Her Song, His Heart

New Horizons

The next morning, the dorm was alive with a mix of excitement and chaos. Felix’s music blasted from the kitchen as he whipped up a batch of waffles, Seungmin was lecturing I.N. about cleaning up after himself, and Hyunjin sat on the couch, lazily scrolling through his phone.

Mannon, however, was seated quietly at the table, deep in thought as she toyed with the rim of her coffee mug. Across from her, Chan was flipping through his schedule for the week.

“Alright,” Chan announced, looking up at the group. “We’ve got studio sessions this week, and there’s a fan event on Saturday. Make sure your schedules are clear.”

As the members nodded or groaned in acknowledgment, Mannon’s phone buzzed once again. She glanced at the screen, her stomach flipping when she saw Jihye Kim’s name. Without thinking, she picked up the call.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Mannon,” Jihye’s cheerful voice greeted her. “I just wanted to confirm your first recording session. Can you come by the Orion Records studio on Tuesday at 10 a.m.?”

Mannon blinked, her brain scrambling to process. “Yes, I can be there.”

“Perfect! I’ll send you the details via email. We’re excited to have you on board.”

The call ended, and Mannon sat frozen in her seat.

“What’s up?” Felix asked, noticing her dazed expression.

Mannon glanced at Chan, her eyes wide. “They just scheduled my first recording session. It’s happening this Tuesday.”

A moment of stunned silence passed before Felix whooped, nearly dropping the plate he was holding.

“Tuesday?! That’s so soon!” Seungmin exclaimed.

“You’re not wasting any time, huh?” I.N. added, grinning.

Mannon smiled nervously, the weight of the upcoming session settling over her.

“That’s amazing,” Chan said, his tone warm but laced with concern. “You’ll do great.”

The group continued their chatter, but Hyunjin remained quiet, his gaze flickering to Mannon every now and then.

---

As the morning wore on, Mannon excused herself, retreating to her room to mentally prepare for what lay ahead. She was nervous—terrified, even—but the thought of finally chasing her dream was enough to keep her grounded.

A knock on her door broke her thoughts.

“Come in,” she called, expecting Chan.

Instead, Hyunjin stepped inside, his expression unreadable.

“You okay?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

Mannon offered a small smile. “Yeah. Just trying to process everything.”

Hyunjin leaned against the wall, studying her for a moment. “You’re going to kill it. You know that, right?”

She laughed softly, the sound tinged with disbelief. “I hope so.”

He pushed off the wall, walking closer. “No, really. You’ve got this, Mannon. I know it.”

His words warmed her, a rare flicker of confidence sparking within her. “Thanks, Hyunjin.”

He smiled, the corners of his lips quirking up in a way that made her heart skip. “Always,” he said simply before turning to leave.

---

By Tuesday morning, the atmosphere in the dorm was electric. Mannon was up early, pacing her room as she rehearsed the lyrics she’d written in her head.

“You ready, Mannie?” Chan’s voice called from the living room.

“Yeah, coming!” she shouted back, grabbing her bag.

The ride to the studio was quiet, with Chan offering words of encouragement while Mannon stared out the window, her nerves mounting with each passing second.

When they arrived, the sleek Orion Records building loomed before them. Mannon took a deep breath, clutching her bag tightly.

“You’ll be fine,” Chan said, squeezing her shoulder.

Inside, they were greeted by Jihye, who welcomed Mannon with a warm smile. “It’s so great to finally meet you in person,” she said, shaking Mannon’s hand.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Mannon replied, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach.

As they walked through the hallways, Mannon couldn’t help but marvel at the polished studios and framed platinum records lining the walls.

“This is it,” Jihye said, opening the door to a soundproof room. “Let’s make some magic.”

---

Hours later, Mannon emerged from the studio, her body buzzing with adrenaline. The session had gone better than she could have imagined, the producers praising her voice and the emotion she poured into the track.

Chan was waiting in the lounge, his face lighting up when he saw her. “How’d it go?”

She grinned, the weight of her nerves finally lifting. “It was amazing.”

He pulled her into a quick hug, pride radiating from him. “I knew you’d kill it.”

As they drove back to the dorm, Mannon couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be.