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The backstage hallway of M Countdown was a labyrinth of cables, discarded water bottles, and frantic staff members shouting into headsets. It was an environment that usually triggered Sophia's "Leader Mode"—a state of being characterized by straight posture, a terrifyingly organized schedule, and a smile that could diffuse a nuclear bomb.
Today, however, Leader Mode was under siege.
"KATSEYE? KATSEYE to standby for camera rehearsal in ten!" a floor director barked, holding a clipboard that looked like it had survived a war. He scanned the group of six girls huddled near the vending machines. "Who is in charge here? I need to sign off on the mic frequencies."
Sophia stepped forward instantly. She was wearing her stage outfit—a pleated skirt and a cropped blazer that gave her the air of a very fashionable student council president.
"I am," Sophia said, her voice clear and professional. "I’m the leader."
Beside her, Megan was leaning against the wall. She was wearing oversized cargo pants and a beanie pulled low over her eyes, looking like she had just rolled out of bed and accidentally landed on a K-Pop stage. She took a slow sip of her iced americano, the straw making a slurping sound that cut through the professional atmosphere.
Megan lowered the cup. She looked at the floor director. Then she looked at Sophia.
"But who’s your daddy?" Megan asked.
The floor director blinked, his pen hovering over the clipboard. "Excuse me?"
Sophia froze. She turned slowly to face Megan.
"Megan," Sophia hissed through her teeth, "not now."
"Just clarifying the hierarchy," Megan said with a shrug. Her face was completely deadpan. "You lead the group. But who leads you?"
"Nobody leads me," Sophia snapped, turning back to the director with a flushed face. "I am the leader. The mic frequencies are fine. Thank you."
She signed the paper aggressively, the pen nearly tearing through the sheet. The director took the clipboard back, looking vaguely terrified, and scurried away toward a boy group that looked less dysfunctional.
"Why?" Sophia asked, spinning on her heel to face her girlfriend. "Why must you be like this?"
"Like what?" Megan asked innocently. She rattled the ice in her cup. "I’m just bringing a fun energy to the workplace. Morale is important, Sophia."
"My morale is plummeting," Sophia informed her. "It is in the basement. It is digging a hole to the center of the earth."
"That sounds dangerous," Lara commented, wandering over with a bag of pretzels. "Is Mommy and Daddy fighting again?"
Sophia whipped her head around. "Do not call her that."
"Call who what?" Lara asked, popping a pretzel into her mouth. "Daddy?"
"Yes!" Sophia threw her hands up. "I hate it. It’s weird. It makes me feel like I’m in a bad sitcom."
"I think it suits her," Daniela chimed in from the floor, where she was stretching her hamstrings. "Megan has heavy Dad Energy. She wears socks with sandals. She grunts when she sits down. It fits."
"I do not grunt," Megan protested, though she made a small noise of exertion as she pushed herself off the wall. "And it’s not about the sandals. It’s about the vibe. I provide. I protect."
"You stole my moisturizer this morning," Sophia pointed out.
"I was protecting your skin from over-hydration," Megan countered smoothy. She walked past Sophia, patting her on the shoulder. "Come on, baby. Let’s go get mic’d up. Daddy will walk you there."
Sophia stood in the hallway for a full five seconds, staring at the back of Megan’s head. She questioned her life choices. She questioned her taste in women.
"I’m going to break up with her," Sophia announced to the empty air.
"No you won't," Manon yelled from down the hall. "You’re obsessed with her!"
"I hate everyone in this group," Sophia muttered, and marched off to rehearsal.
--
The thing about Megan was that she was committed to the bit. Once she latched onto a joke, she didn't just run it into the ground; she dug a grave, buried it, resurrected it as a zombie, and then taught it to dance.
An hour later, they were back in the dressing room. The adrenaline of the camera rehearsal had faded, replaced by the boredom of the three-hour wait until the live show.
Sophia was thirsty. She was parched. She grabbed a bottle of water from the craft services table—one of those fancy, expensive brands where the cap was sealed with plastic so thick it could survive a nuclear winter.
Sophia twisted the cap. It didn't budge.
She gripped it tighter, her knuckles turning white. She engaged her core. She twisted again. Nothing. The plastic cut into her palm.
"Stupid... overpriced... water," Sophia grunted, attacking the bottle with both hands now. She looked like a raccoon trying to break into a bank vault.
She glanced around the room. Daniela was asleep. Manon was filming a TikTok. Yoonchae was studying for a math test. There was no help coming.
Except...
A shadow fell over her.
Sophia looked up. Megan was standing there. She had changed into her stage outfit, but she still had that infuriatingly cool aura. She watched Sophia struggle for a moment, an eyebrow raised.
