Chapter 45 – The Stardust Test
Behind the Gold: AUREUS Unfiltered – Episode 5 Begins
Theme: Trust, Secrets, and Anonymous Truths
Live Global Viewership: 961,384,771
Hashtags: #AUREUSUnfilteredEp5 #AnonymousLetters #JaeheonsQueen
The episode opens in silence.
No music, no cheers—just the soft breath of the studio lights and the faint shimmer of silver thread woven into the dark velvet set. The camera lingers on the members of AUREUS, seated in a crescent on the floor, their expressions unreadable.
At the center of them: a black velvet box.
Host Jeon Mira sits quietly behind her cue cards. Even her usual bright tone is gone.
Jeon Mira:
"Tonight's theme is trust. And truth."
She pauses, eyes flicking toward the box.
Jeon Mira (softly):
"Each member wrote a letter. One page. One truth. No names. It could be for someone here, or about someone here. No one will know who wrote what. No one is allowed to confess or deny. The only rule… is honesty."
No flashy effects. No fanfare.
Only seven envelopes. Seven truths. And one lingering shadow none of them speak of.
Letter 1 – Drawn by Rin
Rin opens the envelope with a small smile—but there's a tightness around his mouth.
"You act like it's all fine.
But we all saw when it wasn't.
And we didn't say anything.
I should have. I'm sorry."
Rin exhales.
Rin:
"…Hyunjae."
Hyunjae meets his gaze. Doesn't nod. Doesn't smile. But something in his expression softens.
Letter 2 – Drawn by Eunjae
Eunjae pulls out his letter and reads without hesitation.
"I used to think you didn't care about us.
But now I know—
You care more than any of us.
You just don't know how to show it."
Eunjae (quietly):
"…Jaeheon."
Jaeheon doesn't react. He simply blinks, once, slowly.
But for a split second—Yeonwoo, sitting next to him, sees the way his jaw tightens.
Letter 3 – Drawn by Minjae
"You think you're ordinary.
But you're the reason I stayed.
You have no idea how much your voice meant on the worst days."
Minjae pauses.
Minjae:
"…Rin?"
Rin tilts his head. Smirks. Says nothing.
Letter 4 – Drawn by Hyunjae
Hyunjae unfolds the paper with care, reading each word like it's heavier than it should be.
"You pretend she doesn't exist when we're around.
But we see it.
In your silence.
In your songs.
In the way you look at empty spaces, like she might walk in."
There is no name.
But everyone knows who it's about.
Not who she is.
Only what she is to him.
Someone impossible.
A queen no one can name.
A ghost made of gold and power and beauty too untouchable for this world.
Hyunjae (softly):
"…You never said her name. But you didn't need to."
Jaeheon doesn't respond. He doesn't flinch. But he's no longer looking at anyone. Just the floor.
Letter 5 – Drawn by Yeonwoo
"I've heard your songs.
The ones you haven't released.
They're all about her, aren't they?
She doesn't even know.
And still, you write like she's the sun."
Yeonwoo looks at Jaeheon. Gently. Not accusingly.
Yeonwoo:
"…She must be someone extraordinary."
Jaeheon still doesn't speak.
He doesn't nod. Doesn't blink. But in the silence between them, his stillness feels louder than words.
Letter 6 – Drawn by Jaeheon
He takes the envelope without hesitation.
When he reads, his voice is steady—flat, even. But the words are heavy.
"You will never have her.
You know this.
And still, you wake up hoping.
That maybe one day… she'll look back."
A beat of silence.
Jaeheon:
"…For myself."
The words are quiet.
But the truth is deafening.
Letter 7 – Drawn by Jeon Mira
"She's not someone you win.
She's someone you kneel to.
And you—
You're the only one I've seen who doesn't fear her.
You love her.
That's what makes you dangerous."
The host sets the paper down slowly.
The room is hushed.
The fandom explodes.
LIVE FAN REACTIONS:
@veritas_wing:
"Jaeheon writing songs for a woman too powerful for this world, who doesn't even KNOW—this is the most tragic, beautiful thing I've ever heard."
@aureusarchives:
"The way they treat her like a myth. She's not a girl. She's an empire."
INTERNAL MEMBER THOUGHTS (Short POVs):
Hyunjae:
I don't know who she is. But I know this—Jaeheon has never looked at anyone else like that.
Yeonwoo:
It's not just love. It's devotion. Worship. And it's quiet because it hurts.
Eunjae:
He never told us. He never needed to. We felt it before we even knew there was someone to feel it for.
EPISODE 5 ENDS.
"The letters that were never meant to be heard became echoes too loud to ignore."