"...Do it for me, okay?" she gives a sad smile, trying not to cry.

 

Hyojung slightly nods while holding her hand tightly. The other girls can do nothing but bow their heads or show broken smiles. The room is silent, but everyone knows they're all trying to hold back tears.

 

"Anyway, thanks unnie... reading that really cheered me up when I needed to." she faintly says, holding out the scrapbook. Hyojung reaches out to take it back. It's still her book after all.

 

"I'm happy it at least helped… Hang in there, okay? Tomorrow is another day." Hyojung quietly replies, still maintaining that pained smile.

 

“Heh.. Unnie, I missed hearing your catchphrase.” The girl whispers with tears starting to well up in her eyes.

 

After a few short goodbyes, the girls leave the hospital building and enter their van.

 

The whole ride is dead silent, and a heavy atmosphere permeates the group. Not even the managers dare utter a word to break the deafening silence. After what seemed like an eternity, they're dropped off at their dorm.

 

Arin's the first to speak up, albeit with a worried expression. "Is JinE unnie... really leaving?"

"No, nothing's confirmed yet... She'd never leave us." Hyojung hugs the sad maknae. Mimi sits beside them, rubbing Arin's shoulder to try and help comfort her. "If only Seunghee was here.. she'd know what to say.." Mimi mutters.

 

Binnie sees that Jiho has frozen up and is staring at nothing with an anxious expression. "Hey." Binnie's hand creeps up on Jiho's. It's cold. "I'm okay." Jiho fakes a smile. Binnie stares at her worriedly for a moment, then slips her fingers into the spaces between Jiho's. Without a word, Jiho rests her head on Binnie's shoulder.

 

Yooa, already lying down, stares into the ceiling with bored eyes.

"Her parents have already signed the papers you know?" Yooa said with a cold expression.

 

"SHIAH!" Hyojung's eyes widen and stare Yooa down in disbelief. Arin's mouth starts to quiver and tears finally start welling up in her eyes. Mimi shuts hers and turns her head, sighing deeply. Binnie feels Jiho's grip tighten around her hand and without looking, she knows Jiho has that sad frozen expression on her face again.

 

Arin starts sobbing. Faintly at first, then increasingly louder, until her wails fill the room. To Binnie's surprise, Jiho let's go of her hand and quickly goes to Arin's side. Hugging Arin and pulling her head close to her chest. Her face is hidden beneath her hair, but Binnie can tell: she's sobbing too.

 

Hyojung and Mimi try their best to comfort the maknae and tell her 'everything's gonna be okay'.

But everyone knows, it's not.

 

"Unnie.." Arin manages to mutter in-between sobs. She looks up at Jiho, and their eyes meet. "I don't.." Arin chokes up, but fights through her sobs. "I don't wanna go!" Arin blurts out, and her cries get louder again. Jiho doesn't say a word, not because she doesn't want to speak, but because she can't say anything. She also starts crying.

 

"What? No, hey, don't be like that.. No one's leaving anyone, okay?" Hyojung says in a comforting tone.

 

"Unnie.. m-my parents.." Arin struggles to get words out.

 

Hyojung and Mimi freeze up. Jiho starts sobbing louder. Yooa exhales sharply into a deep sigh.

 

"They.. they want me to finish m-my schooling..." Arin fights to speak through her cries.

 

"They're.. bailing me out..." She looks down, still sobbing, but quietly now.

 

"Arin..." Hyojung says under her breath, looking defeated.

 

Binnie rushes behind Jiho, hugging both her and Arin. Mimi wraps her arms around the whole group, except Yooa, who just chose to sleep and cut herself off from this horrible turn of events.

 

“Arin, everything’s gonna be alright, okay? We love you.” Hyojung stays strong. If not for herself, for the maknae at least.

 

“But unnie--”

 

“Shh…. tomorrow is another day.” She hushes Arin and hugs her tighter.

 

The girls cry the night away, falling asleep in each other's arms.

 

 

 

A few days later.

 

The girls stand side-by-side outside the WM building. A car loaded with some luggage waits on the side of the street with the engine already running. They've already said their goodbyes, and this is the last time they'll ever see their precious maknae. For all they know, the next time might be after several years.

 

"I'm sorry I couldn't come back earlier... I should've been here for you more." Seunghee cries her eyes out while hugging Arin. "It's okay unnie, you were busy." Arin gives a reassuring smile, enough to help her hold back the tears, but not enough to hide her pain. "Don't forget us, okay?" Seunghee's voice trails off as she tries to resist sobbing any further.

