Celestial Echoes~

Chapter 20

As the night deepened and the games wore on, the carefree atmosphere took a sharp turn. Al, typically cautious and far from a seasoned drinker, found herself swept up in the excitement, unknowingly crossing the line. What started as a light buzz quickly morphed into something more potent, her actions becoming increasingly erratic. Her laughter, once infectious, turned wild and unpredictable. Ren and Era exchanged worried glances, their earlier amusement melting into concern as they watched their friend unravel before their eyes.

“Al… she’s not looking good,” Era whispered, biting her lip, her eyes wide with growing fear.

Ren nodded in agreement, her expression tight. "We need to get her out of here."

Before they could act, Jeonghan, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation, approached with a calm authority that was almost disarming. His gaze flicked between the two worried girls and the clearly intoxicated Al. “It’s okay. I’ve got this,” he said gently, his voice steady yet reassuring. He offered a small, comforting smile before carefully guiding Al towards one of the spare rooms to rest.

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Inside the room, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Al, her usual vibrant energy dulled by the alcohol coursing through her veins, stumbled as Jeonghan helped her sit on the edge of the bed. Her movements were slow, disjointed, and uncoordinated, her eyes unfocused. But suddenly, with a surprising and unexpected burst of energy, she leaned in towards him.

Jeonghan froze, his breath hitching as their lips touched in a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity. His eyes widened in shock, his heart pounding in his chest. This wasn’t supposed to happen—not like this. He should have stopped it, should have pulled away the moment their lips met, but something in the way Al kissed him, the raw, uncontrolled intensity, held him captive. His mind screamed at him to stop, but his body—heavy with the haze of alcohol—betrayed him. He found himself sinking into the kiss, returning it with a fervor he didn’t fully understand.

For that brief moment, nothing else existed. The world around them disappeared, replaced by the heady, heated pull of their drunken connection. Neither of them realized the door had cracked open slightly, nor did they hear the sound of a quiet gasp from the hallway.

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Jun had followed them, his heart heavy with concern. Something about the way Jeonghan had taken Al away hadn’t sat right with him, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. But what he saw when he reached the doorway turned his stomach. There, in the dim light of the room, Al—his Al—was kissing Jeonghan. The girl who, for so long, had unknowingly captured his heart was wrapped up in the arms of someone else. Someone close to him. A bandmate. A brother.

He stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes away from the heartbreaking scene before him. His pulse roared in his ears, and the weight of betrayal and sorrow settled deep in his chest, suffocating him. Every unspoken word, every secret hope he’d harbored, shattered in that instant. The pain was too raw, too sudden, and he felt as though the ground beneath him had crumbled. He had never voiced his feelings for her, but seeing her with Jeonghan—seeing her like this—stripped him of the dream he’d kept alive for so long.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he took a shaky step back, the hurt too much to bear. The betrayal from both Al and Jeonghan was almost unbearable, yet he couldn’t confront them, not here, not now. Without a sound, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, retreating back to the group with a hollow, aching heart.

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Meanwhile, in a different corner of the party, Ren was absorbed in her own world. She had been laughing with the members, momentarily caught up in the light-heartedness of the night when her phone buzzed. Her mood shifted instantly, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the notification. Her grades had dropped. The weight of the realization hit her like a tidal wave, crashing over her with merciless force. Her chest tightened, panic clawing at her insides.

Without a word to anyone, Ren slipped out of the party unnoticed—except by one.

Wonwoo had been watching her all night, noticing the subtle signs of tension in her posture, the way her laughter never quite reached her eyes. When she left so abruptly, his concern deepened, and without thinking, he followed her outside.

Ren stood in the cool night air, gripping her phone as though it were the only thing keeping her grounded. The notification flashed in her mind on an endless loop, taunting her, filling her with dread. All her hard work, all her efforts—it felt like it was unraveling. And worst of all, she could already imagine the disappointment on her parents’ faces.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her stiffen. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Ren?” Wonwoo’s voice was soft, filled with concern as he stepped closer. “What’s wrong? Why did you leave?”

She didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she stared down at her phone, her voice cold and distant. “Go back inside, please.”

But Wonwoo, ever persistent, didn’t move. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Just leave me alone,” Ren snapped, her frustration spilling over, her voice sharper than she intended.

“I don’t believe that. You don’t have to handle everything on your own,” Wonwoo replied gently, but there was an underlying firmness in his tone.

“Handle what, Wonwoo? There’s nothing to handle!” Ren spun around, her eyes blazing with barely-contained emotion. “This is my problem, not yours. Stop acting like you understand.”

“I’m just trying to help,” Wonwoo said quietly, his voice steady but laced with hurt. “You’ve been distant all night, and now you’re just walking away. I care about you, Ren—don’t push me away. Just tell me what happened!!?”

“That’s the problem!” Ren shouted, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. “You care too much! You shouldn’t. I don’t need you to care.”

“What do you mean by that?” Wonwoo asked, taken aback, his voice quieter now, laced with confusion.

“Just stop. Stop looking at me like that. Stop… making me feel things. It’s distracting. You shouldn’t be here right now.” Ren turned away, her voice low but cutting.

“Are you saying you don’t want me around anymore?” Wonwoo’s heart sank, the realization dawning on him as his voice wavered.

“I’m saying I don’t need this right now. I don’t need… you or anyone right now.” Ren tightened her grip on her phone, her words colder than she intended.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Wonwoo stood there, his heart breaking, the weight of her words settling heavily between them. He wanted to say something, anything, to fix this, to ease the tension, but he didn’t know how.

“I see,” he finally whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.

Ren looked away, unable to face him, her chest tightening with guilt and regret. She knew she had hurt him—she could see it in his eyes, hear it in the way his voice wavered—but she couldn’t take it back. Not now.

Wonwoo took a step back, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and walked away, his heart heavy with the words she didn’t say.

“Take care, Ren,” he said softly, his voice breaking as he disappeared into the night.

Ren stood there, frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. She had pushed him away, hurt him in a way she hadn’t intended, but right now, she couldn’t deal with anything—not even herself.

The tale whispers on~~!