A Symphony Of Home

Eight (Elysia's POV)

(Edited)

I stretched and woke up at 5:05 a.m., deciding to get up and start my day. I slipped into my workout clothes and made my way to the kitchen, savoring the rare quietness in the house. With everyone else still asleep, I knew these moments of silence would be precious once the group fully settled in.

Once in the kitchen, I prepared a smoothie, chopping spinach and grating ginger before adding everything to the blender with some coconut milk. As it blended, I searched for a playlist for my workout. I hadn't listened to Black Blood before, even though they were a well-known metal band. I figured it was a good opportunity to try their music, so I queued up their playlist and drank my smoothie, the zing of ginger waking me up as the scent of coconut lingered in the air.

Heading to the home gym, the music blared through my headphones, and the pounding guitars and harsh vocals of Black Blood charged me up for the workout. Memories of my teenage years resurfaced—black clothes, smudged eyeliner, and making out with boyfriends while Slipknot blared in the background. The rebellious energy of those days returned as I pushed through my exercises, sweat dripping down my back and filling the air with the distinct smell of exertion.

By the time I finished, my heart was pounding, my muscles burning, and my face flushed as red as a tomato. But I felt good, strong. After a quick shower, I headed back to the kitchen, where, despite the early hour, Ji Soo, Yeong, and ChanWoo were already gathered around the table, deep in conversation, speaking in Korean. I found the flow of their language captivating, though I felt like I was eavesdropping.

Clearing my throat to announce my presence, I greeted them. "Hi, guys."

Ji Soo looked up. "Hi, Elysia. Did you get some sleep?"

"Yeah, I did. What about you?" I asked as I joined them at the table.

Ji Soo's expression turned serious. "Not the best night, to be honest."

Curious, I asked, "What happened?"

Yeong smirked before jumping in. "We heard some... interesting noises last night."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant. "What kind of noises?"

"They sounded... suggestive," ChanWoo added with a mischievous glint in his eye.

I felt a flush creep up my neck. Oh no... My mind raced, wondering if they had heard something I didn't.

Ji Soo leaned in. "We're not sure who, but Tae Ho and Sam Cha were both missing from their rooms."

Shit. I kept my voice steady. "I didn't hear anything when I got up for water last night. What time was this?"

"About 1 a.m.," Ji Soo replied, watching me closely.

My panic simmered under the surface, but I kept my composure. "Well, I didn't notice anything."

I quickly shifted the conversation. "Can I make breakfast for you? The girls will be awake soon." I needed to steer this conversation away from whatever it was they thought they'd heard.

Ji Soo chuckled, lightening the mood. "We'd never say no to that."

As I busied myself with breakfast preparations, my mind wandered back to the conversation. The idea that the rooms weren't as soundproof as I'd thought unnerved me. But I focused on the task at hand, eager to move on from the awkwardness.

One Month Later

A month had passed, and I'd grown close to the group. ChanWoo and I had developed a solid friendship. Though he had been reserved at first, he'd become more open, often giving me side hugs, especially in Tae Ho's presence. It was a small, affectionate gesture that I'd come to appreciate. He'd do it now even when Tae Ho wasn't around.