All of them were still standing outside the bathroom.
Waiting.
Suffering.
Losing patience.
And from inside—
🎶 "I like me better when I'm with youuu~" 🎶
Not low.
Not shy.
FULL VOICE. CLEAR NOTES. PERFECT PITCH.
Noah freezes. "…Why is he actually good?"
Lucien's jaw drops. "Hold on—why does this sound professional?"
Victor blinks twice. "Is he… singing in scale?"
Elara stares at the door, shocked. "…Why does he sound like he's recording a studio version?"
🎶 "I knew from the first time—" 🎶
Alice hits the high note.
Perfectly.
Noah presses her ear closer to the door. "BRO. HE'S SERIOUS."
Lucien clutches his chest dramatically. "This is illegal. You can't sing this well in a bathroom."
Elara scoffs. "Unbelievable. He's taking longer and showing off."
🎶 "I like me better when I'm with youuu~" 🎶
This time, louder.
With feeling.
Victor rubs his face. "We're trapped outside while he's living his best life."
Noah yells, "ALICE! SOME OF US NEED THE BATHROOM!"
From inside, Alice sings back instead of answering.
🎶 "I don't know what it is—" 🎶
Lucien loses it. "HE TURNED IT INTO A MUSICAL."
Elara crosses her arms, pretending not to be impressed. "He's enjoying this way too much."
Noah mutters, "I hate that I like his voice."
🎶 "But I got that feelin'—" 🎶
Alice drags the note.
Long.
Smooth.
Confident.
Victor looks at Elara. "Should we clap when he finishes?"
Elara glares. "No."
Lucien nods. "Yes."
🎶 "I like me better when I'm with youuu~" 🎶
The song finally ends.
Silence.
Then—
A dramatic clearing of the throat from inside.
The door opens.
Alice steps out like he just finished a concert. Hair perfect.
Skin glowing.
Expression proud.
"Well?" he asks. "How was it?"
Noah stares. "…Why are you like this?"
Lucien claps slowly. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome our bathroom pop star."
Victor shakes his head but smiles. "You wasted twenty-five minutes."
Elara looks at him. "…You know you're impossible, right?"
Alice smirks. "But admit it."
He leans against the doorframe.
"That was fire."
Elara rolls her eyes—
but there's the tiniest smile on her lips.
And inside the bathroom?
Still smells like face wash…
and confidence.
Alice stretches lazily, clearly enjoying the attention.
"So," he says, smirking,
"Honest reviews? Bathroom acoustics really bring out my talent."
Lucien scoffs. "Talent? You held us hostage."
Noah crosses her arms. "You owe us emotional compensation."
Victor sighs. "You owe us time. And the bathroom."
Alice ignores all of them and turns—slowly—toward Elara.
He tilts his head. "Did you like it?"
Elara looks at him blankly. "No."
Alice grins wider. "Liar. You were listening."
Lucien gasps. "Ohhh, he noticed."
Noah whispers, "This is about to get violent."
Alice steps a little closer to Elara, lowering his voice. "Come on. I saw it. The tiny smile.
You liked 'I like me better when I'm with you.'"
He leans in slightly. "Or maybe… it reminded you of someone?"
Elara exhales slowly.
Very slowly.
Then she looks up at him.
"Oh, Alice," she says sweetly,
"you didn't sing well because of the song."
Alice raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She smiles—dangerously. "You sang well because bathrooms echo.
Even broken radios sound good in there."
Lucien chokes. "DAMN."
Noah slaps her hand over her mouth. "Oof."
Victor mutters, "Rest in peace."
Alice blinks. "…Excuse me?"
Elara continues calmly. "And please don't flatter yourself thinking I smiled because of you."
She steps closer now. "I smiled because I realized something."
Alice smirks. "And what's that?"
"That even with perfect skin care, a good voice, and unlimited confidence—"
She gestures at him up and down.
"You're still the same guy who needs a locked bathroom and an audience to feel special."
Silence.
Lucien slowly backs away. "I'm not involved."
Noah whispers, "She chose violence."
Victor nods. "Respectfully."
Alice crosses his arms, trying to recover. "At least I have confidence."
Elara tilts her head. "No. You have noise."
She turns to the others. "Confidence doesn't announce itself with a concert."
Then she looks back at Alice one last time. "It walks quietly… and lets its work speak."
She steps past him.
Alice stays frozen for a second.
Then— a slow grin appears.
"…Okay," he admits softly. "That one hurt."
Lucien pats his shoulder. "Bro got roasted medium-well."
Noah laughs. "Next time sing silently."
Victor adjusts his glasses. "Lesson learned: never tease Elara."
Alice watches her walk away, thoughtful.
"…Still," he mutters, "she didn't say my voice was bad."
Elara's voice floats back without turning around.
"It was average."
Everyone bursts out laughing.
Alice sighs. "…That was unnecessary."
But for the first time—
He looks less amused…
and more affected.
