Kim Dahyun tiredly sank along the wall and looked hopelessly in the mirror, opposite. The whole body was aching from the overload of dance choreography, which she had studied since yesterday evening. Although she herself was a very flexible person, she could easily manage the waves, but now, no matter how she trained the S-line, nothing came of it. Since last night, the body has not obeyed her. She forced herself, but still something prevented her from becoming relaxed.

Now in the rehearsal room with the name "Michael Jackson" the girl was alone. All members were long gone, she asked to leave her, assuring them that she would stay for a short time. Her bright smile convinced them that everything was fine with her. But as soon as the door closed behind Mina, the smile fell off her face, she sighed heavily, re-started the song, began to count all the steps again.

Recently, she began to be overcome by bad thoughts, and comments from fans did not contribute to improvement. From the day she was elected to the group, she was well aware that she was missing a lot. As PD-nim said, she considered his words to be true, she lacks a voice, she is in a hurry in dancing, and her brightness seems unnatural. Although the fans simply adored her for these qualities. And in order to pay them back, the girl tried, tried very hard at vocals, rap, dance lessons.

Three years is not a short time to grow up. The only thing she has improved is playing the piano, although in the days of her internship many of the company's artists admired her. Dahyun was sure that she still did not deserve to be considered along with the votes of NaJeongJi. And she is not such an ideal dancer as MoMi or charming with his rap Chaeyeong. And for sure, she is 100% sure that she is not as cute and beautiful as Tzuyu or Sana.

She does not stand out among the group.

Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself and cheat yourself, better get up and do choreography!

Helping herself with her hands, the girl got up, went to her mirror image, carefully looked closely. A serious face did not fit her, she smiled with her lips, her gaze still looked tired. Throwing her bangs back, straightening her tail, stretched her shoulders, bodies and squatted a little. Then, still looking at herself in the mirror, she went to the place where the tape recorder stood. She pressed the product button, set it to repeat, stood in the center of the room and began to count the steps.

It takes a lot of work to achieve a result.

All the while, his gaze kept a mirror of himself.

How long the training went on, Dahyun did not know, but was suddenly stopped by someone else's melody breaking into the dance. Mechanically, she went to her bag, where a mobile phone was lying. She wiped her sweaty palms, forehead and neck with a towel, pulled out a phone, and answered:

- Yes, Jihyo-unnie?

“It's already midnight, where are you?!” - shouted excitedly the voice in the receiver.

“I'm in the company, unnie,” Dahyun reassured her. “But I’ll be going home soon, don’t worry.”

“We have a name for you for hours, but you have never come to the telephone.” At first, Momorin decided that you are busy dancing and don’t hear, but a lot of time has passed, and you don’t hear much.

“I'm sorry, but I really didn’t hear the call,” Dahyun said guiltyly, approaching the tape recorder, turning off the sound completely.

“Wait, when the unnie manager is coming for you, okay?” Don’t go by yourself. We will wait for you - somewhere in the distance she heard the same words from all members. - Shh guys! Dahyun, the manager will be soon.

“Well, unnie, I won’t leave without a manager,” the girl reassured her, smiling tenderly at herself in the mirror.

The reflection smiled back and winked. Dahyun shuddered, but thought she just imagined fatigue. She turned away from the mirror image of herself, returned to her things again, took out a change of clothes, put the phone in her bag, went into the locker room to change clothes.

The manager arrived exactly 15 minutes later. Entering the rehearsal room, she saw Dahyun standing near the mirror. She was wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt with the inscription "NY". Hair thrown over his back, freely falling down. A wet towel dangled from his shoulder.

“Dubu, are you ready?” The manager asked, going up to her and laying her hand on the girl’s lower back. - You need a rest so that tomorrow your muscles do not hurt.

- Yes, I'm ready to go from here. I am interested to see how this world has changed during my absence - the girl turned to her all with the same bright smile.

She followed the manager, looking at herself in the mirror all the time, not noticing how oddly she looked at her.

She probably worked too hard here, if this nonsense is boring - the manager decided to herself, letting her go forward. “And why does she always look in the mirror?”

As soon as Dahyun disappeared from view, the mirror suddenly came to life and sparkled somehow, and then in the quiet room some steps were clearly audible.

Tsok-Tsok-Tsok.

Creak.

Current-current-current.

Dahyun left the dressing room, dressing in jeans and a light orange sweater with rolled up sleeves. She did not begin to dissolve her hair, deciding that it would cool off so quickly. Putting sportswear in a bag, checked the time, 15 minutes passed.

