The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The hours that passed (Part 3)

The gentle knock at the waiting room door made us step apart, but not hurriedly. Winter poked her head in, one eyebrow raised in that knowing way of hers.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, not sounding sorry at all, "but we need to run through the blocking one more time before hair and makeup arrives."

Giselle nodded, quickly dabbing at her eyes. "Just give me two minutes to fix this mess," she gestured at her slightly smudged makeup.

"Take five," I said, already shifting into manager mode. "I need to check on the technical setup anyway." The adrenaline from the confrontation with Jung was still humming through my system, but years of production work had taught me how to channel that energy into focused preparation.

Winter lingered as Giselle disappeared into the attached bathroom. "You okay?" she asked quietly, her usual playful demeanor replaced with genuine concern.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I leaned against the makeup counter, finally letting some of the tension seep from my shoulders. "You're the one who had to deal with Jung's bullshit for all this time. And now this..." I gestured vaguely, encompassing everything that had just happened and remembering the threats that Jung made to them, over text and emails.

She shrugged, but I caught the slight tremor in her hands as she adjusted her in-ear monitor. "We protect our own," she said simply. "You and Giselle... you both deserve to be happy. And nobody messes with my group's happiness."

The bathroom door opened before I could respond. Giselle emerged, makeup perfect once again, though I noticed her hands fidgeting with her sleeve – a nervous tell I'd learned to recognize months ago.

"Ready?" Winter asked, already heading for the door.

"Actually," I caught Giselle's eye in the mirror, "give us one more minute?"

Winter's knowing smile returned as she slipped out. I moved to stand behind Giselle, meeting her gaze in the reflection.

"You're overthinking," I said softly.

"Am I?" She turned to face me, voice barely above a whisper. "Everything's different now. Jung might still try something from Japan, and the performance-"

"Hey." I caught her fidgeting hands in mine, stilling them. "The only thing that's different is that we don't have to hide anymore. At least, not from the people who matter." I squeezed her hands gently. "The rest? Jung, the performance, whatever comes next – we handle it like we've handled everything else. Together."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "When did you get so good at pep talks?"

"I learned from the best. Or did you forget all those 3 AM practice room conversations?"

Her smile widened into something more genuine. "Those weren't pep talks. Those were coffee-fueled therapy sessions."

"Speaking of which..." I released her hands reluctantly. "Don't forget, after the show. Our usual place?"

"It'll be past midnight."

"They know our order by heart now. Pretty sure Minjoo-noona would keep the shop open even if we showed up at 3 AM."

Giselle's laugh was interrupted by another knock, more insistent this time. Karina's voice carried through the door: "If you two are done being disgustingly cute, we have a performance to prepare for!"

"Coming!" Giselle called back, already moving toward the door. She paused with her hand on the handle, turning back to me with that mix of vulnerability and determination I'd fallen for months ago. "After the show," she confirmed. "Win or lose."