Chapter 23: Confronted (Hyunjin and Monday POV)
First Posted On: 26th October 2021
Last Updated On: 26th October 2021
T/N: This takes place on 12th October 2020.
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(Hyunjin POV)
"저기요, Kim Hyunjin!" I heard Yves unnie's voice on the other side of the door. However, I was not willing to respond.
"What's with you moping around in your room? 또?!" Jinsoul unnie was next to complain.
"I'm your same-bed sister, but you stealing the entire blanket during this autumn season a little bit much, isn't it?" Chuu unnie was in half-tantrum half-squeaking mode. Kinda adorable if I say so myself.
If you must know, I have been like this pretty much since I was interrogated by the officers last month. I only ever left the room because of schedules, but once we were back in the dorm, I would retreat to my room with a stash of bread. Thank goodness I was not keen on doing any LOONA logs either.
To say the solitude was relaxing would be a lie. If anything, it felt like torture to be reminded of my abduction...again. Literally, I was just learning how to overcome that trauma so why did I have to see that CCTV?!
Never mind that, they mentioned THAT name...Yoo Daejoon. I know it's those police officers' job, but still...
"Unnie..." it was Olivia Hye's turn to try and communicate with me. "If you don't open the door this instant I'll punchivia hye it to-"
"제발 날 좀!" I finally snapped wishing to be left alone, even though clearly I needed a companion right now. And while I normally would lean on Heejin, strangely I only wanted to see one particular individual...
...Kim Jimin.
몰라...since we met I have been lowering my guard and robotic persona around her. Monday may be more of a stranger to me than my own group member, Gowon, but I shared some of my deeper secrets with her. That excludes the abduction, mind you.
Adding on the possibility of me being the Jin Jin she is looking for...does that mean-
"See, it's not that difficult, 얘들 아," I heard Heejin's voice as the door to my room unlocked. Oh...she found the key.
"You mean Kim Hyunjin even hid the key under a loaf of bread so it will be less likely for us to fish it out?!" Kim Lip was in disbelief. "헐, she really loves bread that much."
"Now, if you guys don't mind..." I could sense Heejin giving them a look that meant we needed some time alone. After closing the door behind her, she came up to my bed. She had to take the long way because I had my back facing the door.
"As much as I tried to chase them away," she spoke to me after sitting on the edge, "they will probably be eavesdropping."
"아라요..." I mumbled, seemingly uninterested to engage in more conversation.
"Hyunjin ah..." Heejin continued. "There are things in this life which we don't understand. Why do our Orbits keep changing their bias? What kind of fate was it that kept us from promoting with Haseul unnie again? Who is managing our payments in the agency?"
I scoffed at the last mystery.
"I think a lot of us don't understand your emotions sometimes though," Heejin bluntly pointed out. "Although I probably know why..."
"You do?" I perked up and removed the covers from my face. "What-"
"It's about Jimin hoobae isn't it?" she stated.
Yes, and no.
"Well, it was your idea to help her find Jin Jin..." she reminded me. "I, Jeon Heejin, and our Mix Nine fellow, Lee Soojin, were witnesses to that."
"I do want to help her Heejin ah..." I confessed. "Imagine growing up without knowing there is someone out there looking for their biological sister..."
Speak for yourself, Kim Hyunjin; growing up as a walking and singing liar with all those fake identities to lock away your trauma.
"The intention to help Monday ssi is there," Heejin consoled me further. "However, you want to know something Kim Hyunjin?"
"뭐?" I did not like how this conversation was going but I let myself get curious anyway.
"I think you are hiding something dark about yourself..." she turned to me with a serious expression. "Secrets are secrets, but whatever you are hiding is probably burdening you...a lot."
Oh...so she sensed that...
"I wouldn't bring this up if I was the only one who thought that..." Heejin added. "Fortunately, your same-bed sister has sharp hearing and intuition. Man, I thought a sleeptalking Chuu unnie is unique, but what she heard you mumble lately is giving us the chills."
"W-W-What did she hear me mumble?" I asked even though I probably knew.
"불 (fire)..." Heejin revealed. "You'd just keep mumbling that, sometimes with 사람 (person)."
Stop it now Heejin...don't question me further.
