(đïž) ... hit the road docu.<> and for the ghosts that haunt me
masterlist | cyana's masterlist
word count: 3.6k tw: anxiety, mentions of bullying, panic attacks, blood, use of slut shaming italics are interviews cut between scenes + english a/n: this is a retelling of a story that is extremely close to my heart. school bullying is NOT a joke, and remember that you're beautiful, strong and that no matter what anyone else says - you define who and what you are. if any of the above trigger warnings trigger you - scroll away, stay safe, and come back for the next one đ
âCyana!â
Cyana turned to greet her, a mysterious, faceless young girl whose voice sounded all too familiar.Â
âChloe, hey.â She smiled, a wave of fond memories washing over her as she reminisced about what used to be. âIâve missed you.â
âWe saw each other yesterday, silly.â Chloe laughed, the sound sending sudden chills down Cyanaâs spine.Â
âWhy are you looking at me like that?â Cyana asked, noticing the sinister glare behind Chloeâs friendly smile. âChloe?â
âYou really donât know, huh?â Chloe chortled, eyes dancing with mirth, relishing in the glory Cyanaâs confusion and fear gave her. âGod, you really are dense. Just like your mother. Bet you wonât go to university, just like her.âÂ
âStop that.â Cyana protested, and a sudden sense of deja vu washed over her. This had happened before. âWhatâs going on, Chloe? Arenât we friends?âÂ
âPsh.â Chloe hid a smirk behind her hand. âYouâre way too naive to be sixteen, Cyana.âÂ
Sixteen? She frowned. She was way past sixteen now. Turning twenty one just a couple months ago had hit her like a truck. She didnât feel her age. In her head she was still sixteen, huddled behind bathroom stalls and hanging her head low in hallways.Â
âCyana?â A familiar voice spoke out of Chloeâs face. âCyana?â
She blinked.Â
âChan?âÂ
The familiar face of her self-proclaimed twin and tour roommate hovered over her, blurred and hazy as she blinked up at him. Gentle fingers placed her glasses on the bridge of her nose, and a worried Chan came into clear view.Â
âAre you okay, Nana? You were crying out for something.â
She sat up, nearly bumping into him as she looked around, disoriented. âI- just a dream.âÂ
âDo you want to talk about it?â Chan echoed the words his hyungs used to say years ago. âI used to get nightmares too. Jeonghan always said talking about it would make it easier.âÂ
She shook her head.Â
âCyana, she-â Dino paused, thinking. âShe doesnât like talking about herself very much. Sometimes I wonder if I really know her at all, and then I shake myself out of it because- sheâs my twin. Of course I know her well. There are just some things sheâs not ready to share yet.âÂ
Cyana could feel her hands shaking as she packed for LA. Although she had been mentally counting down the days of tour leading up to it, she hadnât realized itâd be so soon.Â
âNana-yah?â Joshua knocked against the wall of her hotel room, poking his head in. âAre you all ready? Weâre leaving soon.â
She hummed, keeping her head low, scared heâd pinpoint her red eyes and accuse her of crying. âAlmost done.âÂ
Nothing ever got past Joshua.
âAre you alright?â
Cyana really wished people would stop asking her that.
âIâm fine.âÂ
âCyana, she-â Joshua let out a breathy laugh. âHer tolerance for things is too high for her own good.âÂ
Lingering by her door, Joshuaâs eyebrows were pulled tight as he watched Cyana continue packing, her hands quivering under the dim lights of the room. A storm cloud was starting to stir within him, something deeply unsettling and worrying hovering just above the horizon - Joshua could sense it.Â
âI was never good at weaseling the truth out from others. Or forcing them to tell me. That was Cheolâs job. But he wasnât there.â Joshua gave the camera a weary shrug. âIt was what it was.âÂ
Wonwoo was the one who found Cyana on the cold tiles of the airport bathroom, ten minutes before their flight to LA.Â
Pushing the door open with the brunt of his shoulder, Wonwoo crashed into the single occupant stall, disheveled and frantic as he stared at the girl sprawled across the tiles.Â
âCyana?â He gasped out, catching his breath as he bent down, moving her hair away from her face. âEveryoneâs looking for you. What-â Reality hit him like a rock as he realized the severity of the situation. There were dozens, if not hundreds of fans outside, and Cyana was currently lying on the floor, her eyes bloodshot and unfocused. âWhere does it hurt?âÂ
Her blurry eyes looked up to meet him as she took in his features. âWonu?âÂ
âYeah.â His hands hovered shakily over her frame as his mind short-circuited, scared to move her but equally scared to let her stay on the floor. âThe floor is unsanitary, Nana.â He mumbled, trying to calm himself as he checked for injuries. âWhere does it hurt?â
Her hand moved to her chest.Â
âYour-â He paused, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.Â
âI canât breathe.âÂ
Ah. Panic attack. Why, Wonwoo had no clue, but at least he was familiar with these.