After dropping that final savage line, Elara doesn't even wait for Alice's reaction.
She turns sharply and walks straight toward the bathroom.
Alice blinks. "Wait—"
SLAM.
The bathroom door closes.
Locked.
Silence.
Then—
Lucien finally realizes what just happened.
"…HEY."
He rushes forward, pointing dramatically at the door. "I was standing here FIRST."
Noah throws her hands up. "Exactly! There was a LINE."
Victor folds his arms. "A very clear, very painful line."
Lucien bangs lightly on the door. "Elara! That's illegal. Line-cutting is a crime."
From inside, Elara's calm voice replies, "I earned it."
Noah laughs. "Fair enough."
Lucien glares at Alice. "This is your fault."
Alice raises his hands. "Mine?"
"Yes, yours," Lucien snaps.
"You didn't just distract Elara—
you distracted ALL OF US."
Victor nods seriously. "I forgot why I was even waiting."
Noah squints at Alice. "You sang, flirted, got roasted, and somehow time disappeared."
Alice shrugs proudly. "Talent."
Lucien scoffs. "Bro, she roasted you so hard she unlocked VIP bathroom access."
Noah giggles. "She didn't walk in—she conquered it."
From inside, water starts running.
Lucien gasps. "She's SHOWERING?"
Noah covers her mouth. "No WAY."
Victor checks the time. "We're done for."
Lucien dramatically sits on the floor. "This is my villain origin story."
Alice leans against the wall, smirking. "At least you got front-row seats to greatness."
Lucien snaps back, "Front-row to your humiliation."
Noah nods. "Iconic downfall."
Alice sighs. "I still think I won."
Victor looks at him. "She locked you out."
Alice pauses. "…Temporary loss."
From inside, Elara's voice floats out again: "And Alice?"
He straightens. "Yes?"
"Next time you sing—"
Everyone holds their breath.
"—bring a microphone."
Lucien screams. "NO SHE DID NOT."
Noah laughs so hard she almost sits down. "I'm crying."
Victor shakes his head. "This group is unhinged."
Alice laughs under his breath. "…Okay. That was good."
The bathroom remains occupied.
The line remains broken.
And the war? Very much ongoing.
The bathroom door suddenly clicks open.
Everyone freezes.
Elara steps out—
hair neatly tied, fresh, calm, not a single drop of panic on her face.
Silence.
Pure. Shocked. Silence.
Lucien blinks twice. "…WAIT."
Noah's mouth falls open. "You're… done?"
Victor looks at the clock, then at Elara. "That was… fast."
Lucien points dramatically. "You're a GIRL."
Elara raises an eyebrow. "And?"
Lucien continues, "And you didn't take one hour? No hair concert? No emotional bonding with shampoo?"
Elara crosses her arms. "I came to shower, not to build a relationship with the bathroom."
Noah bursts out laughing. "She's got a point."
Lucien shakes his head in disbelief. "Impossible. Girls are supposed to take at least thirty minutes."
Elara smirks. "Correction. Unorganized people take thirty minutes."
All eyes slowly turn to Alice.
Alice straightens immediately. "Why are you all looking at me?"
Lucien grins. "Oh, nothing. Just remembering how a certain boy takes one to two HOURS in the bathroom."
Victor nods calmly. "With skincare. And music."
Noah adds, "And mirror talking."
Alice protests, "That's self-care."
Elara tilts her head. "Or self-obsession?"
Lucien laughs. "Cooked."
Alice points at Elara. "You rushed. That's unhealthy."
Elara fires back instantly, "And you marinate. That's unnecessary."
Victor chuckles quietly. "Balance is important."
Noah wipes tears from laughing. "This is why the bathroom line exists."
Elara claps her hands once. "Alright, drama over. Next."
Lucien rushes forward. "MY TURN."
Noah blocks him. "No. I waited patiently."
Lucien gasps. "You distracted me with your commentary."
Victor steps between them. "Rock-paper-scissors?"
Both shout, "NO."
Chaos.
After some pushing, arguing, and loud complaints—
Eventually, everyone finishes showering.
Fresh. Dressed. Still arguing.
Elara looks around, satisfied. "Okay. So, guys—we're ready."
Victor checks the time. "Almost three."
Elara nods. "Perfect. Let's go."
Alice frowns. "Go where? It's not three yet."
Elara grabs her bag. "We'll reach by then."
Alice blinks. "…What?"
She looks straight at him. "Use your brain, Alice."
He smirks. "My brain is very expensive."
She shoots back, "Then stop using your legs to think."
Lucien laughs out loud. "DAMN."
Noah claps. "That was personal."
Victor shakes his head, smiling. "She's not wrong."
Alice sighs dramatically. "Fine. Lead the way, Miss Time Management."
Elara smiles sweetly. "Gladly."
And just like that— They grab their things, Step out together,
Still chaotic, Still arguing, But somehow— Moving forward as a team.