead dramatically. "That's too many husbands! I think I'd rather just stay single!"
The crowd exploded with laughter and cheers.
Jisoo smirked, flipping her hair back. "I don't know, I kind of like the idea of a stadium full of people competing for my hand."
The audience lost it.
Min-ji clutched her chest, pretending to swoon. "Jisoo is too powerful. I can't compete!"
The fans screamed even louder, chanting Jisoo's name like they were declaring war.
I grinned, looking out at them all.
This.
This was why I loved what we did.
The connection. The joy. The way we could make people forget everything else for just a little while.
Min-ji took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes. "You guys really are amazing. Every time we perform, we feel so lucky."
Hye-won nodded. "We're so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for loving us."
The fans cheered, waving their banners, some holding up signs with our names, some crying, some just beaming.
Jisoo turned to me, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "Ji-an, don't you have something to say to them?"
I smirked, playing along. "Of course." I raised my mic again, looking out at the thousands of faces.
"Moses Lake, WE LOVE YOU!!"
The screams were so loud they shook the floor.
It felt perfect.
Until it wasn't.
---
The moment came out of nowhere.
One second, we were still laughing, still thriving in the energy.
The next—
My chest locked up.
The lights were too bright. The crowd was too loud. The stage felt too big.
My breath hitched.
My vision blurred at the edges.
And suddenly, I couldn't hear the music anymore.
I could only hear my own heartbeat, hammering against my ribs.
No, no, no.
Not now.
I gripped the mic tighter, focusing on the weight of it in my hand, grounding myself.
But my hands felt unsteady.
I was fine. I had been fine—
And then, I saw them.
A few men, standing near the back of the venue.
They weren't doing anything. Weren't holding signs, weren't dancing like the rest of the crowd.
They were just watching.
Something about them sent a chill up my spine.
The Brotherhood was gone. Logan had handled it. Security was tight. There was no way they could be here.
No way. But my body didn't care about logic. Fear curled at the edges of my thoughts, creeping in.
I took a step back—
And then, past the lights, past the blur of movement—
I saw him.
Standing just off to the side.
Watching.
Steady.
Logan.
Arms crossed, scanning the crowd, sharp, focused, calm.
Like always.
Like he wasn't going to let anything happen to us.
And just like that—
I could breathe again.
The pressure in my chest loosened. The moment snapped, like something breaking free inside of me.
I pulled in a breath, forced my body to move—one step, then another—until I was dancing again, until I was singing again, until the music drowned out everything else.
Until I was back in control.
The panic passed.
The fear faded.
And the show went on.
---
By the time we hit the final bow, I was exhausted.
But happy.
The moment we stepped offstage, the adrenaline crashed.
Min-ji practically collapsed onto me, still giggling. Hye-won fanned herself dramatically. Jisoo was wiping sweat from her face, her usual composure cracked just enough for me to know she was just as drained as the rest of us.
Then—
Mr. Lee, the CEO of StarRise Entertainment, stepped forward, still beaming.
"You girls were incredible tonight," he praised, clapping his hands together. "You continue to prove why Nova is the best in the industry."
Min-hyuk stood beside him, stiff and unreadable.
The smile on Mr. Lee's face widened as he handed each of us a bouquet of flowers, the scent of fresh roses filling the air.
"You all deserve this. Truly."
I bowed politely, accepting the flowers, but…
Something felt off.
I glanced at Min-hyuk.
He barely looked at us.
He was standing there, next to his father, going through the motions. Saying nothing.
And yet, every time he did look at us—
It was like his mind was somewhere else.
I could tell Min-ji and Hye-won noticed it too, but none of us said anything.
Not yet.
Because then, Logan stepped forward.
And just like that—
We felt better.
He was still in his black tactical gear, still radiating that sharp, no-nonsense presence that made it impossible to ignore him.
His eyes flickered over us, scanning, checking.
It was the same look he had given me on stage.
The one that had pulled me back from the edge.
I met his gaze.
Didn't say anything.
Didn't need to.
He nodded. Just slightly.
And that was enough.
We were safe.
We had made it.