"Need a hand?" Megan asked.
"No," Sophia lied, wheezing slightly as she gave the cap another fruitless twist. "I have it under control. I am just... loosening it."
"You’re turning purple," Megan observed.
"Purple is my color," Sophia gasped.
Megan didn't say anything. She just reached out and gently took the bottle from Sophia’s trembling hands. She wrapped one hand around the base and the other around the cap. With a single, effortless motion—a flick of the wrist that displayed an annoying amount of forearm vein—she cracked the seal. Crr-rack.
She didn't hand it back immediately. She held the loosened bottle just out of reach.
"Does baby need Daddy’s help?" Megan asked softly.
The room went quiet. Even Manon stopped dancing.
Sophia stared at the water bottle. She stared at Megan’s smug face. She felt a heat rising in her cheeks that had nothing to do with dehydration.
"Give me the water," Sophia said.
"Say it," Megan smirked.
"Say what?"
"Say 'Thank you, Daddy.'"
Sophia made a noise that sounded like a tea kettle boiling over. "I will literally break up with you right now. In front of everyone. I will write a breakup song about this water bottle and it will chart number one on Billboard. Taylor Swift will open for me."
Megan’s smirk widened. She leaned in closer, invading Sophia’s personal space. "That’s hot. Scold me more. Tell me how you’re going to ruin my reputation."
"I—you—" Sophia spluttered. She snatched the water bottle from Megan’s hand, water sloshing onto the carpet. "You are impossible! Why are you like this?"
"Because you make it so easy," Megan said, retreating to the couch. She flopped down, spreading her arms across the backrest in a pose of pure relaxation. "You get so flustered. It’s cute."
"It is not cute!" Sophia drank the water aggressively, crushing the plastic bottle in her grip. "It is unprofessional! We are at work!"
"We’re in a dressing room, Soph," Lara pointed out from the makeup chair. "Technically, this is our living room for the day. And honestly? The tension is palpable. Just kiss her and get it over with."
"I am not kissing her!" Sophia yelled. "I am punishing her with silence! I am giving her the cold shoulder!"
She turned her back on Megan and marched to the other side of the room, sitting down next to Yoonchae.
"Unnie," Yoonchae whispered, looking up from her algebra textbook. "Is Megan unnie really your dad?"
Sophia put her head in her hands. "No, Chae. No. She’s just... a pest. A very tall, very annoying pest."
"Oh," Yoonchae nodded sagely. "Like a mosquito."
"Exactly," Sophia sighed. "A mosquito in cargo pants."
From across the room, Megan caught Sophia’s eye. She winked and mouthed the words: Buzz buzz.
Sophia threw a throw pillow at her.
--
The silence lasted approximately twenty minutes. It broke when Sophia realized she had left her phone charger on the couch next to Megan.
"Megan," Sophia said stiffly, refusing to make eye contact. "Pass me my charger."
Megan picked up the white cable. She held it up. "What’s the magic word?"
Sophia took a deep breath. "Please."
"Please who?"
"Please, Megan Skiendiel, the love of my life and the bane of my existence."
"Close enough," Megan tossed her the charger.
The teasing continued throughout the afternoon. It was relentless. It was guerilla warfare.
When Sophia was getting her makeup touched up, Megan stood behind the makeup artist and whispered, "Look at you, getting all dolled up for me."
When Sophia was practicing her vocals, doing lip trills, Megan walked by and muttered, "Motorboat." (Sophia choked on a high C).
When they were eating lunch, Sophia got a bit of sauce on her chin. Before she could wipe it, Megan reached over with a napkin.
"Messy girl," Megan murmured, wiping Sophia’s chin with maddening tenderness. "Gotta keep you clean for the cameras."
Sophia slapped her hand away, but she couldn't stop the blush that spread all the way to her ears. The worst part was that Megan wasn't doing it to be mean. She was doing it with this soft, fond look in her eyes that made Sophia’s knees weak.
It was a confusing cocktail of emotions. Sophia wanted to strangle her, but she also wanted to climb into her lap and hide there.
"You know," Manon said to Sophia as they walked toward the stage for the live broadcast. "You’re losing this war."
"I am not losing," Sophia adjusted her in-ears. "I am biding my time. I am the Leader. I have superior tactical strategies."
"Your strategy seems to be 'turn red and stutter,'" Manon noted. "It’s not very effective."
"Just wait," Sophia said darkly. "I will have my revenge. I will be so cool and mature during this interview that Megan will look like a child by comparison. I will out-adult her."
"Good luck with that," Manon patted her shoulder.
The interview was for a popular music show segment called Backstage Chat. It was live, unscripted, and hosted by a very energetic MC who loved chaos.
