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“Just remember the prewritten answers during the press junket today,” Hongjoo is saying. She’s pacing, which means she must be really nervous.

“All right, Eonni.”

“You got a chance to memorize them?” she asks, glancing at her phone for the fifth time in the last minute.

“Yes, Eonni.” I try to keep myself calm so I don’t worry her more. It’s a strange position swap. But oddly, it helps me. To be able to comfort Hongjoo. Maybe because it takes my mind off my own worries.

“Great, good. Maybe review them one last time?” Her phone dings before I can reply in the affirmative. And she nods. “Okay, they’re here.”

They?I almost ask, but she’s already ushering me out the door.

“Eonni, maybe you should take something for your stomach? You seem really nervous,” I say, handing her the bottle of water I’d grabbed from the mini fridge in the salon.

“I’m good. I’m fine,” she says as she unscrews the cap and chugs down the entire bottle.

She dumps it in a trash bin when we emerge into the parking garage. But instead of heading to our car, she pauses at the curb and checks her phone again.

“Eonni, aren’t we getting the car?”

“Huh?”

I start to ask the question again when the elevator doors open behind us and Minseok walks out with a cheeky grin on his annoying face. “Well, fancy running into you here.”

I’m initially shocked that he’s acting like we didn’t get into a huge fight at the photo shoot. Then I remember that Minseok is the king of avoidance. A dozen sarcastic responses sit at the tip of my tongue. I could say one of them—only Hongjoo is here to witness it. But I don’t want to upset her, so I hold back, even though it pains me.

“Well, wearegoing to the same place.” I can wait until I’m in the safety of my own car to curse his existence.

A black van with dark tinted windows pulls up with Hanbin in the driver’s seat. The automatic doors open and Minseok climbs in. But I’m surprised when Hongjoo jumps into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting in?” Minseok asks from the back, watching me expectantly.

“Wh-what?” I ask.

“Oh, we’re just going to ride with Hanbin and Moonster-ssi, since we’re going to the same place.” Hongjoo’s hands are shaking a bit as she buckles her belt, and I realize she must be too nervous to drive.

Sighing, I climb in.

Be cordial, I remind myself.It’ll be over soon.

“Ready?” Hanbin asks, glancing in the rearview mirror as he presses the button to close the door.

I start to nod when Minseok says, “Aren’t you going to buckle up?” In my confusion I forgot. Still, he doesn’t need to be so rude about it.

Embarrassed, I yank too hard on the seat belt, and it refuses to budge.

I pull again, trying my best to be gentle this time, but it’s practically stuck in place.

“Come on,” I mutter. I can feel myself becoming more and more frustrated with each pull, but I can’t help it. I can tell everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to finish so we can go.

“You’re still horrible at pulling out a seat belt,” Minseok says.

“I’m not horrible at it,” I say through gritted teeth, still yanking. “They’ve gotten more sensitive.”

“Aish.” Minseok leans into me, his body practically covering mine.

I press back into the seat, letting out a surprised gasp. My mind flashes to that moment backstage, when he lay over me, cradling my head to protect it from the falling glass, and every inch of my skin seems to burn.

I notice how long his lashes are. They brush against his cheeks as he glances down at me.