Both of us lay there quietly, savoring the comfort of each other's presence. I nestled closer to Woozi, feeling the warmth of his body against mine as we both started to drift off to sleep. The last words I heard before slipping into slumber were his tender whisper, "Sleep well, baby." Curling up and making myself smaller, I felt an overwhelming sense of safety and peace in his embrace. The gentle rise and fall of his chest, combined with his soothing warmth, created the perfect conditions for one of the best slumbers I'd had in a long time.
However, the tranquility was abruptly shattered. The door flew open with a great force, jolting me awake. My eyes fluttered open, only to be met with THE8's face looming above mine. A cry of fear involuntarily escaped my lips, startling Woozi awake. He sat up quickly, instinctively pushing THE8 away while still maintaining a protective hold on me.
"Xu, what are you doing?" Woozi asked softly but firmly, his grip on me tight yet gentle. THE8, or Xu Minghao, didn't respond. The whole situation felt surreal, like a dream, but a quick pinch to my arm confirmed that it was all too real.
"Xu?" I whimpered, my voice trembling with a mix of confusion and fear. Minghao just stared at us, his gaze unnervingly quiet and almost menacing. A parade of shivers raced down my spine as he slowly paced closer, finally taking a seat on the bed and affixing himself to our cuddle session. His behavior was strange, almost as if he was in a trance. The thought crossed my mind that he might be drunk, but there was no smell of alcohol.
Despite the oddity of the situation, the three of us eventually fell asleep again, entangled in a peculiar but oddly comforting formation. When morning came, I woke up earlier than usual. Woozi was still deeply asleep, and to my surprise, THE8 was sprawled across Woozi, adding to the oddity of the scene. It was a cute but unexpected sight, yet it stirred a feeling of jealousy within me that I couldn't quite shake off.
With that lingering feeling, I decided to get ready for the day. I moved quickly, dressing and preparing myself with an efficiency driven by the need to escape the strange morning scene. Once ready, I quietly slipped out of the front door, stepping into the fresh morning air for my daily stroll to the company.
The walk was a welcomed routine, a way to clear my mind and prepare for the day ahead. The company wasn't far from where I lived, making the stroll an excellent opportunity for a bit of extra exercise and a chance to fully wake up. As I walked, the events of the early morning played over in my mind, blending into the rhythm of my steps and the chirping of the birds. It was a peaceful interlude, a moment of solitude before the hustle and bustle of the day truly began.
I walked towards the company building, only to be met with a scene straight out of a movie. A group of protesters had gathered outside, their signs waving angrily in the air as they shouted slogans. The cacophony of voices created a tense atmosphere that was impossible to ignore.
As I approached the entrance, I could see the security guards struggling to keep the protesters at bay. Their faces were set in stern lines, their bodies forming a barricade between the angry crowd and the building. The air was thick with tension, each shout and chant adding to the volatile energy that seemed ready to explode at any moment.
Just as I thought things couldn't get more chaotic, a quarrel broke out near the entrance. Two people were yelling at the poor guard, and I inched a little closer to hear. "Pledis must have some talent for hiring the laziest, least competent people on the planet!" I swallowed hard and frowned as I stood there listening. "They should've fired Seung Cheol already," a female voice added. My heart sank.
"S.coups' contribution to the team is like a flat tire on a road trip – completely unnecessary," another person yelled, even using my stage name. I swallowed again, feeling my face grow colder as my heart shattered. One of them, a girl not older than 20 with a wild look in her eyes, jabbed her finger towards me all of a sudden with a smirk. "They're right," she sneared, shruggung it of afterwards like her words didn't carry anything. My heart sank deeper, breaking even more as I stood there, a mere shadow of the person I once thought I was.
My breath caught painfully in my chest as I turned around, feeling a heavy weight settle over my heart. The air seemed thicker, suffocating, as the realization sank in. I trudged back towards the dormitory, each step heavier than the last, my spirit crushed and the will to practice utterly vanished. The excitement and determination that had fueled me earlier in the day were now mere ghosts, haunting the edges of my mind. The path back felt endless, and with every step, the emptiness inside me grew, echoing the hollow sound of my footsteps.
The shadows the were casted suddenly were melancholic. People passed by in blurred motion, their laughter and chatter a distant hum, worlds away from my own despair. I kept my head down, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze, afraid they might see the turmoil within me. My vision blurred with unshed tears, making the familiar path seem foreign and distorted.
As I reached the dormitory entrance, I hesitated, my hand trembling on the door handle. The
Having woken up by now, I could hear them talk as they had brunch. I slipped inside quietly, hoping to avoid any interaction. The thought of explaining my feelings, of putting this nameless ache into words, was unbearable.
I made my way to my room, the corridor feeling like a tunnel, narrowing with every step. Inside, the silence was deafening. I collapsed onto my bed, the sheets already cool doing little to soothe the burning in my chest. I stared at the ceiling, trying to wrest away the flood of emotions threatening to drown me. Memories of past failures, of times I had fallen short, surged forward, each one a sharp stab to my heart.
