moment

Silent Pop-Ups

The room was pitch black.

Not a single light leaked in from the windows, and the curtains were drawn tight like they were afraid of the outside world. The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioner and the occasional creak from the old walls. Somewhere in the darkness, under a heap of blankets, a shape lay still.

She hadn't moved in hours.

Her bed was a cocoon a small seefortress she had built around herself. Pillows piled up around her, the blankets tangled over her body like vines. Only the very top of her head poked out—dark strands of hair messy and pressed flat from hours of lying still.

Then—

Pop.

Pop. Pop.

Her phone lit up again from the edge of the table again. And again.

The glow pulsed against the darkness, casting shadows on the ceiling like ghosts passing through.

She didn’t react at first.

Pop.

Another message.

With a sluggish movement, finally reached for it, her hand sliding out from under the blanket like a ghost hand from the grave. Her fingers wrapped lazily around the phone and pulled it closer. A tiny glow hit her face—pale skin, blank eyes, slightly chapped lips. Her face looked like it hadn’t smiled in days.

The notifications filled her lock screen.

She stared at them. Every word.

Her lock screen was filled with notifications.

> Shosho App: "You've been invited to the LUMEN7 Exclusive Collab!"

Shosho App: "Your fans miss you, Kyuttko! Come say hi!"

Shosho App: "1,326 new messages in your fan chat."

She stared at them. Her thumb moved lazily, swiping down to reveal even more.

> Shosho App: "Congrats! Your last clip reached 1 million likes!"

Shosho App: "Fans are waiting in your lobby, . Ready to go live?"

Shosho App: "You’ve been invited to ‘Midnight Moods’

Her screen glowed, waiting for her to react.

just stared.

There was no flicker of excitement. No sense of urgency. Not even a twitch in her lip. Her gaze drifted from one notification to the next, but they all blurred together. Empty words. Just noise.

She locked her phone.

The screen went dark again.

The glow disappeared, swallowed by the room.

She let the phone slip from her hand and fall softly onto the bed beside her. Then she pulled the blanket back over her head, covering even the small sliver of her face that had been exposed.

She shut her eyes—not to sleep, but to escape.

The world of Shosho could keep spinning.

The fans could keep asking.

The app could keep sending alerts and invitations and digital hearts.

But for now…

She just wanted the silence.

She rolled over, away from the phone, her back to the glowing screen that kept trying to reach her. She pulled the blanket tighter over her head, burying herself again in the quiet.

{author Pov)

The next morning came too quickly.

The previous night’s performance of Kyuttko’s song had gone viral.

By the time they reached the company building, over 20 million views had already been counted across social media. The hashtags #KyuttkoCover, #LUMEN7xKyuttko

But that wasn’t what bothered them.

What did was that… still… Kyuttko hadn’t reacted.

No post.

No live.

No update.

Just silence.

[ LUMEN7’s Company Building – Dorm Lounge]

The living room of Astra Company’s private dorm floor wasn’t glamorous — beige walls, mismatched pillows, a low table covered in snack wrappers, and the occasional rogue sock. But it had what mattered: warmth, silence, and seven exhausted idols spread out like melted popsicles after yesterday’s concert.

The TV played a low-volume replay of their performance, but no one was really watching. They were too tired. Or too lazy to get the remote. Maybe both.

Rizen had claimed the floor and was curled up in a hoodie like a sleepy cat. Ian sat cross-legged with a laptop on his knees, typing something with the precision of a scientist. Tayden was lying upside-down on the couch, head hanging off the edge, stuffing sour gummies in his mouth one by one while listening Kyuttko song

Yazen leaned back on an armchair, arms crossed, sunglasses still on indoors. Mithan sat between the couch and the table, tapping beats on a soda can. Sohan was neatly folding a towel for no reason other than it was bothering him how it was draped over the chair.

Mithan: “Do you guys hear that?”

Tayden (mouth full): “Hmm?”

Mithan (dramatic whisper): “That... is the sound... of freedom. No rehearsal. No schedule. No camera. Just air.”

Rizen (muffled in hoodie): “You forgot soreness. That’s the other sound.”

Yazen: “And tinnitus. You screamed directly into my in-ear monitor.”

Rizen: “Because the confetti machine scared me!”

Tayden (laughing): “You flinched like a soap opera actress.”

