Chapter Text
Day 1 - Rumi
For a brief moment, Rumi considers turning around and running.
Her entire life has been building to this–countless years spent vigorously training her voice until it cracked, the endless dance rehearsals that left her muscles screaming in protest, and the ever-present shadow of her mother’s former fame being held over her.
For just a second, she imagines leaving it all behind. Forgetting the music, forgetting all of it. But, as always, it’s just a fleeting thought, quickly brushed aside.
She glances at her reflection in the polished glass doors of Honmoon Academy, checking herself one final time. Her long braid is immaculate, every strand meticulously placed to hide any trace of imperfection. Her jacket fits her perfectly, hiding the faint scar etched just beneath her collarbone.
Rumi grips the handle of her suitcase, only loosening the hold when her knuckles begin to whiten. She takes a deep breath, and fixes a practiced and confident smile onto her face. She can do this.
The lobby buzzes with quiet conversation. There’s a brief hum from the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. It’s surprisingly calm.
Rumi takes a deep breath and steps forward, approaching the desk with the same confidence she’s practiced all morning. “Hi there,” She greets the man behind the desk. “My name is Rumi Nim, I am to start training here today.”
“Ah, yes.” The man smiles at her, a warm and genuine one that fits its slightly cute and dishevelled look. “My name is Bobby, I’m the dorm manager here. If you just take a seat over there, it shouldn’t be too long till everyone is here.”
Rumi can’t help but smile back at him, something about him is just sweet. “Thank you, Bobby.” She says, stepping back and taking one of the nearby seats in the lobby. Internally, she takes a moment to steady herself, trying to tell herself that everything will be okay despite the fact that something in the air feels just a little too still.
“You need to be perfect.”
The whisper sounds like it’s whispered directly into her ear. Rumi tenses slightly, glancing quickly around the lobby. Nothing.
Bobby is smiling distractedly at his paperwork. Other trainees engaged in conversations. It’s perfectly normal.
Rumi’s breath catches, her fingers instinctively tightening around the suitcase handle. It’s hauntingly familiar. No one else seems to hear the voice–Celine’s voice–despite the way it seems to echo off the walls. The years of expectation, of discipline, of pressure… it all weighs down on her. The ghost of the woman who raised her, hovering over her. A lingering presence that refuses to be forgotten.
“Go away.” Rumi murmurs quietly to herself. She knows there’s nothing actually there, but she still has to force her grip to relax. She isn’t under Celine’s instruction anymore. Rumi is free. She can do things her own way.
The door swings open, smacking against the wall with a bang. It startles Rumi, jolting her from her thoughts.
But, when she looks up, the door is gently being pushed open by a younger girl, flanked by two adults who must be her parents. Rumi furrows her brow slightly in confusion, because she swore she heard the door slam.
The girl’s hair is tied in two messy buns behind her head, her coat’s a little big on her, and her suitcase is battered. She doesn’t look like she belongs here–which, judging by the slight American accent to her voice as she addresses her parents, might offer some explanation.
“I told you, I’ll be okay, Mom,” the girl insists. Whatever confidence she’s trying to convey, though, slips as her voice wavers. She sucks in a breath before continuing. "We're here now. You don't need to worry. I'm going to be fine."
Her parents exchange worried glances. There’s something to that look, it’s as if they’re silently communicating, referencing either one or multiple conversations in the past. The woman finally sighs, though. She begins to respond, uncertainty clouding her gaze. “If you’re sure, Zoey… this won’t be anything like home, though.”
“I know… you’ve told me a thousand times,” the girl–Zoey–rolls her eyes, her tone clearly exasperated.
“It’s just… things are going to be so different. We can only prepare you so much, the culture… the expectations of those around you,” Her mother continues, as if she hadn’t said anything. “Are you sure you can handle it all?”
“I know,” she repeats. Her posture seems determined, but she still straightens her shoulders a little, as if her parents aren’t the only ones she’s trying to convince. “I am going to make this work, though. This is who I am… who I want to be… okay?”
There’s a moment of silence between the three.
