PREPARING FOR SBS GAYO
The days bled into one another as they prepared for SBS Gayo and MAMA charging at them. They had a short stage for their debut song For You, and today was dress rehearsal on the actual stage.

"Uuuuh....." Chase's jaw dropped, looking around. While the girls were unsure of what to expect, it definitely wasn't this.

The stage was huge.

"How many people do you think can fit in here?" Venus asked, squinting to see if she could find the end of the stadium.

Sophie groaned, "At least the population of Seoul, oh my god!" 

There was little time to gawk and really look at the massive size of the place, because they had a schedule and needed to figure out how to rehearse and keep up their social media at the same time. Su-chin called the girls together before their trial run, makign sure they were aware of the situation.

"Since you're performing, we need you girls to be in all black, so the new dresses are a no go for the arrival." She explained, showing them pictures of planned performers arrival outfits. "I'm sure this won't be a problem for you all to pull together." Sangmi and JJ shook their heads, looking at the outifts before handing them to the others. Seemed simple enough, and it made sense.

"After this, you'll need to change into your stage outfits and do a runthrough, and then another one to make sure the sound doesn't fluke." Su-chin directed, clapping to signal the end of the brief meeting. The girls scattered, hurrying to put on the new outfits and ensure they all fit correctly.

"Ah, ah ah?" Sangmi's mic didn't work, and so that needed to be fixed. As the stage crew and tech ran around, trying to find another microphone, the girls had an idea to pass the time.

UPLOADED ON OFFICIAL 4XU'S CHANNEL THAT EVENING:

"Wait, wait, how do we do this again, Sophie come here!" Sangmi's voice was heard over the camera's view, which was of the floor of the stage. Sophie's laugh was heard, and then her explaining angles and how to properly hold the camera was muffled as Sangmi corrected the camera, showing off her face and Sophie's.

"There you go!" Sophie gave a thumbs up. "Hey everyone!" 

Sangmi waved, "So we're at the SBS Gayo rehearsal right now, and we just can't get over how big this stage is! Look!" The camera was turned to face the massive view the stage had, even panning around to make sure the viewer really got how big it was. With Venus in the shot, it made it look even bigger.

"Awards season has been pretty fun, right Naeun?" Naeun smiled brightly as the camera focused on her, "Mhm! It's been a lot of fun seeing all our friends perform and be gathered in one area... Although we did get in trouble about that last time!" She laughed, shrugging casually. It was no secret that Mamamoo and 4xU had been reprimanded for being so noisy and distracting during the show, and were told not to be such spectacles at their next shows.

"We're nominated for the Rookie award in SBS and another in MAMA, right???" JJ spoke up. Sangmi nodded.

"I know voting's closed for SBS, but MAMA is still open right now, so please vote!!!" Chase screeched from across the stage, hurrying over to the group.

"And vote for our Jinsol on KpopStar!" Sangmi reminded, and everyone in view nodded. 

A male screech was heard from behind them, causing a few of the girls to scream. Apparently, their time had run into EXO's, and a wild Chen had appeared, grinning as he saw their reactions to his scream.

"Hello!" He waved, and a few more EXO members meandered on stage. Chase elbowed him a bit, rolling her eyes. "Of course you don't know who this is, right?" She thumbed over at the boy group member, grinning as he tried to swipe at her. Suho made an appearance next to Sangmi, who was still in control of the camera. She turned it around to them so the loudmouths of the group could have fun.

Sangmi pointed to Suho, "Hello, introduce yourself to our fans, please!" Suho smiled politely, "Hello, I am EXO's leader, Suho!"

"Very nice, nice nice." Sangmi nodded, smiling. "So it's leader cam time, anything you want to say?" She looked to the male. He seemed taken aback at the question, obviously not having a lot of "self-cam" experience.

"Uh, that I'm glad we're friends with 4xU?" It was half a question, but it made Sangmi laugh. "We're both not very good at this, we should've let Sophie or someone else handle this... Oh well!" She shrugged. "I'm personally glad we can see you guys. We've all been very busy lately." 

Suho nodded, "Oh yeah, your comeback schedule!" 

At this, the screen flashed with OFFICIAL: 4XU WILL REVEAL COMEBACK ON 01/05, ALONGSIDE SOME IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS!

"Yes, that's going to be edited in the video." Sangmi explained, wiggling her fingers over the camera's lens as if it would magically appear. Suho laughed. "Good! Look forward to the comeback, I'm sure it'll be awesome!" 

