The door creaked open, and Bobby walked into the house, his eyes glued to his phone screen as his thumbs flew across the keys.
"Girls?" he called out without looking up.
"Bobby?" Zoey peeked her head out from behind the fridge, cradling a mountain of snacks like a dragon hoarding treasure.
"Bobby's here!!" Mira's voice rang out as she knocked eagerly on Rumi's door.
Soon, all three girls gathered on the couch like obedient students about to be graded. They watched Bobby expectantly, snacks temporarily forgotten.
Bobby finally looked up from his screen, standing tall in front of them. "So girls… it's about your vacation."
At that single word—vacation—Zoey and Mira gasped in unison, their eyes sparkling like kids on Christmas morning.
But Rumi? She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Here we go…"
Bobby raised a brow, ignoring the reaction. "Before you get too excited, I need to ask—do you have anything to say to your fans? They've had a lot of questions since I posted the break notice this morning."
"What kind of questions?" Mira asked, her earlier excitement dimming slightly with concern.
Zoey turned to Mira, biting her lip. "Should we… cancel?"
"Yes, yes, we certainly should," Rumi jumped in, seizing the opportunity. She straightened in her seat and placed a hand dramatically on her heart. "We shouldn't abandon our fans. Think about them. Think about the loyalty. The dedication. The memes."
Mira hesitated. Zoey did too.
Bobby sighed. "Girls."
His voice was calm but firm—the kind of tone that meant he had already made up his mind. "I really think you should go on a break. Your fans will understand. You've worked yourselves non-stop for months. Think about the fun… the rest… the sunshine…"
As he listed the benefits, Mira and Zoey's gazes flicked to each other. A slow grin spread across both their faces.
"No, no, no! Come onnn," Rumi groaned, tossing a throw pillow in protest.
"And besides," Bobby added with a smirk, "you can't back out. You leave in three days."
"WHAT?!" The three girls shrieked in perfect harmony.
Two of those screams were drenched in excitement.
One was pure horror.
"But why so soon?" Rumi grumbled, tugging at the ends of her hoodie.
Zoey, sensing the shift in mood, scooted closer and sat beside her. "It's just a vacation, Rumi. What's wrong?"
"Yeah, what's up? Why are you so worked up?" Mira joined in, settling on Rumi's other side. Bobby, sensing it was girl talk time, discreetly retreated to the kitchen to scroll through his phone again.
Rumi stared at the carpet for a moment, her fingers twisting in her lap. "It's just that I… I don't know how to vacation. I don't know how to go on a break."
Her voice came out soft, muffled, and vulnerable—completely unlike her usual sassy self.
Zoey blinked. Mira's lips parted in surprise. Then, both girls burst into a soft laugh—not mockingly, but fondly.
"Rumi… that's it?" Mira giggled. "We thought it was something serious!"
"It is serious!" Rumi insisted, crossing her arms. "I don't know how to relax. You've seen me try yoga. I sprained my toe meditating!"
Zoey grinned. "Well, lucky for you, we're experts in chilling."
Mira threw an arm around Rumi's shoulder. "Totally. We'll teach you everything. Step one: stop being dramatic."
"You'll love it," Zoey chimed in. "Just like you love bath houses… remember? You literally fell asleep in a hot tub and scared the staff."
Rumi groaned but cracked a smile. "Fine. I guess I'll give it a try."
"Yayyy!" Mira and Zoey high-fived with all the enthusiasm of kids getting candy after dinner.
"Va-ca-tion! Va-ca-tion!" they chanted with giddy fists in the air before passing the imaginary mic to Rumi.
"Va-ca-tion," she hooted half-heartedly, then giggled despite herself. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Bobby reappeared with a grin. "Glad you're all pumped now. But before you start packing your sunscreen and seventeen swimsuits… let's address your fans. You wouldn't mind a little live session, right?"
"Sure!" they chorused, practically in sync.
---
Later That Evening…
After a bit of glam—Mira's glitter gloss, Zoey's signature bun, and Rumi's perfectly winged eyeliner—they huddled on the couch again with the ring light glowing and the live stream rolling.
"Three… two… and we're live!" Bobby announced behind the phone camera.
"Hey everyone!!" the girls waved at the screen, flashing their brightest smiles.
Within seconds, the comments exploded like fireworks.
~ AHHHHHH THEY'RE LIVE (＾∇＾)
~ZOEY'S HAIR OMGGGG QUEEN
~MIRA STARE INTO MY SOUL PLS
~IS THIS ABOUT THE BREAK?! NOOOO DON'T GO (╥﹏╥)
~RUMI SMILE IF U LOVE US
~We love you Huntrix!!(≧▽≦)
~Huntrix for LIFEEEE!! ♪┌|∵|┘♪
Mira leaned forward. "Okay, okay! Deep breaths, everyone. Let us explain."
Zoey nodded, her voice sweet. "So, as you've probably heard… we're going on a short break."
The comments went WILD.
~ NOOOOO (´;︵;`)
~A break?? WHY??(・o・)
~WE JUST GOT THE COMEBACK
~Huntrix pls no ＼(◎o◎)／
Rumi held up her hand. "Relax, y'all. It's just a vacation. Like… a real, beachy, sunscreen-smelling, fruity-drink-sipping kind of vacation."
Mira smiled gently. "We've been working really hard these past few months. Back-to-back rehearsals, schedules, late-night practices… it's been incredible, but also exhausting."
"And we want to come back even stronger," Zoey added. "Which means we need a little time to recharge."
~ I GUESS U GUYS DESERVE IT <(￣︶￣)>
~I hope you rest well ( T_T)＼(^-^ )
~We'll wait foreverrrr＼(^o^)／
~Huntrix fightinggg!!╰(＾3＾)╯
"You're all so sweet," Rumi said, her voice softer than usual. "And don't worry. We'll share some parts of our trip with you. Maybe even vlog it."
Bobby gave them a thumbs-up off-camera.
Zoey leaned in. "So please don't be sad. Just think of this as a mini break. When we come back, it's gonna be fireworks."
"Big things coming," Mira winked.
The fans flooded the chat with more hearts and encouraging words.
~I'm gonna miss y'all so much .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
~Be safe!! Don't let Rumi near any spa equipment
~You better come back with sun-kissed selfies(ᗒᗩᗕ)
~VA-CA-TION!!
The girls burst into laughter. They really adored their fans.
"Okay, okay, we have to go pack now!" Zoey said.
"But we love you guys," Mira added.
"So much," Rumi whispered, a rare moment of sincerity.
They all waved at the camera, hearts formed with their fingers as the screen blinked with thousands of virtual hearts in return.