The office floor of Koharu's company was always quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet.
The kind that felt expensive.
The kind where every step sounded too loud, every breath felt like it could disturb something important.
The glass walls reflected the city lights outside, and the meeting room smelled faintly of coffee and paper—fresh contracts, fresh plans, fresh pressure.
Koharu sat at the head of the table with a file open in front of her.
Rinn stood beside her with a tablet, scrolling through schedules and budget sheets like she was born to be strict.
A few managers were present too, sitting nervously, because working under Koharu wasn't just a job…
It was survival.
Rinn finally broke the silence, her tone flat but clearly amused.
"Aiko sure speaks a lot."
Koharu didn't look up immediately. She just flipped a page slowly, her expression unreadable.
Then she replied casually, "Yeah. She is just like you."
The room went still for half a second.
One of the managers coughed awkwardly, trying to hide their laugh.
Rinn's eyes narrowed sharply. "Excuse me?"
Koharu's lips twitched—not a full smile, but close enough to feel like she was enjoying herself.
"You heard me."
Rinn scoffed, tapping her tablet harder than necessary. "I don't talk nonsense."
Koharu leaned back slightly in her chair, voice calm. "You do. You just call it 'work talk.'"
Rinn's mouth opened, then closed. She looked genuinely offended for two seconds.
Then she sighed like she was too tired to fight. "Whatever."
Koharu hummed in satisfaction, finally placing the file down.
One of the managers cleared his throat, trying to pull the meeting back to business. "Miss Koharu, about OG's comeback—"
Before he could finish, Rinn turned the tablet around, showing the updated promotion plan.
"OG's comeback is scheduled in three weeks. The teaser schedule is locked. We've booked the studio, the dance team, the vocal trainers—everything."
Koharu nodded once. "Good."
Another manager leaned forward. "But the public still thinks OG is… unstable. The rumors about the company change, Sakura's dinner scandal, Aiko's solo award issue—"
Koharu's gaze turned sharp like a knife. "That's why we're doing this comeback perfectly."
Nobody dared to argue.
Because Koharu wasn't the type to "try."
She was the type to make it happen.
Rinn scrolled again. "Now the question is… solo activities."
At that, one of the creative managers hesitated. "We're planning group promotions first. Solos might create tension again."
Rinn tilted her head slightly, then spoke in a deliberately loud voice, almost like she wanted Koharu to hear it clearly.
"You're their manager now," Rinn said. "Why not give Aiko a solo song in this comeback?"
Koharu's eyes lifted slowly.
The room became tense.
Even the air felt like it stopped moving.
Because everyone knew the history.
Aiko and Sakura.
The jealousy.
The anger.
The broken friendship that still hadn't fully healed.
Giving Aiko a solo could either fix everything…
Or destroy them again.
Koharu didn't respond immediately.
She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, thinking.
Then Rinn continued, tone sharper. "And give every member a solo show."
A manager blinked. "Every member?"
Rinn nodded. "Yes. If we want OG to become untouchable again, we need to remind the world why they're OG. Not just one face. Not just Sakura."
That sentence made the room shift.
Because everyone knew what Rinn was implying.
OG's downfall had started when everything became too centered around one person.
When the spotlight became too heavy.
When the fans started seeing OG as "Sakura and the others."
Koharu's jaw tightened slightly.
Her fingers stopped tapping.
She didn't like hearing it said out loud.
Because it was true.
And because she knew she played a role in that—whether she meant to or not.
Koharu exhaled slowly, then spoke in a calm voice.
"Fine."
Everyone looked at her.
Rinn's eyebrows rose. "Fine?"
Koharu leaned forward, her tone turning businesslike. "Aiko gets a solo track. Sakura gets a solo track. Everyone gets a solo stage. No favoritism. No excuses."
The managers looked shocked, but also relieved.
Because if Koharu promised something…
It would happen.
Rinn nodded, satisfied. "Good."
Then Koharu's eyes narrowed slightly, staring at Rinn like she was annoyed.
"But don't test me," Koharu added.
Rinn smirked. "I'm literally your secretary. That's my job."
Koharu rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now leave. You're ruining my mood."
The room went silent again.
One manager looked confused. "Ruining… your mood?"
Rinn didn't miss the chance.
She leaned closer to Koharu, voice teasing, almost too casual for a workplace.
"Yeah yeah," Rinn said, waving her hand. "Go watch your Sakura videos as always, or else you won't be able to sleep."
The managers froze.
One of them nearly choked.
Another looked down at the table like they suddenly found it very interesting.
Koharu's face stayed calm.
But her ears…
They turned slightly pink.
She glared at Rinn. "Do you want to get fired?"
Rinn smiled innocently. "No."
Koharu snapped her file shut. "Then shut up."
Rinn chuckled, walking toward the door. "Okay okay. But seriously, Miss CEO… you're pathetic."
Koharu picked up a pen and threw it at her.
Rinn dodged easily and laughed louder. "See? You have energy only when it's about Sakura!"
The door closed behind Rinn, leaving the room in awkward silence.
Koharu sat back down.
Her face returned to her usual cold expression.
But inside her chest…
something moved.
Because Rinn was right.
Koharu had been trying to act normal.
Trying to keep her distance.
Trying to be professional.
But the truth was…
She hadn't stopped thinking about Sakura for even one second.
Koharu opened her laptop.
The screen lit up.
And without even thinking…
her fingers typed Sakura's name.
A video popped up—an old clip.
Sakura laughing during a backstage moment, cheeks puffed as she ate a snack, her eyes sparkling like she didn't know how precious she looked.
Koharu stared.
Her gaze softened.
Her shoulders relaxed for the first time all day.
Then she whispered to herself, voice barely audible.
"…Just one more chance."
Outside her office, the company was preparing OG's comeback like it was a war.
Inside her office…
Koharu was still fighting her own heart.