She was caught in sheer panic when Moonbyul didn't answer her calls or replying her text messages. The two maknaes knew nothing of their unnie's sudden disappearance. Solar had no idea what was bugging her friend. The girl hardly looked at her, hardly talked to her. It was as if her fellow member had been possessed by someone else.

She waited for some sort of news either from Moonbyul, her manager or her two maknaes but nothing came until she heard a beep from her phone. Thinking that it was Byulyi, Solar grabbed her phone from the table and swiped it open only to see a text message from Eric asking whether she had eaten. She smiled for a minute before replying but her thoughts were occupied on someone else. 

"Oh...Wheein ah...did you hear anything from her...?" asked Solar over the phone. 

"Nothing unnie...I'll let you know if i can get through to her...." replied the pup. 

It bothered her greatly as to why Moonbyul seemed more distanced than she ever was. When Solar first started out on We Got Married, the rapper maintained her distance from her saying that she shouldn't be too "greasy" with the leader now that she has a husband. She thought it was meant as a joke because Byulyi liked to play around no matter the seriousness of the atmosphere. Moonbyul would only joke with the other two, especially Hwasa, she noticed that the rapper was getting closer to the red head. Not that she didn't mind, they were supposed to be close, all four of them. But Hwasa had Wheein and the two are practically best friends, which leaves Solar and Moonbyul. 

Nevertheless she sat and waited on the couch in her apartment, fondling with her phone, exchanging text messages with Eric, her virtual husband. It excited her that she was on the show and with a guy like Eric Nam, who is an absolute gentleman from head to toe. Her heart would flutter at the thought of him, holding her hands and being sweet. Solar has never really had a taste of what affection is like, but then she thought of Moonbyul and her hugs and her touch. 

The decrease amount of interaction between them brought back memories of when the group was still promoting their album. Solar was extremely nervous in talking to the press and Byulyi was seated next to her, constantly holding her hand and glancing at her, making sure she wouldn't freak out as much as she'd like to. It was one of the top moments where Solar cherished what she had with Moonbyul. No one looked out for her the way the rapper did, always complementing how beautiful she looked and how great she sang. Moonbyul made her feel appreciated and she loved her for that. 

She remembered the day she told Wheein what she thought about Eric. He was charming, he had the eye smile, everything worked. She was glad that it was him that was chosen to be her husband. She thought about it, the possibility of liking him for real and it set her heart with a bit of uneasiness. Imagine having to balance having a relationship while their career is on its peak, she couldn't sacrifice all her time and energy there.

Solar scrolled through her phone, finding things to occupy her time. She went onto their social media platforms to read their fans' comments, randomly search for her group to see what would pop up. And when something did, her heart stop for a moment after re-reading the headline. Dispatch people were at it again, rooting out idols, whoever it was going out with whomever it was. 

"Mamamoo's Moon Byulyi-"

She stopped reading the headline and quickly moved onto the article. It was new, considering the time and date she saw at the top of the article. Moonbyul was reported to be waiting out of SM Entertainment, a picture of her in her Moonstar varisty jacket was taken, leaning against the wall, playing with her phone. The next picture showed Red Velvet's Kang Seulgi, making her way to the rapper, the two talked briefly before they walked down the street, hand in hand. She scrolled further down and looked through all the pictures.

Moonbyul looked so happy and it bothered Solar that she was not the cause of it. For most of the time that they were promoting together, pictures of the two of them were always taken together, smiling and laughing. But now looking at her phone, Moonbyul was laughing and holding hands with another person. The last picture killed her inside, seeing how close Byulyi was with Seulgi. Tossing her phone aside, she laid down on her couch and forced herself to sleep after deciding she would talk to Moonbyul tomorrow. 

"Unnie...have you gone mad?" 

"What are you going about?" 

"A day ago, you were head over heels for someone and now you're going out with another person...?"

"It was just a date you guys. Why is everyone freaking out?" 

