Archive of Our Own ^beta

Summary:

Haerin never thought she would step onto a stage that wasn’t borrowed for one night only.

She went to support a friend at a dance competition—nothing more than that, nothing meant to last. She certainly never imagined it would end with a contract under BigHit, a debut she never asked for, and a girl group called Asteria. She never imagined standing beside three other girls, including her friend Jiwoo , all of them carrying expectations heavier than any choreography.

What Haerin hadn’t anticipated was how quickly admiration could curdle into resentment.

Being the most popular member was never her goal, yet it became her burden. Whispers followed her through hallways, headlines twisted her name, and even within Asteria, the line between sisterhood and rivalry blurred. She learned, too late, that success came with a price—and that sometimes, being seen meant being hated

If she had known how messy it would become—how fame would fracture friendships, how loneliness could exist under stage lights—she might never have let Jiwoo convince her to stay.

But some choices, once made, refuse to let you go.