âSit up. Thatâs good.â He braved a smile as he helped Cyana situate herself so she was leaning against the wall. Sitting down in front of her, Wonwoo spread his long legs in an uncomfortable position, but favourable for holding her as close as she needed. âBreathe. Slowly.â
He felt her whole body shake as she inhaled.Â
âBreathe again.â He whispered, painfully aware of the time ticking away - a plane waiting to be caught. âTell me whatâs wrong.âÂ
He felt her shake her head, her hair brushing against his chin as she did.
âPlease.âÂ
âI donât want to go to LA.âÂ
Wonwoo had suspected so. âWhy?âÂ
Cyana didnât know what compelled her to tell him everything - but she did, crying on the bathroom floor in some grimy airport, covered in his arms. Wonwoo stayed silent as she spoke, his strong arms holding her together like glue as tears fell from his own eyes, mirroring the ones in hers.Â
âYeah, I knew. I knew everything.â Wonwoo told the camera, revealing the truth after nearly six months. âBut once she had collected herself back together again, she told me to keep everything to myself. So thatâs what I did.âÂ
âCyana, you need to get out of bed.âÂ
Dino watched from his spot on his own bed, as Joshua gently scolded his roommate. He was confused why an usually active and energetic Cyana had been lounging in bed all day, practically every day since they had landed in LA.Â
âShua hyungâs right, Nana.â Dino quietly voiced his opinion, frowning when Cyana grumbled unhappily. âWhatâs been going on with you? So grumpy.â
âWeâre here for our concert, right? So I donât have to go outside.â Cyana argued, pulling the blankets tighter around herself. âPlease donât make me go out.â
âWeâre here for a week, Nana.â Joshua sighed, exasperated. âYou canât stay here all week.â
Cyanaâs lower lip jutted out. âWatch me.âÂ
Dino watched the whole exchange like a tennis match, his head turning back and forth as he watched them speak, confused by the sudden switch in language. âNana.â He tried again, thinking maybe sheâd be more receptive if it was coming from him. âPlease? You said youâd take me sightseeing.âÂ
Cyana hesitated. She had agreed to Dinoâs ask for her to be his tour guide, but that was before -Â
âOkay, fine.â She relented, unable to take back her promise. âBut only today. And weâre avoiding the popular spots.âÂ
Dino only got up excitedly, hurriedly getting ready and grabbing his bag. Joshua, on the other hand, frowned at her words. Avoid the popular spots? But why? Even as idols, they could often roam around unfazed, especially in the states, where Seventeen was yet to be a household name.Â
âI was already worried then.â Joshua told the interviewer solemnly. âBut we had enough bad vibes going around and- I guess I was praying it was all in my head, and that she was actually perfectly fine.âÂ
âYou run away from your past until it all eventually coils up and attacks you all at once.â Cyana let out a defeated laugh. âLA was full of demons- demons I had fled to Korea to avoid. And now- well, tour had brought me right back where I started.âÂ
Cyana stared out into the vast ocean of fanlights trying to catch her breath. Joshua had told her - moments before running onstage - to just breathe. To ignore everything else around her and to just concentrate on the performance, on them. It was easier said than done because now, looking out into the crowd, all Cyana could think about was the probability of one of those fanlights being someone she knew.Â
A small, miniscule possibility - but it terrified her nonetheless. The same kids that had threatened to destroy her could very well be staring up at her from the sea of fans and she felt too vulnerable.Â
âBreathe.âÂ
Wonwoo appeared next to her, waving to the fans in their section but solely concentrated on her. He could hear her harsh breathing through the screams. âBreathe, Nana.â He reminded her gently.
