[A/N: TRIGGER WARNINGS: Knives, some blood, mild injuries!! Proceed with caution.]

Tae Jun missed Eun Mi. Whenever she was gone, her absence resonated throughout their daily schedules as if amplified by the knowledge that her annual visit to the States could make the end of their time with her.

Casually filming Follow the Leader had become a challenge. Zico had never been as careful around him as he was now. While he might have never interacted with Eun Mi much, he had interacted with the other leaders well enough that they noticed his sudden change in attitude. As his roommate, Tae Jun attempted to get him to talk about what was bothering him. However, it became apparent that what had him in such a solemn mood had something to do with Eun Mi, otherwise Zico would not have avoided him.

Tae Jun was not responsible for Zico. He let him be.

Tae Jun also found himself cautiously rejecting Gyuri’s timid flirtations behind the scenes. He had no doubt that it must have taken her a while to gather up the courage to try. Finding himself in no position to accept anyone’s advances, Tae Jun had, as gently as he could, informed her of his unavailability. While her goddess-like image glowed on stage and before cameras, Tae Jun felt a little guilty for hurting the gentle girl that showed herself only behind the scenes.

Gyuri assured him that it had only been for the sake of the program, but he could see the lie in her eyes, hear it in the quiver of her voice. As professional as Gyuri was, she did not avoid him so as to prevent scandals and rumors.

Every resident of HQ felt Eun Mi’s absence in their own personal way, yet Tae Jun always realized how much he relied on her during this time. Only she seemed to understand him, though Tae Jun suspected he did not understand her much at all.

Sitting in B.Star Ent.’s practice room watching CELESTIAL practice, Tae Jun wondered if Eun Mi would return to them.

Su Jong led the practice, taking the center as he directed the girls alongside DAEE. With their comeback preparations already more than done, CELESTIAL went through the motions. Ienna’s feet had healed nicely, quickly. They’d put off changing their hairstyles until Eun Mi returned, wishing to witness the moment that she decided whether she’d finally do something different and colorful with her hair or not.

The usual teasing and joking had been cast aside, more to the nervous uncertainty than to their professional sides.

“Su Jong oppa, when is Eun Mi unnie coming back?” Ienna asked.

“Sometime later this week. Or early next?”

Ienna pouted, quitting halfway through the dance. “I’m not practicing without her. She’ll be behind when she gets back!”

Su Jong took her by the arms, attempting to pull her up. Ienna made herself heavy, making him work for it. Eventually, he pulled her up, a scowl on his face.

“Eun Mi has been practicing every day while she’s been away. All of you need to stop thinking she’s not coming back.”

He glared at each and every one of them, accusation burning in his eyes. His eyes settled on Tae Jun as well, condemning him for doubting Eun Mi.

“How can you be so sure?”

Everyone turned to Kain as he entered the practice room. He held a bag of snacks in one hand, his posture casual yet challenging.

“You don’t know what Eun Mi could be going through. She is a foreigner among friends,” he said, handing each girl a drink. “Perhaps she misses her old life. With everything that has been going on lately, could you blame her?”

His words so shook Ienna that she made a dive for her cellphone, frantically sending a message to her leader and friend. The other three exchanged nervous glances, fearing what the desertion of their leader would entail.

Su Jong glared up at Kain, his blue eyebrows drawn together fiercely. Tae Jun saw the tattletale signs of a fight in Su Jong’s twitching hands.

“You think you know her so well, don’t you?” Su Jong growled. “Just because you are a foreigner, too?”

Kain shrugged, his nonchalance burning Su Jong’s already short match. “You think you know her because you’re her ‘best friend’?”

Su Jong’s arms twitched. CELESTIAL flinched. Tae Jun was between them in a second, pushing them both away.

“You,” he pointed his finger at Su Jong, his eyes steely. “Keep those fists under control. And you,” he turned to Kain, his finger coming close to his face, “stop instigating him. Now, I don’t know what has gotten into all of you, but I would like to kindly remind each and every one of you that what Eun Mi does with her life is none of our business.”

