She should be used to this by now, but she doesn't think experience has made any difference in cleaning up her dorms, the emotional part of it at least. Kyoka still feels like a first year, packing everything up and saying goodbye to her roommate, except now it's worse because she's the only one moving now and she can't send the others off before moving out herself.
She turns her head at Ruby's call and feels what little resolve she has crumble to dust as she spots the gift bag in her hands.
Pull yourself together Kyoka, she thinks, already fighting back the tears. She's not doing a very good job at it she doesn't think, not when her lips are trembling and she has to pat her cheeks to keep her vision from getting blurry, or at least blurrier it is. It would be embarrassing if she hadn't already made herself a reputation for being so... emotionally expressive is how Kyoka thinks the vice-captain put it.
Kyoka's 98% sure her will fail on her and she's not ready to hear her own warbly voice so she simply nods with great gumption and pulls Ruby for a hug.
ruby pauses at the sight of kyoka. ruby had (stupidly) assumed that kyoka would be bouncing off the walls to debut. it had been a few years and kyoka already had loads of experience being on stage. although it was a little different than what she was doing before, ruby always assumed that kyoka would be ready to go back. she didn't expect the elder to look so ... torn.
the gift bag slipped from ruby's hands. the hug ruby gave kyoka was firm, tight and warm. she rubbed kyoka's back a little, turning her head so her elder could hear her in their embrace. "you should be happy. i'm happy for you. please don't cry."
how silly and novice of her to forget the nuance of the situation. the bittersweetness of debut. if ruby was feeling conflicted about kyoka's debut, she should only imagine how kyoka feels about so many friendships altering just like that. ruby wasn't the only close friend the elder had. (duh.) the realisation only makes ruby squeeze just that much more.
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miyu has always been predictable with what she does during her free time, even though she has very little of it now. while she was still a trainee, she would spend her free hours either studying or getting in another practice session, the bulk of that time being spent on the former. one would think now that she’s graduated from university the dancer would have more time on her hands, but after making her debut those precious hours seem to dwindle with every comeback.
so, the dancer sticks to her normal routine, though on this particular day she doesn’t necessarily want to practice, but rather get away from the dorms and find some solitude. miyu feels at home in the dance studio and figures that even if she spends a couple of hours sitting on the floor lost in her thoughts, she’ll be struck by a lightening bolt of inspiration at some point . . . right?
she opens the door not thinking much about the fact that the lights were already on, attributing it to the fact that someone must have just left. the smaller rooms were a hot commodity, after all. when miyu looks up, she’s surprised to see someone still there.
“oh!” she exclaims, brows furrowing. “i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean to barge in on you,” miyu apologizes sincerely. she wonders if she’s just too early, or even if this is the wrong practice room. but as she looks up at the door to check the number, she realizes she’s in the right place. did she not book this room at all, then?
“i’m just going to go check my booking and see i’m in the wrong place,” miyu turns to the girl with a sheepish smile. “again, so sorry to bother you,” she says, making her way to step back out of the door.
if ruby spent another day surrounded by these four walls she was going to lose it. day in and day out, they were in these rooms learning lines and choreographies. initially, ruby had assumed it would be a couple of songs they each get to perform. apparently it was closer to a concert for the trainees.
she was told to get over her fear of singing and fast because soon she would have no choice. as much as she didn't like singing in front of others, she was soon forced to do so in practises. though no one ever made negative comments on her vocal tone, it left her nerves frayed. luckily for legacy, ruby hated the concept of being a failure more than being embarrassed. readying for the showcase meant she was actually trying to expand her skills.
the footsteps blend with the sound of her sneakers squeaking. it's when she does a spin that she notices the person at the door. she stops abruptly, waving her hands for balance. "oh hi!" she wasn't anticipating anyone coming in. though this was one of the coveted dance studios. she should've known better.
at the sound of booking, ruby gave a sheepish smile. "maybe not," she says as she jogs over to collect her things. "i didn't do any reservation — i usually don't — so this probably is yours for however long you booked it for. i just saw it empty and figured no one was here yet...." she knew that was something she should be doing. legacy had a lot of trainees and a lot of artists. the booking system was to make sure no one was walking in where they shouldn't be.
