Bloom (Editing)

Chapter 16

The dorm was quiet, the only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of sheets as the girls settled into their beds. They were all exhausted from the day’s schedule, their bodies craving rest and sleep.

But not Minha. Despite the late hour, she was in her room, diligently doing her physiotherapy exercises. She was making progress, slowly but surely. She could use her left hand now, albeit not as much as she would like. But it was a start, a sign that she was on the road to recovery. And that filled her with hope and determination.

She missed her regular workout routine, missed the burn of her muscles and the satisfaction of pushing her body to its limits. She was particularly worried about her back muscles. She had worked hard to build them up, and she didn’t want to lose all that progress. But she knew she had to be patient, and had to give her body the time it needed to heal.

And she continued her exercises, she couldn’t help but think about her abs. They were still there, still strong and defined. That brought a smile to her face. At least she didn’t have to worry about that.

As the night wore on, Minha finally finished her exercises. She was tired, but she felt good. She knew she was making progress, and knew she was getting stronger. And that gave her the motivation to keep going, to keep pushing herself.

*Knock knock*

The soft knock on the door startled Minha, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, the glowing numbers reading at 1:00 AM.

Who could be knocking at this hour? She turned towards the door, her curiosity piqued. “Come in,” she called out, her voice soft in the quiet room.

The door creaked open slowly, revealing a figure standing awkwardly in the doorway. It was Kazuha, her younger member, clad in a pair of cute blue pajamas. Her hair was tousled, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. But despite her obvious tiredness, there was a restless energy about her, a clear sign that sleep was eluding her.

“Zuha? What’s wrong? Why are you still awake?” Minha asked, concern lacing her voice. She knew how important rest was, especially with their hectic schedules.

Kazuha shuffled her feet, her gaze dropping to the floor. “Sorry for disturbing unnie...I'm so exhausted but I couldn’t sleep. What should I do unnie? Should I eat sleeping pills?”

Minha’s heart clenched at her words. She knew how desperate one could get for sleep, but she also knew the dangers of relying on sleeping pills. “No. No matter how tired you are, do not consume sleeping pills. I don’t allow you to do that,” she said firmly, hoping Kazuha didn’t have any stashed away somewhere.

Kazuha nodded, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Hm...okay unnie...” Her voice was barely a whisper, the tiredness evident in her tone.

Minha felt a pang of sympathy for her. She knew what it was like to be so tired yet unable to sleep. “It’s okay, sleep with me tonight. You lay in bed first, I'm going to wash up for a while,” Minha said, standing up from her seat. She picked up a small towel from her desk, her mind already planning a soothing bedtime routine that would hopefully help Kazuha fall asleep.

As she made her way to the bathroom, she cast one last glance at Kazuha, who was now climbing into her bed. She hoped that the comfort of her presence would be enough to lull the younger girl to sleep.

Minha returned from the bathroom, wearing a comfortable white t-shirt and long pants. She saw Kazuha lying on the bed, her eyes still open and staring blankly at the ceiling. “Still can’t sleep?” she asked, climbing into bed next to the younger girl.