A/N: A quick, but necessary piece. An interlude. 

Interlude: a connection between songs, interludes are most commonly employed as a pit stop; an opportunity to recalibrate and refocus. 

White Night 

Why can’t I forget you? 

My day and night only consist of you 

I’m still like this, you know me, please understand 

Today too, I can’t sleep and trying to forget you 

It’s my own long goodbye

It’s raining. Again. It has been for the past couple of days so at least this time, Joohyun has come to expect it. But then again, she’s made it a habit to bring her umbrella wherever she goes. Well, it’s not hers per se… but Joohyun can’t find it in herself to let go of the bright yellow umbrella with the stupidly cute bear charm. 

She steps out from under the same awning, though she doesn’t drop by the convenience store as often as she did before. It was great when the owner knew their names, but it hurt every time they would bring up Seulgi, and how proud they were to see Seulgi on stage and eagerly recalling to anyone who would listen about how the younger girl would always clear out their stock of Pringles. 

Joohyun hates this route home. She hates the memories tied to this road. She hates the rain. She hates how this path is still the same, after all the countless times they’ve walked along together, she hates how the crack on the sidewalk is still there, how all the kiosks still have the same food fare and regulars. (Joohyun still waves to Mrs. Choi and the older woman is solemn, like she understands, and still always gives Joohyun a little extra tteokbokki when she stops by.) She hates how whenever she’d walk down this path, Red Velvet’s Automatic would begin playing in her head because of that one time Seulgi was adamant on letting Joohyun hear their new song and decided to sing it for her instead once she realized her phone had died. 

She hates how she can’t help but see the girl she loved - loves - everywhere. How, when she closes her eyes, she still sees her bright smile directed at her. And even when she opens them, Seulgi’s face, along with her members are plastered over the different billboards, posters, and magazines in Seoul. As if the universe refuses to let her forget that she chose to let go. That she chose to continue life without Seulgi. 

Even crossing the busy pedestrian lane, Joohyun finds herself missing the younger girl. She misses that dumb black cap that she always wore, dusty because she never believed it needed to be washed, and how she’d pull it a little bit lower before grabing Joohyun’s hand, and leading her through the unsuspecting crowd. 

Joohyun finally lets out a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she steps under the roof of her apartment building. She shakes the rain off her umbrella, hoping to shake off any memory of Seulgi in the process as well. But she knows it’s just one of those days. Those days when all she can do is hug her giant stuffed bear and pray for the time to come when she’s strong enough and willing enough to truly forget. 

Seulgi sighs as she watches the rain fall from her designated seat in their van. It’s been raining for how many days now and honestly, Seulgi is getting sick of it. She used to love the rain, it calmed her down, and there was something about the scent in the air after a good rain that she found addicting. But now, it leaves her with a bittersweet feeling and the ghost of someone she can never let go of. 

“Oh! Look, it’s our old dorm! Wow, I forgot how old it looked on the outside!” 

At Sooyoung’s words, the bittersweet feeling turns into a mixture of panic and nostalgia, and Seulgi is determined to keep her eyes forward, knowing that if she even spared her old home a glance, it would bring back memories that she didn’t need right now. But of course, as usual, the universe conspires against her and as soon as they pass by their old dorm, they end up in crawling traffic. 

“Absolutely terrific,” Seulgi grumbles under her breath.

Their van is practically at a full stop beside the convenience store she and Joohyun used to go to and Seulgi wonders if the owner still remembers her, or if the owner still keeps a secret stash of Pringles just for Seulgi. The cars ahead of them move so slowly that Seulgi easily spots Joohyun’s favorite ahjumma, the one that serves the best tteokbokki and pinches Joohyun’s cheeks every time they pass by. The one that looks at Joohyun like she’s her own daughter and Seulgi remembers how bright she smiles when the two speak to each other with their Daegu accent. 

Seulgi watches as everyone goes about their afternoon, umbrellas over their heads, walking that path she has ingrained into every fiber of her being. She spots the exact area where there used to be (or maybe still has?) a crack on the sidewalk, the one Seulgi tripped over that led Joohyun to laugh out so loud people started staring.

And then, of course, at the end of the path and seemingly at the end of the traffic jam, is Joohyun’s apartment. (Is it still her apartment? Has she moved?) They’re finally at the stoplight, and Seulgi is ready for this trip down memory lane to be over when Seulgi spots it.

A bright yellow umbrella, the person underneath it crossing the street towards the apartment. Long black hair, petite and-

Seulgi scrambles up from her seat, and rushes over to Seungwan’s side, effectively crushing her bandmate as she tries to get a better look. 

“What? What’s going on?”

Their van begins to move again and Seulgi moves to the back of the van where the maknaes are stationed, watching as the girl under the yellow umbrella walks into the apartment building. 

Seulgi’s mouth drops open, a part of her close to asking (well, pleading if Seulgi were honest) their manager to stop the car. To run after her. Seungwan, Sooyoung, and Yerim are looking at her, confusion etched onto their faces. 

Seulgi slumps back into her seat.

“I think that was Joohyun.”

A/N: See y'all tom for Chapter 3! Let me know what you think in the comments or talk to me on twitter @iccampfire :)