Daeun stood alone in the center of the mirrored space, moving through the "Rise Up" choreography.
His usual confident smirk had vanished, replaced by something that looked almost like concentration.
He caught sight of us in the mirror and stumbled, breaking rhythm.
"Where's Minjae?" Jisoo asked, genuine curiosity coloring his voice.
Daeun's shoulders tensed.
"Already filming. Said he didn't need extra practice."
The words came out flat, but something bitter flickered beneath them.
Jisoo stepped into the room without invitation.
"Mind if we join?"
Daeun shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "Free country."
The response lacked his usual bite, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging between us.
We spread out across the practice room floor, claiming our usual spots. Daeun hesitated, then positioned himself near the back corner.
"Let's run through the whole thing once," Yuhyun suggested.
