Sakura sat alone in the practice room, her knees pulled to her chest, fingers gripping the fabric of her sweatpants. The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the silence, but inside her mind, it was anything but quiet.
The hateful words echoed, relentless and cruel.
“She can’t sing."
“Why is she even an idol?"
“She can’t even sing or be pretty.”
“Someone get this girl a plane ticket back to Japan..”
Sakura pressed her hands over her ears as if she could physically block them out, but they were already engraved too deeply into her thoughts.
She had been practicing for hours, running the same vocal exercises over and over, but no matter how hard she tried, it never felt good enough. Fear sat heavy in her chest, choking her.
What if she opened her mouth on stage and proved them right?
Her breath hitched, and the tears she had been holding back spilled over, silent at first, then shaking her shoulders as sobs wracked her small frame.
She hated this. She hated how scared she felt.
The door creaked open.
"Sakura?"
She barely had time to wipe at her eyes before Yunjin was kneeling beside her, her warm presence grounding, her brows furrowed with concern.
Sakura tried to force a smile, but Yunjin saw right through it.
"Hey," Yunjin said softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of Sakura’s hair behind her ear. "What’s wrong?"
Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "It’s nothing. I just…" Her voice wavered. "I don’t think I can do this."
Yunjin frowned, tilting her head. "Do what?"
Sakura hesitated, then whispered, "..Sing..”
A flicker of understanding passed through Yunjin’s eyes, and she exhaled, sitting down beside Sakura. She didn’t rush her, didn’t tell her she was being ridiculous. Instead, she let the silence sit between them for a moment before speaking.
"You know," Yunjin said, her voice gentle, "I hear those comments too."
Sakura blinked, turning to her. "But you… You’re amazing."
Yunjin smiled, but there was something sad in it. "That doesn’t mean I don’t get scared. It doesn’t mean I don’t hear the hate." She reached for Sakura’s hand, squeezing it lightly. "But if you let them take your voice from you, then they win."
Sakura’s eyes burned again, but this time, it wasn’t just from sadness—it was from the realization that Yunjin understood.
Yunjin tugged her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You love music, right?"
Sakura nodded hesitantly.
"Then let yourself love it. Forget the rest. Forget them." Yunjin pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes, her expression fierce now. "And if you ever feel like this again, come to me. You’re not alone, okay?"
Sakura let out a shaky breath but nodded.
Yunjin smiled. "Good. Now, come on. Let’s sing together."
And for the first time in a long time, Sakura felt like maybe, just maybe, she could.