The night must be broken, Jisoo thinks. Because she stops walking, she stops dead in her tracks, in the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of the city. Then she tilts her head all the way back and she can't see a single star up in the sky, not even a tiny, shiny speck. The moon as well, plays a part in this broken set. Tonight its glow is dull and ugly, even when the clouds are not there to veil it. 

The night is broken, Jisoo can tell, although her tears may be obscuring her vision a bit. Actually, she can't really see anything at all. It's like a hazy collage assembled by the mass of tears clinging to her corneas. She sees blotches of black, fragments of light, patches of moving figures. And there are people trying to push past her. They are huffing and cursing. She doesn't care. She just stands there, blinking away her tears, clearing up her vision. She looks up again, at the stars, and the moon. Just as she expected, just as she knew, it is broken indeed.

The night is broken, and Jisoo is broken too.

"Where were you? I called you so many times but you didn't pick up. You can't just leave and come back. It doesn't work that way." One of the older trainees, Lee Soojung, begins to scold Jisoo. She had only just returned to the practice room after taking a stroll outside. She needed air. She couldn't breathe in here. Soojung heaves a sigh upon taking a better look at her face and notices the streaks left by her tears. She hadn't bothered to wipe them off beforehand. "Were you crying again? Go wash your face."

Jisoo doesn't say anything to Soojung and walks past her. She is going back to the door she entered through. Jiae is sitting alone in a corner of the room with her knees up to her chest. She watches Jisoo for a while before standing up and following her. Nobody else seems to mind, or care, so the two of them make their way to the restroom together. Jiae is quiet but she lets Jisoo know that she is with her. They exchange a brief glance or two. Jisoo grabs the handle to the restroom door and swings it open while Jiae holds it open for the younger girl and herself. They are inside the restroom alone, just the two of them.

Jisoo walks up to a sink and turns the faucet on, collecting lukewarm water in between her cusped hands. She washes her face and rubs away the streaks of tears. The stains may be gone but Jisoo still feels them, as if they've been embedded into her skin. Jiae stands behind her and observes her wordlessly. Her face is expressionless; Jisoo can't read it but she already knows how Jiae is feeling. As Jisoo is drying her face with a towel, Jiae takes a breath. The younger girl braces herself as the older finally speaks up, "You should stop." They are going to talk about it again, even if Jisoo doesn't want to. She never does. It's always the same thing anyway. "You're hurting yourself."

"I don't know what else to do." Jisoo answers honestly. Not because she has to, but because she's just like that. Straightforward, blunt, whatever you call it. It's a quality people look up to her for. But at this very moment, she wishes she could make something up so Jiae would be satisfied. Jisoo is finished but Jiae's legs seem to be rooted to the ground. She intends to carry on this conversation. 

"Move on. It's over. We're done." Each word that emerges from Jiae's mouth is clear, and it sounds like they're bouncing off each and every tile in the room. And call her dramatic, but each time they do, they cut right through Jisoo's heart. It's okay. She's used to it by now. The pain is always the same, but it bothers her less.

"I know." They're looking at each other. Their solemn faces mirror one another. But Jisoo can tell that Jiae is about to crack. Maybe she'll shatter into a million pieces. She wouldn't mind seeing that happen, if it stops Jiae altogether.

"Then why do you still cry?" Jiae's voice is cracking. Her voice is always the first part of her to go before she breaks. Her voice isn't too stable anyway.

"Because I'm still sad." Jisoo is already broken, and she stays broken, so she couldn't possibly break again. On the other hand, Jiae seems to break every time they speak to each other, and Jisoo can't figure out why. She's the sadder of the two, isn't she? Jiae's lips are curling downward the way they do when she's about to cry. Looking at Jiae's expression right now, Jisoo's heart would break if it could.

"Stop feeling sad." Jisoo sees tears beginning to gather at the corners of Jiae's eyes. It's always like this but it still weakens her, just a little bit.

"I can't help it." She can't.

"You're hurting me too. Stop it." The tears are b now, and Jisoo is sure that Jiae can't see a thing. But she won't let her tears fall. She'll fight gravity and let those tears bubble in her eye sockets.

"I wish I could." Jisoo is tired. She wants to go home, to her real home where her parents are and her real room is. It's so much warmer there and the more she thinks about it, the more tired she gets. She's tired of seeing Jiae's tear-filled eyes as well so she approaches her with tissues in hand. The older of the two retreats while the younger continues to advance. Soon enough, Jiae's back hits the wall with a resounding thump. Jisoo momentarily pauses.

"No. Stay there." Jisoo is too tired to listen to her. She knows that if she touches Jiae, the girl will finally break. She shouldn't touch Jiae, but she does anyway. She pulls Jiae in for a hug and the girl sobs into her shoulder, soaking it with the tears she held back. "I'm sorry. You've been hurting longer than I have." Jisoo has a feeling that she'll continue to hurt, even after Jiae stops. "I can't even help you. I'm sorry." Jiae keeps on apologizing, but none of her apologies will make Jisoo feel any better. But at least someone can feel better out of this.

"Yes. It's alright." It isn't, but Jisoo is tired.

Jisoo enjoys sleeping. It's one of the few activities she enjoys, really. When she's asleep, she doesn't feel broken or tired. Whether she experiences terrifying nightmares or pleasant fantasies, she is able to escape from reality. Her dreams feel long, regardless of whether she's slept for seven hours or two. It's even better when she doesn't dream at all. She actually prefers that over a cozy, happy dream. That way, she isn't charged up with false hope. That way, when the dream has ended and she has woken up, she doesn't feel like crying.

Jiae's always in the happy dreams. Always. Funny how the person who drove her to misery is also the only person who can make her feel the slightest content. Since when did her happines