You don’t think they’re aware of how lucky they are. 

You observe them through the mirror as your youngest member crouches down to swiftly retie Wheein’s undone shoelaces. The short girl is animatedly talking about something with Yongsun, using one hand to hold on to Hyejin’s shoulder and the other to emphasize her words.

Hyejin pulls herself up, holding onto Wheein’s waist for support, but accidentally knocks the cap of her hat against Wheein’s elbow, causing it to slide over her eyes. 

Wheein mutters a quick, “Sorry!” and pauses her conversation with the leader to readjust Hyejin’s hat for her, sliding excess hair behind her ears. Hyejin patiently waits for her to finish before taking off the hat altogether and readjusting it again, earning a playful frown from Wheein. 

You watch as Wheein starts walking towards the stereo, but is stopped in her tracks when Hyejin drapes her arms around her waist from behind, pulling her into her. The shorter girl tries to wriggle herself free, but Hyejin only hugs her closer, resting her cheek on her shoulder blade. 

“Hyejin-ah,” Wheein nags, but you don’t miss the way she leans back into the embrace. You all know from experience that struggling against your maknae’s hugs is of no use. Wheein most of all.

It is during common times like this that you think that they don’t know how lucky they are. 

____

The four of you are at a restaurant the next time the thought crosses your mind. 

Yongsun, Wheein and you are already sitting at a table, waiting for Hyejin who’s running late as always. The three of you decide to order your food without her, and neither you or Yongsun blink an eye when Wheein also orders for the late-runner. 

Your drinks have just arrived when Hyejin finally walks through the door, squeezing your and Yongsun’s shoulders as a hello before shrugging off her coat and taking the empty seat next to Wheein. 

When she sees the drink in front of her, she thanks Wheein with a squeeze of her hand.

The four of you make small talk while you wait for the food to arrive. Hyejin’s arm is leaning on the back of Wheein’s chair, her fingers picking at strands of hair every now and then. 

When your plates arrive, Hyejin’s eyes light up in excitement as she hugs Wheein’s arm.

She leans closer to the girl and brushes her hair out of the way to clear her ear. Wheein strains her neck and moves her head to the side, seemingly thinking Hyejin is about to whisper something to her, but right when is at her ear, she moves to press a quick peck to her cheek. Wheein groans and slaps her thigh, but she can’t hide her smile.

“You’re worse than Byul,” Yongsun laughs as she squeezes your leg under the table.

“Let’s not exaggerate,” Hyejin says, rubbing at the thigh Wheein just slapped.

“Hey,” you pick up Yongsun’s hand from your leg and drop it back in her own lap, earning a pout from her. “I’m not even that bad.” 

Wheein, who’s busy picking out the mushrooms from her meal and dropping them on Hyejin’s plate, lets out one loud scoff at your words, causing the other two girls to laugh. Soon enough you find yourself joining in.

When Hyejin offers the other girl a spoonful of her food and Wheein munches on it contently, with Hyejin smiling broadly at her, you don’t think they know how lucky they are.

____

The next time the thought enters your mind is when the four of you meet up for drinks at Hyejin’s apartment. It’s been a while since you all hung out at someone’s home, and even longer since you drank together. 

“Have at least one drink,” you tell Yongsun for the tenth time that evening.

You, Wheein and Hyejin started drinking almost three hours ago and are all quite buzzed, but your leader has been refusing to take in any alcohol. 

“I already have a drink,” she says, holding up her glass of apple juice. 

Hyejin takes it as an opportunity to swiftly pour a generous amount of soju into the glass, but Yongsun quickly pulls it away with a squeal. When the soju pours down her shirt instead, the squeal intensifies.

“Unnie!” Wheein whines as she rubs at her ears.

“AHN HYEJIN!” Yongsun screams as she pulls at her shirt to stop the cold and wet fabric from touching her skin.