“Okay, dear… but we will come and get you if you need us to,” Zoey’s mother finally says, pulling her into a hug and then pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“I know things have been tough, but we are here for you,” Zoey’s father says, punching her lightly in the side of her arm.
“I know. Thank you,” Zoey says, taking a deep breath. “I’ll call you both in a week to keep you updated, okay?”
Zoey’s parents shoot each other another concerned glance before nodding. “Goodbye then, darling.” Her mother says softly, as her father turns to open the door. “We look forward to hearing from you.
Zoey stands there for a few seconds. She watches the door for a second after it closes, her shoulders tense. Then she inhales slowly, turns, and her eyes meet Rumi’s.
Rumi feels like if she hadn’t trained not to, she would blush at being caught. Instead, she just smiles and waves slightly, which Zoey seems to take as an invitation.
“Hi there!” She moves across the room, dropping into the seat next to Rumi with a smile. “I’m Zoey, it’s nice to meet you.”
Something about her bubbly response seems to get to Rumi and she feels her smile grow genuine. “Rumi, it’s nice to meet you too.”
“Are you a trainee too?” Zoey asks with a yawn. “Oh, sorry, it’s been a long journey.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry.” Rumi says with a light laugh. “But yes, I am… I only just arrived myself.” She glances around the place before adding, “Your Korean is very good, by the way.”
Zoey blinks, surprised. “Oh! Um—” She laughs nervously, cheeks slightly pink. “Right, my accent totally gave me away, huh?” She laughs. “Both my parents are Korean, so I grew up speaking it, despite growing up in Burbank, California.”
“That really is a long way to come, you must really want this.” Rumi says, a slight admiration forming for the girl who seems so innocent.
“Yeah… I do.” There’s something to Zoey’s tone that says that there’s far more to the story. Rumi doesn’t press though, deciding that, even if Zoey seems friendly, she probably shouldn’t dive too deep into her past if there’s a chance they don’t even become friends.
“This place is… kinda intense, isn’t it?” Zoey’s voice snaps Rumi from her thoughts and she looks over to see Zoey looking around at the other new trainees in the lobby.
“You could say that, I suppose.” Rumi says with a small chuckle.
A silence falls over the two of them. It’s a little awkward. Rumi can see Zoey fidget with the zipper on her jacket. She’s sure she’d probably do the same if the impulses like that hadn’t been trained out of her by Celene all those years ago.
Rumi does find herself smiling slightly, there’s just something about Zoey, how she carries herself that’s a little endearing.
Zoey glances over at her, tilting her head slightly. She opens her mouth to say something, but the door opens and a couple of girls walk in, chatting loudly with each other. Whatever Zoey was going to say is apparently lost as she watches the two.
“There’s such a wide variety of people here, isn’t there?” Zoey says, finally turning her attention back to Rumi.
Rumi nods as a boy who looks like he hasn’t slept in at least thirty six hours walks in. “I wonder if anyone’s travelled further than you have.” She says with a small laugh.
Zoey glances around the room, teeth teasing her lower lip. Her hands twist together as she asks softly, “Who knows?” She hesitates, eyes darting quickly around the room. “Do… do you know anyone here?”
“That depends I guess…” Rumi responds, sighing slightly as she silently wishes that no one will recognise her.
“On what?”
“On whether you’d consider this brief conversation between us as knowing each other.” Rumi laughs nudging Zoey’s side slightly. The feeling returns, Zoey’s slight blush causing Rumi to find her endearing.
“I’d say we could become great friends.” Zoey says, and there’s almost a hint of hopefulness to her tone. “I… well… you seem like a really nice person, Rumi.”
“Thank you.” Rumi nods. “And… for what it’s worth, I think we could be good friends as well.”
Zoey’s face lights up with a smile and there’s an excited gleam in her eye. “I would like that.” She says, her smile spreads a light warmth through Rumi’s body as she looks at it.
“It’s kind of exciting though, having a fresh start like this. Don’t you think?” Zoey asks after a couple seconds have passed.
