The commotion from outside the waiting room drew Chae Young out of her thoughts. She could hear Manager Jo begging loudly with someone. When the door swung open, Eun Mi strolled in with loose hair and vivid eyes.

“Eun Mi-ah, please, you need more rest.”

“More rest? I slept the entire morning and part of the afternoon away! When I wasn’t sleeping, I was trying to make sense of a blurred face so the police may try and apprehend them. Manager Jo,” she held her hand up in a manner Chae Young always thought of as very regal, “I am tired of being treated like a wounded animal.”

“You were attacked, Eun Mi. You need treatment.”

“And I will get treatment, Manager Jo, like I always do.”

Chae Young exchanged a worried glance with ReNA. If Eun Mi received any kind of treatment, the girls did not know anything about it.

“Eun Mi, please—”

Again, Eun Mi raised her hand. “Please, I can’t leave my girls alone. I’ll feel much better if I perform alongside them.”

Gnawing on her lip, Chae failed to blink back the tears that had been prickling her eyes. She heard the exchange between Manager Jo and Eun Mi for a while longer until he finally agreed to let her do as she pleased.

“Taking me out of the performance,” Eun Mi argued, “would only show the anti-fans that they’ve achieved what they wanted. They wanted me hurt. They wanted me to fear for my safety and hide away. I’m not going to do that. I won’t live my life based on how other people expect me to, especially anti-fans.”

Manager Jo opened his mouth then closed it slowly when he noticed Eun Mi’s pursed lips. He sighed heavily. “You have rehearsal in a couple of hours. Make sure you don’t wander off too far.”

Chae Young knew the smile that Eun Mi gave Manager Jo didn’t promise him anything. He knew it too, so he left while shaking his head. As long as she remained within the stadium, nothing could happen to her.

“Chae Young-ah.”

Chae Young gazed wide eyed at her leader. Tears poured down her face, her lips taking a purplish hue. “Unnie.”

She ran to Eun Mi, tackling her with a hug. The rest of CELESTIAL followed suit, clinging to their leader and unnie as tightly as they could. Eun Mi felt the combination of their weight squeezing her too hard.

“Girls! Girls!” Eun Mi laughed.

They bombarded her with thousands of questions, brushing her hair out of her face, hugging her, kissing her cheeks. Eun Mi waved them all away, laughing merrily.

“I’m fine,” she assured. “Now, let’s go find some food. I’m starving!”

“Kain oppa said that they had some sort of catering for all of us.”

“And he didn’t tell me? Well how rude!” Pulling out her cellphone and dialing Su Jong’s number, Eun Mi led CELESTIAL out of their waiting room in search of food.

The staff members in the stadium’s temporary cafeteria all stared awestruck when CELESTIAL and L6 came in. They watched as they good naturedly pulled tables together and helped each other out with their heavy trays.

Kain, with his astounding height, appeared nearly intimidating in his black attire. The twins made them feel cross-eyed with their identical faces and striking opposite styles. Ryouta’s softness drew a few smiles. Tae Jun walked with ease, his movements gentle as he communicated with those around them.

It was impossible for CELESTIAL not to appear shaken. Though Eun Mi assured the girls she felt fine, her eyes shifted around the room nervously. To the untrained eye, it appeared that the label mates were having a regular meal. However, L6 acted more like bodyguards than friends throughout the course of their meal.

“Did you guys rehearse already?” Eun Mi asked as she sniffed the bowl of pho before her. “Does this have ginger?”

“Yes,” Tae Jun handed her a pair of chopsticks. “To both.”

Eun Mi stunned the staff members by expertly handling the chopsticks as well as diving straight into the bowl of pho. She slurped the noodles and picked out the thin, long pieces of meat while she added bean sprouts by the fistful. Su Jong took the discarded ingredients while Tae Jun scolded her for being so picky.

“Slow down or you’ll choke.”

Eun Mi rolled her eyes. She felt her phone vibrate inside her pocket. The name on the screen made her choke.

“See? What did I tell you?”

She coughed into her napkin, sliding out of her chair. Kain rose to follow her.

