The day Minji had dreamed about for five years had finally arrived.
The backstage area buzzed with stylists, managers, and nervous idols preparing for the live music show.
“Everyone, gather around!”
The manager’s voice echoed through the room.
Minji quickly joined the other four members of her new girl group, LUNA5.
Their leader, Hana, looked calm.
Yuri couldn’t stop checking her makeup.
Sora was stretching her arms.
And Minji’s heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.
“You debut in ten minutes,” the manager said.
“The entire company believes in you.
Go show everyone why.”
The girls placed their hands together.
“LUNA5!” they shouted.
“Fighting!”
As they walked toward the stage, Minji caught sight of a familiar figure watching from a distance.
Lee Joon.
He was preparing for Aurora’s comeback performance later that evening.
When their eyes met, he gave her a small thumbs-up.
A simple gesture.
Yet somehow it calmed her racing heart.
“You can do this,” he mouthed.
For the first time that day, Minji smiled.
The debut performance was a success.
Videos of LUNA5 quickly spread online.
Fans praised their powerful choreography and Minji’s stable vocals.
Within twenty-four hours, their debut stage had millions of views.
But success brought new problems.
The next week, Minji overheard a conversation in the practice room.
“She only gets attention because she’s friends with Lee Joon.”
Another trainee laughed.
“Without him, nobody would notice her.”
Minji froze.
The words hurt more than she expected.
She had spent years training.
Years sacrificing sleep, holidays, and time with friends.
Yet some people believed her success belonged to someone else.
That evening, she practiced alone.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until her legs shook from exhaustion.
“Trying to wear a hole in the floor?”
The familiar voice made her turn around.
Joon stood in the doorway.
“Did you hear them?” she asked quietly.
His smile faded.
“Some people think I don’t deserve this.”
Joon walked into the room.
“You know what people said when Aurora debuted?”
Minji looked up.
“They called us a failure.”
“What?”
“They said we’d disappear in six months.”
Minji blinked.
That seemed impossible now.
Joon laughed softly.
“The higher you climb, the more opinions people have.”
“So what did you do?”
“I worked harder.”
He pointed toward the mirror.
“Not for them.
For myself.”
The words settled in her heart.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The room felt strangely peaceful.
Comfortable.
Dangerously comfortable.
Because lately Minji had started noticing things she never noticed before.
The way Joon remembered her favorite coffee order.
The way he always encouraged her before evaluations.
The way she smiled whenever his name appeared on her phone.
And that scared her.
Dating scandals could destroy careers.
Especially for rookie idols.
Yet every day, ignoring her feelings became harder.
A month later, LUNA5 received their first music show nomination.
The members screamed with excitement backstage.
They weren’t expected to win.
But being nominated was already a huge achievement.
As Minji stood near the stage entrance, her phone vibrated.
A message from Joon.
Joon: “No matter what happens tonight, I’m proud of you.”
Minji stared at the screen.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Then another.
Without realizing it, she smiled.
A real smile.
The kind that came from somewhere deep inside.
What she didn’t know was that a photographer standing nearby had just captured the moment.
And by tomorrow morning, the internet would be asking one question:
Who was Minji smiling at?