Tae Jun’s steady eyes swept everyone in the room up. “I understand that we are all worried about Eun Mi, especially with the recent events and the news of her relationship. Whatever she decides to do, it’s up to her.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

CELESTIAL squealed upon seeing Eun Mi glide through the door. They tackled her in embraces, throwing her glasses askew. Tae Jun’s shoulders visibly relaxed. Still, he cast a glance at both boys, promising a stern talking to in the dorm later.

“What are you doing back so soon?” Tae Jun inquired.

“Want me to get back on the plane? I’m sure it’s still back at the airport just waiting for me.”

Su Jong pushed the girls aside, taking Eun Mi up in a tight bear hug. “Move away ladies, she’s mine.”

Eun Mi said nothing as he rubbed his cheek against hers, her hands on his forearms, eyes focused intently on Kain. He shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Glad to have you back.”

“Mm, I’m back.”

Su Jong detected the tattletale strain in her voice that indicated some family matters had driven her back to Korea earlier than anticipated. She looked tired, as if she’d rushed out of the country without getting a chance to rest beforehand.

His hand slid from the top of her head to the back of her neck, giving a gentle squeeze. It promised dried squid and a couple bottles of soju. Eun Mi granted him a fleeting look, a language of friendship that only they were privy to.

“Did you bring me Mexican candy?” Su Jong wiggled his eyebrows, diffusing the last of the remaining tension in the room.

“Yeah. I left the boxes in the car.”

“Boxes?” ReNA perked up. “What boxes?”

Eun Mi rolled her eyes. “Don’t act as if you didn’t expect me to bring back everything you kids asked for.”

A cheer went up, limbs twisted around her, embracing her in frivolous joy. Eun Mi allowed them to worship her for a few moments before she waved them away.

“Unnie, I bet you’re hungry,” Ienna said. “Should I order jajangmyeon?”

“Order whatever you girls want. You’ve been working hard. I’ll go grab the stuff from the car, alright?”

“I’ll go with you,” DAEE offered.

Tae Jun sighed. “Call the guys over. I’ll pay for the food.”

A second cheer went up into the air. He offered a one shouldered shrug, running his hand through his hair. The members tackled him in a grateful embrace, all except Kain who went to sulk in a corner.

Tae Jun made a mental note to check up on him later. He prayed that his worries would be centered on his place in the group, in the world of K-Pop. Tae Jun greatly hoped that Kain had not gotten himself involved with anyone.

By the time Ienna had placed orders to four different locations, Dae Hyun and Dae Jung had found their way into the practice room while Eun Mi and DAEE headed down to the parking garage.

“Hey, hey, won’t be get in trouble for ditching our practice schedule?” Dae Jung asked as he flung himself onto ReNA’s back. She bit his forearm without hesitation, forcing him off her. Dae Hyun yawned as if his brother’s antics bored him.

“We can blame Eun Mi if we get in trouble,” Su Jong said. “They won’t really get mad at us like that.”

“Don’t use my unnie for your own selfish purposes!” Ienna jumped at him, placing him in a headlock. Su Jong didn’t bat an eyelash; Ienna’s strength was nothing compared to Eun Mi’s. He let her hang on him until she grew tired.

“Where’s Ryouta?” Tae Jun asked.

“Hmm?” Dae Hyun looked around. “He ran down to the parking garage a while back. Said he forgot his tablet in the car.”

“Oh, then he can help Eun Mi unnie and DAEE with the boxes!” Chae said.

An ill feeling made Tae Jun’s skin prickle. “CELESTIAL, practice a few more rounds before we take a break. L6, you do too.”

“What? A general practice now?” they whined.

“Yes. Now. And unless you want to practice seriously for the next five hours, do it right.”

There was no need to tell them twice. Tae Jun heard them depositing their cellphones in the joint practice basket. Su Jong quickly organizing them as he selected the routines to run through. The sound of the practice room lock clicking into place as the door shut behind him followed Tae Jun all the way down to the parking garage.

