Mic Drop Harmony (BINI_Aiah & Female!Reader Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 1 - RESULTS

You sat in your ancestral house's living room, waiting with nervous anticipation for the announcement of the audition results you and your cousin, Stacey, had participated in five months ago.

Your Wowo and Wowa (grandparents) had cooked their famous Focaccia (your favorite) and Lasagna (Stacey's favorite). The air crackled with nervous silence as you nibbled on the food, your stomach clenching as the time for the results drew closer.

Tucked away in a corner, you hugged a throw pillow from your grandparent's couch, its soft embrace offering little comfort against your rising anxiety. You could also feel a slight fullness from indulging in more Focaccia than you probably should have.

"Stress eating again?" Stacey teased as she settled beside you on the couch.

"I can't help it," you admitted, meeting her gaze. "I'm so nervous."

Stacey smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I have a good feeling about this. I know both our names will be on that list."

You returned her smile, a wave of gratitude washing over you. You were incredibly thankful for your amazing cousin. Because of the slight age difference, Stacey had always been your rock – your shoulder to cry on during tough times and your biggest cheerleader during victories.

Your ten-year-old cousin, Tobey, joked, "This wait is worse than the Bar Exam results!" Your family erupted in laughter, but yours and Stacey's were laced with awkwardness. Stacey offered a comforting hand on your back.

Tobey's words stung. Being a lawyer had been your dream since childhood, a dream you still held dear. You were supposed to pursue law school, but fear of failure had kept you from taking the entrance exam. The same fear gnawed at you now, the fear that your name wouldn't be on the list.

You couldn't meet your father's gaze. You knew being in a band wasn't what he envisioned for you.

Suddenly, the room erupted with cheers.

"Y/N/N (Your Nickname), we got in!" Stacey screamed, wrapping her arms around your head and bouncing with excitement.

You looked at the result and saw your name under a band name "Reverie" and saw Stacey's name under the girl group category. Unfortunately, you also saw Aiah's name under Stacey's. Aiah suddenly flood your thought. Her smirk, her flowy hair, her smell, her voice.

Your grandparents pulled you and Stacey into a hug interrupting your thoughts. "We're so proud of you both," they said. The rest of your family joined the hug, except for your father. You watched as he shook his head in disapproval, his steps leading him out to the backyard.

-

You went to the family room, a large space that housed two smaller rooms within. Your father sat slumped on the couch, a can of beer clutched in his hand. Disappointment hung heavy in the air.

"This isn't what I wanted for you, Y/N," he said, his voice thick with disapproval. You averted your gaze, trying to ignore the sting of his words as you headed for your bedroom.

Suddenly, his voice boomed, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? JOINING A STUPID BAND?" Tears welled in your eyes as you instinctively covered your ears.

Your mother emerged from their bedroom, your five-year-old sister, Saoirse clinging to her hand. "Hector, you're drunk," she said, as she walked beside your father and trying to calm him with her hand running on his back. She shot you a sympathetic smile, a silent message of apology. Saoirse, sensing the tension, ran to you, her small body a shield against your father's anger. She knew all too well the physical harm he was capable of inflicting.

"WALA AKONG ANAK NA TANGA" your father roared, his voice echoing through the house. Alarmed by the shouting, other family members started knocking on the door.

The memory of past arguments, the aftermath of which included a black eye and a broken nose, rendered you speechless.

"Please, Hector, let's go to bed," your mother pleaded, attempting to calm him down.

A booming voice came from outside the room. "Open the door!" Your grandfather ordered.

Saoirse unlocked the door, and a wave of worried faces flooded the room. Stacey and your grandmother rushed to you, enveloping you in a warm embrace. Your grandfather, his face grim, aimed a baseball bat at your father.

"Don't you ever dare call my granddaughter stupid," he growled.

Your father, his inebriated bravado fading, let out a humorless chuckle before swatting the bat away from his face and walked towards the bedroom.

Tears streaming down her face, your grandmother turned to your mother. "I never liked him. I told you not to forgive him after what he did to Y/N," she said, her voice laced with anger and regret.

Your mother, avoiding eye contact with her own mother, approached you. She gently kissed your forehead, a silent apology. With a hand on Saoirse's shoulder, she guided her young daughter back to their bedroom.

Although your mother never outwardly defended you against your father, her support shone through in other ways. You felt it in her actions, in the way she comforted you after arguments. You knew she was afraid of him, even though he hadn't laid a hand on her. After these fights, she'd often try to comfort you, urging you to apologize and forgive him 'because he's your father, after all.' You understood her fear, but it felt unfair to have to appease someone who had hurt you so deeply.