The day finally came.
The day that felt like a deadline, a prayer, and a punishment all at once.
OG's comeback day.
From early morning, the company building was buzzing like a beehive—stylists running with clothes on hangers, makeup artists calling names, managers shouting timings, camera crews setting up angles, and staff members checking the live broadcast schedule again and again like their lives depended on it.
Because in a way…
They did.
OG stood in the waiting room, dressed in their stage outfits, hair perfectly styled, makeup flawless… but their eyes still carried the exhaustion of everything they had survived.
Sakura sat quietly in a corner, staring at her reflection, lips slightly parted like she was trying to breathe through the pressure.
Hana was stretching her legs, pretending she was calm even though her hands kept fidgeting.
Yuki kept fixing her mic pack again and again, her nervous habit returning.
Kairi was silently humming the melody of the new song under her breath, grounding herself.
And Aiko…
Aiko stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself with a look that wasn't just determination.
It was hunger.
Not for attention.
Not for praise.
But for something she had lost.
Respect.
Fairness.
Her own place.
The door opened and a staff member peeked in.
"OG, ten minutes!"
The room went silent.
Sakura looked up first.
Everyone's eyes met in the mirror, and for a second… it felt like their debut days again.
Back when they were just girls with dreams.
Back when the world hadn't chewed them up.
Hana forced a smile. "We can do this."
Yuki nodded quickly. "We have to do this."
Kairi took a deep breath. "No mistakes."
Aiko didn't say anything.
She just tightened the ribbon on her wrist, the one she always wore when she wanted to remind herself:
Don't break. Don't hesitate. Don't lose.
Sakura slowly walked toward her.
"Aiko…" Sakura's voice was soft.
Aiko didn't look at her.
Sakura hesitated, then whispered, "Good luck."
Aiko's eyes flickered for a moment.
She didn't answer.
But she didn't walk away either.
That small pause was the closest thing to peace between them right now.
Soon, the staff led them into the hallway backstage.
The sound of the crowd grew louder as they walked—fans chanting, lightsticks waving, screams echoing like thunder.
OG's name was being called again.
Not in pity.
Not in nostalgia.
But in real excitement.
And that alone almost made Hana cry.
The MC's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Tonight is special! Because one of the legendary groups is making a return… OG is back!"
The crowd roared.
Then the MC continued, "And first, we will have a solo stage… by none other than OG's Aiko!"
The lights dimmed.
Aiko stepped forward.
She stood alone behind the stage gate, breathing slowly.
This wasn't just a performance.
This was her answer to everything.
To the unfair award.
To the rumors.
To the whispers that she was "the second member."
To the pain of being compared to Sakura again and again.
Aiko looked down at her hands.
They were steady.
Not shaking.
Not trembling.
Steady like she had already decided:
If the world won't give me my moment… I'll take it.
The stage gate opened.
The spotlight hit her like fire.
Aiko walked out.
The crowd screamed her name.
"AIIIKOOO!"
The music started.
A sharp beat, dramatic and powerful—something that suited her perfectly.
Aiko's eyes locked onto the camera.
And she moved.
Her first step was so confident it felt like the stage belonged to her.
Her voice came out strong, clear, full of emotion that she had been swallowing for months.
She wasn't smiling.
She wasn't trying to look cute.
She was performing.
Every move was clean.
Every turn was sharp.
Every expression was controlled like she had practiced it a thousand times just to prove one thing:
I am not anyone's shadow.
Backstage, OG watched from the monitor.
Hana's mouth opened slightly. "She's… insane."
Yuki nodded. "She's killing it."
Kairi whispered, "She looks like a queen."
Sakura didn't say anything.
She just stared at the screen.
Aiko's face wasn't happy.
But it was beautiful.
Not the "pretty idol" kind of beautiful.
The kind that came from pain turning into power.
Sakura's chest tightened.
Because Sakura knew.
Aiko wasn't just performing for fans.
She was performing for herself.
And maybe…
for Sakura too.
The chorus hit.
Aiko's vocals rose higher, her breath perfectly controlled, her body moving like the music was inside her blood.
The crowd screamed louder.
Phones were raised everywhere.
People were already chanting her name again.
"Aiko! Aiko! Aiko!"
And then…
the final part.
The hardest note.
The moment where most idols would shake.
Aiko stepped closer to the center.
The lights narrowed.
The beat slowed.
She closed her eyes for a split second…
And sang.
Perfect.
Not just technically perfect—
Emotionally perfect.
The note carried everything she had been holding in.
Jealousy.
Fear.
Anger.
Desperation.
Hope.
And when the song ended…
Aiko stood still, breathing hard.
Her chest rose and fell.
The stage lights shimmered around her like stars.
The crowd erupted.
The cheers were so loud they almost shook the floor.
Aiko bowed.
Once.
Twice.
And as she lifted her head…
her eyes briefly flickered toward the backstage camera.
Toward the place she knew OG was watching.
Toward Sakura.
For one second, her face softened.
Not fully.
But enough.
Like she was silently saying:
See? I can do it too.
Then she turned and walked off stage.
Backstage, as soon as Aiko returned, the staff clapped loudly.
"Wow!"
"That was crazy!"
"Your stage presence is no joke!"
Aiko didn't smile.
But her eyes were wet.
She blinked hard, trying not to show it.
Hana rushed forward first and hugged her. "YOU ATE THAT UP!"
Yuki grabbed her hands excitedly. "That was perfect! Like seriously perfect!"
Kairi nodded with pride. "You were born for the stage."
Aiko stood stiff for a second.
Then her shoulders relaxed.
Just a little.
Sakura stepped forward last.
She didn't hug her.
She didn't touch her.
But she looked into Aiko's eyes and said softly—
"You were amazing."
Aiko stared at her.
Her lips trembled slightly like she wanted to say something sharp.
Something angry.
But instead…
she just whispered, almost too low to hear:
"…Thanks."
Then the staff member yelled again—
"OG! Five minutes until group stage!"
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Because now it wasn't about Aiko alone.
Now it was about all of them.
Together.
OG stood in a line, hands overlapping in the middle like they used to do.
Hana whispered, "No matter what happens… we do it together."
Yuki nodded. "Together."
Kairi breathed out. "Together."
Aiko's eyes flickered to Sakura.
Sakura looked back.
And even though their hearts were messy…
even though the wounds were still open…
they both placed their hands in.
Sakura whispered, "Let's go."
And as OG walked toward the stage…
the world was about to see them again.
Not as a fallen group.
Not as a group saved by money.
But as OG.
The girls who refused to disappear.