 

"Of course, unnie. I.. can't be with you all anymore.. but I promise-- I'll be the best Miracle!"

 

The girls burst into tears.

 

‘Miracle’, Arin said. A term reserved for mere fans. It’s as if they could feel their collective hearts break in unison at that thought. Seunghee cries into Arin's shoulder. Tears start streaming from Arin's eyes again, but she holds them back. The others start crying too and they form a group hug around them as they say their final farewells.

 

Yooa doesn't join in though. With a gloomy yet cold expression, she turns around and enters the building-- but not before wiping a single tear from her cheek. Binnie notices her leaving and her eyes follow Yooa as she enters.

 

 

 

*beep beep beep*

The car gives off three quick honks, and Arin pulls away. The girls let her go, and she enters the car. They all wave as the car smoothly disappears into the street-- after all, that's all they can do.

 

Binnie is slightly taken aback when Jiho pushes against her shoulder and hugs her side.

 

“Bin…”

 

“Jiho”

 

Binnie hugs her back as their sobs slowly drown each other out. Jiho's always been like this towards her, Binnie thought, but she can't shake the feeling that something's up. She knows there's something bothering Jiho, and she's determined to find out what.

 

As the girls start to head back into the building, Yooa pulls away from the window she's looking down from. Her phone starts ringing and she wipes her tears. She stifles what’s left of her sobs and answers the call, walking into a far room to talk privately.

 

 

 

Days pass by, and things don't get better.

 

The managers and some staff stand at the side with their heads bowed. The CEO sits at the end of the table, seemingly deep in thought. The girls have been called to an "important meeting", and are now gathered around the table of WM's conference room.

 

“As you should already know, JinE and Arin have left the company.” He speaks in a very matter-of-fact way.

 

“If any of you have anything on your minds, please be honest.” The girls knew what he meant. Hyojung felt sick. “Is this what we’ve come to?” she thought.

 

Yooa sighs. Binnie immediately glares at her with rage in her eyes. Jiho somehow saw this coming, and she freezes up.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yooa glares back at Binnie and an intense atmosphere fills the room. Jiho looks down at the ground.

 

“I know you’ve been scouted by another agency. You’re always in contact with them…. You can’t keep hiding it.” Binnie says angrily. Yooa immediately replies. “Face it, we haven’t even gotten a single win yet.” Everyone chokes up. She’s right.

 

“Y-yooa please--” Hyojung tries to calm her down.

 

“Five comebacks in two years and for what? We can’t even get a damn MAMA nomination?” Yooa says clearly to everyone in the room. Like arrows, Yooa’s words pierce through the girls’ hearts. It doesn’t help that they can’t argue—she’s right.

 

“So you’ll just leave then?” Binnie asks, raising her voice.

 

The CEO sighs as if all this isn’t news to him anymore. He gives Jiho a concerned look. Though still frozen, Jiho notices and looks back at him with that poor distressed expression of hers. In a slow and silent motion, she ever so slightly shakes her head. He gives a single nod and just like that, a conversation has happened between them. As if to speak, he coughs to clear his throat.

 

“Girls, please. I know recent events have been hard, but we can’t figure anything out until you solve whatever problem there is between you.” He sternly explains. The girls fall silent. Yooa and Binnie maintain their heated glares at each other’s furious eyes.

 

“I think we’re done for today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.” The CEO stands up and promptly leaves. Some staff members hurry to follow him out. The managers leave as well, wanting to give the girls time to talk amongst themselves.

 

“Yooa, is this why you’ve been acting so cold towards us lately?...” Hyojung inquires with an angry tone.

 

“Unnie, let’s not--” Mimi tries to interject.

 

“Yes.” Yooa coldy replies, not breaking her glare-off with Binnie.

 

“How dare you do this to us?” Binnie says firmly, tears welling up in her eyes. Jiho notices but is still frozen and is unable to say a word.

 

Seunghee silently puts her hand on top of Yooa’s and gives her a pleading look. Yooa finally looks away from Binnie and pulls her hand from Seunghee.

 

“My personal choices don’t need defending.” Yooa stands up. Seunghee lowers her head and Mimi starts crying.

 

Binnie stands up as well and slams the table. Jiho shudders. “You ungrateful bi--”

 

“If you all can’t see where this is headed… then you’re damned fools.” Yooa storms out the room. Her slender silhouette is the last thing Hyojung and the girls ever see of her.