What Tae Jun expected to find was Ryouta helping the girls out with the boxes. He expected this uneasy feeling was once again wrong; Eun Mi was the intuitive one, not Tae Jun. What he did not expect to find was Ryouta and DAEE huddled together behind Eun Mi’s protective stance. He did not expect to see a young woman holding up a box knife up to Eun Mi’s face, her hands shaking, her eyes crazed.

DAEE tagged along after Eun Mi, elated at her return. She looped her arm through hers, nearly skipping down to the parking garage.

Eun Mi, previously so intolerant of physical touch, allowed her to stick close to her. DAEE felt giddy from the closeness. She could smell Eun Mi’s shampoo, a clean, prickly scent of mint scented herbs. She really loved the scents that swirled around Eun Mi, they were strong and feminine. Eun Mi smelled like the type of woman DAEE wanted to be.

“How are you, DAEE?” she asked.

“Hm? I’m doing good! It’s just been a little difficult waiting around when all the preparations are done.”

“Mm, I’m sorry about that, DAEE. It’s all unnie’s fault.”

DAEE backtracked, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “N-no! I didn’t mean it like that!”

Eun Mi gave her a reserved smile. It was a smile that said that DAEE had said nothing wrong, an apology for something she had no control over.

“Unnie,” DAEE begged, “it really is not like that! I just meant that I’m getting impatient. I want to be back on stage, giving it my all, working hard. I don’t blame you for anything. No one does.”

Her words were met with another smile. Eun Mi gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “I know I’m a very problematic person. I must give you girls a really hard time. I’ll try my best to a bit less troublesome so that CELESTIAL can meet with A.Borealis sooner.”

Though there was no bitterness in her words, they left an unpleasant taste in DAEE’s mouth. She didn’t know what to say to dispel Eun Mi’s dark thoughts, she was not Su Jong. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes before DAEE decided that the best thing to do was to ignore their previous conversation.

“Unnie, they changed our choreo while you were gone.”

The shock almost caused Eun Mi to face-plant into the ground. “W-what?!”

DAEE grinned. “The center changed, so we had to change several things to accommodate it.”

“Why?” Already, DAEE could see beads of sweat forming on her brow, her hands shaking nervously. “DAEE, you’re going to have to help me out. I don’t think I’ll be able to learn it all before the MV filming! Oh, but wait, I’ll be okay…I’m always on the side, so it shouldn’t be such a difference unless there’s new moves.”

DAEE giggled. “Unnie, you’re the center.”

This time, Eun Mi did trip over her own feet. She broke her fall with expert hands, avoiding scrapes or injury. “W-what?!”

“Well, we figured since that one anti hates you so much, we could piss them off by placing you front and center. Show them that they won’t kick you out of your own heaven, unnie.”

Eun Mi accepted DAEE’s helping hand, her eyes regarding her in that way that always made DAEE nervous. DAEE gave her hand a squeeze, swallowing the nervous feeling that threatened to seep through. “Fight them head on, unnie.”

After a few seconds, Eun Mi laughed. “You guys are insane! How can you put me, the woodblock, front and center?”

Trotting alongside her, DAEE assured her how much her dancing had improved. “Especially now that you’ve been practicing extra hard with N sunbaenim. I should ask him for teaching advice. Not even Su Jong oppa managed to help you improve so much.”

“Hey! Su Jong helped plenty! I was a lost case before he arrived! Honestly, they were thinking about kicking me out.”

The notion of Eun Mi, B.Star Ent.’s most beloved trainee, walking the tight rope due to her two left feet made DAEE roll her eyes. She couldn’t help it. Eun Mi was the favorite, she’d always been. They would have never cut her out of the program.

The parking lot felt stuffy, hot, the same way it always did. Eun Mi paused, a shiver running down her spine. DAEE looked at her inquisitively, recognizing the frown on her lips for what it was: a bad omen.

“Unnie?”

