The second teaser didn't drop quietly.
It was announced.
Scheduled.
Anticipated.
And that made it worse.
Countdown
"Ten minutes," Bella said for the fifth time.
"We know," Joanne replied, not looking up from her phone.
Susu sat cross-legged on the floor, refreshing their official page like it might load faster if she cared enough.
Mili hugged a pillow to her chest.
Leah stood by the window again.
Same position.
Different feeling.
This time—
she wasn't avoiding it.
She was waiting.
Official Accounts — First Drop
The notification came in first.
ROSIES OFFICIAL
Bella gasped. "IT'S POSTED."
Susu clicked immediately.
Five images.
One for each of them.
Concept Photos — Individual
Joanne
Dark green backdrop.
Black outfit. Sharp lines. Clean posture.
Her new bangs framing her eyes perfectly.
Caption: "Control is the root."
Comments flooded:
"LEADER ENERGY"
"She looks expensive and intimidating???"
"She's definitely the backbone of the group"
Joanne blinked once.
"…acceptable."
Bella stared at her. "ACCEPTABLE?? YOU LOOK LIKE A CEO."
Susu
Soft lighting.
Hair long, straight, untouched — falling like silk.
Bare shoulders. Gentle expression.
Caption: "Blooming is a choice."
Comments:
"MAIN VOCAL FACE???"
"She's so elegant???"
"This is insane visual"
Susu's lips parted slightly.
"They like it…"
"They love it," Mili corrected softly.
Mili
Silver hair glowing under pale light.
Close-up.
Soft eyes.
Almost fragile.
Caption: "Not all growth is loud."
Comments:
"WHO IS SHE???"
"She looks unreal???"
"She's gonna be a hidden ace I'm calling it"
Mili stared quietly.
"…hidden ace."
Bella wrapped an arm around her. "Not hidden for long."
Bella
Pink hair.
Bright.
Layered outfit.
Movement caught mid-turn.
Caption: "Chaos creates color."
Comments:
"PINK HAIR GIRL AGAIN???"
"She's so fun I love her already"
"She's gonna go viral every comeback"
Bella dropped her phone dramatically. "I told you. I told all of you."
"No one argued," Joanne said.
Leah
Black.
Still.
Petals mid-fall.
Eyes catching two different tones under the light.
Caption: "Some things bloom in the dark."
Silence.
Then—
the comments exploded.
"HER EYES???"
"SHE DOESN'T EVEN TRY???"
"This is insane visual"
"She's already THAT idol"
"I don't understand her but I'm obsessed"
Bella slowly turned her head toward Leah.
"You're actually dangerous."
Leah didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"…it's just a photo."
Joanne shook her head slightly. "It's not."
Group Photo Drop
The next post came seconds later.
All five of them.
Together.
Different colors.
Different energies.
One frame.
Caption:
"We bloom differently."
And that's when everything changed.
The Internet — Round Two
This time, it wasn't just curiosity.
It was attachment.
Fan pages multiplied overnight.
Edits got sharper.
Opinions got louder.
"ROSIES might actually be top tier"
"There's no visual hole???"
"This group is balanced in a scary way"
"I can't pick a bias anymore???"
But with that—
came division.
Bias Wars
"Leah stans are already fighting everyone," Bella said, scrolling.
Susu blinked. "Why???"
"They're saying she's the center no matter what."
Joanne sighed. "Of course they are."
Mili hesitated. "But… aren't we all important?"
Leah glanced at her.
"Yes," she said.
But the internet didn't work like that.
Comments — The Other Side
"Bella is doing too much"
"Mili is forgettable"
"Susu is only visuals"
"Joanne is too stiff"
"Leah is overrated"
The room went quiet.
Bella locked her phone first.
"…okay."
Mili looked down.
Susu didn't speak.
Joanne exhaled slowly.
Leah watched all of them.
Then said—
"Good."
They all looked at her.
"If people are criticizing, they're paying attention," she continued.
"That doesn't make it feel better," Mili said softly.
Leah walked over.
Sat beside her.
"…no," she admitted. "It doesn't."
A pause.
Then—
"But it means we matter."
Management Steps In
Leah had discussed with their manager earlier that evening telling him how the girls were always on their phone since the teasers were released and sge thought it was affecting them.
It happened that same night.
A knock on the door.
The manager stepped in, expression serious.
"All of you—phones."
Bella blinked. "What?"
"For one week," he said. "No social media. No comments. No browsing."
Susu frowned slightly. "Because of the fan wars?"
"Yes."
Joanne nodded slowly. "You don't want it affecting us."
"We don't want it shaping you," he corrected.
Mili hesitated, holding her phone a little tighter.
Bella groaned. "This is emotional oppression."
Leah didn't argue and said it was for the best they all thought it through and later agreed with her
She just looked at her screen one more time.
One Last Call
"Ten minutes," the manager added. "Call whoever you need to, your parents, siblings friends."
The room shifted instantly.
Bella called first.
"Mom—yes, it's out—no, I'm famous already, don't worry—yes I'm eating—okay love you BYE."
She hung up and sighed. "She cried."
"Of course she did," Susu said.
Susu sat quietly in the corner.
She spoke softly in Chinese, her voice gentler than they'd ever heard it.
A small smile stayed on her lips the entire time.
When she ended the call, she wiped her eye quickly.
"I'm fine," she said.
No one questioned it.
Mili
"Oppa… I'm okay," she said into the phone. "Did you see it?"
A pause.
Her face softened.
"…I'll eat. I promise."
She laughed quietly.
"Tell mom I'm okay."
Joanne
She leaned against the wall, voice calm.
"Yes, I saw everything… no, I'm not worried… they're good people."
A pause.
"…I'm not alone."
That was all she needed to say.
Leah
Leah stared at her phone longer than anyone.
Then—
she stepped outside.
The hallway was quiet.
She dialed.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
"Hello?"
Leah's expression softened instantly.
"…Hi."
Her voice changed.
Not colder.
Not distant.
Just—
younger.
"Yes, I ate."
A pause.
A small smile.
"No, I'm sleeping enough."
Another pause.
"…I miss you too."
Silence, but not empty.
Then—
"Yes. I'll do well."
When she hung up, she stayed there for a second longer.
Then went back inside.
Disconnected
One by one—
their phones were taken.
The room felt strange without them.
Quieter.
Slower.
Real.
Bella flopped onto the bed. "What do we do now?"
Susu smiled faintly. "Talk?"
Mili nodded.
Joanne sat down beside them.
Leah hesitated—
then joined.
No screens.
No comments.
No rankings.
Just them.
Something Stronger
"Hey," Bella said suddenly.
"We're not doing this."
"Doing what?" Susu asked.
"Letting comments decide how we feel," Bella said.
Joanne nodded. "She's right."
Mili took a breath. "…okay."
Susu followed. "Okay."
Leah looked at all of them.
Then—
she smiled.
Not small.
Not hidden.
Real.
"Okay."
End
Outside, the world was louder than ever.
Fan wars.
Votes.
Opinions.
Noise.
But inside—
for one week—
ROSIES had silence.
And in that silence—
they didn't lose momentum.
They found each other.