The morning of the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards arrived much sooner than any of them expected.
The dorm was unusually quiet.
No one had overslept.
No one had complained.
Even Bella, who normally negotiated for five more minutes every morning, was already awake.
She sat at the dining table, slowly stirring her cereal.
"...I don't think I've ever been this nervous."
Susu smiled softly.
"I thought I was the only one."
Joanne set her cup down.
"Nervous is normal."
She looked around at the four younger members.
"It means you care."
Across the table, Leah stared out the window.
The city looked ordinary.
Cars moved through the streets.
People hurried to work.
Everything seemed normal.
Yet she knew this day would become one she would remember for the rest of her life.
---
The Styling Room
By seven o'clock, the members arrived at the company's styling department.
The room buzzed with activity.
Stylists rolled racks of designer clothing across the floor.
Makeup artists arranged palettes and brushes.
Hairdressers hurried between mirrors while assistants checked schedules.
"Good morning, girls!"
One stylist clapped her hands together.
"Today's the day."
Bella smiled nervously.
"...Please make us look good."
The stylist laughed.
"Our job is to make you unforgettable."
---
The members changed into their outfits one by one.
Joanne stepped out first.
Her black tailored blazer dress fit perfectly, giving her a confident and elegant look. Her straight bangs framed her face beautifully, making her look every bit the dependable leader.
"You look amazing," Susu said.
Joanne smiled shyly.
"So do you."
Susu emerged next.
Her white satin dress reflected the morning light softly, matching her graceful image perfectly.
One makeup artist couldn't help but smile.
"You look like winter."
Susu laughed quietly.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
---
Bella stepped out wearing a black velvet dress embroidered with delicate blush-pink roses near the hem.
She looked down at herself before turning toward the mirror.
"I actually like this."
"You always like pink," Joanne teased.
"It's a lifestyle."
Everyone laughed.
---
Mili walked out next.
Her silver dress shimmered gently beneath the lights, complementing her silver hair so naturally that several staff members stopped working for a moment.
One assistant whispered to another,
"She looks like she walked out of a fairy tale."
Mili heard it and immediately became embarrassed.
---
Finally—
Leah stepped out.
The room fell silent.
Her long black hair rested over one shoulder in loose waves.
Her black velvet one-shoulder dress was simple.
Elegant.
Timeless.
It wasn't covered in jewels or dramatic details.
It didn't need to be.
Her posture, shaped by years of ballet, gave every movement effortless grace.
As she turned toward the mirror, the light caught her eyes.
One deep brown.
The other just slightly lighter, a subtle hazel-brown that only became noticeable up close.
The makeup artist smiled.
"We didn't cover your eyes too much."
"We wanted your natural features to stand out."
Leah nodded politely.
"Thank you."
The stylist looked around at the five members standing together.
She smiled proudly.
"...You really look like a team."
---
The Ride
The van ride to the venue felt different from every schedule before.
No one listened to music.
No one slept.
Instead, they watched the city pass by.
Bella quietly reached for Susu's hand.
"I'm scared."
Susu squeezed it gently.
"So am I."
Joanne looked back from the front seat.
"Whatever happens today..."
"...remember why we're here."
"To perform."
"Exactly."
---
Leah looked at Mili sitting beside her.
"You okay?"
Mili nodded slowly.
"I just hope I don't trip."
Leah smiled.
"If you do..."
"I'll trip with you."
Mili laughed.
"That's a terrible plan."
"I know."
---
The Red Carpet
The moment the van stopped—
they heard it.
Thousands of voices.
Camera shutters.
Reporters calling names.
Bright flashes lit the evening sky.
Bella looked through the window with wide eyes.
"...There are so many people."
Their manager turned around.
"When your names are called..."
"Smile."
"Walk naturally."
"And don't rush."
The members nodded.
The door opened.
Cold winter air rushed inside.
One by one—
they stepped onto the red carpet.
The crowd erupted.
"ROSIES!"
"This way!"
"Leah!"
"Mili!"
"Look over here!"
The photographers called every direction at once.
The members instinctively stayed close together.
Joanne walked confidently in the center.
Susu smiled warmly toward the cameras.
Bella gave a small wave.
Mili bowed politely.
Leah remained calm, her quiet confidence naturally drawing the attention of photographers.
"One more!"
"Group photo!"
The five members stood shoulder to shoulder.
For just a second—
everything became still.
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
The moment was captured forever.
---
Backstage
The atmosphere backstage was completely different.
Staff hurried through endless hallways wearing headsets.
Artists passed by in elaborate stage outfits.
Large monitors showed the live broadcast.
The members couldn't help looking around.
Everywhere they turned—
another famous face appeared.
Bella whispered,
"...Is that really them?"
Susu followed her gaze and nearly froze.
"I grew up listening to their songs..."
Joanne gently nudged them forward before they accidentally blocked the hallway.
"Keep walking."
---
As they rounded another corner, several senior idols were already waiting for rehearsals.
ROSIES immediately bowed.
"Hello, sunbaenims!"
The older artists smiled warmly.
One girl group member returned the bow.
"We watched your debut."
"You did well."
The compliment caught them completely off guard.
"Thank you so much!"
Another senior artist smiled at Leah.
"You have beautiful dance lines."
Leah blinked in surprise before bowing deeply.
"Thank you. I'll continue working hard."
Nearby, another idol complimented Susu's vocals from their debut stage.
Someone else praised Joanne's leadership during interviews.
Bella and Mili exchanged excited glances after a senior group recognized them from their viral ending fairy moments.
For a brief moment...
they forgot to be nervous.
Because the people they had admired for years...
were treating them like fellow artists.
---
Waiting
Eventually they reached the room assigned to ROSIES.
Their costumes for the performance hung neatly against one wall.
Their in-ear monitors rested on the table.
Everything suddenly became real again.
The chatter disappeared.
Outside the room, the audience could already be heard cheering as the ceremony continued.
Joanne stood in the middle of the room.
She looked at each member carefully.
"No matter what happens tonight..."
"...we're leaving this stage with no regrets."
One by one, the members nodded.
Bella took a deep breath.
Susu quietly clasped her hands together.
Mili adjusted her microphone.
Leah looked toward the stage entrance.
Somewhere beyond those curtains sat thousands of fans.
Hundreds of artists.
The biggest names in K-pop.
Waiting.
The stage manager opened the door.
"ROSIES."
"Ten minutes."
Silence filled the room.
Then Joanne extended her hand.
The others stacked theirs on top.
"For us."
"For everyone who believed in us," Susu whispered.
"For our families," Mili added.
Bella smiled.
"And for an unforgettable stage."
Finally, Leah looked at her members.
Her voice was calm.
"...Let's show them who ROSIES is."
Five hands squeezed together.
Then they walked toward the stage.
Toward the brightest lights they had ever seen.
To be continued...