"Look forward to EXO's new stuff too!" Sangmi interjected afterwards, before yelling, "Say bye, everyone!" WHile adjusting the camera to let the viewer see the stage again, showing EXO and 4XU on the large platforms.
 
There were a bunch of screeches and yells of goodbye and the like, and with that, the short vlog ended. Sangmi hurried over to put the camera back in her bag, hoping that she'd be back before the microphone was found and brought back. She didn't want to take up any more of EXO's time and end up with three groups on one stage that needed to rehearse.

A few minutes later, a tech person came over to the groups, finding Sangmi and fixing her mic. EXO was then asked to exit the stage to allow 4xU to practice their number once more.

"Bye Chai!" Yixing gave the rapper a hug before leaving, which she returned. Sophie's brow furrowed.

After the girl's rehearsal and were safely backstage with no microphones on, Sophie approached her friend. "So, first Yixing comes over in the middle of the night, and now he's using your real name with casual language?"

"Leave me alone, Sophie." Chase brushed her off, trying to pass her by. Sophie grabbed onto Chase's hand before she could completely escape, though.

"I'm just... I'm worried, Chase. You've just been... out of it, lately. Not enough for everyone to notice, but..." Sophie trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence. She saw the older girl soften, but Chase still pulled her hand out of her grip. 

"We'll talk. But not now."

"When?"

"Later. Alone." 

CLARA SOLO PERFORMANCE ON KPOPSTAR
Of course, as it was every week, the girls were gathered around the TV, tuned in to their maknae's show. Now, they definitely couldn't afford to have the amount of people they had last time, but they definitely made sure to invite four special people.

"I'm so excited, I'll be honest, I haven't been able to keep up with the show." Sure enough, their former member Tina had come over with Taeyeon, Seohyun, and Tiffany. When Tina had agreed to come over, and bring along the other three, to say the dorm was excited here was an understatement. As usual, conversation was kept minimal during the performances, with occasional comments about how the trainee did and which company they thought the person would end up in. 

Soon enough, Jinsol was called up. The girls were gripping their chairs. This performance would be a first for many things for their maknae, and of course they were nervous. They wanted her to be amazing, just like they knew she could be. 

"Oh, wow, she's beautiful." Naeun commented as their youngest approached the stage, with nothing but a microphone on a stand on it. "No chair?" Chase commented as a joke, and Naeun shook her head.

"They wanted it taken away, said it was like a security blanket. We surely gave them what they wanted, right Venus?" She nudged the other dancer. Venus smiled brightly. "We sure did. It's not easy choreography either, she has to be 100% confident to pull it off."

JJ nodded, "Yeah, it's not a slow remix that we made."

After the initial preparations and Jinsol's little nerve shaking at the beginning, she nodded for the track to begin. As JJ suggested and helped rearrange, Hush by Miss A was her chosen song, as the older believed it would showcase her clear soprano the best, as well as impress JYP, who was already eager to have the younger on her team. Just as Venus and Naeun promised, the choreography was definitely a level up from her previous solo performances, but their little maknae had definitely developed a new sense of confidence that she had been fighting towards the last few episodes. 

"She's so natural!" Tiffany squealed as the song ended, the show cutting to commercials before revealing the company she'd be training under. Seohyun gave a smile, "She's deifnitely proving that we maknaes aren't just cute faces."

"Uh excuse you, I'm the cutest." Taeyeon scoffed playfully. Tiffany jumped in and the three bickered for a few minutes, before Tina decided to speak up, "As the unofficial 10th member, I object to this, because obviously I'm --" She stopped herself, realizing what she had just said. The group turned to look at JJ, who had become uncomfortable at the number.

"I'm... I'm sorry, JJ." Taeyeon offered, looking sadly at the Jung sister. JJ sighed, shaking her head, "It's okay, I just wish it didn't end like it did..."

"We do too." Seohyun said, and right at that point, the commercials ended and the show had come back on.

Due to the new confidence in Jinsol, the praise was high and the criticisms focused on her dance becoming more fluid and focusing on tempo.

"You've been really putting in a lot of effort, and we're pleased to see that you're taking this seriously." YG complimented, before mentioning areas she needed to work on. Despite the criticism, Jinsol beamed. 

"Thank you!" She bowed, before they moved on to the next part: Which agency would she go under. The heads all presented their cases, but the girls watching weren't even listening.

