Lost and Found

One

The alarm blaring in Minji's ear did nothing to her. She had been awake for hours staring at the ceiling. She turned it off, setting her phone to the side before she heard Siyeon's alarm going off. She heard the familiar groaning of the younger in the other bed before hearing a phone being dropped and a swear being muttered.

The leader closed her eyes, taking in a slow breath before letting it out. She sat up, deciding to just get on with the day. When she got down from her bed, she checked Siyeon's phone, seeing it snoozed for the next eight minutes. She allowed it, knowing the girl valued sleep more than anything else in the world.

No one else was really awake in the dorm, allowing Minji to slip into the shower without any protests. She looked at herself in the mirror, frowning at how tired she looked. She knew it wasn't going to go over well in the company, but her mind was wandering to dark places these days.

She knew why. Her eyes trailed down on the mirror, settling on the scar that was settled two inches below her belly button. It wasn't as large as it used to be, and definitely not as prominent anymore. Her fingers traced over the scar, frowning when she saw flashes of the memories that brought on the scar. She pulled away slowly, letting out a shaky breath she didn't know she had been holding.

When she finished with her shower, the rest of the dorm seemed to be coming to life. She heard the familiar Duolingo dings from Yoohyeon and Bora's room, knowing that Yoohyeon was trying to learn every language in the world just to talk with every Somnia out there. She could hear the faint sounds of a video playing from Yubin's room, allowing her to breathe easy at the thought of her being awake. As she walked passed the next room, she heard small laughter and talking from Gahyeon, knowing she was probably chatting Handong's ear off about something she had dreamt about.

No one had left their rooms but were hidden away in their own little worlds in the confines of their room.

She padded into her own, seeing Siyeon awake and scrolling on her phone. It made her happy to see the younger girl awake finally.

"When did you get up?" Siyeon muttered.

"A while ago," Minji answered.

"Oh, is the bathroom free?" She asked, watching Minji nod her head.

The younger of the two padded out towards the bathroom, taking her turn before anyone else could cut in front of her.

Minji let out another sigh the second she caught a glimpse of herself in the small hanging mirror. Her mind wandered again, seeing images of her younger self, causing her to shut her eyes tightly, forcing them out so she could just get on with her day. She hurried with getting dressed, not wanting to be completely naked when Siyeon walked back in and questioned her scar again.

She remembers the first time she had ever dressed in front of the others, Bora was already questioning Siyeon's belly button piercing, telling her she was dumb to get it when she was younger. Siyeon however did wear the rings when she wasn't out and about, only around the dorm to make sure it didn't close.

Siyeon had pointed at Minji's scar just to get Bora off her back and that was when they learned how quickly Minji could shut down the conversation. She had immediately said it wasn't her business to ask about the scars on her body and that she didn't want to talk about it.

The day had progressed and everything seemed to start going in a better direction. They had started learning arrangements for their new album, allowing Minji to completely focus on everything other than her own mind. Her mind was filled with the arrangement in front of her as she worked with the producers, allowing her mind to wander into the favorite part of her brain.

By the end of the day, she felt worn out, tired from staring at screens and papers all day. She climbed into the van with the others, hearing them chat about their lessons and training to one another, sharing stories from their day while also discussing dinner plans. Minji smiled while listening to them chatter, happy that they were excited to tell one another about something so tiny that had happened.

"Unnie, can we have chicken soup?" Yubin asked quietly.

"I wish you could've told me that this morning." Bora looked up from her phone, frowning at the younger girl. "I could've started it then and finished it when we got home." She sighed.

"Why don't we order it then?" Minji suggested.

"And pay delivery fees?" Gahyeon scoffed.

"Order it from the place down the road from the dorm. I'll pick it up." Minji smiled.

Everyone quickly picked different things from the small menu, the soup, and a few other things just so they could all be satisfied. Yoohyeon had walked with Minji down the road since it was a bit of a large order for the seven of them. They made small talk as they went, talking about different things going on in their family lives and keeping each other updated.

"Are you excited to start filming the show?" Yoohyeon asked Minji as they made their way down.

"Yeah, it'll be fun to spend our time doing that instead of training like we're trainees again." Minji chuckled.

If she was honest, she liked being an idol, with fewer classes to take but it felt as if they had hit a bit of a lull before the reality show idea was thrown in their direction. Each one had jumped on the idea, loving the chance to show their fans more sides of them in that light rather than just streams, special clips, and stages.

The two made their way to the little restaurant, Yoohyeon taking over and chatting with the woman behind the counter about their order for pick up. Minji looked around the small area, seeing a little family in the corner with a small child.

The little boy was no older than maybe four, smiling and giggling as he bit into his chicken. Minji couldn't help but stare, watching the parents interact with their son. Her heart ached at the scene, causing her to clear her throat quietly and turn away from the family.

Minji saw the posts of her old friends back home. All of them posted their wedding pictures and were starting families of their own. She had chosen this life for herself and hated trying to fit into a mold that she was never meant to fit into in the first place. But she did wish things in her past had been different. Wished she hadn't lied for so long just to prove herself to one person who really meant nothing to her now.

"Jiu unnie?" Yoohyeon's voice snapped her back into reality, escaping the long, dark staircase of Minji's brain. "Ready?" The younger handed off one of the bags to her, watching her closely before they thanked the woman and left.

The sun was starting to set as they walked, knowing it was really only two and a half blocks back to the dorm. Yoohyeon looked around, admiring the way the colors of the sky bounced off the scattered clouds above them. She never really got to enjoy the sky at that time since their schedules were entirely too hectic to stop and enjoy extremely little moments like that.

"Isn't the sky beautiful?" Yoohyeon whispered.

"You're lucky we live on a quiet road." Minji chuckled. She was certain that if they lived on a busy road Yoohyeon would've been hit by a car at least four times by now.

"But isn't it?" The younger insisted.

Minji stopped in her tracks, looking up at the sky with Yoohyeon. The younger wasn't wrong, it was a beautiful scene. She nodded her head, agreeing with her before making their way back to the dorm.

That night, Minji's mind wandered again. She stared at the moon from her bed, letting out a small sigh. She hated how corny her member was sometimes, but what she had said was true. Minji felt extremely lonely and wanted some kind of closure in this world. But she was never going to get it. So all she had was the moon. The same moon she hoped her own daughter was looking at and living under with her.