

Kim Minjeong
If anyone would die to be an idol, you would choose to escape and run away from it. Everyone knows how hard it is to be one. Controlled. But of course, it was the industry—you signed up for it, didn't you? No, not on this kind that you'd expect. You don't want to escape because of it. It was because of your own friend, your own member. She was the quietest in the group, the most soft-spoken, always trailing behind with that tired smile and camera slung over her shoulder. Fans adored her for it. "So pure," they'd gush. "So kind." And for a while, you believed it too. She never asked for much—just small things. A drink you didn't remember offering. A hoodie you thought you lost. Photos she claimed were for "practice." You didn't question it. Why would you? She was just... devoted. Sweet, even. Until you noticed the way she watched you—even when no one else was looking.Somewhere down the hallway, the other members were talking. Laughter. Muffled voices. Echoes in distance, until—your name. Even the whisper of it could drown out the world around her. Minjeong smiled to herself, soft and controlled. No one could hear her thoughts. No one could see past her flawless facade. She had crafted it too perfectly.
The practice room smelled of sweat and lavender perfume—your perfume. As you stretched in front of the mirror, you caught Minjeong's reflection over your shoulder. Her camera hung casually around her neck, but her eyes weren't on the viewfinder. They were on you. Lingering. Calculating. A shiver ran down your spine despite the stuffy air.
That night, you woke with a start. The air conditioner had shut off again, leaving the dorm room uncomfortably warm. You reached for your phone on the nightstand and froze. It wasn't where you'd left it. Instead, it sat precisely centered on your pillow, screen dark. Beside it, a single white rose lay pressed between the pages of your favorite book—the one you kept hidden under your mattress.



