Whispers in the Dark

The next day’s rehearsal felt heavier than the first. Jae-min walked into the practice room early, determined to shake off yesterday’s awkwardness. He stretched, went over the choreography alone, and tried to forget the way Hyun-woo’s hand had lingered on his shoulder.

He almost succeeded—until the door swung open.

Hyun-woo stepped in, phone in hand, expression unreadable. Without a word, he placed his bag down and tossed his phone onto the sofa.

“Warm up,” he said simply.

Jae-min opened his mouth to reply, but his own phone buzzed. A notification from the group chat: [@all] You guys saw this yet???

He tapped the link. His stomach dropped.

A blurry photo from yesterday’s practice had been posted on a fan forum. The image showed him and Hyun-woo in the mirror—Hyun-woo leaning in close, his hand on Jae-min’s shoulder. The caption read:

> ‘New ship? HyunMin?? Look at that chemistry 👀🔥’

The post already had hundreds of comments.

“OMG THEY’RE SO CUTE”

“It’s just rehearsal, calm down.”

“No way this is just acting.”

Jae-min quickly locked his phone, feeling heat rise to his face. He glanced at Hyun-woo—who was watching him with faint amusement.

“You saw it,” Hyun-woo said. Not a question.

“It’s nothing,” Jae-min muttered, focusing on his stretches.

Hyun-woo smirked. “Fans will see whatever they want to see. Just don’t let it distract you.”

The rehearsal started, but the weight of the rumor clung to Jae-min like a shadow. Every time Hyun-woo moved closer during the routine, he became hyper-aware of the space between them.

During a break, the stage manager stepped in. “Change of plan. You two will perform together at the music festival next week. A duet stage.”

Jae-min froze. “A… duet?”

Hyun-woo simply nodded. “Send us the track,” he told the manager, then turned to Jae-min. “Guess we’ll be spending more time together.”

That evening, they stayed late to work on the duet. The song was slower, more intimate—a ballad that required emotional connection.

In the practice room, under the dim yellow lights, Hyun-woo stood in front of Jae-min. His voice, low and steady, carried through the melody:

> “Even if the world turns away… I’ll stay.”

Jae-min’s part followed, his voice trembling at first, then gaining strength:

> “Even if the night hides us… I’ll find you.”

When their voices overlapped in harmony, Jae-min felt it—something unspoken, a pull that wasn’t in the choreography.

The final note faded, and silence filled the room.

Hyun-woo took a step closer. “That… was better,” he said, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

Before Jae-min could reply, the practice room door opened. Another trainee peeked in, grinning. “You two looked way too into that song. Should I leave you alone?”

Jae-min’s face burned. Hyun-woo didn’t answer—he just walked over to grab his bag, a small, almost invisible smile tugging at his lips.

As they left the room, Jae-min realized something unsettling: the fans weren’t the only ones starting to believe the rumors.

TO BE CONTINUED

Note: did y'all enjoy this hehehe 😁 so basically this novel could be 200 episodes I'm guessing you want to know why 200? It's a secret 😏

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