Finally, we have a little time off today. Our choreographer allows us to go home earlier than usual and although I'm sweaty, tired and thirsty I have somewhere else to be.
The dorms aren't far from the dance studio. Standing outside my old room, I hesitate on whether to just go in or to knock first. It feels so weird. I'm so used to just going in that to stand outside and wait seems completely alien. Despite this, I knock. When there's no answer, however, I try the handle. It turns and I cautiously push open the door. The room is very much how it was before I left, just without my stuff which never took up much space anyway. Daisy's clothes and various papers are scattered across the floor, idol and anime posters plaster the wall hiding the dismal grey paint beneath. Her bed is, of course, unmade and I can see from the two other empty beds that no new trainees have moved in.
At first, I think Daisy isn't here but then I hear violent coughing from the bathroom. I'm about to call out but then there's the sound of running water and the toilet door clicks open.
I could swear that, just for a second, her face showed a peculiar expression I can't quite place. It's a shock because I can usually read her face like a book. Partly because she is so open and partly because I know her so well. Whatever it was, it quickly changes. Daisy breaks into an enormous grin and without warning flings herself upon me squealing in delight. I fall backwards but she continues to cling to me. We're both on the floor and she's hugging me as tight as a boa constrictor.
"Daisy!" I choke. She rolls off me giggling wildly.
"Welcome back!"
"You're crazy, you know?" I mutter sitting up and rubbing my bruised back. I can't resist smiling though, Daisy's joy is infectious.
"So, how's everything been?" She questions not even letting me catch my breath, "When are you going to officially debut?"
"About two m-" I start.
"Ah!" Daisy doesn't let me finish, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Any news with Mark?"
"W-what?!" I splutter. My mind instantly rewinds to last night, sleeping with him in the hallway. "No, of course not!"
However, Daisy's noted my overly insistent voice. She smiles mischievously. "Are you sure?" Her elbow nudges me playfully.
"Yes! Nothing. Nothing at all."
"Hmm, all right," she pouts.
"Honestly!"
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you," she tells me but her tone implies quite the opposite. She jumps up and searches through a pile of papers and wrappers, throwing them carelessly to the side. Eventually, she pulls out a bright purple packet with large yellow font and tosses it to me. "Look what I found!"
I look down at the eye-catching packet and cry out loud.
"How did you find these?!" I tear it open and start feasting on the delicious prawn flavoured snacks. A local shop sold these back when Daisy and I first got in to JYP Entertainment. We'd share a packet almost everyday to celebrate surviving another strenuous day as a trainee. Unfortunately, the store shut down and we haven't been able to find the particular brand of crackers since. And wow, they're so good. I'm sure this is what heaven tastes like.
We happily munch the crackers together, discussing whatever comes to mind and reminiscing over when we both had only just started as trainees even though it really wasn't that long ago. We rewatch Got7's new video "Fly" and debate over theories of the storyline. We giggle over how great they all look, amd when Mark's part comes up Daisy smirks knowingly at my absorbed face and gives me a poke. I stare determinedly at the screen attempting to appear unfazed. Afterwards, I try asking her about how things are now but she waves the question off simply saying that I've been replaced by prawn crackers. It doesn't really make sense and we both end up laughing hopelessly. I don't miss the strange flicker in her eyes though, or the way her laughter seems almost too gleeful like she's forcing herself to be happy.
Daisy insists on giving me another packet of crackers to take back with me. "Now I have no one to share them with, I'll just get fat if I keep them to myself." We both laugh again but something about it hits home. It exposes the fact that I'm not there anymore and it's bothering her. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. That's probably it actually. Jeez, not everything has subtext, Aimi.
When I leave my eyes fall on a bin by the door. Daisy waves at me until I'm all the way down the hall, round a corner and out of sight. I'm really happy to have seen her, she never fails to brighten my day, but an unsettling feeling sits uncomfortably within me. I keep analysing a single image. It was barely a glance, I didn't have a chance to look any closer, but I swear inside the trash can there was something suspiciously, and worryingly, small and white.
★★★★★★
A/N:
The image is of Seolhyun from AOA who I imagine Daisy to look a bit like.
I also imagine Aimi to look like Japanese actress Yui Aragaki in case you're interested :)
Thanks for reading and please vote for my story if you're enjoying it!
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Obsession
FanfictionJYP trainee Aimi has never been more sure of what she wants: to be a famous kpop singer. That is, until she meets Mark Tuan, one of JYP's stars. Suddenly, the entertainment world becomes a much less of a welcoming place and the path to stardom she'...
