Chapter Text
Mi-Yeong was acting differently.
When she and Celine first crossed paths, she noted that the girl tended to be shy. While Celine and Hana handled fan interactions with ease, Ryu would stammer, and lead hers with chaos.
Despite all of that— Celine likes to think she knew Mi-Yeong for who she truly was.
Kind
Considerate
Generous
Honest…
This is why Celine couldn’t help but feel that Mi-Yeong was hiding something from them.
Celine didn’t complain when Mi-Yeong suddenly announced her pregnancy. Celine didn’t complain when it she was forced to announce that the Sunlight Sisters had to go on an indefinite hiatus. Celine didn’t complain when she felt tears appearing in the Honmoon. Nor, did she complain when her bandmate gave birth to a suspiciously beautifully purple-haired baby.
The residence of the Sunlight Sisters was quiet. Celine stalked out of her bed into the living room. There she saw Hana— who was lying passed-out on their couch. The press tours for her upcoming solo album had definitely taken a lot out of her.
She decided she couldn't complain much. Someone had to upkeep the image of the Sunlight Sister’s for the Honmoon’s sake.
From the living room, she stopped at Mi-Yeong’s door. Celine and Hana made a habit of frequently checking in on their friend through her pregnancy. Whether it was with her comfort foods or a corny movie, the girls promised her they’d be there.
But after she went into labor? Her door remained closed.
With a firm grip, Celine quietly made her way into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Despite Miyeong’s mild personality at times, her room was anything but. Bright pinks and blues bathed her ceilings in the form of glow-in-the-dark stars and butterflies. Her desktop was cluttered— no doubt due to the numerous manuals and paperwork she collected from being a Sunlight Sister and a first-time mom.
Celine stared exasperated at the bed. Despite being well into the night, Mi-Yeong's bed was clearly empty. The girl didn’t even make an attempt to make the bed seem full! She brought a slow hand down on the sheets. Cold.
'We’ve been through everything together for years! Why now is she acting so… distant?!?' Celine knew she was far from perfect. The outside world knew her as the bold and classy leader of the Sunlight Sisters. Mi-Yeong and Hana would constantly refute and tease that she was anything but. 'Does she not think I care anymore?'
Being around her bandmates 24/7 when they were younger made her realize that she would have to be the responsible one out of the bunch. Hana was a jack-of-all-trades and far too spontaneous for her own good (one time she’d agreed to join Hana on a “nice day out”. Never again. She didn’t know that included spending 15 hours away from the house).
On the other hand, Mi-Yeong would work herself until her body gave out. Celine could remember countless times where Mi-Yeong would appear dead on her feet from overdoing weapon training or choreography the night before.
Undoubtedly, Celine was the most anxious one in the group. Even before becoming a hunter, she’s had close encounters with demons.
(She would never forget the eyes of her father, who's body was slowly going slack. Sharp— blue light had sprung from behind her and took her father hostage. The man she grew to depend on faded from her sight before she could breathe. Only the sight of a glowing arrow made her remember to scream).
These encounters made her realize that fighting these demons was life OR death. Of course; the Honmoon must have realized the same thing. Training to become a demon hunter early on in her life allowed her to be better— know better. She learned how to act leisurely even if the situation demanded otherwise.
Maybe that’s why she was struggling so hard right now…
A soft coo broke Celine from her thoughts. Inside the pastel purple bassinet lay Mi-Yeong’s daughter, Rumi. The girl had unmistakably natural purple hair. It was simple, but science considered? It was absolutely absurd.
Celine had never gotten the chance to verbalize her concerns regarding Rumi’s birth. At the time, Celine and Hana could only stay by Mi-Yeong’s side— cursing the deadbeat who left the two girls behind.
To think of it now… she’s never seen much of Rumi. It could’ve been far too early to tell, but the 3-month-old didn’t look much like her mother at all.
Eyebrows are slightly fuller.
Her eyes were slightly darker— and bigger.
Even her nose didn’t look like Mi-Yeong’s.
'I’m going crazy.'
Celine clung to the window. The streets below were dark, only the moonlight from above providing light on nearby structures.
It’s freezing outside! What could she possibly be doing?
.
.
Mi-Yeoung was out there.
In her trace-like state, Celine shuffled through Mi-Yeoung’s closet. Finally, she settled on a black fur-lined jacket that looked thick enough.
Gripping the window frame, Celine climbed out and slid into the night.