TWO WEEKS LATER

Nari sat around the dining table in her father’s house, rotating her right ankle. She was surprised when the doctor said that she was healthy quickly and that there was no need for the cast anymore. She was enjoying the freedom of walking comfortably again and was more than glad to shed her crutches. 
Now, she waited for her family members to finish their meals quietly. She was invited to dinner by her father, and she came willingly, since he said he needed to talk to her about something serious. 
Once everyone finished and the dishes were cleared, Nari’s sister, brother-in-law and nephew retreated to their rooms upstairs for the night. Now, it was just Nari, her father and her step-mother.
For the first time since she entered the house that night, her father made eye contact with her. He took the seat next to her and rested his hands on the mahogany table, fidgeting like a nervous kindergartner. 
“Nari-ah,” he whispered, staring at his hands. Nari waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t, she grew concerned as to how serious this really was. 
“Nari-ah,” he said again, a little more confident this time. He turned to face her. “How much longer do you think you’ll be staying in Korea?”
Nari had not anticipated this question at all. She was taken aback, and felt a bit offended as she thought that her father did not believe that she could make it in Korea, but she decided not to jump to conclusions yet.
“Why do you ask that?”
“Well, I was talking to the others- Meri and Momo in particular- and they mentioned that they were thinking of applying to colleges in USA next Fall, so I was just wondering what you were planning to do when that happens?”
Nari’s mind was racing; this was news to her. She had no idea to what her father was referring, more so, she did not even know when he talked to them.
However, not wanting to seem too clueless, she decided to play it off and said, “Well, I suppose I’ll just stay here and work out something with the company; I could become a producer for FNC, or something else.”
Her father sensed her frustration, but thought it best to continue. “I just wanted you to know that whatever you decide to do after, we’ll follow you and support you.” He placed his hand on her arm, giving her a gentle squeeze. However, Nari pulled away instantly. 
“Follow me? I think it’s safe to say that we live very different lives now. You didn’t move here because I asked you to; you moved her because it was closer for Mary to live and still be close to her own family. Don’t act like you moved her for me. You would have moved away anyway.” 
“Nari-ah, don’t be like that. I’m your father and I love you. I moved her so that  I could be close enough to support you.”
Nari remained quiet and merely nodded her head. “Is that all you wanted to talk to me about tonight?”
Her father nodded and with that confirmation, Nari stood up and collected her things. She said goodbye to everyone and walked out of the house, feeling desperate to leave. 
 

Once Nari was safely back in her apartment, she found the girls sitting in front of the television, watching that week’s ‘Gag Concert’ episode. 
She stood behind them and bluntly asked, “Are you all thinking of applying to colleges for next Fall?”
The silence spread through the room like wildfire. The girls glanced at one another and turned around slowly. 
“Well, we were thinking about it,” Dani said, letting her nervousness show on her face.
Nari thought about that on the way over and knew that this time would inevitably come.
“Are you thinking about colleges in SK?” Nari asked, trying to get confirmation for the questions that surrounded her mind. 
“We looked, but the tuition for International students is really high, where as in US schools, we’re more likely to get school grants and scholarships,” Laura answered.
Nari was quiet for a while as she mentally paced. Finally she answered, “I know it was a big leap for you all to agree to come to SK with me to continue YongKi, especially when these are the years we should be getting degrees and whatnot. With that said, I understand if you all need to step back and pursue your other passions.”
The girls stared at Nari, a bit shocked at her calm reaction. 
Not waiting for them to say anything, Nari headed for her room and closed the door quietly. 
She knew she would have to talk to the CEO about this new development with the group. Announcing a disbandment would not be a problem; the real problem lay in figuring out what Nari would do with her life once her friends left. She never imagined doing music without them, but if the company couldn’t find a spot for her, she might have to either switch countries, or worse, leave the country and return home.