Final Puzzle Piece || SKZ 9th Member

Debut Stage

The nerves were eating Kala's sanity out gradually and pushing her to the edge with every second that ticked on the clock. She sensed her hands getting colder and almost freezing even though the dressing room temperature was normal. Her breakfast of two kimbap slices rumbled for release, she felt like she could throw them up any minute now.

Since Kala sat in front of the mirror to get her makeup done, her mind had been reeling rapidly at the thought of their debut stage which would be held very soon. She couldn't focus on things other than that, so when Minho called her to say hi to the camera for their 'SK-Talker' content, she didn't respond to him.

It didn't take a genius to notice that the maknae girl was having an overthinking session on her own. Minho contemplated whether he should bring Kala back to reality or let her have a peaceful spacing out because she always needed that when the ruckus inside her head was louder than anything. That was why sometimes the members just left her alone and didn't disturb her. Unless if it went on for too long, Chan mostly would step in to make her snap out of it.

This also wasn't the first time Kala put herself into a trance so deep that she was hardly aware of what was going on on the surface. She became really quiet you wouldn't notice she was there with you the whole time. It was her regular thing every time she was in observation mode or at this moment, daze-off mode.

Deciding to approach the younger girl as she had just finished her makeup, Minho passed the camera to Hyunjin, telling him to continue the vlog and then drawing his steps to Kala who settled herself on the couch. He purposely sat beside her with a plop to get her attention. It didn't work.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" But a sentence with a nudge on the shoulder worked.

Kala's empty gaze was filled with life again upon hearing another voice besides the ones in her head. She then faced the owner of the voice on her left. "Oppa..."

"Wae¹?" (¹Why/what is it/what's wrong)

"It’s our debut stage, aren't you nervous?"

"I am."

At the indifferent tone from him that contradicting from what he said, Kala's eyebrow scrunched. "You surely don't look like it."

Minho turned his body completely to Kala and placed his elbow on the backrest, pouring all his attention on her. "I have an offering," he began.

She narrowed her eyes in curiosity. This guy, she swore, was too random for his own good. You gotta expect the unexpected when it came to Minho. "Why do you always have an offering for me?"

"Because that's an instant way to get your interest, is it not?" Minho defied, lifting an eyebrow.

"You got me there," Kala assented. She copied Minho's position and raised her leg to rest it on the couch. "What kind of offer this time?"

"I can make you less nervous and even make you look like you never are, just like how you see me now," Minho proposed, trying his best to sound tempting like a real estate agent selling an abandoned, haunted house to a customer.

"Okay..." Kala nodded, taking it into account. The bid was indeed something that she needed the most in the current situation. "And what does it cost?"

"Talk to me," Minho replied shortly. "Talk to me and I'll distract you from feeling uneasy. Deal?" He gave her his hand for an agreement handshake.

A smile made its home to Kala's face, realizing what Minho was attempting to do to not let her be so immersed in the haze of her mind with his unusual way. Accepting the offer, Kala shook his hand. "Deal."

And that was how Minho managed to make Kala more relaxed the entire week of their debut promotion at the music shows and prevented her from making mistakes on the stage because of the distraction of her intrusive thoughts.