Tinnitus

Chapter 2

As soon as her trainee life began, Miyoung learned that being an idol isn't all peaches and rainbows. Within her first week she had thought of quitting and running back home to her parents. Running away from her dream seemed easier than the gruesome training she had to go through.

Sitting in the corner of an empty practice room, she curled into a ball and tried to shrink away. The sound of music playing from her phone for the choreography she was assigned to learn.

"Why can't you do it right?" She scolded herself, tears forming in her eyes. Backing into the corner as much as she could, she buried her face into hands and just let the tears fall.

The practice room falls silent.

With her monthly evaluation just around the corner, Miyoung had spent almost a full week attempting to learn this one choreography. Usually she could get the moves down in two days max, but this past week might have been the hardest of her trainee days. On days like these, she confides in Yeonjun. However her friend has been busy preparing for his debut that was just around the corner.

"Yeonjun. . . What do I do?" She whispered through tears. "I need you."

She half expected him to burst through the door, walk over to her and tell her everything will work out in the end. But no. She just sat there. Crying softly to herself in the corner of the room, feeling hopeless.

"Why don't you just give up?" A whisper of a voice spoke.

Her tears stopped and she looked up, searching for the owner of the voice. "Who's there?"

"A pathetic thing like you could never make it." Another spoke.

"No  matter how hard you try, it's useless."

She frantically looked around the room but no one was there. Turning to face herself in the mirror, she met the eyes of someone she didn't recognize at first, until she realized she was just looking at her own reflection.

"Disgusting." Her reflection spoke.

This was when it all started, the voices, everything, when it all started to go wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is so awkward." Miyoung thought to herself.

The two sat in the room in silence. Miyoung staring down at her hands twiddling her fingers, wondering how to start a conversation. The movement of Yeonjun shifting in his seat made her eyes dart forward to the man in front of her.

"Sorry I didn't let you know I'd be here." He spoke softly. "I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"Of course I'd want to see you!" Miyoung shouted without realizing. She gently bonked her own head for responding too quickly for her own liking. "I mean.. I didn't think you'd even come since you've been busy."

She wasn't wrong. Yeonjun and his members had just gotten back from their most recent world tour and are already preparing for yet another comeback. Having been almost five years since his groups' debut, Yeonjun and his members had gained massive popularity over the years. From representing famous brands, successful comebacks and world tours, Yeonjun was a busy man.

"Unity is the talk of the country, Miyoung, I wouldn't have missed your debut stage." He stated in a serious tone. "I would be a terrible friend if I didn't come to support you."

"Friend" She repeated to herself.

Yeonjun must not have heard as he continued, "The guys would have joined but.. I felt like.. "

There was a pause, which left the two in silence for what felt like an eternity.

"We could use this time to talk."