Chapter 11 – "A Lie You're Proud Of"
LIVE BROADCAST – "Behind the Gold: AUREUS Unfiltered" – Episode 1 (Continued)
Current Viewership: 24.1 million
Golden studio lights dim subtly, drawing attention back to the host seated on her throne-like chair. She holds up card number five with a mischievous grin and mock suspense.
Host Jeon Mira:
"Next question, and this one's a little dangerous:
'What's a lie you've told… that you're actually proud of?'"
She raises an eyebrow dramatically.
The audience buzzes with anticipation.
LIVE CHAT
@truthordarequeen: OH THIS IS GONNA BE MESSY
@aureus7xgold: I just know Minjae's gonna overshare again 💀
@paintedconstellations: what if Jaeheon says his existence is the lie 😭
Minjae sits up straight, ready.
Minjae:
"Oh, I've got one! During our rookie days, I convinced a rookie stylist that I was allergic to glitter."
He laughs.
"She stopped giving me sparkle eyeliner for a year."
Taeyang (mock betrayal):
"That's why I was the only one with glitter on our debut stage??"
Minjae:
"Guilty and fabulous."
Audience erupts in laughter.
Hyunwoo thinks for a second, then shrugs.
Hyunwoo:
"I told my parents I liked finance so they'd stop worrying about me becoming an idol."
He chuckles softly.
"I don't regret it. But it was a lie."
@hyunwooztruth: THAT'S SO REAL
@quietstormhw: parents everywhere taking notes rn 💀
Jisung hesitates, clearly nervous.
Jisung:
"I… I told the other trainees I'd already performed on big stages. I hadn't. I just didn't want to seem small."
Rin (softly):
"You weren't small."
Taeyang:
"You still aren't."
Sori smiles lazily.
Sori:
"I told a senior producer I hated ballads so they wouldn't ask me to sing the chorus. But I secretly loved the song."
His smirk lingers.
"He gave me the bridge instead. I owned it."
Rin leans back, arms crossed.
Rin:
"During a press tour last year, I told a nosy reporter that I have a girlfriend overseas."
He grins.
"Just so they'd stop digging into my phone wallpaper."
Jeon Mira:
"Wait—so who was the wallpaper?"
Rin (deadpan):
"My cat."
Now all eyes turn to Jaeheon, again seated in the center, hands folded over one knee. The weight of silence lands heavier this time—after the last question, the audience doesn't know what to expect.
Jeon Mira (gently):
"Jaeheon? What's a lie you've told that you're proud of?"
The camera zooms slowly.
His jaw tightens. A beat passes. Then:
Jaeheon (coldly, eyes fixed ahead):
"That I don't feel anything."
The room goes silent.
A few members shift uncomfortably.
Jaeheon (calmly):
"When interviewers ask how I stay composed, or how I deal with pressure… I tell them it doesn't affect me."
Another pause.
Jaeheon:
"It does. Of course it does. I just don't show it."
Host Jeon Mira (softly):
"That sounds… heavy to carry."
He doesn't reply.
Rin (quietly):
"It's not a lie if the world believes it."
Sori (under breath):
"And if he starts believing it himself."
LIVE CHAT GOES STILL FOR A MOMENT
@jaeheonismystery: "I don't feel anything." 😭😭😭
@heartsonmute: bro that was colder than winter
@whoisshe_99: Jaeheon's whole existence is like poetry in reverse
[BACKSTAGE – PRODUCER ROOM]
"Jesus. He's too calm. That's scarier than someone who cries."
Ratings spike again – 25 million viewers.
[MEDIA BUZZ – ARTICLE DROP]
Headline – StarChronicle: "AUREUS' Jaeheon: 'The Lie I'm Proud Of? Saying I Don't Feel Anything.'"
"The coldest member of AUREUS drops yet another haunting line during Behind the Gold. Fans reel after his brutally honest confession."
[FAN POV – @moonblindmelody]
"I don't know who Jaeheon loves, but I know she's the reason he can still write, still breathe. A hundred songs for someone, and a lie to protect them both."
[IN-STUDIO – HOST RECAPS]
Jeon Mira (standing now):
"Well, from sparkly eyeliner to emotional confessions, Question 5 has officially left us reeling."
She fans herself jokingly.
"Still five more to go! We're only halfway through—and trust me, the next ones are even more unfiltered."