It felt comforting knowing at least one person knew everything she was going through.Â
Taking her hand and placing it on his chest, Wonwooâs eyes fixed on hers, his expression serious but worried. âBreathe - like me. In and out.âÂ
Cyana did her best to follow the rhythm. âIâm trying.â She gasped out.Â
âGood.â Wonwoo smiled, and Cyana basked in the light of it. âYouâre okay.âÂ
âMhm.â She nodded. She could make it through the concert - concentrated solely on the two of them, the little bubble that Wonwooâs presence created around her.
Cyana could barely see her own hands as she stumbled offstage, making her way down the stairs the moment the stage screen had closed behind them. Her heartbeat was taking over her senses, drowning out the farewell cheers of the crowd.Â
Reaching a hand up to touch her face, she let out a harsh sigh of both relief and disbelief. She was still alive.Â
âNana?â DKâs voice cut through the incessant hum in her ears. âAre you okay?âÂ
A hand grabbed her shoulder and she flinched away violently. âDonât touch me.â She yelped out, terrified as she spun around.Â
âOkay, Iâm sorry!â DK yelped back, equally terrified by her sudden reaction. âYou just donât look so well and I thought- you might need a hand.âÂ
Her cheeks flushed. âIâm fine.â Cyana couldnât believe she had just snapped at DK, who looked at her with hurt in his eyes as she stumbled away towards their changing rooms.Â
âShe looked almost drunk.â DK confided to the interviewer. âStumbling around backstage, her hands digging into her neck and ripping out her in-ears. She looked sick. It was terrifying.âÂ
âIâll go after her.â Joshua called out towards the rest of the group, who were all frozen, unsure of what to do.Â
âWait.â Wonwoo grabbed his arm, stopping him. âSheâs not in her right mind right now. Something must have happened during the farewell ment. Iâll talk to her.âÂ
âAre you sure?â Joshua eyed the younger boy warily. Since when had Wonwoo and Cyana gotten this close?Â
Wonwoo nodded, and Joshua could sense he knew something the others did not.Â
Running after her, Wonwoo skidded to a stop as he spotted Cyana sitting, half lying down on one of the makeup chairs.Â
âCyana.â He approached her, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. He didnât know what mindset she was in at the moment. âNana-yah.â He reached out a hand to steady her, keeping her upright as she threatened to spill on the floor. âLook at me.âÂ
âIâm sorry.â She panted out, her eyes unfocused. âIâm sorry.âÂ
âWhat for?â The English felt strange against his tongue, but it got some sort of recognition from the girl as she raised her head to meet his eyes.Â
âItâs all my fault.âÂ
âWhat is? Cyana, what?âÂ
âDonât hurt me.âÂ
Wonwoo froze. âIâd never hurt you, Cyana.âÂ
âChloe.âÂ
âIs that her name? The girl who hurt you back in school? The reason you left?â The questions left him in a flurry as he kept her upright, her entire body weight against his. He could tell she was on the verge of passing out. âNana. I know youâre struggling, but you need to get it together. Please. Just until weâre back in the car.âÂ
Her eyes were glassy and her stare seemed to go straight through him.Â
âPlease.â He pushed up his glasses to wipe his tears away. Her condition scared him.Â
âI donât know how Wonwoo managed to get me back in the car.â Cyana spoke quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. âI donât remember much about that night - after the concert. But the others told me I was a mess. A zombie. Living in my skin but not quite there.âÂ
Cyana watched from her place on the bed as Dino paced back and forth across their shared hotel room. Wonwoo had deposited her there, promising to be back once he had found Joshua, instructing a worried Dino to look after her in his absence.Â
It infuriated Cyana that they were all treating her like glass, even though she knew the emotion was unfair. They were doing their best - and she could feel herself shutting down, her safety mechanisms whirring back into place.
