The building was empty except for the six girls who were practicing in their basement practice room late at night. The atmosphere was dark and the members aren't talking to one another. They had been practicing for the past 4 and a half hours without stopping or taking a short breather. They were exhausted and tired but what's bothering them was something worse.

During their practice four of the members, Yerin, Yuju, Eunha and Umji have been exchanging glances among themselves and worry could be seen written all over their faces. Four of them knowing, they're in an in-between position, really have no idea what to do as they knew this was not them at all. Whereas, Sowon and Sinb were oblivious about what was going on although Sowon would look at Sinb once in a while, but Sinb showed no response nor reaction to the leader although she could see the leader's eyes glistening with tears through their huge practice room mirror. Clearly, something wasn't right with the six normally hyper active beagles.

Finally when they've gotten their break, the girls plopped on to the ground as they dragged their upper bodies across to the corner of the room to grab their water bottles and they quickly gulped down their fluids. Sinb, on the other hand, without saying anything nor looking at the members just left the practice room in a hurry, her face clearly looks like she was upset or uncomfortable with something.

Just as Sowon was about to stand up to chase after the younger one, Yerin quickly grabbed her wrist and nudge it a little to pull the leader back to the ground.

Yerin: "Unnie, don't. You'll just make things worse. Let her be, for now."

Yerin said in a gentle yet serious tone. The leader lightly nodded as her eyebrows arched in worry for the second Maknae. Sowon sighed as she looked down at the ground brushing her hair back.

Sowon:"This is all my fault..."

The members heard their leader and the soft whimpers that came after her words. The members were startled as they hastily dropped their water bottles down and scooted over to their leader Unnie. Umji, Eunha and Yuju were her back trying to calm her down as Yerin brushed her hair backwards, revealing a dishevelled Sowon, tears all over her face and her eyes were really red as well.

Yerin: "Unnie, this isn't your fault at all. Don't cry Unnie. Sinb she.."

Yerin paused as she continued, her tone slightly firmer.

Yerin: "Sinb she needs time. You should know Unnie that she's really stubborn. She'll come to understand eventually, just give her some time."

Yerin said as she tried her best to comfort the leader, trying to make her feel better.

Hearing Yerin's words, Sowon looked up as she sniffed a few times, while wiping her tears with the back of her thumbs. However quickly after, she buried her face in her hands and cried for real this time.

Never in the years that they've known each other have they seen Sowon cry this hard. It's not a loud cry, nor is she wailing or screaming. But her weak cries and shaking voice was the most vulnerable scene they've ever seen coming from their strongest pillar. It was heart breaking for them that the four of them couldn't help but tear up.

They didn't know what to do, on one hand they were mad at Sinb for acting like this, but on the other, knowing Sinb's character they understood and empathized with her, aware why she was acting like this.

Because at first, they couldn't accept it either.

[Flashback:]
 

It was almost in the wee hours of the morning, about one in the morning. Sowon stood outside the dorm’s door and contemplated for a while as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She continued to key in the pin numbers to enter the house. The five other members heard the sounds of the keys being pressed and immediately knew that their eldest Unnie was finally home. All of the members immediately woke up as they threw their blankets aside, all worried about Sowon as she had never been home this late before.

Sowon entered the dorm with a solemn face, but the members were too worried and anxious to notice the look on their leader’s face. Sowon noticed the members had been waiting for her as they all slept on the cold hard floor in the living room.

They were worried, she thought.

Yuju: “Unnie where have you been? It’s like one in the morning.”

Yuju said as she ran over to Sowon and clung on to her like a little koala bear. Sowon lips broke into a soft smile as she Yuju’s head.

Before she could answer Yuju, Sinb cut in, sounding a little angry.

Sinb: “Unnie, you didn’t pick up our phone calls!”

Eunha: “Yeah, Unnie! We were so worried!”

Umji: “Unnie… where did you go? We looked all over for you…”

The three younger girls bombarded their leader with questions, showing nothing but concern for Sowon.

Yerin: “Kids, calm down please. Let Unnie speak. If you all keep asking, how is Unnie going to say anything.”

Yerin said as she looked at the three girls, quickly putting her dongsaengs (younger siblings) in their place.

Sowon’s thoughts: “Yerin… Yerin, she’s ready for this. I can leave without worries.”

Sowon smiled as she clenched her fist holding back her tears. Yuju, who was still clinging onto Sowon, suddenly could feel this intense unexplainable energy coming from her. She looked up at Sowon’s face. She could tell the leader was hiding something. Her eyes were almost to the brim of tears. She noticed, but she kept mum, hugging her even tighter knowing that was probably what Sowon needed the most at this time although she didn’t know what was bothering the leader.

Yerin turned back to Sowon.