"PICK JYP, HE LOVES YOU!" Naeun yelled at the T.V., with Sophie also yelling alongside her. Taeyeon hushed the two as Jinsol seemed to make her decision.

"I've talked with my group mates and my friends, and as you know, we're good friends with GOT7," Jinsol mentioned, making JYP perk up, "And I decided then that if I got here, I would pick JYP."

At this, JYP did a little cheer, "I'm so happy, I've been wanting you under my label since you first auditioned." YG laughed, "He's definitely someone who will push you to be more confident, but you know, if you ever change your mind..."

"Thank you all so much! I'll continue to work hard!" Jinsol bowed once more, exiting the stage and running into the arms of one of her friends who was also cast in JYP. 

Screams erupted into the 4xU living room dorm. The girls should feel sorry for whoever lived next door to them.

Tiffany was the first to speak after the intial excitement, "She'll love him. He's very supportive and less strict than SM, it's probably a happy medium between SM and Woolim. Just enough of a change to give her something she needs." 

"That's where she needs to be." Sangmi agreed, beaming with pride for her youngest member. Naeun was already on social media, using her phone and anything else to congratulate and hype up her friend. She deserved it.

SBS GAYO DAEJUN 2016

- SBS GAYO Y'ALL Finally the day of SBS's end of the year show was here, and the girls were all lined up for the entrance of performers. Once the initial photos of arrival were taken, the girls were ushered into a small interview before the show. Strictly for the press, in case any of the winners performed and had any quotes to use.

"You're a girl group who has many friends in the business, most notably at the moment MAMAMOO, BTS, and BTOB. BTS is performing their international hit Blood, Sweat, and Tears and MAMAMOO is performing their newest single. Any encourage or thoughts on the different style the boy group took and MAMAMOO's retro sound?"

"We're all fans of MAMAMOO's sound, it's unique to them and makes them stand out in the current trends of music," Sangmi answered, "We look forward to seeing their preformance, as well as any new music they bring in 2017!"

Before Sangmi could continue, Chase spoke up, "As for BTS, it's defintitely.... different from their previous title tracks, but it's great when a group branches out to grow together." She smiled brightly, but anyone could tell it was fake. Some girls, especially Sophie, giving her some side eye about the obvious sarcastic and critical tone she was taking. Not the time or place, Chase.

"Also, speaking of, it was announced that former member GiGi was here, any thoughts on perhaps running into her again?" The reporter was trying to get a rise after Chase's statement, but again, before Sangmi or JJ could say anything, someone else took the lead.

"While GiGi was a member of Faerietale, she doesn't have a place in 4xU." Naeun commented, before continuing on answering a question from another reporter about SHINee. It took all of the girl's self control to not completely lose it at the blunt and savage statement that Naeun had just made. No doubt that 4xU might be the topic of some gossip the next day.

Soon enough, the girls were ushered off and into preparations for their stage, being early on in the lineup. Sangmi, as usual, was the first to be ready. As the rest of the girls were looking for shoes, accessories, or even a few jackets (How on earth did Sophie misplace hers...? It was a mystery to all.) Having time, she decided to see if MAMAMOO were around or if they were already on call for their performance. It didn't hurt, after all, she had talked to Solar about it the other night.

After letting the girls know where she was going, she set off, looking for the other girl group's room. "I hope I'm not too late, I feel bad that we're going to miss watching most of their stage..." Sangmi said to herself, frowning. She couldn't figure out which way they'd be. After a few minutes, Sangmi sighed, turning to head back towards her own group's room when she happened to run into someone.

Someone she definitely didn't want to see. The other girl smiled, her purple and black velvet outfit fitting her perfectly. "Long time no see, Sangmi."

You can't hit her here, you'll get in trouble. Sangmi reminded herself, gritting her teeth as she forced out, "Not long enough, Gyuri." She pushed by the smaller girl, almost stomping back as she noticed the smile turn into a smirk as she passed.

God, she absolutely despised that girl. But Sangmi wouldn't allow that girl to get to her right before she performed at an awards show -- which was amazing for a rookie group such as theirs -- and attend the show. 

"You ready, Sangmi?" JJ grinned, makign the leader smile. The girls were obviously excited for the performance, and Sangmi glanced at Naeun. It was time to let things go and enjoy themselves. Maybe in more than one way.

"4xU to stage, they're ready for you." A staff member signaled the girls, and they hurried up to stage.

