The days count down

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Seven days till her return...

The morning light felt harsher in Seoul, artificial and unforgiving as it sliced through my bedroom window. I could hear the city waking up - the hum of traffic, the occasional siren, the bustle of people starting their day. So different from the gentle birdsongs and rustling leaves that used to greet me in the countryside.

I lay there for a moment, trying to absorb the familiar yet foreign surroundings. The bed felt the same, but the air was different, laden with memories I'd tried to leave behind.

A knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. "Y/n? Breakfast is ready!" Ningning's voice, usually so boisterous, was tentative, as if she was unsure whether to disturb me.

I forced myself out of bed, taking a deep breath before opening the door. The smell of coffee and toast filled the dorm, a scent I'd once associated with home, but now it felt like a relic from another life.

In the kitchen, the members were already gathered, an array of breakfast dishes spread out on the table. They looked up as I entered, their smiles a mix of genuine happiness and cautious concern.

"Morning," I managed, my voice sounding rough from disuse.

"We made your favorites," Karina said softly, pushing a plate towards me. "Well, Ningning tried. We salvaged what we could."

"Hey!" Ningning pouted. "I've improved a lot! Remember when-"

She cut herself off abruptly, the unspoken "when you were here" hanging heavily in the air.

I forced a smile, trying to diffuse the sudden tension. "I'm sure it's great, Ning. Thanks."

Breakfast was a quiet affair, punctuated by the clink of utensils and stilted attempts at conversation. They were walking on eggshells around me, unsure how to navigate this new dynamic.

"So," Winter started, her camera ever-present at her side, "the company called. They want us to come in for a meeting."

I tensed, my grip tightening on my coffee mug. The company. The place where everything had fallen apart. Where I'd lost everything.

Sensing my discomfort, Winter quickly interjected. "We don't have to go today. It's not urgent."

"But they know he's back," Karina said gently. "We can't avoid them forever."

"I know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I don't think I'm ready. To be there again."

Understanding passed between them, a silent conversation in glances and subtle nods. "That's okay," Ningning said brightly, reaching across to squeeze my hand. "We can go another day. When you're ready."

But as I looked out the window at the Seoul skyline, the towering buildings that held so many memories, I wondered if I'd ever be ready.

The day passed in a blur of unpacking and settling in. The members flitted in and out, helping where they could but mostly giving me space to process.

As evening fell, I found myself on the balcony, staring out at the city lights. Somewhere out there, in the mess of steel and concrete, was the company building. The practice rooms where we'd spent countless hours perfecting choreography. The recording studios where I'd watched them pour their hearts into every song.

And somewhere, in a country across the sea, was her. The girl I'd left behind. The one I'd have to face eventually.

But not today. Today, I let the city noise wash over me, a cacophony so different from the peaceful silence of the countryside. Today, I tried to remember how to breathe in a place that held so many ghosts.

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