The night of the charity gala arrives in a blaze of camera flashes, velvet ropes and so much glitter that Yuna's convinced the entire venue has been sponsored by a highlighter palette.
Outside the Grand Imperial Hotel, a screaming sea of ONARI™ fans stretches halfway down the block, waving glow sticks and banners that read things like J-MIN: GLOW ON ME! and YUMIN™ ENDGAME!
Yuna's not sure if she's honoured, terrified, or both.
Earlier that Evening...
Yuna's apartment looks like a fabric store exploded. Tulle, satin, and garment bags cover every surface while Mina fusses over her hair.
"Will you stop wiggling? I swear on Raejin's skincare stash, if you ruin this updo, I'm letting Sori contour your face with a shovel."
"I'm trying!" Yuna wails, twisting away as Mina tries to spray her with a terrifying industrial canister labelled "Freeze Hold Mega Mist."
Meanwhile, Ari and Sori sprawl on Yuna's bed, scrolling through social media and shrieking every time a new rumor drops.
"OH MY GOD," Sori gasps. "Someone posted a blurry photo of you and J-Min in the same Starbucks. They're calling it 'Caffeine Date gate.'"
Ari squints at the screen. "That's literally Yuna spilling coffee on his shoe."
"Romance is a spectrum," Sori proclaims solemnly.
Mina snaps her fingers. "Less gossip, more glam!"
Thirty minutes and several near-mortal-combat incidents with false eyelashes later, Yuna stands in front of the mirror in her red gala gown.
It's clingy. It's sparkly. It's a thousand percent outside her comfort zone.
She takes a shuddering breath. "I look like a tomato."
"You look like a goddess," Mina counters firmly. "A spicy, traffic-stopping, J-Min-is-going-to-forget-his-own-name goddess."
Ari bobs her head. "Also, your boobs look phenomenal."
Yuna slaps a hand over her chest. "Ari!"
Sori cackles. "Look. We all know the second J-Min sees you, it's over. He's gonna go full K-drama hero. Eyebrows furrowed. Brooding piano soundtrack. Possibly rain, even though we're indoors."
"Stop saying things!" Yuna squeaks.
Mina fusses with the hem of Yuna's glittering red gown for the millionth time.
"Stand still. I swear, if you wrinkle this dress, I'm letting Sori contour your nose with a putty knife."
Yuna swats her away. "I'm trying!"
From the bedroom doorway, Ari peers in. "Do we know what time J-Min's showing up? Because there's a small army of ONARI™ fans starting to gather outside."
Sori lounges on the bed, scrolling on her phone. "They're probably waiting for him to step out shirtless, waving a 'YUMIN™ Forever' flag."
Mina huffs. "He better not. Not until after tonight."
Suddenly, Yuna's doorbell rings.
"Oh my god," Yuna gasps. "That's him. Is it him?!"
Mina shrieks. "EVERYONE ACT NORMAL!"
Ari and Sori scramble into the kitchen, trying and failing...to act casual.
Yuna tiptoes to the door, heart hammering and cracks it open.
J-Min stands there. In the tux of all tuxes. Jet-black hair perfectly styled, sleek bow tie, cologne drifting around him in faint, sinful waves.
For a second, he just stares.
Then his jaw drops.
"Holy...Yuna."
She flushes. "Is it too much? The dress? I look like a tomato, right?"
"No," he murmurs, stepping closer. "You look...I mean...you look..."
He can't finish. Instead, he just slides one hand lightly along her waist, eyes roaming from her hair to the shimmer of her dress to the soft flush on her cheeks.
"You look like every love song I've ever wanted to sing," he finally says, voice husky.
Behind them, Ari peeks out. "Awww, J-Min, make out with her already!"
Mina yanks Ari back by her ponytail. "Not until after the red carpet!"
The inside of the limo smells faintly of roses and brand-new leather. Yuna keeps fidgeting with the sequins on her dress.
J-Min catches her hand, stilling her fingers.
"Hey. Breathe."
