The glow from Jiah's laptop screen was the only source of light in her darkened room. The rest of the dorm was silent her members had gone to bed hours ago, but she was still awake, scribbling lyrics into her notebook. Music sheets and crumpled pieces of paper were scattered across her desk, evidence of her creative struggle. She let out a quiet sigh, tapping her pen against the table as she read over her lyrics again. Something still felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint what.

Her phone buzzed beside her, breaking the silence. She glanced at the screen, her brows furrowing when she saw an unknown number.

She ignored it.

Lately, she had been extra cautious about answering calls from unknown numbers. As an idol, she was no stranger to sasaengs getting ahold of personal information, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with that kind of stress.

A few seconds later, another buzz.

[Unknown Number]: It's Heeseung. Pick up.

Jiah stared at the message, her lips parting slightly in surprise. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen. It had been years since they last talked outside of work. Why was he calling her now?

Before she could decide, another call came in.

This time, she hesitated only a moment before answering.

The line was quiet. No words, no background noise just silence.

Jiah frowned. "Heeseung?" she finally spoke.

"...I'm outside your dorm," he said, his voice quiet, almost hesitant.

She blinked. "What?"

"Sunghoon gave me your address," he admitted.

Jiah immediately stood from her desk and walked over to her window, pulling the curtain back slightly. Her eyes scanned the area outside the building until they landed on a familiar figure sitting on the stairs. Heeseung was hunched over, elbows resting on his knees, his hood pulled over his head. Even from a distance, she could tell he looked... off.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know who else to talk to." His voice was quiet, almost vulnerable.

Jiah leaned against the windowsill, biting her lip. This wasn't the first time he had done something like this showing up unannounced, looking for comfort in her presence. She wanted to tell him that he couldn't keep doing this, that he couldn't keep seeking her out when he felt lost.

But she didn't.

Instead, she sighed. "You can't keep doing this," she muttered.

"I know."

She glanced at the clock 3:04 AM. If she left him out there any longer, he'd probably stay there all night.

"My members are sleeping," she said, trying to give him an out.

"I can be quiet," he said almost immediately. "I just... needed to be around you."

Jiah exhaled sharply, staring down at him for a moment. Heeseung rarely let his emotions show like this. Something was definitely wrong.

Without another word, she grabbed an oversized hoodie from her wardrobe and slipped it on. As quietly as possible, she tiptoed to the door, opening it carefully so as not to wake anyone.

She made her way downstairs, stepping out into the cool night air. Heeseung looked up as she approached, his expression unreadable.

"Come on," she murmured, motioning for him to follow.

He didn't say anything, just stood and followed her inside.

They moved through the dorm as quietly as possible, careful not to make a sound. When they reached her room, Jiah stepped aside to let him in before locking the door behind them.

Heeseung took in the space her desk covered in music sheets, her bed slightly unmade, a bookshelf filled with various novels. It was a simple yet cozy space.

"You were writing?" he asked, noticing the notebook on her desk.

Jiah nodded. "Yeah. Just some lyrics."

Heeseung hummed, stepping further inside before sitting on the floor near her desk. He rested his back against the side of her bed, stretching his legs out in front of him.

Silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Jiah studied him carefully, noting the exhaustion in his posture, the slight furrow of his brows. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

She sighed, getting up from her bed. "Wait here."

Heeseung looked up as she walked over to her desk. She rummaged through her drawers before pulling out a small bottle of tea. She handed it to him.

"Drink this. It'll help you," she said.

Heeseung stared at the bottle before taking it from her hands. "Thanks," he murmured.

Jiah leaned against her bed frame, watching Heeseung as he sat on the floor, his back against the edge of her bed. He was absentmindedly turning the bottle of tea in his hands, his gaze distant. She could tell there was something weighing on him, something beyond just being tired.

She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "What's wrong with you, Heeseung?"

Heeseung let out a quiet breath, his fingers tightening around the bottle. "It's just... everything," he admitted. "Our schedules, expectations from the company, from the fans it's getting draining." He ran a hand through his hair, looking down. "And on top of that, the group's going through a hate train right now."

Jiah frowned. "What?"

"Yeah," Heeseung muttered. "Especially Ni-ki and Sunghoon. People are tearing them apart online, making up rumors, nitpicking everything they do. And the company isn't doing anything to support them. It's frustrating." He exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "I'm trying my best to be there for them, to make sure they don't feel alone, but sometimes it gets too much for me too."

