Chapter 76 — The First Reply
8:33 AM
AUREUS Dorm — Shared Living Room (Live)
The room was filled with the hum of background conversation. Rin and Sungchan were watching an old music performance on their tablet for commentary. Hyunjae was trying to reorganize the snack shelf. Minjae had returned with a blanket around his shoulders, yawning into his hand like a tired cat.
And Jaeheon?
Still seated. Still silent.
But the weight in the air had shifted.
He hadn't looked at his phone again.
Not even once.
But his right hand remained curled just slightly, as if resisting the urge to hold it again.
No one noticed the difference.
Not really.
But the cameras did.
And so did the few fans who paid enough attention to the quietest details.
Live Comments:
okay but guys… did anyone else see him freeze before the smile?
he's def hiding something, i swear on my life that was a smile of "it finally happened"
WAIT. what if SHE replied??
no way. after SIX MONTHS?
…that's exactly why it would mean everything.
In His Room, Earlier — 8:28 AM
The notification had appeared like a miracle:
[Read: 08:28 AM]
"i watched"
That was all it said.
And for Jaeheon, it was enough to collapse six months of silence into one breath.
He didn't reply.
Not yet.
Not because he didn't want to—but because he couldn't.
His fingers hovered, frozen in the gravity of something too precious to move quickly through.
He reread it.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
"You still write every day?"
He didn't need to reread his own messages to know what she meant.
He had written to her daily. Every morning, every night, sometimes in between. With no expectation. No hope.
Just devotion.
And for the first time in half a year, the echo he sent into the void was answered.
But no one could know.
He wouldn't tell them.
Not his manager.
Not the members.
Not even his brother.
Because it wasn't for the world.
It was for her.
Back in the Living Room
Minjae, sipping tea: "You know, we should play a game or something. The mood's too quiet."
Sungchan perked up. "Truth or dare?"
Hyunjae groaned. "We're live, genius."
Rin smirked. "Which is exactly why it'd be fun."
Minjae waved a hand. "You start, then."
They laughed. The tension cracked slightly.
And Jaeheon?
He sat with a quiet look on his face.
One no one had ever seen before.
Not contentment.
Not excitement.
Not love.
Peace.