Dinoâs footsteps seemed to thud inside her head each time he moved. Her heart was racing as she recalled the familiar face she had seen in the crowd during their farewell ment. How she yelled out her name, and that all too familiar threat. Iâll destroy you, Cyana. She had. She will.Â
âCould you stop moving?â She suddenly snapped, startling Dino out from his stupor.Â
He looked up from his phone and frowned. âWhat?â Cyana had never used such a tone with him before.Â
âJust- youâre being so fucking loud and itâs actually exploding my head and itâs just- too much!â She yelled out, her hands shaking as she balled them up into fists. âJust-â She forced herself to quiet down, although her body still shook with pent up rage. âSleep somewhere else tonight.âÂ
âWhat?â Dinoâs irises shook with pooling tears.Â
Cyana looked away.Â
âI want to be alone tonight.â Her voice grew weaker. âPlease.âÂ
âOh.âÂ
She couldnât bear to look at the hurt that must be across his face right now.
âOkay.â
The door clicked shut behind him.Â
Cyana sunk deeper into the bed, pulling the blankets over her as she squeezed her eyes shut, silent tears pooling from the corners.Â
She had never felt so horrible.Â
âYou need to tell me whatâs happening.â Joshua ambushed her the next morning, setting a breakfast bun and a cup of milk on her bedside drawer.
âJosh. Itâs like seven in the morning.â She mumbled, tugging the sheets closer to her as she rolled away.Â
She was tugged back by a stronger but gentle hand. âI donât care if itâs seven in the morning.You need to tell me whatâs going on.âÂ
Cyana knew he was right.Â
âI donât even know where to begin.â Her shoulders slouched as she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. âThereâs too much.âÂ
âStart at the beginning.â Joshua sat down on the bed and turned to face her.Â
âI donât know what I was expecting, really.â Joshua told the interviewer. âSomething about school, or acting, I was sure. But not what really happened. No sane person wouldâve expected that. Especially for it to happen to Cyana.âÂ
Joshua listened as Cyana spoke, her voice strangely calm as she led him through it all - starting brand new in highschool, making friends, feeling included. His expression grew darker and darker as the story progressed, eyebrows furrowing as he imagined little Cyana in the scenarios she was speaking of right now.Â
Cyana told him everything. How her close friends- her ride or dies had betrayed her, turning against her all because of rumors a girl had spread to her classmates. How they had bullied her out of school- out of LA entirely.Â
âChloe.â Joshua finally said after she had finished, gently wiping away a lonely tear that had fallen on her cheek. âI heard Wonwoo muttering about that name.âÂ
Cyana nodded. âShe was one of my best friends. You know those people who take your phone and unlock it- and you donât even bat an eye? Or how you subconsciously hand over your bubble tea for them to try. The first person you call when something good or bad happens to you. She was that for me.â
âAnd she turned everyone against you?âÂ
She hummed. It was a strange feeling - to re-explore the past. Cyana had found she never had any trouble when talking about it, because itâd always sound like a story she had made up. Sheâd forget it had actually happened to her. That is, until the stories become reality once again. âShe said sheâd destroy me. And she did. I never found out why, why she woke up one day and decided I was no longer a person who could feel anything she threw at me.â
âAnd being back in LA, like, triggered something?âÂ
âI guess. I was- itâs silly.âÂ
Joshua shook his head. âNothingâs ever silly when it comes to stuff like this.âÂ
âWell, I- I was scared my classmates would find me at our concert and try to- hurt me. Or hurt one of you.â Cyana looked down at her lap, her cheeks burning. âItâs stupid.âÂ
âNo.â His voice was firm enough to make her look up at him again. âItâs not. Every fear, however irrational you might think it is, stems from something.âÂ
Cyana nodded. âWhen did you get so wise, Shua?âÂ
Joshuaâs lips twitched. âIâve always been wise.â His expression sterned as he remembered his initial question. âYou saw someone, didnât you? At the farewell ment.âÂ
She let out a cough, choking on her spit. âHow did you know?âÂ
