Chapter 3: Nova7 in Diguised
1315 Words
Jae's POV
“Jaehyung.”
My name cut through the noise. I turned, and there he was — Theo Kim, boxed smile on, eyes like midnight. The kind of eyes the Rays screamed over. The kind that made cameras forget to blink.
“Did Jinwoohyung text you?” His voice was casual, but the banana milk in his hand wasn’t. My favorite.
I shook my head. No. My fingers reached out instead, curling around the cold bottle. One sip. Two. Gone.
His smile dropped. “Hey, that’s mine!” He snatched it back, staring at the empty bottle like I’d committed a crime.
I shrugged, wiping my mouth. “What do you mean by ‘yours’? I got it from the Rays. You’ve got your own Yakult, right?”
“No more Yakult left,” he sighed, defeated. So what? Since when did that give him the right to take what was mine?
“Ya!” The door slammed open. Kim Yojin — Worldwide Handsome, oldest, Sub-Vocalist, visual — filled the doorway with fake rage. “Stop fighting, kids! We have a more important concern right now. We need to know if Jinwoo is fine.”
Theo rolled his eyes and walked toward him. “Yeah, I was only asking Jaehyung if he was texting him. He’s more focused on that banana milk.” Sycophant.
Another presence. Soft steps. Park Minji. Round face, boy-next-door warmth, but his eyes weren’t warm now. “Really, Jaehyung? Who always buys us our favorite snacks? Your banana milk?” A threat, wrapped in velvet. Lucky for him, he was Main Dancer and Lead Vocalist. Also Theo’s soulmate. Annoying, both of them.
“If Jinwoo was here,” a new voice cut in, soft but sharp like claws, “do you think he’d be happy that the three of you were bullying his favorite Maknae?” Min Yohan. Kitten eyes. Second oldest. Lead Rapper. Producer. The one who saw everything.
Theo scoffed. “Who else is the maknae here? We all know it’s him.”
“Hey, watch the news!” Bright light. Loud voice. Han Junseo. The elf-like one with Disney-prince cheekbones burst in — Main Dancer, Rapper, Sub-Vocalist. Hyper. Loud. Adored anyway.
The room froze. Yojin hyung’s voice cracked. “Jinwoo is in the hospital?” Yohan didn’t blink. “Yes. He mentioned earlier he’s visiting his younger sister…”
My mind slammed back.
[FLASHBACK – MOA ARENA DRESSING ROOM. 9PM]
The high performance still buzzed in my veins. I was searching. For her. The girl who dropped this.
I didn’t find her. But I found Jinwoo. Back turned, shoulders tense, voice low to an event staff member: “Ms. Aram had collapsed earlier, so she was brought to the hospital.”
Panic in his eyes. He left. Fast.
My grip loosened. The necklace fell.
Clink.
Heart-shaped. Old. I picked it up with trembling fingers. It opened.
And there she was.
Her face. Her smile. Her eyes.
My childhood best friend.
I rubbed my eyes, heart hammering against my ribs. No. It had to be someone else. Someone who just… looked like her.
Right?
Theo's POV
[ST. LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER ROOM 2401. PRESENT]
“What are we even doing here in these crazy outfits?”
Minji complained, tugging at his cardigan. Colorful earrings glinted in his ears, hair clips pinned back his hair, and a Gucci handbag hung from his arm. Total daddy’s-girl energy.
I turned when Junseo-hyung started murmuring behind me.
“Wow. Look who’s talking. You think I’d want to be the mother of ugly people like you?”
He shot Minji a glare. Minji stood there in that loud, colorful shirt and long skirt, tote bag stuffed with snacks, sunglasses perched on his head like he owned the place.
“Plus, whose idea was this anyway?” Junseo-hyung added.
All of us turned. Slowly.
To Yojin.
The only one in a uniform. A college boy with a shoulder bag, a book in his left hand, and glasses perched on his nose.
Then it happened.
The book slipped.
It hit the ground with a thud — and we all saw the title.
“Worldwide Handsome: The Textbook.”
Yohan bent to pick it up. Hoodie. Beanie. Slippers. Coffee in one hand.
He flipped it open.
Page after page of Yojin’s photos.
Yohan choked. Coffee sprayed straight into my face.
I cursed. Deep. In my man’s voice.
Then froze.
Because I remembered.
Bucket hat. Artsy dress. Lollipop in my hand.
I cleared my throat and switched to a girly pitch instantly.
Jae lost it. He was doubled over, pointing at me like an i***t.
Backwards cap. Hoodie. Headphones around his neck.
The most annoying baby boy alive.
My hand twitched. I almost hit him.
But Junseo-hyung was faster. He snatched Yohan’s slipper off the floor.
“Come here, Lolita,” he barked, eyes wild. “Of all the people to hit, you’re gonna hit our baby boy?”
He sounded like a mad mother ready to chase her daughter down the street with a slipper.
I ran in a daze and, luckily, made it to the restroom. I splashed water on my face immediately, scrubbing off the girly makeup. I sighed hard, glaring at my reflection.
“I swear, if it weren’t for Jinwoo-hyung, I would’ve never agreed to this crazy stuff! I’m never doing this again. Disguise, no more!” I was mid-rant when the door creaked.
A woman walked in, humming our 'ddukbol' song.
I forgot to turn away. Forgot to hide my face.
Her eyes went wide. She was about to scream.
I lunged. Grabbed her arm and yanked her into a cubicle, clamping a hand over her mouth.
She struggled against me.
My eyes begged her: Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.
There were other women in the restroom. If anyone found out I was in here, I was done.
And then our eyes met.
I knew her.
She was the one from the dressing room. The one who brought us water.
The one with dimples.
Dimples exactly like my little Ddukbol.
My heart slammed in my chest when I finally let go of her mouth.
She was stunned. Her eyes were glowing — no, shining, rimmed with water.
Guilt hit me like a wave as tears slipped down her cheeks.
I’d seen that look once before.
When I was a kid.
With… her?
Suddenly, I wasn't in a restroom anymore. I was back in Daegu, in a quiet room that smelled of peppermint and salt.
[FLASHBACK. DAEGU]
“I’m sorry, I can’t play right now.”
My best friend, Ddukbol, was crying because of a toothache.
It was my fault. I gave her chocolate. She ate too much and I forgot to warn her.
Now I was holding out a glass of warm salt water.
“Rinse,” I told her. She did.
Then I pressed a cold compress to her cheek to help with the swelling.
I’d learned it all from Grandma. It worked.
From that day on, I made a promise.
I’d stay by her side forever.
I’d take care of her like a real doctor. Until I became one.
“What if I don’t have money to pay for hospital bills?” she asked, clinging to my sleeve.
I laughed and pulled her in.
“No one pays when I’m your doctor. Everything’s free for my dear Ddukbol.”
- Writer
