what we could be (what we were part 2)
pairing: huntr/x zoey x fem! sound engineer reader
summary: when a five-month-long online situationship went south two months ago, it was a decision to move back with your parents in korea and find another thing to take your mind off. being offered a job as a sound engineer in korea doesn't seem so bad. what could possibly go wrong?
featuring: y/n, zoey, mira, rumi, celine, bobby
type: sfw, romantic, will be divided into three parts (i will pray for this not to reach to five parts)
parts: 1, 2 (you are here), 3
tags: no beta we die like jinu, forced proximity, one sofa, i really love celine’s character here, just keep your lips shut if you have an idea on what the next song is please, i love complex characters, english is not my first language, feel free to send asks, idk what tags i should add
warning/s: none
words: 6.2k
note: lowercase intended, feel free to send asks
song: autumn leaves by bts is playing…
“wait what?! really?!”
you chuckled as you held up two tickets for zoey to see. those tickets were for you two to see the turtles in long beach, the ones zoey kept rambling about and even dragged you to watch it with her on the laptop her mother had bought for her. it took a bit of time and some money to get a reservation, but now, you finally did and you were happy to see the smile on her lips, the happiness in her eyes and uncontainable excitement she exudes. you watched as she jumped, giddy at such a gesture.
she then almost tackled you on the ground and squealed before she stepped back and met your eyes, still not getting over the happiness of the surprise.
it was only past seven in the morning when zoey had called you up to meet, escaping the loud arguments happening again between her parents. you weren’t exactly a morning person, but considering how often her parents argue even in the earliest hours of the morning, you learned to be one.
you were supposed to tell zoey about the tickets tomorrow, but seeing that crestfallen expression over her face and the unusual silence enveloping her weren’t the zoey you know.
it was worth it, though. you would totally change your plans over and over again just to cheer her up. you thought to yourself, i’m so doomed, and yet you felt happy being with her. that was the only thing that mattered right now.
you immediately smiled at the sight of her surprised and shocked at the tickets (even though you feel guilty asking money from your parents because the money you have isn’t enough).
zoey held your face and at that moment, your breath hitched as your heart skipped a beat, her eyes staring right into your soul before she leaned forward and you closed your eyes, a hand against her waist. your lips moved in sync, the sun still rising in the horizon as you felt her arms around your neck and felt her body pressed against yours, warmth radiating off her.
she pulled away and you opened your eyes as she leaned against your forehead, breathing heavily with her eyes closed and her lips curving upward.
“gosh, [y/n], you don’t know how happy i am right now.”
zoey has locked herself in one of vacant restroom stalls as she leans back against the door, tears streaming down her face. she hears mira knock on the door and notices the worry in her friend’s voice, but the latter’s words simply slip inside one ear and out of the other.
zoey could feel the sound of her heartbeat occupy all of her senses, her chest becoming tighter before a loud rapping on the door pulls her out of her trance as she hears rumi speak.
“zoey, please, open the door. we’re here for you, you got us. tell us what’s going on. please.”
then she hears mira’s voice. “zoey, please, let us in."
the maknae gulps and sighs, pushing herself off the door and unlocking it. she then hangs her head low as mira immediately pulls the door open, her eyes looking down at zoey and noticing the way the colors in the latter’s face fade. the sight of zoey being like that takes mira back to the times they don’t know about rumi’s markings, their friend being a half-demon.
mira steps back and rumi takes the chance to step forward as she holds the maknae’s face in her hands, her thumbs pressed against the skin. “zo, please, what’s wrong? what’s going on with you and [y/n]?”
