Lee Know was scrolling through his phone between rehearsals, trying to focus on choreography, when the new Tick-Tack MV from ILLIT dropped.

He paused mid-step, eyes narrowing at the screen. “Wait… is that…?”

The camera panned to a silhouette labeled as Jiji’s crush. The shape—tall, lanky, familiar—looked an awful lot like him.

He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. “Nah… it’s probably just casting, right? They could make it look like anyone… totally random.”

But when the behind-the-scenes footage dropped a few days later, showing each member choosing exactly what their crush looked like, fans went wild. Screenshots of Jiji selecting a silhouette that matched his build were everywhere.

Lee Know felt heat rush to his cheeks. Could it really be him? After all these years…

Later that day, during a short break in practice, he spotted Jiji by the water cooler.

“Hey,” he said casually, trying not to sound too flustered.

She looked up, eyes meeting his, a tiny smile playing on her lips. “…Hey.”

“So… I saw the MV,” he began, swallowing nervously. “The silhouette… that was… um…”

Jiji fiddled with her hair, looking down for a second before meeting his gaze again. “Yeah,” she said softly.

“…Yeah?” His heart skipped.

She nodded, cheeks pink. “I picked… someone I like.”

Lee Know’s breath caught. “…Wait. That’s… me?”

Her small, shy nod made his chest tighten with a mix of relief and happiness.

“I… like you too,” he admitted, a teasing sparkle in his eyes despite the blush on his cheeks.

Her smile widened, genuine and bright. “Really?”

“Really,” he said, stepping closer, lowering his voice just enough so it was theirs alone. “Guess we’ve been keeping this secret for too long.”

For the first time since trainee days, they shared a look that said everything words couldn’t—and neither of them had to hide anymore.