| After completing his military service, Tae-min finally made his anticipated comeback with Guilty. The powerful choreography, the haunting melody—it all came together as a testament to how much he’d grown. Fans were ecstatic, his schedule was packed, and yet, something strange began to unsettle his otherwise focused mind.

He started dreaming about a girl. Vivid dreams that left him shaken and restless, her face so clear it was as though he knew her. Every night, she appeared, yet she was a complete stranger. Tae-min dismissed it as exhaustion, laughing it off in the quiet moments when he talked to his cats about it. “Guess your owner’s finally going crazy,” he’d mutter while stroking their fur. Days turned into weeks, but the dreams didn’t stop. If anything, they became more frequent.

One night after rehearsals, he stared into the mirror, her face flashing in his memory. He shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Seriously, what is wrong with me?”

Weeks passed, and Tae-min focused on his promotions, pouring himself into every stage performance. Then came the encore stage for one of his final Guilty shows. The crowd was electric, waving light sticks and singing along. As Tae-min scanned the audience during a brief pause in the choreography, his eyes froze.

There she was.

The girl from his dreams.

Sitting near the front, her face unmistakable. His world seemed to tilt. His throat tightened, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. It wasn’t just a passing resemblance—she was exactly as he’d seen her, down to the tiniest detail.

He forced himself to finish the performance, though his heart was pounding in a way he hadn’t experienced since his rookie days. Every glance her way sent his mind reeling. Could it really be her? How was it even possible?

Tae-min’s thoughts were racing. As he stepped offstage, his body moved on autopilot, but his mind was still on her. He turned to one of his managers.

“I need to go back out there,” he said breathlessly.