TRACK 16
NOVA
IN SE
I crash on the couch between Yeon and Seong, letting out a deep sigh that feels like it goes all the way down to the deepest parts of my soul. It's been like two weeks since Yeon gave Liz her flowers, and it feels like two months for how busy we've been.
Kyung, Minsul, and Dav En all have VR headsets on playing some game together on the other end of the sectional.
The latter is talking loudly to them from his spot on the floor.
It's funny, because, before Liz, half the time we'd have gone our separate ways when we got home.
Sometimes we'd have dinner together. Other nights, we'd all be in our own rooms doing lives for our fans or playing whatever game that piqued our interest at the time.
Now, it's like we all sit in here together to wait on her.
I stop myself from reaching for my phone like I've done a dozen times today to text her just to talk to her.
I can only think of one other person that caught my attention like she has, and that man became my best friend.
I flick my gaze over at Jae-un where he's staring down at his phone like he's about to start dozing off.
I bite my lips to keep the grin off my face.
This comeback has had a more grueling schedule than any of our others that I can remember. I'm not sure if that's because my memory is failing me in my exhaustion or if it feels that way because we spend what little time we barely have with Liz.
Not entirely certain about the others, but I like knowing that we're going to see her when we're done for the day.
I look forward to it in all the spare time that I have on breaks.
It's a lot healthier than my old obsession of getting online and checking all of my social media.
Some of them aren't all bad, but one of my negative habits that no one but Jae-un knows about is my fake account on the app where anyone can say whatever they want with no consequences.
I love our fans more than anything. Well, more than almost anything, now.
But they have given us the opportunity in this life to do what we love the most. I don't want to ever take them for granted.
Sometimes, however, some of them can be ruthless savages.
They'll find your weakness and exploit it, all for their fifteen minutes in the spotlight, or maybe to get our attention.
I'm not sure. Either way, I let the worst ones get to me on our last tour and decided they were right.
I needed to lose weight to keep myself up to the standards of my other members.
Even starving myself and working out religiously, I didn't think I was good enough.
Thankfully, my members pulled me out of my head and helped remind me that I shouldn't be comparing myself to them or anyone else in the industry.
Now, thanks to Liz, too, I eat like I'm supposed to.
I've started filling back out, and the fans have responded positively.
I've been steering clear of the other app, just to be on the safe side.
So, yeah, I'd say that my somewhat obsession with seeing Liz every day is a lot better than the old one.
Leaning over, I rest my head on Yeon's shoulder and watch the game that he's playing. I point out a few steps that he can make to save him some moves. It's not only time-consuming, but mind-numbing.
After what feels like five minutes, but could be much longer than that, I hear the front door beep open and then close.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out another deep sigh.
Liz is home. I wonder if the others feel it the way that I do.
If so, they don't really show it. The three playing their game either don't hear her or they're too immersed in it to have heard.
Seong doesn't stop working on his tablet on my one side, but Yeon relaxes his shoulder. I glance up at him with a small smile, which he returns without looking at me.
Liz bounces into the room, coming around the edge of our side of the couch. Her brown hair looks a little windblown like she ran home, and there's a slight flush to her cheeks. Knowing her, she probably did just that.
My smile grows into a grin as I notice what's in her arms as she starts to speak excitedly, "Look what I found today."
"What is it?" Dav En asks at the same time Kyung says, "Hello, my Lizzy."
The three not wearing headsets all look up at her and give her variations of smiles as Jae-un makes a grunting scoff noise.
I think it's cute as anything that she's squeezing our little characters in her arms like she'd fight anyone that tried to take them.
Though, I must say, they look quite big in her arms. I can't possibly even imagine where she managed to find all of them since they're normally sold out everywhere.
I go to ask her where she got them as Minsul leans his face toward Jae-un and asks, "What is it? What does she have?"
Jae-un chuckles. "Her arms are loaded with our GR8VITZ."
Minsul barks out a laugh. "I hope you didn't buy those. We could've gotten them for you for free."
I'd glanced at him when he and Jae-un were talking, so by the time I turn back to her she's already walking away as she says, "I'm just going to go find a place to put them."
