𓍯14𓂃

It had been nearly a week of this-Minho trailing behind her, never saying a word, never getting too close but never staying far enough away to ignore. It wasn't subtle. He wasn't subtle. And Dove was so over it.

At first, she tried to pretend he didn't exist. That worked for about a day. Then it just started grating on her nerves, the constant weight of his presence behind her, the way he'd stop when she stopped, turn when she turned, hesitate when she glanced over her shoulder.

By the fifth day, she was done.

So when the final bell rang and the hallway emptied until it was just the two of them, she stopped dead in her tracks. Without turning around, she groaned dramatically and stomped her foot against the floor.

"Ugh! Fine!" she snapped, spinning on her heel to face him. "I want a peaceful life here in Korea, and your little stunt is not gonna stop me from doing it! So say what you have to say, and let's just end this once and for all!"

Minho stops in his tracks, looking like a deer caught in headlights. His mouth opens, then closes, like he's trying to find the right words, but keeps coming up short.

Dove exhales sharply, tapping her foot. "Well? You've been following me around like a lost puppy for days. Just say what you have to say so we can both move on."

Minho shifts uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I... I want to apologize."

Dove raises an eyebrow. "For what?"

Minho looks at her, frustrated but mostly at himself. "For everything. For how I ended things. For being an idiot. For-" He stops, inhaling deeply. "For hurting you."

Dove crosses her arms. "Took you long enough."

"I know." His voice is quiet, almost defeated. "I didn't know how to face you. I still don't."

Silence hangs between them. Minho looks like he wants to say more, but Dove just stares at him, waiting.

"I thought..." He hesitates, then shakes his head. "Never mind. You're right. I just needed to say it. I'm sorry, Dove."

Dove watches him for a long moment. Then, with a sigh, she says, "Okay."

Minho blinks. "Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay. You apologized." She shifts her bag on her shoulder. "Now stop being weird and following me around."

Minho lets out a soft laugh, but it's sad. "Right. Got it."

Dove turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him standing there alone.

For the first time in a week, Minho didn't follow.

So why did her chest feel heavier than before?

Dove's

As soon as I stepped into the dorm, I was met with Megan's voice from the kitchen area.

"Did you pick a song yet?" Megan asks, leaning against the counter with a mug in hand.

I sighed, dropping my bag by the door. "No."

Megan raises an eyebrow. "Dove, the performance is soon-"

"I know," I say, cutting her off as I flop onto the couch. Hyejin, who's sitting cross-legged on the floor with her laptop, looks up.

Megan joins them, perching on the armrest. "Then what have you been doing?"

I groaned, rubbing my temple. "Well, first, I ran into Minho."

Both of my roommates straighten. Hyejin narrows her eyes. "What happened?"

I sat on my bed, my legs crossed beneath me as I twisted the hem of my sweater, looking at Megan and Hyejin. I'd just finished explaining everything-the conversation with Minho, his apology, the whole mess. They were both quiet, watching me, probably waiting for me to say something else, something more. But I wasn't sure what else there was to say.

Finally, Megan broke the silence. "Wait... Minho actually apologized? For real?"

I nodded, not looking up from my hands. "Yeah. It was... weird."

Hyejin leaned back against the wall, folding her arms. "What do you mean weird?"

I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. "I don't know. It was like he was really sorry, but at the same time... I don't know. Part of me didn't believe it, and part of me wanted to."

Megan raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Him? Actually, I apologize?" She shook her head, half-laughing. "I'm still trying to picture it. That's a miracle in itself."

"Yeah," I agreed with a weak smile. "I didn't think he had it in him either."

Hyejin stayed quiet for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. "But how do you feel about it?"

I exhaled slowly, staring at my hands as I wrung the fabric tighter. "I don't know. It's just... I wasn't expecting it. I guess a part of me wants to forgive him, but it's hard to just forget everything that happened. I don't even know if I can trust him again."

Megan's eyes softened, and she leaned forward, her voice gentle. "Dove, you don't have to decide right away. I know you might feel like you should because he apologized, but it's okay to take your time. You don't owe him anything."

Hyejin nodded, her expression calm as always. "Yeah. You don't have to forgive him just because he said sorry. It's not about what he needs. It's about what you need."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, feeling a little lighter. "I guess I'm just scared. What if I do forgive him, and it's the wrong decision? What if I end up hurting myself more?"

Megan shrugged, her tone reassuring. "You won't know until you figure out what feels right. And if it's the wrong decision, you can always change your mind. No one's going to force you into anything."

Hyejin added quietly, "Whatever you choose, it should be for you. Not because you feel bad for him or because he's sorry. Just because it's what you want."

I looked up at them, feeling a warmth in my chest. They were right. I didn't have to rush into anything. It wasn't about making him feel better; it was about making sure I was okay.

"Thanks, guys," I said softly. "I didn't even realize how much I needed to hear that."

Megan grinned. "Anytime, girl. You know we've got your back."

Hyejin smiled too, a small but genuine one. "We'll be here, no matter what you decide."

I nodded, feeling a little more certain in my own skin. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had the space to breathe, to figure things out on my own terms.

We were sprawled out on the floor in the middle of our room, a random playlist playing quietly in the background as we chatted. Megan had her head resting on a pillow, Hyejin was staring at the ceiling, and I was just humming a tune, trying to distract myself from all the thoughts swirling around my head.

Then, at the same time, all three of our phones pinged. It was loud enough to break the silence, and we all froze, glancing at each other. We reached for our phones in perfect sync, a bit too eager. The moment I saw the notification on my screen, I gasped. It was a message from Minho.

Before I could even process it, Megan and Hyejin both gasped too, their phones lighting up with the same thing.

"Oh my god," Megan whispered, her eyes wide as she sat up staring at her phone in horror.

"Wait what?!" Hyejin exclaimed, eyes still on her phone as she sat up next.

"HUH?!" I exclaimed and sat up next with my eyes wide open, staring at the content currently on my phone.

"LIE!" All three of us exclaimed in unison.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

What do you think they saw?"

Also, Minho apologized!

Yayy

Do you think their ship will finally sail safely?

Also, a reminder!!

It's not gonna be the exact plot line of the original.