His eyes follow her, and a bright laugh bubbles up past his lips. "I'll try my hardest to stay strong," he assures her, grinning and slowly turning to keep his eyes on her. Tiger can easily admit that he'll struggle with the distance; usually he spends at least a little time every day with Ruby. She's the first person he seeks out when life begins to feel hard, when certain things spark old memories that give him stinging paper-cuts. Ruby's sort of his rock. Which, when you think about it, is rather comical to say. He's not even sure when she became his best friend; something just clicked.
It's exciting for her to get to jet off and see different sights, though, and Tiger can appreciate that, even if it's at a detriment to him. "You better bring me back souvenirs." Items mean little to Tiger, but knowing she'd thought about him at least a few times when shopping for something to gift him would soothe the pain of weeks without their night-time catch-ups beneath the rocket ship in the playground near the dorms.
"You don't plan on taking advantage of the fresh new exciting sights to make a move?" Ruby had talked about this 'pretty trainee' a lot recently, and despite a little sliver of jealousy Tiger felt at his best friend finding someone even remotely as cool as him, he was happy that Ruby had someone to 'set her cap at', though it seemed she really had no intentions of making her feelings known. Had it been Tiger with the crush, if that's what this was, he'd have made a move already. Life was too short to put things off until the 'right time'. There never would be a right time, and then before you know it, the opportunity's slid through your fingers.
she hummed, as if considering the idea of bringing him back anything. it was a tease — ruby would most likely end up with a lot of souvenirs that reminded her of him while she was gone. it was a month and a half. the time and distance seemed a little daunting yet she refused to make tiger worry. "i'm kidding~ what kind of stuff do you want? if you don't tell me i'm just going to buy everything."
( she wasn't joking. )
make a move sounded like a recipe for disaster. ruby's face expressed her disapproval of the concept with a grimace. she made a show of miming the act of opening a long scroll with flourish. "let's start with reason number one, shall we?" she adjusted her pretend glasses and peered at the scroll and then back at tiger. "oh, right! she's older and i don't think i'm her type."
ruby dropped the schtick with a pout. of course tiger would see no problem with simply making a move: tiger was effortlessly gorgeous and everyone seemed to get along with him well. ruby was almost convinced that anyone would be willing at just the suggestion of something happening. "it's not going to happen and i shouldn't be delusional that something will happen. so i guess i can just admire from far."
the floor felt like a better option for her woes. ruby lays on the floor, eyes locked in on the texture of the ceiling tiles. she's silent for several moments. then, "you know, you're like crazy supportive. you shouldn't support a doomed yuri, though." she cracks a smile and reaches for him to join her on the floor. "i'll get over it. i know i will. but she's just ....so pretty. and her voice is angelic. i know once i'm over it i won't feel as intensely."
"I am so sorry." He pulled himself off of her in one smooth motion, clasped his hands together and bowed so low that one might almost be impressed with his flexibility. "I have no excuse for my incompetence with gravity and wish to take full accountability for my action. I have no right to beg for forgiveness but if you can find it in your heart- bleeding?" Jinyi raised his head mid-apology to search the girl for the location of the injury.
"Let me help..." He started digging in his messenger bag for items of use. "I have a first aid kit here." Complete with cartoon band-aids. He didn't recognize the characters, but got them because he found their forms pleasing. "And a spare umbrella." Jinyi handed it over, having noticed that she wasn't carrying one, and she should in this weather. It was blue striped and extra compact so it fit well in his bag.
"Oh, um..." Should he explain why he'd go around carrying a spare umbrella? Not everyone did that, correct? "Misfortune tends to find me," he admitted with a smile. "And I've learned it's best to always be prepared. So two umbrellas, a change of clothes...basic first aid kit..."
her eyes widened. he was very .... proper. stiff but elegant. polite. ruby immediately felt bad for being so aggressive towards him. she even cursed. she let out a groan and rubbed her face with her hands. she soon gets up, although less gracefully than he did. it was almost like he was grovelling. it surprised her.
"it's okay..." she began to say. the words leave her as soon as he produces the first aid kit. and then came the umbrella. ruby was most definitely giving him a look because he quickly explained. (thank god there was an explanation...it was also too uncanny.)