 

Binnie sits back down and exhales sharply, trying to calm her nerves. She turns to Jiho and her distressed look warms Binnie’s heart. “Hey” She holds Jiho’s hand. Without a word, Jiho buries her face into Binnie’s chest. Binnie starts her smooth hair and patting her head. “Bin..” Jiho says with a squeaky tone. “Yeah?”

 

Jiho looks up at her. “Tonight… I want to sleep with you.” she says with teary eyes.

 

Binnie’s cheeks instantly flush red and her eyes widen. “O-of course. It’s been so long…” The two hug.

 

Seunghee and Mimi hold each other’s hands while silently sobbing together. Hyojung tries cheering them up. “Don’t worry about Yooa, you know her. She’ll… come around. Remember… tomorrow is another day.”

 

“I’m not sure tomorrow is on our side.” Seunghee says looking back at her, concerned. Hyojung purses her lips and hugs the girls.

 

 

 

*knock knock*

Night has fallen, and as promised, Jiho comes to Binnie’s room to stay the night. Binnie opens the door.

 

“Ohh. I always loved seeing you in those pajamas.” Binnie playfully says. “Why do you think I wore it?” Jiho smiles. “Come’ere, I changed the sheets for you.” excitedly, Binnie lies down.

 

Jiho crawls onto the bed, lying beside Binnie. The two face each other, having only the dim moonlight from the window to illuminate their faces. Binnie sees Jiho’s melancholic expression and speaks up. “So… what’s wrong?”

 

Jiho acts surprised. “What?..”

“I know something’s up. You think you can hide that from me?” Binnie smirks.

Jiho smiles cutely, her eyes looking down. Binnie didn’t anticipate this and gets flustered.

 

“Everything’s just happening so fast and I can’t... I just can’t process this all.. You know?”

“Yeah.. I understand..” Binnie notices the serious tone and rubs Jiho’s shoulder.

 

Attempting to change the subject, Binnie puts on a wide smile. “So.. now that we’re here, what can I do to cheer you up?”

Jiho’s eyebrows rise up as she wasn’t expecting this sudden offer. Her expression softens up immediately though. “Bin… she’s always been so kind to me.” Jiho thinks to herself, causing the most genuine smile Binnie’s seen from her in a while.

 

Binnie notices Jiho’s smile. “That’s the spirit! So… how about this?” Binnie holds up two fingers stuck together.

Jiho’s eyes widen and she almost screams. “Yah! I didn’t say I wanted to do that!” She starts blushing.

 

“Hm? How about another one, then?” Binnie raises another finger while smirking, now she’s holding up three.

 

“YAH!” Jiho slaps Binnie’s shoulder repeatedly. Her face and her ears are bright red at this point.

 

“Aw come oooon~” Binnie teases Jiho playfully. She replies. “I..I’m not in the mood.” Jiho puts up her hands and hides her face.

 

“What… do you really want?” Jiho slowly lowers her hands and sees Binnie’s expression turn serious.

“I… I just want to be with you right now.” Jiho bows her head shyly.

Binnie bows her head as well, making their foreheads touch. “Sure.. tonight, I’m all yours.” She hugs Jiho.

 

Jiho couldn’t reply. She just takes it all in, enjoying the moment. “I wish this could last forever.”

 

After what seemed to Jiho like an eternity, she musters up some courage. Carefully observing Binnie’s face to make sure she’s already asleep, she slowly leans in.

 

Jiho leaves a feeling kiss on Binnie’s warm lips. “I love you, Bin.”

 

Binnie smiles.

 

The two fall asleep in a warm embrace. The only warmth that would never fade.

 

 

 

 

“Unnie, unnie! Wake up!”

Hyojung wakes up to Mimi’s distressed voice. She shoots up from her bed, still half-awake. “What’s up?..”

 

“Binnie… there’s something wrong with her” Mimi hesitates.

“Didn’t Jiho stay with her last night?” Hyojung becomes confused.

“Jiho… we can’t find her.” Mimi says with a sad tone.

 

The way Jiho’s been acting and how clingy she’s been to Binnie recently. Everything suddenly adds up in Hyojung’s mind.

 

Oh no. Please… no.

