Wheein hummed cheerily as she carefully arranged her new stuffed puppy into the army of animals lining her bedside. For the finishing touch, she took the cap Moonbyul had given her and placed it squarely on top of the puppy's head. 

"Did Moonbyul give you that?" 

"Yep!" Wheein looked up at Hwasa who had poked her head over the railing of the top bunk to watch her. 

Solar walked into the maknae's room, joining the discussion. "It's cute. You and Moonbyul are getting along really well huh." 

Wheein blushed as she recalled the night. "I-I think so. W-We're getting along just fine."

"Oooh Wheein look how red your face is," snickered Hwasa. "How far did you go--"

Wheein grabbed a pillow, tossing it straight into Hwasa's face and muffling her voice. 

"YAH, WHEEIN. You want to fight--"

Before Hwasa could physically retaliate, Solar stepped in between them, saying, "Let's just go to sleep now. I have an early schedule tomorrow. Try not to be too loud. Please?"

Not wanting to hear the conversation about Moonbyul any further, she returned to her own room. However, she couldn't help but hear the girls in the next room over hiss at each other and the quiet thump of pillows flying as Hwasa continued to tease Wheein about Moonbyul.

----------

Solar was doing her best to avoid Moonbyul.

Her ceo, though, had different plans. 

That's why, the next day, she suddenly ended up in the same recording room with Moonbyul. And only Moonbyul. 

"It's been a while since you've released a solo, Solar! You'll go to the studio tomorrow morning!" said her ceo when Solar met up with him, wondering why he had called only her.

Solar should have known. Even when the ceo had not explicitly mentioned Moonbyul's name, she should have guessed that it would be her that she would be working with. 

"Won't you sit down? Why are you standing so stiffly over there?" Moonbyul sent a pleasant smile her way.

"A-Ah yes." 

"Are you well? Your voice sounds a little hoarse."

"I'm fine. Just been busy." 

"Take more care of yourself. You need to stay healthy for yourself and the group." Moonbyul rustled through her bag, taking out an herbal energy drink. "Here, take this."

"Thanks." Solar takes the bottle.

It frustrated her. How is she to forget, to chase away these growing feelings she has towards Moonbyul if she is like this? When the first thing Moonbyul decided to say when they meet is such gentle words of comfort and worry?

She hated it. She actually also hated the drink Moonbyul has handed her. It's one of those strange concoctions filled with ginger, ginseng, all those strange names found on health supplements she has bottles of at home.

However, she gritted her teeth and gulped it down, body warming not from the drink but from the satisfied smile adorning Moonbyul's face as she drinks. 

I'm a mess. I need to stop. Solar can't focus. 

"We're going for a ballad. Your ceo suggested it." Moonbyul pulled out a sheet of music. 

"That sounds good."

"It'll be good for sure with vocals like yours." Winking at the girl, Moonbyul placed the sheet on the music rack on her electric keyboard. "I actually begin composing this one a while back, but never finished. Somehow, I think it'll be perfect for you."

"Oh? You already have a song?"

"Well, it's not a whole song." Placing her hands on top of the keys, Moonbyul began to play the notes she had written down. 

The song started out slow, mournful even, Solar thought. She closed her eyes, body swaying to the melody. Somehow, the song resonated deeply within Solar, even without lyrics. She wondered, what could have inspired Moonbyul to write this. 

Abruptly. the music stopped. Spell broken, Solar opened her eyes to look at Moonbyul in confusion. "Is that it?"

Rubbing the back of her head awkwardly, Moonbyul chuckled before saying, "So far. I have an idea, though, of what ought to come next."

"You know...it kind of sounds like a story."

"You think?" Moonbyul's grin grew wider as she watched Solar. "That's actually what I was aiming for."

"It's a beautiful melody. But it feels so sad."

"It does start out that way, doesn't it?" 

"I almost cried. How will I survive singing this?" Solar frowned dramatically while Moonbyul chortled in laughter beside her.

"I told you it's a story right? I haven't gotten around to writing the of the song, but it'll be happy. A happy ending." 

Solar tilted her head in wonder as a faint smile of fondness appeared on Moonbyul's face. 

"If you don't mind me asking, Moonbyul...is there a real story behind this song?"

"Do you not like it?"

"N-No, of course I love it!" Solar nearly twisted her neck as she shook her head in denial. "I just..was curious."

"It's good you like it. I'm just worried you might grow to dislike it if I do tell you what it's about."

Curiousity piqued, Solar scooted forward on her chair as she waited for Moonbyul to continue. 

Noticing that Solar refused to back down, Moonbyul sighed as she cleared . 

"I started writing this song pretty recently I. It's about a heartbreak."

"Oh. OH." Solar suddenly felt shy. Shy and very awkward. 

"Don't worry." Moonbyul leaned forward and patted Solar's knees. "It's in the past. I thought it would make it uncomfortable if I brought it up."

"Sorry--" 

"Chill, Solar. I said it would be a happy ending right?" Moonbyul placed a palm on her rosy cheeks as she spoke.

Right. Wheein. Solar unconsciously grimaced. Luckily for her, Moonbyul did not notice.

"Well, that's basically it with the story. Are you fine with it?"

"No.." muttered Solar inaudibly, still thinking about Wheein, Moonbyul, heartbreak, love, all that.

