“Oh, this is pretty neat.” Monday told herself when she saw a phone case one of her fans sent her. Aside from being a case, it also doubled as a stand and has a space when she can insert a small photo. Maybe I’ll put a photo of Jelly in it, Monday thought as she fitted the case to her phone.

Monday is busy checking out some of the gifts her fans sent her during their fan sign event the other day. Jiyoon was still out of the dorm and was currently staying at her parent’s house. Though she messaged them in the group chat saying that she’ll drop by later to check on them.

Soeun and Soojin were somewhere in Seoul, the couple hadn’t told any of them where they will be going today. They simply said that they’ll be back later tonight and disappeared. Jaehee, Jihan, and Zoa were having a day off at the spa today. Jimin had just come back from the dorm an hour ago. Her father had come home from Turkey the other day and she spent the day with her family. Promotions had ended last week; hence they had plenty of time to do what they wanted.

Spotting a particularly large box, Monday was enticed and moved to get it when something banged on the wall. The sound came from their rooms. Suspicious, she got up to investigate.

The sound repeated allowing her to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

It came from Soojin’s room.

“Eh? Soojinnie is supposed to be with Soeun-ah… Maybe it’s the stack of boxes that she keeps inside.” Monday told aloud to herself, killing the ambient noise and dissipating the sense of dread building up within her.

Fumbling with the keys, she struggled to find the proper key for Soojin’s room. Eventually, Monday got it right on the ninth key. Why they had so many keys in the room, she’ll never know.

Twisting the knob, Monday opened the door all the way. She was greeted by the dark interior of Soojin’s unlit room. Stepping inside just so she can reach the light switch, Monday flicked it on.

Not wanting to intrude on her unnie’s room, she just observed from the doorway to find out something out of place. Soojin’s boxes were stacked neatly and nothing looked out of place.

Until she saw something move from the corner of her eye.

Alarmed, Monday went into the room to find out what was the thing that moved. It was too small to be a person. It was also impossible to be a person since her group mates were out and the security was too tight for a sasaeng to sneak in. Besides, daileees are not that bad, Jimin thought as she checked Soojin’s room. Inside, she found a velvet box that looked like the container for an engagement ring.

Seeing the box made her forget about the figure that she saw earlier. Moving to inspect it, she opened the box and found it empty.

Could it be? Jimin asked to herself.

Soeun and Soojin gone at the crack of dawn with little to no information save that they were going on a short weekend getaway.

They got married? Jimin asked herself while scratching her head.

As if on cue, another clang was heard. This time it was from the underside of Soojin’s bed.

Moving near Soojin’s bed, Monday crouched down to inspect the bed’s underside.

What she saw made her scream at the top of her lungs.

“Really Hyewon-ah? Right in front of me and my sundae?” Jaehee joked.

Zoa was spoon-feeding Jihan ice cream which caused Jaehee to jest about it.

“You just miss Monday-unnie.” Zoa teased. Jihan giggled about it and comforted her friend, saying that she’ll have the time with Monday when she comes back from her parents.

“Oh yeah, hey unnie should have brought you along. You know, time to meet the parents.” Zoa teased once more.

Jaehee simply laughed at the jests and resumed on eating her sundae. They had just finished their spa session and was relaxing by eating ice cream at a popular ice cream parlor. Zoa initially wanted to eat at subway but she compromised when she learned that Jihan wanted to go and get ice cream.

The trio continued eating, occasionally a fan recognizes them and waves. They would wave back to the fan, all smiles. They appreciated the fans knowing that it was their time off and keeping a good amount of space between them.

After that, they had decided to go around the mall to pass away the time before going back to the dorm. Visiting various shops, they got a few items that they liked. Jihan got a cute dress while Hyewon bought new jackets. Jaehee got a pair of shoes for herself and Monday.

“Such a thoughtful wifey, unnie.” Zoa teased Jaehee as she volunteered to carry the boxes so Jaehee could eat the waffles she bought.

They didn’t know that Monday had already come back, otherwise Jaehee would have ditched Zoa and Jihan if she knew. Thinking that there was no one at the dorm yet, the trio went to watch a movie. Jaehee went to buy snacks while the couple bickered on which movie to watch.

Meanwhile, Soeun and Soojin was spending time alone at a mountain park. Soojin was grilling the meat while Soeun prepared the garnish and the next batch of meat to be grilled. This was Soojin’s idea that she planned for about two weeks when they were promoting their latest single. She had heard Soeun talking to Hyewon about how much she wanted to go on a trip to somewhere mountainous, saying that it must feel serene being surrounded by nature.

“This is pretty amazing Soojinnie.” Soeun cooed as she got up to hug Soojin.

“I’m glad you like it…jagi.” Soojin replied with a wink.

Chuckling, Soeun joked that Dispatch might overhear them. In response, Soojin repeated her statement. Louder this time.

“That’s good. So, everyone will know that you belong to me.” Soojin said with a devious grin.

Playfully pinching Soojin’s cheeks, Soeun went back to the table after kissing her forehead.

“I hope Jiyoonie’s doing well.” Soojin said as she flipping the meat on the grill.

