"..and 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
Joy panted while walking to the chair to grab her bottled water. Red Velvet had a lot of activities lined up since their comeback. Her popularity rose, thanks to the drastic change in her image. Only she and her members knew, though, the reason behind her weight loss.

She wiped her sweat absentmindedly. Yeri caught her spacing out again. "Unnie!" Joy was startled with their maknae.

"Eoh?" she replied. "You okay?" Yeri asked with  concern.

Joy flashed her a smile, "Never better," she forced a cheerful tone.

Being the carefree, tactless maknae she is, Yeri continued, "Good! 'Cause I've been itching to tell you this!"

"Yerim-ah, I told you I'm not interested in goss..."

"It's about Sungjae oppa!" Yeri cut her off. Joy was momentarily derailed, but remembered she had to pretend to be okay. 
"Thanks, but no thanks Yeri," she replied monotonously. But boy, did she want to hear it so bad.

"Suit yourself. I mean it's not everyday you hear Yook Sungjae frequently seen in clubs..." Yeri slyly said.

Joy froze midway through packing her stuff. "Unnie? Gwenchana?" asked Yeri. "Eoh, I'll go ahead. Please tell the others," she replied while brisking away from the practice room. She ran to the nearest washroom, locked herself up in one of the cubicles and silently cried.

So this is really what you wanted Yook Sungjae? To be free. How long have I been a hindrance to your happiness? she thought to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She stepped out the cubicle. Wiping her tears with her palms, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Pull yourself together Park Sooyoung! He's happy. That's all that matters, she told herself.

------

It was past midnight, but Joy was wide awake. She been pacing back and forth with her cellphone in hand, battling with herself whether she should send him a message or not. You're just going to say 'hi' and ask how he is, she tried to convince herself. "Ok, you got this Sooyoung!"

After ten minutes of arguing with herself, she finally hit the send button. There! I sent it, she reassured herself.

'Oppa, how is he?' Joy sent Changsub a message. It was the next best thing. Out of all the BTOB members, he was the closest to her. Partly because he and Sungjae were tight, but in totality, he also took care of them. He looked out for her. 

'Joy-ah, you should be sleeping already', he replied.

'Eoh, I will in a bit, but Oppa you didn't answer my question.'

After three minutes that seemed like forever, Joy's phone lit up to Changsub's reply. 'He's still out with his friends. It's Friday. It's become his habit. He probably won't be home until before sunrise. Just call him, Joy-ah..'

She replied with just a simple 'Thanks' and turned off her phone. Her feet limply dragged her to bed in longing and disappointment. So it's true, Sungjae-ah. You're having the time of your life, as if all the happy things between us never happened.

Drenched in tears, Joy removed the pillow beneath her head. She shut her eyes real tight to stop the tears from flowing, until she fell asleep.