31

Heyoung is hunched over her desk in a dimly lit editing room, fingers flying across her keyboard as clips from a rehearsal play in fast cuts on the screen. Her headphones rest around her neck, letting the audio spill out faintly. A chartreuse sticky note on her desk reads: "Seventeen teaser deadline – Thurs 10AM."

Suddenly, her phone vibrates. The caller ID flashes.

Mijoo-eonni is calling...

Heyoung glances at it, then picks it up. She put the phone between her cheek and shoulder,

"Hey, eonni! Is London life treating you well?"

[ "Heyoung-ya! You're still alive, huh? I figured you'd be buried under comeback edits by now." ] Mijoo cheerfully said her voice slightly echoing through the speakerphone.

Heyoung tiredly chuckles, "I pretty much am. I'm editing a rehearsal cut for the third time today. What's up?"

Mijoo sighed and her voice came out to be a little nervous.

[ "Okay, so—straight to the point. We've got a batch of new hires in the London office. Production-side. They're fresh, enthusiastic... but totally clueless when it comes to real workflow." ]

Heyoung pauses for a second.

"And you're calling me because...?"

[ "Because you're the only one I trust to actually train them right. Just a few sessions! You don't even have to prep much—I've got basic materials ready. You'd just be walking them through what actually matters." ] Mijoo said.

Heyoung sighed as she glanced at the clock on her monitor.

"Eonni... you know how insane things are here. We've got two comebacks overlapping and a documentary team breathing down our necks for raw footage."

Mijoo softly said, [ "I know. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate. It doesn't have to be now—just sometime soon. I think they'd really benefit from your perspective." ]

Heyoung leans back in her chair, "...It's not that I don't want to help. I just—" she sighed for a minute. "—need to breathe too, you know?"

[ "I get it. Totally. You don't have to say yes now. Just... think about it. I'll send you the outline and some options for timing. Can you let me know later?" ] Mijoo said.

"Yeah... okay. Let me think about it. I can't promise anything yet." Heyoung replied.

[ "That's all I'm asking. Thanks, Heyoung-ah. Even considering it helps me sleep better." ]

Heyoung let out a half-smile, "Don't sleep too well. I haven't agreed yet."

Mijoo laughed, [ "Fair. I'll wait to see if you doom me or save me. Talk soon?" ]

"Yeah. Send the outline. I'll look it over when I can." Heyoung replied.

The call ends.

Heyoung places her phone down slowly, staring at her blinking editing timeline. After a moment, she pulls her headphones back on but doesn't hit play yet.

"Why do I always get asked for this stuff...?"

=====

The sky is streaked with orange and lavender as the sun begins to set. Heyoung stands by the railing, a takeout coffee in hand. Her workday had been chaotic, and she finally stepped outside for a breather.

A gentle breeze runs through her hair as Jaehyuk and Ayun join her, each carrying a convenience store snack.

They often come up here to decompress—no cameras, no staff, just them.

"You looked like you needed this," Jaehyuk said as he handed Heyoung a chocolate bar.

Heyoung softly laughed, "I always need chocolate...thanks, Oppa"

"Okay, spill. You said you got a call?" Ayun said while unwrapping a triangular kimbap.

Heyoung nodded and sipped her coffee.

"Yeah, Mijoo-eonni called from London and asked me if I'd be willing to help train some new hires at their production branch."

Jaehyuk leaned on the railing, "Like... fly there?"

"Yeah, just a few sessions but she wants me to walk them through editing workflow, team coordination, and feedback cycles. Basically what I do here every day." Heyoung replied.

"And you're even considering it?" Ayun asked.

Heyoung shrugs, "I haven't said yes. I told her I'd think about it."

"And...?" Jaehyuk added.

"I want to help. I do. She gave me a lot of chances when I was starting out. I feel like I owe her. But things here are already..." Heyoung said.

Ayun gently looked at her, "Too much?"

Heyoung nods, "Exactly."

"So why are you hesitating to say no?" Jaehyuk carefully asked.

Heyoung sighed and lowered her coffee.

"Because it feels like turning down growth. Like I'm closing a door that might matter later."

Ayun:

"But what about now? You're already stretched thin, and August is creeping up."

"Yeah... his birthday's next week," Heyoung said.

Jaehyuk looks at her sideways, "Does Seungcheol know about the London thing?"

Heyoung quietly whispered loud enough for them to hear, "No. Not yet."

"Seriously?" Both Ayun and Jaehyuk said at the same time.

"I didn't want to worry him. He already fusses over me skipping meals and staying too late at the studio." Heyoung softly said.

"He should be worried. But also—don't you think he deserves to know?" Ayun gently said to Heyoung.

Heyoung softly replied to her Ayun-eonni, "I know. I just... I didn't want him to feel like I was pushing everything else aside again. Especially not around his birthday."

"If anything, now's the time to be honest. You don't need to figure this out alone. He'd probably be the first one to tell you to prioritize your own health." Ayun replied, reassuring Heyoung.

Jaehyuk faintly smiled at them, "And maybe to take a break, go somewhere, the two of you."

Heyoung grins a little bit, "You two are really tag-teaming me tonight, huh?"

Ayun smirked, "We love you. Someone has to remind you that you're a human, not a machine."

"Promise us you'll talk to him. Before the week's over." Jaehyuk added.

Heyoung slowly nods, "Okay. I promise."

They all fall quiet for a moment, watching the last sliver of sun disappear behind the buildings. It's peaceful.

"Also... what are you getting him for his birthday?" Ayun casually asked.

Heyoung smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Jaehyuk suddenly grins, "Okay, now I'm invested."

=====

Unbeknownst to Heyoung, Jaehyuk, and Ayun, Aerum had already been on the rooftop before they arrived—sitting quietly behind the half-open rooftop storage door, reviewing a call sheet for an upcoming shoot. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. But when she heard Heyoung's voice, she froze.

Now, crouched behind the metal storage cabinet, out of view, she listens as the trio discusses London and Scoups.

"London...?"

Her eyes narrow. She leans in closer, still hidden.

"...I didn't want him to feel like I was pushing everything else aside again. Especially not around his birthday."

"If anything, now's the time to be honest. You don't need to figure this out alone."

"Promise us you'll talk to him. Before the week's over."

There's a pause as Aerum processes what she just heard. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Wait... talk to him? Seungcheol?" Aerum softly said to herself.

Her mind flashes back to subtle glances... quiet smiles exchanged in the studio, late-night coffee runs.

"Are they... together?"

She slowly stands, staying just out of sight, expression unreadable—lips pressed into a thin line, jaw tight. Her fingers clench around the papers in her hand.

Just as she starts to quietly retreat down the stairs, Ayun's laugh echoes again.

"And what are you getting him, huh? Something that says 'boyfriend' or something subtle and secretive?"

"Yeah, don't forget you're still hiding it from the rest of the company."

That's the confirmation.

Aerum stops cold at the top of the stairwell. Her expression shifts—not surprised anymore, but something darker. Disbelief... and something like betrayal.

"So it's true." Aerum said in a low voice, almost like a warning to herself.

She slips down the stairs quietly, leaving the rooftop behind her. The rooftop wind blows a crumpled page from her hand—left behind without her noticing. The soft sound of laughter continues above as the sun dips below the city skyline.