“she…”, zoey starts in a whisper and swallows before she looks up, her eyes darting between mira and rumi. “[y/n] was a part of my past, the one who always knows what to do, the one i always turn to whenever my parents keep arguing about whose turn it is to have me. and… and…”
more tears then fall as a sob escapes zoey’s lips, looking down as she places her hands over her face, her shoulders trembling with each sob. rumi and mira throw each other a look, too surprised at the revelation and look back at the maknae as zoey continues, “and i left her without looking back and without telling her. i’m such a bad person.”
rumi then sighs and pulls zoey close, letting the maknae cry against her. mira then steps forward and wraps her arms around zoey’s waist, offering her presence. sometimes letting someone know that they aren’t alone is louder than saying it. the two tallest members embrace the maknae, letting the latter crumble and cry her heart out.
mira then kisses the top of zoey’s head and draws circles on her back before she looks at rumi and they share a look, nodding at each other. zoey’s cries fill the restroom as she leans against them, her tears staining their clothes, but rumi and mira couldn’t care less about that when the sight of zoey crying would be more important than some shirts.
“it’s okay, zo, just let it out. we’re here.”
“why do i always destroy everything i love?”
you whisper and swallow before you slowly adjust yourself on the sofa and grab your laptop, slipping it inside your bag. a breath escapes you, tired and heavy. as if the weight of the world rests on your shoulders, like atlas, always carrying the heavens upon his shoulders.
you push yourself off the sofa and flinch when the studio door opens, turning to see mira. you feel your heart jump to your throat at the way she is looking at you.
sharp, careful, and calculating, as if she has become a tiger and you as her prey.
instinctively, you step back as she starts walking towards you and you raise your hands in surrender despite being inches taller than her. “i-i’m sorry–"
mira then grabs the collars of your shirt and pulls you a bit close, her eyes glaring at you as she grits her teeth. you heave a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale, still fearing for your life a bit.
a few minutes pass by and no one is talking, labored breaths filling the studio as you keep your eyes on mira and notice her gaze becoming less hostile before she lets you go, letting you fall on the floor with a thud.
you blink and look up, not moving on the floor as you wait for her to speak up.
“you…”
your eyes keep on her, still guarded on what might she do to you. mira then sighs and her shoulders slump down before she offers you a hand and helps you on your feet, watching you as you stare at her, still shaken by what has happened. you then hold her hand and stand up, dusting off your clothes.
“i know zoey had hurt you and all that, and i’m sorry for the way i acted–"
"it’s okay, i understand why you did so,” you interrupt as you dust your clothes off and straighten them before you stand straight and look at mira. “i am not foreign to situations like this, so it’s all right, mira-ssi.”
“mira is fine." the idol then crosses her arms as she looks at you, your figure shrinking slightly under her burning gaze. “and although i can see why you acted like that with zoey earlier, it is still rude to drop a bomb like that on her. i’m not saying that you should excuse what she did, but she also has so many things on her plate, which i believe you already know.”
you nod. her divorced parents, not belonging anywhere, and some other stuff.
“and her being the youngest among us, it’s understandable for me and rumi to be protective of her. all i’m just saying is…”, she pauses and places both of her hands on your shoulders, making you wince a bit as she stands on her tiptoes and slightly towers over you, her eyes staring you down.
“to hear her out. you’re going to be working together for a while and it would be futile to keep her away and. i know that and you know that, you being a smartass and all. it wouldn’t hurt anyone for you to try and be civil with her, at least.”
you then find yourself nodding and mira takes her hands off you, standing on her feet and crossing her arms as she meets your eyes.
“i can sense you’re a good person, [y/n]-ssi, but i suppose you still have to prove it to us, after what had happened earlier.”
“o-of course,” you stutter and sit down. “but what brings you to say those things when you clearly saw how my words had hurt zoey?”
“because i saw how much regret she feels about what she did to you. i saw how she sees the hurt in you and blames herself for it. if you were anybody else, i couldn’t care less about you, but this is zoey we’re talking about and you’re the girl she always rambles us about.” mira then sits down on the swivel chair and crosses her legs, her sharp gaze on your figure.
“so in a way, i’m telling you to mind your words and be careful of what you say to her, because at the end of the day, zoey weighs more than you to me and even though she left you behind—which is a bad decision on her part, i still care for her. do you understand?”
“of course, m-mira.” you and mira share a look and nod before she stands up and walks towards the door. she wraps a hand on the door knob and stops for a moment.