Jiah nodded, understanding his exhaustion all too well. The industry was brutal, and even the strongest idols had moments where everything felt suffocating.

"Schedules get easier as the years go by," she told him softly. "It won't always feel this overwhelming."

Heeseung let out a humorless chuckle. "I hope you're right."

"I am," she assured him. A pause settled between them before she added, "If you want, I can talk to Sunghoon and Ni-ki."

Heeseung looked up at her, surprise flickering across his face before he nodded slowly. "They'd probably appreciate that."

Silence stretched between them again. Heeseung had gone quiet, his gaze drifting toward the floor, clearly lost in thought. Jiah studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"You know," she began, "even though you want to vent, you probably shouldn't be doing it to your ex-girlfriend."

Heeseung tensed at her words. He let out a small, bitter laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah," he murmured. "I figured you'd say that."

She tilted her head, watching him. "We don't exactly have the best relationship right now."

Heeseung nodded, his expression dimming. "I know."

He hesitated before finally looking at her. "That's... actually another reason I came here," he admitted. "I was hoping we could finally talk about it."

Jiah's fingers curled slightly against her blanket, but she nodded. "It's better to get it over with."

Heeseung exhaled slowly, as if bracing himself. "I want to start by apologizing," he said, his voice quieter than before. "For everything. For making you feel guilty about debuting."

Jiah's breath hitched slightly. She hadn't expected him to bring that up so directly.

"I was an idiot," Heeseung continued, shaking his head. "Back then, I just felt like... everyone around me was moving forward, and I was still in the same place. My friends were debuting, my girlfriend was debuting, and I was just... stuck. I wanted so badly to prove myself, to finally make it, that I—" He stopped, his jaw tightening. "I got so caught up in my own insecurities that I didn't even realize what I was doing to you."

Jiah swallowed, her chest feeling a little heavier.

"I didn't spend time with you. I wasn't there to support you like a boyfriend should have been. And instead of being happy for you, I made you feel like you were leaving me behind." Heeseung's voice wavered slightly. "I regret it so much, Jiah. Because in the end, I lost someone that could have been the love of my life all because of my stupid actions."

The room was eerily silent after his confession. Jiah wasn't sure what to say at first.

She had spent so long pushing those feelings away, burying them beneath the weight of moving forward. But hearing him say it out loud, acknowledging what he had done, apologizing, made her feel something unfamiliar. Not quite relief, but something close.

She let out a small breath. "Heeseung..." she started, her voice softer now.

He looked up at her, his expression raw.

"I was hurt," she admitted. "Really hurt. I wanted you to be happy for me, to be there for me. But instead, it felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells, afraid to talk about my debut because I knew it would make you upset." She sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't want to feel guilty for achieving my dreams. And yet, somehow, I did."

Heeseung squeezed his eyes shut, regret flashing across his face. "I know," he whispered. "And I hate that I made you feel that way."

Jiah studied him for a moment before looking away. "I understand why you felt the way you did," she admitted. "Debuting is hard. Watching the people around you move forward while you feel stuck is even harder." She glanced back at him. "But I needed you, Heeseung. And you weren't there."

His lips pressed into a thin line, his hands clenching slightly against his knees. "I know," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I don't expect you to forgive me just like that. I just... I wanted you to know that I realize how much I messed up."

Jiah let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through her hair. "I don't hate you, you know," she said after a moment.

Heeseung looked at her, surprised.

"I could never hate you," she continued. "I was angry for a long time. And yeah, things between us aren't great right now. But I didn't hate you." She exhaled softly. "You just... hurt me."

Heeseung swallowed, nodding slowly. "I get that."

"You look like you haven't slept in days," she pointed out.

He hesitated, then let out a soft chuckle. "I probably haven't."

Jiah rolled her eyes but didn't push further. Instead, she leaned over, grabbing an extra pillow from the side of her bed before tossing it at him.

He caught it, looking at her questioningly.

"You can sleep here," she said simply. "Just for tonight."

Heeseung stared at her, something unreadable in his gaze before a small, tired smile appeared on his lips. "Thanks, Jiah."

She didn't respond, simply lying back against her bed. She wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring if things between them would shift, if they would stay the same.

But for now, just for tonight, she let him stay.