As soon as the door clicked shut, Kai let out a long breath, but the unease inside him only grew. He got up and walked over to the window, staring into the city lights below.A movement near the hotel's gate caught his eye. A figure, cloaked in shadow, stood still, watching. Kai's pulse quickened as he squinted, trying to see clearly, but just as suddenly as they appeared, the figure vanished into the darkness.His hands clenched into fists. Something was wrong, and he wasn't going to rest until he uncovered it.The next morning the sun had barely risen when the boys arrived at Levi's Company headquarters for rehearsal. With the upcoming concert and heightened security concerns, they had chosen to stay at a nearby company hotel, each boy owning homes in New York but needing the safety and convenience closer to the venue.Meanwhile, across the city, Eesha prepared for college, brushing her hair as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She frowned, speaking to her own reflection, "It was just an accident. They can handle it. Stop overthinking, Eesha. You have your own studies to focus on." She playfully slapped her own cheek, "Ouch, that was a little hard!"Just then, Hana's voice interrupted, "Eesha! Are you ready? We'll be late for college!"Eesha gasped, glancing at the clock, "It's almost 9 a.m.?! Oh no!" She rushed through her routine, and soon Hana came into her room, tapping her foot impatiently."Still not ready?" Hana asked, her eyebrow raised. "You, of all people, late today?""I'm ready! I just got a little... distracted," Eesha said sheepishly. "Is Ava ready?"Hana rolled her eyes. "She's already left for college.""What? Already?" Eesha hurriedly put on her shoes, muttering, "Now I'm really going to lose marks if I'm late."Hana's eyes widened, "Marks get deducted for being late?""Yup, Professor Whitney is very strict. I've got to run." They hurried out the door, grabbing their things.As they sprinted toward the bus stop, Eesha urged Hana, "Faster! We'll miss it!"Barely catching their breath, they leaped onto the bus just in time. Hana slumped into her seat with relief, "That... was close."At the university, as soon as they arrived, Eesha bolted to her classroom, calling over her shoulder, "Bye, Hana!"She entered her classroom, catching her breath as she slid into her seat just as Professor Whitney stepped out for a moment. She sighed in relief.Her friends Mini and Henry turned to greet her. Mini whispered with a grin, "Barely made it, huh? You're lucky Ms. Whitney just stepped out!"Eesha breathed a sigh of relief. "I know! I can't afford to lose any more marks with her. She's too strict!"Mini laughed. "I'm surprised—you're usually Miss Punctuality. Didn't hear your alarm?"Eesha: "Something like that..." She shook her head, trying to shake off the uneasy feelings.Henry, smirking: "Lucky escape. If Ms. Whitney had caught you, you'd have been toast."Mini's eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned closer, "Did you hear? *Stellar Vibe*'s concert last night ended early. It was totally unexpected."Henry raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you were there?"Mini shook her head, pouting. "No, I didn't get a ticket this time." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But my neighbor went. She said the stage got all smoky, and then they cut it short out of nowhere."Eesha's mind flashed back to the chaos of the concert, her expression momentarily darkening. But she forced a smile, "Really? Maybe it was just a technical issue."Mini shrugged, "Maybe. But hey, they're having another concert next week, and *this* time, I'm going!" Her eyes lit up with excitement. "My neighbor gave me her extra ticket."Henry clasped his hands in mock prayer, giving her puppy-dog eyes. "Please, Mini! You know how much I love Stellar Vibe. Think you can get one for me?"Mini rolled her eyes, chuckling. "I'll see what I can do, Henry. But no promises!"While her friends joked, Eesha, meanwhile, was lost in thought. *Even after all that, they're performing next week? Are they not concerned about their safety—or their fans' safety?*Eesha hadn't yet told her friends that she went to the concert, which had actually been in a massive stadium—not at the hotel, which the boy band used as a temporary residence provided by their entertainment company. It was a convenient and secure property owned by the company, exclusively for housing their artists.Henry, practically bouncing with excitement, called out to his friends, "Guys! Do you know what I have?"Mini, without missing a beat, teased him, "What is it, monkey? Spit it out already!"With a grin, Henry pulled out three tickets, waving them proudly. "Tickets to the aquarium! So, are we all going?"Mini's eyes lit up, "Wow! Aquarium tickets? I've always wanted to go!""These are for today! Plus, we're free of lectures for the rest of the day," Henry said, nudging Eesha, "Eesha, will you come?"Eesha put on a show of thinking it over, scrunching her face. "Hmm... The aquarium?"Mini jumped in, "Please, Eesha, come with us!"Henry chimed in, "Yes, please!"Eesha rolled her eyes, letting a smile peek through. "Why are you two saying 'please' so