The trees and flowers are blossoming outside. The seasonal chirping of the birds, as well as god-knows-which-insects littered the landscape of your University. Students and professors alike littered every building, looking for classes and meeting acquaintances to chat with and clog the busy hallways. It's a beautiful spring semester, everybody in your small major class thought. They've been sharing stories with their small groups (you were with your own, too), but you can't seem to feel the freshness of the spring season within the four corners of your white-walled classroom. If anything, you feel imprisoned once more.

"Great. Are we doing any of those boring lectures again?" you asked your friends in a dreadful groan. It's almost as if the bright features of your face will droop out of their places like a Salvador Dali clock.

One of friends chuckled at your enthusiasm and showed a pamphlet to the group. "Actually, we have a lecture for first period, but it's more of a conference," You raised an eyebrow at your friend for the surprising interest in their voice upon mentioning this matter. As far as you know everybody in your class, there is one thing they hate doing: attending conferences. However, the way your friend mentioned it made it seem that they were attending something fun. Even if it IS something interesting, you'd still not be into it because the only auditorium in your University; albeit well-ventilated, gives off an unusual vibe.

Either way, you and your friends went to the Main Building, which was untouched by the recent upgrades in your University. Being one of the few buildings people first see, the Management decided to keep its antique (or rather decrepit) infrastructures without the intention of even cleaning or maintaining it. As a result, many of the facilities there are slowly rotting to time. Even the sunshine peeking from its wide, open windows aren't helpful anymore in keeping the place well-lit. Same goes for the Auditorium.

As the biggest conference hall, many departments are forced to use the Main Building Auditorium for University-wide lectures and events. Its pillars are guarded by strange, rusting gargoyles, whose distorted faces peek from the beams overhead. You find being under their surveillance uncomfortable, so you suggested to your friends to sit by the bleachers on the second level, where you're sure to avoid their metallic gazes. Showing the same energy as before, your friends insisted on taking front row seats by the stage.

"You've never been this excited for a lecture before." you snapped, getting creeped out by your friends' interest. The title printed on the pamphlet is a generic one for your major. You doubt you'll learn anything new in it, but you relented and went inside the Auditorium. Upon arriving on your seats, you wondered why there's a walkway extending from the main stage. Still, you didn't bother to ask as a familiar melody sputtered from the speakers overhead. It came out broken and static-like, but there's no doubt: it's one of your favorite idols' songs.

Before you can even argue with yourself, several people appeared on the stage. It's almost hilarious how they are wearing your University's uniforms, but they are still noticeably foreign in the area. Idols rarely go to school and wear uniforms and if they do, they stand out. Still, your eyes aren't lying. Those are your favorite idols, performing one of their iconic comeback songs on the stage. Your University stage. Even with the lack of the blinding concert lights, they were able to send a sparkling performance in front of everyone. The students cheered and sang with them, but you sat on your seat, eyes wide and dumbfounded. It almost took you two heartbeats before you finally joined in the chants and the singing.

Another song came and went before the idols settled on tall slender stools prepared on the main stage. Each of them has a hanheld microphone, which they either used to react on one of the members' talk, or simply played with it. Doubt returned to your system. "What kind of talk will they give?" You nudged on your friend who simply shrugged in response. Another groan escaped your lips. It's not that you're discrediting your idols' academic knowledge (After all, they advertised in the pamphlet that it'll be relevant to your major), but you're just worried that too much information will spoil the fun for everybody.

Of course that isn't what happened. Even though having several members, your favorite idol group had delivered quite interesting information and made the lecture, well, more interesting than most of your professors did. The youngest did a forum, while the leader prepared an interactive activity for the people by the bleachers. By the time the last member finished, everybody clapped. You thought that it wasn't a bad experience and your impression for your idols grew. As they ended their talk, they thanked everyone by handing out little red embellished notebooks to those near the stage. Some of the members hopped out of the stage to personally give it out to students.

Half-expecting that your favorite member will hand one out to you, your gaze followed them as they moved about your Auditorium, sighing softly when they went to the farthest side opposite of your seat. Your friends were just sharing their comments about how good-looking and kind their favorite members were. Just at that instance, one of the members appeared before you, holding out one of the red notebooks to you. You looked up to them, meeting their soft gaze. They are not your favorite member, so they don't give you the jittery feelings, though they have one of the cutest faces among the group. Either way, they aren't simply striking to you. They have their signature smile on as they offered you the notebook. You really wanted to get this present from your favorite member, so you tried to catch another gaze of them, but they were nowhere near you.

