Lay took a peek out the practice room window at the rare red moon hanging in the night’s sky.

His phone pinged as he received a response from Luhan. He had been struggling lately with his stuck position to stay under SM despite his fellow Chinese having left some time ago.

Even with all his hard work, his numbers just weren’t as good as he thought they could be. He wanted to be the best with the best music. He unlocked his phone and read the message from his now distant acquaintance.

“It’s rough for everyone, man. Just keep fighting.”