Next thing I hear is a thunk from the hallway.
I start to get up to go help her, because if I had to guess she just dropped one.
I'm not even surprised since her arms were so full.
The only thing that stops me is the sound of Yoon Ji's voice.
It's tough to say who is infatuated with her more at this point, him or Kyung, so I know that he'll help her if she needs it.
What I don't expect is the front door to beep again, nor the second time about thirty seconds later. Then only a few moments later, everyone's phone goes off. Knowing if we're all getting it, then it's one of the group chats. I simply lean over into Yeon's space again to read off his phone.
It's a text from Yoon Ji.
What happened? Why is Liz crying?
"She's crying?" I ask out loud.
"Who's crying?" Dav En asks as Kyung takes off his headset, making the other two complain.
Our phones go off again, and I read the message from Seong to Yoon Ji telling him to call.
"What do you mean?" Kyung asks. "She was crying?"
He's already getting ready to stand as am I when Seong's phone starts ringing.
Yoon Ji's muffled tone comes through before he even has the chance to say hello. "Mute."
"Sit down and wait a minute," Seong orders us.
I do as he says, but it takes a glare from him before Kyung sits back down.
"She's more likely to shut down if we all go after her," he explains.
There's some rustling on Yoon Ji's end, probably him sticking his phone in his pocket which I worry will make it to where we can't hear. Luckily, that's not the case.
"Hey," he says. "Lizzy. Where are you going?"
"Home," she tells him.
"Oh," he states, making me worry, because maybe he wasn't the best choice to send after her alone. "Are you not staying over tonight?"
"Probably not, Yoon Ji," she says, sounding like she's moving away from him.
"What happened?" he asks, and I'm proud of him for sticking with her. "Why did you drop your stuffies on the floor and leave crying?"
I glance over at Yeon in confusion. His eyes are wide, and he shrugs.
Jae-un is sitting much like Kyung now, like he's ready to bolt up at any moment.
Jae-un hates when the people he cares about are upset.
He'd literally burn the world to the ground if it meant making them feel better.
Only one of the many reasons why I love my best friend.
The other two have taken off their headsets, and you could hear a pin drop in the room with us.
"If I tell you something," she starts, "could you not tell anyone for as long as possible? I'm not asking you to keep it a secret, because you should never have secrets in your family."
I can only imagine the turmoil happening within him right now. Out of all of us, he's probably the most honest, and is likely fighting the urge to either tell her that we're listening or hanging up.
He makes me proud, yet again, as he does neither and says, "Sure."
"Wait, Yoon Ji, whose shoes are you wearing?" she asks, sounding perplexed.
"I'm not sure," he replies, probably looking down at his feet. "I'm pretty sure they're In Se's. I was kind of in a hurry. I'm just glad they're not Dav En's."
They must be standing close because I can hear the sigh that escapes her, not even hinting at a laugh at his attempt of a joke. Instead, she drops a bomb on him and all of us. "Tomorrow is my birthday."
Yoon Ji gasps as the rest of us look around at each other in confusion and shock, even Kyung.
"But why?" Yoon Ji asks.
Somehow, this woman that has stolen eight different hearts from us, understands his quirks and questions just like we do, and we've been with him for twelve years now.
"I didn't want any of you to know," she replies. "I haven't celebrated a birthday since my omma died."
"Why?" he asks.
"She used to make sure that my birthday was all about me," she tells him quietly.
"It didn't matter how many foster kids we had in the house.
It didn't matter what was happening around us.
That day was my day. No matter what. My first birthday without her, I was still in the states.
It was probably the loneliest I've ever felt in my life.
The house was too quiet without her. My next one was here as were the last two, but they weren't any better.
Be that a fault of my own. I didn't want to spend that day celebrating without her. "
"You know birthdays are a big deal, though," he tells her gently.
"She wouldn't want you alone and lonely on your day.
Just like we don't. Some of my brothers live for birthdays of the people most important to them.
They can give some of the best gifts. Sometimes a little weird, too, not going to lie. "