Sohan: “I thought he twisted his ankle again.”

Ian (not looking up): “No. I checked the footage. It was a dramatic spin, not a fall.”

Mithan: “You checked the footage? Already?!”

Ian: “I log our performances. It’s how we improve.”

Yazen: “It’s also how he knows who messed up.”

Tayden (groaning): “Don’t name names…”

Ian: “Then stop dancing half a beat early.”

Tayden rolled off the couch and lay face-down on the carpet.

Tayden: “It’s my artistic instinct.”

Mithan: “Your instinct is always to eat snacks, not hit beats.”

Tayden (lifting head): “Snacks are beats if you chew in rhythm.”

Everyone stared.

Yazen: “Never say that in an interview.”

---

The door to the living room slid open. A staff member peeked in, holding a tray.

Staff: “Morning drinks.”

Sohan (standing quickly): “Thank you. I’ll take them.”

He returned a minute later with seven drinks — black coffee, milk tea, banana juice, iced americano, sweet soy latte, energy drink, and water.

Mithan (accepting banana juice): “Hyung, how do you always remember who drinks what?”

Sohan: “I live with you all.”

Yazen (taking coffee): “He’s secretly your mom.”

Sohan: “And proud.”

Tayden (grabbing soy latte): “This is love. Real love.”

They sipped and sighed like a commercial ad.

Ian: “Speaking of yesterday… the Kyuttko moment. You all good with how it went?”

Rizen (smiling softly): “It felt special.”

Tayden: “You think she saw it?”

Everyone paused.

Mithan: “Hard to say. She hasn’t posted in forever.”

Sohan: “But if she checked her app…”

Yazen: “Don’t assume too much. She might not care.”

Tayden: “Still. I hope she felt it. That moment.”

Ian didn’t say anything, but he minimized his editing window — where a slowed clip of their “I want to be with you” performance was paused at the final chorus, when Rizen and Mithan’s harmonies overlapped the glowing stage lights.

He watched it silently.

The elevator dinged, and moments later, the door burst open.

Momoji: “GUYS!!"

Yuxin (walking in calmly): “We knocked.”

Momoji: “I kicked the door. That counts.”

Dualight entered like thunder and balance — Momoji carrying three bags of snacks and Yuxin holding a perfectly folded picnic blanket.

Tayden (from the floor): “You brought snacks. I forgive you.”

Mithan (grabbing chips): “You’re just in time for post-concert pain bonding.”

Yuxin: “You guys looked amazing last night.”

Momoji (mock gasp): “Amazing? That Kyuttko cover was criminal. How dare you do that without her number one fans!”

Rizen: “ number one fans?”

Yuxin (smiling softly): “He means me.”

Ian: “It was a last-minute choice. No time to warn anyone.”

Mithan: “Besides, it had to feel spontaneous. Honest.”

Momoji: “It felt real, alright. I got chills.”

Yuxin (soft): “She’d be proud.”

Yazen: “Assuming she saw it.”

Momoji: “Don’t be such a realist."

They spread out, forming one messy circle of idols around the living room floor. The air smelled like honey chips, melon soda, and sweatshirts.

Sohan: “You two want to join next time?”

Yuxin (sipping juice): “Only if we’re busy”

Mithan: “ohg"

Tayden (mouthing lyrics): “‘i wanna be with you…’”

Rizen: “Stop, I’ll get emotional again.”

Yazen (teasing): “Did you even hit the right notes last night?”

Tayden (grinning): “I hit something. Might’ve been nerves.”

Ian (half-laughing): “You hit me. During the spin.”

More laughter echoed in the room.

Momoji: “So what’s next? Are we collaborating or what?”

Ian: “We have variety show filming next week.”

Yuxin: “Yeah my manager told me that”

Sohan: “Same episode.”

momo:"thats was unfair the manager didn't told me hmp" pouting

Mithan (leaning forward): “Let’s destroy the games. Iconic chaos incoming.”

Tayden (raising fist): “May the foam swords be in our favor.”

Yazen: “No Kyuttko covers this time.

Momoji (smirking): “Too late. You already woke the internet.”

