Night-Owl Romance
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Note: Woot~! Another milestone for this fic – 35 chapters and only... 5 days out of 11 portrayed in them.
...Yikes, the pacing fml.
Anyway, I'd be lying saying how this chapter took nearly a month to write. It was less than a week if I'm being completely honest, but... life. Got really lost in the track of life because of anime (Haikyuu, then Shingeki no Kyojin), job searching and finding shit, conferences, sobbing, gaming and more gaming, and – generally – a lack of direction in life that culminated in a lost month emotionally OwO. Oh, did I mention people around me marry like freaking crazy lately? Oh yeah, growing old and closer to being a cat lady.
I'm in a greatplace.
Anyway, yeah – my mind wasn't on fics, although recently I had these evil ideas spark for this chapter.
Hehehehehehehe~!
Spoiler – guess who has his leg finally broken.
Yup.
FINALLY!
...
I'm too happy because of this, lolol.
PS: Don't read Mina's nightmare-sequence if you trigger easily at sensitive things.
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Chapter 35: Dreams and Nightmares
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Vacant red orbs landed on a random spot across the soaked up floor, completely immovable for painstakingly long minutes. The phone was loosely hanging between nimble fingers, a sharp dialing tone continuing to unpleasantly graze his ears even from that distance. Yet, the actor's only reaction to the insufferable noise was a blank expression which had been painted over his dashingly handsome and rosy features. His figure appeared petrified and devoid of life as if he had been suddenly morphed into a human-sized ball jointed doll, one that demanded an external force in order to move in the slightest.
Zen was excruciatingly dejected...
And drenched in a feeling incomparable to those he had carried in recent days. Heck, in recent years and there were plenty of instances where crumbling down was nearly a given. For a more accurate comparison, the misery washing over him was akin to that he felt on the day he had finally decided to depart from his parental house, on a night similar with today's – dark and desolate, no prospects of positivity in sight.
The explosive argument with his parents continued to remain quite fresh in the actor's mind in spite of the countless years having passed by. "Hn...", Zen loathed how close he was to dwelling on those unkind memories again.
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Memories of a haunting past that would offer no respite during his weakest of moments, remembering the stinging voice of a shrieking woman who was bloody certain that her rebellious son would end up wasting his life away while chasing an unobtainable dream. Throughout the years, she had made it absolutely clear to him that he was in no case a special child. Actually, he was very lacking and inferior compared to a lot of youths his age and there was really nothing remarkable about him other than his keen sense of finding trouble and causing her extreme grief with every single breathe taken.
One thing his mother did acknowledge was that he was in no way a stupid child, expecting high in academic results. Or, at least, she hoped this to be true. However, Zen could never reach her expectations and the level of success his older brother had garnered. Not without hard work and determination. And to her dismay, he did not give the desired 110% in school.
Because of music.
Her son was a naive fool who had been so easily swayed by his piano teacher to chase goals too high despite her multiple warnings and punishments. And, little by little, the elder's influence had managed to corrupt the youngster to his very bones, presenting him alternatives to a corporate job that were truly enticing. With each new encounter with this teacher, even after pulling the plug on those accursed lessons, the woman sensed her child was drifting away from her protective hold and guidance.
No solution to stop this trend functioned properly.
It was darn right terrifying!
Slowly, but surely, she was losing the reigns of control over Zen, helplessly watching him take so many wrong paths that it brought burning tears to the corners of her eyes.
It was a disheartening image to watch...
Until that fateful day arrived when she could no longer find the will to perceive Zen as part of her flesh and blood. His mother was normally a strong woman and carried a fiery fierceness to her, unyielding in decisions when it came to the good of the family. But she would not become a witness to him ruining his carefully built life, destroying more than a decade's worth of care and academic progress.
She wanted nothing to do with that reckless, disappointing boy.
And this rejecting sentiment travelled across the whole family, each of the members turning their backs on him.
Zen had been disconnected from them ever since...
As if they had merely been a figment of his imagination.
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Closing his eyes, Zen slid a little deeper into the couch and exhaled a grumpy sigh, pressing the back of his hand on top of his heated forehead.
Still in his snow-covered winter wear, the slightly shivering actor did not bother untying his boots or disrobing from his white coat properly before catapulting on top of the couch, making a mess out of the old fabric and pillows. What's more, he had also left the apartment's door partly cracked open and did not tend to it until much later that evening when one of his neighbors' heads popped inside worried there was a burglary in progress.
Finding Mina online had him forget everything he had been doing and everyone who had already been logged into the app. He could see nobody but her, the youth rushing to catch her and ready to make any selfish plea for the girl to stay and solve things out between them. Zen needed those clarifications from her or else he would be stuck in this poisonous mental loop – what had happened to have her react so coldly to him? Mina's rejection of their interaction had been insanely out of nowhere, especially considering how their previous chat had been so honest and raw.
