The SM building was unusually bustling for a Monday, but that was expected with Omega Camp kicking off. Mark walked through the hallway with a black tumbler in hand, headphones resting around his neck. He hadn't slept much—not since that morning.
He ran a hand through his hair as he entered the creative wing. Managers, vocal directors, choreographers, and producers were all gathered, some rushing between studios while others waited in lounges, scrolling through shared camp folders or warming up their voices.
Matthew had texted him last night: "She's back. Just got back in time for camp."
That should've eased something in him. But instead, it only made him more restless.
Back—but she still didn't reach out.
Back—but he woke up alone.
He tried not to think about it as he passed by a recording room where Doyoung was reviewing a vocal run with one of the rookie vocalists. In another room, Taeyong was already surrounded by producers, storyboarding concepts for their next subunit demo. Johnny shot Mark a glance from the hallway, raising his brows as if to ask you okay? Mark just gave a half-smile and kept walking.
He was supposed to meet Kenzie and Hitchhiker sunbaenim in Studio C for a beat consultation. But just as he passed Studio A, he paused.
Her voice.
It was faint through the glass, soft yet unmistakable—Lexie.
Laughing.
He turned his head ever so slightly. Through the window, he saw her sitting beside Ejae and Junny, holding a cup of coffee with both hands. She was leaning back, visibly tired but smiling. Her hair was tied in that same lazy ponytail she always did when focused. Junny was teasing her about something again, and Lexie elbowed him with a roll of her eyes.
It shouldn't have been a big deal. But seeing her there—really there—was like a pinprick in his chest.
Mark's phone buzzed.
Kenzie NOOO-NAH
You're late, maknae.
He sighed, turned away, and walked off.
✦ ✦ ✦
She had just snorted into her coffee, shaking her head at Junny.
"Seriously, stop telling people I cried during Minho's guitar demo," she grumbled.
"You did cry!"
"I was moved! That's different!"
Ejae laughed, handing over a folder. "That's the point. This camp is supposed to move you—and make you move others. It's not just about technical perfection."
They were in one of the smaller listening rooms now, waiting for their group's turn to present rough demos. Lexie sat between Kenzie and Ejae, notebook in her lap, nervous despite the banter.
Kenzie was scribbling something on a feedback sheet. "Lexie-ya, your vocal layering on 'Stellar Static' was sick. Especially the reverse echo on the pre-chorus. It made Junny sound like he was floating in space."
Junny grinned smugly. "I do float when Lexie's producing me."
Lexie scoffed but softened at the praise. "Thanks, sunbaenim. I was... honestly rushing that one the night before I flew out."
"Well," Kenzie said, looking up from her seat and scanning the last few stragglers with her gentle but grounded tone. "Sometimes the realest ones are made when you're raw."
There was a thoughtful silence in the room. A few nodded. One of the new vocal trainees jotted the line down on a page already crowded with notes and doodles.
Kenzie smoothing out her sweater. "I've got a meeting in Studio C. If anyone needs me, Junny knows where to find me." She smiled at Lexie and gave a light squeeze to her shoulder on the way out. "Glad you made it back."
Lexie offered her a soft smile, more gratitude than words.
Kenzie's exit seemed to cue a shift. The lounge room buzzed slightly louder again—laptops being reopened, styluses tapping tablets, someone reheating a coffee that had long gone cold.
Later that afternoon, the camp coordinators gathered them back into the central space. A team member stepped forward with a digital board.
"We'll now break out into small working clusters for focused collaborations. You'll spend the rest of today with your assigned group. It's okay if things start rough—this is about synergy, not perfection."
Names flickered across the screen in soft, minimal animations.
Lexie found hers under a creative concept board that read:
VOCAL X PERFORMANCE: THEME - 'REALIGNING LIGHT'
Assigned Members:
- Yeonjun (TXT) – Vocal
- Haechan (NCT) – Performance & Creative Input
- Shotaro (RIIZE) – Movement & Structure
- Lexie – Composer-Producer
She exhaled slowly. Not bad. Unexpected, maybe—but it was a solid group.
She caught Yeonjun's eye across the room. He gave her a peace sign and an easy smile.
Haechan, already slouched in a beanbag, gave a single nod, half his face hidden under his cap, hoodie strings drawn tight like he was trying to disappear. Still, she could feel his energy buzzing under the chill facade. He was unmistakably him.
Lexie blinked once. Twice. Internally screamed.
Was it possible to stay composed and simultaneously fangirl for someone she used to loop bridge parts of at 3 a.m.? Because right now, she was living that paradox.
"Stay cool. You've worked with worse chaos," she told herself. "You literally held your ground in a room with Minho and Jisoo arguing over rhyme schemes—this is fine."
Shotaro waved brightly, already halfway through jotting something on his iPad, and Lexie took that as her cue to move.
She made her way over and sat cross-legged on the studio floor beside them, opening her laptop and MIDI controller as the room emptied of other clusters.
"You're Lexie, right?" Shotaro asked, bright-eyed.
She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for not making me guess names."
"Please," Yeonjun chimed in, "We should be thanking you. Everyone's been hyped about you joining camp since your demos leaked in pre-selection."
"Yeah," Haechan said lazily, not looking up. "Your track on 'Oblique' made it to my night playlist."
Lexie blinked again, now fully malfunctioning on the inside.
Haechan. Listens. To my. Night. Playlist.
She smiled politely. Professionally. Respectfully. And absolutely bestie-coded.
"I didn't know anyone still looped that track," she said, voice calm. Steady. Cool.
"Mm," Haechan mumbled, sitting up straighter now. "It's moody. Feels like a memory I never had."
Lexie nearly choked on her coffee.
Later, as they started sketching out initial concepts, Lexie tried not to stare at the way Haechan cradled his in-ears like they were an extension of his brain. Or how he hummed half-melodies under his breath, playing with tension like it was candy.
When she played a few chords, he looked up and said, "That—whatever that was—don't change it. That's the spine."
She nodded, still typing but quietly beaming.
Lexie played a few more piano chords—soft but haunting. The progression lingered in the air. She layered in an ambient pad, modulated slightly off-tune. Like light trying to fall into focus.
Yeonjun started humming a rough melody over it.
Shotaro stood and paced slowly, eyes shut, feeling the rhythm like it was moving through his bones.
Haechan, suddenly more focused than before, leaned forward. "That dissonance between the third and seventh note... keep that. Let's keep people slightly uncomfortable."
Lexie smiled faintly. "You're really something when you focus."
He smirked, not looking up. "You should say that more often."
She was not letting her inner Czennie win, but the battle was tight.
Earlier that evening, the rough demo for "Realigning Light" played softly from her laptop, haunting and a little unhinged in just the right way. They were on to something—Lexie could feel it in her gut.
"Okay, let's save this stem," she muttered. "Tomorrow, we layer it out."
"Call it 'Eclipse Draft'," Shotaro suggested, stretching his arms high with a yawn.
"Ooh, I like that," Yeonjun said, typing it into the project folder with quick fingers.
Haechan tossed her a pack of Honey Butter Almonds before standing up. "You work like you're possessed, you know that?"
"Possessed by deadlines," she replied with a tired grin, tearing open the foil as she leaned back in her chair.
They had been laughing and bouncing off each other's ideas for hours. It wasn't just productive—it felt right.