It didn’t take long before the room transformed from a post-concert crash pad into something much more alive. Someone had turned on background music — a lo-fi playlist with subtle beats and soft synths. Tayden was already halfway through opening every snack on the table, while Mithan carefully sorted them into salty, sweet, and “dangerous mystery flavor.”

Momoji (pointing at green chip bag): “That one makes your tongue go numb.”

> Mithan (dramatic): “Add it to the adventure pile.”

Yazen leaned back and snapped a photo of the chaotic spread, sending it to their private group chat titled “LUMEN7 Core Brainstorm Chamber” — which no one used for brainstorming anymore.

Yazen: “Caption: ‘We survived the stage and now face the final boss: Tayden’s snack addiction.’”

Tayden (chewing dramatically): “I carry this team. Spiritually and snackrificially.”

Yuxin (grinning): “He really said snackrifice.”

Ian (still typing notes on his laptop): “I regret allowing this fusion of words.”

Rizen (leaning into Yuxin): “You used to be the quiet one. What happened?”

Yuxin: “I’m still quiet. I just enjoy your chaos.”

Momoji (snatching chips): “He says that while instigating behind the scenes.”

Sohan quietly stood and walked to the kitchen corner. A few seconds later, the kettle whistled.

> Sohan: “Anyone want warm tea?”

Mithan, Tayden, Rizen (in chorus): “YES.”

Momoji (teasing): “You’re the real leader, aren’t you?”

Sohan (smiling): “I just keep them hydrated. It's damage control.”

They drank and munched like old friends, even though they’d only really gotten close over the last few months. The concert had been the catalyst — but moments like this? This was where real chemistry brewed.

Momoji clapped loudly, cutting through the post-lunch calm.

Momoji: “Alright, serious moment. We’re doing a friendship game.”

Rizen (mouth full of cookie): “Why do I feel like this isn’t going to be serious?”

Momoji: “Because it’s not. But it is a bonding game.”

He pulled out a wrinkled notepad and announced the game:

“Friendship Thief!”

Each person would write a secret about themselves on a slip of paper and toss it into a bowl. One by one, they’d draw and guess whose it was. Whoever guessed wrong had to wear the “Thief Headband” — a cat-eared, neon pink disaster that Tayden found in a variety show dressing room once.

Ian: “This is juvenile.”

Yuxin (passing paper): “That’s the point.”

After scribbling and folding, the secrets were mixed. Rizen volunteered to go first, pulling a slip and reading:

Rizen: “I once snuck into a movie theater by pretending to be my older cousin.”

Mithan (gasp): “You criminal.”

Rizen (thinking hard): “It’s not Ian. Not Sohan. Momoji?”

Momoji (grinning): “Wrong. It’s Yuxin.”

Everyone burst into laughter as Yuxin gave a small bow.

Yuxin: “It was an experimental phase.”

Momoji: “Put on the ears, baby idol.”

Rizen groaned and wore the cat-ear headband like a crown of shame.

They continued.

Tayden (reading): “I once got caught in a revolving door and cried.”

Tayden: “This is obviously Mithan.”

Mithan (offended): “It was Sohan!”

Everyone turned. Sohan looked down in defeat.

Sohan: “It was raining. The door spun back. I panicked.”

Tayden (dying): “Hyung! Why does that make me love you more?”

Ian (smirking): “Because he’s human. And so are we.”

The game brought out laughter, teasing, and a strange sense of comfort. Even the ever-serious Ian cracked up when Yazen misguessed and had to wear the pink ears while drinking tea with the elegance of a 19th-century countess.

After rounds of teasing and playful betrayal, the game fizzled out into soft chatter.

Momoji and Mithan were trying to make chip-tower art. Yuxin, Sohan, and Ian sat talking about music production ideas. Rizen had curled into the beanbag near Tayden, both scrolling through memes on their phones and occasionally shoving screens at each other.

Yazen sat by the window, eyes half-closed, listening quietly to it all.

Yazen (quietly): “It’s weird.”

Mithan: “What is?”

Yazen: “How normal this feels.”

Tayden: “You want it to be weird?”

Yazen: “No. I just forgot how it feels to sit like this. With people who get it.”

Everyone paused. Even the chip tower collapsed gently.

Ian: “We needed this.”

Sohan: “No stage lights. No cameras. Just... this.”

> Momoji (raising imaginary glass): “To just this.”

All together, softly laughing: “To just this.”

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