“It’s strange why Unnie still hasn’t come,” Dahyun thought in her voice, only now noticing that the darkness was in the room. “Why is it so dark here?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to go outside and wait there, but as soon as she went to the door and grabbed the handle, something pushed her back with force. A surprised and slightly scared girl tried again. The same result.

“Ha ha ha ... now you are here with me, child,” I heard a dull voice, somewhere behind me. But how can she hear a voice behind herself if she leans against a wall ?! - Do not be afraid, turn around, and look, girl. I'm not as scary as it seems.

“I'm not afraid,” Dahyun said with bravado, turning back with fear. But she saw only her reflection, another, another copy. “I don't understand what ... Where am I?”

“You are in my dimension,” one of Dahyun’s replicas replied soullessly. - Settle down, it’s convenient, because from this moment, you are mine.

- It must be some kind of joke, right? Who invented everything, Jeongyeon or Nayeon?

“If you think everything is a joke, so try to get out,” a copy of Dahyun graciously offered, smiling wryly, then she sat on the mirror floor, propping her elbow with her elbow, resting her chin on her palm, and began to observe the girl’s attempts. That all the time came across a mirror or an invisible line. “You are only wasting your energy, child - after 15 minutes of walking back and forth, a copy of Dahyun sighed wearily, stretched out on the floor with his arms folded under his head. “There is no way out; I understood this a long time ago.” But I’m much older than you, once, too, was just as beautiful and smiling. Hmm, the word was definitely about me.

“The girls will grab me, they will come here and ...” the words were said with confidence, but the confidence began to subside when Dahyun heard an uncharacteristic loud laugh, which every second increased by a certain number of times.

“No one will come back for you, child, because you will be by their side,” a copy of Dahyun mysteriously said, turning over on his side, looking at her. - I am with them.

- In terms of? - at first I didn’t understand, then after a while of silence I gasped.

“Yes, yes, you guessed it right.” So take a seat next to me, chat. I have been here myself for so long that it’s new to see a new living person.

***

The manager who came for Dahyun to the company watched the girl’s actions with interest. She somehow behaved strangely, starting with the exit of the building itself. All the time she looked around, her expression was surprised, and she kept repeating:

- How many new things, how long have I been absent?

The manager attributed everything to overwork, but one case struck her. The girl, always taking care of her fans, recoiled from them with horror when they wanted to give her a letter or a gift, and simply ignored their screams.

“Dahyun, are you all right?” - I decided to ask what I received a cold nod without a smile. “When we get home, go to bed right away, okay?” You need a break. Tomorrow we will have a heavy and busy schedule.

“Tomorrow everything will be fine with me,” Dahyun says dryly, looking through the car window.

Dahyun enters the hostel, takes off his shoes, puts carefully next to the remaining 8 pairs, goes inside. She is taken aback by the embrace in which she finds herself, and a sweet smell penetrates her nose. She does not hug in response, she just waits for someone holding her to let her go.

“Dubu, you are finally back!” I was waiting for you, waiting for you, I miss you very much - the blonde girl chirped in a high voice. Dahyun pulled away a little, looked into her face, scanned, recalling that she had seen her in the rehearsal room a couple of hours ago. She made a semblance of a smile, but her eyes were empty, she said:

“I'm tired, unnie, please let go.”

“Sanatang, let go of our Tofu!” You will strangle her in your arms! Grumbled the black-haired girl, “Momo's dance machine” flashed through her visions.

“How did you linger today, Dahyuni,” another Japanese girl gently scolded her, approaching her, gently hugging her waist, pulling Sana out of her greedy hands. - Are you cold? She asked carefully. - Your hands are very cold - I took them into my own, began to rub, trying to warm.

- Thank you, but I’m not at all cold, it’s quite normal - having freed myself from the girls, I went further around the room. “I'll go to bed, as the manager advised me.” She was probably right when she said that she was too overdone today.

- Are you already sleeping, bro? - in surprise, she threw her eyebrows at Chaeyeong, she remembered her very well, because that other Dahyun talked about her for hours, admired her. - But what about today's movie marathon? But we wanted to spend two hours on new films that were released today.

“I’m really tired, I’ll go to bed, and if you want to watch, then tell me everything - closing the doors to the maknae-line behind you, Dahyun said sleepily. A moment later, Chaeyeong looked into the room with a worried face, she looked at the girl's sitting figure, quietly asked:

“Are you okay, unnie?”

“Yes, Chaeyeong, don’t worry, just tiredness,” the girl assured her. - Tomorrow I will be like a lemon.

“Okay, then I won’t bother you anymore.” Good night.

“Well, finally, they all fell behind me,” Dahyun said irritably, looking around the room, what she was looking for was just above the nightstand. Without hesitation, looking back at the door, the girl stood opposite the mirror, touched it with the tip of her index finger, quietly ordered:

“Show me everything that happened to her before I came here.”

