"What are you even doing?" Chaerin's voice cut loud above the music, low with scorn and exasperation.
    Bom opened her eyes and turned her head slightly, feeling the uncomfortable pull of dried sweat from her forehead on the fine hairs of her forearm as she moved. She had lain down on the bench to close her eyes for a few moments and tossed her arm over them to shade them from the bright light of the rising sun pouring in the windows. Chaerin was standing over by the sound equipment, one arm bent on top while she leaned against it. The other hand rested on her hip. Minzy stood in the center of the room, exhaustion etched into every feature on her young face. Her feet were spread wide, her toes pointed in towards each other and her hands rested on the bottom of her large sweatshirt, fingers worrying the fabric like a teenage girl caught sneaking out of her house late in the night.
    "I'm not sure..." Minzy's voice was a quiet whisper that Bom barely made out over the hiphop beat of their soon to be single. "I thought I had it, but now..." The music faded out and left the practice room in silence.
    "You thought you had it?" Chaerin's laughter was full of mockery. "How could you think you have it? You either have it or you don't. You freestyle everyday. All you need is a basic outline of moves so that the performances have some consistency. I'm not asking for full choreagraphy here, what is the problem?"
    "I just..." Minzy looked up towards the ceiling. "I'm not feeling it. Maybe we can cut the breakdown? I don't want us to look bad on stage."
    "We can't cut the breakdown." That was Dara from the corner were she was slowly drinking a container of banana milk through a straw. "We'd need a full choreagraphy for all of us instead and, frankly, Bom and I need more than two days to learn anything more complicated than what we are all ready doing."
    Minzy looked like she was going to say something, but stared down at the floor instead. She rubbed one foot against the other, and Bom swung her legs over the edge of the bench and pushed herself into a sitting position. An expletive seemed to force its way from Chaerin's lips as she pushed away from sound equipment. Bom stared at her for a moment, their leader pushing one manicured hand through her long blonde hair as she turned away from the other girls. Chaerin's solo had been a huge success only a few months before and since then Bom had gotten the impression that Chaerin was under a lot of pressure to make sure 2NE1 came back bigger and better. Their last single, "I Love You", had been big but it didn't have the same 2NE1 flavor that people had come to know and then their comeback had been pushed back again and again. This comeback had to be perfect or Chaerin would feel like a failure. Bom sighed to herself softly; normally it wasn't like this.
    "I'm sorry." Minzy's voice was small. Even Minzy wasn't herself, she was never timid and afraid like she was acting now. Bom thought it might be a reaction to Chaerin's abnormal behavior.
    "Stop it!" Chaerin shouted. Even Dara, who had seemed as yet immune to Chaerin's bad mood, jerked back in surprise. Minzy took a single step back at the sound, before turning and fleeing to the locker room, slamming the door behind her.
    "This isn't necessary." It was Dara, again, who spoke up. She slowly rose to her feet, setting her banana milk on the floor and moving over to Chaerin. "I know you're feeling a lot of pressure right now, but this isn't helping."
    "If Minzy can't figure out her dance solo, the set is ruined." Chaerin turned back around and for a moment, Bom thought she could see panic in her eyes. "I can't fix it if she can't do it, Dara unnie. How do I fix it?"
    "You could start by not taking your y pills in the morning." Bom stood up as she spoke the words in English, keeping her voice light even though her message was harsh. She continued in Korean. "It would probably help everyone if we didn't feel like every tiny mistake we make after practicing nonstop for eighteen hours was going to make or break the comeback."
    Chaerin was looking straight at her and Bom could see the desperate plea in her eyes. Chaerin was lost and confused, a side of her that no one outside the company ever saw. In the public's eye, Chaerin was "the one and only baddest female", the star female rapper of YG Entertainment and possibly one of the strongest female personalitlies in the KPop industry. The public didn't seem to realize, however, that she was still a young woman who had a lot of responsibility upon her shoulders. It made Bom want to help, to fix the situation somehow and assure Chaerin that everything was going to be all right. She couldn't right now, though, because Chaerin had been in the wrong and she wasn't the one who had been injured.
