[SORA POV]
The next day, after finishing her chores, Sora finally had a bit of time for herself. She sank into her couch, scrolling through her phone without much thought.
That's when she saw the link Nana had sent.
She'd told herself she would probably just watch the highlights later. But when the anniversary live started, she switched to her laptop and set the video to full screen.
The stage wasn't flashy—no fireworks, no elaborate sets. Just FlyME, their band, and the staff behind the camera. They performed like they were playing for old friends, relaxed and in their element.
Jiho tripped during the third song. Taeki caught him mid-spin without missing a beat.
Sora smiled into her cup. She could already imagine Nana losing her mind.
They moved through their songs, old and new, their voices falling into place like they'd done this a thousand times. Jiho's energy never stayed in one place. Taeki kept things moving with his calm, steady grip on the group. Ruki's cool stage presence had the chat spamming heart emojis. Haru shone with his bright, boyish charm, pulling cheers with every glance.
And Rin—he didn't need to draw attention. He stayed focused, anchoring the rhythm around him, even when he wasn't at the center.
When the live performance shifted to the solo stages, Sora sat up without thinking. Her pulse slowed, though her chest felt lighter, almost restless.
Rin's solo was last. No special lighting. No backup dancers. Just him, a mic, and a soft instrumental that rolled in like the start of something personal.
The first note played, and Sora's breath caught.
It was that song. The one that had pulled her back to writing.
Rin's voice carried through the speakers, steady and clear—what you'd expect from their main vocalist. But there was something in the way he sang this time. It wasn't perfect—but it didn't need to be. It felt real in a way that stayed with her.
The lyrics sank in as he reached the chorus.
Maybe, I'm not there yet, but I'm on my way.
Sora's grip on her cup eased as she listened. When the last note faded, the chat exploded—hearts, crying emojis, fans spamming his name.
She stayed still, watching the flood of reactions scroll past.
The group shifted into the Q&A segment, lounging around a low table, reading real-time comments from the live chat.
Jiho grinned like he'd just been promoted to MC. "Okay! Let's get some questions!" He thumb-scrolled through the tablet. "First question: 'If you weren't in FlyMe, what job would you have right now?'"
Without missing a beat, Jiho sat up straight. "Obviously, I'd be a food vlogger."
The chat exploded.
"Let's not forget Jiho's last food vlog was him cooking and eating ramen alone in an empty room."
"Not this again. Every Jiho's food vlog was chaos."
"We all sat through that in silence. We were loyal."
Ruki looked over, unimpressed. "Yeah? You'd probably burn instant noodles on camera."
"Hey!" Jiho laughed, clutching his chest. "It's a skill. I bring realism to the table."
"Realism = burning the ramen."
"Yah! My fans would support me, right?"
Haru chuckled as he scrolled. "Jiho, you know Pixies still call it 'the saddest vlog.'"
Jiho grinned. "Hey! I went viral for that, thank you very much"
Ruki's deadpan landed perfectly. "Pity views."
The other members burst out laughing, covering their mouths as Jiho leaned back in mock betrayal.
When things calmed down, Taeki took the next question. "I'd probably open a small dance studio. Maybe teach kids."
The chat went soft in an instant.
"As expected to our leader. TT__TT"
"I'd sign up just to watch him demo the moves."
"I'm a 52-year-old Pixie. Am I allowed?"
Sora's phone buzzed with a message from Nana.
[Nana 🐰]
I have a feeling you're watching right now. Did you hear Taeki's answer? He's so dreamy. I might faint.
Sora smiled faintly and typed back.
[Sora ☁️]
I'm watching. I have nothing else to do anyway.
She kept watching, her hand resting on the side of her cup as the video played on.
It was Rin's turn. "Something outdoors. Probably a farmer?"
The chat exploded.
"IMAGINE RIN RIDING HORSES. I'M GONE."
"NO, STOP. I'M IMAGINING HIM GUIDING COWS DOWN THE MOUNTAIN."
"Rin is living his best farmer life. I support this."
"He'd name all the cows and know their birthdays. I'm crying."
Taeki laughed as he scrolled. "They're building your new life already, Rin."
Ruki added. "They're giving you a farm whether you like it or not."
Rin just hummed, completely unfazed. "Sounds good. I wouldn't mind."
Jiho groaned. "Yah! Don't act like you're actually moving to the mountains after this."
Rin's mouth curved just slightly. "Didn't say I wasn't."
The chat detonated again.
"STOP. I'M MOVING TO THE MOUNTAIN. LET'S GO."
"WE'LL BUY THE FARM TOGETHER. COWS. HORSES. ALL THE ANIMALS. WE'RE IN."
Sora couldn't help but smile, caught in the ease of it all. The way Rin answered softly, the way the fans spun it into something light and ridiculous, the way he didn't fight it—just let it happen. Somehow, it suited him.
Jiho quickly moved on to the next question. "Okay! Next—'What's something you refuse to share with the other members?'"
Ruki answered without hesitation. "My slipper. My charger. My peace and quiet from Jiho."
"Yah! Why am I the target again?" Jiho whined.
Haru giggled, raising his hand like he was in class. "I won't share my snacks. Especially my one gallon of ice cream."
Jiho teased, "But you always share with Taeki."
"Yeah, because Taeki asks nicely," Haru said, beaming. "You try to steal it."