“I got a very bad feeling just now,” Eun Mi said. “Be extra careful, alright DAEE? Make sure to walk carefully.”

DAEE nodded.

Eun Mi’s intuition was a scary thing. No one understood how it could be so accurate or intense, least of all Eun Mi. She’d learned long ago that ignoring it usually lead to bigger, disastrous, consequences.

Once, Ienna had suggested that maybe Eun Mi possessed some ancient powers that were a sliver of her Aztec heritage, the last of a Witch-Doctor’s paranormal abilities. The idea had sounded preposterous then and even now—but if DAEE were honest, if any of them were honest, sometimes, Ienna’s crazy idea seemed like the most plausible explanation of them all.

“What did you bring this time?”

The sound of the van’s doors opening echoed throughout the parking garage. The waxed, white floor made Eun Mi squint every time. She ducked inside, reaching for the spoils.

She turned around, handing her a long box that weighed hardly anything. “Oh, just some Cachetadas, Carlos V, some Rockaletas, and Dubalines. Oh yeah, that box has Kain’s Bubu Lubus. I don’t understand how he likes them so much.”

DAEE’s eyes glowed with merriment. “Unnie, did you bring ca-cajeta? Did I say that right?”

Eun Mi gave her a big grin. “Yup! I keep telling you to take Spanish courses, DAEE. You have a knack for it!”

“You think so? I mean, I struggle through English…”

“Spanish and English are two very different things.”

DAEE grinned, a sudden idea occurring to her. “Unnie! What if we record a song in Spanish?”

“You’re crazy.”

“No, no! What if for CELESTIAL’s anniversary, we make little goodie bags for the fans with all sorts of Mexican candy and sing in Spanish? Don’t you think they would like that?”

Eun Mi wasn’t so sure. She mulled the idea over, but decided against agreeing or disagreeing. She couldn’t impose her culture or language on A.Borealis. Though the truth of the matter was that A.Borealis were in fact very curious about her culture, Eun Mi had returned feeling a little more than disheartened by how different she was from the other members.

“Noona!” Ryouta’s voice called out, saving her from having to answer DAEE’s proposition on the spot.

He jogged up to them, his tablet in hand. His silver hair had grown long enough that his roots were in bad need of a touch up, his bangs catching in his eyelashes when he blinked. He grinned at them, his sharp incisors contrasting with the cute, deep dimple on his left cheek.

“Oh, Ryouta-yah,” Eun Mi gifted him the special smile she reserved just for him. It made the corners of her eyes and the bridge of her nose crinkle; no one else could ever achieve that kind of smile. Everyone suspected it had something to do with the fact that they had begun their training period around the same time, struggled through Korean together.

“You’re back so soon! Did something happen? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. Here, kiddo, help out.” She tossed another box at him, this one smaller but heavier than the one she’d given to DAEE.

“Ah!” Ryouta juggled the box and tablet. Grinning widely when he managed to regain his balance. “Got it!”

“Good kid!” Eun Mi stood on her toes, reaching to ruffle his hair. Ryouta grinned like a child. DAEE swore that if he’d had a fluffy tail, he’d be wagging it excitedly upon receiving praise.

“You’re such a er for Eun Mi unnie,” DAEE teased.

He stuck his tongue out at her. “She’s the best noona.”

Eun Mi gave them a single laugh, shaking her head at their bickering. She opened to scold them, but Ryouta’s expression darkened within seconds. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him back, away from his label mates.

“Ryouta-kun.”

Quickly, he tossed the box and his tablet back to Eun Mi. She caught them, threw them in the van, silently motioning for DAEE to leave the box she carried. DAEE, however, was too focused on the slender artifact the stalker held in one hand.

Ryouta placed his hands on the stalker’s arms, grabbing her wrists as he twisted out of her embrace. The girl staggered back as he leapt forward, turning his back to the girls, spreading his arms out protectively.

Now that he saw her face, he recognized her as the stalker that had been following him around since late February. His blood chilled as heavy beads of sweat began to form on his brow.