    "Bom..." Dara started, but Bom shook her head to cut her off. Dara sighed loudly as Bom made her way across the practice room floor, her heels making sharp clicking noises with every step. They had decided to put her back in heels, instead of flats, since her dance moves were really not that complicated and Bom felt more confident in the heels. She could feel their eyes on her as she walked over to the locker room door, pulling it open and stepping inside.
    It was dark in the room, but Bom could hear the quiet sobbing from the corner. She didn't bother with the light, moving slowly as to not trip on anything until she was standing in front of the crying girl, huddled in the corner. She moved closer and squatted down in front of her, placing her hands on Minzy's knees.
    "She doesn't mean it," Bom heard herself say, one hand raising to rest on the girl's hair. "Chaerin-ah is just stressed and tired. We're all tired. It's okay, Minzy, no one's mad."
    "I can't feel it, Bom unnie, normally I can just feel what the music wants and I move, but now I can't feel it." Minzy's voice was hoarse, her words broken by sobs.
    "That's probably because you're tired and hungry. What is the last thing you ate?" Bom smiled when Minzy's sobs were broken by a tiny giggle. "Come on, just let it be. We should all pack up, get some rest and tomorrow you'll be dancing up a storm and wondering why this was all such a big deal."
    Minzy looked up, her face red and tear streaked, but her eyes shining and hopeful as she hiccuped once. Bom smiled brightly at her, her hand in Minzy's hair lowering to cup the girl's face. Minzy closed here eyes for a moment, her face leaning in to Bom's hand and she sighed deeply. The stayed like that for a few long moments.
    "The choreographer will even be in this evening when we get back and if you are still having trouble he can help you." Bom lowered her hand and stood carefully, hoping she could walk since her toes had started to fall asleep. She extended her hand down to Minzy and helped the girl to her feet.
    Minzy flung her arms around Bom's waist, her forehead resting on Bom's shoulder. Bom smiled again, wrapping her arms are the small girl and resting her head on Minzy's hair. Bom whispered soothing words in English as she rubbed the girl's back. They continued to stand that way for another few minutes, Minzy rubbing her face into Bom's shirt. The feeling of Minzy pressed up against her was warm and comforting, like when Bom's elder sister had her when she was younger. She moved to pull away, but Minzy's arms got tighter for a moment, her head turning into Bom's collarbone. Minzy's lips pressed into the exposed flesh just above Bom's collar, just for second, before the girl pulled away gently.
    Bom shook her head and let her arms fall; Minzy caught Bom's hand in her own as they both moved to exit the locker room. Bom opened the door, feeling the cool air of the practice room air conditioning flood over them. Minzy stepped out first, Bom following and going to close the door behind them as she bumped straight into Minzy, who had stopped suddenly.
    Bom looked around, pausing for a moment on YG and Chaerin talking quietly in the corner. Chaerin was smiling brightly, so Dara had thankfully calmed her down. A meter or so away from them, Dara stood talking to a group of men. JiYoung, Teddy, and both SeungHyun's stood near her; they were laughing at something funny Dara had said. Bom placed both hands on Minzy's shoulders.
    "They just probably got here." Bom whispered gently. "It is morning, after all."
    Minzy nodded sharply and moved to walk over to Dara. Bom reached up and gently fluffed her fringe and ran her fingers through her ponytail. She didn't dare glance into the mirrors, though, they had been practicing since the prior afternoon and she doubted there was much she could do to improve her appearance. JiYoung turned as he saw Minzy approaching and smiled brightly at her, turning again to smile at Bom. She smiled back and lifted a hand in greeting. Teddy and the younger of the two SeungHyun's turned to echo JiYoung's greeting. The older SeungHyun smiled at the approaching Minzy, but didn't make an attempt to even acknowledge Bom. Bom, inwardly fuming, moved to join Chaerin and YG.
    Before she made it a few steps, YG turned from Chaerin.
    "All right, let's see it." His words seem to echo in Bom's head like a gong being struck. She was dreading this; honestly she had been hoping to get them out of the building before YG showed up so as to avoid the criticism that was imminent.
