Chapter Twenty Five – Ava.

I groaned loudly at the sound that interrupted the silence in my bedroom, and blindly fumbled around for the device making the noise. Putting my phone up to my ear after hitting talk, I sighed. “Hello?”

“Ava, you’re awake, great!”

I grumbled before answering. “Hakyeon, what is it?”

“Hyung is sick and we have a few schedules today.”

“So get one of your other managers to sort the schedules,” I suggested, before rolling back over, hoping to sleep some more.

“Yes but I need you to come down here and help us.”

“With what?”

“Getting ready for our schedules.” He spoke slowly, and I wanted nothing more than to smack him like Mandi always did. My tired brain wasn’t slow enough to stop an image of the pair in her sewing room crop up, and I immediately shook the idea away.

“Seriously, you all wouldn’t know how to live without me sometimes,” I muttered and then hung up, pushing my blankets away. I knew today was going to be difficult. I hadn’t been sleeping well all week, choosing to throw myself into every possible task I could.

Though right now, organising six boys for their first stop for the day was the last thing I wanted to accomplish.

“Mandi,” I called out as I left my room, pulling a floral singlet over my messy hair at the same time. I stumbled down the hallway to the girl’s room and thumped on the door. “Yah, wake up, I need your assistance.”

There was no sound, and I opened the door, finding the bed already made. She had obviously gone into Jellyfish early for the day. Muttering incoherently under my breath some more, I hurried to get the rest of myself ready before slipping into my flats at the door and then left the apartment. It didn’t take me long to get down to the boy’s dorm and I entered the code, allowing myself inside.

“Noona, hi.” Sanghyuk waved as he passed me and sat down on the couch, stuffing a large mouthful of cereal in his mouth. I nodded at the youngest, before seeking out the person who had woken me.

He was in the bathroom washing up for the morning and I didn’t bother to look away when I found him half . He however was stunned. “Yah, I’m washing!”

“What needs to be done?” I enquired, sighing heavily and waiting for direction. He waved me off and I remained there, until he turned off the water.

“Leo went back to bed after dressing, Ken’s searching for a missing tee that he claims was washed, and Ravi is still asleep. Gosh Ava, you’re crazy today!”

I didn’t reply, instead I left the room and went to wake up Wonshik. The rapper was sprawled out in the middle of the room, his consistent snoring making my initial attempts unsuccessful. I crouched down beside him and pulled out my mobile, flicking through the device for a sound and then pressing play. A loud siren signalled around the room and from where I held it not far from his ear, it was enough to startle him into the conscious world.

“Whaaa…!”

“Get up, you need to prepare for the day Wonshik-ah,” I told him, giving him a pat on his shoulder before leaving the room. I then searched for Jaehwan, finding him standing in the middle of their small laundry area looking helpless at a generous pile of clothing.

“Oh Avie, morning!” he greeted and then scratched his head.

I couldn’t help but smirk at his expression. “What are you doing just standing there?”

“I was sure it got washed, but I can’t find it.”

“Have you looked through the pile?” I suggested and he shook his head, giving me a sheepish grin afterwards.

“It’s a big pile.”

“How about you put on a load of washing and then you’ll be able to search at the same time?”

He scrunched his face up. “Hyung usually helps.”

“Jinbae is sick you fool, do the washing, now!”

“Oh!” He peered at me and then waggled his index finger at me. “No good.”

“What?”

“Your mood today, Ava,” he stated and I shoved him roughly. “Abuse!”

“I’ll give you more of it if you don’t quit it Lee Jaehwan!”

Satisfied when he begrudgingly began to do as instructed, I my heel and headed to the main bedroom. There was only one occupant in there and I sighed, feeling myself hesitate to approach him. It had been over a week since we had actually spoken without it being necessary, let alone been together this close. I took a shaky breath before approaching the sleeping boy, crouching down beside Taekwoon and wondering what I should do.

He looked as exhausted as I seemed to feel, the dark circles more evident under his eyes than usual. As I examined him, my arms that I had wrapped around my legs ached to reach out for him, to brush his dark locks to the side, or to pull the blanket up higher. I realised the pain from my arms had gone into my chest and it seemed harder to breathe suddenly. Swallowing back my emotions, I tentatively reached down to his chest to shake him but stopped halfway, his mouth falling slightly ajar in his slumber. I smiled to myself, the peaceful expression making me want to just sit here and watch him rest forever.

But you can’t Ava, you made the choice. I sighed at the reminder and let my hand fall to his chest, though I didn’t shake him, stunned stupidly by the connection my hand had with Taekwoon.

“What are you doing?” he mumbled and I shrieked, falling backwards onto Hongbin’s unfolded bedding. Blinking rapidly as his dark eyes looked towards me, I watched the warmth drain from them. I swallowed again and then got to my feet.

“Noona, are you alright?”

Glancing at Hongbin in the doorway, I nodded and stepped off his bedding. “I uh lost my balance when Taekwoon woke suddenly.”

The boy in question threw himself up and out of the room without a word to either of us and I tried to smile weakly at the remaining member. He gave me a weird look as he folded his arms across his chest.

“I think we’ll be ready in five minutes, so I just thought I’d come fetch you.”

Nodding, I gave him a thumbs up and then sighed when the boy left the room. I seriously had to get a grip over myself.

