The whispers start following them around the dining hall at breakfast but they really only notice at lunch. Yebin puts it down to Nayoung and Jieqiong and the last few episodes where they all got a little more screen time.

It is not until Dani full on stares at Minkyung for a few minutes, as if commiserating about something that she first feels like something might be wrong.

None of them have their phones on them so she cannot text Yewon and ask her to check the internet but then the PD comes up to their table.

“Minkyung,” she says, “a minute please.”

Yebin has no idea what this is about, and judging by the frowns on their faces, neither do any of the others, except for Minkyung who smiles, pushes her tray towards Yebin and rises from her seat.

“We'll catch you later,” Siyeon says, eyes narrowing just enough for anyone that knows her to notice and not enough for strangers to see through her eye smile.

Minkyung smirks but it does not reach her eyes.

Eunwoo pokes half heartedly at her plate.

A minute turns into several hours and they split up into their groups to rehearse but Minkyung has not returned.

It is not till after dinner that Siyeon appears with Minkyung, Eunwoo, and Kyungwon in tow.

“Go get Nayoung-unnie and Jieqiong,” Siyeon says and Yebin rushes off, not before she sees the telltale puffiness around the edges of Minkyung’s eyes.

Gathering the rest of the girls takes no time and they are gathered in one of the soundproof camera-less booths. It is a little cramped for seven but they can make do.

By now it is obvious that Minkyung has been crying. Yebin rests her head on Minkyung’s much taller shoulder and plays with the strands of her hair that dangle down.

“What happened,” Nayoung says.

“An article surfaced,” Siyeon scowls.

Minkyung inhales sharply and Yebin tries not to wince.

“It's about something I did when I was younger,” Minkyung whispers, plays with her fingers, looks up towards the light, tries to hide her face away but they can all see that she is trying desperately not to cry.

“I'm sorry,” she chokes out, rubs at her eyes, turns away.

Yebin has never seen Minkyung look defeated. Not when she was allocated into the F group, not even when Siyeon made her life a passive aggressive hell in the first few weeks of her time at Pledis.

“We're here for you,” Nayoung says.

Minkyung buries her face in her hands.

“You're still here,” Eunwoo says, “it's not over.”

“Nothing is over,” Kyungwon nods, and Yebin can tell that this is a discussion that they must have already had.

“You don't know that they'll kick you out for sure.”

Minkyung shakes her head.

“You're still here,” Nayoung says, “if they'd wanted to kick you out they would have.”

Jieqiong nods but Minkyung shakes her head again.

“I didn't spend a month hating you for you to be kicked out over something so stupid like this,” Siyeon snaps, “They wouldn't dare, not after how hard they worked to persuade me that you were a good addition.”

Yebin feels the blood drain from her face.

Pledis.

It's Pledis that they are talking about, not this silly show.

Pledis.

Minkyung thinks that Pledis is going to kick her out.

“They can't,” Eunwoo says.

“They can,” Minkyung whispers, “they can. People have been kicked for smaller things.”

Siyeon shakes her head, “People have been kicked because they don't want it enough.”

“It wouldn't be fair,” Minkyung says, “it wouldn't be fair to you all.”

Siyeon snorts, opens but Minkyung presses on, gulps, “you don't want something like me around.”

“Excuse you,” Siyeon says, “but you don't get to tell me what I want and what I don't want.”

Minkyung laughs and it is the first time today she has looked even fractionally like her usual self but a fog rests on her eyes and her smile is cold. Yebin has never seen this look before. It frightens her.

“You haven't seen the picture,” Minkyung says, “have you?”

Siyeon sniffs but does not reply.

“It doesn't matter really,” Eunwoo says, “not to us. We've been around you. We know you. We like you. We're not going to let a picture change that.”

“Maybe you won't,” Minkyung says, “but this is never going