“i shouldn’t be saying this to you, but she still loves you, you know. her mind may go to all directions and everything, but you are currently one of the constants in her life and it’d be a waste to just let everything go.”
mira turns and meets your eyes, an odd sense of sincerity in them. “you look like a cool friend to have, [y/n] based on what i have heard about you, but throwing words at zoey knowing the effects of it on her isn't cool.”
she then turns away and twists the knob, pushing it open and stepping out of the studio. your gaze remains at the spot she was as the door slowly closes and thoughts begin to cloud your mind.
“you aren’t as bad as what everyone says about you, you know.”
you raised a brow and looked at zoey who was laying on her stomach, the picnic table sprawled wide underneath you two. she had her tongue sticking out of her lips while writing and doodling something in her notebook, one of many notebooks you gave her.
zoey then placed her pen down and turned, looking up at you with a smile. she tucked a few loose hair strands behind her ear and added, “i mean, once everybody gets to know you, they’ll change their mind, i’m sure. like you’re cool and good looking. how do you even manage to remember everything i just ramble about, right, baby?”
it’s because i like you, doll, you wanted to say but decided to keep your lips shut instead as you kept your eyes on her with a knowing smile.
you let out a chuckle. “thanks, doll, but i don’t think i’ll function properly around a crowd.”
“mhm, i know, baby, introvert and all. that sucks, but then, that means i get to have you all myself.” zoey grinned and giggled before she looked back to her notebook and continued writing. “i know i always say this to you, but i really mean it with all my heart that i was lucky to meet you. i’m glad that i’ve felt peace and quiet with you, [y/n], and you’re indeed my anchor.”
you could only smile at her words. although simple, it stirred such warmth and affection in the deep pits of you.
you could only sigh and shake your head, slapping your cheek gently before you sit back down. you swallow and stare into the silence for a few minutes before you pull out your laptop from your bag and turn it on, already thinking of something to make it up to her.
“a short, nice break. that feels nice.”
rumi steps out of the restroom and is about to pass the studio when she starts to wonder about the conversation between mira and [y/n]. she walks past the area and stops as she blinks and slowly takes a few steps back, her ears hearing piano keys and soft humming inside. the door is a bit open and rumi takes the chance to peek through, seeing a piano in front of [y/n] with a notebook and a pen above the instrument.
from where she is positioned at, rumi can see everything in the room. there are lots of crumpled papers on the ground and she can see how [y/n]’s eyes narrow, then widen—like her thoughts couldn’t stay still. [y/n] curses and tears the page off the notebook, throwing it away and groaning as she throws her head back in frustration.
the sound engineer sighs and looks at the piano before she clears her throat and begins playing, her fingers efficiently moving along the keys as she whispers the lyrics she had conjured up earlier.
“we’ll be all right, i want to try again…”
[y/n] then grits her teeth and smashes down on the keys as she huffs and covers her face with her hands, the tips of her ears red. “how am i going to write a good song?”
rumi finds herself smiling at the sight and steps away, walking back to the practice room, her steps light against the floor.
it has been weeks since you got hired and the girls are either in the practice room to think of a choreography or with you in the studio. and regarding the tension between you and zoey, let’s just say, there is always a distance present whenever you two are near each other, but you always talk to zoey whenever it is needed.
and another thing that has been happening lately is that, whenever you do your restroom breaks and go back inside the studio, there will always be a random snack on the table.
every. single. time.
and even though you believe that it wasn’t there before, you sometimes doubt yourself at how often that happens.
like right now, you just finish washing your hands on the sink in the restroom. you grab some tissues and wipe your hands dry, throwing it after in the trash. you step outside and walk back to the studio. the moment you step inside, your eyes immediately fall on the peeled oranges in a white bowl and you snicker, shaking your head.
you close the door and sit down as you grab the bowl and examine the oranges. you raise a brow and find yourself smiling a bit when you notice that the oranges are separated and don’t have pith anymore.
just the way you like it.
you blink and smile, not holding back before you chuckle and grab one, slipping it inside your mouth and chewing it while humming.
