Dani let out a shakey sigh... "I'm quitting Source Music..." she admits.
...
The room was engulfed in a thick, heavy silence so profound that it felt like time had come to a halt. The air seemed to hang with suffocating tension.
"What are you talking about?" Sakura's voice cut through the silence. "You're quitting?"
Dani bit her lip as she wrestled with her words. "After everything that's happened," she began, "I've come to realize that it's not worth it anymore. The late nights, the exhaustion, the endless effort... I guess I'm just tired of it all."
Sakura's arms tightened across her chest, her brows furrowing in frustration. "What do you mean by 'everything'?" she pressed. "You've been so distant lately that we don't even know what's happening with you!"
"Kkura-Unnie..." Chaewon warned.
"No, seriously? What does 'everything' even mean to you?" Sakura asked.
Dani swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry as she grappled with the weight of her decision. "It's..." Dani began, her voice faltering as she struggled to find the right words to weave a delicate tapestry of lies that would shield her friends from the painful truth.
"Is this about Bang Gui Nam?" Sakura's interjection pierced Dani's thoughts like a dagger, sending a panic coursing through her veins. Did Sakura know the truth? Did she figure it out?
"Are you sleeping with him?" Sakura suddenly ask. Afraid of what the answer would be.
Dani's eyes slightly widened at the thought. "Is that what you think?" She asked.
"I'm asking you," Sakura snapped, her patience thin as she pressed for a definitive answer.
At that moment, Dani made a choice. "Then yes, I am," she confessed. "I've been sleeping with him for months," she admitted, her tone cold and distant, a facade to shield her friends from the painful truth she dared not reveal.
Sakura scoffed. "It all makes sense now," she declared, her voice laced with bitterness. "All of the late nights, your high-profile solo projects... you've been sleeping to the top!"
Dani's breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling with the weight of Sakura's accusation. She wanted to protest, to explain, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead she bit her tongue.
With a heavy heart, Sakura rose from her seat, her movements stiff with pent-up emotion. "I-I can't do this..." Her voice wavered, raw with hurt and disappointment, before she turned on her heel and walked out the door.
Yunjin's voice trembled with disbelief and hurt as she sought confirmation from Dani. "I-is it true, Dani-Unnie?" she asked, her eyes pleading for reassurance amidst accusations and betrayal.
Dani's heart clenched at the sight of Yunjin's vulnerable expression, knowing all too well the sacrifices she had made to pursue her dreams of debuting.
"I-I'm sorry, Jinnie..." Dani said "...it just sort of happened."
"Are you really leaving?" Eunchae's voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and sorrow. Her eyes searched Dani's for a glimmer of hope amidst the impending loss.
Dani met Eunchae's gaze, her heart aching at the pain reflected in her big round soulful eyes. "I am," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to maintain her composure.
Eunchae's fingers traced the delicate contours of the bracelet adorning her wrist, her touch lingering as if trying to hold onto the fleeting moments they had shared. "Did you give this to me because you're leaving?" she asked, her voice barely audible as she wrestled with the truth.
Dani's breath caught in her throat, and her tears began falling as she realized Eunchae's question's weight. "I..." Her voice faltered, the words sticking in her throat like a bitter pill she couldn't swallow. "I don't know..."
Eunchae's shoulders sagged with the weight of disappointment, her gaze falling to the bracelet clutched in her hand. "You promised that you will never leave..." Her voice cracked, raw with emotion, as she fought to keep her tears at bay.
With trembling hands, Eunchae removed the bracelet from her wrist, the metal links cold against her skin. She placed it gently on the nightstand, a silent testament to the shattered promises and fractured bonds between them and left with Yunjin
Dani's gaze shifted away from Kazuha and Chaewon, her eyes brimming with tears as she struggled to maintain her composure. With a trembling hand, she wiped away the moisture that threatened to spill over. "Why aren't you leaving?" She asks. "You're mad at me too?"
Kazuha's eyes softened. "Dani-Unnie..." Her voice was gentle, a soothing balm against the raw edges of their emotions. "We're not mad at you. We're just confused. It's really sudden."
Chaewon's eyes searching Dani's for answers she struggled to find within herself. "Dani-Unnie, why didn't you say anything?" Her voice held a note of disappointment. "I'm your leader. I should've known."
"It all happened so fast..." Dani said. "If something bad happened, I didn't want you girls to be involved in my mess."