"Hm?"

"Ah no, it's fine. It's an amazing song!" Back to her senses, Solar gestured for them to begin working. 

"Alright, let's start! How about you begin to jot down potential lyrics while I try to figure out how to end this song. Just speak up if you have questions or opinions." 

Moonbyul put on her headset as she tinkered with the equipment and instruments. Solar watched her side profile while her hand hovered over the paper, still blank in front of her. 

Every so often, Moonbyul would close her eyes and grin while picking out the notes and chords. Solar knew. Moonbyul was thinking of her happy ending. Her happy ending with Wheein. And Solar couldn't bring herself to like it.

----------

It was like Solar was cursed with Moonbyul's unending presence. 

Solar was at the waiting room for the duet festival performance, trying to calm her partner for their upcoming stage. They would be singing Ailee's "I Will Show You", and Solar knew that for that song, she and her partner would need to conserve every bit of vocal power that had before they sang.

However, she couldn't stop from hacking violently when she heard the oh so familiar voice that had haunted her recents nights of sleep. 

"Luna. Come on! The filming's about to start." 

"Relax, Moonbyul. You're acting way too much like a manager even though you're just subbing in today." Luna's voice floated in the hallway, crystal clear to Solar, who wished she had closed the door to the waiting room. 

"You sound super confident. Do you know who you're up against?" The voices neared the door, and Solar sat frozen, tuning out whatever it was her partner was telling her about.

"Of course I know! All the best singers, pros, oh god just thinking about it..." Luna exhaled dramatically over Moonbyul's laughter.

"It's impressive you got casted. But to be in the same episode as the likes of Solji and Baek Ji Young..." Her voice trailed off meaningfully.

Solar scoffed. Oh, so you mention those two but not me? Even when you nonstop praised my voice. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the open doorway, where Moonbyul and Luna were just passing by.

"Oh, hey, Solar!" Luna waved cheerfully at the girl, whose glare softened as she bowed in greeting. 

"Oh, Solar's here--" Moonbyul popped her head over Luna's shoulder to say hi as well, but recoiled as Solar's face hardened once more in response to her appearance. "Uh..let's get going Luna!" She dragged the girl along with her, hurrying the other way. 

Solar could hear their voices as they left. 

"Yo Moonbyul, I thought you said you've worked with them before. "

"I have."

"She looked pissed to see you."

"Don't ask me. I don't know either."

Solar strained her ears to continue hearing, but the voices soon faded completely. Disgruntled, she forced her attention back to the conversation with her partner. 

Her partner shivered as she saw Solar unconsciously rip the lyric sheet into pieces in front of her.

----------

Solar rubbed her arms, trying to warm them from the chill of the night as she waited for her manager to bring the car around to take her home. It had been an exhausting day filming for the duet festival. 

It was honestly such terrible luck that she had gotten chosen to go first. Just like Wheein. Solar groaned at she remembered how that mc had egged Solji on to choose her first for the performance.

Hearing the pitter patter of feet approaching, Solar looked up, expecting her manager.

Instead, her eyes blinked rapidly in confusion as a thick coat was tossed towards her.

"Put that on. It's a cold night. You wouldn't want to get sick."

Moonbyul? Solar tugged the coat off her head and stared at the taller girl, who was standing in front of her, hands in her pocket as she looked down at the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"I was heading out and I saw you standing out here. Where's your manager?" Moonbyul avoided her gaze.

"She's getting the car." Frowning, Solar inched forward. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

"A-Aren't you mad?"

"At you? Why?"

"You looked pretty mad earlier today." Moonbyul shrugged her shoulders while she bit her lip. She still wasn't quite sure what she had done to the older girl.

"Ah. That." Solar finally recalled the incident earlier. "Oh...that was just...something on my mind. Nothing about you." She punched Moonbyul playfully, trying to ease the tension she herself had caused. 

"That's a relief!" Moonbyul let out a pent up breath. "Oh! I watched your performance today as well. It was amazing, as usual." Giving the girl a cheesy thumbs up, she grinned as she saw Solar squirm in embarassment, both falling into silence once more.

The full moon was out. The road was silent and dimly lit, cordoned off from the main roads and too late in the night to have many people walking around. 

Solar watched Moonbyul's face become bathed in moonlight, sharp features brilliantly defined as the girl beamed, eyes crinkled into crescents, teeth exposed below her scrunched nose muscles.

"Like a star," she breathed out, eyes unable to tear away from the sight.

"What?" Moonbyul angled her body towards Solar as she tried to make out what the girl was saying. 

"A star." 

Before Moonbyul could question her further, Solar felt her body lunge forward uncontrollably as she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against Moonbyul's.

. Moonbyul lurched backwards away from Solar, eyes frantically darting left and right. "W-What are you..."

Solar didn't respond, stunned by what she had just done, eyes clouded by the turmoil of emotions raging within her. 

"I-I have to get back to Luna." Moonbyul raced away from Solar without giving her a proper goodbye.

What have I done. 

Neither of them, flustered by what had happened, had noticed the capped and masked man hiding behind one of the trees. Camera in hand, he checked out his latest catch of the day and sneered. 

He impatiently waited for someone to pick up his call.

"Yes?"

"Boss. I've got us a good headline story this time."