tags; #choihansol #vernon #seventeen #leehyunjoo #april

xliii. Let's Be Strong Together

She has been smiling all the time, from the moment they reached the building and did rehearsal until they were back front the stage—smiling so widely Lee Hyunjoo feels like she gets cram on her face. But that is nothing to be compared with the dizziness that overwhelmed her, she's almost like throwing up.

The latest stage of Dream Candy is success with April danced on the live screen, Hyunjoo had to smile tightly for her not to look below her feet and got nauseated because apparently it made your head go round and round.

She excuses herself quietly, doesn't want to disturb her members and other staff who still catch their breath and besides, she doesn't want to give Jeon Somin—her leader—trivial thing for the eldest to worry about.

Hyunjoo walks fast along the corridor, doesn't count how many times she has bowed to every living creature she meets, desperately needs to find a space. A space for herself only. Last time she enters the ladies rest room, it's too packed with other nervous rookies and Hyunjoo doesn't want others to make speculation about whatever she'd do inside one of the stalls.

It's when her eyes catches the appearance of strange door that she thinks 'this room must be empty, unoccupied' as her body quickly slipped inside. She closes the door in hurry and once the darkness consumes her, Hyunjoo sits with her kneels folded in front of her chest.

She pants—half relieved half burdened. But suddenly a strange smell attacks her nose and she coughs endlessly (it's the smell of cigarette, she's sure) and she hears someone mutter, "Oh !”

"Sorry, you okay?" The voice isn't familiar, it sounds very masculine and young.

Hyunjoo swallows a dread feeling of being caught, her eyes wildly try to figure out another person inside this dark room only to see a glimpse of red dot before it also vanishes.

"I,"