As the early morning sun peeked through the studio windows, the weight of their revelations lingered in the air. The practice room, usually alive with music and laughter, had become a sanctuary for raw emotions and hidden truths. The girls exchanged glances, each feeling the vulnerability that had taken hold of them, yet strangely comforted by it.
Jennie let out a long sigh, her usual guarded demeanor softened. She looked up at Lisa, who had been the catalyst for all of this, her eyes filled with gratitude and unease. "You really think this will help us, Lisa? Opening up like this?"
Lisa nodded, her gaze unwavering. "I do. We’re always putting on a show for everyone else. But here, with each other... we don’t have to pretend."
Rosé wrapped her arms around herself, a faint smile crossing her lips. "Feels strange, doesn’t it? Like we’re peeling back all these layers we’ve been hiding behind."
Nayeon leaned against the wall, her eyes thoughtful. "It’s like that stranger knew exactly what we needed. As if he saw through every mask we wore." She hesitated, glancing at the others. "But… don’t you think it’s a little unnerving? I mean, who was he? And how did he know so much about us?"
The room fell silent again, each girl deep in thought. The stranger’s cryptic words replayed in their minds, and a subtle shiver ran through them as they considered just how much he’d revealed. What else did he know that he hadn’t yet shared?
Momo’s voice was barely a whisper as she spoke up, breaking the silence. "What if… there’s more to his message? Like, what if he wants us to confront something bigger than just our insecurities?"
Dahyun nodded slowly. "He said, 'The ones you keep hidden, even from yourselves.' Maybe it’s not just about our fears or doubts but something… deeper."
Jennie’s face hardened slightly, an edge returning to her tone. "I don’t want him to get into our heads. We have enough on our plates with this comeback. We don’t need some stranger filling us with doubts."
But Lisa shook her head, her voice gentle but resolute. "Maybe that’s exactly why he showed up. Maybe we’re supposed to face these things now, not just keep shoving them aside."
Jisoo glanced at her friends, her usual calm expression betraying a flicker of determination. "All right then, if we’re doing this, let’s do it all the way. No half-truths, no more walls."
The Twice members, who had been listening quietly, exchanged glances. Jeongyeon nodded, stepping forward. "If you’re in, then so are we. After all, we’re in this together now."
One by one, each of them took turns revealing even more about themselves, each secret unveiling layers of hidden strength and fragility. Momo confessed her fear of disappointing her family back in Japan, and how she constantly worried about making the right choices. Chaeyoung, normally lighthearted and carefree, admitted that her humor often masked a deep sense of insecurity, a fear that she’d never quite live up to the expectations placed on her.
Nayeon shared a truth that she’d been hiding even from herself—the quiet dread that one day, she’d lose the sense of connection she held so dear with her members. Her voice shook as she admitted it, and Jeongyeon, who’d always been her closest friend, moved closer, pulling her into a tight hug.
Jihyo’s eyes glistened as she spoke. "I always feel like I have to be strong, like I can’t let myself falter. I’m supposed to be the leader, the one holding it all together, but… there are days I feel like I’m falling apart."
Lisa watched, her heart swelling with admiration for each of them. She saw the same resilience in her friends that she felt within herself—the strength to stand tall despite the weight of their fears. She could see it now: their bonds were no longer just built on shared successes and rehearsals, but on these vulnerable moments, on the courage it took to lay themselves bare.
"Maybe that’s what he meant," Lisa murmured. "Maybe by knowing each other’s fears, we’re actually freeing ourselves. We don’t have to carry all of this alone."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, feeling the warmth of the room, their friendship cocooning them like a protective shield.
But then, the thought struck Rosé, and she voiced what had been nagging at the back of her mind. "If the stranger knew all of this about us… what if he knows something else? Something bigger?"
The room stilled as the question hung in the air, each of them feeling the same, unspoken dread. What if the stranger had only scratched the surface? What if there were truths about them even they hadn’t uncovered?
A soft knock at the studio door interrupted their thoughts, and they all tensed. Slowly, Jisoo got up and opened the door, revealing a small package sitting on the floor outside. She glanced around, but no one was in sight. Heart pounding, she brought it back to the group.
The package was simple, wrapped in plain brown paper with a red wax seal stamped with the same serpent symbol from the stranger’s card. Jennie swallowed, exchanging uneasy glances with Lisa.
Rosé broke the seal, unfolding a note written in the same dark, elegant script:
"To uncover the truth, you must first unmask yourselves. Midnight, the gallery. This is your invitation."
Lisa’s eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and trepidation. "An invitation… Do we go?"
Jennie shook her head, her voice firm. "We don’t even know who this guy is. For all we know, it could be some kind of trap."
Jisoo sighed, feeling the familiar conflict within her. "But what if it’s not? What if this is our chance to finally face whatever’s haunting us?"
Dahyun looked around at her friends, the weight of the decision bearing down on them. "If we go, we need to be prepared. This might not be easy."
After a long pause, they all nodded in silent agreement, their minds made up. Whatever awaited them at the gallery, they would face it together. With one final glance at the note, Jennie folded it and slipped it into her pocket, her expression hardening with resolve.
“Then let’s do it,” she said. “But no matter what happens, we stay together.”
As midnight approached, the girls gathered outside the old, grand gallery that looked like it had been untouched by time. Its imposing facade loomed over them, casting shadows that seemed to twist and dance in the dim streetlights. The heavy wooden doors creaked open as they stepped inside, their footsteps echoing off the marble floors.
The room was filled with eerie, beautiful art—portraits and sculptures of faceless figures, masks strewn across glass cases, each one capturing a different expression. The stranger’s voice echoed through the vast hall, though they couldn’t see him.
“Welcome, ladies,” his voice was a whisper that seemed to come from everywhere at once. “Tonight, you confront the last mask.”
A lone spotlight illuminated a mirror standing at the center of the room. It was a simple mirror, but as each of them stepped forward, they saw their reflections differently—changed, darker. They saw pieces of themselves they had long tried to bury.
Jennie’s reflection showed her with cracks running through her skin, symbolizing the pain she’d hidden from past heartbreaks. Lisa’s showed her standing tall but with chains wrapped around her wrists, a reminder of the sacrifices she had made for her ambition. Jisoo’s reflection had shadows pooling at her feet, representing the weight of the burdens she silently carried.
One by one, they faced the images, feeling the weight of each unspoken truth, each secret laid bare.
And then, finally, the stranger appeared at the far end of the gallery, his face obscured by a mask. He walked toward them, his footsteps echoing, and spoke in a voice that was now softer, almost sympathetic.
“Only by facing the truth,” he said, “can you finally be free. Each of you has the power to let go of what haunts you… but only if you are brave enough to release it.”
With a final glance at one another, they each took a deep breath, feeling a sense of peace slowly wash over them. They didn’t know who the stranger was or why he had come into their lives, but somehow, his presence had guided them toward a truth they could no longer deny.
And as they stepped out of the gallery and into the night, they felt different, lighter. Their secrets were no longer burdens—they had been transformed into a bond, a strength that would carry them forward, no matter what lay ahead.