The chat blew up with crying emojis and laughing gifs.
Taeki grinned. "That's fair."
"I have no rights in this group!" Jiho flailed dramatically.
Ruki sipped his drink, unfazed. "You finally realized it."
The chat spammed:
"THEY DID HIM SO DIRTY."
"JIHO PLEASE 😭😭😭"
"PITY VIEWS. NO RIGHTS. RIP JIHO💀💀💀"
Jiho scrolled quickly, trying to recover. "Okay! Next question: 'What's something you've been obsessed with lately?'"
"Oh, I've got one!" Jiho brightened instantly. "I've been reading this story by haneulsky. I think Pixies already knows this one."
The chat lit up on cue.
"JIHO IS A HANEULSKY READER??"
"WAIT. JIHO'S ONE OF US?"
"OMG SAME. HANEULSKY FOREVER."
Even Sora froze when she heard her pen name.
Jiho puffed his chest like he'd just revealed state secrets. "I'm a real fan, okay? I've been following her since way before she went viral."
Ruki raised a brow. "Name three characters."
"I respectfully decline." Jiho dodged, scrolling faster. "Actually, you know who should answer this? Rin. He's really obsessed with a certain author lately, right? You know, that one you—"
CRACK.
Rin's palm landed squarely on Jiho's back. Hard.
Jiho yelped. "YAH–WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Rin didn't even look at him. "Next question."
The chat detonated.
"THAT SLAP WAS LOUD. I HEARD IT."
"NOT A PLAYFUL TAP. THAT WAS PERSONAL."
"RIN SAID SHUT UP. IN ALL CAPS."
Jiho gasped. "You actually hit me?! On live?!"
"You were talking too much," Rin said, completely unfazed.
Even Taeki was doubled over laughing. Haru was wheezing beside him.
Ruki calmly added. "Instant karma. Beautiful."
"Jiho's revoked in real time"
"Legendary slap. We need a slow-mo version."
"The sound lives rent-free in my head."
Sora's phone buzzed. It was a message from Nana.
[Nana 🐰]
Jiho deserved that slap.
Sora stared at the text, smiling quietly to herself.
Yeah. He did.
------
The live had ended, but their energy lingered.
It moved with her—their rhythm, their jokes, the way they caught and tossed each other's chaos like it was nothing. Sora hated to admit it, but that almost made her quit being a casual fan and become an actual one.
Almost.
She sat at her desk and turned on her computer. A new document blinked open.
Her fingers moved before she even realized she'd already begun.
The bookstore had seen many visitors come and go.
Some arrived by accident, some by routine, some by a quiet longing they couldn't quite name.
The door always stayed open. The bell always chimed. The shelves always held space for the next story.
Sora paused. Her fingers hovered over the keys for a long moment.
And then she kept going.
No revisions. No overthinking. Just this.
Author's Note – Chapter 37: Five Visitors and the Tea
Happy anniversary.
Thank you for visiting the bookstore.
– haneulsky
--------
[RIN POV]
The anniversary live had ended hours ago, but Jiho still wouldn't let it go.
"You seriously slapped me on live?" Jiho groaned, sprawled across the couch in their shared dorm, rubbing his back like the phantom pain had followed him home.
Rin sipped from his water bottle, unfazed. "You didn't stop talking."
"It was my job to talk!"
"It was my job to stop you."
Taeki laughed from his seat near the window. "Honestly, he deserved it."
"Exactly," Ruki added without looking up from his phone. "We were all thinking about it. Rin just did it first."
Haru piped up, chewing on a snack. "It was a good slap, Rin. Sharp. Clean form."
"You too, Haru?" Jiho whined.
"Sorry, Jiho. It's on all the clip accounts now. You'll live forever as a meme."
Rin leaned his head back against the couch, letting the noise settle around him. The room was always loud after lives. The voices, the banter, the lingering energy—it was familiar. Comfortable.
The others kept bickering in the background while Rin pulled out his phone. A Nestory notification blinked at the top of his screen.
[NEW] Chapter 37: Five Visitors and the Tea
His thumb hovered for a moment longer than it should have. He tapped.
One spring afternoon, five visitors stepped inside together.
They entered as a group but were not the same.
The words pulled him in immediately.
Five friends. No names. No direct signs.
But he knew.
The loud one. The calm one. The sharp one who pretended not to care. The youngest one.
And… the quiet one.
It wasn't really about them. But it felt like it was.
The author's note sat at the bottom, soft and simple.
Happy anniversary.
Thank you for visiting the bookstore.
Rin stared at the screen, letting the hum of the room fade around him.
Not loud. Not flashy. Just a quiet update tucked inside the noise.
Maybe…Maybe she was referring to them.
The thought settled in his chest—not certain, not confirmed—but it lingered like something he wanted to believe.
His fingers moved before he could overthink it.
[reader_cwfan]
I liked this visit.
He hit send and locked his phone.
"I'll have that slap engraved on my gravestone," Jiho groaned dramatically across the room.
Taeki raised his cup. "I'll design the plaque for you."
Ruki finally looked up. "I'll film the funeral vlog. The ramen vlog sequel."
"You're all the worst." Jiho buried his face in a cushion.
Rin let the corners of his mouth pull into the faintest smile.
He really meant it.