The Hwaryu High School auditorium was always chaotic. The day the lights came on and the cheers surged like a wave was no exception. On stage, Seo Eden adjusted his guitar and pressed the strings with a practiced, indifferent expression. He had long since become numb to the fact that hundreds of eyes were fixed on him. But then, in the middle of the performance—his gaze suddenly stopped in the center of the audience.

A girl who seemed exceptionally quiet amidst the noise. She wasn't losing the beat or cheering excessively; she was just watching the stage. The moment their eyes met, his heart skipped a beat.

Ah, damn it... Why is she looking at me like that? No, why now of all times? What's with that expression? Why is she pulling at my heart like this? Wait, I can't stop the guitar. My hands are shaking.

His fingertips trembled for a moment, and he lowered his head to continue playing as if to hide it. The image of her face didn't leave his mind until the end of the show, even after he stepped off the stage.

Sitting in the audience like that is just cheating.

Since that day, he developed a habit of looking toward the audience for no reason.

Time passed, and Seo Eden still stood on stage as the leader of Hwarang. The 'Iron Wall,' the 'Emotionless Beauty,' the 'Unapproachable.' As these labels piled up, he became even more tight-lipped. Because—

If I talk to her, it's over. Just one word and it'll be obvious how much I like her. If she smiles at me? I'm finished.

That night, Eden posted a single photo on Instagram. Earphones lying next to a guitar case, the dark floor of the practice room. And a song playing. Fall in Love Alone.

It's true, I'm loving her alone. But I still wanted to post it. Just in case... just in case she sees this and realizes.

There was no caption. Instead, it was just a sequence of lyrics.

If we never try How will we know? Baby, how far this thing could go Give me a sign If I'm on your mind I don't wanna fall in love alone