though it’s obvious that it isn’t physically possible for snacks to appear out of thin air and have it just the way you want, you turn a blind eye to it and keep eating them because you know one way or another, accepting the snacks would make someone happy.
specifically one particular idol.
one night, you go back to the studio and see zoey inside by the piano with a notebook and a pen, probably writing another song for her group. you step inside and she looks up, your eyes meeting. you give her a nod and walk to the sofa you were just sitting on earlier. you sit down and continue working on your laptop, her eyes following your every move before you lean back against the seat and hum a song you last listened to.
the only thing that could be heard inside was the faint humming of the air conditioning system, your humming, and your weak tapping on the floor.
you try to focus but all you could do is be aware of zoey’s presence, making you let out an internal groan.
seven.
it has been seven times since you caught yourself looking at the idol and forced yourself to look away. you even put your headphones on and try to find beats that would be great with each other, but even that couldn’t entertain you that long.
with a huff, you take the headphones off and look at the laptop screen for a moment. just then, the lights in the studio go out and leave the two of you in the dark. the studio’s heating system clicks off with a dying groan. you grab your phone and fetch a flashlight from your bag, facing the light on the ceiling to illuminate the whole room.
you then turn to zoey and ask, “are you okay?” she nods and you stand up, walking up to the door.
“we’re locked in.” you turn behind and look at zoey with a raised brow. she clears her throat and explains, “whenever the time reaches nine in the evening, the electricity in the whole building is automatically turned off.”
you flash your flashlight down to your wristwatch and see that it was already five minutes past nine in the evening.
oh.
oh.
we’re stuck together.
you sigh and inquire, “including the studio door?”
zoey nods and stands up, approaching you and the door. she tries to open the door but to no avail and lets the handle go, letting you try. you try and the door doesn’t budge. you try again. nothing.
you sigh and turn to zoey. “so we’re stuck here for the night?”
“it seems so, yes.” she sighs and you raise a brow at her.
"what is it?", you question and zoey’s stomach growls as the idol turns red and looks away with a hand over her stomach. “oh, that’s a problem. didn’t you get snacks when you went out with mira and rumi earlier?”
“yeah, but it was ages ago.” zoey pouts and you walk up to the cold paper bag beside your bag.
you had ordered takeout an hour ago for yourself and had saved two burgers just in case you got hungry. you pull out a burger—a cheeseburger— from the paper bag and give it to zoey who initially declines and pushes the burger back to you, but you only give her a blank look and offer, “it’s okay, i had my dinner earlier and you’re hungry. you’ve been here since six, so try to eat something. i don’t want you to starve.”
when zoey doesn’t take the food, you scoot a bit closer to her and place it on her lap, pairing the food with a soda can.
you whisper, “eat.”
you then sit back down on the swivel chair and turn off your laptop, closing it down and slipping it inside your bag along with the charger. you then proceed to cleaning and tidying up the studio while zoey watches you, the wrapped burger still on her lap.
you then turn towards zoey and find her finally eating the burger before you prop up the flashlight on top of a speaker and secure it with a tape, letting the light scatter everywhere inside the studio. you sit down and lean back against the swivel chair, running a hand through your hair with a huff.
you heave a breath and pull out your phone from your pocket, only to find out that there is no cellular signal inside the studio. you huff and groan, placing your phone down on the studio table as you turn to zoey who was struggling to open the soda can, the burger now gone.
you then hold a hand out to her as you offer, “here, let me open that for you."
zoey gives you the soda and you pop it open, twisting the tab to the side. you give the can back to the idol and watch as she gulps the liquid inside and lets out a burp, making you chuckle.
you look at her for a moment and blink as you find yourself staring at her and look away, leaning your head back against the swivel chair and closing your eyes.
“so…”, zoey speaks up and you straighten yourself, your eyes falling on her as she sets the soda on her lap, her manicured nails against the tin can with her eyes on the floor. zoey manages to say, “how are things going with you, [y/n]?”, as her eyes are still on the soda can.
you blink and lean your head back as you close your eyes and sigh. you whisper, “nothing much, i guess. why?”
