still waiting

Another sunny afternoon hung over Astra Entertainment like a sigh.

The city outside was buzzing summer skies, iced drinks, idol trends bouncing from one screen to the next. But inside one of Astra’s cozy dance rooms, two members of LUMEN7 were completely still.

“Nothing.”Tayden let his phone drop face-down against his lap.

Across the room, Sohan didn’t even have to ask. He had his own phone open, eyes fixed on the same empty page: Kyuttko’s Shosho profile. Still quiet. Still no post. No message. No response.

“It’s been days,” Tayden muttered.

“She probably didn’t even see it,” Sohan said quietly.

Tayden groaned, ruffling his fluffy blue hair. “We trended! For a full day! The hashtags were everywhere. How can she not see it?”

“Maybe she just doesn’t care.”

Tayden looked at him with betrayed eyes. “Take that back.”

Sohan shrugged, but the doubt in his voice betrayed his frustration too. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just... don’t get it. That cover meant everything to us. It was our way of saying, ‘Your music matters.’ And she still not opening her account it's been 3 years .."

They sat there, surrounded by mirrors and the scent of old sweat and lemon floor cleaner. In the corner, a speaker hummed softly, playing Heartbeat Symphony on low repeat.

“Boom boom… the heartbeat symphony…”

“Don’t you think it’s weird?” Tayden suddenly said. “Five songs. Five masterpieces. No interviews. No shows. No face. Nothing. Like she dropped her soul on the internet and disappeared.”

“I think it’s kind of beautiful,” Sohan murmured. “But also kinda cruel.”

The door opened. Tsukena stepped in, holding a rolled-up schedule sheet and a bottle of cold water. She blinked once at the scene: two tired-looking boys, their expressions a mix of obsession and heartbreak.

She knew exactly what was coming.

“What are you guys looking at me like that?” she said.force to smile.

“Dont tell me You’re going to ask again if there’s any respond from kyuttko?.”

“Okay, well now that you said it—is their?....?” Tayden grinned hopefully.

“No.” Tsukena’s tone didn’t change.

Sohan stood too, more hesitant. “We’re not trying to bother her . We just... we want to know if she saw it. If it was okay. That’s all.”

Tsukena stayed still. She looked at them both with eyes too calm for how fired-up they were.

“I’ve already told you before,” she said gently. “She doesn’t respond. "

Tayden:"Really?" lazy tone

“Not even once?” Sohan asked.

“Yeah guys ,” she said with finality, eyes soft.

Tayden slowly sat back down, defeated. “I just wanted to hear her say something. Anything.”

“I get it,” Tsukena said. “You guys admire her. She’s important to you.”

Sohan nodded. “It’s not even just admiration anymore. It’s like... her songs became part of us.”

Tsukena looked at them, and something passed over her face. Brief. Quiet. Like wind through tall grass.

But it disappeared just as quickly.

“I think,” she said slowly, “sometimes people give the world everything they have, and then step back. That is their message.”

“But it doesn’t feel fair,” Tayden muttered.

“Maybe,” she replied. “But it’s hers to decide.”

---

Later That Day

In the shared lounge, LUMEN7 curled up around snacks, sofa pillows, and tablet screens. A fan edit of the variety show played, someone had added sparkles and exaggerated heart effects during the part where Tayden shouted “Boom boom!” in Heartbeat Symphony.

Even Yuxin laughed softly. “You’re dramatic.”

Tayden didn’t deny it. “It was from the heart.”

Rizen “Your heart looked like it was gonna explode. You were glowing like a firecracker.”

Sohan smiled faintly. “It really mattered to us.”

“Still no response from Kyuttko?” Mithan asked as he offered Sohan a jelly pouch.

Tayden shook his head solemnly. “I check every hour. Literally.”

“You need to rest your thumbs,” Rizen muttered from under a blanket.

Yazen added, “You also need to chill. She’s not some goddess. Just a person.”

There was a quiet pause.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Tsukena chuckled.

They all turned to her.

“What?” she said, sipping her tea. “That was a really weird metaphor.”