“Yeah, she told me last time that her anxiety’s becoming weaker day by day. I hope we get to perform with her soon.” Soeun said, recalling their conversation with Jiyoon on the phone.

“You can bet on it. Our composer-nim’s built like a tank. She’ll pull through this.” Soojin replied. The leader fully knows her members’ capabilities and she is confident in Jiyoon’s willpower.

Soeun agreed with that. Jiyoon is one strong young lady. She just wants Jiyoon to be better. If she could just share her burden, Soeun would do so in a heartbeat. Every Weeekly member is precious to each of them and they would do anything and everything for one another.

“Boop.”

Soeun’s thoughts were interrupted by Soojin’s finger poking her cheek. She then later felt the latter’s lips touch her cheek.

“Let’s eat?” Soojin invited, sitting down beside her.

Over at Bundang-gu, Jiyoon had just bid her parents goodbye. She was going to the dorm to check up on them. Locking the gate, Jiyoon went to wait for a cab by the main road. She wanted to take a cab instead of having the company pick her up. This way gives Jiyoon a sense of normalcy, making her feel like an ordinary person.

Flagging down a passing cab, Jiyoon told the driver to head to IST Entertainment. From there, a manager would take her to the dorm.

“IST Entertainment huh? Oh… Are you an idol young lady?” The driver, an elderly old man gently asked.

Jiyoon told him yes, she was an idol and she’d appreciate if he’d keep mum about it.

“I…I recognize you! You’re Shin Jiyoon, right? Oh, my granddaughter absolutely loves you!” The old man excitedly told her, recognizing her when she took off her cap and face mask.

How could the old man not recognize Jiyoon when his granddaughter’s room is basically decorated with her posters and merchandise?

“Oh. I’m really happy to hear that ahjussi. Thank you.” Jiyoon courteously said.

The old man then went on to share that his granddaughter was a music student and that Jiyoon was a huge inspiration for her. Jiyoon’s song My Earth greatly helped her during a rough patch in school. It was clear that the granddaughter greatly looked up to her.

He finished the story just in time as they pulled up to the entertainment company.

“My apologies for rambling on too much… Its not everyday I meet my sunshine’s idol.” The old man said with an apologetic smile.

Smiling, Jiyoon told him to wait for a minute. Agreeing, Jiyoon briskly walked inside the building. She came out about seven minutes later with a couple of items. The taxi driver opened the front passenger door for her.

“Please give this to your granddaughter with my regards.” Jiyoon said with a smile.

Nodding, the old man saw that it was a couple of signed albums and a set of photocards, all of them signed by Jiyoon along with a note that says:

“Keep on making good music! I hope to work with you soon! Fighting!”

The old man tearfully thanked Jiyoon for this. He initially refused payment, saying that he had to bring this to his granddaughter right away. Eventually, Jiyoon was able to pay him, waving at the kindly old man as he peeled out of the building’s driveway.

As she walked back to the building, Jiyoon felt lighter. The anxiety she felt seemingly disappearing knowing that she has unknowingly lit a strong fire within a future musician.

And it felt good.

Moments later, Jiyoon was at the dorm. Entering, she was found Monday sifting through gifts her fans sent her. Currently, she was busy setting up the PS5 that she got, but she wasn’t making good progress as she couldn’t make heads or tails of the manual.

“What’s up?” Jiyoon asked, offering her help.

Yelping, Monday spun around to find Jiyoon. She had instantly wrapped her member in a tight hug as she screamed with joy. She was happy to finally see Jiyoon after her hiatus due to anxiety.

“How’re you doing?! Are you back for reals?” Jimin asked with a wide smile.

“Uh… I’m doing really good. Thanks to a fan. I just dropped by to check up on you guys. Where are the others by the way?” Jiyoon told Monday whose shoulders drooped slightly upon learning that Jiyoon wasn’t really going back to the dorm yet.

“I understand. Do take time to heal, okay? We’ll be waiting for you no matter what.” Monday said, assuring Jiyoon.

“Oh yeah, they all went to various places. Soeun and Soojin disappeared…they probably got married or something. Soeun was blushing like a bride earlier. Jaehee, Zoa, and Jihan went to the mall to roam around.” Monday narrated.

“Eh? You left Jaehee alone with Zoa and Jihan?” Jiyoon asked, surprised.

“Well…I wanted to follow. I just came back from my parent’s house. Thing is, they aren’t picking up their phones.” Monday replied.

Nodding, Jiyoon and Monday went back to setting up the PS5 which took only about nine minutes with Jiyoon’s assistance. They were now playing a game together; it was a racing game that came along with the console.

Hours later, a someone knocked on the door. Jimin went up to answer it.

“JIMINNIE!” Jaehee yelled as she saw Jimin open the door, rushing to hug her. Surprised, Jimin hugged back as she walked back to give way to the others.

“JIYOONIE!” Zoa and Jihan screamed as they saw Jiyoon looking at them from the couch with the chipmunk smile that they all loved. Like Jimin, she was swarmed with hugs from the two.

Together, the five girls got up to prepare dinner. Jaehee gave Jimin the shoes that she bought for her.

