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Sakuya woke up groggy and disoriented, his body feeling heavier than usual. It was too early, he could tell by the dim light filtering through the curtains, but something felt off. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, only to stop mid-motion. His arms felt strange. Bulkier. And were those… muscles?Sitting up quickly, Sakuya looked down at his body and froze.“What the…?” he whispered, his voice different than normal. Panic flooded through him as he threw off the blanket and stared at the unfamiliar body he was now inhabiting. These arms weren’t his, these legs were too long, and the reflection in the full-length mirror across the room—His heart skipped a beat. That was Sion’s face.Sakuya stumbled out of bed, his mind racing. He ran to the mirror, hands trembling as they touched the face in front of him - the strong jawline, the slightly tousled black hair, the eyes that definitely weren’t his but belonged to his fellow NCT WISH member, Sion. His hands dropped to his sides, his breath coming in short gasps.“This can’t be happening,” he muttered, staring in disbelief at the reflection. “This is insane.”Before he could process anything further, there was a loud knock on the door. Sakuya—Sion?—spun around, just as the door swung open. Ryo stood there, yawning and rubbing his eyes.“Morning, Hyung,” Ryo mumbled, still half-asleep. “You up? We’ve got practice in an hour.”Sakuya’s eyes widened in horror. Ryo thought he was Sion. Of course he does—why wouldn’t he? He looked like Sion. He opened his mouth, scrambling for words.“Uh…” he started, but his voice came out deep and unfamiliar, making his stomach twist in knots. Ryo raised an eyebrow, noticing the hesitation.“You okay?” Ryo asked, sounding more awake now. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”Sakuya swallowed hard, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out what to do. Should he tell Ryo the truth? Would he even believe him?“I… I’m fine,” Sakuya finally managed to say, doing his best to mimic Sion’s usual casual tone. He plastered on what he hoped was a convincing smile. “Just… a weird dream.”Ryo gave him a strange look but shrugged it off. “Alright, well, don’t take too long. We’ve got choreography to nail down today.”As soon as Ryo left, Sakuya collapsed back onto the bed, his hands gripping the sheets as he tried to calm down. He needed to figure out what was going on. Why was he in Sion’s body? How had this happened? And most importantly, where was his real body?There was only one person who could answer that.Sakuya, still in Sion’s body, ran out of the room and hurried down the hallway to his own bedroom. He knocked frantically, barely waiting before pushing the door open. His breath caught in his throat at the sight before him.Sion, or rather, Sakuya’s body, was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands in shock. When he looked up, their eyes met, and Sion’s face, Sakuya’s face, was filled with the same confusion and panic that Sakuya had felt moments earlier.“Sakuya?” Sion’s voice came out high and soft—the way it does when Sakuyas nervous, coming from Sakuya’s body. He blinked, clearly still trying to process what was happening. “What… what’s going on? Why do I look like you?”Sakuya closed the door behind him, running a hand through his—Sion’s—hair in frustration. “I have no idea,” he said, his throat feeling weird with the unfamiliar weight of Sion’s vocal cords. “I woke up like this. We’ve… switched bodies or something.”Sion stared at him, wide-eyed. “That’s impossible.”“Clearly, it’s not!” Sakuya shot back, more sharply than he intended. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. “Look, we need to figure this out. But first, we have to act normal. If the others find out, they’re going to freak.”Sion groaned, burying his face in his hands. “How am I supposed to act like you? I can barely keep up with your energy during rehearsals.”“And I don’t know how to be you!” Sakuya replied, exasperated. “But we have to try. We can’t let anyone know something’s wrong, at least not until we figure out what happened.”Sion looked up, his face pale. “But… how? I don’t even know where to start.”Sakuya paced back and forth, his mind racing. “Just… be yourself, but in my body. Act like you’re having a quiet day or something. I’ll try handle the rest.”They both stared at each other for a moment, still trying to wrap their heads around the situation. It was surreal, beyond anything they could have ever imagined. But they didn’t have time to freak out. They had practice in less than an hour, and if they didn’t get it together, the rest of the group would catch on.