it started abruptly, like a storm without warning. the air in the practice room was heavy, thick with tension you didn’t understand. you walked in, expecting the usual buzz of energy, only to find a cold wall of indifference. their backs were turned, their conversations muted the moment you entered. no one met your gaze, and the warmth you were used to was nowhere to be found.

seungmin, your boyfriend, barely acknowledged you, his usual attentive demeanor replaced with a distant coolness. he stayed near the others, their shared glances and whispers forming a barrier you couldn’t penetrate. every attempt to make sense of the situation was met with silence, a deafening void that wrapped itself around you.

as the hours dragged on, the weight of their avoidance became unbearable. the members worked around you as though you weren’t there, their laughter muted, their movements deliberate. the ache in your chest grew heavier with each passing moment. it wasn’t just their silence—it was the loss of a bond you’d taken for granted.

by the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the ache of isolation had settled deep into your chest. you left the studio without a word, the sound of their muted laughter following you like a haunting echo. the world outside felt vast and empty, a mirror of the loneliness you carried within. every step away from them felt like a retreat from something that once felt like home. but now, it was a home where you no longer belonged.

but even as you stepped out into the cool night air, the sting of their rejection followed you. every step home felt heavier, every memory of shared laughter now tinged with bitterness. it was a suffocating weight, knowing you couldn’t fix something you didn’t understand. you couldn’t even cry—tears seemed too fragile for the storm brewing inside you.

— read