Never The Same Person

chapter¹⁸

I.N pov:

I stood outside the practice room, my heart pounding a little. It had been too long since I last saw Eliana. When she came back from Spain, I wasn’t even there—I was stuck overseas with my group. And every time she called, I was either too busy or too exhausted to answer. I knew she understood, but it still didn’t sit right with me.

So, today, I decided to finally make it up to her.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. The moment I stepped inside, my eyes immediately found her. She was sitting on the floor, scrolling through her phone, completely unaware of my presence.

“Eliana,” I called softly.

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in pure shock. For a second, she just stared, her phone slipping from her hands.

“I.N…?” Her voice wavered, as if she didn’t believe I was real.

Before I could even react, she shot up from the floor and ran straight into my arms. I stumbled back slightly but held her tightly as she gripped my hoodie like I’d disappear if she let go.

“You idiot!” she choked out, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “You never answered my calls! You weren’t there when I came back!”

I sighed, guilt hitting me. “I know… I’m sorry, Eliana.” I rested my chin on her head, feeling her shake slightly. “I really, really missed you.”

She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I thought you forgot about me…”

I frowned, brushing a tear from her cheek. “Never. Not even for a second.”

She let out a small, broken laugh before burying herself back into my embrace. I just held her tighter, knowing she needed this.

We had lost time, but I wasn’t going to let us drift apart again. Not now, not ever.

Eliana stayed in my arms for what felt like forever, and I didn’t rush her. I knew she needed this—we needed this. She had been through so much, and I hadn’t been there when she returned. That realization still stung.

After a while, she finally pulled away, sniffling as she wiped her eyes. “You really are an idiot, you know that?” she mumbled, trying to sound annoyed, but her voice was too soft, too full of relief.

I chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Yeah, yeah. I deserved that.”

She crossed her arms, her lips pursed like she was debating whether to scold me more or just be happy I was here. Eventually, she sighed, shaking her head. “You better make it up to me.”

I grinned. “Of course. What do you wanna do? Ice cream? Late-night walk? Movie marathon?”

Her eyes lit up at that last suggestion, but she quickly masked it with a dramatic huff. “Hmph. You think a movie marathon will make up for months of ignoring me?”

“Not just any movie marathon,” I said, raising a brow. “A full Disney and Studio Ghibli marathon—with snacks. And you get to pick all the movies.”

That did it. Her eyes widened, and for the first time since I arrived, she smiled—really smiled.

“…Fine,” she said, pretending to be reluctant, but I could tell she was excited. “But you’re not allowed to sleep through any of them.”