You and Hyejin can’t do anything other than laugh at how hopeless the other girl looks, but you try to hide your grin behind your hand when you see that little muscle under her eye twitch, implying she’s really annoyed.

Before things can escalate, you pull her up by her arm, steadying yourself in your tipsy state by holding onto her waist.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” you say as you start leading her away.

“I’m gonna change into your favorite shirt,” Yongsun spits over her shoulder, but Hyejin doesn’t seem to hear it. She’s already moved on to annoying Wheein by continuously poking her fingernail into her dimple. 

You help Yongsun change out of her shirt, even though you know you’re probably quite useless in your current state. 

“Byulyi, help,” she whines as her one of her arms and her hair get stuck in the wet fabric. 

You easily pull the shirt over the rest of her head and drop it on the floor. You hand her a new shirt, laughing at the pout you receive when Yongsun sees it’s not Hyejin’s favorite shirt. You know Hyejin would be seriously pissed if anyone other than her wore that shirt. Even Wheein.

Right when Yongsun covers her chest by pulling the clean shirt over her head, you’re disrupted by loud yells coming from the living room. 

“What the-” the two of you look at eachother before quickly heading back to the living room.

You stop dead in your tracks at the sight of Wheein straddling Hyejin’s hips on the couch, one arm pinning the girl’s hands above her head and the other holding a nearly empty bottle of soju above her face.

“Say you’re sorry or I swear I’m gonna waterboard you,” Wheein yells with a slight slur.

“I’m pretty sure you can’t waterboard me with three drops of soju.” Hyejin tries to wriggle her hands free, but Wheein’s grip tightens.

“Ow, Wheein, stop digging your nails into my skin,” she groans from under her.

“That’s rich coming from you!” She angrily points at the visible red mark on her cheek near her dimple. “Say you’re sorry.”

“It’s not my fault that you walked into my nails,” she scoffs. “Get off me, geez!” She tries pushing Wheein off by lifting her hips from the couch, but the movement causes Wheein to pour the last of the bottle’s contents into her face, or more specifically, her eye. 

“Ow, f-” Hyejin rips her hands free and immediately sits up, nearly headbutting Wheein.

“Oh , I’m sorry!” Wheein tries to still Hyejin’s head to inspect her eye, but Hyejin angrily swats her hands away, swearing under her breath.

“Don’t rub it, it’ll make it worse,” you say as you sit down next to her.

“I’ll get you a wet cloth,” Yongsun says as she rushes to the kitchen.

“I’m going blind,” Hyejin dramatically announces, trying to blink her eye open but wincing at the pain.

“I’m sorry,” Wheein repeats, and the way her voice strains makes you look up. 

Hyejin seems to notice it too, because she stills and looks at Wheein as well. The regret and worry is clear in the girl’s eyes as she absentmindedly rubs her hands up and down Hyejin’s arms. 

Hyejin sighs and tries blinking her eye open again, a bit more successful this time.

“You’re lucky I love you,” she grins through the pain.

You don’t think they know how lucky they are.

____

You’re waiting for your manager in the car the next time you think about it. 

Hyejin and Wheein are sitting in front of you and Yongsun, the youngest already vast asleep with her head on Wheein’s shoulder. You know she hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Her worries about performances or schedules often keep her up at night, so it’s not a rare occurrence for her to fall asleep during the day wherever she can. 

Soon enough Yongsun’s head is also lulling back and forth on your shoulder as she drifts in and out of sleep. You rest your own head against the top of hers to still it. 

You observe as Hyejin uneasily shifts in her seat, moving impossibly closer to Wheein, who’s scrolling through her phone. 

When she lets out a sound of discomfort in her sleep, Wheein puts her phone away and absentmindedly presses a kiss to the top of Hyejin’s head before resting her own head there, preparing to be taken over by slumber herself.

You don’t think they know how lucky they are.

When you carefully move your head to the side to watch Yongsun’s content, sleeping face you think that maybe you’re not aware of how lucky you are either.