The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The disguise

The morning sun sliced through the dorm's curtains, pulling me from a restless sleep.

For a moment, I could almost pretend it was just another day - that the past year had been nothing but a bad dream. But the weight of this weeks confrontation with Giselle quickly settled back into my bones, as heavy as the silence that had followed me to bed.

Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled into the kitchen, unsurprised to find it already bustling with activity. Ningning and Winter were bickering good-naturedly over the last piece of toast while Karina nursed a cup of coffee, her eyes watching me with gentle concern.

My eyes glanced to Giselle's door, to see the gift I left last night nowhere to be seen. I hope she liked it.

"Morning," I mumbled, reaching for a mug. My eyes automatically sought out the one person missing from the usual morning chaos. "Where's Giselle?"

Karina's brow furrowed slightly. "Early meeting. Something about necessary discussions with upper management."

My grip tightened on the mug, a prickle of unease running down my spine. Meetings with the higher-ups were rarely a good sign, especially this soon after a scandal. But as much as every instinct screamed at me to intervene, to protect, I knew that wasn't my place anymore. Giselle would handle it. She was strong, resilient. She'd proven that a hundred times over in the past year.

A frustrated huff from the living room drew my attention. Winter was rummaging through drawers, her movements getting increasingly agitated.

"Everything okay?" Karina called.

"Just looking for that folder," Winter replied distractedly. "The one with all the evidence of Choi's abuse. I swear I left it right here..."

My blood ran cold. The folder. I'd taken it last night.

"Maybe you misplaced it?" I suggested, trying to keep my voice casual and draw attention away from the me.

Winter's frown deepened. "I'm sure I didn't. And it's not like me to misplace something that important."

My heart hammered against my ribs and I tried to maintain a neutral expression. Ningning and Karina had joined the search now, concerned by Winter's rare display of disorganization.

"It'll turn up," I assured, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. "Why don't I help you look for it later? I just remembered I have to... pick up some dry cleaning."

It was a weak excuse, but I couldn't risk them finding the folder and asking questions I wasn't ready to answer. Ignoring Karina's curious look, I hurried back to my room, barely remembering to grab my wallet and keys before slipping out of the dorm.

Only when the apartment door clicked shut behind me did I allow myself to breathe. Leaning against the hallway wall, I closed my eyes briefly, trying to settle the anxiety buzzing under my skin.

The folder felt too heavy for a folder in my bag as I made my way down the stairs. I had to do this alone. Had to find a way to clear their names, to get justice for what Choi had done. It was the only way to start earning back the trust I'd shattered.

Lost in thought, I almost didn't notice the figure coming up the stairs until we collided. Startled, I looked up to apologize, only for the words to die in my throat.

Giselle.

She looked pale, her usually bright eyes shadowed with something I couldn't quite read. For a moment, we just stared at each other, the air between us thick with unspoken words.

"How... how was the meeting?" I asked finally, hating how uncertain I sounded.

Something flickered across her face - pain, or maybe anger - before it smoothed back into careful neutrality. "Fine," she said shortly. "It was fine."