The recording room didn't smell like music.
It smelled like plastic, metal, and something faintly electric — the scent of machines that remembered voices long after people left.
Lia stood just outside the door, fingers hooked into the strap of Ari's carrier.
She didn't move.
Jieun noticed immediately.
"Come in," she said, calm but firm. "It's soundproof."
That word hit something behind Lia's ribs.
Soundproof.
Rooms like this didn't let noise escape — but they also didn't let it come in.
No laughter. No footsteps. No reminders that you weren't alone.
Lia stepped inside anyway.
The door closed with a soft click.
Too soft.
The silence pressed in instantly.
She exhaled slowly through her nose, eyes scanning the room. The mic. The glass panel. The faint reflection of herself in the window — smaller than she felt inside, sharper than she looked.
"You've been in a studio before," Jieun said, not a question.
"Yes."
"Professionally?"
"Yes."
"How long ago?"
Lia shrugged. "I don't count time like that."
Jieun studied her for a moment, then nodded once. "Put on the headphones."
Lia adjusted the mic height without being told.
That earned a flicker of interest from Jieun.
Outside the booth, Mina, Soojin, Reiko, and Minji watched through the glass.
Minji hugged her arms. "She looks… serious."
"She always does," Soojin replied.
Inside, the instrumental rolled softly into Lia's ears. Minimal. Bare. Nowhere to hide.
"Say anything," Jieun said into the mic. "Talk. Count. Breathe."
Lia leaned in.
"One."
Her voice sounded different here. Clearer. Louder. Like it had nowhere to run.
"Two."
She switched to Korean without realizing, stumbled once, then corrected herself sharply.
Her jaw tightened.
She hated mistakes.
Jieun didn't stop her.
Lia kept going — numbers turning into words, words turning into rhythm. Not polished. Not pretty.
Honest.
Outside, Mina's gaze softened.
"She's not performing," she murmured. "She's testing herself."
Soojin crossed her arms. "She's fighting the room."
When the track cut, Lia pulled the headphones off immediately.
Silence rushed back in.
Jieun spoke calmly. "Your accent's noticeable."
"I know."
"But your timing is solid."
"I know."
A pause.
Jieun raised an eyebrow. "You're confident."
Lia met her eyes through the glass. "No. I'm prepared."
That night, back at the dorm, the mood was quieter.
Ari slept easily, curled into Lia's chest as the girls moved around softly.
Reiko folded laundry. Mina reviewed practice notes. Minji scrolled on her phone, whispering reactions under her breath.
Soojin sat on the floor, back against the couch, watching Lia without pretending not to.
"You don't talk much," Soojin said suddenly.
Lia didn't look up. "Neither do you."
Soojin smirked. "I talk when it matters."
"And I don't," Lia replied evenly.
That earned a laugh.
"Why did you come here?" Soojin asked. "Really."
Lia shifted Ari gently, ensuring she stayed asleep.
"Because I didn't want to disappear."
Silence.
Not uncomfortable.
Real.
Later, alone in her room, Lia stared at the ceiling, counting breaths instead of time.
Thirteen wasn't supposed to feel like this.
Thirteen wasn't supposed to feel like standing on a line between becoming someone… or breaking apart quietly.
She pressed her palm flat against her chest.
"Stay," she whispered again.
This time, it sounded less like a challenge.
And more like a decision.