As Nian turned around, her hands trembled and her eyes widened. DK stood there, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Nian~ It's been two months. We're finally seeing each other again," he whispered.
Nian's lips quivered, her voice barely a whisper. "Loudie~"
Tears spilled from her eyes. The rest of the boys stood behind DK, visibly emotional.
"Nian, we missed you~~" they chorused, their own tears falling.
Just then, Xuanye reached the third floor. She walked toward the room, confused by the sound of crying. As she entered, she began, "Nian, the group has arrived and—"
She froze.
The boys turned to her. "Xuanye~"
Minghao pushed through the crowd with teary eyes and stood before her. "Ye~ I came back," he said softly, smiling.
Zheng stood nearby, still trying to process what was happening.
DK opened his arms and called to Nian in a trembling voice. "Nian~ come."
Nian burst into tears. "Loudie~ you said you'd inform me when you returned from Japan. But... you deleted the message you sent me! I was so worried. You didn't even call me!"
She cried harder.
DK walked toward her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Nian~ we wanted to surprise you, but we had a packed schedule... We couldn't make it."
Nian sobbed in his arms, lightly hitting his chest as she cried.
Xuanye, eyes brimming with tears, looked at Minghao and asked in a trembling voice, "When did you arrive, Hao?"
He gently placed a hand on her head. "Day before yesterday, Ye~"
Her tears flowed freely. "Then why didn't you message me? Do you know how worried I was? When Nian told me DK messaged and then deleted it, I was scared to death. I didn't know what was going on..."
She hugged him tightly, and he returned the embrace.
"Ye~ I'm sorry. I should have told you," Minghao said. "We just wanted to surprise you."
Still crying, Nian mumbled in DK's arms, "If you wanted to surprise us, telling us you were back would've been surprise enough. This just scared us..."
The boys teared up again. Jeonghan, wiping his eyes, said, "We didn't mean to scare you..."
The girls pulled back and looked at the boys. Xuanye folded her arms and said, "You guys tried to surprise us, but look at yourselves—you look more surprised than us."
The boys chuckled through their tears.
DK wiped Nian's tears and gently cleaned her nose. "Nian~ don't cry. You look like a tomato."
Nian sighed and turned away, walking toward the others, pretending not to care. DK looked shocked.
The girls stood beside the boys, ignoring their boyfriends completely. Xuanye said, "You're here for the interview, right?"
The boys nodded nervously.
Nian took a deep breath. "Then follow us to the makeup room."
Zheng blinked and asked, "Wait, girls... Are you in charge of this interview?"
The girls nodded proudly.
"Yes, Zheng," Nian said. "We're the interviewers. Take them to Room 120. The makeup team is ready. Just tell them we sent you."
Zheng, still stunned, nodded. "Alright boys, let's go."
As the boys followed, they kept glancing back at the girls. DK walked beside Nian, tugging at her sleeve like a child. "Nian~ I'm sorry..."
Minghao gently swung Xuanye's hand. "Ye~ talk to me."
The girls held back their blush and said in unison, "Please go get your makeup done."
DK and Minghao gave them pitiful looks but left obediently.
As the door closed, Nian and Xuanye ran to the desk, grabbed water bottles, and took deep breaths.
"Xuanye, we're really going to interview the boys!" Nian squealed.
Xuanye jumped in excitement. "I was wondering who the mystery group was, but when I saw them... I was so happy! This interview will definitely be a hit!"
They held hands, smiling and hugging each other.
Then Xuanye said, "But when I saw the boys crying, I felt bad. Even now, DK and Hao were pleading with their eyes. I can't see Hao like that..."
She blushed.
Nian smirked. "They wanted to surprise us? This is sweet revenge. After the interview, we can talk to them. For now, let's act like we don't know them."
Xuanye laughed. "You're evil, but I love it. By the way, the director asked us to check everything."
"Got it," Nian replied, and they headed toward the interview room.
---
Meanwhile, the boys walked happily toward the makeup room.
Jun said, "Guys, I was stunned. The girls looked like professionals!"
Mingyu nodded. "That means this interview will be broadcasted!"
The boys beamed, jumping in excitement.
DK and Minghao, however, looked like lost puppies.
Dino observed them. "These two look broken."
Wonwoo asked, "Why say that? They're already upset."
Dino smirked. "The girls are playing with them. They're pretending not to care. It's classic revenge for making them worry."
Woozi blinked. "But weren't they genuinely mad?"
Dino replied wisely, "They were scared and hurt, but now that they've seen us, they're secretly happy. They're just making us squirm first."
Wonwoo and Woozi nodded in awe.
"Dino, you talk like a love guru," they said.
Dino grinned. "You don't need experience. Just listen to your heart."
They clapped for him as they entered the makeup room.
Zheng told the stylists, "Nian and Xuanye sent us."
The team nodded and ushered them in. The boys sat for makeup in turns.
When it was DK's turn, he said, "Ma'am, make me so handsome that someone will forgive me the second she sees me."
Zheng stood up in mock shock. Minghao added, "Same here. I want her to forgive me the second she looks at me."
The stylists laughed and got to work.
---
Back in the interview room, Nian and Xuanye checked all the equipment.
At 11:10 a.m., the boys arrived.
As they stepped in, all eyes turned. They looked breathtaking. Their presence filled the room like professionals and princes combined.
The producer and director stood in shock. "Boys, you look incredible."
The girls smiled, hiding their awe.
Nian and Xuanye coughed politely. "Director, everything is ready. We can begin."
He nodded and handed them the mics.
The girls walked over and gave a mic to Scoups.
"We'll be asking questions on the spot," Nian said, her voice calm. "Answer freely. No pressure."
The boys nodded brightly.
Joshua added, "We're honestly happy you two are interviewing us. Today will be unforgettable."
Nian glanced at DK, who smiled shyly. Her lips curved unconsciously.
As the director counted down, the boys and girls sat down. The camera blinked red.
The interview began.