Chapter 8 – The Weight of Silence
"Behind the Gold: AUREUS Unfiltered" – Episode 1 (Continued)
📺 Live Viewers: 17.4 million and climbing.
HOST JEON MIRA stands still this time—no playful twirls, no cheeky smirk. Her voice dips into something softer as she draws the next card from her gold-trimmed cue stack.
Jeon Mira:
"We're halfway through the questions… Let's shift the tone just a bit."
[She looks up, eyes scanning the seven idols seated before her.]
"Question five: What is your biggest regret?"
The stage dims ever so slightly. The glimmering lights recede into softer hues, casting long shadows across the golden floor beneath the group's chairs. There's a palpable stillness—a quiet reverence—as the weight of the question lingers.
The camera begins to move slowly, panning across each member's face. Every blink, twitch, and breath feels exaggerated under the silence.
Minjae(first to speak, his voice softer than usual):
"I regret not being there when my sister got into college. I was in Japan on schedule. She called crying. I couldn't even hug her."
The crowd hums with soft sympathy. Live chat bubbles flood the lower half of the screen.
@lemonzhuu:
bro this is too real I'm crying already
@aur_luvline:
MINJAE IS THE BEST BROTHER 😭😭😭
Hyunwoo(thoughtful, as always):
"When we debuted, I hid a leg injury for weeks. I thought I could manage it on my own. Instead… I made it worse and nearly lost a choreography spot."
He gives a rueful smile.
"That pride cost me more than I realized."
Jisung(his voice trembling slightly):
"I regret not telling the members sooner when I had anxiety attacks. I was scared they'd think I wasn't cut out for this."
Sori reaches over and pats his shoulder silently. Jisung nods in thanks, jaw clenched.
@aureusmuse:
jisung 😭 baby u didn't deserve to go through that alone
Taeyang(arms crossed, half-smile faltering):
"My regret? Letting my father's words define me for too long. He once said music was a waste of time. I believed him for years."
The audience murmurs.
@taes_ownsunlight:
who else wants to hug taeyang rn
Rin(leaning forward, voice low):
"I once rejected a song submission from a trainee because I thought it wasn't 'marketable.' That song debuted two years later… under someone else… and went viral."
He breathes in deep.
"I still remember the look on the kid's face when I told him no."
Sori(flat, unapologetically honest):
"I regret trusting a former producer who later tried to steal my demo. He didn't get away with it. But I still lost trust… in a lot of people."
The camera pans to Jaeheon.
Still. Unmoved. Yet something—subtle—changes in the air.
There's no twitch of his lip, no flash in his gaze, but the silence around him feels louder now.
Jeon Mira(gently):
"And you, Jaeheon…?"
A few seconds tick by.
He speaks without looking up.
Voice low. Composed. Not heavy, not light. Just—controlled.
Jaeheon:
"Not having the courage… to speak when it mattered."
A pause.
"That's my regret."
The words hang there. Deceptively simple.
But everyone in the studio knows—they're not empty.
Taeyang lifts his gaze from the floor.
Sori leans in slightly.
Jisung's eyebrows crease.
Rin doesn't blink.
Hyunwoo's eyes flick sideways.
Minjae's fingers still against his mic.
The host speaks, her voice cautious:
Jeon Mira:
"…Speak to whom?"
Jaeheon lifts his eyes. Calm. Steady. Unreadable.
Jaeheon:
"To someone I cared about."
Jeon Mira (pressing just slightly):
"You mentioned earlier… that there's someone you love. Is this about her?"
He says nothing for a moment.
Then, with the barest shift of his expression—a movement almost invisible to most—he responds.
Jaeheon:
"She's not someone from this industry. And she never will be."
[His voice sharpens slightly—not cold, but final.]
"I have no intention of turning my feelings into spectacle. You asked about regret. That was mine. The rest doesn't belong on camera."
The live chat goes insane.
@paintedskies:
"she's not from this industry" THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
@echoedgold:
bro. jaeheon just closed that chapter like a locked book
@silhouettesofyou:
HE'S STILL IN LOVE WITH HER I JUST KNOW IT
[CUT TO – MEDIA ARTICLES FLOODING IN]
BuzzKStar | Breaking:
AUREUS' Jaeheon Silences Romance Questions with Mysterious Statement: "She's Not From This Industry"
Netizens scramble to uncover the identity of the mystery woman who holds the cold idol's heart.
StarLoom Dispatch:
"No Intention of Turning My Feelings Into Spectacle" – Jaeheon Leaves Viewers Speechless
[FAN POST – @gildedtruth]
Title: What Jaeheon Didn't Say
He didn't deny loving her still. He didn't say it was over. He didn't even say she knew. What kind of person carries a love that quiet… for that long?
As Jeon Mira pulls the show forward to Question 6, the audience is still stunned, the members silent, and the air heavier than before.
But Jaeheon, sitting alone in the spotlight, is unmoved.
Still cold. Still elegant.
But for those watching closely…
That regret wasn't just regret.
It was a secret wrapped in silence.
And he intends to keep it that way.