Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Rui
Walking through the streets of Korea, the cold morning air blows onto her bundle of keychains. She gets onto the bus at 8 am, nibbling on a plain bagel and putting her headphones in. Her social media page is filled with her friends, all debuted as flourishing idols that she can’t help but admire.
It’s not exactly jealousy, but it’s not exactly happiness as well. She knows that somewhere inside, she’d be forever grateful and proud for all of them. But life has other plans. No matter how much talent you have, no matter how much effort you spend, the world doesn’t really care unless it comes to their own benefit.
Jingle, jingle.
Her head slowly leaves the glowing red of her phone. A taller, yet younger man boards the bus. He looks familiar, because she has been crashing into him every single day since the year started. Perhaps it’s fate. He has a stronger build, evident from all the hypothetical workouts he did. A bit of running here and there, possibly cycling as she unconsciously analyses his thighs. His eyes focus on a new book, gliding left to right like ice skaters under the glimmering snow. Snow might not be the best choice to describe something so dark in nature, but they were meant to be in a royal shade of blue.
Rui doesn’t know how to approach him. It’s weird just holding a conversation with someone who looks like he would rather be alone at home with a cup of tea, than to deal with her curiosity. She turns back to her phone, mindlessly tapping on apps just to swipe away and stare at her phone screen, a selfie looking back at her.
Angelic, yet mocking.
Normally, she gets off before the man, but he follows her today. As she goes through the same route, turning left to the convenience store, and walking straight ahead to her studio, she feels the subtle, nervous energy from him. They nod in acknowledgment, pressing down on the same button in the lift. She tries to ignore the slight presence of his warm hand and soft skin, that lingers like a long embrace she longed to hold, contrasting to her freezing fingers that still move in practiced elegance.
To her expectations, they both enter the same studio, settling down at the lobby where a lavender-scented humidifier sits.
A familiar voice greets the both of them, “Rui! Hyun! Thank you for arriving early, I know I contacted the both of you quite late last night.”
Wumuti always looks like the descendant of God himself, a raft of that expensive perfume of woody scents reminds Rui of her motherly presence. “Of course, Muti-hyung. Anything for you. What’s wrong? Why the sudden gathering? And well, with someone I don’t know,” She laughs at that last phrase, attempting to set a more informal tone to the conversation.
“Would you like to join a new group with me?”