    Chaerin smiled up at Bom, an apology looming in her eyes and Bom nodded her acceptance and returned the younger girl's smile. Nervousness began to bubble in Bom's empty stomch, making it known that the last thing she had eaten had been the apple the evening prior. Everyone moved to take their places, Dara handing Bom her microphone as they all moved to the center of the dance floor. Her limbs felt heavy and she was suddenly aware of just how tired she was. She stretched her neck from side to side, taking her place for Chaerin to casually drape one arm on Bom's shoulder.
    Focus on the moves, Bom, She thought to herself, biting her lower lip and taking a deep breath as Teddy moved to start the music. The moves are more important than your voice right now, just focus on the moves.
    The music started and they moved in time ot the beat. Yet, as much as they had practiced, Bom felt her body stiff and slow to respond. She felt off on all her moves, her body responding a half second to late to the music. It was at the second chorus, the microphone raised to her lips as she attempted the high note, praying silently her voice wouldn't break, when the pain came, sharp and sudden to the left side of her face. Bom jerked, her body unable to respond quickly as she turned and slid on the slick floor in her heels and came down hard on the wood. Sharp pain shot through her wrist as she attempted to catch herself with the same hand that held the microphone. Her arm crumpled and her shoulder caught the brunt of her fall, her head making a sharp cracking sound as it came into contact with the wood.
    For a moment, Bom's world was a blur of noises and sounds. The sounds hushed suddenly and it took her a moment to realize that someone had turned off the music. She pushed herself, or did someone else push her, on to her back and stared up at the bright lights imbedded in the ceiling.
    "I am so sorry!" Dara's voice was the first thing that became sharp and real for her, her face slowly taking on a sharpness above her. "My microphone slipped out of my hand and I didn't even realize it until I'd lost it. Bommie, are you okay?" Her eyebrows were drawn together in worry.
    Bom pushed herself into a sitting position, her arm moving to push the others away. She suddenly felt as if she couldn't breathe and every time she moved the world tilted at an odd angle. She needed out; she needed to be somewhere else, anywhere else.
    "Bom unnie, you shouldn't get up!" That was Chaerin's voice, her face was just to the right of Bom. Bom reached at a hand and grabbed onto Chaerin's arm and then reached out the other to Minzy using them to help pull herself to her feet. She stood there for a moment, waiting for the world to stop tilting before she smiled thinly at Dara.
    "I'm okay, I just think I need to rest for a bit." Her voice was small and shaky, even to her ears but Dara smiled at her, tears b in her wide eyes. She laughed gently to lighten the mood, but the worried looks on Minzy, Chaerin, and now even JiYoung's faces did not seem to lessen.
    "Bom, your movements are slow. If you had been on time the microphone wouldn't have hit you at all." YG's voice rose above the commotion. They all turned to look at him, disbelief written on one or two faces. Bom felt the anger well up in her chest, and at that very moment, she was too tired to care about the audience or YG's presence. The slippery metal of the microphone was still clutched in her right hand, she gripped it tightly and felt the ridges on the switch dig into her palm. With a swift motion she chucked it against the wall, her throw placing it just below the winowsill. It bounced off with a crack, landing on the wood floor with another loud sound before sliding into the side wall and coming to a stop. Her eyes were locked with the ever mocking eyes of her company CEO, his glaring at her in amusement while her's spit defiance. She turned quickly, ignoring the way the world tilted and stormed from the room, silence rising to meet every foot fall.

    She stopped down the hall, coming to a west facing floor-to-ceiling window. Carefully, she leaned forward, pressing her body into the cool glass; her hands rose up next to her face as she pressed every inch of her skin to it. She stood there, the cold seeping into her skin as she felt the tears slowly build up behind her eyelids before making hot trails down her face. She wasn't particularly angry any longer, YG was always critical and everyone knew not to take most of what he said to heart. She was just tired, too tired to deal with his lack of empathy and everything else going on in that room at the moment. Her emotions were just running too high.