“Alright,” Sion said finally, standing up and straightening his, Sakuya’s, clothes. “Let’s try not to make this any weirder than it already is.”Rehearsal was, to put it mildly, a disaster. Sakuya, trying his best to move like Sion, felt awkward and stiff. He was used to his own fluid movements, but in Sion’s taller, broader body, everything felt off. Meanwhile, Sion struggled to keep up with Sakuya’s usual energy, his limbs flailing uncharacteristically as he tried to match the fast-paced choreography.Riku, always the first to notice when something was wrong, shot them a confused look halfway through practice. “Sakuya, are you feeling okay?” he asked, glancing at Sion, who was currently occupying Sakuya’s body.Sion wiped his forehead, breathing heavily. “Yeah… just… tired.”Ryo raised an eyebrow. “You’re never tired,” he said, a teasing edge to his voice. “You’re usually bouncing off the walls.”Sakuya, who was standing a little too stiffly in Sion’s spot, quickly intervened. “He’s just… had a rough night. We both did.”Yushi, standing off to the side with his usual calm demeaner, gave them a long look, as if sensing something was off but choosing not to press. Jaehee, on the other hand, wasn’t as subtle.“You two are acting weird today,” he said bluntly, crossing his arms. “What’s going on?”“Nothing!” Sakuya and Sion blurted out at the same time, their voices overlapping in an awkward chorus.Jaehee narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it, but he let it go for now. As practice dragged on, it became clear that Sakuya and Sion were struggling to keep up the act. Every movement felt wrong, every interaction stilted. By the time they finished, both of them were drenched in sweat and completely exhausted.As soon as they were back in the privacy of the dressing room, Sakuya collapsed onto the couch, groaning. “This is impossible.”Sion sat down next to him, equally frustrated. “We can’t keep this up. We have to fix this before someone figures out what’s going on.”Sakuya nodded, rubbing his temples. “I know. But how? We have no idea how this even happened.”Sion stared at his reflection in the mirror, Sakuya’s face looking back at him. “There has to be a reason for this. Maybe it’s some kind of… test? Or fate? I don’t know.”Sakuya shot him a look. “A test? From who?”“I don’t know!” Sion said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “But we need to figure it out before we drive ourselves and everyone else crazy.”Sakuya sighed, leaning back against the couch. “I guess we’re just going to have to figure it out together.”Sion smiled faintly, though it was still strange to see his own face smiling back at him.For now, that was all they had—their friendship, their trust, and the hope that somehow, they’d find a way back to their own bodies.-Back at the dorms, Sakuya paced around Sion’s room, his anxiety spiralling. He couldn’t stop thinking about the mess of the day. Pretending to be Sion during practice had been bad enough, but now they were back in the dorm, and the other members were bound to notice more if he kept messing things up. He had to act like Sion even when he didn’t know all the little details of his life.Just as he was about to flop onto Sion’s bed and collect his thoughts, the door opened.Riku stepped in without knocking, which didn’t seem all that strange—Sion and Riku had always been close. But the way Riku moved felt… different. He smiled warmly, and before Sakuya could say anything, Riku casually draped an arm around his shoulders, leaning in closer.“Hey,” Riku said, his voice soft and affectionate, “you seemed a little off today. Everything okay?”Sakuya stiffened. His heart raced, but he tried to stay calm, playing along. “Y-Yeah,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “Just tired, I guess.”Riku gave him a look, eyes filled with concern. “You don’t have to hide it from me, you know.” His hand moved gently down Sakuya’s arm, the touch intimate in a way that sent alarms blaring in Sakuya’s mind. Riku was never this touchy with him, or at least, not in the way he was being with Sion right now.Sakuya’s thoughts were spinning as Riku leaned closer, his head resting on Sakuya’s shoulder. It felt natural to Riku, but to Sakuya, it was like walking into a scene he was never supposed to see. His pulse quickened. Riku’s touch wasn’t just friendly; it was affectionate, even possessive.Suddenly, it clicked. The way Riku was acting, the way he seemed so at ease with touching Sion’s body, the unspoken closeness between them. They were dating. Sion and Riku had to be in a relationship—there was no other explanation for this level of intimacy. Sakuya’s stomach twisted. How had he never noticed before?Riku pulled back slightly, his hand still resting on Sakuya’s shoulder. He looked up at him, his eyes softening as he studied what he thought was his boyfriend’s face. “If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me. I’m here for you.”Sakuya swallowed hard, forcing a smile he hoped looked convincing. He couldn’t let Riku catch on. “Thanks,” he managed to say, his voice quieter now. “I appreciate it.”Riku’s smile widened, and before Sakuya could react, he leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.Sakuya’s heart practically stopped. He froze, his brain short-circuiting as Riku pulled away like it was the most normal thing in the world. To him, it probably was. But to Sakuya, it was the most surreal, awkward, and confusing moment of his life.Riku stood up, stretching casually as he glanced toward the door. “I’ll leave you to rest for a bit, but I’ll be back later, okay?” He gave a small, affectionate pat on Sakuya’s knee before heading for the door. “Don’t overthink things, Hyung. You always do.”As the door closed behind him, Sakuya collapsed back onto the bed, burying his face in his hands.