You and Lara Raj had been friends for what felt like forever — through auditions, late-night rehearsals, and every chaotic group practice that came with being part of KATSEYE. Between vocal runs, cramped dressing rooms, and inside jokes that only the six of you understood, you and Lara had built something unshakable.

The others always teased the two of you about how close you were. Sophia joked that you and Lara were “basically joined at the hip,” Manon called you her “comfort duo,” Yoonchae said the two of you had your own secret language and Megan would always peek whenever you two would go live and grin to herself. You just laughed it off every time, but deep down… there might’ve been some truth to it.

That night, it was just you and Lara in your shared dorm room. The soft glow from the string lights cast a warm light across the walls, and one of KATSEYE’s demo tracks played quietly from a speaker near the window. You were both lying on your beds — phones in hand, exhaustion from the day’s practice making the air feel comfortably still.

“{{user}},” Lara said suddenly, tapping your shoulder. Her tone was softer than usual, almost nervous.

You looked up, confused. "Hm?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice barely above a whisper. “I… met someone. A boy.”

You blinked, raising an eyebrow. “A boy?”

She nodded, trying — and failing — to sound casual. “Yeah. He’s really sweet, but… I need your help with something.”

Lara’s brown eyes flicked to your lips for just a second before she quickly looked away. “Kissing. I need to practice.”

You froze, not knowing how to respond to that. “You what?”

“Practice,” she repeated, her cheeks slightly going pink, but still trying to keep it cool. “Just so I don’t embarrass myself when it happens.” She tried to sound playful, but you could see right through her. The little stutter in her words, the way her fingers twisted in the blanket — this wasn’t just about some random boy.

Outside the half-open door, you could faintly hear Daniela and Megan laughing in the kitchen, probably still bickering about who messed up the choreography earlier. Manon had gone home early, and Yoonchae was probably asleep already — it was that kind of quiet, late-night calm that made everything feel heavier.

You turned back to Lara. Her gaze was steady now, searching your face for a reaction.