Chapter 5

Dinner had been chaos—in the good way.

Pots clanged, someone spilled rice (probably Manon), and for a solid three minutes, Sophia and Lara had argued over whether garlic went before or after onions in the pan. Megan had stayed mostly quiet, helping where needed, and Daniela was her usual calm self. Everything felt almost normal.

But now, with everyone seated, the table full of steaming food, and laughter echoing off the walls, something wasn’t right.

Yoonchae blinked across the table.

“Wait… where’s Megan?”

Everyone looked up. Lara froze mid-bite.

“And Dani’s not here either,” Yoonchae added, glancing around with growing confusion. “Weren’t they here, like, five minutes ago?”

Sophia looked up from her soup. “They were in the kitchen. Megan left early, I think.”

Manon shrugged. “Maybe she went to her room.”

“And Dani?” Yoonchae tilted her head.

That’s when she saw it: Lara’s face.

Just for a second—barely a twitch—Lara’s expression changed. Not panic, not guilt. Just… knowledge. Yoonchae squinted.

“Lara?”

“Hm?” Lara said, all innocence.

“Why’d you make that face?”

Lara blinked. “What face?”

“You definitely made a face,” Sophia chimed in, raising an eyebrow. “When Yoonchae said Megan and Daniela are missing.”

Manon leaned forward, eyes narrowing with interest. “Oh my God. Wait. You know something.”

“I really don’t,” Lara said, way too quickly.

Yoonchae exchanged a glance with Sophia, who was already grinning like she was ready to start a full-on investigation.

“Spill,” Manon said, leaning over the table. “Are they hooking up?”

Lara choked on her drink. “What?! No! God, no—”

“Okay, that was a suspicious reaction,” Manon declared.

Sophia, now totally invested, set down her spoon and folded her hands on the table. “You’re hiding something, Lara. That’s your I-know-something-but-I’m-being-loyal-to-my-bestie face.”

“I don’t have that face,” Lara said flatly.

Yoonchae shrugged. “You totally do.”

Lara was trying so hard to keep it together.

She’d promised Megan—well, not in words, but in intention—that she wouldn’t say a thing. But now three girls were staring at her like she was the final clue in a murder mystery, and she was cracking under pressure.

She didn’t even mean to react like that. It was just instinct. Of course she noticed when Megan slipped away after dinner, her eyes red but her mouth set like steel. Of course she saw Daniela get up just moments later, looking strangely focused, like someone on a mission.

And yeah, maybe Lara lingered in the hallway on purpose. Maybe she heard the soft click of the bedroom door. Maybe she smiled to herself.

But it was none of their business.

Still, it was getting harder to deflect.

“Okay,” she said slowly, “first of all, nothing’s happening.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “So there is something.”

Lara groaned.

“Not like that! I mean—look, Megan’s been having a rough day. She just needed space. Daniela noticed. That’s it.”

“Daniela noticed?’Sophia echoed. “That girl couldn’t notice if her own shoelaces were untied.”

“She’s attentive sometimes,” Lara said, immediately regretting it.

“Ohhhh,” Manon sang. “You’re covering for something. I knew it.”

“Guys,” Lara sighed, rubbing her temples. “Just let them be. It’s not a big deal.”

“Then why are you defending it like you’re on trial?” Sophia asked sweetly.

Yoonchae leaned back in her chair, processing.

Megan had seemed off lately. Quieter. Not distant exactly, but… less present. And Daniela—well, Daniela was always Daniela. Confident, chill, effortlessly cool. But she had been a little quieter too. Not in a noticeable way, but if you knew them well enough, you’d see it.

Which they did.

They’d all been living together for months. Sharing a house, rehearsals, late-night cravings, dumb arguments, post-show meltdowns. There were no secrets in KATSEYE.

Except, apparently, this one.

“Okay,” Yoonchae said, her tone shifting to serious. “Is Megan okay?”

Lara paused. “Yeah. I think so. She just… needed a moment.”

“She’s been needing a lot of ‘moments’ lately,” Manon muttered.

Sophia reached across and squeezed Yoonchae’s hand. “We can give her space. But if something’s wrong, we should know.”

Lara softened a little. “It’s not my story to tell. But she’s not alone. And that’s what matters.”

Yoonchae nodded, though the curiosity still burned in her chest. “And Dani?”

Lara hesitated.

“She’s… trying,i think. In her own way.”

Back in the bedroom, Megan lay curled up under her blanket, eyes puffy, heart still sore. Daniela hadn’t said much after holding her. She’d helped her clean up, stayed a little while, then quietly left the room—no pressure, no questions.

And yet… her presence lingered.

Her scent. Her warmth. The echo of her voice saying, You matter.

Megan pressed her fingers into her pillow.

She wasn’t ready to face the others. Not yet.

Especially not with how obvious Lara was being.

She loved her roommate—really, she did—but Lara couldn’t lie to save her life. It was only a matter of time before the girls connected the dots.

And then what?

Would Daniela pull away?

Would they treat Megan differently?

Would the bubble pop?

Downstairs, the interrogation fizzled into quiet conversation. The vibe mellowed. Lara passed around dessert to change the topic, and Sophia expertly redirected everyone into a debate about their next performance outfits.

But Yoonchae kept watching Lara.

And Lara, for all her calm, kept glancing toward the hallway.

Manon noticed it too. And Sophia—always sharp—was already piecing together a theory.

The silence between Megan and Daniela wasn’t unnoticed.

And now, the others had a reason to start looking closer.