“Stay.” Eun Mi held up a single finger up, stopping him. “I’m fine, guys.”

Kain looked at Tae Jun. When Tae Jun didn’t look up from his bowl, Kain returned to his seat. Eun Mi did not wait to find out if Kain had followed her or not; she was already out of the room and hiding in a small, almost forgotten hallway.

“Hello?”

“Oh, thank God and Mary!”

Taewoon ceased his nervous pacing, running his hand over his hair as he collapsed into the sofa. He let out a shaky breath, rubbing his forehead.

“Taewoon?”

“Eun Mi-ah,” he said shakily. “Eun Mi.”

Eun Mi’s heart ached hearing him call her name with such relief. She felt guilty for making him worry. She yearned to be beside him and soothe him, to reassure him that she was alright. If Eun Mi wasn’t alright before, now she would make sure that she was for his sake.

“How did—?”

“It’s all over the news.”

“Oh, no.”

“Eun Mi, where are you now? Are you safe?”

“I—I’m at the stadium.”

“Are you safe?”

“Yes, Taewoon, I—I’m safe.”

“Are you sure? Do I need to fly out there?” He glanced at his watch. “I can catch the next flight.”

Eun Mi released a pain-filled, breathy laugh. She felt the fear she had so carefully locked away rise up in her. Before CELESTIAL, Eun Mi had no issue bottling up just how awfully the event had affected her. Listening to Taewoon, drowning in his voice, Eun Mi wanted nothing more than to break down crying.

Who needed to be strong when there was a big bear ready to protect you?

Still, Eun Mi couldn’t let herself break down just yet. There would be time for that later.

“No, don’t be silly. I’m fine! Everyone is worrying too much. Besides, you have a lot of work to do. Don’t you have to practice for Show Me the Money?”

“What about Show Me the Money?”

Eun Mi screamed and dropped her phone at the sound of Zico’s voice. She looked at him with wide, startled eyes for a couple of seconds before she reached for her phone. The call had been cut off, of course, but Taewoon was not foolish enough to call back with Zico at such close proximity. That is, if he had even heard him speak.

Zico watched Eun Mi assess the damage on her phone. She wiped the screen on her jeans then with the sleeve of her sweater.

“Someone you know is auditioning for Show Me the Money?”

“Yes,” she replied.

He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “If they’re not talented, tell them not to bother. It’s a competition, not a Mother’s Day program.”

Eun Mi’s demeanor changed so quickly, Zico had not time to react. She narrowed her eyes, pushing past him angrily. Her tiny body hardly moved his lumbering frame, so she stepped on his foot to get him to move out of her way.

“Ow! Hey! What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” she whirled around; if she had been taller, her hair would’ve slapped him. “My problem? What’s yours?”

“You seem to be mistaken here. You’re the one that did the wrong, Song Eun Mi.”

“Me? For goodness’ sake! I’d heard of celebrities whose fame went to their heads but you are on a league of your own, Mr. Zico.”

“Watch how you speak to me.”

“You should watch how you speak to me. We are not friends, yet you dare address me so casually?”

“Is there any reason why I should respect you? Maybe that anti-fan pulled your hair too hard and you forgot—”

The words were out of Zico’s mouth before he could stop them. The accusing look that Eun Mi gave him would haunt him for a long time. He wasn’t usually this way, not to anyone, especially a fellow artist. Eun Mi just happened to be someone he very much disliked and caused him to lose his cool, which only made him dislike her even more.

“Eun—Ms. Eun Mi, I didn’t—”

“Save it.”

She turned away, fighting the urge to cry before the man that shared a voice so similar to the one she so yearned to see. She took a deep breath before looking at him straight in the eye.

“I said it at the airport, but it appears to be that I must say it again. Worry about yourself, Mr. Zico.”

It looked to him as if she was ready to walk away, to make a very well-timed, dramatic exit, when she turned to look at him again.

“And by the way, that man that will audition for Show Me the Money, is very talented. The moment in which he decides to reveal his true potential, your career will be in grave danger. So you see, you really should just worry about yourself. You have no time to be worrying about others.”