 

Hyojung runs into Binnie’s room and there she sees it: Binnie sitting on the floor, leaned against the side of her bed, her limp arms sprawled on her sides. She was unmoving, lifeless almost. Like a broken doll abandoned in an attic. Upon closer inspection, Hyojung could see her expression. Her lips were curled in an unnatural yet almost unnoticeable way, as if hesitantly showing sadness. Her eyes shocked Hyojung the most: tears were flowing down her pale cheeks in an unbroken stream, but her eyes—they were empty. They were dead.

 

She notices a piece of stationery, a note, in Binnie’s hands. Slowly, she reached out to take it and that’s when she felt Binnie’s cold hands. Hyojung got chills. She’d never seen Binnie—no, she’d never seen anyone like this before. Binnie’s hands didn’t resist, the note slipped from her fingers without friction. Hyojung started reading.

 

Bin, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. I’m sorry I’m still such a coward.

 

I don’t want to believe in what Yooa said. I believe there’s still hope. But like Arinnie and Yooa, I have to leave too. I asked the CEO not to tell you this so I could do it myself but, I just couldn’t. My family doesn’t think the same way as we do. They want me to go back to Okcheon… But I don’t want to leave you. If I had the choice, you know I’d stay with you forever.

 

Thanks for letting me stay the night with you. I’ll always miss the times when we slept together… and every day that I spent with you will be the memories I treasure the most. I’ll never forget Oh My Girl, especially you.

 

I love you, Bin.

 

Her legs become heavy and she takes a step back. Her hands become weak and she lets go of the note. Binnie’s still staring at nothing, and her broken expression doesn’t change. Seeing this, Hyojung feels an inexplicably painful ache in her chest. She slowly walks out of Binnie’s room with heavy eyes, her steps faltering.

 

“So unnie, what’s wrong??” Mimi asks worriedly while Seunghee stands up to comfort their obviously shaken leader.

 

“Ji..ho..” Hyojung barely mutters. “Jiho?.. Why? What happened??” Mimi gets increasingly uneasy. Seunghee’s eyes widen and she rushes into Binnie’s room.

 

Mimi only gets more confused at Hyojung’s distressed expression. She takes a while, and finally says “Jiho.. Jiho is--”

 

“Is gone.” Seunghee exits Binnie’s room while holding the note, tears flowing down her rosy cheeks.

 

All life escapes Mimi’s face and Seunghee starts sobbing. Hyojung thinks of her poor girls and the shock wears off. She starts to break down.

 

Hyojung hurries to her room and locks herself in, she can’t take all this anymore. “Unnie! Unnie, open up! We’re with you through this..” Mimi says as she knocks loudly upon the door, but her voice trails off and she starts crying too. She falls to the floor right by the door, a sad teary mess.

 

Still bawling, Hyojung crawls under her sheets and curls onto her side. She can’t even think about anything. Her mind is all blank, there’s nothing to think about. There are no words, no thoughts. Just emotion.

 

Sadness. Despair. Grief even.

But more than all that, all that’s left is pain.

 

Through her blurry eyes, she notices something odd on her bedside table. It’s her scrapbook, but that’s not what’s odd. A glossy pink bookmark protrudes from the top. “That isn’t mine” she thinks to herself. Then it hits her.

 

Pink… Pink.

 

That’s JinE’s color in their Liar Liar MV. Unlike the other assigned colors, she picked it herself.

 

Hyojung hesistantly grabs her book. She flips the pages and stops at JinE’s bookmark. The title reads: '2016 HOPES'. Her fingers start tracing the words ‘Get a year-end award’ while smiling sadly.

 

"...Do it for me, okay?" JinE’s words echo in her mind. So that’s what she meant.

 

Hyojung stares sadly at her book, and closes it along with her tired swollen eyes.

 

“I’m sorry… JinE...” She remembers JinE’s frail yet optimistic smile. Hyojung chokes up.

 

“I’m sorry… Arin…” The former maknae’s bright smile pops up in her head. The tears don’t stop.

 

“I’m sorry… Yooa...” She’s reminded of Yooa’s silhoutte and her cries turn into screams.

 

“I’m sorry… Jiho…” The sight of Binnie’s dead eyes appears in her mind.

 

“I’m sorry… everyone..” She smothers her face in her blanket, muffling her wails.

 

 

 

After what seemed like hours of crying, she whispers to herself .

 

 

 

"I promise…".

 

 

 

“We will work harder...”

 

 

 

"We are Oh My Girl after all..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"....what's left of it anyway."

 

Even through her sobs, Hyojung mutters a phrase to herself. One filled with so much pain, but perhaps… also hope.

 

 

 

Tomorrow is another day.

 

/fin