The I-LAND finale had come to a close, leaving behind a mix of emotions: joy, relief, and excitement for the future. The newly revealed ENHYPEN members were still celebrating with their families and friends backstage, while the other guests lingered to exchange congratulations and share in the success of the event. Among them, Hwang Jiah stood with the members of TOMORROW X TOGETHER, a bright smile on her face as they chatted about the show.

"So, what did you guys think?" Jiah asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, still brimming with energy despite the long night.

"It was incredible," Beomgyu said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I felt so nervous for the trainees, but they did so well. Seeing them debut brought back so many memories."

"Right?" Jiah agreed, nodding. "I couldn't stop thinking about how nerve-wracking our own debut days were. I swear my hands were shaking the entire time during Produce 48."

Taehyun chimed in, "You didn't look nervous at all. You were so confident on stage."

Jiah laughed, waving off the compliment. "That's because the cameras didn't catch me almost tripping during the rehearsals. But anyway, we should definitely hang out soon. It's been way too long since we all got together outside of schedules."

"Agreed," Soobin said, glancing at the others. "What about next weekend? We're free for a couple of days."

"Perfect," Jiah said, clapping her hands together. "Let's plan something fun. Maybe karaoke or bowling?"

"Bowling sounds fun," Huening Kai suggested. "But only if you promise not to throw the ball into the gutter every time."

Jiah gasped, feigning offense. "Excuse me, but I've improved since last time! Just wait, I'll show you all my skills."

As they finalized their plans, a voice cut through their conversation. "Yah, why aren't you including us?"

Jiah turned around to see Jin and Jungkook from BTS walking toward them, playful frowns on their faces. Jin crossed his arms dramatically, and Jungkook raised an eyebrow, clearly pretending to be hurt.

"Jiah-ah," Jin said, his tone exaggeratedly stern, "are we not cool enough to hang out with you and these kids?"

Jungkook nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why are we just hearing about this now? I thought we were family."

Jiah couldn't help but laugh, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Oppa, don't take it personally! I didn't think you'd want to hang out with a bunch of kids. You're too... mature for our plans."

"Too mature?" Jin echoed, pretending to be scandalized. "I'll have you know I'm the life of any party!"

"Sure, sure," Jiah teased, grinning. "But honestly, you're too old for this. Shouldn't you be resting or something? Maybe taking your vitamins?"

Jungkook covered his mouth, stifling a laugh, while the members of TXT struggled to keep straight faces.

"Ya!" Jin exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "You're really testing me today, Jiah."

As they continued to bicker, another voice joined the conversation. "What's this about Jiah not wanting to hang out with us?"

The group turned to see Yoongi approaching, a casual smirk on his face as he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. He looked amused, clearly having overheard part of their conversation.

"Hyung, Jiah said we're too old to hang out with her," Jungkook said, grinning as he threw her under the bus.

Jiah groaned, rubbing her temples dramatically. "Why are you all so sensitive? It was just a joke!"

Yoongi raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "A joke? Coming from the girl who's always begging us to hang out because she has no friends? Interesting."

The group burst into laughter as Jiah's jaw dropped in mock betrayal. "Oppa!" she exclaimed, pointing at Yoongi. "How could you expose me like that? I do have friends, okay?"

"Sure you do," Yoongi said, his smirk widening. "But who do you always text first when you're bored? Us. Admit it, you can't live without us."

Jiah rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Fine, maybe I do enjoy your company sometimes. But only because you buy me food."

"You're welcome," Jin said, looking smug. "But that doesn't mean you get to leave us out of your plans. So, what are we doing next weekend?"

"Next weekend?" Jungkook repeated, his eyes lighting up. "We should definitely go bowling. I need to see Jiah's so-called 'improved' skills for myself."

Jiah groaned, shaking her head. "You're all the worst. I should've just kept this between me and tubatu."

"But you didn't," Taehyun said, grinning. "And now it's turning into a full BigHit family outing."

"Great," Jiah muttered sarcastically, though her smile gave her away. "Now I'm stuck with all of you. Just don't embarrass me in public, okay?"

Yoongi chuckled, patting her on the head. "Don't worry, Jiah. We'll make sure everyone knows how much you love spending time with us."

Jiah swatted his hand away, but the warmth in her expression made it clear she didn't mind.

