The dorm was a complete mess.

Tonight, you were supposed to attend an award show in Paris, and somehow time had slipped through everyone’s fingers. You were stuck in the bathroom, putting the final touches on your makeup, but focusing was nearly impossible. Leehan hovered too close beside you, aggressively styling his hair, his elbow bumping into your arm every few seconds.

“Hold still,” you muttered, trying not to ruin your eyeliner.

“I am holding still,” Leehan replied, immediately shifting again and brushing a stray hair across your cheek.

Behind you, Woonhak balanced on his tiptoes, craning to see the mirror while carefully inserting his earrings. Each time he wobbled, he grabbed the counter for support, making the whole sink shake.

“Can someone move?” he complained. “I can’t see anything from here!”

In the hallway, Jaehyun had emptied half his bag onto the floor, panic written across his face. “I just had my in-ear monitors! They didn’t grow legs and walk away, right?”

Sungho, on the other hand, was completely unbothered. He posed in front of the mirror, snapping selfie after selfie. “No, no—this lighting is better,” he said, adjusting his stance again. “Fans are going to love this one!”

Riwoo rushed past, holding a shirt away from his body like it was radioactive. “I spilled coffee on this,” he groaned. “Does anyone have a spare? Like, right now?”

Meanwhile, Taesan was already ready, sitting calmly in the hallway with his back against the wall, scrolling on his phone as if the chaos didn’t exist.

Your phone buzzed for the fifth time.

Staff: Where are you??? Staff: The car is waiting. Staff: Please move. Now.

Outside, the bodyguards had been standing for nearly twenty minutes, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

“Okay, that’s it,” you said, closing your makeup compact. “We’re leaving.”

A wave of movement followed. Shoes were grabbed, jackets thrown on, someone shouted that they forgot a ring—only to be ignored. Everyone poured out of the dorm at once, rushing down the hallway and piling into the car without caring who sat where.

The door slammed shut, and the engine started immediately.

You ended up by the window, the city lights already blurring past, with Taesan sitting beside you. He glanced over, finally looking up from his phone.

“Made it,” he said simply.

You let out a long breath, shoulders relaxing as the car pulled away. Inside, the members were still talking over each other—laughing, arguing, checking reflections—but for the first time that night, everything was moving forward.

As the car sped through the streets, someone in the back finally noticed the silence from the staff phone and cheered. “They stopped calling!” Sungho announced, holding his phone up like a trophy. Jaehyun discovered his in-ear monitors wedged between the seats and immediately relaxed, while Riwoo accepted a borrowed jacket with dramatic gratitude. Woonhak kept checking his reflection in the darkened window, nodding to himself in approval.

Leehan finally sat back, brushing a rogue strand of hair from his face. “We actually made it on time,” he said, sounding almost proud.

Taesan leaned back, arms crossed, watching the city pass by. “See?” he said calmly. “We always make it.”

You smiled, the earlier stress fading. The car was full of laughter, banter, and the occasional groan about missing socks or spilled coffee. Even with all the chaos, the night finally felt exciting instead of frantic. Paris was waiting, and somehow, against all odds, you were actually on your way.