I had driven the boys to their first schedule for the day and then left them with their main manager, before going to the office in her car. The morning had been uneventful and I lost track of the time until there was a knock at my door. Glancing up curiously, I smiled brightly when I saw Mandi enter.

“You’re being weird.”

“And a hello to you too,” I replied, my eyes going back to the screen of my computer as I typed away.

“Did you eat anything yet?” she questioned and I shrugged, making sure I had the correct information in the email I was drafting up.

“I can’t remember.”

“Do you remember brushing your hair this morning?”

Stopping, I felt my hair that I had thrown up into a ponytail earlier and then nodded. “You just did that to make me stop.”

“Exactly, you’re going to work yourself into an early grave, Ava.”

“I’m fine, just busy.”

“No, you’re insane.”

“Mandi,” I started and looked over at my friend with a roll of my eyes. “What is it?”

“Something’s up with you.”

“So you keep saying.” I turned my attention back to the computer and picked up my typing again. “But all I know is that there’s seventeen more emails I have to answer after this one and that is a sign of being busy.”

“My god you’re stubborn.” She approached me and I flinched as she grabbed a hold of both my hands, my eyes shooting a glare in her direction. “I’m scared, seriously Ava, your glare is going to kill me.”

“Mandi, I-”

“Have fifty billion excuses to feed me, I got it. But I’m just saying you need to eat okay? I know you, and dieting is something you’ve never done consciously. And I doubt there’s any guy you’re trying to impress so please just eat. Stop for ten minutes and eat what I’ve gotten you.”

It was then when I noticed the food she had placed down on my desk and I softened my expression, nodding softly. “Alright, I’ll eat.”

“All of it.”

I saluted her as soon as she let me go and then laughed. “Yes ma’am!”

“Tonight there’s a karaoke party for staff, are you coming?”

The idea of being around others right now seemed uncomfortable and I shook my head as I reached out for the food, opening the sushi tray up. “I don’t have time.”

“Surely work can be left for tomorrow. You don’t normally work this hard.”

“I know, but there have been some things I’ve been slack over that I need to finish off.”

“That’s the work ethic I like to hear about!”

We both jumped at the third voice in the room and I bowed politely at Sei Joon, the older man nodding at us with a broad smile on his face.

“Oh boss, are you coming tonight?” Mandi asked casually and I was surprised at how calm she seemed with his presence. I always felt nervous around the CEO and quickly pushed the food aside so I wouldn’t be clumsy with it.

“No I can’t tonight, but I hope you have fun.” He then clapped his hands together. “I’m glad you’re both together actually. I have some news. The boys are going to Indonesia this month and I need you both to go along with them.”

“Yay, I love going abroad!” Mandi nudged me and I nodded in agreement as the man laughed.

“Good, well they’ll be doing a few interviews and judging a competition so be prepared to work hard too.”

“Ava’s great at that!”

“Shush,” I told the girl and smiled weakly.

Sei Joon nodded. “You’ve worked hard for your promotion, Ava. Just remember to relax too, we can’t have our star team player drop from exhaustion and then have the train stop in its tracks.”

“I understand.”

“Good, well then ladies, back to what you were up to.” Our boss left the room and then Mandi turned to me, grinning.

“What?”

“Indonesia! Shopping, we must find time to go shopping!”

“It’s not a holiday Mands.”

“No, but maybe you’ll find some time to unwind there and get rid of some of the stress. You’re too uptight.”

I sighed and then shooed the girl away, grabbing the sushi tray again. “Okay, I hear you, loud and clear. I’m going to eat now, and I’ll make sure to stop working so hard, deal?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” The girl smirked before waving and then left my office.

Staring at the door, I let out a small breath. I was thankful everyone thought I was stressed from work, but for a moment, I really wished I had someone to turn to about the change I was feeling from my recent decision.

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Author's Notes...

Oh Ava, you're well in over your head now :( I like that it's taken to breaking up for Ava to start realising things about Taekwoon, about how he makes her feel. Almost like that saying, you don't know what you have till it's gone. But is it fully gone for her? 

Replies...

AvyA7X; Welcome to my fiction and thank you SO much for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter too xxx

Maggie; I've missed you again <3 Haha I'm glad your suspicions turned out right... and that you think Hyomi is too cute with her confession, haha! You'd hope that Ava would share them, but as you've read, now she doesn't really have too. Sigh. It still breaks my heart thinking of that chapter. And the next one eats at me too wahh. Yay, well I know who my second lady in my fiction shall be! And yes I've been so busy that I haven't been near my computer to post yesterday. Better than usual to only be a day late! And not really. I work to my own schedule and I'm never good at scheduling in my own breaks lol. My body is literally forcing me to take the next two days of rest though... then back into it! I'm so glad your parents will be visiting you for the festive season. I still live at home but I'm looking forward for Christmas with my family all the same! 
Your reaction to chapter 24 is very passionate <3 It makes me feel sad all over again. I really wished that they could've worked towards something instead of this. But as you can above with Ava's reaction to sleeping Taekwoon, all might not be lost. Least we hope so, right? Yesss the part where he still worries about her getting home is a killer. Why is he so beautiful?! I'm so bad at creating "fictional" men that I fall for haha. No wonder I'm single irl! Love ya <3