"you're very ...prepared," she says, careful with how she chooses to express herself. judging by the way he spoke and his demeanor, ruby was getting christian kid vibes. nothing wrong with that but she could guess that being abrasive was not advisable. she felt even worse for cursing in front of him. "thank you."
she uses the cotton in the first aid kit to absorb the blood. there was nothing she could do beyond that with a bitten tongue, although the mini icepack looked tempting. after she's done she thanks him softly again, opening the umbrella he gave her and holding it over him as well. "how did you fall, anyways? if there's a broken step we have to report it...."
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the song choice for the carpet walk was the most difficult part. the grudge doesn't have a soundtrack, really. it doesn't rely on sound to set the tone of fear. in fact, that eery silence before the sound of the spirit's vocal groan is iconic. ruby settled on this song because it invoked the same feeling that the grudge's groan does. that feeling of the inevitable arriving. the feeling of being unable to escape what's coming. sure, the song doesn't really match the costume but then again, what song would? at least she could invoke the feeling of creepiness as she walked across the carpet.
while she isn't michael myers (and the grudge isn't considered a slasher), ruby found it fun to dramatically enter and turn around once the music picks up. like michael myers, what makes the grudge so scary is her imposing and still stature before attacking. she can appear anywhere where the darkness can, taking her sweet time before attacking. even freaking out victims before acting. ruby remained in character the entire carpet walk, not cracking a smile or posing for the cameras. she stared and slowly walked off. her goal for the night was to freak out at least one person.
the minute the plane landed in jfk, ruby was itching to hop on the train. of course they didn't, instead dealing with the new york traffic to get tonwhere they were staying. it took well over two hours and ruby was trying not to get annoyed at the fact that she could've just taken the e train to lexington ave and then switched to grand central. it would've taken way less time.
"this is where i grew up!" she excitedly tells the other trainees as they go deeper into the city. they ask about how life was. she even showed them her metro card that she still had. the card was expired (they all expire like two years after purchase — which what is the point if they're reloadable?) but it was one of the few pieces of the city she carried around with her.
ruby had been pouty when they finally got to the hotel and she wasn't allowed to roam freely. although she understood if she weren't from new york but this was her home. her playground growing up. she had the bus schedules memorised. she did not need supervision while wandering around the city.
she had no choice.
ruby told the coach where her parents lived in lower manhattan right after union square but before hitting soho. while she did say she'd be a guide to some of the other trainees, she had to see her parents first. they knew of the showcase and had been really excited to see their daughter perform. while yeah, performing had been really fun so far during the showcase, she's really been eager to come home to her roots.
the first stop was a bodega for a bacon, egg, and cheese with salt, pepper and ketchup. the patron running the store (named tony) was so excited to see ruby. he affectionately called her vecina and got her a drink for free along with the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. she gave half to her chaperone and when she bit into it, it was like heaven. ruby and tony spoke for some time in spanish. it was a rough start for ruby, who hadn't used the language in almost two years at that point. tony was incredibly sweet. he told her he missed seeing her and her "crew" around the store. he was proud of her. his daughters were really into kpop and would support her too. "estoy orgulloso!" ruby wanted to cry out of happiness.
the bronx was full of life, even with the biting winter winds. the road was full of dirty snow that was more like slush now. ruby, trained in walking in slippery snow, held her coach steady the entire time. she easily navigated through the harder patches of snow where it turned into ice. there wasn't any fruit vendors since it was the dead of winter but there was a hot chocolate vendor. she excitedly talked about how in the summer there were coco ice vendors that sold cups of ice cream for a dollar or three dollars for a bigger cup.
the 45 minute train ride from the bronx into manhattan was occupied with ruby excitedly calling and messaging friends. the switch in languages depending on the friend gave her brain a workout. by the time they reached 13th street, ruby was ready to be in her mother's arms. there wasn't much time left. ruby had to leave some time for other girls to explore too. their 15 minutes was spent with hugs and kisses and her mother giving her home cooked food to take back with her.
there was a pit stop to get food from a food truck. ruby was appalled that the prices were still high but she knew that the new mayor had made a promise to regulate the prices to the street food again. (thank god) the lamb over rice was as delicious as she remembered.
returning to the hotel felt like being sentenced once more. she didn't even get a chance to go into brooklyn. one of the girls assured her that they'll go out again before they leave. ruby knew this but she still spent some time staring out the window, yearning to run through the streets as she used to.
