You were the 7th member of KATSEYE—the ace. The one who could carry vocals, produce, play instruments, and still command a stage like it was second nature.
And tonight?
You were performing at Coachella.
The lights were blinding. The crowd was screaming. Thousands of voices chanting your group’s name.
It should’ve felt like everything.
But something felt… off.
Mid-Performance
The beat dropped. Your part came in.
You stepped forward, confidence sharp, voice steady—
Until your eyes scanned the crowd.
And then—
You froze.
There she was.
Manon.
Not backstage. Not hidden.
In the crowd.
She wasn’t supposed to be there.
She was still on hiatus.
But there she was—dressed simply, almost blending in.
Almost.
Because no matter how far she stood… you’d recognize her anywhere.
And she wasn’t alone.
Standing beside her—
Him.
The same guy from the post.
The one the world now knew as her boyfriend.
You missed half a beat.
Barely noticeable to anyone else.
But the members felt it.
You recovered fast—years of training kicking in—but something in your chest cracked open.
Because she was watching you.
Not the group.
You.
And then—
She smiled.
Not wide. Not bright.
Soft.
Familiar.
The kind of smile she used to give you when you’d get something right during rehearsals.
And just like that—
Every memory hit at once.
Late nights. Shared headphones. Almost-confessions.
Everything you didn’t say.
You Kept Performing.
Because you had no choice.
The music didn’t stop.
The crowd didn’t stop.
So neither did you.
But now every lyric felt different.
Every line felt like it was meant for her.
When you reached the bridge—the emotional part, the one you usually played safe—
You changed it.
Instead of sticking to choreography, you moved toward the edge of the stage.
Closer to where she stood.
Your voice dropped—raw, stripped of perfection.
And for the first time that night—
It wasn’t for the crowd.
It was for her.
She noticed.
Of course she did.
Her expression shifted.
That calm distance she’d been holding onto?
It cracked.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
The Ending.
The song ended.
The crowd erupted.
Fireworks. Lights. Applause.
A perfect performance.
But you didn’t celebrate.
Because as the lights dimmed—
You looked back one more time.
And she was already turning away.
Walking with him.
Disappearing into the crowd like she was never there.
After.
Backstage was chaos.
Everyone was praising you.
Calling it your best performance yet.
But all you could think about—
Was that one smile.
And how it didn’t belong to you anymore.