You politely declined the member's offer. Their smile disappeared and was replaced by a concerned "o".

"Are you sure you don't want it?" they asked, wagging the little red notebook in front of you. "You can take more than one. Believe me, it's more helpful if you have many," they added.

You shook your head again, this time, lying that your friend already got one for you. You can sense that the member is not convinced at your statement, but they simply tipped their head in good bye and went about their way, regrouping with the others to leave the Auditorium in the same wave as the students, though it is strange that the students didn't flock them upon their exit. You took one last glance at the Auditorium.

As you and your friends arrived at the common lounge, you exchanged stories of the small things you noticed with your idols' talks. The day went about like any other opening day. You briefly forgot about the little red notebook or even what that other member told you about it.

As the day passed, the sky slowly turned gray. There was an impending storm announced over the University radio, and they have decided to let the students off early. Your class cheered, saying that it's the most luck they had since winter semester. Of course you're happy to finish the day early. The cool breeze brought about by the looming clouds over the horizon madee you think of your bed, but you're worried if the trip back home will be easy.

Your friends have the same thought as you did. Since it might be difficult to go back home, all of you decided not to lounge anymore. It's home right away. Reaching in your bag, you realized that you don't have your umbrella with you. Another groan escaped your lips as you look out to the window. The sky is turning darker by the minute. If you can get to the train station quick, you'll be able to avoid the rain. Getting off on your station will be a measly five minute run to your apartment.

Determined to avoid even the tiniest speck of raindrop, you broke into a run out of the building, speedwalking past the faculty so you wouldn't incur the wrath of the research professors. You arrived at the last leg of your sprint across the building: the stairs. As you hurried down it, you bumped to a set of sturdy shoulders which promptly knocked you down on the ground. The pain surged across your body as if you're a gong getting hit.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" a sweet voice asked, making you look up almost immediately. In front of you is another member of your favorite idol group; the second oldest, stooping down with a worried expression on their face. You nodded as they helped you on your feet.

"There is a storm coming." You called when they continued up on the stairs. The member stopped and you continued your sentence. "Aren't you going home?"

"I can take care of myself..." The member moved their shoulders and head as if trying to crack its joints. It's funny that you would clearly hear such ordeal. Their voice was faint, yet you can hear the distortion in it. It sounded like the static from the speakers earlier. "The question is..." their voice became garbled this time, as if some sort of malfunction occurred. They slowly turned to face you, but the face that you saw wasn't welcoming at all. It's as if the eerie static manifested in the member's face, distorting not just their prominent features, but also the flesh and bones within it. You face twisted in horror and you tried screaming, but nothing seems to come out of your lips. The member spoke again, his sweet voice turned into a monotonous terror. "... will you be able to go home?"

As they lunge for you, you scramble to escape the stairs not even looking back once. As you arrive by the exit, you're relieved at the thought of the bustling main road outside. However, just as you exit your University, the main road of bustling cars and pedestrian were not there. Instead, a rocky, undeveloped road greets you and the buildings of your city has disappeared. Instead, tall trees with bushy branches dotted the sides of the mysterious road.

A thunder clapped from the distance. Gasping, you turned your head skywards. The storm is coming quick. Desperate to escape, you begin running east, just as how you would on a normal school day. Nobody passed by the road. No houses, no people. The only thing imminent is the downpour.

Two more claps of thunder roared, followed by a sharp strike of lightning. You begin to lose your energy from running and soon needed to stop. One big tree by the road provided an awning and you immediately took shelter under its leaves. Just as you began catching your breath, several familiar voices echoed within the tree.

"Why..."

"How could you..."
 

You frowned, for you couldn't understand their inquiries. Finally, one coherent voice stood out. You recognize this as the idol leader's voice.

"...Why didn't you accepted the little red notebook?"

Another gasp escaped your lips. Why didn't you, again? The event earlier flashed to your mind. Terror gripped on your weak body and your eyes trembled as another lightning strike. More than terror, rergret clogged your thoughts and made you sob. 

Something dripped on the top of your head as you cry helplessly under the big tree. At first, you thought that the downpour began, so you didn't mind the droplets. However, the more you cry, the more the droplets drip on your head and you began to think that its consistency is different from the usual rainwater. It drop thicker and emitted a strange, tangy smell of metal. You looked up to the tree with teary eyes and the liquid dripped on your cheek. At the faint light of another lightning strike, you could make out the ruby color of the liquid dripping on your cheek, as well as the hanging cadavers from where it came from.

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