“o-oh, just checking in, that’s all…”
“okay.”
zoey pouts at the short response and her shoulders slump down, ready to sulk. you slightly move your head and see her reaction before you sigh and adjust yourself on your seat.
“what about you? how’s life? how… are you?”
zoey perks up and meets your eyes as the red hue begins to creep onto her face and she looks away to the side, fighting off the urge to smile. she then closes her eyes and heaves a deep breath, calming down herself before she clears her throat and faces you, “i’m okay too, i guess."
she manages to smile at you and looks at you as she adds, “i mean. it could’ve been worse, you know.”
you remain silent, letting zoey continue her words. the idol then sighs and looks down, the tin can nestled between her hands. zoey whispers, “what i want to say is, i missed you, [y/n]. i missed… us. i’m sorry for leaving, for not telling you, for everything.”
you sigh and stand up, walking up to her. you sit down next to her and hold her face in your hands, making her eyes look at you. you two engage in a staring contest for a moment before you whisper, “i know.”
you then caress her cheeks with your thumbs and look at her into her eyes, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. “have you even been getting sleep or not?"
zoey weakly chuckles and moves away, looking away as she lifts her legs up on the couch and pulls them close, hugging her knees together and placing her chin on top of her knees. you look at her and sigh, looking away as you lean back and look forward, the silence enveloping you two.
“you know, i missed you and us too,” you admit in a whisper.
you close your eyes and place an arm over your eyes as zoey turns her head and looks at you, her eyes falling on your figure. she then looks away and hugs her legs closer, getting quiet with each minute.
“i miss you, doll. so much.” you then straighten up and face her. you bite the inside of your cheeks as you look at her. “please, let’s talk.”
“why…”, zoey starts in a whisper and turns to you, meeting your eyes. “why do you want to talk to me? i’ve hurt you and left you without saying anything. should you not be like this?”
“like what?”
“this.” zoey looks at you and gestures to the air between you two before she looks away. “you’re so kind, so understanding, so patient… and i am not deserving of such a gesture."
“but you are, zoey. you are.” you stay beside her as you sit there, waiting for her. “you will always be deserving of the world, zoey. i understand why you left me and it’s okay, i forgive you. and no matter what happens, i’m not gonna go away. just please, let’s talk. i miss you so much, zoey.”
but the idol only remains silent as she lays her head on your shoulder, pressed up against the warm fabric of your hoodie. zoey then moves and sits on your lap, burying her face into the crook of your neck as she loosely drapes her arms over your shoulders and you wrap yours around her waist, pulling her closer.
you then place a kiss on her temple and hum as she comes undone over you, her tears staining your hoodie. her shoulders tremble with each sob escaping her lips and her grip tightening in the garments as she moves, pressing an ear against your chest.
as if she is once more etching the familiar beats and rhythm of your heart that was once gone and forgotten.
that makes zoey cry harder as the memories they have shared surface, burying her face even more against your hoodie, against your figure, against your scent—that once haunted her for hours on end after leaving you.
zoey manages to whisper, “i-i’m sorry… [y/n], i’m so sorry. i’m so sorry for leaving you. i’m so sorry for hurting you, i’m so sorry for being so weird—”
“shh…”, you shush and raise a hand up to her face, tucking a few hair—that were sticky against her tear-stricken face—behind her ear. you look down and meet her eyes as you muster a smile.
“you’re not weird, zoey. don’t call yourself that. you’re cool, great, awesome, everything synonymous with those words.” you kiss her forehead, a hand slipping under her jaw and gently caressing her cheek. “and i forgive you, you know i cannot hold a grudge for that long.” you roam your gaze across her face and caress her cheek with your thumb as you whisper, “you’re doing so great, zoey. just keep doing it, okay?”
“[y/n]…”, zoey whispers as she looks up and meets your eyes. she then reaches up and holds your face, her right hand soft against your cheek. you watch as the idol looks over at your face, her own lips parted. “you still look so cool.”
the corner of your lips curl upward and you let out a chuckle. “thanks, but you’re so much cooler, zoey.”
“am not!”
“you are!”
