Stepping off that plane, back in Korea, felt like pure relief and peace. For once, you couldn't care less about the fans you could hear awaiting your arrival. You close your eyes briefly, letting the crisp air brush against your face, ruffling up your hair.

You and Taemin rushed out of the airport, searching eagerly for your friends, but they weren't there. Since it was too 'risky' for them to meet you, their chauffeur picked you both up instead.

But as soon as you entered the familiar dorm, everything was back to normal. The way it should be. You were almost crying out of happiness, which had never happened to you before. It was a new feeling to you and you were unsure of how to react, but it was dismissed by the others who were so overjoyed at your return.

"Sooo? How did it go?!" Key asked, convinced that you received positivity and support from your friends and family. You opened your mouth, intending to respond, but only your breath filled the emptiness of the room. Taemin rubbed his had against the back of his neck while shaking his head at Key.

"Never mind that! It's great to have you two back! Ready for rehearsals my little dongsaengs!?" Jonghyun smiled putting you and Taemin in a playful headlock, looking accusingly at Key, who shrugged his shoulders.

It was an afternoon of catching up on all the gossip. Apparently, Key had a crush on the photographer at the photo shoot they had today, despite his denial. And SMent had announced that they were training a new singer to debut as soon as possible. They were talking about you! Butterflies fluttered in your stomach at the mere thought of debuting with SMent, which forced you to take yet another mint. You needed to buy a new packet later...

When it started to get dark, you headed over to the studio with Jonghyun and Minho for evening practice. You had dance lessons, Jonghyun was recording for his solo album, and Minho was writing a new rap. You all went your separate ways to the different departments within the colossal building.

You arrived at the dance hall with a nervous smile, hoping to make a good first impression on your choreographer.

"It's about time! Okay, listen up. I'm going to show you the dance, then we'll both dance, then we'll dance to the music. And then, you'll do it all on your own. So pay attention. If you get it wrong too often, I'm not going to waste my time on you, so, you'll be cut. Got it? Good,"

You stared at her, your mouth slightly ajar in surprise. "Uh, I-I'm (y/n).."

"Oh! And I'm Hara. Big deal, moving on. Look alive! And 5, 6, 7, 8!"

You hadn't even introduced yourself properly yet, and the hard work had already begun. You could tell she was a tough cookie to crack.

As she was dancing, you were panicking, trying to remember the dance as best as you could. You kept wanting to grab a mint, but you knew that you were all out, Key had snatched your last one. The more mistakes she pointed out to you, the more mistakes you made.

"Stop, stop, STOP! Are you going to take this seriously or not?"

"YES!" You half screamed at her, while resisting the urge to cry.

"Hm," Hara replied plainly, and she started up the music again.

You were working really hard, and you could see that you were improving a little bit.

"You're getting better, but we'll still have to revisit it tomorrow to get it perfect. This isn't even the beginning, just to let you know. You'll have to sing while doing the routine," At least Hara admitted to your improvement.

You were panting like a puppy, you were so out of breath, but you were thankful for the praise she gave you.

"One last time, and I want to see all your effort!"

You nodded, unable to reply verbally, and began to dance again. You could feel your heart pounding against your ribcage, imploring you to stop, but you didn't. Your lungs were reaching for more air, but couldn't find it. You wanted to finish so badly that you pushed your agony aside until the end of the routine. You held the last position of the dance, while Hara was applauding your performance.

You dropped to the floor, bruising your knees, and instantly put your head down, trying to get rid of the blackness that was slowly consuming your vision. You could hear Hara talking on her phone urgently, and you attempted to raise your head to see her, but instead you collapsed further, bruising your cheek. You were still conscious, but pain was resonating throughout your body with every heartbeat.

"(Y/N)? Can you hear me? Please tell me you can!! I've called for help, they'll be here soon!" Hara reassured, her voice echoing in your head. You clutched your head trying to get the echoing to stop, while shutting your eyes tightly.

"Just, call my friends - please," You rasped.

"Yes, anything," Hara replied, choking on her own words. You knew she felt responsible and guilty.

You relaxed into the darkness, and felt strong hands pick you up, but not roughly. You naturally placed your arms around their neck and rested your head on their shoulder.

You could really use a mint right now... Thanks a lot Key..