[No-Ah]
The university courtyard was packed long before the event officially began.
Students crowded around the outdoor stage, filling every available space. Every balcony overlooking the square was occupied. Phones were already raised, ready to record.
No-Ah stood near the back of one section, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
Not because she was nervous about the performance.
Because Yun-Ra was there.
A few rows away.
Close enough to see.
Far enough to feel the distance between them.
Yun-Ra stood with a group of classmates, eyes fixed on the restricted parking area behind the stage.
She laughed at something one of them said.
Just briefly.
And somehow that made No-Ah feel worse.
Because it reminded her of how things used to be.
Before the fight.
Before everything became awkward.
No-Ah looked away.
A scream suddenly erupted from somewhere near the front.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
The black van had arrived.
Instantly, the atmosphere changed.
Students surged toward the barricades.
Phones shot into the air.
The crowd began chanting Kei's name.
The van door slid open.
And out stepped Kei.
The reaction was immediate.
Pure chaos.
No-Ah almost laughed.
Some things never changed.
Kei adjusted the sleeve of his jacket and glanced toward the venue.
Completely calm.
Like he wasn't the reason half the university was losing its mind.
His gaze swept across the crowd.
Across hundreds of students.
Then—
Stopped.
Directly on her.
No-Ah froze.
Even from this distance, she recognized the exact moment he realized she'd arrived.
A smile appeared.
Small.
Amused.
The kind that always meant trouble.
Don't.
Kei lifted a hand.
A casual wave.
Not for the crowd.
Not for the cameras.
Just for her.
No-Ah immediately looked around.
Nobody seemed to notice.
Most people were too busy screaming.
Good.
Excellent.
Perfect.
Then she looked back.
The idiot was still smiling.
Like he found this funny.
Which, unfortunately, meant he probably did.
A staff member hurried him toward the backstage entrance.
Kei disappeared from view.
The screaming continued anyway.
No-Ah sighed.
Somewhere nearby, Yun-Ra was probably having the time of her life.
The thought made her glance over again.
Yun-Ra hadn't taken her eyes off the stage entrance once.
Excitement practically radiated from her.
For a moment, No-Ah simply watched.
Then looked away.
The lights around the stage suddenly dimmed.
The crowd erupted.
A voice boomed through the speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year's university festival!"
Cheers exploded across the courtyard.
The giant screens flickered to life.
Music thundered through the sound system.
Spotlights swept across the audience.
"Here, we have our main act! I'm pretty sure you've figured out who he is by now. "
And then—
The opening track hit.
The crowd exploded.
Smoke burst from both sides of the stage as the center platform rose, revealing Kei beneath the floodlights.
The screaming was immediate.
And relentless.
"It's... Kei! "
Kei laughed into the microphone, lowering it for a moment as the noise continued.
"Good afternoon!"
The response was deafening.
He winced dramatically.
"Alright, alright. I get it. You're happy to see me."
The audience screamed louder.
"No need to shout."
More screaming.
Kei nodded.
"Good point. Continue."
The performance took off from there.
Song after song.
Every chorus became a singalong.
Every dance break sent the crowd into hysterics.
At one point, Kei forgot a lyric and simply pointed the microphone toward the audience.
Thousands of students sang it for him.
"Perfect," he said afterward. "You can all join the group."
The crowd nearly passed out.
No-Ah found herself laughing despite everything.
Even from where she stood, she could see Yun-Ra completely absorbed in the performance.
Singing along.
Jumping with the crowd.
For those few hours, she looked happier than No-Ah had seen her in weeks.
And somehow...
That was enough.
The final song arrived faster than expected.
The last note echoed through the courtyard.
The lights dimmed.
The audience erupted into cheers.
Kei bowed once.
Then twice.
"Thank you!"
The crowd immediately started chanting for an encore.
Kei looked toward the side of the stage.
Looked back at the audience.
Then sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
The cheering became almost unbearable.