"Hello, we are... KATSEYE!" the group introduced themselves, bowing in unison.
"Wah! KATSEYE!" the MC cheered. "Welcome back! You guys are looking amazing today. The energy is incredible!"
Sophia stepped into her role seamlessly. She was Captain Sophia. She was eloquent. She was poised.
"Thank you!" Sophia beamed at the camera. "We are so excited to be here. We’ve prepared a really special stage for our fans today."
"Yes, yes! The fans are going crazy online," the MC said. "Now, we have a few fan questions here. This one is for the Leader, Sophia-ssi!"
Sophia nodded, ready. "Hit me."
"Fans want to know: taking care of five members must be hard. Who is the most difficult member to manage?"
Sophia laughed, a practiced, idol-perfect sound. "Oh, that’s a tough one. Honestly, everyone has their moments. But I think..."
She glanced down the line. Megan was standing at the end, looking bored and effortlessly cool. She caught Sophia’s eye and raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge. Say my name. I dare you.
"...I think Megan is the handful," Sophia answered playfully. "She has a lot of energy."
"A handful!" the MC laughed. "Megan-ssi, do you agree?"
Megan took the mic that was being passed down. "I don't know about a handful," she drawled. "I think I’m pretty low maintenance. I just like to keep Sophia on her toes. She takes things too seriously sometimes."
"Aha! A dynamic duo!" the MC clapped. "Okay, next question. This is about the new song. There is a part in the choreography where you pair up. Can you show us a little point move?"
"Of course!" Sophia said. "Megan and I actually do the bridge together. Megan, can you help me demonstrate?"
This was a mistake. Sophia knew it as soon as the words left her mouth. But they were live. She couldn't take it back.
Megan walked over to the center next to Sophia. She handed her microphone to Lara so she could use both hands.
"Okay, so," Sophia explained to the camera, trying to ignore the fact that Megan was standing entirely too close. "In this part, I lean back, and Megan supports me."
"Support system," Megan added, looking at the camera. "Very important."
"Right. So, on the count of eight..."
Sophia did the move. She leaned back. Megan caught her.
It was perfect. Professional.
But as Megan pulled her back up, she didn't let go of Sophia’s waist immediately. She leaned in, just for a split second, and whispered in a voice that only Sophia could hear:
"Who's got you, baby?"
Sophia’s brain short-circuited.
She scrambled upright, flustered, her heart hammering against her ribs. She needed to transition. She needed to get the microphone back and end the segment.
Megan held out the microphone to her.
Sophia reached for it. Her mind was swimming with the whisper, the heat of Megan’s hands, the entire day of teasing. She tried to say, 'Thank you, Megan.'
She tried to say, 'Thank you, friend.'
What her brain supplied, corrupted by six hours of psychological warfare, was something else entirely.
"Thank you, Daddy," Sophia said into the live microphone.
Time stopped.
It wasn't a whisper. It was clear. It was crisp. It was broadcast to millions of homes across the globe.
Sophia froze. Her hand was still wrapped around the microphone. She looked at Megan.
Megan looked back. For the first time in history, Megan Skiendiel looked shocked. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open. The "cool girl" facade shattered instantly, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated panic mixed with delight.
The MC froze. "Oh?"
The other members froze.
Lara dropped her own microphone. Thud.
Sophia blinked. Her brain rebooted. The horror washed over her like a tsunami.
"I mean—" Sophia shouted, her voice cracking. "I mean—Buddy! Buddy! Thank you, Buddy!"
"Did she just say Daddy?" Daniela whispered loudly to Manon.
"She absolutely said Daddy," Manon whispered back, glee evident in her voice.
"I meant Buddy!" Sophia was waving her free hand frantically. "Because she’s my buddy! My pal! My... friend!"
She looked at Megan, desperate for help. Save me, her eyes screamed.
Megan, to her credit, tried. She really did. She grabbed the mic back from Sophia.
"Yeah," Megan said, her voice an octave higher than usual. "Buddy. We call each other Buddy. It’s an American thing. Slang. You know?"
"Ah! Slang!" the MC laughed nervously. "Americans are so... friendly! Okay! Well! That was... thank you, KATSEYE! We will see you on stage in five minutes!"
The red light on the camera turned off. The segment ended.
Sophia didn't move. She stared into the middle distance. She was calculating how fast she could run to the nearest exit and if the Han River was deep enough to hide in forever.
"Soph," Megan started, reaching out a hand.
"Don't," Sophia whispered. "Do not touch me."
Sophia turned around. She began to walk. Not toward the dressing room. Not toward the stage. She walked toward the fire exit.
"Where are you going?" Yoonchae cried, running after her. "Unnie! The performance!"
