For the first time in a long time—
Nothing felt heavy.
No hidden truths.
No unspoken tension.
No waiting for something to go wrong.
Everything had… settled.
The fans were still there.
Still loud.
Still supportive.
Still theirs.
But now—
There was something new in the way they looked at them.
Not just admiration.
Not just excitement.
Understanding.
Emma noticed it first.
Of course she did.
She sat on the couch, scrolling through comments with her legs thrown over the armrest like she owned the entire dorm.
"…Okay, I'm still not over this."
Ella, sitting on the floor with a blanket wrapped around her, looked up.
"…Over what?"
Emma turned her phone toward her.
"Read that."
Ella leaned in.
Her eyes moved slowly across the screen.
Then—
She smiled.
"'As long as you're smiling, we're happy.'"
Emma dropped her phone dramatically onto her chest.
"…WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE AND WHY ARE THEY SO NICE??"
Ella laughed softly.
"…Our fans?"
Emma pointed at her.
"…No, because last month I was mentally preparing for emotional damage."
From the kitchen, Elia's voice came calmly,
"…You always prepare for emotional damage."
Emma gasped.
"EXCUSE ME—I prepare responsibly."
Elia walked into the living room, holding a glass of water like she hadn't just attacked Emma's entire personality.
"…There's a difference?"
Ella tried—and failed—to hide her smile.
Emma sat up.
"…You're both rude."
"…And you love us," Ella replied gently.
Emma paused.
Then pointed again.
"…Don't use my own lines against me."
Silence.
Then—
They all laughed.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't dramatic.
Just easy.
And that was the difference.
Life didn't slow down.
They still had schedules.
Practices.
Flights.
Performances.
But in between all of that—
They had this.
Normal moments.
Like tonight.
"…We're not doing anything, right?"
Emma looked around the dorm suspiciously.
Ella blinked.
"…That sounds like a setup."
"…It's not."
A pause.
"…It's an opportunity."
Elia, already sensing danger, didn't even look up from her tablet.
"…No."
Emma pointed at her.
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY."
"…I don't need to."
Ella laughed softly.
"…What is it?"
Emma grinned.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"Game night."
Silence.
Then—
Ella's eyes lit up slightly.
"…What kind of game?"
Emma leaned forward.
Lowering her voice like she was revealing something illegal.
"Truth."
A pause.
"Or dare."
Ella froze.
Elia looked up.
"…Absolutely not."
Emma clutched her chest dramatically.
"…WOW. Betrayal."
Ella tried to be reasonable.
"…We're adults—"
"EXACTLY," Emma cut in. "Which makes it even better."
Elia stood up.
"…I'm going to my room."
Emma jumped up immediately.
"NO YOU'RE NOT."
She grabbed Elia's sleeve before she could escape.
"…You're playing."
"…I'm not."
"…You are."
"…I refuse."
Emma leaned closer.
Eyes narrowing slightly.
"…Leader."
Elia paused.
That word.
Always dangerous.
"…What."
Emma smiled sweetly.
Too sweetly.
"…Don't you believe in team bonding?"
Ella covered her mouth, already laughing.
Elia stared at Emma for a long second.
Then sighed.
"…One round."
Emma gasped.
"VICTORY."
"…One round," Elia repeated.
"…We'll see about that."
They gathered on the floor.
Snacks were thrown into the middle.
Drinks passed around.
Phones abandoned.
Just them.
Emma sat cross-legged, already too excited.
"…Okay. Rules."
Ella blinked.
"…There are rules?"
"Of course there are rules."
Elia muttered under her breath,
"…This was a mistake."
Emma ignored her.
"…No backing out."
Ella nodded slowly.
"…Okay…"
"…And no lying."
Elia crossed her arms.
"…I'm leaving."
Emma grabbed her again.
"YOU AGREED."
Elia sat back down.
Barely.
"…Start."
Emma grinned.
Spun an imaginary bottle.
"…Ella."
Ella froze.
"…Already??"
Emma leaned forward.
Eyes shining.
"Truth or dare?"
Ella hesitated.
Then—
"…Truth."
Emma smirked.
"…Have you ever had a crush on someone we know?"
Ella choked.
"EMMA—"
Elia looked interested now.
Ella covered her face.
"…I hate this game."
"ANSWER."
Ella peeked through her fingers.
"…Maybe."
Emma gasped dramatically.
"WHO??"
"…I SAID MAYBE—NOT WHO."
Emma flopped backward.
"THIS IS USELESS INFORMATION."
Elia spoke calmly,
"…It's still information."
Ella pointed at her.
"YOU'RE NEXT."
Emma sat up immediately.
"OH YES."
She spun again.
"…Elia."
Silence.
Emma grinned like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.
"Truth or dare?"
Elia didn't hesitate.
"…Truth."
Emma leaned forward slowly.
"…Have you ever broken a rule and not told us?"
A pause.
Elia blinked once.
"…Yes."
Both Emma and Ella froze.
"…WAIT—WHAT??"
Emma sat up so fast she almost fell.
"YOU??"
Elia remained calm.
"…Once."
Ella leaned closer.
"…What was it?"
Elia looked at them.
A beat.
Then—
"…I didn't report a mistake during practice."
Silence.
Emma stared.
"…THAT'S your rebellion??"
Ella burst out laughing.
Emma pointed dramatically.
"YOU'RE BORING."
Elia shrugged slightly.
"…It counts."
"…It does NOT."
They laughed again.
Louder this time.
Real.
Emma wiped her eyes.
"…Okay, my turn."
They didn't even spin.
"Truth or dare?"
Ella asked.
Emma grinned.
"…Dare."
Elia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Dangerous."
Ella thought for a second.
Then smiled softly.
"…Call Felix and put him on speaker."
Emma froze.
"…WHAT."
Ella giggled.
"…You said no backing out."
Emma looked betrayed.
"…I made those rules."
Elia leaned back slightly.
Watching.
Interested.
"…Follow them."
Emma stared at both of them.
Then sighed dramatically.
"…Fine."
She picked up her phone.
Dialed.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—
"Hey."
Emma immediately panicked.
"…WHY DID HE ANSWER SO FAST—"
Ella covered her mouth.
Elia looked away.
But her shoulders moved slightly.
"…Are you okay?" Felix asked.
Emma glared at the other two.
"…I'm being bullied."
"…By who?"
"…Both of them."
Ella waved at the phone.
"Hi."
Elia added,
"…Hello."
A pause.
Then—
A soft laugh from the other end.
"…That explains it."
Emma groaned.
"…I regret everything."
Ella leaned closer.
"…We just wanted to say hi."
"…Hi."
Elia added calmly,
"…She agreed to a dare."
"…I DID NOT AGREE TO THIS SPECIFIC DARE."
Felix laughed again.
"…You sound fine."
Emma sighed.
"…I'm hanging up."
"…Okay."
A pause.
Then—
"…Have fun."
The call ended.
Silence.
Then—
Emma dropped her phone and covered her face.
"…I'm never trusting you again."
Ella laughed into the blanket.
Elia stood up slowly.
"…One round."
Emma looked up.
"…NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE NOW—"
"…I fulfilled my condition."
She walked away.
Ella leaned back beside Emma.
Still laughing.
"…That was fun."
Emma peeked through her fingers.
Then—
Smiled.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Then—
"…We should do it again."
Ella nodded.
"…Definitely."
From down the hallway—
Elia's voice came calmly:
"…No."
They both burst out laughing again.
And in that moment—
No pressure.
No fear.
No expectations.
Just them.
Three people.
Living.
Laughing.
Being—
Themselves.