Caught Between Four Beast Idols

The restaurant was filled with murmurs of disapproval as a patron's voice rose above the rest.

"How dare you stain my designer dress?! Don't you have eyes?!"

The woman's sharp tone cut through the air like a blade. Jin Ahri, who was dressed in a wrinkled waitress outfit stood frozen. Her long midnight hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, strands slipping free to frame her pale, worn-out face. She bowed her head low, her voice trembling with exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I tripped and fell—"

"Tripped and fell?" the woman scoffed, inspecting the wine stain with disdain. "Humans—weak, clumsy, and utterly useless. It's pathetic."

The insult stung, but Jin Ahri bit her lip, refusing to lift her gaze.

The patron's eyes narrowed as she read Jin Ahri's name tag. A mocking smirk spread across her face.

"Jin Ahri... Wait, I know that name." A cruel realization dawned on her. "Oh, you're that failure wannabe actress from KC Entertainment!" She let out a shrill laugh. "Humans can dream all they want, but they'll never reach the stars."

Jin Ahri clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving crescents of pain.

'That same prejudice again? I'm tired of hearing it!'

Before she could respond, the restaurant owner arrived, his expression thunderous. After diffusing the patron's anger, he turned to Jin Ahri with a grim look before sending her back to the kitchen.

Later that night, after the restaurant closed, the owner's voice rang harshly in the empty space. "This was the last straw, Ahri. You're fired. Pack up and leave."

Jin Ahri didn't protest. She merely nodded, her expression void of life, as she changed out of her uniform and stepped outside. The cold winter air hit her skin as she checked her phone—it was already midnight.

'I should go see him,' she thought, forcing a smile onto her trembling lips.

Snow began to drift from the dark sky, soft and delicate, brushing against her cheeks like fragile memories. Jin Ahri stared at the flakes as they landed on her bare arms.

'Ah, I didn't bring my coat,' she thought bitterly.

Her mind then wandered to him—a memory so vivid it felt like yesterday.

"I like the snow," he had said, his voice warm. "Let's watch it fall together when it falls again."

Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back and trudged forward, her steps heavy and aimless.

As she turned a corner, a soft melody filled the air. Suddenly, a soothing melody suddenly filled the air. Ahri looked up at a massive billboard on a nearby skyscraper. On the screen, under the spotlight, a young man appeared, his long, flowing blue-and-silver hair cascading like ocean waves over his shoulders. His aqua-gold eyes shimmered.

"The light still shines, even when it disappears. That's how a star is born... and you are that star," he sang. His voice was raw with emotion. "This song is for Lee Jihoon. I miss you, my friend."

Jin Ahri's chest tightened as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

"This song is for Lee Jihoon," the singer said, his voice trembling with unspoken pain. "I miss you, my friend."

A passerby squealed, holding up her phone. "Gosh! He composed this song just for Lee Jihoon, Choi Seung Jae is such an amazing singer!"

The comment startled Jin Ahri so she quickly wiped her tears and turned away. She quickened her pace, her heart pounding.

"Ahh, Park Soo Hyuk won Best Actor again!" she overheard someone say.

On a phone screen, the actor stood onstage, clutching his award.

"I dedicate this to my best friend, Lee Jihoon, Thank you for always being there for me."

Jin Ahri froze. Her trembling lips parted, but no sound came.

"Jung Min Woo's group won," another voice said, drawing her attention.

The young man's voice cracked as he spoke. "This is to my hyung, Lee Jihoon... I miss you. I'll never forget you... and I'm sorry."

Jin Ahri's legs carried her forward faster, almost running now. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps.

'I miss you so much as well,' she thought, her vision blurring. 'I want to see you again. Wait for me... We'll stay together forever.'

Suddenly, a blaring horn pierced her thoughts. She looked to her side and saw the truck, its headlights blinding.

Time slowed. She turned, her body frozen in the middle of the road.

The impact was sudden, and the deafening crash that followed seemed to echo endlessly in her ears. Darkness began creeping in, swallowing her vision inch by inch.

'No… Am I really going to die?' she thought, her trembling hands clawing at the snow. She tried to drag herself forward, but her strength was slipping away, her blood staining the white snow beneath her.

Muffled voices reached her ears like distant echoes.

"Is she still alive?"

"Oh my goodness, that was terrifying."

"I've got a pulse! Someone call an ambulance!"

'But… I haven't seen him yet…' The thought hit her harder than the crash had. 'I promised not to leave him alone.' Her hand stretched forward, reaching for something—anything—but the world around her dissolved into an overwhelming haze. Her vision blurred, her outstretched hand fell limply to the ground, as a single tear slipped down her cheek before the darkness consumed her completely.

In the suffocating void, a voice echoed, cold and resonant, yet strangely soothing.

"A desperate soul... I've watched you stumble and fall, tethered by regret. You wished for a second chance, did you not?" it murmured, each word rippling through the darkness like drops in a silent lake.

Jin Ahri's consciousness stirred, though her body remained still, floating in the darkness. The voice grew closer, filling the empty void.

"But nothing comes without a cost. I shall grant your wish. Live again and see what you can achieve... or fail once more," it declared, a chilling certainty lacing its tone.

