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Cortis x illit

The Maknae’s Great Escape

The sun had barely begun to peek over the glass skyscrapers of Seoul when Iroha crept out of her bedroom, her sneakers clutched in one hand and a small, handheld camera in the other. At 5:00 AM, the dorm was a fortress of silence, punctuated only by the rhythmic snoring coming from the boys' wing.

She paused outside Martin and James’s door, holding her breath. If Martin, with his leader-instincts, or James, with his fatherly radar, caught her now, the mission would be over before it began. She reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a small mission card provided by the "Eclipse Family" production team.

*Mission 1: Escape the Dorm undetected. Reward: One 'Free Pass' from James’s extra stretching sessions.*

Iroha giggled silently, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She pressed the 'record' button on her camera and whispered to the lens, "I am currently sneaking out. The giants are sleeping. If I make it to the elevator, I win."

She scurried down the hallway, her 5’0” frame making her look like a little shadow. She reached the front door, slid into her shoes, and slipped out just as the faint sound of Martin’s alarm clock began to beep in the distance.

Once inside the safety of the elevator, she let out a celebratory squeak. "Mission one, complete! Today, I am filming 'Iroha’s Secret Day Out.' I have five missions to complete across the city. The members think I’m at a solo photoshoot that doesn't start until noon. I have six hours to be a secret agent."

Her second mission card was tucked into her phone case.

*Mission 2: Visit the group’s favorite bakery and secure five 'Eclipse Cupcakes' without being recognized by fans or staff.*

Iroha pulled her mask up to the bridge of her nose and tugged her bucket hat down until only her eyes were visible. She looked like a very small, very stylish spy.

The bakery was located in a quiet corner of Mapo-gu. It was a place the boys frequented often, mostly to buy Iroha the strawberry tarts she loved. As she stepped inside, the bell chimed, and she froze. At the counter stood a group of teenage girls wearing Eclipse hoodies.

"Did you see the clip of Juhoon-oppa carrying Iroha’s bag at the airport?" one girl squealed. "He’s so protective!"

Iroha ducked her head, her heart hammering against her ribs. She moved toward the back of the store, blending in with the bread racks. When the girls finally left, she darted to the counter.

"Five Eclipse cupcakes, please," she whispered, disguising her voice by making it a bit deeper.

The baker looked at her, squinting. "You look familiar. Are you...?"

"I’m a student!" Iroha blurted out, bowing quickly. "I’m just very short! Please, the cupcakes!"

The baker laughed, boxing up the treats. "Alright, little student. Here you go."

Iroha sprinted out of the store, holding the box like it was a thermal detonator. She ducked into a nearby park and set the camera on a bench. "Mission two... success. But that was too close. The fans are everywhere! Now, for Mission three."

She opened the next envelope.

*Mission 3: Go to the 'Three Musketeers' arcade and break Keonho’s high score on the dance machine. Take a photo of the screen as proof.*

This was personal. Keonho had been bragging for weeks about his "indestructible" score on *Pump It Up*. He’d even told Iroha she was "too tiny" to reach the corner pads fast enough.

The arcade was relatively empty, save for a few middle-schoolers. Iroha found the machine, swiped her card, and selected the hardest level. As the music started—a fast-paced techno track—she became a blur of motion. Her small stature actually worked in her favor; she was light on her feet, bouncing between the pads with the precision of a world-class athlete.

When the final "Perfect" flashed on the screen, the machine let out a triumphant fanfare. *NEW RECORD: ROHA_ACE.*

"Take that, Keonho-oppa," she panted, snapping a photo of the screen. She turned the camera toward herself, her face flushed and happy. "He’s going to cry when he sees this. He really thinks he’s the dance king of the Musketeers."

Meanwhile, back at the dorm, the atmosphere was rapidly devolving into chaos.

