AFTER THE FIRST SHOW
BUSAN — HOTEL, LATE NIGHT
The hotel room was quiet.
Too quiet.
The city lights outside the window reflected on the glass, but inside the room no one spoke.
Jae Rin sat on the couch, still in her stage hoodie, hair loose, makeup half removed.
Her breathing was normal now.
But she looked exhausted.
Min Jae stood near the table with his arms crossed.
Yuna pacing.
Sora sitting on the floor.
Jisoo watching her carefully.
No one liked what happened on stage.
Finally Min Jae spoke.
"You almost collapsed."
She sighed.
"I didn't."
"You couldn't breathe."
"I was tired."
"You asked for water three times."
Silence.
She looked away.
"…It's the first show."
Yuna stopped walking.
"That's exactly why this is bad."
Sora nodded.
"You have like twenty more concerts."
Jisoo added quietly,
"And flights between all of them."
Min Jae stepped closer.
"You're going to the hospital tomorrow."
Her head snapped up.
"No."
"Yes."
"No hospitals."
His voice got lower.
"Jae."
Her expression hardened.
"I said no."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone knew why she hated hospitals.
Five years ago.
Korea.
Cancer.
Sleepless nights.
Pain.
Percy sitting next to her bed.
Min Jae clenched his jaw.
"…We can't ignore this."
She whispered,
"I'm not sick."
No one answered.
Because none of them believed that.
Her phone buzzed.
She looked at the screen.
Percy.
She stood up immediately.
"I'll take this."
She walked to the balcony.
Closed the door behind her.
BALCONY — PHONE CALL
She picked up.
"…Hello."
Percy's voice calm as always.
"You didn't tell me the tour started today."
She leaned on the railing.
"You saw it."
"I saw the clip."
Silence.
He continued.
"You couldn't breathe."
She closed her eyes.
"I was tired."
"Don't lie to me."
She didn't answer.
He spoke again.
"You promised me you would tell me if something felt wrong."
Her fingers tightened on the phone.
"It's nothing serious."
"You said that five years ago too."
She froze.
Wind moved her hair.
"…I'm fine now."
Percy sighed softly.
"You need a checkup."
"No."
"Yes."
"No hospitals."
Silence.
Then his voice got quieter.
"…You're still scared, aren't you."
She didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
He spoke again.
"I'm not forcing you."
"But don't hide it."
Her voice softened slightly.
"…Okay."
He paused.
"Min Jae knows?"
"Yes."
"Yuna?"
"Yes."
"Sora, Jisoo?"
"Yes."
He exhaled slowly.
"Good."
Then he added—
"And Keifer?"
Her expression changed instantly.
Cold.
"No."
"And he won't."
She ended the call.
Stood there for a moment.
Breathing slowly.
Then went back inside.
ROOM — LATER
Min Jae looked at her.
"Percy?"
She nodded.
"He said the same thing you did."
"And?"
"I said no."
He sighed.
"You're impossible."
She smirked slightly.
"You knew that."
But the smile didn't last.
Her hand moved to her pocket.
Small pill bottle.
Min Jae noticed.
"Not again."
"I need sleep."
"You need rest, not pills."
She looked at him.
"If I don't sleep, I can't perform."
Silence.
He couldn't argue with that.
She took one pill.
Drank water.
Sat down.
Eyes already tired.
Next concert in four days.
Tokyo.
Then Bangkok.
Then Mumbai.
Then Delhi.
The schedule didn't stop.
And neither did she.
SAME TIME — SEOUL — KEIFER POV
The concert replay played again on the TV.
Ci-n groaned.
"You've watched this ten times."
Keifer didn't look away.
"She almost stopped breathing."
Aries leaned on the wall.
"You're imagining things."
Angelo shook his head.
"No… he's right."
Ci-n blinked.
"You too?"
Angelo crossed his arms.
"She looks different."
Rory checked his phone.
"Next concert Tokyo."
Edrix smirked.
"You going?"
Keifer didn't answer immediately.
His eyes stayed on the screen.
Her face.
Sweat.
Pale skin.
Forced smile.
His voice got low.
"We're going."
Ci-n laughed.
"You serious?"
"Yes."
Aries frowned.
"For what."
Keifer turned off the TV.
"For answers."
Silence.
Angelo looked at him.
"You think something happened after she left."
Keifer nodded slowly.
"I know something did."
He grabbed his keys.
"Next concert."
His voice hardened.
"I'm not missing it."
And somewhere in Busan —
Jae Rin finally fell asleep.
Because of the pill.
Not because she felt safe
THE TOUR DOESN'T STOP
BUSAN — NEXT MORNING
Sunlight entered the hotel room slowly.
The curtains were half open.
Everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jae Rin was still asleep on the bed, blanket half fallen, hair spread across the pillow.
The small pill bottle was on the table.
Empty glass beside it.
Min Jae stood near the window, arms crossed.
He hadn't slept much.
Yuna whispered from the door,
"She still sleeping?"
He nodded.
"She took one again."
Sora sighed.