After one final song, the concert finally came to an end.
Or at least...
It should have.
Kei remained standing at center stage.
Microphone in hand.
A mischievous smile slowly appeared.
No-Ah immediately felt concerned.
That smile never meant anything good.
"Before I go..."
The crowd quieted.
"I have unfinished business."
Please work.
Kei scanned the audience.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Then pointed.
"There."
A giant camera instantly followed the direction of his finger.
The massive screen behind him zoomed in.
And landed directly on Yun-Ra.
The courtyard exploded.
Yun-Ra froze.
Completely.
"Nope."
Kei pointed again.
"Yes."
The crowd laughed.
Yun-Ra looked around as if another Yun-Ra might magically appear.
"There she is."
The screaming intensified.
Yun-Ra covered her face.
"No."
"Come on up."
The audience immediately started chanting.
Yun-Ra looked moments away from fainting.
Several students around her were already pushing her toward the aisle.
Eventually, after what felt like an entire year of panic, she somehow made it onto the stage.
The crowd cheered as though she'd won an award.
Kei took one look at her expression.
Then laughed.
"You look terrified."
Yun-Ra nodded immediately.
"Good. That means you're having the authentic fan experience."
The audience burst into laughter.
A staff member approached carrying several large bags.
Then another staff member.
Then another.
Yun-Ra blinked.
"...Why are there so many?"
"Excellent question."
Kei grabbed the first bag.
"Album."
Second bag.
"Album."
Third bag.
"...Also album."
The crowd groaned in jealousy.
Kei continued.
"Signed album."
Another bag.
"Special edition album."
Another.
"More album. How many albums do you have?"
Yun-Ra couldn't answer anymore.
"Perfect."
The audience laughed again.
Then came a VIP pass.
Exclusive merchandise.
Backstage access.
Professional photos.
A meet-and-greet package.
Every item somehow made the crowd more jealous than the last.
By the end, Yun-Ra looked completely overwhelmed.
"This isn't real."
"It is."
"This can't be real."
"It can."
A camera crew stepped forward.
Several photos were taken.
Then more.
At one point Kei deliberately crossed his eyes for a picture.
Yun-Ra laughed.
A genuine laugh.
The kind that escaped before she could stop it.
Kei noticed.
His grin softened for just a second.
Then he turned back toward the audience.
"Oh."
The microphone crackled softly.
"One more thing."
Yun-Ra looked up.
The crowd quieted.
Kei pointed toward her.
"Don't thank me."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Seriously."
He shrugged.
"I just showed up."
The audience laughed.
Then that familiar mischievous smile returned.
"If you're wondering who forced me to do all this..."
No-Ah immediately knew where this was going.
Kei.
Don't.
"Your best friend."
The crowd let out a collective ooooh.
Yun-Ra froze.
Completely.
Kei nodded.
"Yeah."
He pointed toward the audience somewhere beyond the lights.
The audience laughed.
"I tried saying no."
A lie.
"Many times."
An even bigger lie.
"But apparently she cares about you."
The crowd immediately erupted into awwws.
Kei physically recoiled.
"Disgusting."
More laughter.
"So if you enjoyed all the VIP treatment..."
He pointed at Yun-Ra.
"You know who to blame."
For a moment, Yun-Ra simply stood there.
Holding the bags.
Holding the pass.
Holding everything.
And then, almost unconsciously—
Her eyes searched the crowd.
Past hundreds of students.
Past thousands of faces.
Until she found No-Ah.
No-Ah froze.
The distance between them suddenly felt much smaller than it had all day.
Neither of them looked away.
Holding her gaze.
Then Kei clapped his hands once.
Loudly.
"Alright."
The moment shattered.
Kei nodded, satisfied with himself.
"Friendship fixed."
The crowd laughed.
"You're welcome."
And somehow—
Looking at the smug expression on his face—
No-Ah had the feeling that Kei was about to demand payment for this later.
☆ ☆ ☆