The rehearsal space smelled like dust and old wood and desperation.
Min-Hee stood center stage, holding a microphone that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Seo-Yoon sat in the front row with a clipboard, reviewing vendor contracts. Choi Yu-Jin watched from the wings, her elegant face unreadable.
"Let's run it one more time," Yu-Jin called out. "From the second verse."
Min-Hee took a breath—carefully, because her ribs still screamed with every deep inhale—and started singing "Until We Meet Again."
Her voice cracked on the second line.
She stopped, frustration burning in her chest. This was the fifth time she'd tried, and the fifth time her body had betrayed her.
"Your breathing is wrong," Yu-Jin said, walking onto the stage. "You're favoring your left side because of the ribs. I
