Chapter 27

the dorm was too quiet when they got back. not peaceful quiet. the kind of quiet that meant everyone was pretending not to wait.

manon sat at the kitchen table, staring into a mug gone cold. yoonchae hovered beside her, arms wrapped around herself. lara leaned against the counter, picking at the skin around her nails.

megan lay sprawled across the couch.

scrolling. she didn’t even look up when the door opened.

sophia didn’t bother taking her shoes off.

“you’re not going on hiatus,” she said.

manon’s head snapped up. hope lit her face so suddenly it was almost blinding.

“really?” dani closed the door behind them.

the sound echoed.

“yeah,” she said, as lightly as possible.

“they still needed someone to go on hiatus,” dani continued, voice steady only because she refused to let it shake.

the hope died just as fast.

yoonchae’s stomach dropped.

lara slowly stopped fidgeting.

megan sighed.

not sad.

annoyed.

“…okay?” she muttered.

dani swallowed. “it was me or manon.”

the mug slipped from manon’s hands and shattered across the tile.

no one reacted.

megan finally looked up.

her expression didn’t change.

then she snorted.

“you’re joking.”

“i’m not,” dani said quietly.

megan sat up, pushing her hair back.

“that’s actually insane,” she giggled. “like… who even asked you to do that?”

the words hit harder than yelling ever could.

manon made a broken sound beside them.

“why would you—”

“because she thinks she’s the main character,” megan cut in lightly.

dani froze.

sophia took a step forward. “watch it.”

but megan only shrugged. “what?” she said. “it’s true. no one told her to martyr herself. now we’re all supposed to cry and thank her?”

dani felt the heat crawl up her neck. “i didn’t do it for that,” she managed.

“obviously,” megan replied. “you did it because you like dramatic gestures.” she stood up now, stretching like she was bored.

“honestly, this makes things easier,” she added. “less tension. less weird shit.”

the room went dead. lara stared at megan like she’d just slapped someone.

yoonchae’s hands trembled. manon looked like she might collapse.

sophia’s voice dropped dangerously low. “she’s giving up her career.”

megan rolled her eyes. “it’s a hiatus, not a funeral.”

dani’s chest tightened. every unsaid feeling sat there like glass in her throat. manon finally whispered, “you didn’t have to do that…”

dani forced a small smile.

“yeah,” megan said, grabbing her phone again. “next time maybe try talking instead of doing something stupid.”

that was the moment dani understood. she hadn’t saved anything. she’d just made herself easier to leave behind. sophia spoke again. “she leaves tonight.”

megan didn’t even look up. “cool.”