"Where is she?" James demanded, throwing open the kitchen cabinets as if Iroha might be hiding behind the cereal boxes. "Her bed is made, her phone is off, and the manager says her photoshoot doesn't start for four hours!"

Martin was sitting at the table, his face a mask of controlled panic. He was scrolling through the GPS tracking app on his phone, but Iroha’s signal was dead. "She left her tracker in her other jacket. She’s out there. Alone. In Seoul."

"She’s fourteen!" Seonghyeon cried, pacing the living room. "She’s five feet tall! Someone could mistake her for a lost middle-schooler and take her to a police station!"

Juhoon, usually the calmest, was putting on his shoes with trembling hands. "I’m checking the park. She likes the ducks there."

"I’m checking the convenience store," Keonho added, grabbing his hoodie. "If she’s hungry, she’ll go for the strawberry milk."

"Wait!" Yunah shouted, coming out of the bedroom with a tablet in her hand. "The production team just sent a group text. They said... 'Don't panic. Iroha is filming a secret episode. If you find her, the mission fails and she doesn't get her prize.'"

The five boys froze.

"A secret episode?" Martin repeated, his eyes narrowing. "Without us? Who is protecting her? Who is holding her water bottle?"

"She’s doing it by herself, Martin," Minju said, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. "It’s a 'Growth Mission.' She wanted to prove she can handle a day in the city alone."

"Absolutely not," James said, already grabbing his car keys. "I’m not 'finding' her. I’m just... going for a drive. In the general direction of everywhere."

"We aren't finding her," Seonghyeon agreed, his eyes glinting with a different kind of mischief. "We’re *tracking* her. Like ninjas. If she sees us, we lose. But if we just stay fifty feet away at all times, she’s safe and the mission continues."

"I like this plan," Keonho said. "Operation: Maknae Shield is a go."

Back in the city, Iroha was blissfully unaware that five giants were currently mobilizing a multi-vehicle tactical surveillance operation to follow her. She was currently standing in front of a giant crane machine in Hongdae for Mission 4.

*Mission 4: Win a plushie that looks like each member of the Cortis line. Total: 5 plushies.*

"This is impossible," Iroha muttered, staring at the weak metal claw. "This machine is a scam."

She spent thirty minutes and half her allowance, but slowly, the pile grew. A grumpy-looking cat for Juhoon, a tall giraffe for Martin, a golden retriever for Keonho, a fox for Seonghyeon, and a very soft, fatherly-looking bear for James.

As she struggled to carry all five plushies down the street, she didn't notice a black SUV with tinted windows slowing down behind her.

Inside the SUV, James was clutching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. "She’s carrying too much! Her center of gravity is off! She’s going to trip!"

"Stay back, James!" Martin hissed from the passenger seat, peering through a pair of binoculars. "She’s looking around. She’s suspicious."

"Look at her go," Keonho whispered from the back seat, filming the scene on his phone. "She got the dog plushie for me. I’m touched. I’m actually emotional right now."

"She’s heading for the Han River," Juhoon noted, checking the map. "That’s the final mission location."

Iroha reached the banks of the Han River just as the sun was reaching its zenith. The area was crowded with families and couples enjoying the weather. She found a quiet spot near a large tree and opened her final envelope.

*Mission 5: Prepare a surprise picnic for your members. Use the items you’ve collected today. If you can call them and have them arrive within 20 minutes, you win the Grand Prize: A 3-day vacation at a theme park of your choice.*

Iroha’s eyes went wide. "A theme park? We can go to the one with the giant wooden coaster!"

She quickly spread out a picnic blanket she had stashed in her backpack. She arranged the 'Eclipse Cupcakes,' the five plushies, and some drinks she had bought. She set the camera up to capture the whole scene.

She took a deep breath and dialed the group chat on speakerphone.

"Hello?" Martin’s voice crackled through, sounding suspiciously out of breath.

"Oppa!" Iroha shouted. "I’m at the Han River, near the big oak tree by the water taxi station. I have a surprise! If you can get here in twenty minutes, we win a vacation!"