So revealing too!
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Seriously, what had Zen done wrong?!
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He definitely could not accept the things Yoosung had revealed to him and did not wish to accept the outcome of Mina forcing up distance between them so she could solely hang with the blonde! Was the truth something else? Perhaps it was because of her frightfulness? Or maybe it was the girl's selfishness of wanting more from their interactions that was the major scare factor to her? If so...
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If so, there was nothing to be afraid of~!
Really, there was plenty of him to go around~!
And it was a mutual want~!
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It was...
A mutual...
Want.
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Mina...
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Words instantly twirled inside his heavy heart at her sight online and his fumbling hands were writing the sentences without the brain's approval, ignoring its screams to stop. Zen was close to committing irreparable damage caused by his own loneliness and the others' meddling regarding their 'obvious online connection', planting seeds that changed the manner in which he viewed Mina.
Tremendously.
Sadly, the party planner had vanished as the actor had no success in preventing her departure. To make matters worse, Seven's attitude did wonders in pouring extra salt on his scarring burn, quickly accompanied by the trustfund kid's insensitive remarks aimed towards Zen's rude and loud personality. This was then followed up with info involving that blasted fur ball, Jumin selfishly changing the topic.
'Typical ass thing to do when he knows that I am allergic to –'
*SNEEZE*
"Ashi, my throat!", Zen whined as he grasped at his itchy neck, another explosive wave approaching.
*SNEEZE*
Cherry on top, Jumin repeated the cat modeling offer which remained on the table as an option for the actor to choose whenever his schedule emptied. He wasn't going to voice it bluntly but the CEO heir really wanted the silver haired actor to reconsider his stance on this project because, frankly, it was something he could envision Zen doing without problems. And it fit his ideas surrounding the food commercial. Saved expenses on interviewing other candidates and finding wigs that matched Elizabeth the Third's color.
Alas, no was no.
'It's like chatting to a brick wall!', Zen thought angrily while marching towards his small fridge to take out a beer can. 'Jumin disregarding my allergy once more – no fucking surprise there!'
At which the actor had more than his fair share of bullshit he would purposely swallow, logging off the app and seeking methods to preserve his remaining sanity. He found one in the shape of his beloved Kass and Black Angel, partially doing the trick in calming down the spirits.
That is...
Until Mina's features had yet again crept their way back, Zen submerging in a stronger melancholy and losing count of his cigars and drinks. His actions were put on a halt due to an unexpected call, the screen showing an unknown number. Turned out it was the lead director from the newest production, the actor clearing his throat and making an effort not to slur his speech.
'Oh, right... that musical.'
He could not afford the self-wallowing in pity, internalizing the extent of his acting responsibilities with additional content sent to his e-mail address and an urge to memorize everything within those files. There was virtually no time to waste as the material he had to prepare prior to shooting day had almost tripled in size alongside the numerous other demands. Furthermore, the director expressed his many expectations in his character's development, hoping great things shall rise from their rookie protagonist. The team was counting on his flawless professionalism that would match Echo Girl's and bring their collaboration to fruition.
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Would be a shame for a young rookie not to be up to par with their standards. ^^
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"Thank you for the trust, sir. I shall not disappoint.", he answered confidently as the man's broad laughter echoed.
But the silver haired youth was nowhere near confident, masking the stress well enough while inspecting the complexity of the dance routines used during the first couple of scenes. The choreographer had done an array of modifications since the earlier version, resulting in him having to relearn the entire dance from scratch. And, inevitably, a demanding practice session started indoors, Zen pushing his couch closer to the walls and removing the coffee table in order to maximize the interior's space. Afterwards, he did what he knew best and poured as much energy as he could into the success of the practice.
Hours later and his mind could not be fully emptied of the MysMe group, nor Mina, a fixed scowl ever present on his face.
All in all, the members had made the whole day worse for the actor, more so than he deemed possible. And his unlucky streak was far from ending, the troubled male soon finding himself in a predicament so bad that it rendered his current emotional struggle null.
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He had been too distraught and it had cost him more than he was willing to pay.
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~oOo~
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A toxic combination of fatigue, irritation, excess drinking and lack of focus, followed by constant pressure added on a leg which had experienced a number of close calls this week, turned out to be the perfect recipe for disaster.
It took one mistake.
Just one.
To rip apart a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and place his musical career on hold. And the stupid part was – it could have been avoided.
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Zen could have easily avoided injuring his ankle.
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The actor was knowledgeable in his body's capabilities and limitations, more so than what the average human being could admit of their own. Thus, he was quite aware of any irregularities happening to his system, health normally being a factor he did not leave to chance or faith.
Life had gifted him with no extreme illnesses since birth, but physical harm – he had no miraculous shielding against it.
