Wishlist [txtzy#1]

Wishlist-25(contact)

Chaeryeong sat on the floor of her small apartment, staring at her phone. The video call with her members had left her heart both lighter and heavier. She'd missed their voices, their warmth, but the guilt still clung to her like a shadow. Would they truly forgive her for disappearing, for shutting them out for so long?

Her phone buzzed, jolting her out of her thoughts. She reached for it hesitantly, half-expecting another message from Yeji or maybe Yuna. Instead, the screen lit up with a name that sent her heart into overdrive: Taehyun.

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She couldn't bring herself to answer. Not yet. Instead, she watched as the call ended, her screen fading back to its dim glow. A notification popped up seconds later: 1 New Voicemail.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she hesitated only a moment before pressing play.

    "Chaeryeong... it's me."

    His voice was rough, quieter than she remembered, but still full of that intensity that had always made her feel like the world had stopped just for them.

    "I don't know where you are, and honestly, I'm trying not to lose my mind over it. Jisung gave me your note. I read it a hundred times, but I still don't understand why you left the way you did. If you're listening to this... please, just tell me you're okay. Tell me you're safe. That's all I need to know."

The message ended abruptly, and her chest ached at the pain she heard in his voice. She closed her eyes, memories flooding back Taehyun's laughter, the way his gaze softened whenever he looked at her, the arguments, the goodbyes that were never really goodbyes.

Her thumb hovered over the dial button. Should she call him back? Could she even face him now? Before she could decide, another knock at her door startled her.

She stood slowly, her heart racing as she opened the door to find Yeji standing there, a bag slung over her shoulder and a determined look in her eyes.

"Unnie..." Chaeryeong's voice was small, surprised.

Yeji didn't waste a second, stepping inside and pulling her into a firm hug. "You think I'd let you deal with this alone after everything we talked about?"

Chaeryeong blinked back tears. "I thought you'd wait for me to come back to the dorm."

Yeji pulled back, her eyes full of understanding but also resolve. "I am waiting. But while I wait, I'm going to make sure you don't shut yourself off again. Deal?"

Chaeryeong managed a small nod, grateful and overwhelmed all at once. "Deal."

Meanwhile, Taehyun stood in the HYBE practice room, staring blankly at the mirror. He'd come here to escape his thoughts, to lose himself in rehearsal, but nothing was working. The note, Jisung's cryptic words, Chaeryeong's silence,it was all gnawing at him.

Beomgyu entered the room, a can of soda in hand. "You've been pacing for an hour, dude. What's going on?"

Taehyun hesitated. Beomgyu was his closest friend, but even now, he struggled to talk about Chaeryeong. Their history was too tangled, too painful. Still, he sighed and held up the note.

"She wrote this. Jisung gave it to me," Taehyun muttered, his voice strained.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And it's... it's nothing. Just a lot of apologies. Regrets." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "But it doesn't explain anything. Why she left. Why she cut me out."

Beomgyu tilted his head, studying him. "Maybe she doesn't know how to explain it. You ever think about that?"

Taehyun clenched his jaw, guilt creeping in. "I just want to see her. I want to know if she's okay."

"Then find her," Beomgyu said simply. "If you're this torn up, sitting around waiting isn't going to fix anything. She's not the only one who has to make a move."

The words struck a chord. Taehyun's eyes narrowed with determination. He didn't know how, but he was going to find Chaeryeong even if it meant breaking down every barrier she'd put up.

Back in her apartment, Chaeryeong sat with Yeji, sipping tea as they talked quietly.

"You know he's not going to give up on you," Yeji said gently.

Chaeryeong's hands tightened around her cup. "I don't deserve him, Yeji. Not after everything I put him through."

"You don't get to decide that," Yeji replied firmly. "What you deserve or don't deserve. That's not your choice to make. If you still love him, if you still want him in your life, you owe it to him to tell him the truth."

Chaeryeong's heart ached at the truth of those words, but fear held her back. She wasn't kind. ready,not yet. But as she sat there, surrounded by Yeji's unwavering support, she felt a small ember of courage begin to flicker.