ᴘᴀʀᴀʟʟᴇʟ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ | 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚊

The One with The Surprise Request 💕

The mood in the practice room remained high-cheeks still flushed from excitement, chatter buzzing in the air like bubbles rising in soda. The girls were still processing the news when Nara clapped her hands gently, pulling their attention back to her.

"Before we get started with choreography," she said, stepping over to her duffel bag, "I thought it'd be special to let you hear the track first."

She crouched down and retrieved her phone, carefully pulling out a small Bluetooth speaker she had stashed away just for today. "It's still unreleased," she added, glancing up at them. "No leaks. If this gets out, I'll blame Lami."

Laughter rippled through the room as Lami feigned offense, clutching her chest dramatically. "언니, I'm the most trustworthy one here!"

Nara smirked, pressing play on the speaker. "We'll see."

The room quieted instantly as the soft instrumental intro filled the air-gentle synths floating like morning mist, a subtle heartbeat of percussion building beneath it.

The girls looked around at one another, eyes wide as Nara's clear, velvety voice poured from the speaker. It felt like warmth. Like sunrise after a long night.

They listened, standing in a circle-arms brushing, shoulders nearly touching. Every lyric felt like it belonged to them. It was personal, somehow. Not just a song, but a memory forming in real-time.

Lami, beside her, closed her eyes for a moment, just taking in the emotion woven into Nara's delivery.

When the first chorus hit, it felt like something burst open in the room-like the ceiling had lifted a little. There was energy now, buzzing between them. And even though the song was polished and professional, it carried the same purity and sincerity as a handwritten letter.

Nara stood quietly by the mirror, watching their reactions instead of the speaker. Each face told a story-of dreams still forming, of fear and hope intertwined, of the quiet pride that came from being seen.

She had been them. Not long ago.

Herin turned to look at her again, eyes shimmering slightly. Nara gave a small smile and a nod, almost imperceptible-yes, this is for us.

By the final chorus, more than one of the girls had their hands over their hearts. The message had landed. Not just a catchy pop track. It was a promise. An anthem of unity. Of resilience. Of shared beginnings.

As the last notes faded, the room fell into stillness. No one spoke at first.

Then, softly, one of the younger trainees whispered, "That was beautiful..."

Nara took a deep breath. "This song... it's about where we've been. And where we're going. I want people to feel that when we perform it together. Not just see choreography. I want them to feel the connection. Like we're singing with them."

The girls nodded slowly, moved. Inspired.

"Can we hear it again?" someone asked, eyes bright.

Nara smiled and pressed play again.

And as the intro played once more, the girls moved closer together-more than just dancers now. They were part of something bigger. A moment, a message, a beginning.

----

The second playthrough ended with the same charged stillness, but this time Seojin pushed himself up from where he’d been sitting cross-legged near the wall. His eyes were sharp but kind as he clapped his hands.

“Alright, emotions first, now stamina,” he said with a grin. “Let’s put some movement into those feelings before they fade.”

The girls shuffled into formation, adjusting ponytails and stretching out their shoulders. The polished floor squeaked softly under their sneakers as they spread out. Seojin moved to the front, mirroring them in the wall-length mirror.