People like her scared Ryouta. She’d given up a part of her humanity by trespassing into a part of his life that was meant to remain private. No matter how much of a public figure he was, no matter how much he depended on the fans’ love to succeed, no one, absolutely no one, had the right to intrude into his life, to steal his security, the way this girl was doing.

His entire body shook. From anger, fear, distaste, distrust—Ryouta could not be sure which emotion caused such a violent reaction.

It took him a moment to realize that Eun Mi had slipped past his defenses, taking a stand between them and the stalker.

“How did you get in here?” she demanded, her voice sending chills down their backs. When the girl didn’t reply, she shouted, “Answer me!”

The stalker yelped, yet instead of backing down, she raised her hands. Her thumb pushed the thin blade out of its plastic shield. The bright lights overhead made it glint desperately.

“M-move out of the way, s-,” she said. “I’m not here for y-you.”

“Clearly.”

“G-give me Ryouta-kun and I w-won’t hurt you.”

Eun Mi’s eyes narrowed. Her left foot sliding back into a fighting stance, her fists lightly clenched. “I’m not giving you anything.”

“I’ll kill you! I swear I will!”

Ryouta took a step forward. The stalker’s eyes widened, her lips twitching. “See? He wants me too. Come with me, Ryouta-kun.”

DAEE dropped the box she was holding, taking Ryouta’s arm in hers, pulling him away from the crazed woman. “He’s not going anywhere!”

Her declaration, along with her sudden action, caused Ryouta to stumble back, away from Eun Mi and the stalker into DAEE’s embrace. The sight of DAEE hugging him to her caused the stalker to release a shrill scream.

Several things happened at once: Eun Mi shouted at them to get out of there and call the cops, the stalker charged at Eun Mi with the box knife, swinging it wildly, and Tae Jun appeared out of nowhere.

He pushed Eun Mi away, raising his arm against the rushing blade. It sliced through his sleeve, lacerating his forearm in a vicious curve. At the sight of blood, the stalker shrieked, dropping her weapon as she staggered back, and DAEE fainted in Ryouta’s arms.

Eun Mi kicked the fallen knife out of reach before apprehending the stalker. She shouted for security, glaring at Tae Jun as she instructed him to either call the cops or apply pressure on his wound.

Her anger code switched her back to Spanish. She ranted furiously at Tae Jun in words he could not comprehend, then ranted furiously at the security team that arrived just minutes before the police. She ranted beside the paramedics that were patching Tae Jun up, only just resisting the urge to punch him for being so careless.

“How could you jump in like that? Are you stupid? Does it make sense?”

“Does it make sense that you’re angry at me right now?”

“I have training in self-defense! Years and years of it! You think a flimsy box cutter would have been difficult to handle? I have a second dan, a second dan! I could have handled it!”

“Sure, yes, you could have handled it!” Tae Jun finally shouted back. “But did it even occur to you that you might have been over confident? Why the hell would you engage her like that?!”

The paramedic, tired of their bickering, applied forceful pressure on Tae Jun’s wound. It hurt him enough to make him wince, silencing them both.

“Does it hurt?” Eun Mi asked, her eyes softening.

“No,” he said, his teeth gritting. “Just a sting.”

“You’re going to have to get a tetanus shot at the hospital,” the paramedic said. “That blade did hardly any damage, but it could have contained rust. It’s best if we’re safe.”

“Yes, thank you, sir.”

The paramedic gave them both a nod before heading over to check on DAEE. The leaders caught sight of the CEO accompanied by a pair of officers heading their way.

They released unanimous sighs, equal headaches pulsing behind their temples.

“We can’t charm our way out of this one.” Eun Mi groaned.

“The media will have a field day.”

“I should have stayed in the States.”

“I should have gone with you.”

“Maybe if we pretend like we didn’t see anything…”

“Or if I fake some pain…”

“Choi Tae Jun! Song Eun Mi!”

Swallowing their groans, squaring their shoulders, the leaders readied themselves to bear the full weight of the situation. Again.