Tied Remastered

Chapter 2

The gentle scent of a woman's room greeted Y/n as he came to. It cradled him in its arms like the sweet embrace of a mother, flaring alarms in his head. He kept his eyes closed in fear of what might wait beyond its covers, receiving a sense of protection like a child underneath a blanket.

"Ya. He's waking up."

Y/n's heart clenched. He recognized the feminine voice below him, but he denied it. The soft carpet floor that cushioned his weight. The clean air devoid of dust and any trace of a man. The addicting scent that made him wish he could stay forever. It wasn't his room; far from it. 

Am I dreaming...?

"Okay, okay..."

Y/n tightened his face, hoping no one would notice. He didn't know where he was, who was there, or which way he faced. All he knew was that the voices of Eunbi and Hyewon spoke to each other beneath him. 

He twitched his finger, digging it into the fibers of the carpet. From the slight movements, he deduced he was laying on his back. The world slowly built around him, but only where his body laid.

The heavy muffled light that seeped through Y/n's eyelids disappeared, prompting him to open his eyes. In an instant, his entire body tensed: his shoulders rose, his eyes widened, and his breath staggered.

"Hello? Who are you? How did you get here?" Eunbi asked.

Y/n blinked rapidly. His face twitched as his muscles fought with his brain to control his growing smile. He stared deep into Eunbi's eyes, taking in her ethereal presence.

"Excuse me..." Eunbi waved her hand in front of Y/n's face, grabbing his attention once more, "I don't want to ask again."

"Uh... H-Hi. I'm L/n, Y-Y/n. I don- don't know how I I get here..."

Y/n's eyes darted to the floor, wide with embarrassment. He mentally berated himself for stuttering so foolishly, yet only silence replied--as if telling Y/n to continue.

"I went to sleep, then woke up here," Y/n continued.

Eunbi stood straight with a skeptical squint while Hyewon stared curiously. A small smile crept at the edge of the younger's mouth, while the man propped his back against the wall, mirroring the amusement in her eyes.

He doesn't look like he's lying.

Suddenly, the door clicked open, driving the three pairs of eyes to Chaewon. She locked eyes with Y/n, staggering in shock.

"Woah, who's this?" she asked.

Chaewon stood in her pajamas, causing Y/n to glance toward the other two women. They wore ordinary clothes, giving the man the impression they recently returned to their dorms.

"I don't know," Eunbi sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "He and Hyewon swear he just appeared out of nowhere."

Hyewon pointed to Y/n's hand, poking at the air. "Do you see a red string on the back of your hand?"

Y/n raised his right hand with a nod. He traced it to the back of Hyewon's, jetting forth a flurry of thoughts and scenarios--each ending with a heart racing opportunity to stay near his bias.

"Apparently they're bound by some invisible string that only they can see," Eunbi continued.

Chaewon snickered at the leader's explanation, turning to Hyewon with a sneer, "You've been reading too many fanfics, Unnie. You even made the excuse for why your secret boyfriend is here sound like one~"

Y/n stared blankly at the ground. His mind fought an arduous battle with itself to keep his composure. Chaewon's mockery, the idea of dating Hyewon, the three members' presence--everything added to the boiling pot, and he inched closer and closer to exploding with every passing moment.

Hyewon opened her mouth to argue, but her amused smile drooped; her eyes turned soft. She glanced toward Y/n, earning his undivided attention.

What's going on with him? He seems like a mess...

Y/n's racing heart pounded harder and harder against his chest as the two maintained their eye contact.

Is he okay?

Y/n leaned his head against the wall, deliberating each breath he took in hopes it would help him keep his composure. Though faint, he felt a sense of worry from Hyewon.

Is she... worried?

Eunbi turned to Hyewon, following her gaze to Y/n and back. "Hello? Are you two talking telepathically?"

"They can read each other's minds!!" Chaewon cackled. She pointed mockingly toward Hyewon as she laughed, sighing once she calmed down.

"Y/n, right?" Hyewon asked gently.

"Y-Yeah. And you're Kang Hyewon," Y/n replied.

Hyewon's eyes widened. She froze like a deer in headlights, shoving her insecurities to the back of her mind; behind her façade.

"You know who I am."

An unsettling silence befell the room, prompting Eunbi to step between the two. 

"Okay, enough of this. We know nothing about what's going on, and it's getting late."

They might have to sleep together- No, I won't allow that. How do I explain this to the others? Can I just separate them? No. They can't even leave the room without the other. Does the 'string' work like a normal one--or can it go through walls?

Eunbi sighed, rubbing her temples, "The three of us will sleep in my room for tonight. I'll tell Tomi to swap room for tonight."

Y/n rocked in his spot. Yet another ingredient to the volcano in his mind, and he was sure he would explode at the slightest, literal, touch.

"I... can sleep somewhere else," Y/n offered.

"No. You two can't be separated because of some weird force, so I can't have you sleeping somewhere else without having to worry about Hyewon's comfort," Eunbi declined. "We have practice early tomorrow, and I don't want Hyewon lagging behind because she couldn't sleep."

Hyewon pursed her lips, mouthing, "I'm sorry. She's usually not this mean."

Y/n turned his gaze toward Hyewon, nodding. 

"Are you two actually speaking telepathically?" Eunbi questioned. Her sharp tone dug into Y/n like sharp glass, taking him away from the lax atmosphere he basked in.

"We can't speak telepathically, Unnie," Hyewon interjected. "You're stressing him out though. He knows just as little as we do, so yelling at him won't do anything for the situation."

Chaewon nodded gently, "If what you guys are saying is true, then we should treat him like a guest; he'll be living with us for who knows how long after all."

Eunbi rubbed her forehead, sighing. She started toward the door with a quickened pace.

"When I say, walk to my room without saying anything. I don't want the others knowing about our guest just yet."