"I’m leaving," Sophia declared, her voice devoid of emotion. "I am retiring. I am going to become a hermit crab. Goodbye."
"Grab her!" Lara yelled.
It took the combined effort of Daniela, Manon, and Lara to physically restrain Sophia from opening the fire door.
"Let me go!" Sophia thrashed in their grip. "My life is over! I called her Daddy on national television! My mother is watching! My grandmother is watching!"
"It was barely audible!" Daniela lied, hauling Sophia back by her blazer.
"It was in 4K, Dani!" Sophia wailed.
Megan was standing a few feet away, looking torn between comforting her girlfriend and laughing until she threw up. She bit her lip, stepping forward cautiously.
"Babe," Megan said softly. "It’s okay. It’s... it’s funny."
"Funny?" Sophia stopped thrashing. She looked at Megan with wild eyes. "You did this. This is your fault. You programmed me! You Manchurian Candidate-ed me!"
"I didn't mean for it to happen live!" Megan defended herself, though her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. "But... you have to admit, the timing was incredible."
"I hate you," Sophia sobbed dryly, slumping against Manon. "I hate you so much."
"I know," Megan said, stepping in to replace Manon. She wrapped her arms around Sophia, pulling her into a hug. Sophia didn't fight it; she just buried her burning face in Megan’s shoulder.
"I’m never speaking again," Sophia muffled into the fabric. "I’m taking a vow of silence."
"We have to sing in ten minutes," Megan reminded her, rubbing her back. "Just... pretend it didn't happen. Or pretend it’s an inside joke."
"It is an inside joke!" Sophia groaned. "An inside joke that is now outside! It is everywhere!"
"Look," Megan whispered, leaning down to her ear. "If it makes you feel better... I panicked too. Did you see my face? I looked like a deer in headlights."
Sophia pulled back slightly to look at Megan. "You did look stupid."
"I looked terrified," Megan corrected. "Because I realized that if my mom sees that clip, I am also going to have to walk into the ocean."
Sophia let out a watery, hysterical giggle. "We can go together. Holding hands."
"Deal," Megan smiled. She wiped a smudge of foundation off Sophia’s cheek. "But let’s do the show first. Then we flee the country."
--
The performance went fine, largely because Sophia dissociated through the entire thing. She danced on autopilot. She sang on autopilot. She avoided making eye contact with Megan at all costs.
Back in the van, the silence was heavy. Everyone was scrolling on their phones.
"Don't open Twitter," Manon warned, breaking the silence. "Just... for your own mental health, Sophia. Do not do it."
"Is it bad?" Sophia asked, staring at the ceiling of the van.
"It’s... creative," Lara said. "The memes are already starting. There’s a remix."
"A remix?" Sophia covered her face. "It’s been thirty minutes."
"The internet works fast," Megan said from the seat beside her. She sounded strangely proud.
Sophia turned to look at her. Megan was holding her phone, scrolling through the timeline. The blue light illuminated a small smile on her face.
"What are you smiling at?" Sophia accused. "Are you enjoying my suffering?"
"No," Megan said. She turned the phone so Sophia could see.
It was a tweet from a fan account.
@MeifizDefender: "Okay but can we talk about how Megan immediately panicked and tried to cover for her? She looked ready to fight the MC to protect Sophia. That’s real love right there. #DaddyGate"
Sophia blinked. She read it again.
"See?" Megan said softly. "They think it’s cute. They think I’m protective."
"You were protective," Sophia admitted grudgingly. "You did try to say 'Buddy.' Even though that was the worst lie I’ve ever heard."
"I was under pressure!" Megan laughed. "But hey... at least now everyone knows."
"Knows what?"
Megan reached over, interlacing their fingers on the seat between them. "That you’re mine."
Sophia looked at their hands. She looked at Megan’s soft expression. The embarrassment was still there, burning low in her gut, but it was slowly being overtaken by that familiar, exasperating affection.
"You’re the worst," Sophia whispered, squeezing Megan’s hand.
"I’m the best thing that ever happened to you," Megan corrected.
"Maybe," Sophia allowed. She leaned her head on Megan’s shoulder. "But if you ever call yourself 'Daddy' again, I am legally changing your name to 'Susan'."
Megan chuckled, pressing a kiss to Sophia’s hair. "Okay, okay. Truce. No more Daddy jokes."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The van rattled over a bump. The city lights blurred past.
Five minutes of peaceful silence passed.
Then, Megan leaned down, her lips brushing Sophia’s ear.
"So," Megan whispered. "Does baby need a snack?"
Sophia screamed.
The driver swerved.
Manon turned up the radio.
And somewhere on the internet, the remix of "Thank You Daddy" hit 100,000 views.