From the beginning, the girls wanted to showcase more of the dancing talents of the group -- and with the remix that the producing group worked on, it definitely gave them the ability to do so. In their all white outfits, they almost reminded everyone of their attire during their Faerietale era -- however, their talent showed that they weren't the young girls that began this long journey. At the end, the song fell back into their hit debut track For You -- simple, yet promising of future stages. It helped that they had fun while doing it, too.

 The performance was only a few minutes long, but when the girls came off the stage, they were all breathless and overwhelmed with excitement. The cheers still rang in their ears, happy that they managed to pull off something they had never imagined to happen this early. "That was... amazing." JJ breathed, being one of the firsts to catch her breath.

Venus was grinning from ear to ear, "I can't wait to do that again." The girls chatted casually as they changed their outfits into their all black attire, heading back to their seats to the side of the fans. They had missed MAMAMOO's performance, but luckily for them (and maybe because of the last awards show) the girl group was next to them. As the last soloist bowed and headed off, the group was finally in their seats.

The lights dimmed, signalling the next performer was about to begin, however, the stage remained dark excluding two candles from higher above the stage. The girls exchanged questioning looks as the stadium quieted.

"I’m twenty three nan susukkekki ~" The stage lights came up, dimmly lighting none other than GiGi with a cake with the candles revealing "23", which was the title of her new mini album. 

"Mwogeyo majyeobwayo." 

"You've got to be kidding me." Sangmi cursed under her breath, remembering seeing her backstage in the performers area. She had no idea why she didn't put it together sooner -- of course she'd chose this show to perform at, it was the only one 4xU was performing at as well. 

"Yeah she's a riddle, and I've got an answer for her too --" Sophie growled, but Chase made her sit down. "We can talk about this later too." The older girl reassured when Sophie gave her a look of confusion. 

The stage and costumes of GiGi's stage were simple, for sure -- but the scale of it was something to be in awe at. The cheers as well -- everyone was loving the performance by the nation's favorite soloist. It was obvious that GiGi was loving it as well, making use of all kinds of simple gestures to ensure the screams were as loud as possible. The cameras were sure to avoid 4xU's table and area as the song continued, but fantwitter was sure buzzing about how it must be for the girl group to have to sit through a performance from the former leader and vocalist.

The song finally ended after what felt like ages for the girls -- as GiGi stood there, waiting for the applause and lights to go off before leaving, Sangmi reached over to hold onto Naeun's hand. Naeun jumped, looking down from their hands to Sangmi's face, obviously asking for a reason why the leader was suddenly being affectionate towards her.

"It's a new year. Time to let go of the things that don't matter, and bond over the things that do."

The statement was enough to make Naeun tear up. After all, it wasn't a secret that Sangmi and Naeun had a rather strained relationship because of GiGi. But after Naeun's comment today and a few realizations for Sangmi, it was time to really let bygones be bygones. Truth be told, GiGi was just mean. She did more than just break up Faerietale, she ruined Tina's second chance.

They weren't going to let her ruin anything else of theirs. They would make sure of it. 

The rest of the award show flew by, and even though the girls didn't win the Rookie Award for SBS, they were still overall happy with being there. With minimal herding by Su-chin too, which was always a relief for the older Chinese woman. However, the group was one of the firsts to leave as the show ended, barely being able to say goodbye to anyone else attending. After all, it was going to be a hectic week for the group with everything they had planned.

The dorm was filled with idle chatter and bickering as the girls tried to take off their makeup as fast as possible, crowding in their bathroom they shared and one by one, heading to bed. 

One room, however, was definitely not going to sleep anytime soon. Sophie and Chase sat on their beds, listening for the rest of the girls to go to bed. As soon as the last mumur settled down, Sophie all but threw herself to the floor and pulled out a couple bottles of soju from under her bed, alongside some glasses. 

"Okay, time to talk." Sophie looked over at the older, wiggling the bottle around. This obviously wasn't the first time they did this. Chase sighed, pulling her body up from the bed and going over to lock the door. Immediately after, she was in front of Sophie and pouring the alcohol into glasses.

"Trust me, you're going to need it for this bull."

AUDITION DAY FOR SWAN PRINCESS

Over the next few days, auditions were held in Woolim for a potential new member of 4xU. The group of fifteen was narrowed to ten, then to eight, and now, there were five. All had showed great amounts of promise in their own right.