"are you excited to perform, chaein?"
ruby nodded. "i'm ready to show how much i've improved since i left. i'm really excited, i promise."
it was right then that she made a promise to herself. she would work hard so that the next time she was in new york city, it was as an idol. she was going to make it. she won't come back until she does.
in the nearly seven!! years since she moved back to korea, minji had to make a lot of adjustments. speaking korean in her everyday life was definitely one of them. despite spending her first four years of life in korea, she still moved to the states early enough to develop a natural english accent, as well as a variation of a korean accent that sets her apart from most life-long korean residents, and occasionally gets commented on by fans with keen ears.
it's not uncommon to find korean-americans at legacy, but it's sometimes hard to spot them. the idol is almost always subconsciously on the lookout for hints that someone might be- their handling of certain phonetics that don't exist in english, the way in which they choose their words, even their body language and sense of style. it's something that can sometimes tip her off.
but on this day, she hadn't even heard ruby speak yet. she had no idea, in fact, that ruby was korean-american. it was all just a slip of the tongue on minji's part, really. "ow! ah- noooo! phew... that was close..." she had yelled in a clear standard american accent, having stubbed her toe on the table's legs in the cafeteria and nearly dropped her lunch. she was ready to move on until she looked up and saw ruby, and embarrassed to let a trainee see an idol have an outbusrt in this way, said in korean, "ah, i'm so sorry!"
ruby's ears seemed to lock in on the american accent. it was unmistakable in a sea of korean being spoken. ruby turned around at break-neck speed. she couldn't place what region of the united states the accent was from but it was all the same to her.
it turned out to be an idol. ruby knew she was in fabula... minji! that was her name. confusion dominated ruby's features after a moment. wasn't minji born in korea? at least, that's what she remembered on minji's profile online. (yes, she searches about legacy seniors all the time!)
ruby's confusion persisted when minji bowed. "oh, it's cool," ruby said in english. judging by the way minji exclaimed in english reflexively, ruby assumed she was either pretty fluent or recently had been practising the language. either way, ruby took it as a green light to continue speaking english.
"uh..." how does she ask? would it be weird to call her a foreigner? ruby didn't like it when people did it to her. while ruby would never impose it in a way that would imply offence, she was aware of how offensive the question may be. after a moment of considering how to word it, she says, "how did you... uh, learn...english?"
was it a good thing or a bad thing that sometimes she couldn't think of the word in english? it used to be a default language (it still is) but there are times where her brain just... buffers. speaking korean primarily for the last year and a half had been an adjustment. she's doing a lot better than she was in the beginning and her confidence had grown tremendously.
she wasn't perfect but she was trying.
though one thing she was guilty of was jumping at a chance to speak her first language. english was a comfort to her. it felt awful to say but ruby struggled learning her language formally. her parents had, unfortunately, gotten her used to a mixture of korean and english. she had spent the last few years trying to correct the habit.
she had found a few people to speak with her in legacy. although she was always open to finding more friends who shared a language with her. it just always seemed to happen when she least expected it.
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"you can't miss me too bad while i'm gone." the sentence is followed by a giggle as she twirls around @lgctiger in the practise room. this was one of the last times they were going to spend any sort of time together for what feels like the longest they've been separated since becoming friends. the mission was the trainee showcase. a daunting task for ruby, who was only on her second year of being a trainee. she's not sure how it would go for her when she doesn't like singing.
she'd much rather do a co ed performance, if only that meant she had the comfort of her best friend being with her. she teases him, but the truth was that of the two, it would be ruby who would struggle with the distance.
"it does mean," she starts, pausing in her dance around her friend. "that i get to travel with the pretty trainee that caught my eye." she hadn't said a name, at least never in legacy grounds. they had developed a code name for her, the pretty trainee. they had long since established that ruby was being ridiculous with this lingering crush. even so, she had yet to get over it. until then, she'd choose to enjoy the ride. "i don't think anything will ever happen but it'd be nice to spend the time together."
Somehow it happened again and gravity refused to be his friend. At this point, Jinyi was used to this. During the split second that he had as he felt his balance shift, he assessed the situation.
The tumble: cannot be prevented.
