The day Jaebum feared came a year later, when Seulgi started to be real busy with her training. She began missing classes a month after her acceptance letter came, though she maintained her grades she repeatedly have to miss classes take special exams and quizzes and until they were so used to it, of course the excuse letters came either from SM staffs or from her mother wherein he’d be asked to give them to the teachers.

He didn't like it, just he like did from the beginning but he had begun to adjust, even the empty seat next to him looked ordinary when a year ago a bear looking girl was noisily chatting with him about anything and everything her little mind could think of. 

He sighed thinking that what if, just what if he didn't accompany her that day, if he didn't reassure her that she'd do well, if he crumpled the paper that contained her acceptance even though she'd be angry, what if he voiced out how he disagreed to it would things have turned out differently? Will she still be there with him instead of wasting away her youth in the four corners of a practice room? 

***

Seulgi called him to meet one day and though he felt annoyed he couldn't deny the fact that he missed her and ignoring her would give him nothing but sleepless nights regretting, as far as he was concerned he wasn't keen on getting that.

"Woah I thought you won't ever show up!" she told him, her small figure bundled up in cute winter clothes. 

"Not gonna happen." he said absently as he was eyeing her thoroughly, she had gotten thinner than the last time he had seen her, true she was naturally slim figured but she looked almost unhealthy he could see a few of her bone ridges sticking out, and it worried him so much.

"You're not going on an extreme diet, are you?" he stared at her but she averted her eyes quickly then huffed a