The day of the show, Hyun Jae felt confident in her abilities. This was the way she could prove to the world that she was worthy to date one of them. She was not pretty enough to be a model , but she was talented. Her nerves still ate at her stomach, but she did her best not to let it show. Pretty lies about how she met the group and how she and Taeil had fallen for each other spilled from easily. She might have even believed them herself, had she not known the truth. She was able to smile and answer all the questions well, which surprised even her. She was witty and the crowd seemed to take a liking to her, despite themselves. When she had to perform her skill, she was buzzing with nerves and adrenaline.

She leveled the bow, across the wide stage from the target, with one arrow between her fingers and loosed it with a deep exhale. It flew true, into the target. She didn’t smile. She wasn’t done yet. She placed three arrows between her fingers and drew the bow, blocking out all else. She had to forget the crowd. She had to forget the cameras on her. She took a deep breath and let them fly. They flew true and a small smirk touched her features.

She tuned the crowd back in and realized they were cheering. She looked out, into the crowd, and saw their smiling faces. They chanted for her to do it again and she pulled the last two arrows from the quiver and set them in the bow. She drew away from the crowd again and loosed them. They flew straight and true, into the bulls eye.

Barely controlling the urge to jump up and down, she turned to the crowd and bowed, smiling. The MC’s came over and patted her on the back as she realized that this was why those boys killed themselves to perform. All the practice had been worth this moment. The nights sleeping on swollen shoulders, the smell of muscle patches, even forgetting to feed herself was all eroded into nothingness by this single moment.

When she came off stage and the manager came to her, she was bouncing on her toes. “You weren’t bad.” She grinned a little and he raised an eyebrow. “Why did you hesitate when she asked you about your relationship with the group?” He asked and she frowned a little, surprised. She had thought she had been fast enough that no one would notice. “That little giggle you used, I’ve taught a star or two to use it to buy time.”

“It was just awkward to answer. I know what I’m supposed to say. I didn’t forget.” She said defensively and the manager threw up his hands, shrugging.

“No one is accusing you of anything. I just want to make sure everything is running nice and smooth in the house and with you. I don’t want you burning out from anything.” He said and she nodded, nervously. Burn out? Why would she burn out from the tension and longing for Zico that hung like a weight around her neck? Could you burn out on lies?

She left the building with the manager and something hit her in the side of the head so hard, her head jerked sideways. She touched it and her hand came away tomato red. She looked around at the girls standing outside the studio, glaring at her. Someone threw and egg at her as she stared at them in shock. “How dare you date our Taeil!” one of the mob shouted and that was all it took. The eggs and flour and rotten vegetables came raining down on her as the manager tried to rush her to the van.

“You don’t deserve him!”

“You’re not even cute!”

“Evil !”

The insults followed her into the van and she just stared forward, in shock and confusion. The manager was talking to her. Probably apologizing for what happened. She focused on him, in a dazed state. He was saying something about taking a shower when she got home. How it was probably just a few fans who felt that way. He was trying to make her feel better. He didn’t realize she didn’t feel anything, but a cold, bone deep shock. She wondered how she would feel when she remembered how to feel anything at all.

When she got home, Hyun Jae was