Rumi doesn’t answer right away, she finds her mind drifting. Her life has always been so strict and regimented. Ever since her mother passed away, since Celine came into her life as a parent figure. It’s been nothing but a direct path to success.
She might not have deviated from that path entirely, but she’s finally doing things her way, embracing her own style of doing things. There’s a freedom in that; one she’s not used to.
“Yeah,” Rumi finally answers, the corner of her lip quirking into a smile. “It really is.”
The warmth of the moment is suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door banging, this time, though, when Rumi looks up, it has been flung open.
The girl walks in alone, her eyes flicking around the room for a brief moment before she sighs and heads towards the sign-in desk.
She’s wearing an oversized black hoodie, hood covering most of her head, despite the heat an humidity of the day outside. Her expression is guarded, eyes shadowed beneath the hood.
There’s something about her that sends a chill down Rumi’s spine. She just knows that she won’t like this girl.
“Is it me, or is she a little scary.” Zoey leans over, whispering to Rumi.
“I don’t think it’s just you, Zoey.” Rumi says, watching as the girl starts talking to Bobby. “Maybe we should try and stay away from her.”
As if the girl can hear them, she turns around, beginning to walk to an empty seat, but her gaze meets Rumi’s.
It reminds Rumi of the one time she’d found herself face to face with a large angry dog–she’d never learned the breed–when she was younger. There’s an aggressiveness to that look.
Unlike then, there’s no bark to the gaze, instead, she watches the girl flick her eyes between Rumi and Zoey and then, as if this girl was the queen of this academy already, she rolls her eyes.
Irritation spikes sharply in Rumi’s chest, catching her off guard. She doesn’t even know this girl, but there’s something in that dismissive look–a cold arrogance she recognises, maybe too well. It reminds her far too much of Celine. Of the judgmental, superior gaze she often wore.
“She seems a little…” Zoey begins, snapping Rumi from her thoughts once more.
“...unbearable?” Rumi offers, far too quickly for it to be casual.
Zoey, however, lets out a small giggle. “That’s like… the perfect word to describe her… and we haven’t even had the chance to interact with her.”
“I’ve been told I’m an excellent judge of character.” Rumi jokes back, deciding to ignore the new girl for now and focus on the one person she has met who might actually be her friend.
“And, do I manage to pass the test then?” Zoey says with a slight wink.
“The jury’s still out.” Rumi smirks at her. When she sees a slight falter in Zoey’s expression, she leans in and whispers “But I have a good feeling.” It seems to brighten Zoey’s face back up.
Before either of them can say anything else, there’s the scraping of metal on floorboards as Bobby stands up from his desk. “Can I have everyone’s attention please?” He clears his throat as the many conversations around the room begin to peter out . “Everyone has arrived now, so I’ll be announcing the rooms that you’ll all be staying in.”
He picks up a list from his desk and then moves around to the front of it. “Your room assignments doesn’t mean that these will be the groups you’ll be in, those will be finalised at practice tomorrow. We have rough ideas of what will work well, though, based on your auditions so we do have some room assignments to match those.”
Rumi listens as Bobby starts to explain a few of the rules of the dorm, how training begins at six in the morning, and could go on very late, depending on the time of year as well as several other factors. He’s got a slight charm to the way he talks, he rambles on a little too long about some things, gets distracted occasionally, and laughs at a couple of his own jokes.
“Right… now to the moment you’ve all been waiting for.” He says, beginning to read out the names of the trainees and their room numbers. “Rumi Nim, Room 3B”
Rumi feels herself tense a little. No one else has been selected for that room, so she has no idea who she could be paired with. She takes a deep breath, calming herself a little, it’ll all be fine.
“Zoey Yoo, Room 3B.” Bobby’s voice cuts through her thoughts.
Rumi looks down at Zoey, who’s beaming at her with a smile. “We get to be roommates!” Zoey says, throwing her arm around Rumi, and pulling her into a hug. Rumi is a little caught off guard, but laughs at the gesture.