The composer, Dream. She was one of their favorite producers and composers to work with, and with being so young, she had a chance at being an idol as well as joining the producing team on 4xU and continuing to create music. It'd be a step closer to making them a self-producing girl group, something all the girls have expressed interest in. The fact that she was already good friends with Chase because of their shared bond over music and friends in BTS made it easier for her to come into the group. 

The Produce 101 contestant, Eunbyul. Extremely talented, beautiful, and effortless in doing so, it was an obvious choice for her to be in the running. She was eliminated in the survivial show, but she'd be able to fit in with Jinsol when the youngest returned to the group. Alongside that, she had previous experience at a big three company -- YG. Eunbyul could probably handle anything you threw at her, including lots of dances to be memorized, lyrics, and anything else. With her age, she'd bring up the group average and be a friend to the older girls. 

The co-ed group female member, Somin. Being an old time trainee alongside Sangmi and JJ, she was loyal to Woolim and was also an obvious contender for the position. She was quiet, but she was just as eager to be on stage as the rest of them. With her groupmates in a survival show like their maknae, she seemed to have a lot in common with the group and would fit in. However, she and Venus seemed to be at odds in some way -- no one in the group knew why, but it could be a potential problem. 

The rising star actress, Miso. Woolim had bought out her contract with her company only days after Tina left, making it obvious that they wanted her. She was beautiful and charismatic, something that the group could really use right now after the "beating" they've taken from the public and from the industry. She would also bring in attention from people outside the kpop fan community -- it could open doors for a lot of members, as well as bring her attention from the kpop world. 

Last but not least, the model-turned-trainee, Tian. Her slightly alternative style with her piercings and blod makeup made her stand out from the rest, but it would definitely bring in potential endosers and projects that enjoyed Tian already as a model. As well as this, she got along well with most of the girls and had a personality that blended in with the already loud and outgoing group. And her age made her another elder member -- something the group could use.

The five came in that morning with no clue of how auditions would go -- each eager to give it their best and take that spot. When the group arrived, the two unexpected visitors made the finalists gasp.

"No offense, but why are you here?" Miso asked, eyeing Tina as she walked in with the rest. Tina simply smiled brightly. "I'm here to help pick out my replacement, as it were. Despite being a former member, the girls wanted me here to help see if anyone caught my eye." 

"And I thought you were filming...?" Dream looked to Jinsol, who shrugged. "I had a free day... I wanted to be apart of this process as well. I'm still apart of this group too..."

Before anymore questions were asked, Sangmi cleared . "Well, let's get started. As you all are aware, this isn't up to any trainers, CEOs, managers, or scouts. We make the decision whether any of you are accepted or not." The five looked at each other, eyeing the competition as Sangmi continued to explain how auditions would work. The girls would go through a routine audition, as they did the last few days, as well as a solo opportunity to show off their individual talents. After that, they would go into a seperate room with the girl group and be asked to do something.

"What happens in that room is confidential. That means you don't tell the others what you did or what we asked of you. Understood?" JJ looked at each of them. After getting affirmation, Venus stood up and began the first audition section.

As expected, every girl in that room was up to par and even excelled expectations of what the girls were looking for. But talent and ability to keep up wasn't the only thing they were looking for.

One by one, the finalists were brought in, being asked the same four questions.

"What style of dance do you enjoy the most?" Naeun would ask the first question, patiently waiting for their answers.

JJ was next. "What kind of sound do you look for in a group?" She was kind, but all the interviewees could tell she was waiting to hear something. What that was, no one knew. 

"Thirdly," Venus took the lead on the question, "Any individual or subunit ideas?" While the Chinese girl was known for her funny faces, no one could tell what was going through her mind as she listened to each person's answers.

Last question was from Tina, and for some reason, people could tell it was one of the most important questions. "And lastly -- you can take your time, no rush -- Why 4xU? Why not wait for Woolim's next girl group? Or, maybe, go solo?"

One by one, the five gave their answers, leaving the room wondering what was going on and if they had done enough. The girls waited in the room they had performed in, anxious for some kind of response. Jinsol stuck her head out, "Oh, uh, they told me that they'd get back to you. You don't have to wait for us to come to a agreement. It's... going to take a while." She winced, hearing a voice raise in the room behind her.

Confused, the five girls did leave, goign wherever they needed to go. 

It took another couple hours, debating the pros and cons of each girl based on their profiles and some internet searching from certain members, but they finally seemed to come to a conclusion.

"So we should call her?" Sangmi asked, holding the profile of the chosen girl in her hand. Naeun nodded. 

