The mansion had a quiet hum to it these days. Andrea's absence had left a noticeable void, and everyone dealt with it in their own way. For Victoria, it meant keeping herself busy and leaning into the people around her. If she couldn't hear Andrea's voice or laugh, she'd find comfort in the team they'd both grown to love.
The sun streamed through the mansion windows, casting a warm glow over the living room where Mark was strumming his guitar. He seemed lost in his own world, humming softly as his fingers moved effortlessly over the strings. Victoria walked in, her curiosity piqued as she plopped onto the couch beside him.
"Whatcha playing, Bieber boy?" she teased, a smirk tugging at her lips.
Mark stopped mid-strum, giving her an amused side-eye. "Bieber boy? Really? That's what we're going with?"
Victoria shrugged innocently. "I call it like I see it."
Mark chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, if I'm Bieber boy, what does that make you? Flo Vivi?"
Victoria grinned. "Obviously. I'm the CEO of Flo Milli appreciation."
Mark leaned back, placing the guitar on the couch beside him. "So, what are we listening to? Should I serenade you with some Bieber classics?"
Victoria rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her amusement. "Please don't. But if you must, 'Confident' is the only acceptable option."
Mark's eyes lit up. "Oh, now you're giving me requests? Don't tempt me—I'll make it a whole performance."
Before she could retort, he grabbed the guitar again and launched into an impromptu rendition of "Confident." His voice wasn't Bieber-level, but it was surprisingly good, and Victoria couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, okay, stop," she said between giggles, holding up a hand. "I'm gonna die of secondhand embarrassment."
Mark smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Admit it—you're impressed."
Victoria shook her head, trying to keep a straight face. "You're lucky you can sing, or that would've been tragic."
Mark set the guitar aside, his expression softening. "You know, you're not as intimidating as you pretend to be."
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, you've got the whole tough, no-nonsense vibe going on," Mark explained, his tone light. "But deep down, you're actually really... kind. You're always looking out for everyone."
Victoria blinked, caught off guard by his sincerity. "Uh... thanks, I guess."
Mark smiled, his gaze holding hers for a moment longer than necessary. "You're welcome. And for the record, I think 'Bieber boy' suits me."
Victoria rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed slightly. "You're impossible."
+++++++
Later, Victoria joined Renjun in the art room. The walls were lined with canvases of all sizes, and the faint scent of paint filled the air. Renjun was hunched over a canvas, his brush moving with precise strokes.
"What are you working on?" Victoria asked, pulling up a stool beside him.
Renjun glanced at her, a small smile on his lips. "Just... processing. Painting helps."
Victoria nodded, her gaze flicking to a nearby sketchpad. "Do you mind if I...?"
"Go ahead," Renjun said, his voice gentle.
She opened the sketchpad, pulling out a pencil and starting to draw. Her lines were quick but deliberate, shapes forming into rough designs. Renjun leaned over, curious.
"You're designing wrestling gear?" he asked, tilting his head.
Victoria grinned. "Yeah. For Andrea, Jaemin, and Ethan. You think Drea would eat this up?"
Renjun studied the design—a sleek black and green ensemble with intricate details. "Definitely. She'd love it."
Victoria's smile faltered slightly as she thought of Andrea but quickly refocused on the designs. She and Renjun worked quietly but comfortably, the act of creating easing some of the emotions weighing them down.
+++++++
The kitchen was a flurry of chaos as Victoria ushered Chenle and Jisung inside, shoving aprons into their hands. The boys exchanged wary glances, clearly skeptical of the situation.
"What are we even making?" Chenle asked, eyeing the countertop covered in flour and chocolate chips.
"Cookies," Victoria announced, tying her own apron. "Because everyone loves cookies, and you two need cheering up."
Jisung groaned, holding up the apron like it was a foreign object. "Why do I have to wear this?"
"Because," Victoria said, grabbing a mixing bowl, "if you're gonna bake with me, you have to look the part."
Chenle snickered, tying his apron with exaggerated flair. "Alright, Chef Victoria. Lead the way."
As they got to work, the kitchen quickly descended into a mix of laughter and playful chaos. Chenle was tasked with measuring ingredients, but his "eyeballing" technique left Victoria glaring at him as he dumped an unholy amount of flour into the bowl.
"Chenle!" she scolded, waving a measuring cup at him. "We're baking, not making a snowstorm!"
"What?" Chenle said innocently. "It's fine. Flour's the same thing as sugar, right?"
Jisung groaned, burying his face in his hands. "We're gonna die."
"Relax," Victoria said, taking the bowl from Chenle. "I'll fix it. You two are officially demoted to sous-chefs."
Despite the mishaps, the cookies eventually made it into the oven. As the sweet aroma filled the kitchen, the boys seemed to relax, their earlier sadness momentarily forgotten.
"You're good at this," Jisung said quietly as he watched Victoria clean up the counter.
"At baking?" Victoria asked with a smirk.
"At... making us feel better," Jisung admitted, his voice soft.
Victoria's expression softened as she glanced between the two of them. "That's what older sisters are for."
Chenle grinned. "I guess you're not so bad, Vi."
Victoria laughed, nudging him playfully. "I'm amazing. Don't forget it."
+++++++
That evening, Victoria and Jeno retreated to the media room, their arms full of snacks as they settled in for a Marvel movie marathon.
"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.