The environment: one person in front of him - a young girl heading up these stairs. Unfortunately, their soon-to-be collision was also destined. It was still raining a little, and the ground was wet. This fall would be a cold and messy one for both of them.
He had only time for a single action, and used it to take the coat slung over his shoulder and whip it downwards. If executed perfectly, the coat would serve as their cushion.
Excellent, it worked!
The coat slid beneath the girl just in time, soft fabric against wet stone. Jinyi let loose a breath of relief and let himself collapse forward. The rest was up to fate.
A thud, followed by a startled breath.
When the world stopped spinning, Jinyi found himself braced over the girl, hand planted by her head, rain dripping from his bangs.
there was a time when she was younger that ruby was convinced that she was unlucky.
it had started in gym when a ball smacked her in the eye. the impact left her reeling and, unfortunately, resulted in a black eye. pictures were being taken the next day. ruby wanted to cry. then she had realised a pimple was forming right in the middle of her forehead. as most dumb pre-teens did at that time, she popped it, which left it angry in its wake. the day had finished off with ruby falling in mud, making it look like she soiled herself on her walk home.
days like that would happen often: something goes wrong that starts a chain reaction. getting stuck in the elevator and suddenly her headphones stop working. ripping her pants. shoelace gets stuck in something. there's always something going on in ruby's life and today was no different.
it had been raining and she didn't have an umbrella. ironically enough, her previous umbrella had broken by being turned inside out by the wind. she hadn't had the time to buy a new one and she was feeling the regret now.
then in a split second, ruby was on her back. the impact surprised her. when she opened her mouth, she hissed in pain. she had bit her tongue in surprise on impact. overall the damage was minimal. her eyes flicker up to her unfortunate assailant.
"okay? dude, i'm bleeding," she said, cursing softly. not too much to worry about but she was pissed from the overall interaction. "walk much?" she says, putting her hand on his chest to give them some more space. "i'm fine. just get up please."
it's been a long day.
despite being one of the youngest in the company, ruby feels like she's been aged by today's training. her back hurts, her legs were sore. she could barely walk to the elevator. 'but! ruby is so young!' you say. to hell with age. she feels like she's at least forty-five.
( yes that seems old to her. )
she all but crawls her way to the elevator. exhausted, she contemplates sitting down on the floor of the elevator until she reaches the lobby. unfortunately she has to walk home but that'll be a problem for ruby two minutes from now.
as luck would have it, she's not alone on the elevator ride so she's forced to stand. just as it begins its descent, it stutters to a stop. ruby stumbled, grabbing onto the elevator railing to keep herself upright. her eyes were wide in the realisation.
"it never dinged for the next floor...." they were stuck in between two floors. she looked at the other. "what do we do if we're stuck in between floors? crawl out the top?"
you should never put cherry in an escape room alone, she would simply end up dying in there. putting her in a broken elevator might have the same result, unless someone comes to her help. cherry doesn’t know what to do in situations like these, for most of the situations she’s in, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she’s simply winging it.
“my guess is someone will eventually notice the elevator is broken” she looks around “or so i hope…” she pouts. she almost mentions it might take a while to get noticed and fixed, but she doesn’t feel like she should scare this person that seems much younger than her.
“crawling out of the top… will probably not work?” she looks at the other “where do we go after we’ve climbed onto the top?” she pouts, a humming followed. “isn’t there like a button to press for help” she places her hands on her hips, and though there’s obviously a button, cherry doesn’t notice.
this happened all the time in new york. elevators coming out of service, stuttering to a stop before reaching the floor regardless of the hiccup. the buildings were much higher, much older and the elevators all smelled like piss. an unfortunate place to get stuck in but after the third time something happened to ruby, she had gotten used to it.
a stuck elevator in south korea for some reason frightened her to the core.
a part of the reason she got used to it before was because new york just had shitty city regulations. everyone gets used to the crappy infrastructure. especially in the parts ruby's friends lived in. south korea was...better managed. at least in comparison. seeing this happen here freaked her out because she hadn't experienced it a single time since moving here.
