+ MISSION HUH? +

+CHAPTER 37+

"Alright," Jeno said, holding up two DVDs. "Iron Man or Avengers?"

"Iron Man," Victoria replied without hesitation. "But let's go with Avengers today. It's got everything."

As the movie played, Victoria found herself relaxing, the weight of the week temporarily lifted. Jeno's running commentary—picking apart every plot hole and bad CGI—kept her laughing.

"This is good," Jeno said during the credits. "We needed this."

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. We did."

+++++++

Victoria knocked on Haechan's door later that evening, peeking inside to find him sitting on the floor, headphones on as he scrolled through his playlist. He glanced up, pulling off the headphones with a curious look.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Music session," Victoria said, holding up her phone. "Care to join me?"

Haechan grinned, his usual spark returning for a moment. "Always. What are we starting with?"

Victoria smirked. "Flo Milli."

Haechan groaned dramatically, falling back onto the floor. "Why did I even ask?"

"Because you love me," Victoria quipped, plugging her phone into the speaker. As the opening beats of a Flo Milli track filled the room, she started swaying to the music.

Haechan propped himself up on his elbows, shaking his head. "Okay, okay. My turn." He grabbed the speaker and switched the song to "Beat it."

Victoria couldn't help but laugh as Haechan jumped to his feet, dancing dramatically. "Really? MJ?"

"Michael is a legend," Haechan said, spinning in place. "You're just jealous of my moves."

Victoria rolled her eyes, but her grin widened. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Haechan Jackson."

The playful banter continued, the music filling the room as they traded songs and laughter. For a moment, the heaviness hanging over the mansion didn't feel quite so suffocating.

+++++++

Later, Victoria found Jaemin in the garden, his gaze fixed on the night sky. She approached quietly, sitting beside him on the bench.

"Want to talk?" she asked softly.

Jaemin hesitated, then nodded. "I just... I feel like I've failed her."

Victoria frowned. "You mean Drea?"

"Yeah," Jaemin said, his voice cracking slightly. "I should've told Daiyu off sooner. I should've protected Andrea. I should've—"

"Stop," Victoria said firmly, placing a hand on his arm. "You did what you could. And you finally stood up to Daiyu. I'm proud of you."

Jaemin blinked, his eyes glassy. "You are?"

"Of course," Victoria said. "You did the right thing."

Jaemin exhaled shakily, his shoulders relaxing. "Thank you."

Victoria smiled. "Also, Johnny texted me. Andrea's with him, and she's safe. You don't have to worry about her. Or Sujin."

Jaemin nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That's... good to hear."

+++++++

Late that night, Victoria wandered into the lounge to find Ethan flipping through wrestling documentaries on the TV. He looked up as she entered, raising an eyebrow.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

Victoria shook her head, flopping onto the couch beside him. "Not really. What are you watching?"

"Old wrestling docs," Ethan said, gesturing to the screen. "You interested?"

"Always," Victoria replied, her tone warming. "Wrestling was my life growing up."

Ethan paused the documentary, turning to her with genuine curiosity. "Yeah? Who were your favorites?"

Victoria leaned back, a wistful smile on her face. "Roman Reigns, Trick Williams, AJ Lee, Naomi, CM Punk, and the Usos. They were everything to me."

Ethan nodded approvingly. "Solid picks."

"I used to dream about being in the ring," Victoria continued, her voice soft. "Andrea and I would reenact matches in the living room. She always won, of course. She was better at the trash talk."

Ethan chuckled. "I can see that."

Victoria hesitated, then glanced at him. "You know... you were on that list too."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Victoria said, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Andrea and I used to talk about how cool it would be to see you wrestle live."

Ethan smiled, his expression softening. "Well, you might get that chance soon."

Victoria frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I've got a match against Trick on Monday Night Raw," Ethan said, his grin widening. "In Seoul. And Jaeda already gave the green light for all of you to come. Front row."

Victoria's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Serious as a championship match," Ethan replied.

Victoria gasped, her excitement bubbling over. "Ethan, that's—thank you!"

Ethan laughed, patting her shoulder. "You're welcome."

Later, as Victoria lay in bed, she typed the news into a text for Andrea. Her messages, as always, went unanswered. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, a lump forming in her throat.

Dr. Dre 💚

ethan was scheduled a match against trick tomorrow night on raw

they're here in seoul and its gonna my first time seeing trick in person

ethan wants us all to come front row

even jaeda made an exception to let us get out of this area just to go

i really wish u were here

we were supposed to see this together

its like me vs you

your dream match

all we ever wanted

This was their dream match—the one they'd talked about for years. But Victoria would be witnessing it without her best friend.

The realization hit her like a wave, and she buried her face into her pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried herself to sleep.