"She was honest and wanted to continue her dream like the rest of us. She deserves it."

"Not that they all don't deserve it," Venus mentioned, "But yeah. She'll do."

Sangmi nodded. "Okay, let's do it." She typed in the number, allowing it to ring. 

"Hello?"

"Hey, can you come back in?"

"Oh, sure? Uh, give me a few minutes...?"

"Sure thing ---"

WITH HYUNSIK AND JJ...

Unfortunately due to a scheduling conflict, Suzy was unable to make MAMA this year, and Baekhyun was afraid of blowing his voice out due to the amount of stages EXO had, which meant that one of the biggest duet songs of the year, DREAM, was left without a pair to sing it. Well, not for long. Due to JJ's burst in popularity with her OST, and BTOB having a new year comeback, the two managed to be paired up for the stage.

It was a huge opportunity, and honestly, JJ was nervous. She was by herself this time, without her group. Basically, she couldn't mess up. A loud, dorky laugh made her look up, and reminded her that, well, maybe she's not totally alone.

If SBS's stage was huge, then this stage that MAMA planned for this was just plain ridiculous. I mean, really? A suspending bridge?? Did that not occur to anyone as dangerous if there were mechanical malfunctions?

Regardless of this, JJ was enjoying herself -- the song was easy on the ears and definitely within her range. It also definitely helped that Hyunsik was a fun partner to have on stage with. Who also liked to have fun during small breaks that sound and tech had them take to make sure nothing went wrong.

Like right now. The boy group member was on his knees, pretending to be attacked by some monster (Godzilla, she think he mouthed to her as he pretended to scream, but again, she wasn't sure from where she was standing) and begging for mercy. JJ couldn't hold back her laughter, which just seemed to egg him on further. She definitely couldn't complain about spending this time with Hyunsik, even if it was technically work. With everything going on with 4xU, and with BTOB also preparing for a comeback in the new year, as was everyone else (seriously, what was with all these groups trying to blast the world with new tracks right at the beginning of the year???) it was hard to actually talk to anyone or hang out with anyone who wasn't a group member or when it wasn't work related.

Like before, JJ knew this was work... but Hyunsik didn't make it seem like they were working. It was refreshing to be around someone who just knew how to relax. She needed it.

Before she knew it, they were finished with rehearsal and JJ was about to call Sangmi or Su-chin to pick her up. "Actually...uhm, JJ?" Hyunsik's voice caught her attention, and she looked up to see the man standing there, fidgeting a little. She tilted her head, eyebrows raised.

"Everything okay, Hyunsik?" She asked, and he nodded, "Yeah, I was just wondering if you ate yet. I get cold easily, so..." JJ got the fidgeting. It was cold in the winter time for Korea. 

"No, I haven't. Have you?" She returned the question, and he shook his head. "I wanted to know if you wanted to grab something while waiting for our rides?" She nodded, "Sure, I'd like that!"

They walked down the street, finding a small booth that sold tteokbokki, buying two small cups and huddling together for warmth as they ate the street food, savoring the flavor and the heat it provided in their stomachs. 

"Good idea, Hyunsik!" JJ smiled, nudging him with her elbow. She must of been hungrier than she anticipated, because hers was already gone. She tossed it in a nearby trashcan before hurrying over to him, standing close by him for warmth. 

"Are you still hungry?" He asked suddenly, making JJ look at him.

"Huh?"

"Are you still hungry, I have some left and I don't mind sharing." Hyunsik offered, almost dangling the rice cake in front of her. JJ had to admit, she was a bit hungry.

"You don't mind?" She checked, and when he shook his head, she opened . "Ah!" She overexaggerated as she took the piece happily, thanking him as she chewed away at the last bit. He finished his quickly afterwards, heading back to their spot, shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

"Do you not have coat pockets?" JJ asked, her own gloved hands poking around at his jacket. He shook his head, frowning. "I didn't think I'd be waiting out in the cold this long, and I forgot my gloves back at the dorm..."

"Here," JJ held out her hands, making grabbing motions as she did so. Hyunsik looked confused, and JJ sighed after he didn't get it. Boys.

"Give me your hands, I have gloves and I don't think your fans would be happy if your fingers fell off. How would you play the guitar?" She rambled, taking his hands and placing them in hers. "Oh my god, they're so cold! Hyunsik, you can't forget gloves in the winter." She frowned as Hyunsik starting laughing.

"What, what's so funny?"

