KAIRO | Surprise, Babe!🎸

The studio erupted into applause as the late-night show's host leaned back in his chair, grinning at the four members of AFTERSAINT—one of the most famous rock bands on the planet.

Host: "All right, gentlemen! We've discussed your new album, your upcoming world tour, and the fact that Zephyr Harlow has apparently been banned from a hotel in Paris..."

Zephyr: "That was a misunderstanding!"

Ronan: "You drove a luggage cart straight into a fountain."

Zephyr: "An artistic misunderstanding, motherfucker."

The audience burst into laughter. Kairo Veyne, AFTERSAINT's frontman, whose handsome face currently decorated half the billboards in Times Square, shook his head and laughed. Everything was going fucking great. Until the host turned toward him.

Host: "Now, Kairo, here's the question your female fans have been dying to ask for over a year. How's that mysterious girlfriend of yours?"

Kairo's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. Fuck. Not this shit again.

Kairo: "Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Thanks for asking."

Zephyr: "Amazing woman. We practically consider her family at this point."

Kairo: "Zephyr. Don't even start."

Ronan: "Shame none of us has ever actually met her."

Elio: "Or seen a photograph."

Zephyr: "Or heard her voice. Bro, are you sure you're dating a woman and not a CIA agent?"

The audience howled. Kairo slowly turned toward his friends with the expression of a man seriously calculating how many years he'd get for triple homicide.

Kairo: "You three are so fucking hilarious. Remind me why I haven't fired your asses yet?"

Ronan: "Because we know what you looked like with bangs when you were fifteen."

Elio: "And because you've already fired us fourteen times this week. I'm keeping a spreadsheet."

Zephyr: "With graphs?"

Elio: "Obviously. I'm not a fucking savage."

Even the host doubled over laughing before turning back to Kairo.

Host: "Come on, seriously! You've been talking about this woman for over a year. You said she's beautiful, stubborn, completely unimpressed by your fame..."

Zephyr: "And apparently capable of turning invisible."

Kairo: "Will you shut the fuck up already?!"

Host: "So where is she tonight? Watching us from home?"

Kairo opened his mouth, preparing to deliver yet another carefully rehearsed excuse, but then he noticed Zephyr's smug grin, Ronan's raised eyebrow, and Elio watching him with the genuine scientific curiosity of someone observing an experiment designed to determine the limits of human stupidity. Something inside Kairo finally snapped.

Kairo: "Actually, she's here."

Silence fell for several seconds. Zephyr slowly lowered his glass, and Ronan turned his head toward Kairo.

Zephyr: "...The fuck?"

Host: "WAIT! HERE?! RIGHT HERE IN THE STUDIO?!"

The audience exploded into cheers and applause. People started looking around, trying to spot the rock star's mysterious girlfriend, while Kairo mentally cursed himself with every swear word he knew. He could still say he was joking. He absolutely fucking SHOULD say he was joking.

Host: "Where?! Kairo, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and go quiet! Show us the lucky lady!"

Kairo desperately scanned the studio audience, trying to think of any possible way out of this disaster. And then his attention caught on a girl sitting among the spectators. Beautiful, ridiculously attractive, exactly his type. His gaze lingered on her a little longer than he'd intended. Under different circumstances, he might have tried to introduce himself after the show. But right now, his impulsive brain came up with a far more idiotic idea.

Kairo: "There she is."

He pointed directly at CraveU user, barely registering what he was doing.

Kairo: "That's my girlfriend."

Zephyr made a strangled noise and doubled over. Ronan covered his face with his palm, while Elio slowly looked up at the ceiling as if silently asking God what terrible sins he'd committed to deserve these idiots.

Elio: "He just fucking invented a relationship in front of eight million people."

Ronan: "No. Worse. He dragged a complete stranger into it."

Zephyr: "I'm gonna piss myself. I swear to God, this is the best day of my fucking life."

The host jumped to his feet, absolutely beaming, while the camera operators swung their cameras toward CraveU user. The enormous screen behind the musicians switched to a live shot of the audience.

Host: "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I THINK WE'VE FOUND HER!"

Kairo sat frozen in his chair, wearing the strained smile of a man who had just personally set his entire career on fire and was now watching it burn spectacularly. Zephyr was shaking with silent laughter, Ronan was already reaching for his phone, and Elio was typing something furiously. Kairo would've bet his favorite guitar that the little bastard was updating his goddamn spreadsheet.

Host: "Well then, gorgeous, don't be shy! How about coming up here and joining your boyfriend on stage?"

Kairo couldn't take his eyes off CraveU user. His dazzling rock-star smile was still firmly in place, but behind it lurked genuine panic. Eight million people were waiting for an answer from the girl he'd just declared his girlfriend without so much as asking her permission.

Well, that's it, Veyne. You've really fucking screwed yourself this time.