"Because everyone is worried about you. You hardly talk to us anymore, you're avoiding Solar unnie and we can't get through to you, unnie is something wrong?"

"Were my kids worried about me?"

"Unnie...it's not funny"

"I never said that it was....I had a rough time and i was around the corner... so i called Seulgi out. End of story" 

She overheard their conversation and clutched her phone tight. What did Wheein meant when she said a day ago, Moonbyul was head over heels for someone. She shrugged off the thought and made appearance into the room startling her members. Moonbyul gave her a small smile and made her way out with Hwasa in tow. Wheein looked at her with a pained expression, the pup not knowing what to say to her unnie. 

"Maybe we should have a barbeque party with Moomoos. I mean who doesn't like food" suggested Hwasa. 

"All you seem to think about is food" teased Moonbyul. "I think it's a great idea"

"If we're all agreeable...then let's bring it up to the CEO and our manager" said Solar. 

She observed Moonbyul playing with her phone, all smiles as she texted away fervently. It was already time for her to go and do her filming with Eric for We Got Married. She needed to talk to Moonbyul, somehow, strangely, she craved for the girl's attention. But before the leader got a chance, the CEO called for Moonbyul to his office, probably about last night. The maknaes hurried behind her like the beagles they are, tailing behind their unnie cutely. She decided to do the same. 

"Uri...Byulyi, you never cease to amaze with how popular you are with the female idols" said CEO Kim, laughing. 

"Sir....?" she looked to him questioningly. 

"Kid...you're doing a heck of promotion on your own" he went on. 

"I don't...understand...." she said. 

"Keep at it kid. Whatever relationship you have with Seulgi, it's a good thing. Nowadays seeing girl group members hanging out with each other excites the fans and i like it that my kids play nice with other kids. Who knows you guys could star in a potential variety show together in the future, now wouldn't that be something?" 

"I...okay...." she mumbled, then smiling sheepishly at him. 

The three of them were laughing outside of his office when Moonbyul told the two she thought he was going to be mad at her for skipping out on them yesterday. Moonbyul managed to avoid them pestering her for other things like how she almost avoided everyone so that she could isolate her feelings. While the maknaes ran off to talk to their manager, Solar finally grabs her chance and pulled Moonbyul by her wrist to one of the vacant studios. 

"Are you going to ask me about yesterday too?" Byulyi, looked at her. 

"We always talked Byulyi. Whatever it was.... we always talked to each other" said Solar. 

"We're talking now" said Byulyi, too obvious in attempting to end the conversation. 

It pained Moonbyul that she had to result to this kind of petty behaviour. Yongsun had a hurt expression on her face when she heard the rapper said those words especially in that manner. 

"If this is about that article...I'll be more careful" 

"I..." said Yongsun when she looked to the rapper for more clarification to what she just said. "What...?"

"I'll be more careful next time unnie...I'll make sure we won't be that obvious. I don't want anything bad to happen to Seulgi. You know how some fans are..." 

"You think i came here to talk about you and Seulgi?" said Yongsun, deadpanned. 

"Everyone else seems to be approaching me about that...." said Moonbyul. 

"Are you punishing me...?" the leader muttered. 

"What....?" Moonbyul looked at her. 

"Is this some kind of punishment?" Yongsun raised her voice. 

"What are you going on about..." said Moonbyul feigning disbelief. 

"This Byulyi! Whatever this is! Are you punishing me because i went on that stupid show! Is that why you've been avoiding me...?! Is that why you hardly look at me anymore and talk to me! What did i do to make you treat me this way?"

It was out in the open, for almost everyone to hear. Moonbyul took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. 

"No one's punishing you. I don't where or how you got that idea. I think it's great that you're going off on some show and pretend to live a happy marriage with a fake husband and go on dates and holding hands and living together, displaying whatever affections you have for each other, I think it's bloody great" 

"So is this what this is really about?"

