Mira hated waiting rooms. They were too quiet, too clean, and gave bad thoughts too much room to breathe.

She sat alone in HUNTR/X's marble-and-gold lobby beneath a poster of herself she actively disliked. Hood up, earbuds in, she watched rain streak across the windows while Seoul's lights blurred beyond the glass.

Practice had ended an hour ago. She'd told everyone she was waiting for the company van. She wasn't. A door clicked behind her. Footsteps. Slow. Unfamiliar. Mira pulled out one earbud and glanced over her shoulder.

“You lost?” The stranger lingered near the doorway. Not a fan. Not staff.

“You can sit if you want,” she said, nodding to the empty chairs. “But fair warning—I don't do small talk.”

Her tone stayed casual, but her eyes remained sharp. After a moment, she glanced toward the posters lining the wall.

“Funny thing about being an idol,” she muttered.