She lets out a shaky laugh. "Easy for you to say. You're used to this."
His thumb circles her palm. "I'm not used to this. I've never done this with someone I..."
He trails off, eyes darting toward the tinted window.
"Someone you...?" Yuna prompts.
He looks back at her. Smiles softly. "Someone who matters."
At the Gala Entrance – Red Carpet
Limousines line the street. Spotlights sweep the night sky. Security holds back roaring ONARI™ fans wielding neon signs, phone cameras and even a giant cardboard cut-out of J-Min's face.
Yuna stares through the limo window, wide-eyed.
"Oh god. I'm gonna faint."
J-Min grins. "Don't faint. I'll catch you. But the photos will be everywhere."
"Not helping!"
Outside, Seo is pacing like a man possessed, clipboard clutched to his chest.
"Where's J-Min? WHERE'S J-MIN? We go on in thirty minutes and Raejin is MISSING, Sori says her hair is 'too aerodynamic,' and someone from Vogue just asked me what brand foundation J-Min uses. Do I LOOK like a foundation expert?!"
The limo door opens, and J-Min steps out, cool as ice...then turns to offer his hand to Yuna.
When she emerges, the screaming reaches a deafening pitch.
Camera flashes explode.
Seo freezes mid-rant. "OH THANK GOD."
He takes one look at them, arm in arm and points accusingly at J-Min.
"For crying out loud, J-Min—stop staring at her like you're about to drop to one knee and propose on live TV!"
J-Min only smiles, eyes locked on Yuna. "No promises."
The paparazzi bellow questions:
"J-MIN, ARE YOU DATING?"
"WHO'S YOUR DATE, J-MIN?"
"YUNA, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER?"
"IS YUMIN™ REAL?!"
Yuna can barely process any of it. J-Min squeezes her hand.
He leans closer, lips brushing her ear.
"Ready?" he murmurs.
"No," she breathes.
"Perfect," he whispers. "Let's go make the world jealous."
And together, they step onto the red carpet as the flashbulbs go insane, the crowd roaring, and the world chanting the name that's everywhere now:
"YUMIN™! YUMIN™! YUMIN™!"
His eyes rake over her, soft and blazing all at once.
Inside the Gala
The ballroom is a temple of chandeliers, floating candles and mirrored surfaces that multiply the glitter a thousand times over.
Tables gleam with gold chargers and crystal glassware. A string quartet plays something elegant.
Yuna tries to keep breathing.
Every time J-Min looks at her, her pulse skyrockets.
And he's looking at her. Constantly.
Raejin finally appears, hair slicked back and wearing a velvet suit in a violently teal shade.
"Sorry I'm late! I was at the photo wall pretending to be Taewon so I wouldn't have to smile!"
Taewon arrives seconds later, carrying a glass of suspiciously green liquid. "Stop impersonating me."
"Stop being so easy to impersonate!" Raejin shoots back.
Seo physically wedges himself between them. "Save it for AFTER the performance."
After dinner, the host...a flamboyantly dressed celebrity named Winston, sweeps onto stage.
"And now, performing the title track from their debut album IGNITE: LUMEN, please welcome...HWAON™!"
The crowd goes ballistic.
The band takes the stage, and the opening synths of Glow On You pulse through the speakers.
Yuna's seat might as well be an electric chair.
J-Min steps to the mic, voice low and velvet smooth:
Girl, you're light in the dark.
Fire in my veins.
Glow on me, glow on you...
Mid-song, his eyes lock on Yuna's.
She nearly falls off her chair.
The way he's looking at her...smouldering, adoring, hungry...is indecent.
Fans shriek. Half are screaming "YUMIN™ FOREVER!" while the other half wail "SHE'S RUINING HWAON™!"
Raejin sneaks a wink at Yuna from behind his keyboard.
Taewon, stoic on guitar, rolls his eyes so hard they nearly fall out.
Ari and Sori, dancing backup, beam like they've single-handedly orchestrated this entire love story.
By the final chorus, J-Min sings directly to Yuna.