It seems like Zoey sensed the slight tension because she quickly pulls back. “I’m so sorry, I just… well, I was glad that I’d be paired with someone as nice as you.” There’s a clear embarrassment to her tone, one that’s made even more obvious from the flush on her cheeks.
“It’s okay, don’t worry.” Rumi says with a laugh. “I am glad I’m paired with you as well.”
“And finally, Mira Kotadoski, 3B.”
The addition of a third person in their room, seems to surprise the two of them. Rumi looks around trying to figure out who they’re sharing a room with.
Her stomach drops.
Staring at the two of them, is the girl from before, the one who’d rolled their eyes at them. She doesn’t even react as she meets Rumi’s gaze. Somehow that makes Rumi even more annoyed than before.
With a carefully controlled breath, Rumi gets to her feet. “Well, Zoey… I guess we better get our keys.” She says, not looking Mira’s direction and just hoping the girl has the sense to join them.
Zoey clearly glances at Mira, a nervousness to her gait as she gets to her feet, but she nods when she looks back at Rumi. “Yeah, sounds good.”
It’s almost as if Mira just appears by their side as they reach Bobby. Rumi shoots her a quick glance, but Mira isn’t paying attention.
“Right, girls…” Bobby picks out three keys. “These are for you.” He passes one to Zoey, then one to Rumi, and finally one to Mira. “Your room is on the third floor, just head through those doors, take the elevator up, and it’ll be the first door on your right.”
“Thank you, Bobby.” Rumi says, bowing slightly as she clutches her keys.
By the time she’s straightened up, Mira has already begun walking towards the door. Rumi throws Zoey an exaggerated look, and the two quickly follow after her.
The silence continues into the elevator, becoming awkward as the three of them stand there, in the close proximity of the confined space.
Rumi flashes Zoey a smile, hoping it does something to reassure her. She watches as Zoey clutches her suitcase, eyes fixed on the numbers, watching the first light up as they pass the first floor.
The fact Mira hasn’t uttered a word is still unsettling. Rumi glances over at her, seeing her leaning against the back wall, staring off into nothingness and muttering something to herself.
It’s the first time Rumi gets a good look at the girl’s face. She’s wearing glasses, which would probably make her look quite cute if it wasn’t for the frown that they show behind them. A few strands of faded pink hair fall from underneath her hood, as if she’d dyed it a while back and hasn’t kept up the colour.
Before Rumi gets a chance to see anything else, Mira’s eyes meet hers with a glare, and Rumi decides it’s best to look away.
It feels like an age before they reach the third floor. Rumi can’t help but breathe a barely audible sigh of relief, despite her training telling her she shouldn’t let such gestures show. Despite the slip up, it doesn’t seem like either of the other two notice.
The silence continues into the hallway as the trio exits the elevator. Rumi notices Zoey glancing around and takes a deep breath, but as she intends to speak, Zoey is the one to shatter the ice.
“So… um… it was room 3B… right?” She asks, her anxiousness clearly seeping into her voice, and her Korean a little more jumbled than it had been in the lobby.
“Yeah, it was.” Rumi answers, smiling at her with a look she hopes conveys her thanks for breaking the tension that had settled between the three of them. “First door on the right.” She repeats what Bobby had said before.
“Do you two really have such a bad memory?”
Mira’s voice seems to catch both of the two off guard. Rumi just cautiously turns towards Mira, eyes narrowing in a scowl of her own at her tone, while Zoey almost jumps at the sound.
Mira’s voice fits her, almost gravelly and worn, fitting the nonchalant attitude that she seems to exude.
“So she does speak?” Rumi rounds on her, not quite sure exactly where her words come from, but they fall from her lips before she can stop them. “We’re going to be staying in the same room together, aren’t you even going to try and make an effort to be nice? Or do you just want to make things miserable for all three of us?”
Mira stares at her. If there’s any surprise at the fact Rumi stands up to her, it doesn’t show on her face. “You really are just as insufferable as I thought you would be.” Mira steps past, unlocking the door and stepping into the room.
