"Hey! Time to go! Our fan sign event is starting soon. Hurry up!" Nicky called out, his voice echoing through the makeup room.
Michael nodded, standing up from the makeup chair. As he adjusted his cap, he turned toward Rico, who was still facing the open closet, motionless.
"Hey, Rico," Michael asked, walking over. "Why haven't you changed your jacket yet? And... why are you just staring at the closet?"
Rico didn't respond. He just stood there, frozen.
Michael raised an eyebrow and was about to peek into the closet out of curiosity when — bang! — Rico suddenly slammed the closet door shut.
"Nothing," Rico said quickly, his voice low and guarded. "You guys go ahead. I'll join you in a bit."
Michael blinked, confused by Rico's behavior but didn't press further. "Okay... don't be late," he said with a slight smile and followed Nicky out of the room.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Rico turned back toward the closet. He opened it slowly and whispered, "You can come out now. No one's here."
Jenna, who had been hiding inside, nervously stepped out, brushing dust off her clothes. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
"I... I can explain..." she began awkwardly.
Rico stared at her silently, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"Are you trying to lie to me?" he asked coldly.
"No!" Jenna replied quickly, raising her voice without meaning to.
Rico panicked and immediately covered her mouth. "Shhh!" he hissed.
But it was too late. Outside the door, Nicky and Michael had returned and witnessed the scene through the slightly opened door. Nicky's eyes widened in shock.
"What the..." he whispered.
Michael reacted fast and covered Nicky's mouth. "We saw nothing," he said, pulling Nicky away as he shut the door quietly behind them.
Back in the room, Rico slowly took his hand off Jenna's mouth.
"Can you please speak more quietly?" he muttered.
Jenna looked away, fidgeting. "I mean... I'm not lying. I came here to get a lipstick... my makeup artist told me to bring it..." she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
Rico clearly didn't believe her. He pulled another jacket from the closet and began putting it on. "I don't know what your real intention is, sneaking into our makeup room... but whatever it is, don't let anyone else catch you. I don't want another rumor."
He walked out without another word, leaving Jenna frustrated and upset.
Her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to scream, but she knew she couldn't. Not now. The most important thing was to get out quietly.
---
Later at the shooting area...
Ameya rushed toward Jenna, flustered. "Where were you?! You forgot—our phones! Yours was with me, and mine with you! The manager's been calling non-stop!"
Jenna checked the phone in her hand and saw 12 missed calls.
"Oh no..." she whispered, then quickly answered the phone and apologized.
The manager scolded her with just a sigh and a wave. "Forget it. Just get to your position. Now."
---
Hours later, Super Nova's live Interview had ended. They had officially introduced themselves to the world — a huge milestone.
The following weekend, Jenna (in Ameya's body) returned to the dorm after visiting Ameya's house.
She rushed to Ameya, signaling with her eyes. Did everything go well?
At that moment, all the Super Nova members were surrounding Ameya, chatting excitedly about her family visit.
Ruby grinned. "So, what did you bring us?"
Ameya smiled and handed out snacks she'd brought from home. Sofie clapped happily and dug into the treats.
Jenna tugged Ameya's sleeve, pulling her quietly to their shared room.
"Did you get my teddy?" she asked, hopeful.
Ameya didn't answer. She slowly reached into her backpack and pulled out a stuffed teddy bear — torn, dirty, its eyes missing, one ear barely hanging on.
Jenna's smile dropped. She snatched the bear. "What... is this? This isn't my teddy!"
But then she saw it — a small red heart sticker on the bear's chest. Her heart stopped.
She had put that sticker there when her grandmother first gave her the teddy.
Tears welled in her eyes. Her voice cracked. "It is my teddy..."
She sat down and silently cried, hugging the worn toy close. Ameya stood there, unsure how to comfort her.
---
During lunch, Jenna didn't show up.
Ameya quietly went to their room and found her lying on the bed, holding the teddy.
"It's alright," Ameya said gently. "Don't cry. We'll figure something out. I understand how important it is to you. I'll help you fix it."
Jenna sniffled and wiped her tears. "I'm not just sad about the teddy. You're stuck in my body too... because of me. What am I going to do?"
Ameya shook her head. "It's not your fault. And... when I visited your house, your little cousin was there. While playing, he accidentally tore your teddy. That's why it looks like this now."
Jenna fell silent for a moment. Then, she looked at Ameya.
"Shall I do what I did... before the soul exchange? Shall I try?"
She hugged the teddy tightly and leaned back on the bed, closing her eyes, silently wishing.
Ameya watched, holding her breath.
But nothing happened. No glow. No strange sensations. No shift.
Jenna slowly opened her eyes. "Nothing," she whispered.
Ameya sat beside her. "Maybe... the teddy isn't the key to the soul shift. Not anymore."
---