A Symphony Of Home

Sixteen (Elysia's POV)

(Edited)

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to LA. Even though I had only been away for four months, seeing Bob again made me feel a bit homesick, despite my age. Dina did a fantastic job planning the trip. She was friendly and considerate of everyone's interests, including both major tourist attractions and lesser-known gems. I enjoyed the latter the most.

At the end of the trip, Mr. Lee announced that our next destination would be Sri Lanka, meaning it was Damru's turn to plan the vacation. She seemed a bit overwhelmed by the idea of organizing a trip for fifteen people, which required a lot of preparation.

We were given a week's rest after returning, but I knew the others hadn't forgotten my sabotage during our last assignment. They were going to get their revenge, and I had to complete a few tasks as punishment. I understood why and would have done the same if the roles were reversed.

On the first day, it was Maria's turn. Her task for me was simple: take over all her responsibilities. This meant tidying up her and Chan Woo's room, preparing meals, and setting the table. She accompanied me the whole day, chatting about her social media, future plans, and places she wanted to visit once we returned home. She even made me sit through movies like The Grinch, A Christmas Miracle, and The Polar Express, which I definitely wouldn't have picked. Thankfully, the day passed quickly, and I still managed to wake up early to fit in my workout before she stirred.

The second day was Yeong's turn, and his request was a bit more ridiculous. I had to feed him his meals as if he were some kind of king and I was his servant. He spared me from assisting him in the bathroom, though I did have to wait by the bedroom door while he was in there. Occasionally, he'd glance at Tae Ho, clearly trying to provoke a reaction, but Tae Ho stayed surprisingly composed. That day seemed to drag on, but Yeong's humor made it bearable, and I found myself laughing more than expected.

Chan Woo, Dina, Imani, and Damru each took their turns after that. Damru's task was the simplest: she made me fetch food and drinks for her since she was busy organizing our upcoming trip. I didn't mind. I enjoyed helping people, and I knew I deserved it for losing the assignment. However, I made a mental note that Maria would be my partner in crime for future pranks.

Finally, Sunday came, and I had some peace. I decided to call Raven and headed out to the porch with a cup of tea. I wrapped myself in a blanket, feeling the drop in temperature and sensing snow might be on the way. As I settled into the chair, my phone lit up with an incoming call from Raven.

"Hey, Raven. I was just about to call you," I said.

"Hi, Elysia. Check Instagram. I tagged you in something," she sounded unusually serious, so I immediately put her on speaker and opened the app. My heart started racing as I read the post she tagged me in: 'Black Blood spotted with women in their company!'

"Well? Have you seen it yet?" she asked impatiently.

Her urgency broke my frozen state, and I frantically scrolled through the notifications. She had tagged me in a post from the official Black Blood page with the caption, 'Black Blood takes a vacation.' A picture of the five band members and us on Rodeo Drive stared back at me.

"Judging by the silence, I can tell you're looking at it now. Do you know the worst part? I can tell which one of the five women is you," Raven sounded hurt.

I took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you where they were earlier."

"You already knew," she said, her voice filled with pain. "They were there, with you and the women you mentioned."

"I'm sorry, but I signed an NDA. I couldn't say anything, and I'm not even sure I'm allowed to talk about it now," I confessed, feeling guilty.

"I get it. But I'm still so jealous of you. You didn't even know them! Do you know how many people would've killed for that opportunity?"