Chapter 63 — The Unseen Thread
7:00 AM KST — The Broadcast Begins
The screen blinked to life with a soft fade-in.
No dramatic intro. No sound effects.
Just the dorm of AUREUS, bathed in the pale amber of early morning.
AUREUS: Behind the Rhythm — 48 Hours of Gold.
Minjae was the first to appear, padding into the kitchen with one sock on and a confused expression. "Why is there a camera on the cereal?" he mumbled.
Live Chat:
🥣 "ICONIC FIRST LINE 💀"
🧦 "ONE SOCK MINJAE IS BACK"
🍳 "Why does this already feel chaotic?"
Hyunjae followed, his hair a mess of half-hearted curls and bed-flattened rebellion. "I was promised pancakes," he announced. No one had promised him anything.
Sungchan arrived two minutes later and immediately began rearranging the fruit bowl on the counter like they were being judged by Michelin.
Rin walked in with a fresh-pressed shirt, a calm smile, and a tray of warm croissants like a butler summoned from another timeline.
Live Chat:
🥐 "Is Rin a 19th-century prince or?"
🛏️ "This is so AUREUS-coded: chaos, chaos, royalty."
👀 "Where's Jaeheon?"
7:05 AM — He Appears
The camera followed a shift in focus—toward the hallway.
And then, there he was.
Jaeheon walked in like still water. His sweater was a muted charcoal, soft around the edges. His expression unreadable but not cold. Just… elsewhere.
He gave a slight nod toward the others, as if to say, I'm here, and took a seat by the large living room window.
Sunlight streamed through behind him, framing him in that same light as before.
He didn't reach for food.
He didn't greet the camera.
He didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
7:07 AM — Everyone Notices, No One Speaks
There was a pause. Brief, but long enough for the members to feel it.
Sungchan glanced at Rin.
Minjae lowered his spoon.
Hyunjae shifted.
But none of them said anything.
Because they'd all grown used to this rhythm.
Jaeheon's rhythm.
The quiet entry. The way he never needed to announce himself.
The subtle ache that followed him like a shadow.
They never asked about his phone anymore.
They never asked about her.
They didn't know her name.
They didn't know what happened that night in the garden.
They didn't know if she replied.
They just assumed—because it had been six months—
…that maybe she had.
But no one dared ask. Not because they were afraid of him.
But because they respected him.
You don't question a man who loved like that.
8:03 AM — Breakfast Table Dynamics
The breakfast segment was part of the fan itinerary.
Fans watched as Minjae burned toast, Hyunjae insulted the toaster, and Sungchan somehow managed to juggle eggs.
Rin led the conversation. "Let's each say one thing we're grateful for today."
"Grateful that the fire alarm didn't go off." — Minjae
"Grateful I'm prettier than everyone here." — Hyunjae
"Grateful for my secret pancake recipe, which I won't share." — Sungchan
"Grateful the fans can't smell the burnt smell through the screen." — Rin
All eyes turned to Jaeheon.
He paused, only slightly. Then said quietly, "Grateful for mornings like this."
He didn't elaborate.
Live Chat:
🕊️ "Why does that sound poetic and tragic at the same time??"
🧊 "Jaeheon is so composed it's eerie sometimes."
🥲 "He never says much but when he does it HITS."
9:44 AM — A Question Unasked
While the others played games for a mini segment, Manager Lee leaned against the back wall, sipping coffee.
He noticed the way Jaeheon sat.
Relaxed—but distant.
Focused—but unreachable.
There was always something behind his eyes.
A tether to somewhere the rest of them had no map for.
Manager Lee didn't ask about the message.
He never would.
But he knew Jaeheon had sent one that morning. Just like yesterday. Just like the day before. Just like every day for half a year.
What he didn't know—what no one knew—was whether she even read them.
Or if she knew how much they meant.
10:31 AM — Subtle Shift
Jaeheon disappeared for twenty minutes.
When he returned, his sleeves were rolled up, and he'd taken off the sweater, revealing a dark fitted shirt underneath.
He looked—different.
Like he'd walked through a memory and come out the other side quieter.
The others noticed but said nothing.
And just like that, the broadcast continued.
Casual. Fun. Friendly. Chaotic.
But beneath it all, the quiet pulse of something unspoken.
A question with no answer.
A message with no reply.
A boy in love. And the world that didn't know.