Dance Partners || N.NK ||

Part 36/ S2

"Come in!" You heard the voice of your CEO speak, granting you the permission to step inside the office.
And as you opened the door to enter, you noticed an unfamiliar figure sitting on one of the chairs ahead of the workspace of the CEO.
Their presence alone made the room feel heavier.

"Good evening CEO Kim" You greeted while bowing in respect as you stepped inside the office.
"Good evening Yn. Please, take a seat" The CEO greeted back, his voice slightly above a Whisper.
You sat on the chair beside the unfamiliar person who looked like a bodyguard to you.

"So, Kim Yn... I'm sure you might have an idea about why I've called you here... It's about your contract with the company." The CEO annouced,making you confused as you had never received any information about your contact with the company, it was doing all good so far.
"No, I'm not sure. Is there a problem with my contract?" you asked, your voice suddenly filled with worry.

"It's being terminated—permanently" He bluntly stated, his words hitting you like a weight, dragging your heart deep into a void, far beyond reach.
"What do you mean terminated? You're joking, right?" You demanded, your voice trembling with disbelief.
"I wish I were" the CEO answered, his tone laced with regret.
"But if we don't let you go, the company could face a significant financial trouble." He added.
"What are you talking about? How does keeping me lead to a financial trouble?" you asked, desperation creeping into your voice.
The explanation made no sense to you.

The CEO hesitated to talk further, his fingers tapping against the desk.
"It's not like what you think Yn. The truth is... your parents-" Before he could continue his sentence, you sharply cut him off the moment he mentioned your parents.
You didn't need to hear the explanation furthermore, you had already understood it simply by the mention of your parents.

"Save it!" You said, your voice rising in frustration and without waiting for another word, you stormed out of the office.

Tears streamed down your eyes, immediately blurring your vision as you stormed through the hallways.
You couldn't stop the flood of emotions crashing over you.
After all you had been working your butt off hard for this company, yet now they were kicking you out.

"How much do my parents hate my career?" You muttered under your breath, the words bitter and raw.
"How far will they go to control me? Threatening the company just to get me kicked out?" You chuckled in pain.
Your parents had never supported your dreams.
To them, being an idol wasn't a career—it was just a phase, a distraction from the life they had planned for you.
And now, they had succeeded in ripping it away.

It wasn't fair.
You had given up everything just to build this career—your blood, sweat, and tears—only for it to be ripped away in the end.

"They act like this is some kind of crime" You whispered to yourself as you reached your group's practice room.
The large, empty space stared back at you, cold and unwelcoming as you stepped inside, your footsteps echoing in the silence.
"Why did I even come here?" you asked yourself, glancing around at the familiar yet suddenly distant room.
There was nothing for you to pack.
Everything you had built here—every memory, every achievement—was intangible, something they couldn't take away, yet it felt as if it was slipping away through your fingers.

You leaned against the mirrored wall, wiping your tears away.
"I guess it's over now? I was just a pawn to them, a robot... nothing more" You laughed through the painful tears.
Your knees weakened and you slid to the floor, burying your face in your hands. The weight of everything crushed you—your parents' disapproval, the company's inability to stand up for you and the uncertainty of what was coming next.

"I'm done" You said softly, the words heavy and final, you had officially given up.
"I can't keep fighting a battle I've already lost." You spoke to yourself as the thought of calling your groupmates or even Ni-ki suddenly crossed your mind, but the shame stopped you.
What could you say? That you'd been kicked out? That the girl who always encouraged others to keep going had finally given up?
"I can't even face them now" you mumbled, your heart shattering into a millions of pieces.

Your gaze fell to the floor, tears continuing to stream down your face.
You felt small, insignificant—like every effort you had ever made had been for nothing.

Taking one last look around the practice room, you let out a shaky breath as you slowly stood up, your legs shaky from the weight of your emotions.
"I guess this is the goodbye" You murmured, running your hand along the edge of the mirrored wall.

You turned to leave, your feet carrying you to the door, and as you opened it, you glanced back at the practice room one last time.
"All I ever wished for was to belong here" You mumbled.
"But maybe I was wrong to think I could" You disappointedly thought and with that, you stepped out, the door closing behind you with a soft click.
~ To be continued
Don't worry, this is not the end! Just the beginning of it.
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