“Oh my god,” he whispered to himself. His mind was racing, the realisation crashing down on him like a tidal wave. Sion and Riku were dating, and he had no idea. How long had this been going on? How had he never picked up on it? And how was he supposed to keep pretending to be Sion now that he knew?His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of it all. This whole body-switching thing was already a nightmare, but now he was tangled up in Sion’s personal life in ways he hadn’t even imagined. And on top of that, he’d just been kissed by Riku.Sakuya groaned, covering his face with a pillow. “I’m so dead.”He had no idea how he was going to get through this without everything blowing up in their faces. But one thing was clear: he needed to talk to Sion. Now.Sion was pacing in Sakuya’s room looking equally as stressed as him when Sakuya barged in. He glanced up, relief flashing in his eyes, though seeing his own face come through the door still felt beyond strange.“Sion,” Sakuya said urgently, closing the door behind him, “I need to talk to you. Now.”Sion frowned. “What happened? Did someone figure it out?”Sakuya ran a hand through his hair, still trying to process everything. “No, but… I just found out something kind of important.”Sion raised an eyebrow, confused. “What do you mean?”Sakuya took a deep breath. “You and Riku… you’re dating, aren’t you?”Sion’s eyes widened, and his face,Sakuya’s face, flushed bright red. “How did you…?”“Riku came into your room,” Sakuya explained, his voice low but frantic. “He was being really… touchy. And then he kissed me. Well, kissed you. On the cheek. But still.”Sion groaned, his hands flying up to cover his face. “Oh god, this is so embarrassing.”Sakuya stared at him in disbelief. “Embarrassing? I just found out you’ve been dating one of our bandmates! And I had to pretend to be you while he acted all… couple-y!”Sion dropped his hands, his expression sheepish. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this. We were going to tell you guys soon, but…”“But what?” Sakuya demanded, still reeling from the revelation.Sion sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We didn’t want to make things awkward for the group. You know how close we all are. We were trying to figure out the right time to tell everyone.”Sakuya shook his head, pacing back and forth. “Well, now I know. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep this up! He thinks I’m you! What if he tries to kiss me again? Or worse?”Sion’s face went pale. “Oh god. He might.”They stared at each other, the weight of the situation sinking in.“This is bad,” Sakuya muttered.“Really bad,” Sion agreed.Sakuya took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “We need to figure out how to fix this. Fast. Before something happens that we can’t take back.”Sion nodded, his expression serious. “Agreed. But until then, we’re going to have to be careful. No one else can know about this. Especially not Riku.”Sakuya groaned, leaning against the door. “This is the worst day of my life.”Sion gave him a sympathetic look. “It’s definitely up there for me too.”And with that, the two of them sat down, trying to come up with a plan because the longer this went on, the more complicated things were going to get.-The next day at practice, Sakuya did his best to avoid Riku without making it too obvious. It wasn’t easy. Riku had a habit of sticking close to Sion, always finding little moments to brush hands or exchange private smiles. But Sakuya wasn’t ready for any of that. Every time Riku tried to get near him, Sakuya would find an excuse to move, reposition himself, or pretend to focus on something else.By the time they were halfway through their choreography, Sakuya was exhausted. He wasn’t used to the strength needed for Sion’s moves, and his muscles were burning. When their dance instructor finally called for a short break, Sakuya flopped onto the ground, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath, grateful for a moment of peace.That was when he felt a small poke at the back of his thigh.