Under The Curse With You ('Dread' Series Book 2)

A Trip Back (YuYeon Story)

(Yuqi's POV)

Here I was. Sitting in the airplane, heading back to our dorm in Korea. I don't even know what to think at this point. Shuhua and Minnie...how could they? They thought they could just...leave us like it was nothing? Did they not know we love them? It wasn't a matter of who they wanted to be with more. The moon seemed dreadful. On Earth, life might be hard, but at least it's nothing compared to life in the moon.

"Flight attendants, prepare for landing, please." The pilot announced. I gathered my stuff and double-checked to make sure my seat belt was on.

After we landed, I headed straight out of the airport and went to our dorm. It took about an hour and a half to get there by taxi. Although I was in a hurry, I made sure to thank the taxi driver and bow before I left and entered the dorm. 

It has been less than a week since I've left, and things were so different. What used to be messy and littered in random stuff was no so spotless there wasn't even a single piece of dust. Soojin must have organized the whole place. There weren't even snack wraps on the table.

'Oh yeah. That's just because Shuhua and Minnie aren't here.'  I recalled. There was no one in the living room, so I checked in Soojin and Soyeon's rooms. No one was there. I wondered if it really was a prank that just went too far. For a second, I actually thought I was tricked. Anger burned through me. Just then, the bathroom door opened, and there was Soyeon. My rage sub-sided and I sat down on the couch with Soyeon.

"So you're here?" I nodded. Dark circles could be clearly seen under Soyeon's eyes. The hours of sleep debt showed all on her face. In fact, I wonder if she slept at all. We spent a good minute not saying anything and looking at each other. 

"Yuqi, I hope the time you spent at China...I hope you rested well." Soyeon said all of a sudden. I knew she was concerned for me. We shared our mental issues together. I guess we're concerned for each other. I had a big burnout at work earlier. Being an idol was too much for me, but its worth anything to make NEVERLANDs' lives better and filled with joy. Soyeon knew I needed a break from all the work. Going to China was basically a vacation for me. I've been losing plenty of sleep recently too; from all the work we do and countless sleepless nights because of stress. I have only spent several days at China, so I was still on a burnout. But there were more important matters, of course.

"I guess...I didn't really rest that well..." I admitted. Soyeon nodded, as if thinking 'I knew it.'

"Where's Soojin unnie?" I asked. Soyeon shrugged and replied, "She said she would be back after taking a walk around the park, but she's not home yet." 

"Oh." We had nothing to do, so I just asked Soyeon to explain what exactly happened over the weekend, and what she heard the other day about Shuhua and Minnie yelling at each other. As she was talking, so suddenly stopped and stared at me for a long time.

"Wha-what's wrong?" It really was kind of awkward with her staring at my face for such a long time.

"I don't know, it's just...your beauty suddenly stopped me." I burst out laughing.

'Good one, unnie.'  I thought. But Soyeon didn't laugh. She was...for real? That sounded so much like a bad pick-up line I just couldn't believe otherwise.

"Seriously. I don't think I've appreciated you as much as you should be appreciated. I just want to let you know that...you deserve the whole world."

I don't know what that triggered, but it made me feel really moved, even if the whole thing seemed kind of fake. That wasn't just a compliment, that was a genuine thought coming from Soyeon. She thought I deserved that whole world. But I thought only she was good enough for that. Maybe, we both are.