Hell–nothing but hell. Danielle curses under her breath, the words barely audible even to her. Even amidst the roaring applause of fans and fellow idols alike, her group’s name booming on the loudspeakers pricks her eardrums like needles.
Danielle dreads the walkway; nothing runs through her mind except forcing herself to keep her eyes forward, eyes forward, for the love of God, eyes forward. "Ignore her, please Dani," she pleads to herself, "please, just this once, be strong, ignore her."
"Hey," Wonyoung says, sorting her skirt as she gets up from her chair, "Dani."
Danielle shuts her eyes as tight as she can before turning to face her. "H-hi, Wonyoung."
She jokes, "Brrr, that's cold. What happened to 'Wonnie?'" A smile takes over her face, warm but still cautious.
"Wonyoung, please. Now's not the time for that."
"Right, sorry," and her expression fades to match Danielle's. "I just... wanted to say hi."
"Hi," Danielle chokes out, as if each passing second another stake finds its way into her aching heart. A silence surrounds the both of them, and the sheer lack of movement becomes a barrier between the pair and the outside world. Their eyes lock in wait, suspended in a stalemate of who moves first, and Danielle is almost certain she’ll win, what with her hands taking on a ghastly cold sensation devoid of movement or control.
Wonyoung's hand reaches out, and Danielle flinches when it does. It's more pain than either can bear and still keep secret, especially in such a public place. Danielle almost recoils large enough for Minji to notice, but she’s able to keep it hidden for just long enough so that no alarms are raised.
Wonyoung eyes Danielle carefully, before finally deciding to concede. She bows like the strangers they've learned to become to each other, and as she retakes her seat, Danielle turns away for the last time. Wonyoung eyes her former love with envy; her knees still strong enough under her to walk away, while Wonyoung’s own almost clack together in their absurd lack of strength as she’s rejected again for the first time in months.
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