The Best Thing I Ever Did

MAMA

MAMA

The backstage area of the Mnet Asian Music Awards was a war zone of hairspray, frantic managers, and bass that rattled the concrete floors. But if MAMA was a war zone, the VIP lounge assigned to Lisa and her crew was a localized circus. They were just four regular people who happened to have a VIP pass and zero shame.

"Jackson, if you touch my eyeliner one more time, I will feed you this entire sponge," Wendy hissed, dodging a stray hand as she tried to fix her makeup in the mirror.

"I'm just saying, it's uneven!" Jackson yelled back over the blaring music from the venue speakers. He was already fully dressed in a sharp black suit, but he was currently pacing the room, aggressively waving a Twice lightstick he had somehow coaxed out of a staff member. "We are representing the personal support team tonight!"

"You look like an overenthusiastic bodyguard who got lost on the way to a nightclub," Jeongyeon sighed from the couch, her legs stretched out on the coffee table. She was the only one entirely unfazed by the madness, calmly scrolling through her phone.

"And what about Lisa?" Jackson pointed the lightstick dramatically at the corner of the room. "Look at her! She's been staring at her phone for twenty minutes. She's glitching!"

Lisa wasn't glitching; she was just completely tuned out, staring at a text message from Mina sent ten minutes ago.

A soft smile tugged at Lisa's lips. She looked up, finally registering the shouting match between Jackson and Wendy, who was now chasing him with a makeup brush.

"Can you two shut up for five minutes?" Lisa chuckled, throwing a discarded jacket at Jackson. "We're guests, remember? Control yourselves."

"Easy for you to say," Wendy grumbled, adjusting her blazer. "You're not the one who had to drag Jackson through the lobby because he thought he saw a famous actor and tried to initiate a dance-off."

"He looked like he wanted to battle!" Jackson defended himself.

And for the record, it was Kim Yugyeom of GOT7 who he see and wants to have a dance battle.

Jeongyeon finally stood up, checking her watch. "Alright, cut the crap. The girls has their final outfit check in five minutes before they head to the wings. Let's go see them."

The atmosphere in Twice's waiting room was a completely different brand of chaos. Steam from clothing ironers filled the air, and racks of glittering white and black stage outfits lined the walls. The girls were in various stages of preparation, the heavy pressure of performing a massive three-song medley hanging heavily in the room. The door clicked open, and Jihyo looked up, a visible wave of relief washing over her face when she saw Jeongyeon and Lisa walk in, followed by Wendy and Jackson.

"Oh, thank god," Jihyo breathed, dropping her clipboard. "Can someone please tell Sana that she cannot wear her hair extensions as a mustache on the red carpet?"

"I think it's a strong artistic choice," Jackson announced, immediately walking over to high-five Sana, who was indeed holding a clump of faux-hair under her nose.

While Jackson and Wendy instantly absorbed the room's frantic energy-Wendy helping Momo secure a loose strap on her top and Jackson hyping up Dahyun and Chaeyoung with a bizarre warm-up dance-Lisa's eyes scanned the room.

Mina was sitting near the back, looking ethereal in a sleek, structured outfit meant for I cant stop me. She looked stunning, but Lisa noticed the slight, rhythmic tapping of Mina's foot against the floor a nervous habit she knew all too well.

Lisa walked over quietly, stepping into Mina's line of sight. Mina looked up, and the tension in her shoulders melted instantly.

"You made it," she whispered.