"It's just... you're kinda cute when you're worried." Hyunsik admitted. Well, that made JJ shut up. They stood there for a few more minutes before Sangmi pulled up, with BTOB's manager right behind her. 

"Okay... well... bye, Hyunsik..." JJ stammered, her face red, and no, she knew it definitely wasn't from the cold. Hyunsik grabbed her hand before she got into the car, and JJ's heart just about stopped.

"Thanks for caring... Soojin." And yeah, it definitely stopped. JJ nodded, unable to say anything as she got in the car, buckling her seat belt and settling further down in her seat than usual. Sangmi almost looked amused.

"Soojin, huh?"

JJ slid further down in her seat. What... just happened???

TO SUM UP CHASE AND YOONGI RN (+ GIGI):
It took a few shots, but soon enough, Chase was loose and ready to talk. Sophie nodded, pouring them another shot.

"Okay, spill. What's going on?"

Chase hung her head. "I'm sorry, I've just been.... really stressed lately..."

"Over what??" Sophie pressed, almost screaming when Chase simply shook her head and downed another shot. "Dude, come on, you've been acting out and we're definitely not the only ones noticing." She was hinting at earlier and at the viewing party when Yoongi just hovered over Chase, with the latter barely talking to him other than answer questions when he asked.

"I... Tina left." And at that, Chase lost it, sobbing uncontrollably. Well, this was unexpected and Sophie was not prepared to deal with tears. She jumped up, trying to find water as Chase hiccuped, her skin definitely ruined. Luckily the girls didn't have anything tomorrow or she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

Instead of scolding her or pressing her further, Sophie just let her sob. She found a bottle of water, setting it beside Chase and every so often, reminding the older to breathe. After a few minutes when Chase started to calm down, Sophie pushed the water towards her.

"T-thanks..." Chase sniffled, taking the bottle and swallowing half of it. Sophie sighed, "Of course, Tina isn't your only friend you know." Chase winced. She deserved that. Ever since Tina got busy and then left, she had been distant from Sophie. It also didn't help that Tina and Chase had such a deep history and Chase talked about it a lot. Sophie didn't deserve that, especially since Chase knew that she wasn't able to have really any long term friends due to her moving a lot growing up.


"I know... I-i'm," Chase hiccuped, "I'm not used to having friends that are, uhm..." She trailed off, gesturing towards Sophie.

"Female? A singer? Younger than you? Or how about --" Sophie was cut off by a pillow being thrown in her face, laughing a bit. Chase managed a smile, "Seriously? I'm crying and you're calling me out. Way to kick me while I'm down." 

"Sorry, not sorry." Sophie shrugged, settling the pillow in her lap. "I've kinda been holding that in. Now tell me what's going on with you and Yoongs."

"Well..." Chase sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You know I have anxiety and depression. So... when Tina left, it hit me. I had no idea what was going to happen. None of us did. It felt... It felt like Faerietale all over again. I needed someone outside of the group, I guess was my thought process."

"So you turned to Yoongi." 

Chase nodded, "But... he wasn't there. He was busy with BTS and the mixtape... Which is fine, I get it, you know? Nothing new for me. But, the first time I actually heard from him recently was when he physically showed up at the viewing party."

"Wait, what??? And since then?"

Chase shook her head. "Radio silence, maybe some half-hearted attempts, like "hey, whats up" or something like that at like, 5AM." 

"Okay... that's kinda rude. But wait, how does Lay fit into this?" Sophie asked, remembering the Chinese boy band member being affectionate to her friend at rehearsal.

"He... was the only one who picked up when I called. No one else did. Not my brother, or Bambam, or anyone. Just him. And even though he was in China, he was working, he... He dropped everything. Just to make sure I was okay. I don't remember how long we talked, I don't even think I understood everything. He was probably speaking Chinese. But he was there. So... yeah." Chase revealed.

So now Sophie had a clearer picture of the boy situation. "Okay, now explain the fact that tonight you literally just said that Blood, Sweat, and Tears in so many words."

"I know!" Chase moaned, covering her face with her hands. "I messed up. I don't know why -- I just, I wanted him to be upset. I wanted to make him mad."

"...What even." Sophie blinked, taking a shot. This was just crazy. This is why she only dealt with Sungjae -- dealing with another boy or girl vying for her attention? Y i k e s.

Chase's phone buzzed from the bed, and the older immediately flushed. Sophie groaned, "I swear if you're telling me that like, Mark or Peniel or someone else is about to come into the story I will have to drink this entire bottle to deal with it."