Yerin: “Unnie, so what’s up? Unnie-“

Yerin’s words cut halfway as she stepped closer to Sowon. Her face full of worry.

Yerin: “Unnie, are you crying? Why are you crying?”

The other members heard Yerin’s words and immediately went closer to Sowon, anxious and comforting her at the same time. Eunha ran to the kitchen to grab tissues and quickly wiped the precious tears from their eldest Unnie. Sowon took the tissues from Eunha and wiped the rest of the tears herself.

Her tears unconsciously spilled out, knowing that this moment may be the last for her. She took a good look at every single member’s faces. She wants to remember these children’s faces forever. Her children. Her five younger siblings that she wouldn’t exchange for anything in the world. The members and Gfriend meant the world to her. But, very soon, she would have to make the decision she was dreading to make and a decision she thought she would never have to make in this lifetime of hers.

Sowon, had to leave them. For good.

The five younger members were perplexed and confused not knowing what was going on.

On the other hand, inside Sowon’s head was a mess. How was she going to break it to them? The scene of them crying would be too much for their strong leader to handle.

Sowon collected herself as she wiped all of her tears.

Sowon: ”Ehdeul ah (kids), sit down.”

The five members immediately took their leader’s orders as the six of them sat in a circle. The five younger members kept quiet as they patiently waited for their leader to continue. Their hearts however, were beating like mad knowing that their gut feeling was telling that this was not going to end well.

Sowon looked up as she breathed out. She had to tell them eventually anyway.

Sowon’s thoughts: “Sojung, you can do it. They would understand, they’ll never get mad at you. Just tell them.”

Sowon looked at them, her heart was racing. She finally spoke.

Sowon: “Kids, listen. After I’m gone, listen to Yerin. Got it? This is an order, no one is to say otherwise. Don’t give Yerin a hard time alright?”

She finally spilled the beans. However, confusion, confusion and confusion took over the other five members.

Eunha: “Unnie… What are you talking about?”

Yuju: “Unnie….. What’s going on?”

The members not wanting to believe what their leader had just told them. This was ridiculous they thought.

Yerin: “Quit playing around Unnie, this isn’t funny and it isn’t first of April either.’

Yerin said holding her tears, she said unwavered and firm. It was rare for the members to see Yerin sounding this serious.

The two Maknaes just kept silent, not knowing how to react. They wanted to hear more first.

Sowon continued, but was dreading heavily to say anything.

Sowon: “I’ve talked to our CEO, he has approved of me leaving the team…”

The five members eyes widened. Shock would be an understatement to how they were feeling. It felt like their hearts were being pierced over and over. They never thought there would come a day like this. They vowed and promised to one another to stay together for the next 10, 20 or even 30 years together. What happened to this promise? Their saddened hearts slowly turned into anger, but knowing their Unnie, she would never do something like this for no reason. Five of them held their tears back as hard as they could, but like a rubber band, they snapped and tears were just gushing out like a tsunami.

This was the scene Sowon was dreading and terrified to see.  Her members crying. Not tears of happiness but tears of pain. Moreover, they were tears of pain because of the leader herself. She didn’t know what to do, she was in immense torment but it was the best decision to make. Although her tears were choking her up, she continued.

Sowon: “My grandma in Canada isn’t going to make it, she wants me to come back… What was I supposed to do? I thought about it for a long time, but what can I do if a grandmother wants her granddaughter by her side during her last moments…”

Sowon explained herself. She cried even more and the members knew that although the news came as a shock and it really hurt them, they knew it must have been harder for their leader Unnie.

Sowon: “I’m so sorry… I sat in the practice room all by myself, thinking how was I going to tell you guys. I’m such an awful leader. I’m sorry….”

Sowon’s confession just made the girls’ hearts ached even more.

Umji: “No no no Unnie. Don’t say that. It must have been harder for you…”

Umji said whimpering, Sowon listened and realised that their youngest was mature enough understand her.

The girls hugged and cried in each other’s embraces. All of them except for Sinb. Sinb’s face was full of disappointment her tears dripped one after another on to the cold hard floor. She looked at the members hugging but she couldn’t bring herself to join them. Sinb’s pain was even more than what the other members were going through. How was she going to bring herself to let her go?

She stood up as she wiped her tears with her sleeves and ran out towards the door. The members called out to her as they stood up, wanting to stop her. She was too fast and had already left the dorm.

Sowon: “HWANG EUNBI!”

The eldest Unnie called their fifth youngest. She seldom called Sinb by her real name and when she does, its either she was really angry or really worried.

Her name echoed into the hallway where Sinb swung their door open. It was silent. The girl had left.

Sowon was about to go chase after her but she lost all her strength in her legs and collapsed.

The 4 others: “UNNIE!”

Sowon had depleted all her energy, she was tired and all she could feel was her body slowly weakening by the second and before she knew it, she was on the gr