If Aria had to rank the top three things that made her sweat nervously, they'd be:
1. Public speaking.
2. Being perceived.
3. Kaelira Solene asking, "Do you want to come backstage at my live stage… as a guest florist?"
"Wait. What?" Aria blinked.
Kaelira grinned on the other end of the call, lying on her stomach, feet kicking in the air like a teenager confessing to her crush.
"You know how the set design this week has this garden theme?" Kaelira said. "They wanted a real flower arrangement for the intro shot, and I may or may not have… bragged about my talented girlfriend to the creative team."
Aria sat frozen on her sofa, holding a bag of tea like it was a fragile newborn bird. "Girlfriend?"
Kaelira froze, eyes wide. (They're still in low-key relationship)
"I-I mean florist—your talented florist. Who I… may be romantically entangled with?"
Aria laughed, soft and stunned. "I'll allow it. But only if you buy me ice cream after."
⤹ ❀
Aria had never seen a stage that massive in person before.
LED lights the size of rooftops. Speakers so loud they made your ribs buzz. Staff running around with clipboards and walkies. Idol groups in matching outfits doing warmups that looked like a mix of choreography and synchronized jazz hands.
And in the middle of it all was Kaelira.
In glitter eyeliner, sleek black pants, and a tiny mic taped to her cheek, looking like a goddess who accidentally wandered into a video game and decided to own the place.
Aria was not okay.
"You're staring again," whispered Yeonji, Kaelira's stylist, who had instantly taken Aria under her wing like a chaotic older sister.
"I'm allowed," Aria whispered back. "I made her flower crown."
"You're disgustingly cute."
Aria grinned.
The crown was the centerpiece for the opening shot—a soft, mossy green ring threaded with small orchids and blush-pink spray roses, meant to sit on a stand mid-stage while Kaelira opened the set with her solo line.
Aria had hand-tied it herself. No glue. No wires. Just twine, skill, and 50% longing.
She stayed tucked just offstage, near the lighting crew, proudly watching the screen that showed the stage feed in real-time.
Everything was going great.
Until… it wasn't.
⤹ ❀
"Where's the flower stand?!" a staff member yelped into their mic.
Aria blinked. "It's right there, behind—oh no."
The stand, which was meant to roll forward on a timed mechanism… had gotten stuck just off the camera frame. And worse? The intro was starting in twenty seconds.
A second stylist panicked. "We can't delay—go push it manually!"
"I—me??" Aria squeaked.
"You're the only one who knows how it locks! Go!"
Aria, panicking in pastel jeans and a cardigan, sprinted on silent feet across the side of the stage, crouched like a mission-impossible extra, and managed to unjam the wheel with five seconds to spare.
The stand rolled into position.
The flower crown glowed under the spotlight.
The opening notes hit.
The audience cheered.
And Aria, unfortunately, was still crouched behind the flower stand, just barely out of view… until the camera drone swerved left.
A very clear shot flashed across thousands of screens nationwide:
• A girl.
• Ponytail.
• Cardigan.
• Holding a wrench.
• Looking utterly horrified.
Then—CUT. Next frame. Gone.
Too late.
⤹ ❀
Kaelira burst in backstage after their set, pulling off her in-ear monitors, panting and glowing.
"You saved the opening shot," she gasped. "You're amazing."
Aria sat in the corner, covering her face with both hands.
"I'm a meme now."
Kaelira blinked. "What?"
Yeonji held up her phone. "Uh… yeah. You kinda are."
On Twitter, a screen grab was making the rounds. It was labeled:
"MYSTERY GIRL RETURNS: THE WRENCH WARRIOR OF LOVE???"
"Did Kaelira bring her girlfriend to FIX her stage??"
"Petal Princess turned Tech Queen. We love versatility."
"Someone marry this florist. Now."
Kaelira cracked up.
Aria groaned. "I wore socks with little daisies on them. They're gonna dissect my whole existence."
"You're adorable."
"I was crouching like a gremlin."
"An angelic gremlin," Kaelira corrected, sitting beside her and poking her side gently.
Aria peeked at her through her fingers. "You're not mad?"
Kaelira just leaned in and whispered, "You saved my solo debut moment. They can keep their memes. I got the girl with the wrench."
Aria flushed redder than a hibiscus in July.
⤹ ❀
On her fan app, Kaelira posted a blurry polaroid of the flower crown—nothing else in frame.
Caption:
"Made by someone who always saves the day. 🌸"
Fans screamed.
Meanwhile, in private:
🌼A:
You're lucky I love you.
I could've tripped on live TV.
💙K:
I do love you.
And I'll catch you every time.
🌼A:
Okay stop that or I'm making you a cactus bouquet as revenge.
💙K:
...I would cherish it forever.
🌼A:
You're so annoying.
Bring ice cream. You owe me.