"I hate to break it to you," she was still probing, "but helping Monday and Weeekly at their showcase has got something to do with a traumatic past of yours that you aren't willing to tell us about."
No, stop.
"I wanted to ignore those thoughts too," she kept on going, "but when those officers wanted to chat with you that day...things were obviously quite serious. It's not my authority to make you tell me-"
"YES I HAD A TRAUMATIC PAST! IS THAT YOUR PROBLEM JEON HEEJIN?!" I couldn't hold my trauma-driven anger anymore as I shoved her hand away from me.
"Hyun-" she was taken aback but I wasn't listenting to her.
"I hid these things because I wanted to fix these problems on my own. You guys don't deserve my pain," I was close to breaking down. "What Monday went through these few months was tough huh? I'll have you know I went through worse...for years."
It must have come out weird because Heejin also started to cry as she asked, "Do you mean to say...you hate being in LOONA-"
"No! I love LOONA and I love being a singer with you guys!" I defended truthfully.
"Then-" Heejin wanted to say something but in my delusion, I broke the one oath I made since I debuted.
"I hate that I'm living in guilt for causing a fire even though it killed the man who took me away from my family!"
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(Monday POV)
"KIM JIMIN! OPEN THE DOOR; YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" a certain Lee Soojin was banging her fist on the wooden furniture separating her from almost certain death.
That death being me.
"Monday unnie please don't be like this..." a slightly softer but more desperate Zoa was also pleading in unison.
"We want to help you, we promise!" Soeun was next to try and coax me to get out of my sulky mood. "Don't do this right before our comeback, 재발!"
"CAN YOU AT LEAST LET ME GET MY CURLER?!"
An awkward pause followed. I guessed the members were staring at each other while I wondered who said that.
"Seriously Lee Jaehee...?" Jiyoon sighed.
"But-but-" Jaehee retorted. "I need to redo my bangs..."
"BORROW ZOA'S!" I snapped making it clear my intentions to not let anyone into my room. However, if you must know why I was behaving like this...
(~ Flashback - Last Week ~)
There she is. Lee Soojin. I did not care if we were in our practice room and we just finished doing the choreography video for Zig Zag, but when you have a secret entrusted to you...
...you don't try to fix it without telling me.
I made sure our choreographers and manager had left the room after we completed our recording. And whatever I did next was probably going to have consequences later, but I will not regret it.
"Jimin?" Soojin realised I was glaring at her. Clearly, she was feigning innocence.
"Unnie...I didn't want to do this because of our comeback, but you're too much," I practically grumbled at her...
...and then slapped her cheek.
Of course, Soojin was shocked, but the sound of my palm was enough to earn the members' stares. Good job Kim Jimin, you just earned six enemies.
"Next time, don't do things alone. Especially if they concern my secret," I warned her before exiting the room in a huff after shoving away her grasp from my wrist.
(~ Flashback End~)
So this past week, I refused to speak to her. Nor would I entertain comments from the members. Fortunately, I was able to hold my anger for the most important schedules (such as with 'ROLLING'), but I knew if I didn't address it sooner, I will regret it for life.
"Look Kim Jimin, this cannot go on. Our MV release and comeback showcase is tomorrow so like it or not we must work together!" Soeun tried to reason with me.
I was hearing none of it until I heard the unlocking sound from the door.
"Really unnies..." it was Jihan who arrived on the scene. "There are keys to doors for a reason..."
"MY CURLER!!!" Jaehee rushed into the room and picked up her prized makeup tool before leaving.
"YAH!" Jihan and Zoa gave chase. "We also need it!"
While Jiyoon and Soeun went to babysit the maknae-line, Soojin stayed behind and cautiously entered my room. I turned away; still being a little upset with her.
A moment of silence later, she finally spoke with, "I know, I deserved that slap."
Really now?
"I know it's my right to demand an apology from you because in all honesty, I felt so disrespected..." she sighed. That only made me feel worse.
"However, I was only doing what I must as the leader," Soojin was candid about her actions. "Whatever feelings you had regarding finding Jin Jin is already burdening enough. I want to share your burden..."
How could I hate her...? Her personality is so sweet and caring.
She broke our promise though. I clearly said I wanted to report the matter to the police myself. So why is she the one doing that...?
"That said," Soojin continued, "it is my fault I also overhead too much. They actually interrogated me too, at the NCI."
