Melanie raised her voice slightly, calling out to their instructor.
"Hailey," she said, "is it true that there's someone from our team who went to an audition to become an idol in Korea?"
Hailey paused in her movement around the room, looking curious.
"Who told you that, huh?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"I heard people talking," Melanie replied. "Were they joking?"
Before anyone could ask more questions, the facility door opened and a cheerful voice called out.
"No, it's true."
Everyone turned to see a young man entering the training facility. He had a sweet-looking face that made him appear younger than his twenty-four years
His bright red hair caught the light from the windows, and his smile was warm and genuine.
He wore a pair of dark sunglasses that gave him an intellectual appearance, despite the bright indoor lighting.
He was dressed in a navy blue vest over a white polo shirt, an outfit that was both casual and put-together.
There was an easy confidence about him that suggested he was used to being in the spotlight, or at least getting used to it.
"Noah!" Hailey exclaimed, standing up in pleasant surprise. "When did you come back?"
"Just now," Noah replied, his smile widening as he looked at her. "Literally just walked off the plane and came straight here."
"Straight here?" Hailey asked, touched. "You didn't even go home first?"
"Home is where my friends are," Noah said simply.
The junior stunt women began greeting him enthusiastically, their voices overlapping as they called out hellos and welcomes.
"Hello, hello, hello!" they chorused, their excitement obvious.
Noah chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"There's no need to do that," he said, his voice warm but modest. "I'm just glad to be back home."
Hailey walked over to him, her face bright with genuine happiness.
"How was the trip?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.
"Long," Noah replied, pushing his glasses up his nose. "But successful."
"Successful how?" Hailey pressed.
"That's a story for another time," Noah said mysteriously.
"Come on," Hailey said. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"Yeah, spill," Emma called out from across the room.
Noah laughed. "You all are so impatient."
The stunt women had stopped their exercises and were watching the interaction with keen interest.
"We're not exercising anymore, are we?" Sarah asked.
"This is much more interesting than sit-ups," Clara agreed.
"Everything is more interesting than sit-ups," Melanie added.
"I heard that," Hailey said. "And you're not wrong."
"I should let you get back to your training," Noah said, glancing at his watch. "I just wanted to stop by and say hello."
"Don't be ridiculous," Hailey said quickly. "You just got back. Stay for a while. Walter will be so happy to see you."
---
The evening air was cool as the team gathered at Murphy's Pub, just a few blocks from the training facility.
"Look at this place," Emma said as they approached the entrance. "It's like something out of a movie."
"A movie about drunk people," Clara added with a laugh.
The warm yellow lights from inside spilled out onto the sidewalk.
"I can already smell the beer from here," Melanie said, taking an exaggerated deep breath.
"That's probably just Sarah," Emma teased.
"Hey!" Sarah protested. "I don't smell like beer. Yet."
Inside, the atmosphere was lively and intimate. Dark wooden tables were scattered throughout the space, each one topped with flickering candles.
"This lighting is very romantic," Clara observed, looking around.
"Don't get any ideas," Emma warned. "We're here to celebrate Noah, not find dates."
"Who says I can't do both?" Clara asked with a wink.
Noah sat at the head of a long table, his red hair catching the candlelight.
"Noah!" Sarah called out as they approached. "You look so... shiny."
"Shiny?" Noah laughed. "What does that mean?"
"Like you've been polished," Emma explained. "Very celebrity-like."
"Korea must have good skincare products," Melanie added.
Hailey sat across from him, her phone resting on the table beside her drink. She had changed out of her training clothes into a simple black dress.
"Hailey, you look amazing," Clara said as she sat down.
"Thank you," Hailey replied, smoothing down her dress. "I figured Noah deserved better than my sweaty workout clothes."
"I wouldn't have minded," Noah said with a smile.
"See? That's why he's a star," Sarah said. "Always saying the right thing."
Walter stood up suddenly, his gray hair slightly messy.
"Everyone quiet down!" Walter announced, raising his glass. "I have something important to say!"
"Walter's making a speech," Emma whispered loudly. "Everyone act surprised."
"I heard that, Emma," Walter said sternly, but his eyes were twinkling.
He raised his glass high above his head.
"To Noah!" Walter called out, his voice carrying across the pub. "Welcome home!"
"To Noah!" the entire team responded, raising their glasses.
"Cheers!" everyone shouted in unison.
The sound of clinking glasses filled the air as everyone reached across the table.
"Don't spill anything on me," Clara warned as glasses collided near her.
"No promises," Melanie said, trying to reach Walter's glass.
Walter took a long sip of his beer before pointing at Noah.
"Noah, you troublemaker!" Walter exclaimed, his voice filled with mock anger. "I thought you were going to leave us for good!"
"Did you really think I'd abandon you?" Noah asked, looking hurt. "After everything we've been through?"
"Well, you are famous now," Sarah pointed out. "Famous people forget about little people."
"You're not little people," Noah said firmly. "You're my family."
"Aww," Emma said, clutching her chest dramatically. "He called us family."
"Don't get all emotional on us, Emma," Clara warned. "You'll start crying into your drink."
"I'm not crying," Emma protested, wiping at her eyes. "It's just dusty in here."
Noah laughed at their antics. "I just finished my tour," he explained. "I wanted to come back to rest. There's no place like home, you know?"
"That's right!" Walter boomed, slapping the table. "Home is where the heart is!"
"And where the free drinks are," Melanie added under her breath.
The team erupted in cheers and applause.
"Hear, hear!" someone shouted from across the table.
"Speech! Speech!" Clara chanted.
"No speeches," Noah said quickly. "I'm too tired for speeches."
Hailey leaned forward, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"How was it really?" she asked eagerly. "Did you get to meet BTS? What about Blackpink?"
"Oh my God, did you meet Blackpink?" Emma interrupted excitedly.
"I want to know about BTS," Sarah added. "Are they as handsome in person?"
"Ladies, one question at a time," Walter said, but he looked just as curious.
Noah ran a hand through his red hair, looking thoughtful.
"I had to rehearse a lot," Noah said, his voice taking on a tired quality. "There was so much work to be done."
"But did you meet anyone famous?" Clara pressed.
"Back-to-back shows, interviews, photo shoots," Noah continued. "I didn't really get to see anyone outside of my own team."
"That sounds exhausting," Melanie said sympathetically.
"It was," Noah admitted. "But also incredible. I mean, performing for thousands of people every night..."
But Hailey wasn't listening. She had picked up her phone and was typing quickly.
"Hailey, are you texting during Noah's story?" Emma asked, looking horrified.
"Sorry," Hailey said, still typing. "Just letting Eric know I'll be late."
"Eric?" Noah asked with interest. "Who's Eric?"
"Her boyfriend," Clara said knowingly.
"You have a boyfriend?" Noah asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"It's complicated," Hailey replied, hitting send and placing the phone back down.