Silly Zen sensed his ankle wasn't in its best of shape from those slippery roads and the missteps he took while on the theatre's stairs. The area had become rather fragile and bothersome when landing in a certain angle. However, it did not give him reasons to be concerned since it wasn't unnatural for a performer to have some modicum of discomfort when exerting complex moves. Normally, he would haveswitched up his training routine and taken it slowly. Or rest. But there was no time for resting if he wanted to keep this role and not be replaced.
A decision that would become his undoing.
One second Zen was attempting to match his footing in the same manner the filmed dancer did – an enchantingly pretty woman skillfully swaying her thin frame to the song's rhythm, the owner of a small face hugged by long brown hair, plus a pair of sweet honey brown orbs which were piercing his mesmerized red while offering him a smile so wide it was similar to –
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*BADDUMP*
*BADDUMP-BADDUMP*
*BADDUMP-BADDUMP-BADDUMP-BADDUMP*
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*THUD*
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– the next thing he heard was the sound of a grotesque crunch, the actor immediately collapsing onto the living room's floor. "AGHHH!", Zen growled, gritting his teeth from a surge of intense burning pain that had him shake. His hands instinctively darted towards the far protruding bone of his ankle as his eyes scanned for the video running on his laptop's screen. A shocking realization hit him when he met the dancer's features.
They were entirely different.
The actor was puzzled as he stared at her moving figure, forcing himself to get up from the floor and rewind the video to earlier minutes in case the person in it had changed spots with another. This was not the case though, his confusion growing as he could not identify the brown haired girl anywhere.
"NGH!", he bit his lower lip, planting both hands on the commode in order to support his weight. Zen was unable to even remotely stand on his injured foot or apply the tiniest bit of pressure on it without flinching as if it had been set on fire. He turned livid – this wasn't something he could just ignore or pretend was not a serious issue, and then waiting it out for it to magically heal the following day. Sure, he had monstrous healing powers, however this was no joke and he could freaking tell. The skin down there was already beginning to swell and carry a sickly hue.
He might have to pay a visit to a hospital.
"Tch. What a nuisance..."
It wasn't long before Zen finally understood the mystery behind his dilemma right after his gaze dropped onto a USB drive. Laughter hit him very hard – he was neck-deep in trouble.
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Fuck, he was in so much trouble!
So why couldn't he stop laughing?!
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Sigh...
Maybe because he was indeed a naive fool chasing an unobtainable dream, aiming for goals set too high.
Or...
Maybe...
Because he was a foolish man who got temporarily sidetracked from his lifelong dream, presented with a new one he wanted to accomplish just as passionately.
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Getting rid of his perpetual loneliness.
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~oOo~
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Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the party planner's dream had morphed into a restless experience as it cooked into a full-fledged nightmare. Elements of this week's event had contorted into a beastly scenery: Mina was trapped inside her old shitty apartment sprayed with a rancid odor, torn down finishes and pieces of broken furniture scattered everywhere.
This place reeked of bad news yet the girl did nothing to leave.
She was lying on her side, back pressed against the cold wall as a ripped blanket tugged at her feet. It was unreachable, leaving the youth feeling bare and defenseless despite Mina clothed in her usual street attire. Her eyes were glued onto the apartment's door, the entire area rattled in uncomfortable auditory interferences.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
And she was waiting.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
And waiting.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
And watching.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
How the door's handle was slowly being turned. With a feeble click, its rusty hinges screeched terrifyingly as a vague contour made an unsettling appearance.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
The ominous being was simply standing there, its raspy breathing the only murmur he produced in the silent girl's room, whose knuckles whitened from her on-growing terror. It was churning her insides and causing her skin to crawl as if spiders were lurking around – she honestly couldn't tell even if they were. Honey brown eyes remained fixated onto the unwelcomed apparition.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
No matter how strongly she commanded her legs to budge, they would not.
* - - CRUNCH - - *
She was incapable of movement.
* - - CRUNCH - - - - CRUNCH - - *
Dread made the hairs of her skin stand up while a sickening voice echoed.
* - - CRUNCH - - - - CRUNCH - - *
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"My precious butterfly~!", it sounded somehow distorted and far.
"Won't you welcome me home~~~?!"
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* - - CRUNCH - - - - CRUNCH - - *
"...", she gulped down, Mina making the mistake of blinking right at that precise moment.
* - - CRUNCH - CRUNCH - CRUNCH - CRUNCH - -*
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The figure popped in front of her line of view.
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And then there was a pressing silence – the static inferences gone.
The coordinator could clearly make out the traits of her dangerous stalker whose head was inches away from touching hers. The man was widely grinning. However, the expression shown was far more twisted than what she'd remembered it being in the past. His greenish-blue eyes were inhumanly larger and almost gauged out while yellow teeth were sharpened like a beast's. His skin was cracked like marble, vivid purple veins decorating it.
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'Monster.'