Rumi wants to say something, but her gaze drifts to Zoey instead, realising she should probably check in to see if the other girl is doing okay. Surprisingly, though, she finds Zoey’s gaze trained after Mira, a curious expression on her face.
Deciding not to press, just now at least, Rumi steps into the room herself. It’s small.
Three single beds are jammed tightly against the far wall. Their sheets are neatly folded, almost clinical in their uniformity. The room smells faintly of stale linen mixed with a hint of something sharp–disinfectant, perhaps. Narrow wardrobes, covered in chipped white paint, line one wall beside a low desk barely wide enough for a notebook. A small fan hums rhythmically in the corner, stirring air that still feels heavy and stale. In the ceiling a light hums, a white noise that Rumi can only hope she’ll get used to over time.
As Rumi steps into the room, the light flickers slightly. She can’t help but glance up at it, a slight chill running down her spine. It’s probably nothing though, after all, there’s no point worrying over something as simple as a problem the maintenance team can fix.
Mira has already silently sat down on one of the beds, the one on the far left, furthest from the door. She doesn’t say anything, just sets her suitcase down on the end, and begins rummaging in her bag for something.
Zoey joins Rumi by her side. “This is nice.” She says, her tone betraying her true feelings.
With a laugh, Rumi glances at her. “I mean… I wasn’t expecting much more, at least while we’re trainees.” She shoots Zoey a sympathetic glance. “I assume you would prefer the bed on the right?” Her eyes do a slight flick towards Mira as she says this.
A small laugh exits Zoey’s lips. “Am I that obvious?” She says, her cheeks darkening slightly.
“Don’t worry, I think most people would find her intimidating and react the same.” Rumi says, her lips curl into a smile, attempting to reassure Zoey. “Honestly, I do… I just… well… for some reason I can’t exactly help myself from pushing back against her.”
“ She is also in the room, you know.” Mira’s voice draws their attention to her. She’s lying back, about to put headphones on. “Not that I really care what you two think of me.”
There’s a tiny bit of regret that flashes through Rumi at the fact that Mira had overheard them talking about her the same way, but she doesn’t let it show. “Well… maybe we should discuss how we’re going to divide the wardrobe space then, since you don’t seem to care about being a decent person.”
There’s a flash of something on Mira’s face that Rumi can’t quite place, but it’s gone before she can analyse it. Mira sighs, an irritated sound mixed with exhaustion. “Just take whatever space you want. It’s not like I care.” Her voice lowers slightly, colder. Yet, despite the coldness, there’s also something softer to it. One that Rumi doesn’t know how to place. “I didn’t come here to make friends. I'm here because I have to be. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and deliberate.
Rumi bites down the words she wants to say, fights the anger that’s beginning to flare up inside her. She’s not even sure where the reaction comes from, but it causes a shiver to spread through her body. The sensation is unsettling and quells the instinctual response that surges inside her.
Instead, Rumi takes a second, exhaling slowly, before turning away and deciding to leave Mira to whatever she’s doing. She’s not even sure what sort of thing she wants Mira to say, but any semblance of a sign that she isn’t going to be this much of an asshole the entire time might have been at least something.
But, no. Whatever flicker she thought she saw in the girl’s expression, it’s buried again now, sealed tight behind that flat, standoffish glare.
Zoey’s hand finds her arm and Rumi lets out the rest of her breath in a sigh. She lets it go. For now.
She can see Zoey is hesitant, sitting on her own bed.and smiling at her. “Are you okay?” She asks when she sees Rumi is finally looking at her.
“Yeah.” Rumi says softly. “I am, thanks.” She smiles at Zoey, and that seems to relax the other girl slightly because her hand falls away and she begins to undo her suitcase.
“So um… shall we just share one of the wardrobes and let Mira have the one near her bed.” Zoey asks, gesturing to the one closest to the two of them. “Like… I don’t have that much because I had to keep it light for the flight over here and… well… it just might be easier that way.”
It’s clear Zoey is worrying a little about the situation, her tone, the way her fingers start fidgeting with the zip on her suitcase as she’s talking, and just the speed of her words.
