Title: Let the Blossoms Fade
Genre: Hanahaki AU + Non AU
Pairing: ChaeKyul (Chaeyeon & Jieqiong)
Words: 2200+

Jieqiong stared at the azalea that she held firmly in her hands as she reminded herself again and again of the end that was soon to come.

Four.

Four minutes have passed since Chaeyeon started her nightly phone call with Heehyun. Four hours have passed since Jieqiong had shut her eyes and lied on the upper bunk, feigning sleep. Jieqiong unknowingly eavesdropped on Chaeyeon's conversation, unable to fall asleep; for all Jieqiong could think of were the four weeks left until IOI's official disbandment.

Three.

Three fully blossomed azaleas stood in the vase by Chaeyeon's nightstand. Jieqiong admired the simplistic beauty of the flowers; how each petal seemed to shine brightly despite the lack of any light in the dark room. Three times has Chaeyeon muttered the words, "I miss you", to Heehyun during her phone call, and three times has Jieqiong clutched her heart, enduring the pain that followed.

Two.

Two members had already left the IOI dorms in preparations for their respective promotions. Two times have all the members gathered in the main living room, sharing their favorite memories with their short-lived time together. The inevitable end of IOI was both near and far, and Jieqiong's two eyes welled up as she thought about what IOI really meant to her.

Jieqiong opened her eyes, staring off into the white of the ceiling. She heard a light rustle from the lower bunk, along with the sound of a cellphone locking. She could only assume Chaeyeon had finally finished talking with Heehyun.

Closing her eyes for what she hoped was the last time, Jieqiong slowed her breaths, waiting for sleep to encompass her and drift her away.

One.

Her breath hitched. Jieqiong found it harder and harder to breathe with each passing second. In a single moment, Jieqiong brought her hand to and forced a cough to clear her airways.

And in her hands, laid one, single, azalea petal. Fully blossomed, as if it had come from Chaeyeon's flowers on its own.

- & -

"Jieqiong-ah," a voice calls out.

Jieqiong's eyes flickered open as she awoke from her slumber. With half-lidded eyes, she could barely make out a blurry figure standing by her room door.

"I know we have a day off and all, but isn't ten hours enough sleep?" Sejeong teased from afar. The vocalist stepped into the room before promptly closing the door behind her. "Is something bothering you?"

Jieqiong blinked softly before sitting up on her bed, stretching her arms out with a yawn.

"Everything is fine," Jieqiong replied. The ends of her lips curled upward as she smiled at the older. It wasn't unlike Sejeong to be concerned for the younger members.

"If you say so," Sejeong chimed as she began to walk out. She suddenly stopped in place, reminded of something she had forgotten to say. "Oh! By the way, all the other girls are planning on having a small party here tonight - just the eleven of us. So don't make any plans!"

Eleven. Jieqiong thought to herself. But for how long?

"Come on out and have some food," Sejeong continued as she exited. "I'll make you some brunch."

Jieqiong sighed to herself as she leaned back against the wall. Curling her knees to her chest, she glanced at the calendar that hung by the door. She then looked beside her, picking up the small petal that had come out of her lungs the previous night.

What am I going to do?

- & -

Being in love with one of your best friends is the worst. Jieqiong thought to herself.

She was absolutely positive that most people would give up the world for the chance to live in the same house - more or less share the same room - with the person they loved, but Jieqiong absolutely detested it. Not only was the whole living-together thing temporary, but hearing Chaeyeon speak sweet nothings to Heehyun nearly every night broke Jieqiong's heart. Countless times, Jieqiong wished that it were her that Chaeyeon was calling out to; yet all she could do was grasp at her heart strings and pray not to break from the upper bunk.

Especially when your lungs are slowly filling up with intoxicating petals that your crush happens to love.

Which is why Jieqiong was not particularly in a party-ing mood this night, when all the other ten members of IOI spent their time giggling and reminiscing on their past experiences with each other.

Hell, Sejeong and Chungha managed to sneak in some liquor - liquor, which, unfortunately, fell into the hands of the younger members as well, creating an odd, yet strangely humorous atmosphere.

The girls were in the middle of a game of Truth or Dare when Jieqiong felt her lungs flare up for the umpth time that day.

"Yah, Chaeyeon-unnie!" A drunk Yoojung shouted out. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Chaeyeon answered. She rolled her eyes when Sohye and Mina yelled out 'chicken' from across the room.

"How far have you gone with Heehyun-unnie?" Yoojung asked, with a devilish smirk plastered onto her face.

Chaeyeon's cheeks began to change to a flushed shade of pink. Sure, it was no secret amongst the members that Chaeyeon and Heehyun had fooled around once before, but no one had been bold enough to ask directly how far they went.

"U-Uhm..." Chaeyeon stuttered, sweat forming on her forehead as she tried to think of a clever way to cop out of a direct answer.

Meanwhile, Jieqiong couldn't help but look away. It was hard enough to swallow the fact that Chaeyeon once liked Heehyun, but it was another thing to hear it from Chaeyeon herself. As the secon