"But we are supposed to be involved with your messes. That's what we do," Chaewon said with frustration.
Dani's heart clenched at Chaewon's declaration. "Chaewon..." Her voice cracked with emotion.
"Is there any way we could change your mind?" Kazuha asked as she grabbed Dani's hand and squeezes it.
Dani shook her head. "It's too late..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I already put in my resignation letter... I move out as soon as I get discharged."
The truth of Dani's words hung in the air, a bitter reminder of their choices and the consequences they now faced. Dani knew that she had to do this. For their sake and hers.
...
A few days later...
"Thanks for helping me, Dai-chan..." Dani's voice held a note of gratitude as she glanced around the room, boxes stacked haphazardly against the walls.
Daisuke flashed her a reassuring smile. "Of course," he replied, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on an old guitar propped up against the wall. "No way. Is that the guitar you hit Yeonjun with?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.
Dani couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "What do you think the tape's for?" she asks as she gestured to the worn-out instrument.
Daisuke chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Didn't he have to get stitches?" he asked, the memory eliciting another round of laughter from both of them.
Dani's eyes widened in realization, a giggle escaping her lips as she recalled the incident. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot!" she exclaimed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Then the two friends were in comfort silence.
"You know..." Daisuke began. " we can tell them what's going on," Daisuke said in a voice laced with concern. His brow furrowed as he watched Dani pack her belongings. "You don't have to do this alone."
Dani paused, her hands stilling momentarily as she glanced at Daisuke, her expression conflicted. "No, it's okay..." Her voice was strained. "This is to keep them safe... They don't need to know..."
"But-" Daisuke's protest was cut short as Dani's tone turned sharp, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
"They don't need to know," Dani snapped, her words tinged with determination and desperation. She returned to her task, her movements brisk as she resumed packing.
...
Dani heaved a sigh, her gaze sweeping over the now-empty room that had once been her sanctuary. Once adorned with memories and laughter, the walls now stood bare, echoing the emptiness she felt inside. "This is for the best..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
With a final glance around the room, Dani approached Eunchae's desk. She placed something small on the surface. Then, without looking back, she turned and walked out of the room, each step heavy with the weight of her decision.
As Dani descended the stairs, she found the rest of the girls gathered in the living room.
Dani's brows furrowed with concern as she scanned the room, her eyes searching for any sign of Sakura. "Where's Kkura-Unnie?" she asked.
"She's in her room," Chaewon replied. "She, uh, wasn't feeling well..."
A pang of guilt pierced Dani's heart like a knife as she absorbed Chaewon's words. Despite their tension between them Sakura's absence weighed heavily on her mind. "Oh..." Dani murmured.
"Are you all packed?" Chaewon's voice broke the silence after a few moments.
Dani nodded, her gaze still fixed on the floor as she struggled to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. "I am," she replied.
"If you forgot anything, then I'll just send them to you," Chaewon offered.
"It's okay," Dani murmured. "Keep them..." She hesitated, a lump forming in her throat as she tried to find the right words to convey her feelings. "This isn't forever," she finally managed, her voice wavering with emotion. "I... Let's get together when I get settled, okay?" she asked.
"Promise you won't forget about us," Eunchae whispered. "Please..."
Dani's heart clenched at the vulnerability in Eunchae's plea. "I could never forget about you," she replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "You're my Manchae."
Yunjin reached out, her hand finding Dani's in a gesture of silent support. "We'll miss you," she said simply.
Kazuha looks at Dani with a mixture of sadness and resignation. "Take care of yourself. Make sure you eat on time and sleep when you need to...," she said.
Chaewon stepped forward with a determined look in her eyes. "We'll be waiting for you," she said.
Dani finally let the tears fall. "I won't be long, I promise," she said as she stepped out of the dorm.
...
"Kkura-Unnie! You might never see Dani-Unnie again, and you're letting her walk away?" Chaewon asks.
"Yeah!" Yunjin's added. "You haven't even told her you liked her!"
Sakura turned in her bed as she faced away from the girls. "What's the point?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "She's got that producer..."
"So?" Kazuha asked . "If you tell her you like her, maybe there's a chance!" She said.
But Sakura shook her head,"It's already too late..." Her voice trailed off. "She's gone..." With a heavy sigh, she sat up in bed, her shoulders slumped with the weight of her regrets.
