~𝟭𝟰~

                                    

                                          
(First person, Ava's perspective)
I woke up with a strange feeling in my stomach. It was still early, so I decided to go to the training area. It always seemed to keep my mind off of things. Not surprisingly, it was empty. I grabbed a role of tape off the floor and started wrapping my hands. I was just about finished when I heard the door open. I turned around and smiled. Seungmin stood there, his hair standing up in strange places. He was standing there is a dinosaur-print onesie. I giggled as he tried to hide behind the door.
"What are you doing up so early?" I asked after my giggles passed.
"I could ask you the same thing. Couldn't sleep, could you?"
"Yeah. I'm just stressed for tonight."
"Why? I'm sure everything will be fine. You beat six out of the eight of us. This will be a breeze."
"If you say so."
I handed him the tape and went to the nearest punching bag. I started lightly tapping it, the adrenaline surging through my veins faster and faster. There was a time when I stopped, and I realized Seungmin had been watching me. 
"You know, I never thought I would find a girl who does this better than I do."
"That's a bit sexist of you," I said with a smirk.
"I don't mean it that way at all, you just really are good. Now I understand why Chan wants you on the team so badly."
He took a seat on a bench, and I sat down next to him. His eyes were glued to the still-swinging punching bag. I looked at his side-profile, and I noticed an indescribable sadness in his eyes.
"Hey, you okay?"
He nodded but wouldn't look at me. My eyes fell to his hands, his fingers playing with the tape I handed him earlier. I gently took the tape from his hands. Then, with much hesitation and internal debate, I took his hand in mine. I gently squeezed his fingers, then moved my hand away to take off the tape still stuck to my skin. Instead, he held on tighter, rubbing his thumb over my hand. I looked up at him and saw a tear make its way over his cheek. 
"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's okay... Uhm... Is there... Something I can do for you?"
He shook his head, tears still slowly crawling down his face. So, I just sat with him. My fingers brushing over his every now and then. His breathing slowed down after a while, the tears slowly coming to a stop. He took in a shaky breath.
"Thanks. For staying. For caring. For being... you. Please never change."
"Okay. I'll try. Hey, you want to help me make breakfast? The rest of the boys will probably get up soon."
"Sure. Sounds fun."
...
It was strange to me how Seungmin was comfortable enough to cry in front of me. What was even more strange to me was how the other boys reacted around me. For one, they wouldn't talk to me. It was like they were trying to avoid me. They also seemed to hide their faces from me. I noticed they all had red, puffy eyes. As the day progressed, it got worse and worse. It became obvious they were walking circles around me. It worried me. More than it probably should have. I had tried to ask about it, but they would just talk their way around it. By the time the sun had started setting, I had given up.
I took a shower and sat on my bed, my wet hair sticking to my neck and shoulders. I gently picked up the package I had gotten the day before. I opened it slowly to reveal a piece of dark green fabric. I gently curled my fingers in underneath the silky dress, lifting it out of the box. To my surprise, a pair of silver heels rested underneath it. I slowly unfolded the dress, admiring it. I laid it down on my bed and got up to dry my hair.
When I was finished, I gently lifted the fabric again. It shimmered in the late afternoon light shining through my windows. I slipped it on, the silk soft on my skin. The bodice was fitted, slightly hugging my curves. The neckline started about four fingers underneath my collarbones, making a gentle curve upward into the thin straps. The back dipped low, showcasing more skin than I would usually want. On my hips, the fabric flared out slightly, draping down onto the floor. There was a slit up the right leg, about halfway up my thigh. I gently rubbed my fingers over the bodice. It fit perfectly. I slipped on the heels and started on my hair. I kept it simple, tying half of it up and leaving the rest hanging over my back to hide my scars, leaving a few loose curls to hang next to my face. I rummaged through the drawers of my nightstand and found what I was looking for. A box with jewellery my mother gave me. I found a silver hairpin, the metal's gentle curves hiding tiny diamonds. I pinned it into my hair and found a pair of dangly earrings to match. 
I dusted on some light makeup and headed downstairs. Chan, Lee Know and Felix were in the living room, helping each other with their ties. As they heard me coming down the stairs, they looked up at me. All three pairs of eyes landed on me and grew wide, making me blush. I went to stand with them. 
"You guys look amazing. Who knew what a change the suits would make?" I said, brushing fluff off of Felix's shoulder and straightening Chan's tie.
"You look..."
"What? Strange? Uncomfortable?"
"Breath-taking," Lee Know finished. I felt my face heat up and looked down. He gently nudged my arm and gave me his signature smirk. I laughed.
As the rest of the boys came downstairs, showers of compliments came my way. By the time they were finished, I was beet red. The limo came to pick us up and I went to follow the boys outside when Chan pulled me aside.
"Whatever happens tonight, I just want you to know that it'll be okay. Everything will be fine. And I'll miss you. We all will."
I smiled sadly at him, hugging him tight. When we pulled away, I felt a tear roll over my cheek. Chan gently wiped it away with his thumb.
"None of that. We can't have you ruining your makeup with tears, now can we?"
I giggled. He held open the car door for me when we got there. I shifted into my seat, him shifting in next to me before taking my hand. He gently slipped a ring onto my middle finger. I ran my finger over it, feeling the stone give way when I touched it. Not a second later, a buzz reverberated from every single wrist inside the car, excluding the driver. 
"I got you this so you can contact us if anything goes wrong. It's connected to our comms. Our commander told us to wear them, so I thought: why not?"
I pressed the stone again, hearing the vibrations. It eased the growing feeling in my stomach. I had been feeling strange since that morning, but I didn't know why. Turns out, it was fate trying to warn me of what was to come.