“i am not!!”
“you definitely are!”
you let out another chuckle and a surprised yelp follows as your eyes widen when your lips touch another soft pair. Instinctively, you pull away and heave a deep breath as you turn and see zoey, surprised by her own actions. as if she hadn’t expected that she would do such a thing.
she opens her mouth to apologize when you hold her face and pull her into a kiss, your head slightly tilted and your lips pressed against hers. she adjusts herself on your lap, her fingers threading through the hair behind your head and kneading your scalp as she presses herself more against yours, hungry for your kiss.
you let out a groan and slip your cold hands inside her shirt, leaving a cold sensation in its wake as you move your fingers against her waist. once you feel your lungs burning from the kiss, you break it off and lean back against the couch with a coat of saliva all over your swollen lips as you look up at her and meet her eyes.
“zoey…”
“[y/n]…”
you two blink and realize the position you two are in before zoey immediately scoots away to the far end of the sofa, face burning from embarrassment as she covers them with her hands, turned away from you. you remain against the other end of the sofa, face also burning but not from embarrassment.
you swallow and turn away, placing a hand on your cheek. you feel the heat and warmth against the skin. alive and burning.
you then turn to the side and see zoey, hands still covering her face as you could feel your heart start hammering louder and louder inside your ribs the more you think about how pretty zoey looks on your lap.
you turn away and shake your head, a hand on your face as you try to steady your breathing. you run a hand through your hair and turn to her, gaze lingering in her figure.
“i don’t regret kissing you, [y/n],” zoey whispers and turns to you, meeting your gaze. “do you?”
“no, i don’t.” you shake your head. “i don’t regret kissing you, zoey.”
suddenly, zoey scoots closer to you and places her hands on either side of you, plopping down over your body with her head against your chest. she crawls closer and presses herself against you as she closes her eyes, the sound of your heartbeat almost enough to lull her to sleep.
“you feel so warm, [y/n]…”, zoey whispers. “i’m getting so sleepy…”
you look around and see a blanket near your foot before you use your foot to tug it closer in your grasp and wrap an arm around zoey’s waist, holding her in place. you finally manage to reach the blanket and unfold it before you drape the fabric over zoey and yourself, covering the two of you from the cold.
nowadays, it has been the coldest days of the year and without the heater, you and zoey could freeze, so you had to improvise. she’s curled into your side on the old sofa, her nose red from the cold, her hands tucked under your hoodie for warmth.
"you’re basically a furnace," she murmurs, voice muffled against your chest.
you chuckle softly. “you say that like you’re not the one clinging to me like a koala.”
“you’re lucky i’m freezing right now, or else.”
you tighten your arms around her and kiss the crown of her head. “yeah, right.”
you two don’t know when the door would unlock or when help would come. but as she presses a kiss to your collarbone and you bury your fingers in her hair, the stillness between you two feels less like a trap—and more like an unexpected kind of peace.
just then, the studio door bursts open and you and zoey jump as you scream, surprised with your gazes focused on the open door. mira and rumi then peek their heads inside the studio using their phones as flashlights and zoey flinches, rolling to the side and slipping off from your body.
she falls on the floor, her butt first. she lets out a groan and turns to her fellow members as she stands up, as if she wasn’t all over you seconds ago. you blink and turn to the two girls as you wave at them. “hi, mira, rumi, good evening. thank goodness you two came. we are freezing here.”
mira chuckles. “we could tell.” she then points at zoey who has her arms all over her, her shoulders shaking as her teeth grits together.
you then stand up and throw the blanket on the sofa, the fabric turning into a bush of mess on the sofa as you walk up to the flashlight you propped up earlier and take the tape off, grabbing it from the speaker.
you then turn it off and let rumi and mira shine their flashlights as you fold the blanket and place it back on the armrest—just where you had first seen it. you grab your bag and take the burger out of the paper bag before you give it to zoey and place it on her hand. you sling the backpack strap over your shoulder and watch as zoey steps out and you follow, closing the studio door behind you. mira and rumi walk first, leading as zoey and you follow, your hand tight on the flashlight.