The mirror became charged, a wave-like movement began to appear gradually, then all three years and two weeks of Dahyun's life flashed before her eyes, the place of which she took. Everything, even the innermost thoughts of the girl, she now knew.

“I see,” she said, sniffing Dahyun, stopping the picture, peering at her, “that's who is in the center of her heart.” I need to be more attentive to her, I do not want her to spoil all the fun in advance. Okay, now show me her, I want to talk to her. Dahyun...

Dahyun, who was locked up in a mirror reflection, flinched a little when someone called her name. She looked around, opening to stare at herself through the mirror.

“Ha ha ha, you're so funny.” Hi, my mirror self, I'm sorry that it happened today. But I needed fresh air after all the confinement. I will lend your life for a short while, just for a couple of days. Then I will return everything to normal, I promise. In the meantime, do me a favor, Dahyun, do not create problems for me - the voice that was still sounding kindly, dropped, became threatening, the one that was in front of the mirror became itself for a moment, seriously scared the one that was stuck in the mirror. - If you try to fancy something, then just always remember who is here ...

“What did you do with them?” - finally found her voice.

“So far, nothing,” shouted a copy of Dahyun, “but I will do it if you force me.” So sit still, okay, Dahyun? Good night, child.

***

The next couple of days were pretty weird, like Jihyo, the leader of TWICE, described them.

And the strangest of all the oddities was their ray of sunlight, the brightest and most positive, always giving with his love and warmth, Kim Dahyun.

None of the participants recognized her.

Once were also worried.

Her smile disappeared, now she does not smile at all. And with a lot of reluctance, he does an aegyo, and when he does it everyone is asked to stop, because no one could endure such an antics.

Her warmth and kindness to Once disappeared.

And for a couple of days, she simply hated any touch that could have happened to her: hugs, holding her palm, kisses, etc.

Their warmest little man became cold and unsociable. She constantly snarled at the members, was unhappy with them, and began to insult them, to bring to the surface all those fears that they hid from everyone.

For a couple of days, the girl became a completely different person.

Although, Jihyo, I must say, if you do not pay all the attention to it, that is, the positive aspect of everything - Dahyun has become better in vocals.

And yet, in the last few days, the girls, including her, began to notice that Dahyun was obsessed with a mirror. All the time next to him, she always looks at him, sometimes she heard her talking or cursing with him.

Today, after the schedule, when they all returned home, Jihyo decided to talk to Dahyun for cleanliness. Find out what's the matter. Why has this changed lately?

***

“Why did you all end up with me?!” What do you care what happens to me?! Do everything in your own affairs, and leave me alone!!! - Dahyun called furiously, slamming the door to her room with force.

Then she jumped out of there, like a scalded one, with her bag gathered, stormed across the hall, stopped only to put on her shoes, and this instant was enough to hold her. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Momo were the ones who held her, dragging her back into the living room, and forcibly seating her on the sofa from where she jumped up, after Jihyo's question.

- Leave me alone! Don’t touch! How many times should I tell you that I do not like all your tenderness ?! - the girl kicked, tried to break free, but Momo's grip was strong. - Damn it, got it! Okay - the girl said in a rude form, calming down - okay, that's it, I'm calm - frowned, moved to the very back of the sofa, arms crossed over her chest. - What do you want from me?

“Why did you act like that, Dahyun?” - only warmth and love was heard in Tzuyu's voice, she signaled for the members to let her go, and when they did, she sat down to her, gently resting her palm on the girl’s knee. - We worry about you, tell us everything that is in your soul.

“I am as usual.” Nothing to worry about, she muttered, pushing her knee to the side, away from the palm of her hand, but she didn’t go anywhere, sighing heavily, gave up.

“You became obsessed in terms of work and training, and you stopped talking to us.”

“Oh, not just me, Chaeyeong, you're all obsessed with her,” Dahyun chuckled. - At the expense of communication, why do I need it, if I already know what you will tell me? All your chatter just gets on your nerves, and that giggle too. And when I ask you to shut up, you yell even louder. Here, damn it, got it all! The girl said sarcastically, amazing everyone in her own words.

“Why are you talking to us like that?” You and I are a family - a maknae who always held back their emotions, now crying without hiding. “You have changed so much in a couple of days, you have become so cold, you are so not like the old Dahyun, you are not like that.”

“Everything is changing, child, and people too.” So get used to me like that, if you can’t, go away, it makes no difference to me whether you are or not, Dahyun said indifferently, giving everyone an empty look. - It concerns everyone, by the way.

