“What is a Timbit?” she asks, her face twisted in disgust.

“It’s a Canadian delicacy.”

Mina makes another face, and I laugh, popping a honey-dip Timbit in my mouth. “Come on, they’re not too bad. Here.” I nudge her double-cream, double-sugar coffee toward her. “You’ll like this.”

“I doubt it.”

“Ooh, and remember to save your cup when you’re done,” Jason says enthusiastically. “You can roll up the rim and win a prize!”

Mina rolls her eyes, but her stomach rumbles and she reaches for the cup. “It tastes way too cheap,” she says, shuddering.

“Here, wash it down with this.” Jason holds out the Timbits box, shaking the doughnuts toward her.

She picks up a powdered one with two fingers and takes a small nibble. “I can’t believe I’m eating this,” she moans.

“I can’t believe it either. We should take a video,” I say.

“Don’t you dare,” she says, eating the rest of the Timbit in one bite.

The car is back on the main road, and we toss our empty cups into a trash bag the tow truck driver gave us.

“Mina,” I ask, “do you want the rest of these Timbits?”

She walks over and peers into the box. “Maybe one or two,” she says quickly, stuffing several of the powdered and glazed ones into a napkin in her hand. “You know, for the road. In case we get stuck again.”

I grin. “Of course. For the road.”

Twenty

All the sugar and coffee seemed like a good idea when we were stranded in the middle of Ontario, but by the time we get to Brantwood, I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest. Next to me, Mina is practically buzzing out of her skin. We’ve just emerged from the car when Mr. Han comes bearing down on us.

“There you are! Do you know how many times I called you three?”

“We just got reception again,” Jason says apologetically.

“Well, hurry up and get ready. You guys are on in an hour! Do you have your outfits?”

Our outfits? I frown at Jason, who’s frowning at Mr. Han. “Didn’t you say you were going to take care of them?” he asks.

Mr. Han stares at Jason like he can’t tell if he’s kidding or not. “No,” he says, speaking very slowly. “I said you can come on your own as long as you waited to pick up your outfits from the hotel’s dry-cleaning service.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence. Mina looks back and forth between the two of them, her face growing pale. “Does this mean no one has our outfits?”

Mr. Han shakes his head in dismay. “It looks like it.”

“This can’t be happening.” She advances on Jason, her face contorted in a mixture of panic and rage. “Our performance is ruined because of you! You were too busy planning your joyride through Canada to bother paying attention to our outfits! Does anything get through that pea brain of yours?” Jason’s mouth falls open, but he says nothing. At least he has the good sense to look ashamed.

Mina presses her hands against her face, her voice rising. “Our performance is ruined. Oh my god. What’s my father going to say?”

“It’s all right. We’ll think of something,” Mr. Han says, but his voice is unsure. Panicked tears start to fill Mina’s eyes, her hands shaking as she wipes them away. “But what is my father going to say?” she half whispers, half cries.

I bite my lip. Maybe it’s the fact that for the first time since I met her, I feel like I finally understand where Mina is coming from, or maybe it’s my own need to do anything I can to save this performance, but I turn to Mina and say, “Don’t worry. I came prepared.”

Reaching into my tote, I whip out a pair of strappy high heels and a sparkly orange minidress. “Ever since the trainee house incident, I always carry backups,” I joke. She flushes, actually looking embarrassed as I hold the dress out to her. “Here. Take it.”

“What will you wear?” she asks.

I grin and do a ballerina twirl. “This outfit, of course.” I laugh, tugging on my oversize orange tee. “At least we’ll be color coordinated. That’s what matters, right?”

Mr. Han glances at Jason, who’s wearing all black. Jason lifts the cuff of his pants, revealing orange socks. “It’s like it was meant to be,” he says.

Mina snorts in his direction. “Just do me a favor and don’t talk to me.”

Mr. Han nods grimly at the three of us. “It’ll do. Let’s go.”

* * *

After hair and makeup, I wander out of the dressing room for some fresh air, taking in the mountains all around me and the huge lake that faces the concert venue. It was a journey to get here, but this town is really breathtaking.

“Aigoo! They haven’t been feeding you properly over there!” I startle at the sound of someone speaking Korean behind me, and I turn toward the voice. But they’re not speaking to me.

They’re speaking to Jason.

He’s standing with a group of three older women, all with curly pama hair who are taking turns hugging him and patting his face. As if sensing my stare, one of the women turns and looks right at me. She’s wearing a lightweight neon jacket and vest over hiking pants like she’s just come back from hitting the trails. I quickly look away, but it’s too late. She waves me over. I take a step back as if to say, No, it’s okay; I don’t want to intrude, but before I know it, she’s by my side and grabbing my hands. “Hello, friend of Jason! I’d recognize you anywhere from your music video! Come, come, say hello,” she says, guiding me to the others.

Jason smiles sheepishly. “Rachel, these are my aunts. You’ve met Chaerin Eemo, and this is Saerin Eemo, and Yaerin Eemo. Eemos, this is Rachel. She’s my…”

His voice trails off and my cheeks warm. There’s a beat of uncomfortable silence, and then he finally settles on “Co-singer. She’s my co-singer. One-third of our singing trio.”

Jason’s aunts all glance at each other, raising their eyebrows as the two of us laugh awkwardly. I’m cringing on the inside.

“You will have dinner with us after the show, yes?” Chaerin Eemo says, grasping my hands again.

I’m about to politely decline when Mr. Han appears. “Jason, Rachel! You’re up next.”

Jason hugs his aunts goodbye, and they disappear to find their seats.

“You know, you don’t have to come to dinner,” Jason says as we walk toward the stage.

“Oh, okay.”

“My eemos are just excited to see me. They can be a little… overly welcoming.”

“Right,” I say. Something pinches inside my chest, but I push it away as we reach the backstage area. Mina is twirling in my orange dress and heels. She smiles at me and I smile back.

“Okay, my stars! Time to make DB proud!” Mr. Han wishes us all luck as we take the stage. The lights are down as Jason sings the first line of the song a cappella, and a hush falls over the crowd, his velvety voice weaving its way through the room like a magic spell, taking everyone with it.

Suddenly, the stage is lit up in white light and music as the spotlights come on and the band behind us starts playing. As Mina and I both join Jason in singing the chorus, I spot Jason’s aunts dancing and cheering in the front row. And they’re not the only ones. The entire crowd has come alive, waving their glowsticks in the air and chanting our names.