Celestial Echoes~

Chapter 15

As soon as Ren cracked open the door, she was suddenly yanked into a fierce embrace. The unexpected force knocked the breath out of her, and she let out a startled scream, eyes widening in panic. She couldn’t see the person’s face but knew from the scent of familiar perfume and the slim frame—it was a woman.

Hearing the distressed cry, Era dropped everything and dashed to the door, her heart racing. The sight that greeted her left her speechless: a petite woman was clinging tightly to Ren, almost as if her life depended on it. But something about the figure struck a chord of recognition in Era. She moved closer cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she tried to place the face that now turned toward her with a wide, cheeky grin.

“Wait... no way!” Era whispered, shock painted across her face as the girl suddenly broke away from Ren and threw herself at Era with the same ferocity, wrapping her arms around her in a suffocating hug.

Ren, still frozen in the doorway, stared wide-eyed, trying to piece together what was happening. Her mind was still spinning from the abrupt hug, and now Era was being pulled into it as well. The moment the girl finally let go, she stood there grinning like she had just pulled off the biggest prank of her life.

“Al?” Ren’s voice was barely audible, a mixture of disbelief and confusion. She blinked several times as if expecting the vision in front of her to disappear any second.

“Hey there, buddy!” Al said with an exaggerated wink, completely unfazed by their stunned reactions. “Surprised?” Her voice was smug, but her smile was pure joy.

“W-What’s going on?” Ren stammered, taking a step back to properly look at her. “I mean, how… how are you here? We just talked a few hours ago!” Her mind couldn’t keep up, trying to bridge the gap between their last call and Al suddenly materializing at her doorstep.

“It’s magic,” Al whispered, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Era crossed her arms, suspicion creeping into her features as she narrowed her eyes at Al. “Wait a minute... is that why you asked for our address earlier?” she asked accusingly, already piecing together the puzzle.

Al gasped dramatically, putting a hand on her chest. “Caught me red-handed, huh? Guess I’m not as sneaky as I thought,” she replied, though there was no real regret in her tone—just playfulness.

“Oh my God, I missed you guys so much!” Al squealed, wrapping both Ren and Era into another embrace, her energy contagious. The three of them started jumping up and down like giddy children, their laughter ringing through the apartment.

“Me too!” Era exclaimed between giggles.

“But not me,” Ren deadpanned, which only made them laugh harder, though her lips curled into a smile despite herself.

--
Amid their joyous reunion, they completely forgot about the others. That is, until Seungkwan cleared his throat loudly from behind them, breaking the moment like a needle to a balloon.

Al, whose back had been to the group the whole time, froze in place. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes falling on the cluster of curious faces watching her, and that’s when it hit her. Her jaw dropped. She blinked. Once. Twice. And then gasped, dramatically covering her mouth with both hands.

“Oh. My. God.” Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with disbelief. “No way!” she shrieked suddenly, stumbling back in shock.

“Calm down,” Ren tried, placing a hand on her arm, though she was biting back a grin herself.

“Al, it’s okay,” Era said soothingly, trying to keep the situation under control, but she couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice.

“Am I dreaming?” Al muttered, her eyes wide and filled with awe, darting from one face to another. “Are they real?!” she almost screamed, unable to hold back her excitement.

Ren shrugged casually, trying to stifle her own laughter. “Yep.”

Al shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no… there’s no way this is happening! How could they actually be here?” she exclaimed, voice trembling with excitement.

Era chuckled softly and gestured toward the boys, who were all smiling at her reaction. “Al, meet the Seventeen boys in the flesh,” she said with a teasing grin. “And guess what? She’s a Carat too!” Era added, turning toward the group.

“Another Carat? That’s awesome!” Hoshi’s grin grew wider, and the other members greeted her with bright smiles and waves.

Al was still in shock, processing the surreal scene in front of her, when Ren gave her a small nudge to snap her out of it.

“Uh, right! Hi! I’m Alfa from BD,” she finally blurted out, her voice still trembling slightly. “I’m a medical student, and, um, the eldest in my family… Oh my God, I seriously can’t believe my bias is standing right in front of me! Please, someone pinch me!” she said in rapid-fire, practically tripping over her words.

The boys exchanged amused glances, stifling chuckles as they watched her flustered state.

“Stop fangirling, or I’ll kick your butt,” Ren teased, lightly punching Al’s shoulder with a smirk before turning to the boys with an apologetic smile.

Mingyu, always the playful one, stepped forward with a confident grin. “Who’s your bias, though? It’s gotta be me, right?” he asked, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

Before Al could respond, Ren answered for her, her expression flat but with a hint of teasing. “Nope, for your kind...information, it’s Jeonghan,” she deadpanned, casting a slightly irritated glance at Mingyu’s flirty demeanor.

The boys erupted into laughter at Ren’s quick shutdown, making Mingyu pout dramatically. Ren’s lips twitched into a grin despite herself as she watched him sulk.

“Wae...., do you want to die!?” Mingyu grumbled, pretending to be offended, though the twinkle in his eyes betrayed his amusement.

Al, still riding the high of her excitement, suddenly blurted out, “Oh my God, you’re even more handsome in real life!” She slapped her hands over her mouth immediately, realizing how loud she was, but it was too late. The words had already slipped out.

Laughter erupted again, but Al’s eyes suddenly widened as if she’d just had an epiphany. “Ugh! Why am I still here?! I should’ve left ages ago! I came here to surprise you, and now I’m the one surprised!” she exclaimed, her temper flaring slightly as she spun on her heel and marched toward the door in mock anger.

“Al, come on—don’t be mad!” Ren called, hurriedly moving to stop her.

“Let me go,” Al demanded coldly, though her voice still had a playful edge to it. She wasn’t really mad, but she was enjoying making a scene.

“Please, hear us out. We were going to explain everything,” Era pleaded gently, trying to pacify her.

Al turned sharply on her heels, her expression fierce. “How could you keep something this huge from me? Did you seriously think I’d spill the secret?” Her temper flared genuinely this time, her eyes narrowing at both Ren and Era.

“It’s not like that at all...” Era started, but Al didn’t let her finish. She threw one last dramatic glare at them before storming out, her frustration radiating off her in waves.

“Don’t follow me!” Al snapped before slamming the door behind her.

Ren let out a long, exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes. “Shuhh-That girl! She’ll cool off in a few hours,” she muttered, turning to Era, who was equally exasperated. They both knew Al too well—she had a short fuse, but it was never long-lasting. She’d be back soon, probably with an even louder entrance.

“She always has to make everything dramatic,” Ren grumbled, though the fondness in her tone was unmistakable

The tale whispers on~~!