Treasure From The Stars

Chapter 18

I just sat there still and stiff as stone, looking down at the floor.

"Mimi?" He bent down to look at my face.

I looked away and stood up. "I..." I dabbed away the tear in the tear duct with my ring finger. As I heard him stand up, I began to walk away.

"Minjun!" Manager Hani walked over to him. "What are you doing out-" She glanced at my figure which faded into the building as I hung my head low, walking to my dorm. "What were you guys doing? I thought you knew well about the interactions of boys and girls."

Minjun didn't answer. Thoughts began to swirl in his head, not knowing if he had made the right move.

"What's wrong with you? What were you doing out here? Is Yumi alright?"

Minjun sat back down, letting out a sigh.

"Minjun, answer at least one of my questions, will you?"

He scratched the back of his neck as he stood up. "Manager Hani... Don't be so hard on Yumi about learning a language," he said blankly.

He began walking to his own dorm, leaving the trainees' manager standing there, dumbfounded.

✩☽☆☾✩

"Is she alright?" Hyeji asked.

Joori shrugged. "I know she's been having a lot of stress because of Japanese... but I've never seen her break down because of it."

"Is she alright?" Remi walked into the room, holding a cup of tea. She placed the mug on a nearby table, "Give this to her when she comes out."

"Why would you care?" Joori asked. "How do we know that Minju didn't ask you to put poison in that thing?"

"It makes sense, you guys wouldn't trust me, but I really am worried for Yumi."

Hyeji watched Remi for any stuttering, shuffling feet, or the lack of eye contact, the characteristics of lying. "Okay, we'll give this to her if she comes out."

Remi nodded a small thanks before leaving the room.

Joori and Hyeji turned back to the bathroom door, which was locked and let out a sigh of worry.

I sat on the cold marble bathroom floor with my back against the door. My hands massaged my temple and forehead, trying to comprehend. My breathing was heavy as I felt tears in my eyes and there was this aching on my chest.

I began to cry. I didn't have a real reason why, but everything on my shoulders was weighing me down. I wanted to see Yujun, I was stressed about Japanese, I'm not properly eating, Minju's always on my nerves, everything seemed to be crashing onto me whether it was good or not.

But realizing that I had met MJ once again felt like a hammer slammed into my heart.

Three years ago, on our last day together (specifically the last day we skated together), he had confessed. I remember telling him that I also felt the same way and every first Saturday of the month, he'd send mail, whether it was a gift, a card, or a picture. One day, it all stopped.

The mail I always looked forward to never came again, and the memories I shared with him seemed to fade away.

My stomach growled, asking for food or at least water, but I ignored it. I dug my fingernails in my skin as I tried to press down the hunger.

Using my other hand I wiped away the tears, but the crying didn't stop. I started having these visions of me never being able to stop crying. My breathing was no longer heavy, instead it was quick and light. I began to hyperventilate.

✩☽☆☾✩

"Yumi," Miss Han put her phone down. "Manager Hani would like to talk to you."

"Right now?" I asked, being a bit stressed, knowing what the manager might say and because of the fact that she was calling me right when I thought I knew how to do the choreography.

"Yes."

I nodded and made my way out of the practice room and to her office. When I opened the door without knocking, I found Minjun sitting inside. "Oops... I'm sorry," I closed the door. "Why is she calling me when there's another person there," I mumbled to myself. I let some cursing escape my mouth, which its sounds were muffled thanks to the hoodie's sleeve over my mouth.

Minjun opened the door, "Come in. She's talking with both of us, so stop cursing."

I looked up, wondering if he really heard the cursing or if it was because he knew it was a habit of mine. I was reluctant, but I walked in and sat in the seat next to Minjun.

"Tell me, honestly, are you two dating?" Manager Hani asked.

"Excuse me?" it slipped out with an irritated tone.

She gave me a look and I mumbled a small sorry.

"No, we aren't dating," Minjun answered.

"Well, yeah you wouldn't be... Since you guys broke up yesterday."

"What?" I asked again, with another irradiated voice.

This time Minjun shot a look at me. "Why would you think that?" he asked.

Manager Hani turned the computer screen to us. It was a security footage of last night in the garden. "Obviously, at least it looks like you asked Yumi to break up and Yumi was upset so she left." She glanced over at us, "Is that not correct? From the looks of it you two are close. Yesterday, Minjun asked a favor based on you-"

I looked over at Minjun, who avoided my eye contact.

"And he obviously knew about your habit of cursing quietly," Manager Hani finished.

"Manager Hani, we're not dating. We're just close because we've met before. That's it. And yesterday, he was just trying to ask if I was alright and he told me something shocking and so I left. The company should get microphones for the security cameras, you can't also guess what someone is saying."

Manager Hani looked a bit taken back with my rambling, but I didn't care. She bit her lip, "Alright then." She looked away, feeling awkward, "You may go."

I left without saying a single thing. Not even a goodbye to either Manger Hani or Minjun.