Heehyun didn't say anything at first.

Even after the rest of the DIA members had left the practice room, one by one, she still didn't utter a single word to the only other person who had decided to stay behind to continue practicing. Heehyun merely leaned back in the chair she was seated in and silently observed the older girl as she went through the choreography on her own, stumbling here and there with minor mistakes. They were only expected as the girl was one of the two latest member additions to the group, but Heehyun watched as she reprimanded herself for each missed beat or poorly executed move. Afterwards, she'd repeat the moves again and again until she was personally satisfied with the result. Anything less than perfect was unacceptable. But perfection in itself was impossible. (This was something she couldn't seem to understand.)

It wasn't until Heehyun had witnessed Jooeun nearly twisting her arm in the process that she had finally opted to speak up: "It's late." She glanced at the clock on the wall. Sleep was too precious to waste, one of the well-known sacrifices of the idol lifestyle.

"I know." Jooeun replied without slowing down any of her movements.

"You're still here."

"So are you."

Heehyun sighed and stood up, approaching the other girl. "I get it. You work hard." By the time she was standing beside the older girl, Jooeun had completely stopped. She peered up at Heehyun, sweat lightly matting her pinned-back hair. "But what's the point of working so hard that you exhaust yourself before the actual work you're supposed to do the next day? It's not efficient." Jooeun merely averted her eyes in response, settling her gaze on the smooth floor. "You should just stick to practicing at the same time as everyone else. That way, we can advise and monitor each other. That's why we're a team. I think Eunjin could really help you improve your dancing."

"Alright." Jooeun agreed, almost too easily. "I just didn't want to burden our group members and slow us down. I know I'm not as good as I should be."

Heehyun placed her hand on Jooeun's shoulder and offered the shorter girl a reassuring smile. "Don't psych yourself out. You're going to be fine. You're doing great already."

"...is that what you tell everyone?"

Heehyun raised a brow. "What?"

Jooeun stared at her, her tired eyes unwavering. "That's what you're supp