I lingered for a while longer in the recording studio after my teammates were slowly leaving. Kooyoung was trying to act casual about it, but I could tell he was itching to hold me too.

I said my goodbyes to Billie and Gyuvin, as I faked being interested in all the gold record hanging on the left wall of the studio.

The door closed behind them and a small, happy smile, curved itself over my lips as two hands slid over my stomach and my neck got a little kiss.

"That took forever," he groaned and I let out a bouldering laugh, throwing my head back.

"They were purposely taunting us!" I turned around and reached for his white shirt. I dragged him to me and gave him a passionate kiss.

He gave me three small pecks before stepping back a tiny inch. Our foreheads rested together.

"How are you feeling today?" he whispered. He had seen me falter earlier in the dance training studio. He has also heard me miss a few notes, and I was always on pitch.

I sighed. I guess that was a response.

"Is it the pending finale? It can't take a toll on you, Minlee. You have to tell me if it gets too much. I don't want to see you in duress ever again, okay?" he pecked me tenderly before putting my face between his hands and making me look up at him.

I was so very grateful to have met him.

The door creaked open, and we jumped apart, but I feared it wasn't enough. Were we caught? Who walked through the door just now?

In the gloom of the studio lights, I saw a familiar outline of a tall, athletic girl with long raven-black hair. Gio.

"Hey?" she said as she spotted us. Kooyoung was leaning on a desk, and I was still standing against the gold record wall.

I felt a pang of discomfort as Gio's eyes flicked between Kooyoung and me. I could see her mind working as she tried to make sense of the situation. I didn't know what to say, so I just cleared my throat and straightened my shirt.

"Hi, Gio," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "What brings you here?"

"I forgot my water bottle," she replied, gesturing to a bottle on the floor near the door. "I was just on my way out."

She bent down to pick it up, and I saw Kooyoung sneak a quick glance at me. I could tell he was thinking the same thing as me: why did Gio seem so off-kilter? She had always seemed to hover in the 'no emotion' zone, but now there was an edge to her demeanor that made me uneasy.

"Is everything okay, Gio?" I asked tentatively, hoping to diffuse the tension.

She straightened up and gave me a small smile. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said, but her voice was strained. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

I nodded, not sure what else to say. There was something in the air between us that made it hard to connect. I didn't want to push her, but I also didn't want to leave things unresolved.

"Well, take care of yourself," I said, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "We'll see you around."

She nodded and turned to leave, but then she paused and looked back at me. "Minlee," she said, her voice low. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I exchanged a worried glance with Kooyoung, but then I nodded. "Sure, what's up?"

She took a deep breath and then spoke in a rush. "I know we haven't always gotten along, but I wanted to apologize for any times I've been rude or dismissive. It wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry."

I was taken aback by her words, but also grateful. It wasn't often that people apologized in this industry, especially for things that seemed small. I could tell that it took a lot for her to say this.

"Thank you, Gio," I said sincerely. "I appreciate that."

She gave me a nod and then turned to go again. But then she hesitated and looked back once more. "And Minlee?"

"Yeah?" I said, curious.

"Good luck," she said, and then she was gone.

I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. It wasn't often that people surprised me, but Gio definitely had. Maybe there was more to her than I had originally thought.