"I'm going to congratulate the members of ENHYPEN. It's their big night, after all," she said cheerfully, brushing off the teasing remarks from the BTS members about how she seemed more excited than the new debutants themselves.

As she turned to leave, Beomgyu chimed in, "I'll come with you. I need to congratulate Heeseung too."

Jiah froze for a split second, her smile faltering ever so slightly at the mention of Heeseung's name. She quickly recovered, nodding as nonchalantly as she could manage. "Sure, let's go."

Beomgyu, however, didn't miss her reaction. He watched her closely as they walked away from the group, the laughter and chatter of TXT and BTS fading into the background. He didn't say anything at first, letting the silence linger between them as they weaved through the crowd backstage.

Finally, once they were far enough from prying ears, Beomgyu broke the silence. "You're going to have to get used to being around him, you know," he said, his tone gentle but pointed.

Jiah glanced at him, her expression carefully neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with her attempt to play dumb. "Jiah, come on. He's debuting now, and it's not like you can avoid him forever. You're part of the same company, and you know how tight-knit things are around here."

Jiah sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm fine, oppa. Really. I've already moved past it. There's no problem."

Beomgyu didn't look convinced, but he decided to drop the subject for now. "If you say so," he muttered, though the skeptical tone in his voice made it clear he wasn't entirely buying it.

As they approached the group of I-LAND contestants, Jiah's demeanor shifted back to her usual bubbly self. She spotted Park Sunghoon in the crowd and immediately shouted his name, her voice cutting through the chatter. "Sunghoon-ah!"

The sudden shout gained the attention of not just Sunghoon but most of the I-LAND contestants nearby. Unbothered by the curious stares, Jiah made a beeline for Sunghoon, her smile wide and genuine.

"Congratulations, oppa!" she said, pulling him into a warm hug. "I'm so proud of you. You did amazing."

Sunghoon returned the hug, his ears turning a little pink at the public display of affection. "Thank you, Jiah," he said shyly, though his gratitude was evident in his tone.

Jiah pulled back, her grin turning teasing. "Now that you've debuted, you're going to be seeing me so much you'll get tired of me. Just warning you in advance."

Sunghoon chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think that's possible."

Jiah's gaze shifted to his parents, who were standing nearby, beaming with pride. She gave them both warm hugs as well. "It's been a while," she said, her tone softer but no less genuine. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Park. You must be so proud."

"Thank you, Jiah," Sunghoon's mother said, her smile kind. "It's good to see you again."

Jiah's eyes sparkled as she asked, "How's your Yeji doing? I haven't seen her in forever."

Sunghoon's mother chuckled. "She's doing well. She's been so excited about tonight. She couldn't stop talking about how much she looks up to her big brother."

Jiah smiled fondly. "That's so sweet. Make sure to tell her I said hi and that we should all hang out sometime."

As she spoke, Jiah could feel someone's gaze burning into her back. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The familiarity of it, the weight of the unspoken words behind it, was something she had grown accustomed to. But she chose not to acknowledge it, focusing instead on the happy reunion with Sunghoon and his family.

Her moment with them was interrupted when Yang Jungwon and Jay Park approached, wide smiles on their faces.

"Noona!" Jungwon called out, his voice filled with excitement.

"Jungwon-ah! Jay!" Jiah greeted them warmly, pulling them both into quick hugs. "Congratulations to you both. You guys were amazing out there."

"Thank you, noona," Jungwon said, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "It still feels like a dream."

"You earned it," Jiah assured him. "I knew from the beginning that you were going to make it."

Jay smiled shyly. "Thank you, Jiah. It means a lot coming from you."

Jiah clapped her hands together, her excitement contagious. "We have to do something to celebrate. Your debut deserves a proper party."

Jungwon's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "That sounds great! What should we do?"

"I'll figure it out," Jiah promised. "But don't worry, it'll be something fun."

As she continued chatting with the boys, she could still feel that same persistent gaze. It lingered, heavy and unyielding, but she refused to let it affect her. This was their night, and she was determined to make it special for them.

Jiah turned to Sunghoon, her face lighting up with curiosity. "Alright, introduce me to your new members! I need to meet the rest of your team."

Sunghoon nodded eagerly, standing up straight like he was on a mission. "I'll take you. They're right over there."

Jungwon immediately chimed in. "I'm coming too! It's been so long since we all hung out, noona." He beamed at her, clearly enjoying the chance to spend time with her again.