"Where are you going?" Eunchae's voice broke the silence, her eyes wide with concern.
"A walk... I need to clear my head..." Sakura said. And with that, she rose from her bed, her steps faltering only briefly as she exited the room.
...
Sakura's footsteps echoed through the dimly lit parking garage, her heart pounding as she raced down the concrete ramps. Each step stirred up a whirlwind of memories—images of Dani's infectious smile, the way she effortlessly made Sakura laugh, the melodic sound of her voice filling the air with song, the sparkle in her eyes that never failed to captivate.
As Sakura rounded a corner, she caught sight of Dani, her figure bathed in the soft glow of a distant streetlight. The sight of her sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through Sakura's veins, her determination to reach Dani overriding any sense of fatigue.
"Dani!" Sakura's voice reverberated off the garage walls as she watched Dani turn around in surprise.
"Kkura-Unnie?" Dani's voice was laced with confusion, her brow furrowing as she took in Sakura's disheveled appearance. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed!"
Sakura's breath hitched in her throat as she struggled to find the right words, her heart pounding with the weight of her emotions. "I-I..." she began, her voice faltering as uncertainty gnawed at her insides.
Unable to articulate her feelings, Sakura shook her head in frustration. And then, driven by an overwhelming urge, she reached out and gently pulled Dani close, her lips meeting Dani's in a tender yet desperate kiss.
In that fleeting moment, everything else faded away—the doubts, the fears, the uncertainty of the future—leaving only the warmth of Dani's embrace and the soft press of her lips against Sakura's.
As they parted, Sakura's eyes met Dani's, her gaze filled with uncertainty and longing. For a moment, neither spoke, their unspoken feelings hanging heavy in the air.
Then, Dani's lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes sparkling with understanding. "Kkura-Unnie..." she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Before she could say another word, Sakura silenced her with another kiss, this one more urgent, more fervent than the last. It was as if all the pent-up emotions they had harbored for so long were finally released in that single, electrifying moment.
Dani's heart raced as she struggled to form coherent words, her cheeks flushing crimson under Sakura's gaze. "Um..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "That was..." Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each competing to be the first to escape her lips.
Sakura's smile softened. "I care about you, Dani... more than I've ever cared about anyone else," she confessed. "I know I should've said something earlier, but-"
Before Sakura could finish her sentence, Dani interrupted, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's okay," she interjected softly, her eyes meeting Sakura's with unwavering sincerity. "I care about you a lot, too."
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, her breath catching in her throat at Dani's unexpected admission. "S-seriously?" she stammered, her voice laced with disbelief. She had braced herself for rejection, but Dani's response filled her with hope.
Dani nodded, her cheeks still tinged with a rosy hue as she met Sakura's gaze with shy determination. "Yes, seriously," she affirmed.
As Sakura's lips met Dani's once more, a surge of emotion washed over her, the intensity of her feelings spilling over into the kiss. It was a tender yet passionate embrace, filled with a sense of urgency and longing that Sakura couldn't suppress.
But as quickly as the moment had begun, Dani's sudden withdrawal shattered it. Sakura's eyes widened in confusion, and her heart pounded in her chest as she searched Dani's face for answers.
"What is it?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with concern, her hand reaching out to gently touch Dani's arm.
"Kkura-Unnie, this isn't fair to you..." Dani's voice was barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on the ground as she struggled to find the right words.
Sakura's brows furrowed with worry, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with fear.
Dani let out a sigh. "I had to quit the company because I'm pressing charges against Bang Gui Nam," she confessed.
Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "Bang Gui Nam?" she repeated, her voice trembling with disbelief. "But... why?"
"Let's go somewhere," Dani said as she grabbed Sakura's hand. I'll tell you everything," she said as she led Sakura to the car.
________________________________________________________________________________
THE END
OMG SAKURA AND DANI KISSED, AND NEITHER OF THEM WAS DRUNK! AHHHHH! It finally happened! And the goodbyes! I literally cried while writing it! My poor babies! I can't. Is Dani going to finally tell Sakura what's been going on? Is that the right thing to do? What do you think Sakura's reaction will be?
Things are getting hotter and hotter with each chapter, and we are inching closer and closer to the end. I can't wait! I've been writing like crazy so I can post these for you!
I hope everyone has a beautiful week, and I will see you all soon with a new chapter!
BYE BYE