much? When did I ever say I wouldn't go?"Mini's jaw dropped. "You mean—you're coming?""Yes! Why did you both assume I wouldn't?"Henry looked at Mini, hesitating as he stumbled to find the right words. "Uh... well, Mini said..."Mini interrupted, "I said nothing of the sort! Henry, why are you blaming me?"Henry shrugged, trying to look innocent. "You definitely said it!"Eesha walked ahead as the two of them bickered, waving her hand for them to follow. "Are you two coming or not?"Mini and Henry exchanged looks, then hurried to catch up to her. They laughed, shaking their heads. "This girl!" Mini chuckled.Finally, they reached the aquarium, and Eesha's face lit up as she took it all in. "Wow, this is beautiful. Thank you, Henry!"Henry crossed his arms, feigning seriousness. "Sure, just give me $2000."Eesha looked at him, confused. "What? Why would I give you $2000?""For saying thank you!" Henry teased. "We're friends, girl!"Eesha laughed, giving him a playful push. Just then, Mini nudged Henry, pointing at a fish that had big eyes and a startled expression. "Hey, look! That fish looks just like you, Henry!"Henry squinted. "Where? Which one?"Mini pointed again. "There, right in front!"Henry shook his head, giving her a challenging look. "You know, Mini, I could say the same about you."Mini shot him a mischievous smile. "Actually, Henry, this fish here is way cuter than you."Henry gasped dramatically. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"Meanwhile, Eesha laughed, pulling their attention to a nearby tank. "Hey, look at these three! Aren't they adorable? They look just like us—best friends forever."Mini and Henry joined her, smiling as they watched the little group of fish. Mini nodded. "They're so cute."Henry leaned closer. "Yeah, they are. But look at that octopus over there! It totally has Mini's squished face."Mini's jaw dropped, and she smacked Henry's shoulder. "Excuse me? Did you just say my face is squished?!"Henry laughed. "I meant it as a compliment!""Oh, really?" Mini raised her hand, reaching to tug on his hair. "Come here, you monkey!"Henry flinched away, laughing. "Monkey? Oh, yeah? Well, you're a lizard! Let go of my hair, you little lizard!"Eesha rolled her eyes, marching over to them and giving each of them a firm pinch on the ear. "Will you two ever stop?"They both yelped. "Ow! That hurts!"Eesha folded her arms. "Good! You've turned this beautiful aquarium into a battleground. Everyone's staring at us. Now, if you two don't behave, I'm leaving. Understand?"The two nodded sheepishly, standing at attention. "Yes, ma'am."Henry muttered, "She's terrifying when she's mad."Mini nodded, wide-eyed. "Seriously. She's scary in angry mode."Eesha glared at them. "What was that?"Mini and Henry straightened up. "Nothing!"Eesha raised her brow but let it slide. "Alright, I'm going over there."Mini nodded. "Got it."Eesha wandered to the other side of the aquarium, her eyes wide with wonder. The peaceful world inside the tanks filled her with awe as she watched the colorful sea life glide gracefully in the water."This is incredible," she whispered to herself, feeling as if she could spend forever there.As she was looking up at one of the tanks, she suddenly bumped into someone. Startled, she looked up to see a boy wearing a black mask. "Oh! I'm so sorry."The boy didn't respond but looked at her for a moment, almost as if he recognized her voice. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away. Eesha blinked, watching him as he glanced back once before disappearing into the crowd."Weird," she murmured, shaking off the strange encounter.Engrossed in the underwater world around her, Eesha lost track of time entirely. Suddenly, she heard an announcement over the aquarium speakers and glanced at her phone."Oh no! It's already 8 p.m.!"She looked around, realizing the crowd had thinned considerably. She hurried toward the exit, but after winding through the large, maze-like aquarium, she found the doors locked."Is anyone there?" she called out, knocking on the glass door. "Please, the gate is locked, and I'm still inside!"Her voice echoed, but there was no response. Eesha pulled out her phone, trying to call Mini, but her signal wouldn't connect. She sighed, shaking her head. "Of course, no signal. Guess I'm stuck here for the night."Meanwhile, Mini and Henry were waiting outside, looking around in every direction."Where could she be? I don't see her anywhere," Mini said worriedly.Henry crossed his arms, giving Mini a sidelong glance. "Well, this is your fault. You started fighting with me, and now she's mad at us. She probably left when she saw us arguing."Mini huffed. "My fault? You're the one who was showing off in front of those girls!"Henry threw his hands up. "You called me a monkey in front of them!"Mini rolled her eyes. "Well, what else should I call a monkey?"And just like that, they started arguing again.Finally, Mini sighed. "You know what? I'm done talking to you. I'm going home."Henry shrugged, making a face. "Fine! Not like I wanted to talk to you, anyway."And with that, they both stormed off, heading in opposite directions—completely unaware that Eesha was still locked inside.