2Yeon: Perception [Slow Updates]

Chapter 21

A/N: I am so sorry for this super late update. College is kicking my ass rn and I barely have time for myself, let alone work on new chapters of my books.

Artwork is not mine.

...

Jeongyeon wiped the sweat slowly tricking down her temple. She gulped down the water from the glass she managed to fill up to the brim. She felt exhausted as if she'd ran a marathon yet she didn't feel like going back to sleep. She'd just had a horrible nightmare she'd rather not recall but it felt so realistic. It made her wonder if it was actually going to happen given that it's based on whatever is going on in the present. 

Recently, she's been gaining more weight than she's ever have because of her medications and she can't even do anything about it since she's still not allowed to be active. Her injury has made things tough for her that she has a hard time looking at herself in mirrors lately because she's beginning to hate how she looked. It would be a matter of time when she will decide to just avoid them entirely.

She held back a sob when she remembered what she saw in her sleep. Images of her members' backs while they walk away from her as if they were leaving her behind, seeing her group perform in an elevated stage that she can't reach, a crowd hurling insults and hurtful comments to her, being left in the dark with no one looking for her as if they've forgotten she existed. 

Before long, the tears fell down her face. The sobs came next and she had to cover her mouth with both hands to prevent anyone from hearing her if any of them were even awake at this hour. Everything that she saw in her nightmare were her darkest fears and the possibility of her nightmare turning into reality filled her with overwhelming dread. She has never felt so terrified in all her life.

"Jeongyeon-ah?" a raspy voice asked behind her in surprise. 

Her eyes widened at being caught and she wiped her cheeks furiously to get rid of the tears before they could see. She felt a hand land gently on her shoulder but her emotions were running on overdrive that she flinched at the contact. The hand retracted as if burnt and Jeongyeon felt guilty for acting that way but she couldn't bring herself to turn around and just trembled in her place.

"What's wrong, dear?" the voice asked and Jeongyeon was aware enough to recognize that it belonged to Nayeon's mother.

Jeongyeon froze in her spot and couldn't bring herself to answer. Se-ah placed a hand on her shoulder again and was relieved Jeongyeon didn't recoil this time. "Look at me, please?"

Jeongyeon let out a breath. "I-I can't..." she whimpered, her voice cracking.

"You can trust me, okay?" Se-ah urged in a gentle voice. She held out a hand in front of Jeongyeon. The girl stared at it for a couple of seconds before hesitantly placing her own hand on Se-ah's palm. 

Nayeon's mother squeezed her hand and with another hand on Jeongyeon's shoulder, she guided her towards the living room where she had her daughter's trembling suitor sit down on their couch. "Stay here while I make us some tea."

Jeongyeon nodded and she was left there. She leaned forward to rest her arms on her thighs, playing with her shaking fingers, one leg bouncing up and down as her anxiety has not gone down yet. Her skin felt clammy, she could feel a headache coming, her lips were dry, she was parched despite drinking water not too long ago, she felt flushed despite the cool, night breeze that was drifting through an open window, and her hair was sticking to her forehead and neck from the sweat. She probably looked hideous.

She wanted to cry again at the thought, feeling very overwhelmed. She doesn't know how or why this is happening to her and it's making her all the more nervous because she doesn't know how to stop herself from feeling this way. She's been experiencing nightmares the past few nights and end up waking like she was doused in cold water with how much she was sweating and panting. This night was the worst she's had. She can't calm down and she desperately needs her mother right now. She begins to regret that she didn't tell her mother what's been going on with her when she had the chance and she wasn't comfortable asking for help from anyone but her.