"is it possible no one will realise we're stuck?" ruby says, looking around the elevator as if the environment would reveal a clue to an escape. how long could they possibly be stuck for? ruby feared the worst. she wanted her bed more than ever. "what if we have to spend the night here? man, i stink from practise."
she moved to sit in the corner of the elevator. "well if we're going to be here for a while, we might as well get comfortable." she huffed. how long would it take before they start going crazy? or hungry? "uhm, i'm ruby by the way."
when ruby finally speaks, the nervousness in her tone makes nari’s lips curve into a gentle, amused smile. “you think so?” she says softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear again (old habits die hard). there’s a light flush on her cheeks too, not from shyness, but from the rush that comes after singing something that feels right. “i’m glad. it’s really beautiful, ruby. you writing doesn’t sound forced at all, just honest.”
she glances down at the lyrics again, tracing a fingertip along one of the lines. “hmm,” she murmurs, thinking aloud. “maybe here?” she points at a phrase near the middle, “this part could breathe a little more? it would give the listener a moment to feel what you just said before you move on.” when she looks back up, she’s smiling. “but honestly, that’s just me being picky,” she adds with a small laugh. “it’s your song, ruby. you tell me how you want it to feel, and i’ll follow your lead.” she’s not yet a songwriter herself, so she doesn’t quite know the process behind creating a song, let alone trying to bring it to life through another person.
she leans back against the piano, her eyes still bright with encouragement. “you did a really good job,” she says sincerely. “ did you want me to try again?”
ruby's eyes catch the way nari's cheeks change to a rosier shade. it's a subtle change, one that brings out a blush of her own. she wasn't the type to flatter, especially when it wasn't necessary, but it was a surreal moment to hear a work of her sang. it made it feel real, tangible. like something she could achieve if she really worked at it.
and nari brought it to life.
she peered at the line nari had pointed out, comparing how she always heard it in her head versus nari singing it. she nods. "i see what you mean. i'll see what i can do. maybe it's nothing more than a melody shift..." it was a good catch.
her fingers press against the fabric of her shirt, rubbing her chest at the thought of nari singing again. "ah, i'd get butterflies again. your singing is just too good," she says, mostly jokingly but understanding that there was a lot of truth to those words. she's not sure if she wants to dive into the feeling. "truthfully... i just... kind of stop. i don't go past this. i think it's because i was always scared to fail but hearing you...."
the words linger in the air for just a moment. ruby gives nari a smile. "thanks to you i think i could actually make a song. for real!" she looks down at her book. all of her songs, sitting in the draft space for so long. not a single one making it to final composition. how many would she be able to make?
"i can't wait to get my hands on my own studio." she bobbed her head excitedly. "then i'll really be unstoppable!"
A welcome reprieve in the form of listening to Ruby is so welcomed, and an uncontrollable smile appears as the talk about the pregnancy comes about. He's from a family of three kids, and he could not imagine being an only child, ever. "Ahhh! Is Yoona the first one to have a baby in your generation of 'kids', as the elders like to call it? That would be a big deal. I wonder when my siblings might come back with an announcement like that but so far it seems to be all career achievements..." his smile that had faded returned once the kidnapping idea was brought up. He would have liked that, but Danny also knows it's an obligation probably until the end of time to spend the holidays with his family. "I hope no managers are tapped into this call but I wish we had more free time in general. It feels like practice, practice, practice, work, school for those who have it, nonstop and I feel overwhelmed even though I am on holiday right now."
Sighing as he moves into a more comfortable position, after nearly losing his grip and having the phone fall flat on his face, a fetal side position is what he curls up into. "You know I can't lie to you," Danny retorts back, wide earnest eyes looking at his screen, relief already entering his chest at being back in his safety hub of a locked room, earplugs in, fully locked into this conversation. "I think you're right though, it's probably all in my head like usual." At least self-awareness is in the room with him. "Sometimes I wonder if this is all the right thing. My siblings are both so successful in their own right, and my brother quit the idol industry, which makes me wonder about the longevity of everything. What if I never make it out of the whole trainee nugudom thing? I'm totally overthinking- everything I'm saying starts with 'what if'." There's an inaudible 'auuugh' that he internalizes as he rubs at his hair and face, scrubbing it of emotions before he pops back up and blinks at Ruby, thankful for her presence.