- Dahyun, how can you?! - Nayeon exclaimed in despair, comforting the weeping Tzuyu. - Sorry now! She demanded, but in response she heard a laugh, creaky, not at all like human laughter. - Dahyun?

- Who am I? Hahaha, I ... hahaha ... apologize to her? Ha ha ha Why should I apologize for what I said? Actually, you should ask for forgiveness from me. You dare to talk so brazenly with me, as if we are at the same level of high society - Dahyun said arrogantly, getting up from the couch and facing the stunned members. She grinned wryly, showing even teeth, her gaze now frightened, after a little silence, she added. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Bow down at my feet, lower beings - arrogantly turned my eyes to everyone who was here. Jeongyeon, not restraining herself, jumped up, jumped to Dahyun and hit her.

The next instant, something incredible happened, plunging everyone into inevitable shock. All 8 pairs of eyes looked at how Dahyun's head deviates to the side, and where there should have been a red mark on the cheek from the palm of the hand, there were small mirror cracks. Facial features distorted, nose, lips, right eye shifted. After a second, everything was fixed, but ...

- What the hell? Da ... Hyun ... you ...

“Ay-yy-yay, they ruined such an appearance - Dahyun said, straightening her face, taking out a mirror from her pocket, looking at herself. - I do not advise you to hit again, child, otherwise you will kill your girlfriend - removing the mirror from you, turning it to the numbed girls so that they see what she saw. “Say hello to your Dahyun.” Dahyun, visitors to you - the girl laughed, tapping her finger on the reflection.

The girl in the mirror smiled exhaustedly, showing the famous eyes-smiles, a broad bright smile of her lips, in which there was such love and warmth that the members did not doubt who was in front of them.

- Dahyun / Dubu / Tofu / Bro / Unnie!!!

“Girls,” a voice whispered from the outside, “I miss you so much.”

“We also missed you very much, our Dahyuni,” Jihyo said softly. “But why are you here and there?”

- The one who was near you all these days was my mirror image. I don’t know how, but I ended up here, and she took my place. I tried to go out many times, but to no avail - the girl complained, proving to them by touching the mirror. “It does not lend itself in any way.”

- How to get you out of there?! We need you here, next to us! The members asked, but Dahyun shrugged, spreading her arms apart. “How long will she be there?” - asked the mirror Dahyun.

“Until I play enough here,” she said uncertainly. - Maybe today or tomorrow, or never at all - meeting the frightened eyes of the girls, she laughed quite a bit. “Okay, for today the session of kindness is over - hiding the mirror,” she said, ignoring the displeased exclamations. “I will look at your behavior and attitude towards me, maybe I will tell you how to free your girlfriend.”

All evening and all night, the girls thought how to bring Dahyun back to the living world. They re-read a lot of information on returning through the looking glass, tried many things, but nothing helped. Desperate, they finally decided to wait until tomorrow, so that they could figure it out freshly.

Meanwhile, Dahyun, imprisoned in the mirror space, was crying, curled up in the child’s pose, and the one who was constantly next to her tried to console him. Mirrored Dahyun slept calmly and serenely on her bed.

She knew very well that nothing could come of returning Dahyun today.

She knew it well because ...

“... everything comes from your heart, child.” She will not let you in until you say the right words.

- What are you talking about? What words should I say? - asked to clarify, but the mirror reflection faded, the girl again was left alone in the empty mirror room.

...

Tomorrow came, but it brought no changes. The members were convinced of this, as soon as Dahyun came out of the maknae room with an empty expression on her face:

“Ha ha ha, did you think that I would let her go so easily?” I like in your world, there is where to turn around.

“Please help me understand?” Tell me - clasped hands in prayer, asked Dahyun.

“You kept talking about it in front of the mirror.” She complained to herself, asked for help, someone, and we responded to your call.

...

Another day passed unchanged, the same situation.

“I’ve been complaining a lot lately about something, maybe something specific, please.”

- ...

- Please, please, please.

- Sorry, I myself can’t say much, because I will bring disaster upon myself. Just remember that it all depends on your words, what intonation you say.

...

8 members did not know what else to do to get their girlfriend out of there. For all the time they read so much information about possible transmissions of souls, myths and legends about walled up in mirrors, even watched films on such subjects, even tried to go to the fortuneteller to help, but not any Voodoo doll did her magic miracle. They looked hopelessly at each other, spreading their arms to the sides, shrugging their shoulders.

- When will you release Dahyun? You promised us three days ago that you would free, but when we wake up in the morning, we see you, instead of her.

- What kind of people are trusting, oh, I can’t, hahaha. Believe a soulless mirror that it will let a person go just like that. Hahaha Naive.