Her words sent a shiver down his spine. Zico was left there with a foul taste in his mouth and a cloud of guilt dampening his mood.

“I didn’t even ask her if she was okay. .”

It wasn’t until CELESTIAL was safely in the hotel that Eun Mi dared call Taewoon. She and Zico had had a very unpleasant encounter in public. No one had seen or heard them, thankfully, but she wasn’t willing to risk being eavesdropped.

Taewoon answered on the second ring.

“Hey.” His voice sounded hoarse; it cracked, he cleared it.

“I’m sorry, I—” What could Eun Mi say? That his brother had snuck up on her and that they’d had a fight?

“Was that Zico?”

“E-eh?”

“The one that snuck up on you, was it Zico?”

“Y-yes.”

“Where are you? The hotel?”

“Yes.”

Taewoon breathed a sigh of relief. He’d thrown himself into his work to keep his mind from Eun Mi. What hobbies couldn’t put off, work usually could; except that every thought of Eun Mi bypassed the barricades of work. He hadn’t made much progress. What little work he’d gotten done he was sure was mediocre.

“Eun Mi—”

“When I get back…”

Taewoon listened attentively. Eun Mi never interrupted him; what she wanted to say must be important to her.

“When I get back, may I see you?”

The brokenness in her voice made his heart scream in pain. If he could, Taewoon would’ve reached within his chest and ripped it right out. He’d never felt anything as horrible as that impotency, that solid, piercing ache that settled within him.

No matter how much Eun Mi reassured those around her that she was fine, she really wasn’t.

“I’ll see you when you get back,” he promised.

Neither of them said anything for a while. Eun Mi hid under the plush, white comforter, barricading herself against the world.

“I should’ve taken that flight.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Who is with you right now?”

“No one. I get a room to myself.”

“Because you’re the leader or because of your insomnia?”

Eun Mi’s smile could be heard through the phone. “Both.”

“Bring me back one of those hotel pillows.”

“What? Out of all the things you could ask for, you want a hotel pillow?”

“Heck yeah! Those things are comfortable! I swear I sleep better in hotel rooms than I do at home.”

“That’s because you spend all your time working at home and when you get to a hotel, you’re too tired to work.”

They talked. Back and forth came and went the insignificant exchange of words that meant the entire world to both of them. Every casual syllable held the weight of the universe, every sentence revealed its secrets. The horrors of their reality faded into nothingness with every silly joke, every outburst of laughter.

Eun Mi relaxed. Her muscles released the pent up energy within them. Her stomach uncoiled itself from the sickening knot tension had tied it into. She hugged the pillows, trying to pretend that it was Taewoon that held her close instead of a cold, lifeless hotel comforter.

Taewoon breathed. His shoulders relaxed. The ache in his head disappeared. His heart pounded in his chest, pumping a flurry of fervent emotions through his body. Concern for someone other than himself, his career, made him vigilant. He picked up the subtle changes of tone, the pauses, the unsaid words; he seemed to have gained a superpower that allowed him to read Eun Mi perfectly.

“You’re falling asleep,” he whispered with a smile.

“Don’t stop talking to me. I don’t want to hang up.”

“You need to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Every day is a big day for us, don’t you think?”

The sadness in her voice gave him pause. She wasn’t wrong.

“Taewoon-ah?”

“Yes?”

“I’m scared.”

Taewoon sat up, kicking the blankets off. “No, Eun Mi, don’t do this.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you dare fall apart while I’m seas and countries away from you. Don’t you dare do it, Song Eun Mi.”

Eun Mi held back the torrent of tears that had been about to spill. She could hold on for a few more days then she would be home, then she would see Taewoon.

“Okay.”

“Good. Get some sleep, alright? I’ll message you tomorrow.”

“You’ll sleep too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

“And, Eun Mi?”

“Yes?”

“Come back to me safely, alright?”

Eun Mi’s cheeks burned. Her heart swirled with a happy feeling she would never be able to describe.

“Yes!”

“Good.” Taewoon smiled, already thinking of the day he’d see her again.