pointed teeth || iz*one

26

In the middle of the night as everyone slept, Chaeyeon tossed and turned, hugging a bolster in attempt to replace Sakura's body. Eventually she gave up and decided she couldn't sleep tonight.

She sat up and fiddled with the pocket in her shorts before reaching for her phone beside her pillow.

She plugged in her earbuds, thinking music would help, and tapped on their group chat icon. She turned up the volume of the song, remembering it as one of Yuri's favourites.

We may not have all the answers, oh-h-h I know, that we can change bled into her mind as she sent a message.

...

ChaeYEON: i cant sleep

ChaeYEON: kkuraya i miss you

Yudaeng: u awake???

ChaeYEON: WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS AWAKE

Yudaeng: insomnia :(

...

"Is it Sakura?" Yujin whispered. She bent over the edge of her bunk, body twisting and nudging Wonyoung. Her head and shoulders hung down to face Chaeyeon. An earbud draped over her face - she was listening to music too.

Chaeyeon nodded sadly.

"You were fine a few months ago when she wasn't here," Yujin said lightheartedly, not bothering to climb the ladder coming down. Her long legs reached the floor easily, toes touching the floor first as she edged off the bed.

She sat on Sakura's place beside Chaeyeon. "A few months ago I didn't know about her," the older girl grumbled.

"Ah... it's just one more week. See, Eunbi's been fine," Yujin said warmly. She skipped a song and adjusted an earbud.

"She wasn't at the beginning," Chaeyeon mumbled.

Then the lights flickered on, blinding the two for a moment. Yujin squinted to adjust her vision to the sudden brightness.

Eunbi was standing wide eyed and dishevelled, leaning against the wall in a drunken pose with her hand pressed on the switch.

"Nevermind what I just said," Yujin groaned. "What's up? Miss Kwangbae?"

"There's a sound outside," Eunbi rasped, "wake everyone up."

Chaeyeon set to shaking Minju's shoulders. Eunbi lightly slapped Chaewon beside her. Meanwhile, Yujin screamed into Yena's face.

Yena shot awake and her forehead collided with Yujin's nose.

"I got one up," Yujin said cheekily while pinching her nose bridge. She rubbed it for a while to lessen the sharp pain before waking Yuri and the Japanese duo up in the same way.

Minju hummed groggily, "Why are we awake...?"

"There was a loud sound while you guys were asleep. And it-"

"It's getting louder, unnie," Wonyoung squeaked, hugging her knees to her chest. The honorific she used made her seem smaller.

Nako said, perplexed and alarmed, "It's not going to hurt us, right? It's just Cho-ssi's truck going for early delivery, right?"

Cho was a neighbour Eunbi used to pay to take care of the farm. His truck rolled into their areas when he drove it away in the mornings to work in the market, usually around 6AM when Yuri woke up first.

"Doesn't sound like a truck," Chaewon grumbled. "It sounds like a-"

A thump. On the walls, or near the sty.