“Hey, what’s that?” Yushi’s voice broke through his daze. His tone was curious but casual, like he had just stumbled upon something interesting.Sakuya frowned and turned his head to look at Yushi, who was crouched beside him, poking his leg again. “What are you talking about?” Sakuya asked, confused.Yushi pointed at the back of Sakuya’s thigh, near the hem of his shorts. “That. There’s a mark or something.”Sakuya sat up, twisting around to get a better look. At first, he didn’t see anything unusual, but then his eyes caught it—a faint but unmistakable mark on Sion’s thigh, just under the skin. It looked like a small, almost tattoo-like symbol, with the number four clearly printed inside a circle.Sakuya’s eyes widened in shock. “What the…?”His mind raced. A mark? With a number? That wasn’t there before. But as he stared at it, something clicked. His heart started pounding.Could it be a timer?Suddenly, it all made sense. The strange body swap, the fact that there had to be some kind of reason behind it—this mark, this number four, must be counting down the time until he and Sion would switch back.Yushi raised an eyebrow, watching Sakuya closely. “You didn’t know that was there?”Sakuya shook his head, still in disbelief. “No. I… I’ve never seen it before.”Yushi’s curiosity seemed to grow, but before he could ask anything more, Riku walked over, his expression softening when he saw Sakuya, well, Sion, on the ground.“You alright?” Riku asked, crouching down next to him and placing a hand on Sakuya’s shoulder. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”Sakuya tensed up, his pulse quickening. He shot Yushi a quick glance, grateful that the other boy didn’t push the mark topic any further for now. Instead, Yushi gave him a puzzled look but shrugged it off, standing up and wandering over to the water cooler.“I’m fine,” Sakuya mumbled, trying to act normal despite the weirdness of the situation. “Just… tired.”Riku smiled, his hand lingering on Sakuya’s shoulder for a moment longer before he stood up. “Don’t push yourself too hard. I know you like to pretend you’re invincible, but you need rest too.”Sakuya forced a small smile, nodding. “Yeah… thanks.”As Riku walked away, Sakuya let out a long breath. He glanced down at the mark on his thigh again, his thoughts swirling. If this was a timer, did that mean he only had four more days left in Sion’s body? Would it reset after a day, or would the number decrease?He needed to talk to Sion as soon as practice was over. They had to figure out what this mark meant—and fast.As soon as practice ended, Sakuya and Sion found a quiet corner of the dorms where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Sion had been struggling just as much as Sakuya during the day, trying to keep up with Sakuya’s energy and interactions with the others. They were both mentally and physically exhausted.“Alright, so what’s this about a mark?” Sion asked, frowning as he listened to Sakuya explain.Sakuya pulled up the hem of his shorts, showing Sion the faint circle with the number four on his thigh. “It’s right here,” he said, pointing to it. “I think it’s a timer. Maybe it’s counting down how long we’re going to stay in each other’s bodies.”Sion leaned in, studying the mark closely. His face twisted in confusion. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”“Neither have I,” Sakuya admitted. “But it’s not a coincidence. I woke up in your body yesterday, and today there’s a number on my leg. It has to mean something.”Sion stared at the mark for a moment longer, then stood up, pacing back and forth as he processed everything. “So… you think we only have four days left like this?”“I think so,” Sakuya replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “Unless something changes, that’s my best guess.”Sion stopped pacing, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, that’s a relief. At least we know there’s an end to this.”“Yeah, but what if something goes wrong? What if we don’t switch back after the timer runs out?” Sakuya asked, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at him all day.Sion shook his head, trying to stay calm. “Let’s not think like that. We’ll switch back. We have to.”Sakuya sighed, leaning back against the wall. “I hope you’re right.”They stood in silence for a moment, both of them processing the bizarre situation they were in. Four days. That was their countdown. Four days to survive without anyone else finding out, without causing too much chaos in each other’s lives.Four days to hope everything would go back to normal.“I guess we just… wait,” Sakuya said finally, his voice heavy with uncertainty.Sion nodded. “Yeah. And in the meantime… we’ve got to make sure we don’t mess things up any more than we already have.”-The next day, despite Sion’s hopeful words, things started to unravel fast.Sakuya, still stuck in Sion’s body, woke up feeling tense. After the discovery of the timer on his thigh, he thought he had a handle on things. Four days. That’s what he had to survive. But Sion’s life was more complicated than he’d realised, and things were about to get messy.Practice started early, and from the moment they arrived at the studio, Sakuya felt a sense of unease. Riku had been unusually quiet since yesterday, and though Sakuya was relieved that he wasn’t being overly affectionate, the silence felt worse. Almost like Riku was… distant.