The studio lights were softer than Aria expected—warm, almost café-like, nothing like the harsh flashes she'd imagined. Still, her palms were damp around the handle of the pastel mug the producer had pressed into her hands. Peppermint tea. Kaelira's favorite. How did they know?
Kaelira sat beside her on the small loveseat, a polite cushion of space between them for the cameras, but their knees touched just enough to ground them both. She looked impossibly calm in a cream blazer and jeans, bucket-hat curls styled into gentle waves. Only Aria felt the tiny tremor of her fingers drumming against her thigh.
The host, a bright-eyed variety idol named Bomi, beamed at them from the armchair opposite.
"Welcome to Spotlight & Chill—our first couple edition!" Bomi chirped. "Kaelira-ssi, Aria-ssi, congratulations on going public."
Kaelira dipped her head. "Thank you for having us."
Aria managed a shy wave. "H-hello!"
Studio staff melted at the cuteness. Kaelkra's fan club president—invited for moral support—made a muffled squeal from off-stage.
Bomi clapped. "We have a fun segment today: the Rapid-Fire Couple Quiz! Thirty questions, sixty seconds. You'll answer at the same time. Ready?"
Kaelira caught Aria's gaze. Ready? her eyes asked.
Aria inhaled. Ready, she nodded back.
A digital countdown flashed 60…59…58…
Bomi leaned forward. "Favorite midnight snack?"
"Ramen," Kaelira said.
"Chocolate croissant," Aria blurted.
They glanced at each other and laughed. Kaelira whispered, "I knew it," and squeezed Aria's hand under the blanket thrown over their laps.
"First impression of each other?"
"Beautiful," Kaelira answered.
"Rain-soaked and adorable," Aria replied.
The crew cooed.
"Who said 'I love you' first?"
Kaelira raised her hand like it was a school test. "Guilty."
Aria's cheeks bloomed pink. "I was about to but she beat me by three seconds."
"Place you dream of visiting together?"
"Incheon boardwalk at dawn," they said in perfect unison—and blinked, surprised. Another burst of giggles.
"Best flower to represent your relationship?"
Aria answered, "White tulip—honest love," at the exact moment Kaelira said, "Ranunculus—layers of charm."
Bomi pretended to faint. "Even your differences are sweet!"
They were halfway through the list when panic struck.
"Pet peeve about each other?" Bomi asked.
Kaelira opened her mouth, but Aria spoke first: "She sings at 6 a.m."
Kaelira gasped theatrically. "It's vocal warm-ups! You steal the blanket at night."
Aria covered her face; Kaelira nudged her playfully.
"Nickname you call each other most often?"
"Flower girl," Kaelira said tenderly.
"Starshine," Aria murmured.
Silence. Half the crew clutched their hearts.
Five seconds left.
"Last question!" Bomi announced, eyes twinkling. "One word to describe right now, sitting next to each other on national stream?"
The buzzer loomed—4…3…2…
Kaelira didn't look away from Aria. "Home," she breathed.
Aria's voice trembled but rang clear. "Safe."
Buzz.
Applause erupted, and the timer dissolved into confetti graphics on the screen. Bomi wiped an imaginary tear. "That… might be the sweetest round we've ever had."
Kaelira and Aria shared a small, secret smile—the one that said, We did it.
During the closing VCR, the couple remained on the loveseat as staff shuffled props. Kaelira slipped her hand into Aria's and traced tiny circles on her wrist.
"You were amazing," she whispered.
"I almost fainted on question three," Aria confessed.
Kaelira laughed. "Me too, but you kept me steady."
A lighting tech wandered over, carrying a prop basket of silk roses. "Souvenir," she said, winking, and placed it on Aria's lap. Aria tucked one of the roses behind Karina's ear; Kaelira plucked another and slid it into Aria's hair. Cameras flashed behind-the-scenes photos for social media, capturing that candid, blushing exchange.
Backstage, Hestia, Niña, Aeri, Ryu, and Yuko awaited with sparkling juice and a poster that read TULIP COUPLE NATIONALLY CERTIFIED! Yuki attempted a confetti cannon; it mis-fired sideways, showering everyone in glitter. Chaos, shrieks, group hug.
Through the shimmer, Aria found Kaelira. "Home?" she whispered, echoing that final answer.
Kaelira brushed glitter from Aria's cheek. "Home," she confirmed, and kissed the tip of her nose—eliciting fresh squeals from the peanut-gallery idols.
⤹ ❀
Later, while scrolling the flood of fan tweets, Kaelira held out her phone.
@StarlightPetals
"If 'home' and 'safe' are relationship goals, sign me up. 🌷✨ #TulipCouple"
Aria leaned on her shoulder. "They really get it."
Kaelira intertwined their fingers. "The world finally sees what I always have."
Outside the studio, flashbulbs waited, but neither girl felt the familiar spike of fear. They stepped into the night together—rose pins gleaming, hearts light—ready to walk forward, hand in hand, beneath the softest spotlight of all: their own blooming love story.
⤹ ❀