Joshua let out a dry chuckle. âI think everyone could tell something went wrong during the ment.âÂ
âI saw her. Chloe. Standing front row, waving a Vernon banner.âÂ
âWhat did she do?âÂ
âShe yelled my name, so I turned around and-â Cyana hesitated, as if the words refused to leave her mouth. âShe said sheâd destroy me. Just like she did in high school.âÂ
Joshua let out a shaky sigh. âYou need to tell Coups. Or management.âÂ
Cyanaâs hand shot out to grab Joshuaâs leg. âNo!â She protested. âIâm sure itâs just in my head or something. Weâre leaving LA soon anyways, itâll-â She tried pasting a smile on her face, as if to reassure both herself and Joshua itâd be okay. âIâll be fine.âÂ
Joshua hesitated before agreeing. âAlright. But if anything else happens-â
âYouâll be the first to know.â Cyana finished for him. âI promise.âÂ
Joshua stood up, gesturing to the breakfast still sitting on her bedside table. âEat. Youâve been rotting in that bed for two days. And take a shower after. Nasty.âÂ
She let out a laugh and Joshua brightened visibly at the sound.Â
âSheâs better now.â He told Mingyu, who was waiting anxiously by her door as he stepped out, closing it behind him. âOpened up. Laughing even.âÂ
âThank god.â Mingyuâs shoulders relaxed.Â
âYou should go shower too.â Joshua made a face as he walked away. âYouâve been rotting by her door ever since she went in. You too, Dino.â He added, spotting the boy who was sitting on the floor in the hallway, eyes unfocused. âGet some sleep, sheâs fine.âÂ
Cyana could hear all this through the walls, as she slid back into bed, her breakfast lying cold beside her. Her stomach churned at the thought of eating, and her heart weighed heavy knowing she had slighted Joshua.Â
Sure, she had told him the truth about what was going on- what had happened. But she wasnât better. She knew theyâd worry themselves sick and be rendered useless the rest of tour if she didnât get her act together - so thatâs what she did. She acted. Thank god for her acting background, or she wouldâve collapsed into Joshuaâs arms sobbing. She nearly did, but she caught herself.
After all, Cyana was glue. Flexible, strong, hard to get rid of. Whatever broke her down, sheâd get back together, she was sure of it.Â
âCyana.âÂ
She found herself back in her schoolâs gymnasium, surrounded by fellow classmates all dressed up. She knew this night. Spring Fling night - where dating was overlooked for one night in an all Catholic school.Â
âCyana.âÂ
She turned, and realized who was behind her.Â
âMatthew.â She gasped out. He hadnât aged at all, his hair was still infuriating lopsided, curls never landing straight, his eyes crinkled up in a large smile. âWhat-â
âI heard youâre so obsessed with me you wrote me over 200 songs.â His loud mouth split into a nightmarish grin. âSlut. You spread your legs open for anyone, huh.â
âWhat?â Cyana gaped at him. But- she had heard all this before.Â
âCyana! Look over here!âÂ
She turned, and blinked as a bright camera flash blinded her.Â
âIâm framing this so I can jack off to it later.â The boy who held the camera was faceless. âYou let Matthew, so why not me?â
âI donât-âÂ
âCyana!â
âWonwoo?â
She turned around once again, greeted by Wonwoo, dressed in a pale blue suit, his hair pale white. He smiled at her with his hand outstretched.Â
âDance with me?â
She let out a breath of relief, reaching her hand out to take it. All of a sudden, something came flying towards them, causing Wonwoo to slump to the floor, blood dripping from his side, his glasses askew on his face.
âWonwoo!âÂ
âYou really thought weâd let you get your happy ending?â Someone laughed from the shadows of the party, the disco lights reflected against shadowed figures. âAfter I said Iâd destroy you?â
She glanced back down at Wonwoo, who was on the floor, his eyes wide and frozen. She stifled a scream.Â
âCyana!â
âCyana! Wake up!âÂ
a/n: oof. this one's a heavy one. i really wanted to bring this story into cyana's character - and if you can relate to any part of it - hope her journey to healing can help you in yours. fighting !! and remember: kindness is supposed to be a guarantee, not a "if."
I literally started crying before I even started reading and continued to cry. Cyana deserves so much love and I can't wait for her happier moments. gotta-winwin handled these tough topics so well and is an amazing writer. Much love to these series<33