    A sob rose in , but she bit her lip hard until she tasted blood, determined that no one would hear her cry. Long moments passed like this before she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She instantly knew who the hand belonged to, his scent followed his touch to wrap her in it like a blanket. She leaned against the window for a moment or two more, trying to reason with herself about why she shouldn't even acknowledge his attempt at comfort. It was a loosing battle, she knew, because to win a battle first and foremost you had to want to win.
    She pushed herself from the window and felt the pressure of his hand as he turned her towards him. In a single motion, she was in his arms, pressing her face into his crisp shirt that smelled of him and his laundry detergent. That thought made her smile for a moment, the idea of him doing his own laundry. Fine then, She thought to herself, The dry cleaner's laundry detergent.
    He didn't speak to her; one of his hands rested in the small of her back his fingers splayed wide and the other went up to the back of her head, holding her to him securly. She could feel his fingers dig into the loose locks at the back of her head, where her ponytail had come somewhat loose over the hours and hours of practicing. Her cheek rested against his chest, the steady rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat reverberating through her skull. She wasn't sure how long she stood like that, allowing him to hold her. Time lost all meaning in his arms. Days could pass and she would just continue to stand there, allowing him to envelop her in his arms and his cologne.
    Finally, she pushed away gently, reaching up to wipe roughly at the all ready dry tears. One of his hands reached up and he tilted her chin back with his finger. She stared up at him, those infinite eyes completely expressionless as he stared down at her. Her heart did this sickening flip flop down into her stomach as she stood there and suddenly she had the strangest urge to run far, far away. Idly, she wondered if she could survive the four story fall from the window behind her but then thought better of it. Chaerin would be very upset if Bom's sudden demise hindered their upcoming comeback.
    "I'm just frustrated. It's been a long night." Bom whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from his.
    "I don't know why you guys don't act like this in front of the cameras," His voice was dry and filled with wry humor. The words rubbed her raw, making her want to snap back or slap him, but the sound of his voice was like cold water on those wounds providing infinite relief. Annoyance filled her at her quandary. "You'd have the highest ratings of all time."
    She opened to make a retort as she heard the footsteps coming from around the corner. She took a step backwards, watching SeungHyun's hand hover in the air for a moment before it slowly lowered itself to her side. Chaerin walked around the corner, worry and tiredness etched into her face as she moved to stand next to SeungHyun.
    "Are you all right, Bom unnie?" Her question was almost a whisper, as if she was praying very hard for an affirmative answer.
    "Nothing a few hours of sleep won't fix." Bom smiled at her gently, thankful that the night of practice had all ready destroyed her makeup and therefore a few tears wouldn't even show on her face.
    "Your wish is my command." Chaerin responded in English. They smiled at each for a moment. It had always been like this between Chaerin and Bom, sometimes they didn't need to speak to understand one another. What Chaerin had really said was that she was sorry; she was too tired and worried and she hadn't meant to hurt anyone. What Bom had really said was that she knew and everything was fine. No one else needed to know, but they always would. Chaerin turned to look up at SeungHyun, her head arching back to look him in the face. SeungHyun didn't turn her way, his eyes still focused on Bom.
    "Oppa, could you drive Bom unnie home?" Chaerin asked, her hand rising to rest on his sleeve. "None of us really need to be driving right now. I'll have the van sent out this evening to pick everyone up, okay?"
    Bom's eyes turned upwards to SeungHyun's. His gaze was unreadable; he turned and nodded at Chaerin making an affirmative noise in his throat. Chaerin smiled, relief visible on her tired face. Chaerin reached out and placed her other hand on Bom's upper arm.  She squeezed it gently and smiled even brighter for a brief moment, before turning and walking back down the hall.
    Bom looked back up at SeungHyun, his face still turned away from her. Her heart, still residing in the pit of her stomach, did its odd little flip flop move again, making her have the strange urge to run to the bathroom to throw up. Even with everything that had happened tonight, even with everything that had happened in the last few years, the idea of being alone in the car with this man had the ability to turn her into a sixteen year old girl. She could feel her palms start to sweat at the prospect of sitting in an enclosed space, his cologne filling her noise and his voice filling her ears. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep, steadying breath.
    She had to get a hold of herself.