I'm burning up, can't hide the truth.
Baby, all I want...is to glow on you...
Yuna slaps her hands over her face. "I'm going to kill him."
Mina fans her furiously. "No you're not. You're going to marry him."
The second the band exits the stage, a stampede of press and ONARI™ fans descends.
Winston corners Yuna. "DARLING, ARE YOU AND J-MIN DATING? OFFICIALLY? TELL US EVERYTHING."
Seo intercepts. "NO COMMENT!"
J-Min appears, all sweaty and dazzling.
"Hi," he says, grinning.
"Hi," Yuna squeaks.
He leans closer. "Did I embarrass you?"
"Only a little."
Taewon passes them, deadpan. "Understatement of the century."
Raejin photobombs them mid-hug, shoving his face between theirs. "YUMIN™ CONTENT!"
Eventually, J-Min drags Yuna away from the chaos. They slip onto a balcony strung with twinkling lights.
J-Min shrugs off his tux jacket and drapes it over her bare shoulders.
"You're shivering," he murmurs.
"It's from adrenaline," she whispers.
He grins. "Is it the performance...or me?"
"Both..."
J-Min brushes a strand of hair from her cheek.
"You have no idea what you do to me, Yuna."
"Ditto," she croaks.
"Did you like the song?"
"It was...obnoxiously romantic."
He laughs. "Good. I sang it for you."
Of course, the second J-Min leans in for a kiss, a telephoto lens glints from the far end of the balcony.
Yuna gasps. "OH MY GOD."
Seo barrels in out of nowhere. "MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
Chaos erupts. Paparazzi shout. Flashbulbs explode.
J-Min yanks Yuna by the hand. They flee through service hallways, Mina and the group shouting in their wake.
Five minutes later, they collapse inside a linen closet behind the hotel ballroom.
Yuna's dress is half twisted around her hips. J-Min's bowtie is dangling off his ear.
They're both panting.
J-Min starts laughing.
"What?" Yuna gasps.
He presses his forehead to hers. "I just realized...this is basically how we started. Hiding in random places from cameras."
Yuna's laughter bubbles up, unstoppable. "Except now you're in a tux and I'm wearing enough sequins to blind God."
"You're gorgeous," he breathes.
"Shut up."
"I mean it."
Then he kisses her.
This time, there's no hesitation.
It's soft at first...sweet, slow, tasting faintly of champagne. But then he tilts his head and deepens it, one hand sliding into her hair, the other gripping her waist.
The world spins away.
When they finally break apart, Yuna's lips are tingling.
"Okay," she pants. "That was...wow."
J-Min, equally breathless, grins. "I'm...uh...shocked at how natural that felt."
Yuna snorts. "Natural? You just sang me an entire pop song in front of several CEOs."
He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Worth it."
Outside the closet door, Raejin's voice calls cheerfully:
"ARE YOU GUYS MAKING YUMIN™ CANON IN THERE OR WHAT?!"
Yuna screams. "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HERE?!"
Raejin shouts back, "BECAUSE I'M A SEXY CHAOS GOBLIN!"
Later, Back at the Hotel Suite.
Yuna's parents have arrived for the afterparty, looking half horrified, half starstruck.
Her mother clutches her pearls. "Yunaaaa...J-Min sang to you. On stage. In front of the world."
Her father nods gravely. "We approve."
Her mother elbows him. "ASK IF HE CAN FIX A LEAKY FAUCET."
"Mom!"
End of the Night...
In the hotel suite, Yuna leans against the balcony railing, gazing out at the city lights.
J-Min wraps his arms around her from behind.
"Hey," he murmurs into her hair. "Thank you. For tonight. For everything."
"You're welcome," she whispers. "Even if you embarrassed me in front of half the world."
"Totally worth it," he says.
He spins her gently around.
"Besides..." He kisses her forehead. "This is only the beginning."
And under the glittering lights of the gala, Yuna realizes she's not invisible anymore.
She's shining.
And maybe...just maybe...that's exactly where she belongs.