The trio walked over to the rest of the ENHYPEN members, who were huddled together in a small group. As they approached, Jake, Sunoo, and Ni-ki glanced up, their eyes widening slightly when they recognized Jiah. The boys stiffened, looking both starstruck and nervous, which made Jiah burst out laughing.

"Relax, you guys!" she said, grinning at them. "There's no need to be so nervous around me. Jake, you're older than me, and Sunoo, we're the same age! So why the formalities?"

Jake scratched the back of his head, his cheeks slightly red. "It's just... You're Hwang Jiah. You're part of IZ*ONE. You're a big deal."

"Pfft, a big deal?" Jiah shook her head, her tone playful. "I'm just Jiah. Trust me, I'm not that scary."

Sunoo giggled shyly, while Ni-ki, the youngest, peeked up at her hesitantly. "You're really cool though, sunbaenim," Ni-ki said, his voice quiet but sincere.

Jiah crouched slightly so she was at eye level with Ni-ki. "Well, Ni-ki, you're really cool too! And one day, we're going to have to dance together, okay? I need to learn some of those moves you showed off on I-LAND."

Ni-ki's eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded quickly, a small smile breaking across his face.

Jake, Sunoo, and Ni-ki exchanged glances, clearly taken aback. Jake spoke up, his voice cautious. "Wait, you watched I-LAND?"

"Of course, I did!" Jiah said, crossing her arms as if it were obvious. "Yujin and I would watch it together all the time. We were rooting for you guys like crazy. You worked so hard, and it really paid off. I'm proud of you all."

The boys looked genuinely moved by her words, and Sunoo tilted his head curiously. "Even Yujin sunbaenim?"

"Especially Yujin," Jiah confirmed with a laugh. "She'd always scream whenever you guys did something impressive. She's a huge fan."

As the group relaxed and began to warm up to her, Jiah's lively energy filled the space, making the new ENHYPEN members feel at ease. Just as Ni-ki was about to ask her something, Heeseung walked over, joining the group.

Jiah stiffened slightly but quickly forced herself to smile, not wanting to ruin the light-hearted mood. She stood up straight and bowed politely. "Heeseung-ssi, congratulations on your debut. You did amazing."

Heeseung's eyes softened as he nodded. "Thank you, Jiah. That means a lot coming from you."

She felt the tension in her shoulders but managed to keep her voice steady. "I'm proud of all of you. You're going to do great things as ENHYPEN."

The other members watched the interaction with curiosity, especially Jake, Sunoo, and Ni-ki, who exchanged knowing looks. Based on the warm way Jiah treated Sunghoon earlier, they couldn't help but wonder if there was something going on between them.

Jiah tried her best to ignore the feeling of Heeseung's eyes on her as she continued talking to the group. "Make sure you guys take care of each other, okay? And don't forget to eat. You'll need your strength now more than ever."

Sunghoon laughed. "Jiah, you sound like someone's mom."

Jiah rolled her eyes, nudging him playfully. "And you sound like someone who forgets to eat half the time, so I'm going to keep reminding you."

The group burst out laughing, and Jiah felt a little of the tension lift from her chest. Just as Heeseung finally seemed to gather the courage to say something to her, Jiah's manager appeared, calling out to her.

"Jiah, the car's here. We need to leave now."

Jiah sighed, turning back to the boys. "I guess that's my cue." She waved at them, her smile bright but a little wistful. "Good luck on your debut, ENHYPEN! I'll be cheering you on from afar."

As she started to walk away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, Sunghoon-oppa, make sure to give Jake, Sunoo, and Ni-ki my number, okay? We need to talk more."

"Got it, Ji," Sunghoon said, saluting her with a grin.

Jiah turned to Sunoo specifically, her smile softening. "And you, Sunoo, I can already tell we're going to be best friends."

Sunoo laughed, his nerves melting away. "I'd like that."

With a final wave, Jiah walked off, her presence leaving an impression on the group. The members stood there for a moment, absorbing the energy she'd brought.

"She's amazing," Ni-ki said softly, breaking the silence.

Jake nodded in agreement. "She really is."

Sunghoon smirked, leaning closer to the younger members. "I told you guys. Jiah's the best."

As the boys began chatting excitedly about her visit, Heeseung stayed quiet, his gaze lingering in the direction she had left.