Confused, I turned to face her before finally asking her, "Why?"
"It was for their investigation," she revealed. "Apparently what I shared turned out to be a cold case they were working on recently. Jin Jin is the victim. You probably know...someone tampered with the case."
How could I forget? The photo of the missing person's details being torn off... That one clue leading to Jin Jin...
"Unnie..." I was a little speechless. "I was too overcome with anger then... Losing Jin Jin is bad enough but learning that the case was tampered with. That hurts. I'm sorry if that made you hurt too...physically."
I looked at the right hand I used to slap Weeekly's leader with last week. It was trembling.
"I can handle it," Soojin reassured me. "I've been in a road accident...although that is nothing to be proud of."
We stayed silent for a while and just enjoyed each other's company. This was something I dearly missed, aside from spending time with Hyunjin. I'll admit, Soojin is the unnie I love, but Hyunjin feels like the unnie I could have had. The few times I spent with her...there is a special bond that is trying to break the boundaries of friendship. However, not in a romantic way.
Heck, Hyunjin has Heejin already she should be glad.
"Jimin...just as a friend, why not you tell the members about Jin Jin?" Soojin mustered up some courage to ask me the one question I feared.
"Unnie...I can't-" I wanted to explain myself.
"Both of us were interrogated," she stated the fact. "They will ask us what happened eventually, if not about Jin Jin then about you slapping me..."
"Not now unnie...not before our MV release-" I hoped to avoid the topic but a frantic Jihan suddenly barged into the room.
"Unnies!! Save your reconciliation for a little later we have a Weee:emergency!" Jihan cried in a half-confused half-overjoyed manner. The last time I saw her act like that was at 'Fact iN Star' with Yves sunbaenim and when Olivia Hye sunbaenim gave that video call.
"Calm down Jihyo..." Soojin immediately went to her side. "Breathe and explain what is going on one sentence at a time."
"I-I was back in the kitchen. Then-then, I heard a knock on the door right? And I thought who in the group ordered food and then-and then...I looked through the door and I saw her. 어떻게?! I'm not prepared for this. I can recognise her even with her mask on!" Jihan was still squealing in delight.
"She means Heejin sunbaenim is outside the door," Soeun joined the conversation.
"Oh I see- What do you mean Heejin sunbaenim is out-" Soojin's jaw dropped.
Without thinking I ran over to the door and was greeted by a very worried LOONA's Heejin. Yes, during our double date that day, we shared the address of each other's dorms so we could visit each other when we were free. But this did not look like any ordinary visit...
"Monday ssi! Hyunjin is missing!" Heejin broke the news to me.
For some reason, I felt my world crashing down for the second time.
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A/N: Oh no! Hyunjin has shared her secret! But it appears she has run away as well! Meanwhile, Monday was upset with Soojin but now is upset that Hyunjin is missing?!
I probably should have warned that this is a heartbreaking chapter. Me breaking the fourth wall by almost destroying 2Jin and MoonSoo couples is a bit harsh. But hey, this is part of the plot. Also, did you note the parallels between the POVs?
And with this chapter release, I am pleased to announce-
Soeun: *opens door* IT'S MY BIRTHDAY~! IMMA DO WHAT I LIKE!
Me: Haha~ 생일 축하해 Soeun! Just like the dance cover Weeekly did for the song!
Soeun: You remembered! Wait of course you would I literally told you that last week.
Me: Aren't you also happy this fanfic hit 1K reads?
Soeun: But I'm not the main character-
Monday: That's for another time Soeun ah. Maybe you can plead with author-nim to let you feature in a one-shot with Soojin unnie.
Me: Glad to see you have made up with her, Monday!
Monday: Yah...fanfic and real-life are separate. I actually love Soojin unnie to the end!
Soeun: And me too, right? Right?
Monday: Ah well, anyway happy 1K reads author-nim!
*Monday and Soeun leave*
Yes, I am pleased to announce 1K+ reads and 60 votes for 'Identity Crisis'! Love these humble achievements these days~ and I am glad to get new ideas for this fanfic lately. And happy birthday to our dance leader Park Soeun! Thank you for helping make Weeekly a brighter and versatile group, our sunshine Soeun!
Vote + Comment ~ !