The undercurrent

The tides were changing.

Slowly. Unevenly. But undeniably.

Mirror Phase had cracked something open in the public consciousness. The visuals were haunting, the message clear: this wasn’t just about an idol in crisis. This was about truth—about artistry, love, and identity under surveillance.

The world had always seen Taehyung as a mystery. Now, for the first time, he felt seen as a human.

Even the media started to shift.

“A Bold Statement: Taehyung Redefines What an Idol Can Be.”

“Mirror Phase Isn’t About Romance—It’s About Revolution.”

“Public Turns Soft Toward Taehyung After Emotional Solo Debut.”

Hashtags like #ProtectTaehyung, #ArtIsNotAScandal, and #WeSeeYou began trending.

For the first time in weeks, Jungkook didn’t feel like hiding.

⸻

They met at a hidden recording studio in the hills outside Seoul. Jungkook had borrowed it from a producer friend. It smelled like old vinyl and incense, with glowing lava lamps on the shelves.

Taehyung walked in wearing a hoodie two sizes too big and eyes full of wariness.

Jungkook didn’t say a word. He just reached for him, pulling him into a hug that said more than any press conference ever could.

They stayed like that for a while—no stage, no questions, no world to disappoint.

Just breath and heartbeat.

“You look tired,” Taehyung murmured.

“So do you,” Jungkook replied.

“I missed you.”

“I never stopped missing you.”

⸻

That night, they recorded a demo.

It wasn’t polished. The vocals cracked. The guitar was out of tune.

But it was raw, beautiful, honest.

The chorus poured out like a confession:

“I kept my heart in hiding / while the cameras rolled / but every lie they wrote / couldn’t erase the way I hold / you in silence / you in song / you all along.”

They didn’t plan to release it.

Not yet.

But maybe… someday.

⸻

Meanwhile, back at Horizon, Hyesoo was fighting her own quiet battle.

The boardroom was divided—some calling Mirror Phase a marketing disaster, others seeing it as a turning point.

She stood before them, heels steady, voice sharper than the glass table between them.

“This isn’t about two boys in love,” she said. “It’s about whether we want to be the kind of company that punishes honesty or celebrates humanity.”

One older executive scoffed. “The fans don’t want their idols complicated.”

She smiled, cool and lethal. “No. But they want them real. And that’s what we just gave them.”

⸻

Public pressure mounted.

Petitions circulated.

Over 500,000 fans signed a global demand for Jungkook’s reinstatement.

Fellow idols—quiet until now—began to speak up.

Seulgi posted a cryptic lyric: “Hearts don’t follow contracts.”

Taemin posted a photo of two clasped hands with no caption.

Even RM tweeted:

“The heart has always been the truest instrument.”

The undercurrent was no longer quiet.

It was rising like a tide.

⸻

Then came the offer.

Nova’s CEO—under fire from shareholders—sent a message directly to Jungkook:

“Return for a special stage. One night. One show. You pick the song. If the numbers are strong, we talk about reinstatement.”

It was a test. A trap, maybe.

But Jungkook saw it as a chance.

He called Taehyung immediately.

“They want me back. One night.”

Taehyung’s heart twisted. “And you’re going to do it?”

“I want to. But not alone.”

Taehyung paused. “What do you mean?”

“I want to sing our song.”

“The demo?”

“The truth.”

⸻

The night of the performance arrived like a storm on the horizon.

No one knew what to expect.

It was a charity gala—streamed live worldwide. Elegant. Controlled. Polished.

And then…

The lights dimmed.

A single spotlight.

Jungkook stepped onto the stage with nothing but a microphone and a guitar.

He wore black. No makeup. No backtrack.

He strummed the first chord—and every heart tuned in.

When Taehyung appeared beside him on the second verse, the audience gasped audibly.

They sang like no one was watching.

And everyone was.

The last line broke the silence:

“If love is quiet, then let me be loud just once.”

The lights dimmed again.

The applause was thunder.

And the undercurrent?

It became a wave.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***