Path of Loneliness: Plush Delusion

“Oppa!” Wonyoung squeals as she crashes through the door. “Where are you at~”

“Here!”

“Where’s here!? That doesn't give me much to work with…” Wonyoung grumbles. You hear doors click open and shut as you hurriedly stuff and pack up the mess in the room.

“There you are!” Wonyoung says, pushing open the door gently. “Oppa, look! Isn't it cute?” Your face is flushed as you quickly turn your body around, hiding your hands behind. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” you deflect. She eyes you up and down, eyes thinning in suspicion. “You're red,” she says.

“I-I was just doing some… exercises! Yeah exercises! You know, jumping jacks and push ups?”

“Sure…” she says. “Anyway, do you see anything different?” Wonyoung stretches her arms out, posing before twirling around.

“First of all, c'mere,” you stretch your arms out wide in invitation. She smiles and falls into your embrace, melting against you instantly. “Missed you,” you whisper, wrapping your arms around her tight.

“Missed you too…” Wonyoung murmurs, trembling slightly in your arms. You grab on to her fragile shoulders and break the hug, looking into her eyes.

“How was practice today?”

“Long. The choreographer kept changing the counts. My legs are jelly.” Her eyes are laced with exhaustion, but they’re still dazzling bright. “But I’m home now.”

You smile and cup her cheeks, rubbing your thumb lightly under her languid eyes. “Come on, shower first, then fill your belly up. Everything else comes after.” Her tired expression lights at your words like you just offered her the moon.

“You're the best, Oppa~ But look what I got today!” She turns her body and shows you her bag. “Limited-edition Cinnamoroll keychain! Look at the little bow on his ear!” She holds it up like a trophy, the keychain swaying side to side. “There were only 300 sets online. I managed to snag the last one in my cart. If I was any later, I would've missed it.”

You reach out to lift the keychain, flipping it upside down and back, the chain clinking against the zipper of her bag from the movement. The small price tag that Wonyoung didn't remove hangs off to the side. ₩499,000.

“It’s cute,” you say, trying to look as neutral as possible. It is really cute. “Cinnamoroll is adorable. It's round and fluffy, and the small strawberry it's holding on to is so squishy.”

She looks at you happily, taking in all the praises that you're giving the keychain. “Right, right? I’ve been eyeing this since forever, and they finally released it~”

“But Wonyoungnie…”

“I know, I know,” she says quickly, taking her bag back. “I’ll stop. I promise. It’s just… practice was so hard the past few days, and the dorm and practice rooms felt empty after everyone left, and I’ve been practicing extra alone, and I saw it on the app and—”she trails off, looking down at the keychain.

“I thought it would make me feel better,” she finishes softly.

You tilt her chin up. “You don’t have to explain,” you say gently. “I just… I worry. The trip we keep pushing back. The funds aren't progressing… We’re building something together, baby.”

“I’m… sorry.” Her eyes droop down, glimmering with a slight glassiness.

You pull her into your arms again, rubbing against the back of her head softly. “No sorrys tonight. Go shower, I’ve cooked dinner. We’ll cuddle all night. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Wonyoung nods against your chest, sniffling a little. “Okay.” She disappears into the bathroom and you hear the water start. You head out of the room and stand at the door, taking in the pastel chaos around you.

Giant Cinnamoroll on the couch. Kuromi keychains dangling from her bag. A small mountain of blind-box figures on the shelf — Sonny Angel, Labubu, Pop Mart. The shelf is overflowing. The coffee table has a Rilakkuma throw blanket she bought last week. The bedroom dresser is half hidden under pastel stationery sets and tiny plush keychains.

It’s cute. It’s her. Wonyoung wouldn't be Wonyoung without them.

But it’s also approximately ₩10 million in the last three months. You sigh and walk towards the kitchen, taking out two Hello Kitty bowls. You turn off the stove and carry the pot to the dining table, setting it on the light yellow Pom Pom Purin silicone trivet. You retrieve another two sets of rice bowls and utensils from the same Hello Kitty dining set and fill the rice bowl with steaming hot rice from the rice cooker — graffiti-ed with numerous Tsum Tsum stickers.

Just as you're done, you set the kettle to boil some water, before squeezing some honey into a MINIVE Cherry mug.

