The light we didn't expect

☀️ The morning after

Eira woke up with a smile she couldn't un-smile, even if she tried.

The sun peeked lazily through the curtains, but her world was already glowing.

Her fingers danced over her blanket.

"That wasn't a dream."

she whispered, eyes fluttering shut again.

She clutched her phone to her chest like it was a secret treasure box. Because it was. It held him. His words. His voice. His thoughts. Just for her.

Downstairs, her roommate Maya blinked at her. "Okay, why do you look like a Disney princess who just got kissed by a star?"

Eira blinked. "I—what? I don't."

"You're literally humming."

"Am I?"

"You made oatmeal. With *berries*. You hate berries."

She smiled into her spoon. "I like them now."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "You're literally glowing. Who is he? And does he have a brother?"

Eira just shook her head, biting her lip to hide the giddy noise trying to escape her throat.

"He called me the part of the song he thought no one would hear."

How do you explain that to someone?

Maya : "Girl. You're in love."

And maybe, just maybe… she didn't correct her.

---

☀️ ARES — same morning, Seoul

Something felt different. And no, it wasn't the usual "new album, new drama" whirlwind.

It was… 'quiet'.

But in the best way. Like morning after rain. Like clarity.

Ares walked into rehearsal grinning like he knew a secret the world couldn't guess.

His manager squinted at him. "Okay. Who are you and what have you done with the moody version of Ares?"

He just shrugged. "I slept."

"You never sleep."

"Well. I did. And I dreamed. And it was… peaceful."

The sound tech nudged the guitarist beside him. "Yo, is he *smiling* while drinking black coffee?"

Ares chuckled under his breath.

In his pocket, a message from *her* buzzed.

"I heard the moon misses the sun sometimes. Just wanted you to know… I'm awake too."*

He didn't even bother hiding the smile this time.

The day passes like it never passed in many decades...

🌙 Later that night

Eira curled back into her usual blanket cocoon.

Phone in hand.

Her heart had learned the rhythm of waiting for him.

A buzz.

> @AresOfficial is live.

Her finger hovered.

Then tapped.

The screen lit up. And so did her soul.

There ares saw it.

The little notification at the top of his screen.

"Eira joined"

He didn't smile right away. He felt it first—something slow and rising in his chest. Like a secret blooming behind his ribs.

"There she was."

"She is watching."

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hoodie sleeves bunched at the elbows, hair wild like he'd run through a storm of rehearsals. There were soft fairy lights in the background.

And a mood in his smile.

Ares greeted his fans, soft and low.

"Hey, night owls. Guess you couldn't sleep either."

The chat exploded.

**"Why do you look so happy tonight?!"**

**"YOU'RE GLOWING, KING."**

**"You fall in love or what?"**

He laughed. Really laughed. And for the first time, it wasn't guarded.

Ares leaned in, grinning at the screen.

"Let's just say… sometimes the universe surprises you with something soft when you thought you'd only known noise."

And Eira sat with her knees tucked under her chin, watching the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the way he smiled like he was remembering a secret.

He paused. Let the moment breathe.

His eyes flicked briefly toward the viewer list.

Then he said, quietly, "Hi, Eira."

She gasped. Out loud. Into her blanket.

Did he just—?

A moment later, her phone buzzed again.

Ares: "I knew you'd be watching."

Her fingers trembled. But she typed back in dm...

Eira: "I didn't want to blink and miss you."

Ares: "You're the part I hope never fades."

And like that the live also ended with leaving a doubt in fan's heart...about what is wrong with ares.

Just after ending the live

💬 DMs — a few minutes later

Eira: "Should we keep being ridiculous at 2 a.m. again?" 😅

Ares: "Only if we giggle like we're five and it makes me forget I'm supposed to be cool." 😎

Eira: "I already forgot you're famous. You're just the guy who likes ugly socks and eats cereal at midnight."

Ares: "YOU PROMISED NOT TO EXPOSE ME."

He sent a laughing emoji 😂, then paused.

Ares: "Can I send you something?'

Her heart did a cartwheel.

Eira: "Sure."

Seconds later, a voice note popped up.

She blinked. Then held her breath as she pressed play.

"His voice."

But not polished, not public.

It was slower. Warmer. A little rasp like he'd been talking too much or not enough. Intimate in a way that felt like he was speaking straight into her room.

🎙️"I don't really do this… ever. But I wanted to say it in my own voice. You make the world quieter. Like... it's okay to breathe around you."

She stared at the screen, clutching the phone like a secret she couldn't let go of.

Then, heart pounding, she hit record.

🎙️ "Okay, wow. Um. That's not fair. Your voice should come with a warning label."

🎙️ *"Why—I don't sound like a squirrel, okay? You keep making fun of my voice."

His voice was deep tonight—velvety, laced with laughter, the kind that made you lean in closer like it held a secret.

She melted. Fully. Utterly.

With her heart racing, she sent one back.

🎙️"I—uh, okay. First of all, you sound like hot tea and slow jazz. But also, I'm not used to hearing your voice just for me. So if I giggle, it's not my fault. It's yours. Entirely yours."

He played it three times.

Her voice was soft, airy, and a little hesitant—like she was speaking in a library and didn't want to wake the books. But there was a smile in it. One that hugged his name like it had always belonged to her lips.

---

Ares: "Say something else. Anything. Just… talk to me."

Eira: "Okay. Um... what do you want to hear? My grocery list? My dream about fighting a duck with a baguette?"

Ares: "You're unreal." 😆

Eira: "You're just tired. Sleep deprivation makes everyone charming."

Ares: "Nope. It's you. Just you."

A beat of silence.

Silent typing.

Deleting.

Typing again.

Then:

Ares: "I don't know what this is yet. But I don't want to stop."

"Can I call you sometime? Just... talk. You and me. No screens."

Eira stared.

Her fingers shook a little.

But she typed without hesitation:

Eira: "Yeah. I'd like that. A lot."

And somewhere between the glow of her phone and the hush of midnight, they both sat—miles apart, but tethered by something invisible and real.

Not love. Not yet.

But the beginning of something dangerously close.