"She can't keep doing this."
Jisoo leaned on the wall.
"We should cancel Tokyo."
Min Jae shook his head.
"You know she won't allow it."
They all knew.
If she decided something, no one could stop her.
Yuna looked at her sleeping face.
"She looks tired even while sleeping."
Min Jae muttered,
"She hasn't slept normally in years."
Silence filled the room.
Then her phone buzzed.
Manager calling.
Min Jae picked up.
"Yes."
Pause.
"…Today?"
Pause again.
He sighed.
"Fine."
He ended the call.
Sora frowned.
"What now."
He looked at them.
"Press conference."
Yuna stared.
"Today??"
He nodded.
"She has to talk about the world tour."
Jisoo shook her head.
"She just finished a stadium show yesterday."
Min Jae looked at the bed.
"…And she still has Tokyo in three days."
Right then, Jae Rin moved slightly.
Her eyes opened slowly.
She blinked at the light.
Voice hoarse.
"What time is it…"
Yuna walked to her.
"Too early."
She sat up slowly.
Her head hurt.
Her chest felt heavy again.
She ignored it.
Min Jae spoke.
"Press conference in one hour."
She nodded.
"Okay."
No complaint.
No reaction.
Just okay.
That worried him more than anything.
PRESS CONFERENCE — BUSAN
Cameras everywhere.
Reporters shouting.
Lights flashing.
She walked in wearing a simple black outfit, hair straight, expression calm.
Fans screamed even here.
"JAE RIN!!"
"OVER HERE!!"
She smiled politely.
Sat down.
Manager started speaking about the tour.
Questions started immediately.
"Your schedule is very heavy, are you worried about health?"
She smiled.
"I'm fine."
"Busan concert looked exhausting."
"It was fun."
"You looked tired during the show."
Her smile stayed.
"First concert nerves."
More questions.
"You're going to Mumbai and Delhi this tour, how do you feel about performing in India?"
She nodded.
"I'm excited. I've wanted to go there for a long time."
Fans online went crazy instantly.
"DELHI MENTIONED"
"SHE SAID INDIA"
"She looks tired though…"
Another reporter spoke.
"You haven't taken a break in years. Why start such a big tour now?"
For a moment she stopped.
Just one moment.
Then answered quietly.
"Because I don't want to stop."
Min Jae looked at her from the side.
That same sentence again.
He hated that sentence.
Because last time she said it…
she ended up in the hospital.
SAME TIME — SEOUL — KEIFER POV
Ci-n threw the remote on the couch.
"She's doing press now too??"
Rory nodded.
"She's everywhere."
Aries crossed his arms.
"She always was."
Angelo watched the screen carefully.
Keifer stood near the TV again.
Watching.
Always watching.
Reporter asked—
"You looked short of breath during the concert, are you okay?"
Keifer froze slightly.
Her answer came.
"I'm fine."
His jaw tightened.
Ci-n smirked.
"You really don't believe that, huh."
Keifer shook his head slowly.
"No."
Aries sighed.
"You don't even know her anymore."
Keifer didn't look away.
"…I know when she lies."
Silence.
Angelo looked at him.
"You think she's hiding something."
Keifer nodded.
"Yes."
Rory checked his phone.
"Next concert Tokyo."
Edrix grinned.
"We going or what."
Keifer turned off the TV.
"Yes."
Ci-n laughed.
"You serious again?"
Keifer grabbed his jacket.
"I'm not watching through a screen."
Aries frowned.
"You think something will happen."
Keifer stopped at the door.
His voice low.
"…Something already did."
He opened the door.
"We just don't know what yet."
HOTEL — NIGHT
Jae Rin sat on the bed.
Lights off.
Only lamp on.
Notebook in her lap.
New lyrics.
Slow.
Sad.
Her chest felt tight again.
She stopped writing.
Took a deep breath.
Didn't work.
Another.
Still heavy.
Her hand moved to the table.
Small bottle.
Sleeping pills.
She stared at it.
Then picked it up.
Door opened.
Min Jae walked in.
He saw the bottle immediately.
"…Again?"
She didn't look at him.
"I need sleep."
"You need a doctor."
"No."
"Yes."
"No hospitals."
Silence.
He sat beside her.
"You're scared it's happening again."
Her hand froze.
She didn't answer.
He spoke softer.
"…Me too."
Her eyes moved slightly.
He continued.
"I was there five years ago."
"I remember everything."
Her voice almost a whisper.
"…It's not that."
He looked at her.
"Then what is it."
She swallowed.
"…I just can't breathe sometimes."
That sentence made his chest drop.
Because that was exactly how it started before.
He took the bottle from her hand.
"Not tonight."
She looked at him.
Tired.
Really tired.
"…I won't sleep."
He sighed.
"Then don't."
Silence.
She lay down anyway.
Closed her eyes.
Minutes passed.
Her breathing slowly calmed.
Min Jae stayed sitting next to the bed.
Watching.
Because something felt wrong again.
Very wrong.
And this time —
the tour had only just begun.