"On one hand, I want to say, 'alright, hit me!', and on the other, you're not my therapist. So.. Thanks for being here and calling me," he says softly, after his little tangent of a rant, his lips curling upwards slightly.
ruby would never understand what it was like to have siblings. that was fine by her— she kind of liked getting all of the attention from her parents. besides there could be awkward dynamics with siblings at times. her cousins were the closest she was going to get. "she's the party girl! no one thought she'd actually settle. especially not at her age."
she frowns in concern of her friend. danny was amazing all on his own. she wished he wouldn't measure his worth based on his siblings or whether his parents approved or not. though who is she to talk? it was easier said than done. ruby would probably feel equally stressed if her parents didn't support her in some form.
"i don't think you're going to be a nugu, danny, you're like the least nugu person there is," ruby says with an eye roll, as if it were obvious. "you command the stage when you perform. be more serious for a second."
at least whenever danny was feeling particularly vulnerable, he would have ruby around to not-so-gently remind him who he is. ruby rolls again so that she's laying on her back, holding the phone above. it was just begging to fall on her face at this angle. "of course," she offers a gentle smile. "that'll be 10,000 won. my rates aren't cheap."
she laughs and turns to her side. her restlessness was starting to show. it was a post-meal second wind. once she settles a small pout appears on her face. "got any time for an in-person pick me up this vacation?" the pout deepens as she gives her best puppy expression. "i'm missing vitamin danny! and we can do something else other than practise for once."
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Asami isn't one to insert herself in places or in conversations. She's not even the type who tries to eavesdrop usually, especially if there are no recognizable names in the conversations people are trying to have. Asami has always been a very "on her lane" type of person. That hasn't changed.
But she's observant, and it's not like Ruby was exactly subtle. She has been trying to focus on her own task all while also seeing the younger pretty much break down a few chairs away from her and it's... something. She doesn't think of interfering until she hears the thud against the table.
Asami takes her tablet and her phone and her gummy snacks and scoots over to the distressed new trainee. She turns the gummy bag towards her and nudges her lightly on the shoulder. "From my experience, sugar helps you think better," she offers quietly. "And two heads think better than one, if you need it."
ruby lifts her head just enough to take a peek at whomever poked her. it was asami. (thank god.) she'd rather look crazy to someone she knew rather than a total stranger. "hey asami," she says tiredly.
her eyes dropped to the offered gummies. she takes just one to start. ruby pauses at the concept of two heads being better than one. she looks at the book, which is pushed closer to asami than herself. for a moment, her heart panics. would asami judge her? would she laugh at her attempts? or would she think it was lame?
ruby bit her bottom lip. she jerked her head at the book. "go ahead. it's nothing good right now... it's not coming to me. it sounds so bad." she doesn't like showing drafts to anyone. in a way, it made ruby feel vulnerable. she tries not to squirm in her seat. knowing that asami would read it made her hands sweat.
she wiped her hands on her jeans. "it's supposed to be a love song..."
whether cherry is unlucky or lucky is a great question. she constantly gets herself into dumb and unlucky situations, yet somehow she always seems to get out of those situations. cherry has started a bit of fires throughout her life, yet she’s never gotten seriously burned. cherry falls all the damn time, yet she’s never broken a bone. so the question remains, is she unlucky or lucky?
once practice is done for the day, cherry grabs her stuff to head home, for once not having plans after practice is finished. she briefly looks at the staircase, and though she hasn’t done any physical practice, she’s still too tired to take the stairs, so the elevator it is. she walks in, only one other person in there. she briefly smiles to the other, but finds herself too tired to share any words, that is, until the elevator suddenly and harshly stops.
despite being one of the youngest in the company, ruby feels like she's been aged by today's training. her back hurts, her legs were sore. she could barely walk to the elevator. 'but! ruby is so young!' you say. to hell with age. she feels like she's at least forty-five.
( yes that seems old to her. )
she all but crawls her way to the elevator. exhausted, she contemplates sitting down on the floor of the elevator until she reaches the lobby. unfortunately she has to walk home but that'll be a problem for ruby two minutes from now.
as luck would have it, she's not alone on the elevator ride so she's forced to stand. just as it begins its descent, it stutters to a stop. ruby stumbled, grabbing onto the elevator railing to keep herself upright. her eyes were wide in the realisation.
"it never dinged for the next floor...." they were stuck in between two floors. she looked at the other. "what do we do if we're stuck in between floors? crawl out the top?"
