Her Song, His Heart

Waves of Change

The following morning, the aftermath of their beach day still lingered in the air. The soft glow of the early morning light poured through the hotel room windows as Mannon sat by the vanity, brushing out her long curls. Despite the relaxing day spent with her friends, there was something off. The unease she had felt yesterday—the tension between her, Hyunjin, and Chan—hadn't quite disappeared.

As she worked the brush through her hair, her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. She picked it up, her heart leaping when she saw the name on the screen.

It was from the record label.

"Morning, Mannon," the text read. "We’d love to set up a meeting with you this week. We’re excited to take things to the next level for your music career. Let’s talk about your next steps."

She froze. The words hit her with a mix of excitement and nervousness. This was it. This was what she had been working toward—what she had dreamed of since she was young. But now, standing on the precipice of her new career, it felt overwhelming.

Her phone buzzed again, but this time it was a call from none other than Bang Chan.

“Hey, Channie,” she said, putting the phone to her ear.

“Mannon,” Chan’s voice came through, soft but with an edge of seriousness. “I’m meeting with the label this afternoon. Are you sure you’re ready for all this? It’s a big step, and I just want to make sure you’re not rushing into it because of the pressure.”

Mannon let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I’m not rushing into anything, Channie. I’ve been ready for this for a while now. It’s just... it feels so surreal.”

Chan sighed on the other end of the line, and for a second, she thought he might try to talk her out of it again. But instead, he said, “I know you’re ready, Mannon. I just want you to be sure that this is what you want. There’s no going back once you commit.”

“I know,” she replied, her voice firm despite the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. “But I’ve been dreaming about this. I’m ready for it, Chan. I need to do this. For myself.”

There was a long pause, and when Chan spoke again, his voice was tinged with both pride and concern. “Alright. Just... don’t lose yourself in all of it. Promise me?”

Mannon smiled softly, her hand gripping the phone tighter. “I promise. Thanks, Channie.”

After the call ended, she placed her phone down on the counter, her thoughts racing. She knew her brother was just looking out for her, but the weight of his protection was starting to feel stifling. He had always been her pillar of support, but it was time for her to stand on her own, to chase her dreams without always having someone hovering over her shoulder.

It wasn’t long before Hyunjin knocked on the door, his usual playful demeanor in full swing. “Hey, you ready? The team’s meeting in an hour, and I’ve got to be there for Versace, so let’s go.”

Mannon smiled, pushing her thoughts aside for the moment. She needed to focus on the present. She needed to stay grounded. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

The day passed in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and business. But Mannon couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted, especially between her and Hyunjin. After the beach day, things had felt... different. There was a subtle distance between them that neither one had addressed, but it was there, hanging in the air like a quiet storm. And then there was Chan—still the protective big brother, always keeping an eye on her, making sure she was okay, even when she didn’t need him to.

As they finished their business for the day and headed back to the hotel, Hyunjin and Mannon found themselves alone for a few minutes in the lobby, the usual hustle and bustle of the hotel quieter than before.

“Hey,” Hyunjin said, leaning against the counter. “I’ve been meaning to ask... are you really ready for this music thing? I mean, I know you’ve always talked about it, but it’s a big deal.”

Mannon hesitated, her fingers playing with the strap of her bag. “I think I am. But I don’t know... it’s kind of scary, you know? Like, I’ve spent so much of my life dreaming about it, but now that it’s actually happening... it feels overwhelming.”

Hyunjin watched her closely, his gaze softening as he reached over to gently squeeze her shoulder. “You’ve got this, Mannon. I know you do. You’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. You just have to trust yourself.”

Mannon looked up at him, her heart racing at the sudden closeness between them. His words meant more to her than she could explain, and for the first time in a while, she allowed herself to lean into the comfort of his presence.

“Thanks, Hyunjin,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before Hyunjin could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted their moment. They both turned to see Chan walking toward them, his eyes immediately flicking to Mannon as if making sure she was okay.

“Everything alright?” Chan asked, his tone casual but his protective nature still evident.

Mannon nodded quickly, her smile a little too bright. “Yeah, just talking about the next steps.”

Chan raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press further. “Good. We’re all heading out for dinner soon. You coming?”

Mannon hesitated, the weight of her thoughts pressing in again. But she couldn’t let herself get lost in them. She had made a promise to herself, to move forward with her dreams. She had to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult or uncertain it felt.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” she said, her voice more certain than she felt. “I’ll be there.”

---

Later that night, as they sat down for dinner, Mannon found herself lost in her thoughts again. The conversation around her was lighthearted, with Hyunjin teasing Chan about something ridiculous, and Felix cracking jokes with Jeongin. But Mannon couldn’t fully engage. Her mind kept drifting back to the message from the record label, to the conversation she’d had with Chan, to the overwhelming feeling of uncertainty that still clung to her.

She was about to take the next step in her life. She was about to chase her dreams. But the question remained—could she do it without losing herself in the process?

And as she glanced over at Hyunjin, his gaze meeting hers for a brief moment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the quiet tension between them was only the beginning of something much bigger.