ᴘᴀʀᴀʟʟᴇʟ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ | 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚊

The One with The Unraveling Threads 💕

"She didn't lie," he said finally. "She just... withheld."

"And now we're all realizing how little we actually know," Jaehyun added.

Doyoung studied them-one by one. The way Jaehyun's hands fidgeted with the towel. The sharp set of Johnny's jaw. The stillness in Taeyong that always came before he unraveled.

"It's not just about her brother, Nathan, is it?" Doyoung asked quietly.

No one responded.

"You thought you knew her. All of her. And now this stranger walks in and proves you didn't."

Jaehyun exhaled. "He didn't even ask. He knew. Her favorite warmups, her childhood songs. They didn't have to fill in the blanks-they just clicked."

"It's not fair," Johnny said, the bitterness unintentional but present.

"No," Taeyong agreed. "But it's real."

And that was what stung the most.

Because what they each had with Nara-whatever it was-had always lived in a kind of quiet limbo. It was friendly, affectionate, and electric at times. But undefined. Unclaimed. And maybe that had been enough... until now.

Until someone else walked in and reminded them that knowing someone meant more than holding their hand or hearing their voice in the practice room.

It meant belonging in their story.

And none of them knew if they did.

---

Something had changed.

Nara wasn't sure when it began. Maybe it was the shift in the air when Nathan first stepped into that practice room. Or maybe it was the way Johnny had gone quiet after always being the one to fill silences. The way Jaehyun, once her calmest anchor, began to hesitate before speaking. Or the way Taeyong, who always offered her a gentle, guiding presence, had started watching her as if trying to understand something he couldn't quite name.

They were still kind.

Still present.

But different.

Conversations grew shorter. Smiles, tighter. Their touches-once casual and reassuring-were now calculated, held back, or lingered too long.

And Nara noticed.

Every detail.

She noticed the way Jaehyun didn't meet her eyes during vocal warm-ups. The way Johnny stepped back during breaks instead of joining her and the younger trainees. The way Taeyong would say her name like it was laced with something unspoken-and then say nothing at all.

It was like walking on a shifting ground. She tried not to take it personally. Told herself it was just stress. Just the pressure of the upcoming Rookie Showcase.

But then, it all became too much.

---

The staircase was quiet-tucked behind the auxiliary rehearsal hall, hidden from view. Nara sat curled on the second-to-top step, her arms wrapped around her knees, her phone pressed to her ear as she fought to hold herself together.

Nathan's voice was soft on the other end. "Nana? You okay?"

She drew in a sharp, shaky breath.

"No," she whispered, and then the words tumbled out in a rush. "You! You shouldn't have come into my practice room. You shouldn't have called my name. I shouldn't have run to you. I shouldn't have hugged you in front of everyone."