you turn it on and walk through the hallway, standing beside zoey as you two finally escape the building. you breathe out and a white smoke escapes your lips as you look up. winter is coming soon.
you then turn and look at zoey who is still trembling beside you. you pull out a jacket from your bag and drape it over her shoulders as you tower over her and pat her shoulders. you remark, “keep it. you’re trembling.”
you watch as she holds the big jacket over her, the fabric big on her frame. bobby then comes by with a van and picks up the girls before he decides to pick you up too and you couldn’t say no.
out of people you know, bobby becomes included in the list you couldn’t just say no to because he looks like a kicked puppy when you even imagine doing it.
so now you’re here, sitting in the passenger seat as bobby drives with huntrix in the back. you look out of the window and place a hand under your chin, your elbow by the windowpane.
the radio playing huntrix’s song fills up the air, the music blasting in a low and audible volume. you could hear the girls sing along as the engine roars underneath the song. the air remains peaceful and sacred, as if this has been the usual for them and you are just living in their world.
what are you even doing here? disturbing the air that’s rightfully theirs.
you sigh—one you’ve been holding onto since earlier and that makes bobby look at you before he places a hand on your knee and moves it away, his hand moving on to the gear stick. you throw him a look and muster a smile and a thumbs up before you look away and watch as the surroundings outside the vehicle become silhouettes.
just then, bobby stops in front of your house and you step out of the vehicle. “be careful, everyone, stay safe,” you bid and watch as bobby drives away and you wave at them.
as soon as they disappear, you let out another sigh and step inside your house with a heavy feeling on your shoulders.
you don’t belong there. you don’t belong with them. you grit your teeth and run a hand across your face as you head upstairs and walk towards your room.
the next morning, you manage to slip inside the studio and begin working on the girls’ next song, picking out the perfect rhythm for the lyrics they made.
headphones prop up over your head as some beats play in it, still searching for the right rhythm when the studio door opens and the three idols step inside. you raise a hand in greeting and turn back to your laptop as another figure steps in.
“[y/n]?”
you tense up and spin the swivel chair slowly as you meet another haunting pair of eyes and the figure stands just a few meters away from you, her hands on her lips. she stares at you in shock and surprise, not believing at the sight of you in front of her for a moment.
you look at the figure and stand up, taking a few steps back as you take a good look at the woman in front of you.
you let out a shaky breath and whisper, “celine…”
the woman’s eyes tear up and takes a step forward. “[y/n], listen to me…”
“no…” you take a step back and shake your head as you look away and look back at her. you shake your head again and take the headphones off you as you save the files on your laptop and turn it off, slipping the device and the charger back inside your bag.
you adjust the strap and sling it over your shoulder as you raise your left hand against celine and the other hand covers your right ear, shaking your head.
“i won’t listen to you, celine. i’ve had enough, no more, please.”
“then why are you here? why did you come back?” celine grits her teeth and clenches her hands into fists.
“i cannot stay away that long. you and i knew that—”
“then what’s holding you back—?”
“everything! the memories…” you then cover your ears with both hands as you hear the voices in your head, your own voice saying the things you used to hear before. you huff and swallow as you shake your head. “no, no, no…”
"[y/n]..."
"shut up!"
while you start hyperventilating, zoey looks at you and watches as you sit down on one end of the sofa, your eyes darting everywhere and your chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. she then tries to approach you and hold you, but you smack her hands away as you lean back against the seat. your chest rises and falls in frantic bursts, each breath sharp and shallow. the edges of your vision blur as you clutch your shirt, nails digging into the fabric.
“i— i can’t—” you try to speak, but your words splinter between ragged gasps. the world tilts, muffled, and all you could focus on was the desperate need for air that never seemed to come.
“no…” you whisper.
you sink deeper into the couch, your body growing heavier by the second. the room sways, colors blurring as a dull ringing fills your ears. you try to blink it away, to sit up straighter, but your head turns to the side. a final breath escapes your lips, and then you go completely still, slumped against the cushions as the world turns black.
“[y/n]!”