"N-no, it's probably just Yixing... He's flying to China tonight and wanted to talk... But I can do that tomorrow." 

"You and boys I can not."

"Sophie, shut up, you are Sungjae are in love!" Chase shot back, making Sophie turn a bright red. "I know where you sleep, don't forget that!!"

"And I know that you and Sunjae are meant to be ~" At this, Sophie stuffed her face into the pillow, groaning and hiding her face while Chase giggled.

"....Hey, Sophie?"

She looked up from her pillow. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." Chase smiled. 

Sophie smiled back, straightening up, "Sure thing... Just know that you don't have to lash out on people because they hurt you in some way. You can come to me and we can like, throw darts at their photo or burn something of theirs, I don't know. And you don't always have to go to the first male person who can give you comfort. I know you're like that because of your brother and Yoongi, but sometimes, it just might make things more complicated."

"I love you, Sophie..." Chase sighed, crawling over to lean against Sophie's shoulder. Sophie leaned back. "I love you too. Now let's drink this booze and tell each other dumb things we did as a kid. Did I tell you about the time I tried to play rubgy and this kid --"

 4xU Media Updates: 

  
{NAEUN} CONGRATS JINSOL: Your 'Hush' performance WAS AMAZING, and you made it into JYP's team! Your talent is neverending, and we can't wait to see where this goes for you! Everyone back home is rooting for you! #YOONJINSOLSUPPORT

comments:

saythename_17: CONGRATS JINSOL! Everyone here at your PLEDIS family is cheering you on as well! <3 #YOONJINSOLSUPPORT

(taeyeon_ss liked the photo and commented: So proud of the little one, hehehe! We'll keep watching ~)

ANNOUNCING 4XU'S SECOND MINIALBUM: SOMEHOW! RELEASE DATE: 01/15! MORE DETAILS TO COME IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!

comments:

sangmilove3698: OMG!!! YES!!! this is what we've been waiting for!!!!!! I'm soooooo ready!!!

gixu_23: omg.... gigi and 4xu promoting... i'm very concerned...

INTRODUCING: NEW MEMBER, THE SWAN PRINCESS. Who do you think it is? REVEAL ON 01/10!

comments:

omgilovechaselike: UHM???? I'M NOT SURE???? is it tina??? is tina coming back???? TT^TT

venusfacefrom360: Ooooooh. Hit or miss???? I want to like this idea, since 8 is just a really good number for a girl group, but with the members doing... a lot, it might be too much rn?

ANNOUNCEMENT: 4XU'S ROOKIE QUEENS TO DEBUT IN 2017.

 

New year, new start for rookie group 4xU! With their comeback on the horizon and the announcement for a new member, it seems as though the girls will have a lot to explore and talk about in the recently revealed show: ROOKIE QUEENS: 4XU! The girl group has an eight episode deal where there's no filters, no glamour, just 4xU and their life as they begin their new year! Are you excited? Do you think this is a good move for Woolim to do with the girl group?

comments:
 - this is so exciting! they've been in the media almost constantly for the past few months, I've been curious about them!! I look forward to seeing how this show is filmed!

- OH MY GOD, THEY'RE GETTING A SHOW JUST FOR THEM. If we heroines/heros thought them being on variety shows was amazing, THIS is just the best way to start off the new year <3 <3 <3

- Erk.... They really only have one mini-album as a full group, and it may be messy due to everything. Unless they end up like BTS, who hit it BIG years after and their old shows suddenly spiked in like, millions of views???

Author's Note
HAPPY NEW YEAR <3 <3 <3 May 2017 be a distant memory, and may you all walk into 2018 with new and high expectations!!! Honestly, I'm watching the New Years countdown rn, so I'm not sure how I decided /this/ would be the Christmas present, but I hope you all forgive me all the same ;;; I haven't been /super/ active on my other applyfic, due to a slight depression due to my gf breaking up with me right before the holidays a ha ha  aa a ;;; ANYWAYS (01/14) I hope 2018 is full of new inspiration of writing for me! I'm in a new place with a new computer, AND I ot accepted back into Uni for the Spring semester in Feburary :'D so I'll try and figure out a few days dedicated to writing/posting my applyfic chapters! OH, before I get: any New years resolutions??? do you want to see more romance between the girls and their love interests??? more development in the group's sound or comebacks??? :O lemme know!!!!!