“Is something wrong?” Sakuya asked, trying to sound casual as they stretched before practice.Riku glanced at him, his expression guarded. “No, everything’s fine.”But the look in Riku’s eyes said otherwise. Sakuya could feel the tension radiating off of him. He wanted to ask more, to dig deeper, but he didn’t know how to navigate this situation. Pretending to be Sion wasn’t just physically exhausting, it was emotionally draining too. And he was starting to worry he was missing something important.As practice continued, Sakuya noticed that Yushi and Riku kept exchanging glances. Sion, in Sakuya’s body, was doing his best to keep up with the choreography, but it was clear that he was struggling. His moves were slightly off, his usual fluidity replaced with awkwardness. The other members seemed to notice too, especially Jaehee, who was watching him with concern.By the time they took a break, Sion was visibly exhausted. He dropped onto the floor next to Sakuya, wiping the sweat from his brow.“You okay?” Sakuya asked, trying to hide his own frustration.Sion shook his head, muttering, “I’m not used to this. I didn’t realise how much energy you put into everything.”Sakuya chuckled, despite the stress. “Welcome to my world.”But before they could say anything more, Yushi approached them, looking unusually serious. He crouched down beside Sakuya and, with a quick glance at Sion, said, “We need to talk.”Sakuya’s heart skipped a beat. “About what?”Yushi hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Riku, who was standing on the other side of the room, talking to Jaehee. Then, in a low voice, he said, “Riku’s been acting weird around you. He thinks something’s up.”Sakuya’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”Yushi’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice careful. “He said you’ve been distant. He’s worried something’s changed between you two.”Sakuya tried to keep his face neutral, but inside, panic was bubbling up. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. Riku had sensed something was off, and now he was pulling away. “I’ve just been tired. That’s all.”Yushi didn’t look convinced. He glanced at Sion, who was still sitting quietly beside them, then back at Sakuya. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but Riku’s been acting strange all day. I think you should talk to him before this gets worse.”Sakuya nodded, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. “Yeah… I will.”But even as he said it, he wasn’t sure how he was going to fix this.Later, after practice, Sakuya decided to confront Riku. They were back at the dorms, and Riku had retreated to the kitchen, making tea like he always did when he was stressed. Sakuya followed him, his mind racing with what to say. He couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine, not when Riku was clearly starting to suspect something.“Riku,” Sakuya said as he entered the kitchen. Riku glanced up, his eyes guarded again, and Sakuya took a deep breath. “We need to talk.”Riku set down the teapot, crossing his arms over his chest. “About what?”Sakuya hesitated, trying to think of how to phrase this without making things worse. “You’ve been distant today. Is everything okay?”Riku stared at him for a moment, his gaze searching. “You’re asking me if everything’s okay? You’ve been the one acting off. You’re not yourself, and I don’t know why.”Sakuya’s heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t know how to explain this without blowing their cover. “I’ve just been tired,” he repeated, but even he could hear how unconvincing it sounded.Riku shook his head, his frustration evident. “It’s more than that. You’re… different. You’re pulling away from me, and I don’t understand why.”Sakuya felt the pressure building, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. He had no idea how to handle this. “I’m not pulling away,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I just… need some space.”Riku’s face fell, the hurt evident in his eyes. “Space? Since when do you need space from me?”Before Sakuya could answer, the door to the kitchen opened, and Yushi walked in, his eyes flicking between the two of them. He could feel the tension in the air, but instead of backing off, he stepped closer to Sakuya, his expression serious.