She is stretching in the dance practice room, looking at the mirror covering the walls. The room, the mirror, looks too big for one person. She remembers years ago, when he was here to stretch with her—when theywere here with her. Now she’s the only one stuck here while they’re abroad with the sunbaes. 

“They’re such a perfect pair”, others used to say. They were like a pair of shoes, made to be almost exactly the same and meant to be complimentary to each other. They were those kids who other trainees fear and admire at the same time. You know how naturally amazing they are on stage, but everybody knows they were also the ones who never leave the training center before everybody else left. But behind that, you can see how they are just cute and simple kids. And both knew that better than anyone else. 

They used to hang out together all the time, the three of them. And there can’t be a more picture perfect group of friends at SM at the time. Seulgi the model trainee every one loved, Jongin the boy so full of passion, talent, and determination no one can take him on dancing, and Soojung the child star who somehow managed to become more and more charming each day. They practiced and ate lunch together when soojung wasn’t busy shooting anything or when jongin wasn’t with his guy friends. Naturally, Seulgi and Jongin spent more time with each other, what with their training schedules being almost identical. It didn’t help that they both had a passion for dancing and that they were the two kids who need to always live up to expectations people had on them. ‘Sunbaes’ favorite girl’ and ‘SM’s golden child’ got stuck with each other. They were so alike that they laughed at the same things, loved the same songs, and they liked it. It was nice to be with someone who understands you as they understand themself. And then they started loving different things; she loved him and he loved her. 

They were still dating when Soojung debuted as Krystal, when the group Jongin was supposed to debut with reached 10 members, and when Seulgi got grouped with a pack of boys and girls with a really wide age range. They still contacted each other even after Jongin— Kai—debuted, though. With Soojung, it was always so easy. She’s the type of person who holds her loved ones dearly, even when someone does her wrong, she never takes anything personally. But then, they got busy with each of their schedules and so they rarely talked for more than half an hour anymore. They drifted apart. Like paper boats going through different streams toward the ocean, all three of them went their separate ways. And him, it’s not like she fell out of love with him, but the feelings… they faded. That’s what happen to feelings that are not fed. 

She still remembers 6 months after he debuted, she talked to Jongin—Kai?—at the training center. 

“Hey!” 
“Hi Jongin.” 
“I’m grabbing lunch with Taemin, you wanna come?” 
“Nah, I’m good.” 
“Ok then, see you later?” 
“Yeah, okay.” 
“Hey Sseul?” 
“Hm?” 
“I keep wondering if we’re… if we’re still—“ 
“Those days are gone, Jongin”, she said with a smile and turned to leave for her training session. Seulgi wasn't cut out for Kai anyway. 

And she remembers 3 weeks ago on her monthly night out with Soojung, Soojung told her that she was dating him. “Or rather, I’m dating his ridiculous face every day through the TV and his kakaotalk-self once a week”, she said. Soojung asked if she was okay with it, which she replied with a scoff and, “of course, he and I were totallyin the past”, because that’s what she thought Soojung would say if she was in her place. 
She wondered what that bitter feeling was she had in her stomach. 

They’re probably in Beijing now, having dinner at their hotel. Or they could be in the plane, joking around to cover up their exhaustion on the long trip. Or maybe they’re just sitting somewhere—the bus, the concert backstage, somewhere at the hotel—talking and having quality time with each other. She doesn’t know, she hasn’t been to Beijing and she doesn’t know much about timezones (or their schedule) but all she knows is that they’re not here. Probably having a beautiful moment as Kai and Krystal, the picture perfect couple everybody worships, living their fast lives side by side.