A faint light appeared in the distance, growing brighter and brighter until it engulfed her entirely.

The familiar scent of lavender tickled Jin Ahri's nose as her eyes slowly opened, her blurry vision slowly adjusted. She squinted at the ceiling, her mind hazy.

"Jin Ahri, are you even listening to me?!"

Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest as she jolted upright, She looked to her left and her eyes landed on a woman with midnight hair cascading down her back and piercing blue eyes that could freeze an entire room.

Jin Ahri blinked once, twice—then froze. Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened to saucer-like proportions.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the woman demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Y-Yena unnie…" Jin Ahri whispered, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill.

Yena crossed her arms, ready to deliver a lecture. "Don't 'Yena unnie' me. Let me remind you, you promised you wouldn't sign up for auditions at AR Entertainment—or any other entertainment company for that matter—but what did you do? You went behind my back! What are you trying to prove? You're still young, and the entertainment world is dangerous!"

Jin Ahri didn't hear half of it. Her tears fell freely, sparkling like broken pearls as she stared at her older sister, drinking in every detail as if afraid she'd disappear.

"Ahri? Are you… crying?" Yena's tone shifted from scolding to concern, her brows furrowing.

Before Yena could say anything else, Jin Ahri launched herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her sister. "Unnie!" she wailed, her face buried in Yena's shoulder. "You're my older sister, my mom, my everything! I'm so glad to see you again!"

Yena stiffened under the sudden assault of emotions. "O-Okay, okay. Stop squeezing me like a giant teddy bear! What's gotten into you?"

But Jin Ahri only hugged her tighter, sniffling loudly.

Yena awkwardly patted her back, her icy demeanor melting just a little. "Geez, you act like you haven't seen me in years. Did you hit your head or something?"

Jin Ahri pulled back, her face streaked with tears and snot. "It's been so long, Unnie," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Yena frowned, poking Jin Ahri's forehead. "What do you mean? You see me everyday."

Jin Ahri blinked, her tears halting mid-flow. "…Oh."

'Wait ...didn't I just die a while ago? ' Ahri realized.

"Yeah, oh. Now explain why you're crying like you just survived the apocalypse." Yena said.

"I… uh…" Jin Ahri scratched her head sheepishly. "I might've… hit my head… really hard?"

Yena's eyes narrowed. "You definitely hit your head. Maybe twice."

Jin Ahri sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers gripping the couch tightly as her mind raced.

"This isn't a dream… but it doesn't feel real either. Did I really survive?"

She looked up at her sister, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yena unnie… you said something about me signing up for an audition at AR Entertainment?"

Yena raised an eyebrow, her arms crossing over her chest. "Yes, why are you asking stupid questions? You practically begged me to let you sign up last week, and I told you no. Then you went behind my back and did it anyway. Do you know how angry I was when I found out?!"

Ahri covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide as realization crashed over her. 'That means I'm… sixteen again… but how?!'

Her thoughts spun in a dizzying loop. She remembered the truck, the crash, the overwhelming darkness… and now, here she was, sitting in her old livingroom, listening to her older sister scold her like nothing had happened.

'This is impossible,' she thought, her heart pounding. 'I was twenty-six. My dreams were crushed. I lost him. I—'

"Are you even listening to me?" Yena snapped, her piercing blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost? What's wrong with you today?"

Ahri blinked, snapping back to the present. "N-Nothing's wrong," she stammered, forcing a shaky smile.

Yena frowned, stepping closer to inspect her sister. "You're acting weird. Did you really hit your head? Should I take you to the hospital?"

"No, no! I'm fine," Ahri said quickly, waving her hands in protest. "I just… I guess I had a weird dream or something."

Jin Ahri sat there, lost in thought as the memories of her past life churned through her mind. The world around her seemed to fade away as she focused on the news. The Tv screen flickered with bright colors, and her heart skipped a beat as a familiar name flashed across the headlines.

"Lee Jihoon signs up for the AR Entertainment audition," the reporter said, excitement in their voice. "A former child actor and member of the prestigious Black Dragon family, Jihoon has long been a household name. But why did he choose AR Entertainment for his future?"

A flash of light caught Ahri's eye, and her breath hitched. There he was—on the screen, looking as he always had, with his jetblack hair and those familiar hypnotic, slit-like, deep purple irises. He gave a confident smile to the camera, speaking casually about his decision.

"I've always wanted to challenge myself and find something different. AR Entertainment felt like the right place for me," he said, his voice warm.

Ahri's heart ached, and a smile tugged at her lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. 'He hasn't changed,' she thought.

But as she watched him speak, something deep inside her stirred. A vague memory flashed, slipping just out of her grasp. It was a moment, a fleeting feeling.

Her gaze softened, and her mind wandered back to a memory that never happened in her previous life. In it, Jihoon was standing beside her, his voice low and earnest.

"Ahri, you know you don't have to be perfect to succeed, I don't want you to change, so don't." he had said, a playful smile tugging at his lips. But there was something more in his eyes.

'Wait, which memory is this?' Ahri wondered, her chest tightening. She didn't remember this ever happening, but the feeling was so real.