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"Pretty girl~! Won't you give me a kiss~~~?!", the question came too close to her ears to have been asked by this inhuman being. His lips remained sealed in that enveloping grin, lips not mimicking any words. Somehow, this realization had unlocked her neck's control, Mina managing to pinpoint the true source of those taunts to her left.
The girl's vision turned super bright.
Furthermore, buildings were now swooshing past her, ranging from old wooden models to contemporary steel and glass structures. 'Huh...?', she was shrouded in confusion, Mina uncertain how the environment had changed so drastically, from that wrecked apartment into –
"..."
– a car's interior. 'That stalker's piece of junk car!' Her breathing hitched as she heard a screechy humming from the driver's seat. The monster was at the wheels, happily mumbling a tune as if there was nothing wrong with this picture.
Nothing wrong with Mina sitting in his back seat.
Unwillingly.
And horrifyingly wearing her attire from the coffee shop she had last attended as a worker. Also, a large cup was in her hands, the scent of the dark liquid in there causing the girl to dry-heave. "Hmmm~~! I love the smell of your coffee!", the guy cheered enthusiastically, Mina sobbing at this point and praying for her arms to work and smash this fucking cup into the guy's hea – Ah, she could!
The driver hit the brakes without further warning.
Thus, Mina had been thrust out of her seat, readying for a nasty impact and an incredible amount of pain. It did not come though, the coordinator falling on top of a soft, silky material, sinking right into it.
A bed.
The bed she recognized from her home in Daegu, sighing heavenly. Safety had come, Mina rejoicing and trying to climb down the bed and change out of this wretched dress. Rising on all fours, her body had been locked into position with invisible weights holding her limbs down.
Mina had been mistaken.
She was not alone, the monster near her bedside.
"Now that we're home.", the robotic voice had returned. "You can apologize to me for all eternity~!"
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No.
I don't want this.
No!
Help.
Someone.
Help!
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HELP!
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"Paradise awaits."
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*THUD*
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~oOo~
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Mina blinked while staring at the softly illumined ceiling.
Her cheeks were dry, the same with her injected eyes, although the stinging sensations of those being opened lingered. For the first few seconds, the party planner could only scratch the couch with her fingers and her heartbeat was immediately racing again. "Ngh...", she wanted to cry for real, believing her nightmare to not have ended.
Thankfully, none of her monsters were in sight – she could be at ease.
Her body unwound rather quickly so she rolled away from the couch and trip-walked towards the kitchen in search of water, gulping it down thirstily from the tap. "What an awful nightmare...", the girl coughed, her breathing still elevated as her healthy hand laid on top of her chest. She was beginning to forget most portions of the nightmare but the impact had been profound enough to not want a second round of snoozing.
The risk of its sequel was not worth it. "Ah well... Guess I could answer more e-mails.", Mina pouted, her mood too low for dealing with the guests' puzzles and riddles but... there wasn't anything she could do in here to keep a busy mind.
Since her near abduction by the delusional neighbor and Unknown's hacking that locked the girl inside Rika's apartment, she was in a pretty fragile mental state and could use a distraction... of some sort.
Use anything.
"Maybe there are members online...?", Mina questioned and was... not really surprised to see the missed calls per se... Nonetheless, she was wondering why Zen had tried reaching out for the poor girl this intensely. Actually, she vaguely recalled the actor trying to prevent her from leaving the chat room earlier today, the youth noting a certain urgency within his writing. But the coordinator did not acknowledge Zen's presence properly – she had been halfway to sleep when he had come online.
The girl was so apologetic because of her rudeness...
'Is he awake?'
Mina entered an empty chat room to check out the members' status – and her eyes sparkled.
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~oOo~
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Zen's phone was vibrating the messenger's ringtone but he did not hurry up to grab it for the app was currently not his main focal point. He kept pondering whether if he'd mixed various treatments found in the house – like ice packs, ointments or other hidden medical gems – that his ankle would miraculously snap its bone back into its rightful socket.
And the actor could avoid a hospital visit.
Could avoid a worst case scenario presented on his foot.
Could avoid losing his new part.
...
'Hah. Such wishful thinking.', Zen smirked, the corner of his mouth trembling.
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He was so depressed.
...
The silver haired actor was just about to send for a taxi at his home address when the chat room's messages revealed who the person online was and... Zen did not know how to proceed next.
Mina had cheerfully greeted him on the messenger.
It was a first that she initiated a conversation with him...
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Was Mina feeling well?
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End note: I'm pretty satisfied with how the chapter went, experimenting with new words/writing effects - not sure if you guys liked it. I dunno, really. It was fun writing this - in a way. XD
But no worries, I'm trying to mend the bond between Zen and Mina, the Unknown hacking incident to be revealed to the actor next chapter.
And then realizing what a fool he had been for assuming so many things.
