Her feet were bleeding.

But Joohyun didn’t care. Seulgi matters the most at the moment. Though she’s bleeding, she blames herself as it’s the least she can do, because Seulgi used to do the same to her, and without the other party knowing.

Eyes were on her state, egging on their curiosity about the girl looking all desperate and panting hard. None tried to help or ask about.

Traces of blood were visible at some point of her destinations. Their schools, the basketball court, the Velvet Café, the Ice Cream stand on a park, everywhere that Seulgi had step a foot at, name it, Joohyun went there. She also traces back her steps to several places to see if she misses a spot.

Only God knows how Joohyun is still running when she’s on the edge of falling down.

But Joohyun didn’t care, because Seulgi matters more.

That’s when until her fatigue really hits her like a sudden wrecking ball on her knees, unaware of its coming. Joohyun fell on a bench in the park, the park where she went to for the fifth time, including her current arrival.

She fell down hard with her head hang low and pale. She clenches the edge of the bench trying to fight back the urge to burst once more. At that time, she realizes that there’s no more room left in her for the fact that guilt has taken over them.

“Seulgi…”

She clenches harder.

“Seulgi…”

Joohyun wondered where could Seulgi have been, despite that she hasn’t seen her for 2 days already, thousands of ideas came crashing down.

Where could she be staying? Have she eaten? Is she lost? Seulgi sure had learned a few things but that’s when she’s under either any of their eyes. Is there a hope if any of her friends found her and took her home but then they’ll wonder why she was away? Or worse, did Joohyun’s past thought has finally came true? That Seulgi is kidnapped?

Joohyun breaks down.

The sun is setting from her view of the ground albeit her blurry vision. It’s too late.

Bute before Joohyun could get up, a shadow came into her sight, shadowing the sunset light from her bare feet. She was about to apologize, maybe that she’s a bother in some way to the owner of the shadow, until the person spoke.

“Your feet are bleeding.”

That voice.

Joohyun thought she must be seeing and hearing stuff because the person who just spoke to her sounds exactly like Seulgi. She’s scared to lift her head, scared that she was right.

“Why are you crying?” The person squats down. The person’s face is still in her sight. And so she blinks, making the last tear fall and clearing her view.

It’s Seulgi.

Joohyun can’t believe it. The person that she had been looking for is in front of her, holding a white-coloured balloon, looking at her as if nothing ever happened.

“Here, take this! Don’t cry!” Seulgi hands the balloon to her and quickly takes out a hankie, “Stay put, this might hurt a bit!” she lift Joohyun’s left foot carefully and daps the clothe. It hurts, honestly, but Joohyun didn’t move. Eyes widen, she keeps them locked on Seulgi. Has she gone crazy that Seulgi is actually touching her?

“Joohyun!”

“Unnie!”

Another 3 familiar voices call her out from behind.

“Joohyun where have- Seulgi!!” Seungwan’s pace increases and so did the others when they heard the name, running to Joohyun.

Seulgi was shocked when Yeri crashed herself on her, making Seulgi fall back flat. “Seulgi!!!” Yeri cries on her chest, pushing herself to her more if that’s possible. The little one must have missed her too much, “don’t leave like that! You’re scaring me!!!” she says in between sobs.

Seulgi’s face shows more that confusion when Yeri said so, she looks over Joohyun and then to Seungwan and Sooyoung.

“Thank God! Where did you find her?” Sooyoung ask as she heaves a sigh and smiles in relief, “Joohyun?” she calls when the latter didn’t reply. How could she? Few hours ago she was running to look for Seulgi, worrying whether or not she’s still alive, now there she is, in one piece and as fine as a fiddle.

“Seulgiii!!” this time it was Seungwan’s turn to receive a hug, she opens her arms for Seulgi to come to her, and she did. Seulgi releases Yeri and got up, but only to run past them. Bewildered eyes follow her figure, dumbfounded on her sudden action.

However, Seulgi stops running and turns to them. To their surprise, Seulgi’s actually running to another figure which is currently standing next to her.

“No…” Joohyuns breathes shakily when Seulgi holds the person’s hand.

“Seulgi I told you not to walk away, but I see you have met your friends again?” Momo taps her cheek and Seulgi nods with a smile after looking over Seungwan and Sooyoung.

“Care to name them? If you remember?” She smirks and points at Joohyun’s group.

“Hirai” Seungwan furrows her eyebrows.

Seulgi slowly raises a hand and points at Seungwan, “Seungwannie!” somehow the latter felt relieve that Seulgi spoke her name and couldn’t help but to smile.

“Sooyoungie!” Seulgi moves her finger to Sooyoung’s direction and then to Joohyun and Yeri repeatedly.

But Seulgi didn’t say anything as her smile falters, lowering her hand before turning her head to Momo.

“Master, who are those two?”

---

“I don’t know them…”

“Oh? But you seem like do?”

“I was trying to help…but I’ve never seen them before”

The exchanges between Seulgi and Momo echoes throughout Joohyun’s  mind as she tighten her hug on her knees.

How is it possible that Seulgi doesn’t remember her and Yeri but not her besties and by all means, Momo?

How come Seulgi claimed Momo as her ‘master’ in front of her, the real one?

“Seulgi, it’s me, Joohyun!”

“W-who?”

Such a short respond yet able to shatters Joohyun so much. The more Joohyun tried to evoke her, the tighter Seulgi’s hold onto Momo, shaking her head in denial as if it was true that she had never laid a glance on her.

The whole circumstances roused Joohyun’s curiosity, but not only hers, but also the Yeri’s in the room, though she’s not exactly in Joohyun’s sight at the moment, but she knew her vulnerable baby sister is experiencing the same.

She knows, her quiet yet distinct sobs are definitely bonus.

Her besties have decided to sleep over at Joohyun’s, understanding the sibling’s state, it’s the least and the best they can do to be there by their side at the time being.

Joohyun finally acknowledge when it’s like to have your own words countable with fingers for a couple of days, only this time, she’s the one counting. Not Seulgi.

But none of them egged on each other to speak more.

Although it’s only for a few days already, Joohyun had forgotten how it warm it feels whenever she wakes up in the morning, how noisy it is in the living room with laughter in the afternoon, how chaotic it is in the kitchen in the evening, and how comfortable it is the combination of cold bed and Seulgi’s warm at night.

Joohyun realizes how colourless her daily routines are.

---

A couple of rings by the doorbell were heard, stirring everyone’s train of thought from anything.

No one answered as t