“What's for dinner?” Wonyoung asks as she exits the bathroom, dabbing her hair dry. “Beef stew,” you say, pouring the hot water into the mug before stirring to make some warm honey water. You hold out the mug, passing it to Wonyoung as she settles into the dining table’s chair. She sips on the honey water as you scoop out a portion of beef stew, making sure to give her loads of flavourful and tender beef apart from the potato and carrot chunks.

“So…” you say, scooping your own share. “So, how's your day? Why are you doing overtime, and alone, at that?”

“Mmm. I gotta do my best. Comeback season is upon us, so we need to make sure we're maintaining the momentum.” Wonyoung says, scooping a piece of beef into her bowl to get some rice before putting it into her mouth. “It’s our second full album after all, and DIVEs are especially excited and hopeful. We wouldn't want to serve something disappointing.”

“How about the others? They're not doing overtime either?” you ask.

“They are, it's just me staying even later to practice more,” she says, savouring the hearty stew. “Y’know, I’m THE Jang Wonyoung. I can't afford to make any mistakes or screw anything up.” Her voice softens slightly. She puts down her spoon and turns to the side, reaching out to grab the Rilakkuma plushie sitting on a chair by the side. She places it right on her lap, hugging it tight as she continues to eat.

You just stay there, listening to her complaints as dinner continues: how her day went, and how she was tortured by their dance instructor (Yujin) to repeat the same moves for half a day. “Isn't it ridiculous? I mean, it's not Yujinnie’s fault that we don't have any dedicated dance instructor, but sometimes she's just too harsh during practices.”

You pick up the empty bowls on the table as Wonyoung stuffs the last piece of beef in the pot into her mouth and turn to the sink. “Well, she's the leader of the group, so she's technically carrying the burden of you six.” You squeeze some detergent onto the sponge, scrubbing the sauce stains off the bowls. “You do have to give it to her. It's been what, four years? Maintaining this degree of dedication even though she's not a professional instructor?”

“I know… It's just, I sometimes blame myself for being unable to do well, and we six have to repeat something until I get it right. And that’s why I stay to work harder and try harder.” Wonyoung says, sinking her chin into the Rilakkuma plushie’s shoulder as she looks at your back. “I don't like being a burden.”

You turn on the tap and rinse the soapy foam off the bowls, exposing and cleaning Hello Kitty’s face on the plate. “I know, Wonyoungnie…” She rambles on what happened for the rest of the day as you finish washing the dishes.

“You full?” you ask.

“Yep,” she says, rubbing her palm in circles on her small belly.

“Then it's time for cuddles~” you murmur and smile, drying your hands on the handtowel. You walk towards her and reach out to grab her hand gently, guiding her to the couch.

She climbs onto the couch and crawls into your lap without asking, burying her face in your neck. In her arms is the plushie from the earlier, and another larger Rilakkuma plushie, both squashed underneath her arms. You wrap your arms around her and rub slow circles on her back.

She sighs a long, shaky breath.

“Better?” you ask.

“Much better,” she mumbles. “You’re warmer than any plushie.”

You kiss the top of her head. “That’s because I stay.”

She nods and snuggles closer. You turn on the TV, switching to some romance drama that she likes. Seemingly turned on by the romance show’s kissing scene, she turns to smooch your cheek. But her eyes linger — it looks hungry and almost desperate — as if she's chasing the feeling the drama promises: someone who stays. A switch flips. She dives right into your lips. The next thing you know, she's straddling your hips, undressing and taking you into her. She grinds and bounces on you until she orgasms, to which you grunt and release into her as well.

Wonyoung collapses onto you, hugging you tight as you rub her shoulder with your free palm, tapping her back rhythmically until she falls asleep. You’re still buried in her, cheek pressed to your chest, breathing slow and even.

You don’t move. You just hold her there and stare at the shelf of plushies across the room. They’re all smiling.

But they’re silent.

You don’t reach for a plushie to fill the space. You don’t need to. She’s already holding the only thing that truly keeps the quiet away.

You take a deep breath and reach for the remote, turning off the TV, before gently carrying her to the room in bridal style. You lay beside her, fingers playing with her bangs as you slowly drift off to sleep as well.