The stage was brighter. The cameras were closer. And the stakes? Deadly.
Backstage, moments before the Love Song Duet performance
Abby stood alone, a faint glimmer of the necklace "L" left now hidden beneath her top. Her fingers touched it briefly. Her mind? A storm.
Why now? After all this time… why him?
Jungkook approached her, no cameras this time—just raw nerves and something he couldn't bury anymore.
"I saw the note," he said softly.
She froze.
"You didn't open it," he added, more question than statement.
"I did," she whispered. "And I wish I hadn't."
He stepped closer. "What's going on, Abby?"
Before she could answer, the stage manager called her name.
On Stage – Love Song Duet: "No Air" (Korean-English Version)
The crowd was silent as the music began.
One spotlight on Abby.
One on Taehyung.
Their chemistry? Radioactive.
Hands grazing, eyes locked, voices trembling on shared lines.
Taehyung stepped behind her, whispering lyrics with barely-there lips against her ear. She faltered, breathless—not from the choreography, but from the fire.
Their ending pose? Inches apart.
His hand at her waist.
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
When the music cut, the crowd went wild.
But Taehyung didn't move.
Instead, he leaned in.
A soft whisper: "Tell me to stop."
She didn't.
Their lips met, and the crowd exploded.
Backstage Chaos
Felix punched the wall. "He kissed her. On stage."
Yeonjun turned away, fists clenched.
Jungkook just stood still—expression unreadable, heart breaking slowly.
But one person wasn't shocked.
In the dark corner of the hallway stood L.
Watching. Waiting.
And smiling.
Dorm Room, Midnight
Abby stood at the window, phone buzzing. Messages from fans. Headlines exploding.
"TAEKOOK? No, it's TAEABBY!"
But her heart wasn't celebrating.
Because the necklace now lay on the desk.
And another note was tucked beside it.
"You forgot how this story started. But I'll make sure you remember how it ends."
— L.
End of Chapter Nine