“Yeah, that works fine for me as well.” Rumi says. The corner of her lip curls up into a smile and she begins to undo her own suitcase. “I don’t have that much either and I also don’t mind sharing with a friend.”
“Perfect!” Zoey says, the tension in her body easing a little.
Rumi begins to focus on unpacking for now. She takes her time, taking the clothes from how they’d neatly been folded in her suitcase and hangs them up in the wardrobe, leaving space for Zoey to do the same. She takes a moment, inhaling softly and letting it out slowly, as she’d been taught to do when she’s struggling for what to do in a situation.
Her mind drifts to Zoey, and she can’t help but smile a little as she thinks about the way they’d so easily become friends. There’s something sweet and soft about the girl that is hard for Rumi not to find magnetic.
The thought is only emphasised as Rumi closes the wardrobe, heading back over to the bed and finds Zoey’s corner has completely transformed. There’s a blanket on her bed, the faces of several kpop idols featured on there. She recognises a few from her training, several that she’s watched for hours on end to mimic their dancing. There's some of the obvious groups she expects to see, TWICE, BLACKPINK, BTS, but there's also a few that are far more obscure, Purple Kiss, Dreamcatcher. But the obvious one–the one she hates seeing the most–is situated right in the centre. The Sunlight Sisters.
She pointedly avoids looking at two of the trio.
Gazing away from the blanket, she notices Zoey has a couple of plushie animals on her bed. A cute turtle that’s light blue, and a small black dog. She smiles to herself, distracting herself from the shiver that had just run down her spine from the blanket and can’t help but think about how fitting it feels for Zoey to have at least a couple of them.
Now though, Zoey has a small ziplock plastic bag open and is pinning up several polaroids on the walls by her bed. There’s a roll of tape next to the bag, with stars on it, that she’s using to secure them to the wall.
Rumi goes over, sitting on her bed. “Zoey… do you mind if I look?” She asks, gesturing to the photos.
“Oh, sure.” Zoey says, the cute concentration on her face slipping as she looks over at Rumi, reaching down to pick up the stack of photos. “They’re photos I took while I was back home… of my life.” She gestures to the small camera sitting on the bed.
Rumi looks down at the first one, a picture of what she assumes must’ve been Zoey’s school. She’s standing outside the gates, smiling at the camera, holding a couple of notebooks out.
“I thought… bringing them with me… well… I felt like it might help me settle in a little more.” She says, smiling as she watches Rumi move onto the next picture. “To remind me of my old life… while I experience my new one.”
“I think that’s beautiful.” Rumi says, gazing down at the next picture. “I wish I had something like that… to try and cling to the things I like about my past.” She doesn’t notice how Zoey’s expression shifts, or how she’d clearly implied that there were things she doesn’t like about her past.
Zoey doesn’t pry though.
The next picture is of Zoey with another girl. They’re sitting down in what seems to be a park, their heads pressed together. The other girl has long blonde hair, her nose is pierced in two places and there’s the hint of a tattoo on her arm. She has her arm around Zoey and both girls are holding bubble tea.
“Oh um… that’s…” Zoey hesitates before finishing. “She’s my ex. We um… we broke up when I decided I was coming here. But we’re still good friends… or we were.” There’s no awkwardness in her tone, but it does seem like she doesn’t know exactly the right thing to say. Like she’s letting Rumi into something important.
“That’s sweet,” Rumi says, offering a faint smile, meeting Zoey’s gaze.
“Yeah… she…” Zoey says, but trails her voice off. “She was really sweet.”
There’s clearly so much more to the story, as is something Rumi has picked up that there is about Zoey as a whole. She doesn’t pry any more though, instead, she moves onto the next photo.
Zoey’s laughing in this one, alone on a blanket in what looks like a forest. Her smile is one that sends a slight flutter in Rumi’s chest as she gazes at it. It’s so warm and peaceful.
“My mother took that one,” She says softly, taking a deep breath. “It was the first time we got to hang out just the two of us after-” She lets out a small squeak and cuts herself off with a hand to her mouth. When it falls away, her smile is gone.