“Wow…our pairs match.” Jimin said, realizing that the pairs of shoes were designed for couples as the designed complemented each other.

Smiling, the couple then went to help with the three in cooking. They were going to have dinner together and Jiyoon would go back home a little after that. They had cooked portions for Soojin and Soeun in case they came back earlier than expected.

About two hours later, the five girls had finished eating and were now watching a movie on the television set. Just as the movie reached its , Soeun and Soojin finally showed up.

“Where did the two of you go? You guys just disappeared earlier.” Jaehee asked.

“To the mountains.” Soojin replied cryptically with a smile, sitting beside Jiyoon.

She and Soeun hugged her and asked how Jiyoon was doing. They were both relieved that Jiyoon was finally on the way to total recovery and they expressed excitement to work with her soon. Jimin got up and examined both of Soeun and Soojin’s hands.

“What’s going on?” Soeun curiously asked.

“Looking for your rings.” Jimin asked which only added to Soeun’s confusion.

“I mean you two did get married right?” Jimin asked.

This caused both Soeun and Soojin to laugh uncontrollably.

“No, we did not. We had a date in the mountains. Like a picnic.” Soojin explained.

Still, Jimin remained adamant and told the pair that they were just hiding it. The bickering continued for a few more minutes until Jiyoon had to interrupt.

“I… hate to disrupt this interrogation but my dad’s here to pick me up.” Jiyoon said after getting off the phone.

Deciding that it was an investigation for another day, Monday relented and joined in the others to accompany Jiyoon downstairs. Reaching the ground floor, they escorted Jiyoon to her father. They also thanked him for raising and protecting Jiyoon.

The six remaining members waited until Jiyoon’s family car was out of sight before going back up to their dorm.

Tired and beat, they had all cleaned up and got ready for bed.

“Tomorrow?” Soojin told Soeun.

Soeun nodded and hugged Soojin before she got dragged by Hyewon and Jihan inside their room.

Chuckling, Soojin went into hers while Jaehee went into Monday’s room to sleep for the night.

Soojin brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas before getting on her bed. Not yet fully drowsy, she decided to browse on various sites to look at stuff the daileees make for them. Soojin found the TikTok edits their fans made to be particularly interesting. She liked one video where Soeun was depicted to be her bride. A beautiful idea, Soojin thought.

Eventually, her eyelids grew heavier and she decided to go to sleep. Texting Soeun goodnight, she shut her phone off and slept.

Everything was fine until it was a quarter past one in the morning. Soojin was woken up by a strange scraping sound. It was as if someone was dragging chains on the floor as they walked by. Brushing it off, Soojin tried to go back to sleep.

Unsuccessful after trying for about half an hour, Soojin decided to get up and get her phone and air pods. She needed to sleep as she and Soeun had a scheduled activity tomorrow morning. As Soojin got up, she noticed a presence.

Someone was standing at the corner of her room. The figure was way too tall to be human as its head even touched the ceiling and was craned downwards. The black visage was staring at Soojin from the way its head is positioned.

Soojin froze at the sight and tried to rationalize what was happening. It couldn’t be Monday, Jaehee wouldn’t let her out of arm’s reach. Nor could her other members, they weren’t that tall. Even Monday wasn’t that tall.

Due to sheer panic, Soojin yelped and flung the door open, running out of the room. She then slammed the door shut hoping that it would isolate the being inside her room. In her sleep-deprived mind, her body was on auto-pilot to the nearest safe haven. She found herself knocking on Soeun’s door.

The door opened about ten seconds later and Soojin rushed in.

“Jagi what’s happening?” Soeun asked as she yawned, brushing the sleep from her eyes.

“I…there’s someone in my room. I think it’s a ghost.” Soojin said out of breath.

Fully jolting awake, Soeun dragged Soeun to her bed. This woke up Hyewon and Zoa who would always sleep beside Soeun.

“Unnie what’s going on?” Zoa sleepily asked.

“Soojinnie’s room is haunted. Could you and Jihan transfer over to the other bed for the night?” Soeun asked.

Zoa understood and woke up Jihan, helping her to the other bed. The pair immediately fell back asleep after that. Soojin laid beside Soeun as she draped her comforters over their heads.

“So, the ghost won’t see us.” Soeun said with a cheeky grin.

The fear Soojin felt earlier was surprisingly gone when she saw Soeun’s smile. Pulling closer towards her, Soeun hugged Soojin. Comforting her, assuring her that everything would be okay.

“You’re safe here.” Soeun said before kissing Soojin’s forehead.

“I… I know.” Soojin said as she fell asleep in Soeun’s arms.

The following day, the members discussed various things over breakfast. Monday mentioned seeing a black figure inside Soojin’s room yesterday in the morning. She had gone in to investigate the strange banging sound inside the leader’s room.

“I…I saw that too! Last night! I ran out of my room in fear.” Soojin said, surprised that she wasn’t the only one who saw the figure. She was also relieved to know that because it assured her that she wasn’t seeing things.

They then decided to raise the matter to their managers when they get here to pick them up for their activities.

As Soojin and the members ate, she couldn’t make herself dislike the ghost.

It had gotten her a night together with her beloved Soeun after all.