“Sion,” Yushi said, his voice low. “I need to show you something.”Sakuya blinked, confused. “What?”Yushi leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s about the mark.”Sakuya’s eyes widened. He glanced at Riku, who was watching them with suspicion, then back at Yushi. “What do you mean?”Yushi shot Riku an apologetic look before motioning for Sakuya to follow him out of the room. Reluctantly, Sakuya nodded, his heart pounding as he excused himself from Riku and trailed after Yushi.As soon as they were alone in the hallway, Yushi turned to face him, his expression tense. “There’s something you need to see. I don’t know what’s going on with you lately, but I noticed something strange.”Sakuya’s heart raced. “What did you notice?”Yushi hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone. He showed Sakuya a picture he’d taken earlier that day of Sion’s leg, the same leg where the timer mark had appeared. But this time, the mark was different.Instead of a number four, it now read three.Sakuya’s blood ran cold. This confirmed his and Sion’s suspicions that the timer was counting down.“I don’t know what this is,” Yushi said quietly, his eyes full of confusion and concern, “but something weird is happening. And I think you know more than you’re letting on.”Sakuya’s mind was spinning. The number was changing, just like he’d feared, but now Yushi had noticed. And if Yushi was suspicious, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the group found out.He had assumed he could handle this quietly, but now it wasn’t just about switching back, others were starting to notice, and if Yushi had figured something out, it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the group did too. Especially Riku.“I…” Sakuya began, unsure of what to say. He had no explanation for this, nothing that wouldn’t make him sound insane. “It’s… complicated.”Yushi raised an eyebrow, his expression serious. “Complicated how? You’ve been acting strange for the past couple of days, and now this? Sion, I’ve known you for years. Something is wrong. You’re not telling me everything.”Sakuya swallowed, feeling the weight of the secret between them. He couldn’t keep this going for much longer, but telling Yushi the truth, that he wasn’t Sion, seemed too risky. No one would believe it. Would they?Before he could respond, they heard footsteps approaching. It was Sion, in Sakuya’s body, looking equally tired and anxious. He must have sensed that something was going on because his eyes flickered between Sakuya and Yushi, worry evident on his face.“Hey, what’s going on?” Sion asked, his voice a little breathless, probably from rushing over.Yushi turned to Sion, still holding his phone with the photo of the timer. “Look at this,” he said, showing Sion the picture. “Do you know what this is?”Sion’s eyes widened as he saw the mark, the same one on the body he was currently inhabiting. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, clearly struggling to come up with an answer that wouldn’t make things worse.“It’s… hard to explain,” Sion finally muttered, echoing Sakuya’s earlier sentiment.Yushi’s gaze sharpened. “Hard to explain? Both of you are acting weird, and now there’s this mysterious mark with a number that’s changing. What are you two hiding? Because this doesn’t feel normal.”Sakuya felt a growing sense of panic. Yushi was sharp, and if he kept pushing, he might figure out more than Sakuya was ready to admit. He glanced at Sion, silently pleading for some kind of direction. They needed to get Yushi off their backs, at least for now.“Yushi,” Sakuya began carefully, “I swear, we’ll explain everything. But right now, we just… need a little time to sort it out ourselves. Please. Just trust us.”Yushi looked between the two of them, suspicion lingering in his eyes. “You better sort it out soon,” he warned, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Because if Riku finds out something’s wrong, it’s not going to be pretty. He’s already worried.”Sakuya winced. The last thing he needed was Riku getting more involved, especially since Riku thought he was acting distant. The awkward tension between them was already bad enough.Yushi sighed, his frustration evident. “I’m giving you both the benefit of the doubt because we’re friends. But if something happens, I’m stepping in.” With that, he turned and walked down the hallway, leaving Sakuya and Sion alone.Once Yushi was out of sight, Sakuya let out a shaky breath. “That was close,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.Sion nodded, his face pale. “Too close. What are we going to do? We can’t keep lying to them.”Sakuya sighed, leaning back against the wall. “I don’t know. We just have to hope that timer really is counting down to when we switch back. Three more days… we have to make it three more days.”