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Singularity
Chapter Sixty-One
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                    AFTER AN emergency room visit, Sunny was thrown back into the world of an idol. She hardened her shell around her and ignored the stares around her as she followed the girls to the Cube building. Her finger was wrapped in gauze, covering the seven stitches and preventing an unwanted infection. Her phone, sitting idly in her practice bag, continued to buzz throughout the trip. She knew it was Junhui. He had scheduled a date for them that very day, and instructed her to skip practice. Even after she said no several times, he continued to pester her until she had turned her phone off and finally gone to get ready. Now, after turning the device back on to communicate with her brother, she was suffering again.

It was constant. It was annoying. It was driving the Park absolutely bonkers. She tossed her bag onto the floor and unzipped it to pull out the spazzing device. "Who is calling you so much?" Miyeon asked in amusement as she tied up her sneakers. Sunny hadn't talked much to anyone since the night before. She was embarrassed by her breakdown. She had never wanted them to see her like that, ever. But it had happened and they had acted as if it wasn't a big deal. "Junhui," she responded dryly, clicking the lock button. The girls all shared a knowing look as the girl tossed her phone back into her bag. "Is something wrong?" Minnie asked. Sunny shrugged her small shoulders before pulling off the jacket hanging off her frame.

"He scheduled a date today and I told him I had practice. He just can't take no for an answer." Soojin eyed the brunette as she stretched her arms over her head. It had taken all of them by surprise when she poured her heart out the night before. They all knew she was human and that she was hurt by hateful comments too, but she had hidden it so well. She pushed everything to the back of her head and smiled through it all, being there for the others during their hardships. None of them truly noticed the toll it was taking on her, and seeing her given up that persona, it pained them. "What?" she asked, her arms waving at her sides. The girls all turned away, staring at their reflections as they began their stretches. "You just seem different is all," Soyeon huffed.

That statement seemed to puncture Sunny more than they had expected. She halted her movements. Do they not like me anymore?, she thought sadly. Minnie noticed the difference in her stature. "Sunny?" she called to the girl, but there was no response. She just tucked her dark hair behind her ear with a sigh. "I'm sorry," she breathed out. She cursed herself in her head for becoming so weak. Her eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry I'm different. I just can't pretend anymore." Her tears fell like weights, gliding over her cheeks and pelting to her shoes. Her whole face scrunched up as she tried to fight back her emotions. "It hurts..." Minnie rushed to the girl's side, taking her trembling body into her arms. "I know, angel, but its okay. It'll all be okay in the end."

          "But what if it isn't? What if I'm not meant for this life? What if—" Soyeon stopped the girl from continuing. She was getting tired of listening to these girls doubt themselves. How were they supposed to sing about empowerment if they, themselves, are nowhere near empowered? "Stop right there," she began with an angered look in her eyes. "People are going to hate you no matter what you do. Everyone has opinions and some are good, some aren't. But you can't let their opinions overshadow your own. You believed you could do this before. You went behind your family's back and trained, and you made it. Why are you doubting yourself now?" Sunny wiped away the falling tears from her face and nodded her head. Her leader had a point.

She let her head fall against Minnie's shoulder as she breathed in a sigh. "Why don't we do movie night? We can stop and get snacks, and watch whatever we like." All of the girls began to voice their agreement when Sunny frowned. What is wrong with her? Why did she not want to do anything? Sunny tucked her hair behind her ears nervously, looking toward the group. "You guys can have movie night... I kind of just want to lay down." Minnie squeezed the girl's shoulder with a knowing smile. "That's okay! If you change your mind, we'll be in the sitting room!" she replied enthusiastically. Sunny nudged her friend with a slight smile. "I'll keep that in mind," she laughed.

          Soyeon stretched out her arms as a satisfying pop echoed within the room. "Now that we've had our moment and gotten our angel back, let's begin practice, shall we?" Minnie and Chinsun parted to finish their stretched before the music began.

—

          Her whole body felt like it was on fire. After getting out of the shower and getting dressed, Park Chinsun climbed into the comfort of her bed and smushed her face into her pillow. She could hear the girls speaking in the other room. They were showing their concerns— about Chinsun and their maknae, Eunjeong. She didn't mind the noise. It kept her thoughts at bay and allowed her to give herself completely into the darkness of her room. Her phone was still off. Soyeon had gotten annoyed in the middle of practice and turned it off herself, advising Sunny to leave it off until tomorrow. Of course, she knew she would be bored laying alone, but she did as told. She would much rather be bored out of her mind than having Junhui blame her for why he wasted money and had an awful time.

Though she could hear their soft chatter, she was completely oblivious to their topic. Obviously, she knew they were worried about her. Her episode the night before and then her heart to heart at the practice room would be considered alarming. Yet, she never expected them to take such measures. She was nearing dreamland when she noticed the door to her bedroom creaking open. She figured it was Minnie checking up on her. "I'm okay, unnie," she grumbled out. The footsteps didn't cease, though. Before she could protest, the bed dipped beneath the new body and a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her waist. She sighed, clearly upset with his arrival. "They told me what happened last night," he mentioned, clambering for her injured hand in the dark.

She elbowed him in the stomach, snatching her hand away from his reach. "What are you doing here, Jiminssi?" He chuckled at her tone. He knew she would be opposed to his arrival at first. He knew how she wanted him to see her as the strong and independent woman she is, but he also knew that this was a moment she needed him. He rested his forehead against her shoulder as a sigh slipped past his pillowy lips. "Eh, just in the mood for a talk, I guess," he responded, intertwining his fingers with hers. "You're such a liar. Minnie made Eunnie call, didn't she?" He nudged her stomach with their intertwined hands, a confirmation to her question. "I figured."

"They're just worried about you. We all are," he voiced. She shifted onto her back, her eyes catching glimpse of the shape of the ceiling fan. She breathed deeply through her nose as her head nodded up and down. "I know that and I appreciate it. I do, it's just that— I don't know. There are so many emotions and thoughts going through my head that its just so overwhelming," she explained sadly. Jimin shifted onto his back, his hand still captured by hers. Her grip had tightened despite the distaste she had first expressed. "You've been hiding these emotions for so long, Sunny. They're about to explode and we both know how you get when you explode." A surge of memories played within the twins' heads and a bundle of laughter was shared between them.

"You can talk to me. I'm still Jimin and you're still Chinsun; we're still twins," he spoke gently. His head rolled to the side, his eyes taking in the way she stared blankly toward the ceiling. He could tell she was deep in thought and a worrisome thought ran through his brain. Did I push her too far? She squeezed his fingers as a small smile crossed her lips. "Do you remember when it was nearing our fifteenth birthday and all the girls in our class bought you presents every day until the day?" He slowly nodded. It was strange, especially since he could vaguely recall Sunny not getting a single gift. "I held my jealousy in for so long and on the day of our birthday, I threw all of your gifts into the storage closet and locked the door." He grinned. "You flushed the key down to toilet. Mom was so mad!"

Sunny's eyes closed tight as a laugh bubbled out of her chest. Jimin watched as it happened, happy that his sister was finally letting go. "They wouldn't let me eat any cake until I apologized," she breathed out. Jimin shifted until his head nestled in the crook of her neck. A comforting silence filled the room as the twins stared up at the black ceiling. She felt her heart swell with love and appreciation for her brother. "Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes. She breathed in his familiar scent, cracking a small smile. "Oh, shut up," he laughed, allowing his sister to fall into him. The two fell silent until she had finally drifted off into a deep slumber, leaving Jimin in his thoughts. "I love you, Sunny-ah," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll make sure you stay happy."

—

julia says!

we needed more sibling content.

i love these twins.