The heavy silence in the apartment didn't lift when the sun came up. Daniella had spent the rest of the night curled up on the living room sofa, tossing and turning under a thin throw blanket that did little to block out the chill of the room. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of you pulling your sleeve out of her grasp replayed in her mind.By 7:00 AM, she couldn't stay in bed anymore. Her body ached from weeks of intense KATSEYE choreography, but the knot of anxiety in her stomach was far worse than any muscle soreness. She quietly padded into the kitchen, determined to do
aroma of freshly brewed coffee and vanilla pancakes filled the air.Daniella was standing by the stove, her long hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing an oversized hoodie that belonged to you. She looked up immediately, her eyes wide and anxious. The dark circles under her eyes made it clear she hadn't slept a wink."Good morning," she said, her voice small, tentative, and stripped of the usual bright energy she carried on stage.You didn't answer right away. You walked past the kitchen island, heading straight for the bathroom to brush your teeth. Daniella’s shoulders slumped, but she didn't give up. She quietly poured a mug of coffee—exactly how you liked it, with just a splash of oat milk and a drizzle of honey—and set it on the counter near the stool where you usually sat.When you walked back out, you looked at the steaming mug, then at her. She was standing there, holding a plate of food, looking so incredibly vulnerable that a crack finally formed in your resolve. You had been hurt, deeply so, because the constant silence while she was on tour made you feel like an afterthought in her whirlwind life. But seeing her like this—exhausted, desperately trying, and genuinely remorseful—made the anger feel too heavy to keep holding onto.You didn't say anything, but you walked over and took a seat on the barstool. You pulled the coffee mug toward you and took a slow sip.Daniella let out a breath she seemed to have been
The comfortable quiet that had finally settled over the apartment lasted exactly until noon.You were both curled up on the couch, half-watching a movie while Daniella rested her head on your chest, her fingers idly tracing patterns on your hand. For the first time in weeks, the hectic, fast-paced world of global pop stardom felt a million miles away.Then, Daniella’s phone buzzed on the coffee table.At first, she tried to ignore it. But within seconds, the single buzz turned into a relentless, machine-gun stutter of notifications. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz-buzz-buzz.Daniella groaned, burying her face deeper into your neck. "I'm not looking at it. If I don't look at it, it doesn't exist."You laughed softly, the vibration rumbling under her cheek. "Dani, it’s going to vibrate itself off the table. Just check it. It might be important."With a dramatic sigh, she reached over, grabbed the phone, and unlocked the screen. The brightness illuminated a flurry of messages in the KATSEYE group chat. You glanced down, catching the chaotic wave of texts flying in from Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan, and Manon.Sophia: 🚨 EMERGENCY 🚨 Lara just dropped her entire iced matcha on the studio floor and it splashed all over the practice mirrors.Lara: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!! The cup was sweaty!!!Megan: There is green liquid everywhere. We need reinforcements. Daniella where are you, save us.Manon: Honestly it looks like an abstract art piece. I kind of like it.Yoonchae: Manager oppa is walking down the hall right now. If he sees this we are all getting lectured about cleanliness again 😭Sophia: DANIELLA. You have the extra paper towels in your locker. Tell us the code right now or we are doomed.Daniella let out a mix of a laugh and a sigh, looking up at you with an apologetic expression. "The girls are causing a crisis at the facility," she said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Lara flooded the dance studio with matcha.""Go ahead and reply," you smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I don't want to be responsible for KATSEYE getting grounded by their management.""You're the best," she murmured. She quickly typed out the locker code and a barrage of laughing emojis, telling them to clean it up before they got caught.Before she could lock the screen again, a separate FaceTime notification popped up, filling the screen with Sophia and Lara’s panicked, chaotic faces. Daniella looked at you, silently asking for permission with her eyes. You nodded, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.She answered, and instantly, a wall of overlapping voices filled the living room. "Dani! Oh my god, hi!" Lara squeaked, holding up the phone to show a spectacular green puddle reflecting in the studio mirrors, while Megan frantically wiped the floor with a stray hoodie in the background. "We miss you! When are you coming back to the dorms?""I'm on my rest day, you guys!" Daniella laughed, leaning back against you so the camera tilted, accidentally catching the edge of your shoulder.On the screen, Sophia’s eyes widened. She nudged Lara, and the entire group suddenly went quiet, a collective, knowing smirk spreading across their faces."Ohhh, wait," Sophia said, her voice dropping into a teasing tone. "Are we interrupting something? Is that the person who was getting the silent treatment last night?"Daniella’s face flushed a deep crimson. "Sophia! Shut up!""We're sorry!" Lara giggled, waving frantically at the camera. "We'll clean up the matcha ourselves! Bye, lovebirds! Tell them we say hi!"The call abruptly disconnected, leaving the apartment suddenly quiet again. Daniella tossed the phone face down on the cushions, covering her face with her hands in pure embarrassment. "I am so sorry. They have absolutely no boundaries."You couldn't help but chuckle, pulling her hands away from her face to look at her. "It's fine. It's nice to see how much they miss you. And hey, at least you answered their texts this time."Daniella rolled her eyes
