???? ???? ???? (EN- REVERSE HAREM)

The drive to the museum was a blur for me. I couldn't focus on the streets or the fleeting moments that passed outside the window. My mind kept circling back to Roshni, to the lie I had told her earlier. I had promised her that I'd meet them at the café, and yet here I was, riding towards a museum with three members of Enhypen in tow—three people I hadn't in plan to involve myself with at all. And the guilt... it was knowing at me.

I had always been transparent with Roshni, never holding back. She is my best friend, someone I shared everything with—my love for K-pop, my personal struggles, even my smallest anxieties. Yet here I was, hiding the truth from her. I had tried to convince myself that it was for the best, that I was doing this for everyone's safety, but the weight of my actions felt heavier with every passing second. She deserved the truth, not this mess of half-truths and evasions.

The guilt gnawed at me, and I couldn't help but stare out of the window, watching the city pass by in a rush of indistinct shapes and colors. I could almost hear Roshni's voice in my head, asking me why I hadn't told her everything. Why didn't you tell me you were meeting them? she would've asked, her tone a mix of hurt and betrayed. I could picture her face—her warm eyes, her unwavering loyalty—and it made everything feel worse.

She would have been so excited to meet them too. Right? She is also a fan like me. And...I am telling lie to my best friend for my idols. For Enhypen?

I had convinced myself that it was just a "one-off" thing. That meeting Enhypen here, away from the prying eyes of fans, was nothing to worry about. But the fact that I had told her a lie—just to keep her out of this tangled situation—had only added more layers of complexity. She deserved to be part of this, not left in the dark. No, it's better not to be known by anyone.

But instead of focusing on the emotions that clung to me, I was trapped in the silence of the car, lost in my thoughts. I didn't even notice at first—the stares, the three sets of eyes that had been watching me intently in the backseat. Heeseung, Jungwon, and Sunoo. They were quiet, their gazes sharp and observant, almost as if they could see right through the veil of guilt that had settled over me. It was subtle at first—an exchange of looks between them, brief but enough to make my unease spike.

I blinked, forcing myself to break free from my internal spiral. I could feel my cheeks flush with their attention as I glanced towards the rearview mirror, catching his eyes.

Heeseung's expression was serious while he was driving, but there was something in his eyes whenever he glanced at her—something calculating, as if he was trying to find a single out of place behavior. Jungwon's gaze was more direct, a flash of curiosity there, but tempered with concern. And then Sunoo, a bit more naive than others, his brow furrowed slightly as if sensing the tension but not fully understanding what it meant.

Jungwon was the first to speak, his voice cutting through the silence in the car. "You okay, Anvi?" he asked, the concern evident in his tone. His eyes lingered on me, his head tilted slightly as though trying to decipher the emotions behind my expression.

I hesitated before answering, swallowing the lump in my throat. I forced a smile, a weak attempt to mask my internal turmoil. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking about other stuff," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.

Sunoo raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but he didn't press further. Heeseung, however, was more perceptive. "You're sure?" he asked, his voice low and steady, the kind of voice that made you feel like he was waiting for you to crack open and spill everything.

I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak. The silence in the car stretched on, and I could feel the weight of their eyes on me, again.

The car slowed as we approached our destination—The Indian Museum. The white towering structure loomed ahead, its ornate architecture standing in stark contrast to the modern city around it. It was a place, steeped in history amidst the chaotic area with lining roadside shops selling streets foods lassi, nimbu-pani, idli, fuchkas and I saw them glancing at those shops, but to me, it was just a temporary escape. The museum seemed insignificant compared to the chaos around. Still, it was where we were headed, and I had been to this area before for lot of times with my AirPods playing Enhypen songs, and now, I am with them.