"Twenty minutes?" Martin said, his voice dropping an octave. "Iroha-ya, stay exactly where you are. Don't move. Don't talk to strangers. Don't even talk to the ducks."

"Just hurry!"

The moment she hung up, she heard the screech of tires from the nearby parking lot. She blinked, confused. "That was fast."

Less than sixty seconds later, five figures came sprinting across the grass. They were moving at a speed that suggested they were running for Olympic gold. Martin was in the lead, his long legs covering the distance in seconds, followed closely by James, who looked like he was about to tackle anyone who got in his way.

"We’re here!" Keonho yelled, skidding onto the picnic blanket and nearly knocking over the cupcakes.

Iroha stared at them, her jaw dropping. "How... how did you get here so fast? I just hung up!"

The boys stopped, realizing their mistake. They were all panting, sweat dripping down their faces, looking guilty as charged.

"We... uh... we were in the neighborhood," Seonghyeon lied poorly, leaning against the tree to catch his breath. "Coincidence. Huge coincidence."

"You were following me!" Iroha accused, pointing a finger at them. "I saw that black SUV! I thought it was a stalker!"

"A stalker?" James looked horrified, stepping forward to check her for injuries. "Iroha, if I thought there was a stalker, I wouldn't be 'coincidentally' in the neighborhood, I’d be in jail for what I did to them."

Martin sighed, sitting down on the blanket and picking up the giraffe plushie. "We couldn't help it, Roha-ya. You’re five feet tall and you were wandering the city with a box of cupcakes and a dream. We were worried."

Iroha pouted, but then she looked at their worried faces—Martin’s frantic eyes, James’s protective stance, Juhoon’s quiet relief. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her.

"Did I fail the mission?" she asked quietly, looking at the camera.

A staff member from the production team stepped out from behind a nearby van, laughing. "Actually, the mission was to see if you could get them here. The fact that they were already hovering like overprotective mother hens just proves how much they love you. Mission accomplished!"

"Theme park!" Iroha cheered, jumping up and hugging Martin’s neck.

Martin laughed, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. "Fine, fine. We’re going to the theme park. But I’m holding your hand the entire time. No secret missions on the rollercoasters."

"And I’m carrying the backpack," Juhoon added, already taking the bag from her shoulders.

James sat down and looked at the cupcakes. "You went to the bakery by yourself? And the arcade? I saw the photo of the high score, by the way. Keonho cried in the car."

"I did not cry!" Keonho shouted, though his eyes were suspiciously red. "I was just... moved by her talent!"

They spent the next hour sitting by the river, eating the cupcakes and laughing as Iroha recounted her 'spy' adventures. The boys listened to every word as if she were describing an epic odyssey. To them, her navigating a subway station alone was as impressive as a world tour.

"You did good, kiddo," Martin said, leaning back on his elbows and watching the boats on the river. "You’re growing up. But don't grow up too fast, okay? We aren't ready to stop being your bodyguards."

"I’ll always be five feet tall, Oppa," Iroha reminded him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You’ll always have to look down to find me."

"And we’ll always be looking," James promised, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Whether you’re on a secret mission or center stage, we’re right behind you."

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the "Eclipse Family," Iroha picked up her camera for one last clip. She panned it across the faces of her five brothers—the teasers, the protectors, the quiet sentinels, and the jokesters.

"Mission complete," she whispered to the camera. "I went out to find a surprise for them, but I realized I already have the best one. I have five giants who will follow me across the city just to make sure I don't trip."

"Who are you talking to?" Keonho asked, poking his head into the frame.

"The fans!" Iroha laughed.

"Tell them I’m taking my high score back tomorrow!"

"In your dreams, Oppa!"

The screen faded to black as the sounds of their bickering and laughter echoed over the water, a tiny maknae and her five giants, perfectly at home in the heart of the city.