“Sorry… I…” Zoey starts, but Rumi shakes her head.
“Don’t worry… you don’t have to tell me.” Rumi says, trying to be reassuring. She’s glad that it seems to work as Zoey relaxes slightly, offering her a small smile.
Zoey opens her mouth to respond when Mira’s voice interrupts her.
“Urgh, could the two of you be any more louder?”
When Rumi looks over, Mira’s back is to them, but the edge in her voice makes it clear she’s been listening the whole time.
Zoey immediately straightens up. A mix of panic and surprise on her face “Oh. Sorry-”
“It’s fine,” Rumi says, her tone just a little sharper than before as she grits her teeth. “We’ll be quiet.”
Zoey glances between the two of them, clearly sensing the tension. A flash of concentration crosses her mind before she reaches out. “I’ll show you the rest another time… or you know… you can just look when I have them all up,” She whispers with a small giggle as she reaches out, carefully taking the photos from Rumi.
“Sounds good.” Rumi says, trying to forget about Mira once more and returning to her own suitcase.
With a sigh, she takes out the mirror that had been wrapped up in her clothes. It’s worn, but, despite everything, she couldn’t leave it behind. Not when it means so much to her. She closes her eyes, fingers tracing along the intricate carving of the wood frame. She takes a deep breath before hanging it up, above her bed.
She looks up, meeting the eyes of her reflection. Sometimes, she barely recognises the girl she sees there. She looks exactly like her, but there’s always a disconnect from the real Rumi.
With a deep breath, Rumi traces her finger onto the glass, watching her reflection do the same. Because… after all… that is still her. Despite everything she’s gone through… this is the Rumi that everyone sees… the Rumi she will push herself to become.
As she pulls her finger away, a cold sensation prickles at the back of her neck. She blinks, breath hitching. When she opens her eyes again, there’s a shadowy shape reflected behind her, blurred and dark, sending ice down her spine.
She spins around. Nothing.
For the third time since entering the building, she feels a chill run down her spine. This time, it’s stronger, spreading entirely through her body and causing her to shiver. She looks back in the mirror, panic beginning to grow inside her, but… it’s just her normal reflection.
She blinks. Still nothing.
The chill fades, her emotions beginning to settle. It was probably nothing. She’s had moments like this before, after all. Where she’d sworn she’d spotted something strange… but no one else had seen it.
“Stop being ridiculous!”
Celine’s voice echoes around the room from her memories and she takes a deep breath. That’s right, it was never real. Just her mind playing tricks on her. A way for her to get out of training which should be avoided. Just as Celine had always said.
“Rumi?” Zoey’s voice whispers from her side.
Rumi hesitates. Her heart is still a little unsettled, eyes not willing to look away from the mirror just yet. For just a moment, doubt gnaws at her mind. What if this wasn’t just fatigue? What if this was something she couldn’t dismiss? Swallowing the thought quickly, she forces a reassuring smile towards Zoey.
“Sorry, I just… I’m a little tired.” She knows her tone is dismissive, but she’s already let far too much of her guard down around Zoey. The two girls next to her could be her rivals after all, she can’t let them see her weakness.
At least that’s what she tells herself.
Zoey’s brows narrow slightly. It’s clear she doesn’t believe Rumi. Her mouth falls open… but no words slip out.
“Don’t worry.” Rumi says, putting on a calm face. She hates doing this, but, as Celine has taught her, sometimes it’s necessary, despite how horrible it can be to manipulate people. “I’ll be fine once I get some rest. Promise.”
Zoey studies her for a moment, before nodding. “If you’re sure.” She says, exhaling softly. “I’ll be here if you need someone though… okay?”
“Yes… thank you Zoey.” Rumi says, taking out the small blue tiger plushie from her bag and holding it up. “Besides, I have Derpy to protect me.”
Zoey giggles slightly as she watches, and things feel back to normal between them. Despite the guilt that seems to be twisting inside Rumi’s stomach.