"You're damn right it is!" snapped Moonbyul. "Look... i don't want to fight you on this because it's pointless Yongsun...at least not in front of the kids..." 

Moonbyul sighed in defeat when Yongsun turned to see the two maknaes listening into their conversation. "For the sake of our group and the fans. Let's not talk about whatever this is...." 

"No...i'm going to talk about it because i care about your feelings. You're my friend Byulyi" Yongsun continued presistenly. 

"Leave it Yongsun" warned Moonbyul. 

"You said you were okay with me being on that show. You told me, you felt nothing!" 

"I did... for a moment i did. But you know what.... he didn't" 

"What...?" 

"Who wouldn't feel anything for you, yeba. You're perfect and he's perfect. Didn't you say you liked him?"

Shock crippled her body as looked to the girl, tears already strolling down her cheeks, The maknaes stood behind the door, quiet, like children watching their parents fighting in front of them. Moonbyul wasn't supposed to know. 

"You played me for a fool, Kim Yongsun. And i regretted that i ever did succumb to whatever feelings i had for you because it brought me misery more than happiness. You want to know the reason why i avoided you? It's because of outcomes like this...." 

Just as their conversation hang in the air, Solar's phone vibrated, her ringtone filling the silence with Eric's name flashing on the screen. Laughing defeatedly, Moonbyul left the studio with Hwasa calling after her. 

"If only you had been honest with your feelings unnie....if only" said Wheein, then chasing after her best friend. 

Calling in sick Moonbyul opted out whatever public programs they had to do. This time she wasn't pretending. Moonbyul came down with a fever and laid in bed for two days, refusing to eat but only drink water from time to time. Hwasa constantly called and checked in on her but she assured the maknae that she was fine. The red head told her that she'll be visiting her soon with Wheein. 

S: I saw your members just now, but you weren't there. Are you okay unnie?

M: Down with a fever, but i'll be okay.

S: Fever...? Have you eaten yet?

M: No...i haven't

S: I'll come over and bring you some porridge okay?

M: Won't you be too busy?

S: Not for you unnie. I'll be there soon okay. 

It was the first time, they had performed as three. Hwasa took over Moonbyul's part and the fans chanting was still strong as ever although some of them expressed disappointed that a certain Moonstar wasn't there. Their event collided with Red Velvet's. The maknaes greeted them like they usually did with smiles and laughter. Irene and Solar exchanged a few words and the leader overheard Seulgi asking where Moonbyul was. She watched the girl from the side and noticed the cover of Seulgi's phone while the girl was texting. She then realised that she seen a similar one when she saw Moonbyul using her phone the other day. Matching covers, thought Solar, how childish. 

"We're going to see Byulyi unnie after this... do you want to come along unnie?" asked Hwasa once they ended the event. 

"I don't think she wants to see me" the leader muttered sadly. 

"You know she doesn't mean that...." Wheein tried to comfort her. 

"I don't want to make things worse between us" said Solar. 

"Well you have to do something about it! This is worst than when my parents fought" said Hwasa in slight irritation. 

"Hyejin ah" Wheein chided her best friend. 

"Let's just go over to her house and try to make things less awkward alright. We're a group, a team damn it" continued Hwasa. 

"She's right unnie...let's just go okay?" said Wheein. 

"Okay...." agreed Solar. 

They stood at the front of her door, Hwasa punching in the password because she remembered it the last time she went over to Moonbyul's place. The two maknaes went in and she hesitated. She was afraid of how Moonbyul would treat her, of how hurt Moonbyul would look when she saw her. Shaking the thought off, she went inside the apartment only to see the maknaes standing frozen in front of the kitchen. When Solar peeked into what they were looking at, her breath hitched when she saw Seulgi hugging her Moonbyul from the back, her head onto the rapper's shoulder, her arms wrapped tight around the taller girl. 

"Byul ah" she instinctively called out.