[eng] [girlgroup] TRY OR DIE

1. Lunar Dream

Five years had passed since the stage lights went cold, forever burying the name Lunar Dream - a project girl group that once tore up every music chart in South Korea.

After that final curtain call, the members parted ways. Some skyrocketed into A-list screen royalty. Others scraped by, crushed under the daily grind. A few even vanished from the spotlight entirely, choosing a life in the shadows. Yet, no matter where they landed, the ghost of "ex-Lunar Dream" loomed large over their lives - a brilliant light that left behind deep, unhealing scars.

Inside Bae Irene's luxury Gangnam penthouse, the silence was so heavy you could hear the agonizing tick of the clock. Once an undisputed pop goddess, she was now one of the industry's most sought-after actresses. But looking out through the floor-to-ceiling glass at the sprawling, glittering expanse of Seoul, all she felt was a hollow abyss. On her desk, a fresh drama script, co-starring Wendy, lay open to the very first page.

Irene sighed, taking a sip of lukewarm chamomile tea. She picked up her phone, her thumb hovering over the contact list. How long had it been since the thirteen of them sat in the same room? Conversations had dried up to a trickle, reduced to the occasional polite, hollow like under a social media post.

The disbandment hadn't just shattered a group, it had ripped apart girls who used to call each other soulmates.

Across town, in a run-down suburban apartment, SuA was rubbing her aching ankles after a punishingly long dance class. As a freelance choreographer, an erratic income forced her to crash with Yoohyeon - her younger groupmate, now an in-demand model. Unfortunately, Yoohyeon'a schedule had been dead empty lately as her mental health hit rock bottom.

*Ting*

Late into the afternoon, thirteen phone screens lit up in unison. A notification from KakaoTalk cut through a silence that had stretched on for months.

- --- -

rvire created the group

rvire renamed the group to Lunar Dream

rvire added rvwdy and 11 others

rvire
How is everyone?
I created the group chat 'cause t's been way too long since we last talked properly

cheapcheap
AHHH Irene-unnie!
Omg what a surprise! What got our Leader in such a mood today?

wufwuf
Ooh Irene-unnieee!
I'm literally rotting at home right now cause I have zero gigs 😭
How's everyone doing?

rvwdy
Just finished a script reading and saw this
Wendy saying hi to everyone~ Raise your hand if you're still breathing!

therichestlesbian
Yves is alive and thriving, Wendy-unnie 👋
Currently working on a choreography for a rookie group. I'm dead tired, but hey, who doesn't love money ㅋㅋㅋ

choiquackquack
HELLOOO my loves!
Pretty Yena in the house!
Gotta admit, I missed you guys so freaking much

spriteunbi
Cut the crap, Choi Yena.
The last time you texted me was on my birthday last year

choiquackquack
Woah Eunbi-unnie, that's harsh 😭
I was super busy shooting a drama, okay?!

beautyeon
Alright girls, calm down.
We've been in this chat for two minutes and it's already as loud as it was five years ago
By the way, getting all thirteen of us together like this out of nowhere... is something big happening, Irene-unnie?