Never The Same Person

chapter¹⁷

Eliana pov:

( After two months)

Almost two months had passed since our debut, and while it felt surreal to finally be part of the industry we had worked so hard for, there was a lingering sense of unease.

We hadn’t released a new song yet.

Our schedules were packed with appearances, training, and rehearsals, leaving us with no time to properly record and prepare for a comeback. Our fans, IRIS, had been incredibly patient, but the guilt still weighed on us. We had apologized multiple times, but we knew words weren’t enough—we needed to prove ourselves again.

And now, SBS Gayo Daejeon was approaching.

Tonight, my members and I sat in a large conference room, surrounded by the senior idols from HYBE, YG, JYP, and SM. These were the legends—the ones who had paved the way for us, the ones who understood the weight of expectations more than anyone.

“Performing without a comeback song is risky,” Bang Chan pointed out, his voice thoughtful. “But it’s not impossible.”

“We need to make an impact,” Taeyong added, leaning forward. “If you don’t have a song to perform, you need something that will speak for itself.”

Jennie nodded. “Something that shows not just your talent, but your soul.”

I exchanged a glance with my members. We had already discussed this among ourselves, but hearing the same words from our seniors confirmed it—we had to make this performance unforgettable.

I took a deep breath. “We were thinking of performing ‘Dernière Danse.’”

Silence filled the room for a moment before Kai leaned back with a smirk. “That’s bold.”

“Exactly why it’s perfect,” Jimin said, a proud look in his eyes. “It’s emotional. It’s powerful. If you execute it right, no one will care that it’s not an original song.”

I felt a wave of determination rush through me. This was our chance to show everyone that AVERIX wasn’t just another rookie group—we were here to leave a mark.

As we continued planning, I glanced around the room, seeing the encouragement in my seniors’ eyes. We weren’t alone in this.

And with their support, we were going to make SBS Gayo Daejeon a night to remember.

You-chae pov:

Sitting in the practice room with my members, I could feel the tension in the air. It had been almost two months since our debut, and while we had made a strong impact, the pressure to release a new song was growing.

But the truth was, we just hadn’t had the time. Between interviews, variety shows, and nonstop training, every single day was packed. We barely had time to sleep, let alone record and prepare a full comeback.

And now, SBS Gayo Daejeon was coming up.

We sat in a circle, our legs stretched out on the floor, exhaustion clear on all our faces. But despite being tired, we knew this discussion was important.