- Hey, are you here? Please stay with me, I promise I will not ask anything.

...

“Tomorrow is a special day for us, but ...”

“... he will not be special if ...”

“... Dahyun won't be back ...”

- Hey, come here! Second me, hey! Please, I'm just so lonely without you.

- Tomorrow she ...

- Oh, you have come! What? Tomorrow…

- Tomorrow is a special day, you can’t fall asleep now, think, remember!

- What is it special about? Ah, you know about my birthday, huh? Ha ha ha, of course you know, you are me, ha ha ha. Tomorrow they will kiss, hug and give gifts.

First, as usual, he will come to congratulate Sana, then demanding Momo’s attention, Mina will shyly say that she loves me, kiss me on the cheek and give a present, something tied by her hand.

Then, at breakfast, Jihyo will bake pancakes for me, the only thing she can do is Nayeon hug me from the back, whisper a variety of compliments in my ear, then, as if by chance she will pull out a gift, put it in my hands, kiss me a couple of times on the cheeks. Jeongyeon, who does not like kisses and everything connected with them, will overpower herself and kiss me somewhere on the shoulder, pat my hair, then braid her hair, awkwardly hug, will also give me a gift bought via the Internet.

Chaeyeong-Chaeyeong-Chaeyeong and Jewi, and this is rather strange, and you know what this oddity consists of? - Without waiting for an answer, she said, slightly pouting her lips, shaking her head, as if she did not understand why it was so. “We live in the same room, Maknae-line, I sleep on the lower bed, Chaeyeong is above me, and Tzuyu, we call her Jewy, opposite us. Usually, when they have a birthday, I first congratulate them, because we live in the same room. The idea is to happen the same on my birthday, right? But no. They congratulate me at the very last moment. Almost at the very end, when we go to bed. I just don’t understand why? After all, I know that when members have birthdays, Chaeyeong is the first to buy gifts and the first to give them, Tzuyu is the same. Why is everything different with me, huh?! Can you explain to me?!

- Enough!!! How much can you repeat the same thing?! I hear this complaint more than once! I don’t want to listen to her anymore! - clutched her hands with her ears a mirror reflection, creating cracks with every offensive word from Dahyun. Soon she crackled on the sides and a passage was created, a person can easily pass through it.

“What are you waiting for, Dahyun, leave while you have the opportunity!” - shouted that voice that helped her from the very beginning, as she got into the looking glass. - This is your chance! Go on!

...

05/28. the day Kim Dahyun was born was always a special day for 8 members. In general, it became a tradition for 9 members to congratulate and give gifts on any birthday, but they loved this day most of all. After all, he gave such a wonderful person, bright and positive, bright and multifaceted. Kim Dahyun was a special person for them in their lives. Although, under no circumstances will girls admit this. They will laugh, joke, and deny such questions that all girls are special to them. In fact, the way it is, but ... There was always a "but."

Sana was the first to wake up and was about to leave the room silently and make her way to the Maknae room to be the first to congratulate Dahyun on his birthday.

But…

Faced Momo, who was quietly closing the doors behind herself so as not to wake Jeongyeon.

and…

Jihyo was dressing her apron with all the ingredients for a festive breakfast, today she decided to make chocolate pancakes by adding the chocolate itself to the dough. She was just breaking eggs in a bowl when she saw SaMo walking.

and…

Nayeon yawning came out of the bathroom, holding in her hands a box with a bow in the middle. She almost crashed into SaMo, smiled at them, hugged both shoulders, led the maknae towards the room.

But…

Jeongyeon and Mina stomped around the door, not daring to look inside.

and…

Chaeyeong looked out of her bed at Dahyun's sleeping face, trying to figure out who was lying there. Tzuyu also thought about this while ...

At first, they decided to open the doors and enter inside.

We looked at each other, then taking a deep breath, counted to 10, shouted:

- Happy Birthday, Dahyun / Dubu / Tofu / Unnie!!!

“Aish, why so loud?” - jumped out of bed and sleepily rubbing her eyes, Dahyun looked reproachfully at her members. “Why not as usual, from the kiss of Sana-unnie to the timid kiss on the cheek from Tzuyu?”

- ...

“Hey, why are you frozen, huh?” Where are my hugs and kisses? I demand my hugs and kisses for my birthday!

- ... um ... you ...

“Does Sana unnie refuse to kiss me?” And Momo too? I can’t ... hey is not so strong - Dahyun laughed happily when all 8 members rushed to hug her.

“Happy birthday, our Dahyun,” the happy girls whispered, they looked at each other, each look said only one thing:

She's back.