-Sion had never felt more out of place in his own body, or rather, in Sakuya’s body. Every movement, every glance, every conversation felt like a precarious balancing act. And now, on top of everything, Yushi had grown suspicious. The timer on his thigh was ticking down, and three days seemed like an eternity.After that tense conversation with Yushi, Sion kept his head down and focused on practice. He did his best to match Sakuya’s usual energy and style, but it was exhausting. He wasn’t used to dancing with the same fluidity, the sharpness, the specific rhythm that Sakuya naturally embodied. He could feel eyes on him, watching for any slip-ups.And then, of course, there was Ryo.Ryo was sharp. Too sharp.Sion had always admired that about him—how observant he was, how he could pick up on even the smallest details without saying much. But now, in the middle of this mess, Ryo’s quiet scrutiny was becoming a problem.It started subtle at first. During their water break, Sion noticed Ryo glancing at him, his brow furrowed like he was piecing something together. Ryo didn’t say anything, just gave him a long, assessing look, then went back to talking to Yushi and Jaehee. But the look stuck with Sion, making him feel even more out of place.After practice, as they packed up to leave the studio, Ryo sidled up to Sion, offering a casual smile.“You okay, Sakuya?” Ryo asked, his tone light, but his eyes were probing. “You’ve been a bit off today.”Sion froze for half a second, then forced a laugh. “Just tired, I guess. Didn’t sleep well last night.”Ryo didn’t buy it. Sion could tell from the slight narrowing of his eyes, the way he nodded but didn’t look convinced. Ryo wasn’t the type to press, but his silence was loud. Sion could feel the questions bubbling beneath the surface.They walked back to the dorms together, Ryo sticking close. He didn’t say much, but every now and then, he’d glance at Sion as if waiting for him to slip up. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Sion could feel himself sweating under the pressure.Once they arrived back at the dorms, Sion made a beeline for his room—well, Sakuya’s room. He needed space to think, to breathe. But before he could make it to the door, Ryo called out after him.“Sakuya,” Ryo said, his voice quiet but firm. “Can we talk for a sec?”Sion turned, trying to keep his expression neutral, though his pulse was racing. “Sure, what’s up?”Ryo stepped closer, his gaze steady, unflinching. “You’ve been acting strange lately,” he said, no longer bothering to sugarcoat it. “You’re quieter. You don’t move the same way when you dance. Even your rhythm’s off. It’s like… you’re someone else.”Sion’s stomach dropped. Ryo was sharper than he’d realized.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sion said quickly, trying to sound casual, but he could hear the edge of panic in his own voice.Ryo just stared at him, his silence heavy. He wasn’t buying it. Sion felt trapped, unsure of how to navigate this. He couldn’t tell Ryo the truth—it sounded ridiculous even to him—but he couldn’t keep pretending either. Not when Ryo was already this suspicious.“Look,” Sion finally said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “I’ve just been stressed lately. There’s a lot going on with practice and… other stuff.” He waved vaguely, hoping Ryo would drop it.Ryo raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Sakuya, we’ve known each other for years. I know when something’s bothering you. And this… this isn’t just stress.”Sion clenched his fists, feeling the walls closing in. He didn’t know what to say, how to deflect. The timer was counting down, and Ryo was on the verge of figuring everything out. If he pushed any further…Before Sion could respond, Riku walked into the room, breaking the tension for a moment. Riku looked between them, his gaze lingering on Sion for a second longer than usual. There was an awkwardness between them ever since he and Sakuya switched, and it didn’t help that Riku clearly wasn’t buying Sakuya’s “I’m just tired” excuse either.“Everything okay?” Riku asked, his tone cautious.“Yeah, we’re good,” Sion lied, forcing a smile. “Just talking about practice.”Ryo didn’t say anything, but Sion could feel his eyes on him, studying him. He knew Ryo wouldn’t let this go easily. Not now.After a few more moments of uncomfortable silence, Ryo finally nodded, though Sion could tell he wasn’t done with his questioning. “Alright,” Ryo said, his voice neutral. “If you say so.”As Ryo walked away, Sion let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. But the relief was short-lived. He knew this wasn’t over. Ryo wasn’t the type to let things slide. He’d keep watching, keep questioning, until he got to the bottom of it.Sion retreated to Sakuya’s room, closing the door behind him and sinking down onto the bed. His heart was still pounding from the close call. He had to be more careful. If Ryo figured out the truth—or if Riku, Yushi, or any of the others did—it would be a disaster. He couldn’t let that happen.His eyes flicked down to his thigh, where the mark with the number three was still faintly visible under his clothes. Three days left. He had to survive three more days without blowing their cover. But with Ryo already suspicious and Yushi close behind, those three days were starting to feel like an eternity.Sion lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing. How was he going to make it through this without everything falling apart?