Sooyoung couldn't ignore her gut feeling. It wouldn't hurt anyone to come to look and at the same time, she could attain peace of mind. She followed the same trail she had seen Hyejoo go. Her walking pace changed to a sprint when she noticed a pair of feet sprawled on their side and she kneeled completely when she found the owner to be Hyejoo. She was unconscious for God's sake, she had been fine minutes ago.

"Hyejoo?" Sooyoung called and slapped her face lightly to hopefully have her come to. "Hyejoo, wake up."

It wasn't working.

"..." Sooyoung cursed.

While holding Hyejoo with one arm, she took her phone out and called their CEO. This technically wouldn't be cheating, all she would ask is for some time. That shouldn't affect the results in any way.

—☆★°•°•°★☆—☆★°•°•°★☆—

From the other side of the curtain, where the panel of judges was sitting, Haseul was confused as to why Sooyoung was calling her. She shot a glance to the side but realized Sooyoung wasn't with Jiwoo anymore. The intern was now all on her own. What was the matter?

Haseul excused herself away from Go Won and the dance instructor to answer the call privately.

"Hello?"

"Can you please delay the Girl Crush team to go last?" Sooyoung didn't waste any time.

Haseul couldn't believe the audacity. Hyejoo was in that team so she knew what the manager was trying to do.

"I don't think you need me to explain just how wrong that would be–" Her tone started-off angry but she didn't finish as Sooyoung cut her off in a hurry.

"Hyejoo fainted. She doesn't seem to be hurt but she's not coming to. We're right behind the curtain."

Haseul was stunned. She glanced up to where Sooyoung said they were. She could faintly make out a section of the curtain to be thicker than the rest.

"Please." 

Haseul was surprised at the desperation in her voice.

"I'll try to wake her up." 

Haseul took a deep breath. "I have to be fair to everyone." And hung up.

She knew Sooyoung wasn't close with Hyejoo so why? Why was she trying so hard for her? Haseul walked back to the panel pondering just what was it about that girl that had everyone trying so hard for her?

Clearly, Jiwoo had no idea and Go Won was out of the question, she gave the blonde a quick look as that thought crossed her head. She looked completely unbothered so Haseul knew Sooyoung was trying to solve this alone. There must be something to her and Haseul wanted to find out why.

—☆★°•°•°★☆—☆★°•°•°★☆—

Sooyoung couldn't do anything besides wait. If it was a normal fainting spell, it shouldn't take longer than a minute.

Right when she thought that, she felt the girl in her arms stirring.

"Hyejoo? Hey, wake up." Sooyoung called to her softly.

The girl opened her eyes and, for a second, looked confused. She looked around and seemed relieved for no apparent reason, at least not one Sooyoung knew of.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She asked as she helped Hyejoo sit up.

While they waited, they could hear a track starting and they could also feel the vibrations of the bass. It wasn't long until they heard voices joining in. Round 2 had started.

Sooyoung thought Hyejoo must still be out of it as she didn't answer right away, but the trainee looked up and gave her a closed smile. "Must've been from exhaustion. I haven't been sleeping and eating well these past few days because of training."

The reality was that Hyejoo had been trying to come up with an excuse in her head. Exhaustion seemed to be what would make the most sense in this situation.

Sooyoung sighed in relief. "Don't push yourself too hard, for Christ's sake. You scared me."

Hyejoo didn't know what to say to that so she kept mum. But then she remembered Yerim and Hyejoo wanted to ask Sooyoung about it without implying about her presence.

"How did you find me?"

Sooyoung found the question odd. Was she expecting no one to find her? And if so... then that meant it hasn't been a regular fainting spell she experienced.

"I had to come and check all the trainees had made it backstage properly," Sooyoung lied flawlessly.

Hyejoo wasn't the only one that could come up with convincing excuses on a whim.

The wheel's in Sooyoung's head then turned, working full piece trying to piece things together.

Had the fainting been induced? 

Hyejoo nodded, accepting her answer. "And you just found me on the floor?" She asked another question.

Sooyoung noticed her tone was hesitant like she was trying to hide something. Had she not been hallucinating earlier about how someone pulled Hyejoo by the arm? Had someone done something to her? Someone that was currently here?

The woman was trying to read Hyejoo, staring at her intently as if it would allow her to read her mind. "Was there another way I was supposed to find you?" She decided to tackle things head-on.

Hyejoo's look was unreadable, her face trying hard to not give anything away. But the silence only served as confirmation for the manager. Sooyoung's look turned into a frown.

"Hyejoo what happened? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

She can't help me, Hyejoo thought.

At that moment, Hyejoo sprung up as if burned by Sooyoung's words. It was the usual cowardly act of running away whenever someone tried to get close. She wouldn't let them but Sooyoung was right behind her and wouldn't let things go so easily. Not when she had already made a crack in her defense.

"I'm okay. Thank you for helping me." Hyejoo tried to take a step but stumbled, the rush of having gotten up too fast making her naturally dizzy.

Sooyoung caught her by the arm while the girl clutched onto her head with her free hand on instinct.

"Hey, take it easy. You just fainted."

Again, Hyejoo pulled away like Sooyoung's words were poison. And it wasn't just what she said, her touch seemed to make her uncomfortable as well. She was awfully defensive for Sooyoung simply trying to help her. 

"I'll be fine." She now sounded irritated.

And with that Hyejoo walked to join the rest of the trainees, Sooyoung not being able to stop her. Evaluations had already started and she had been gone long enough. She hadn't been accurately keeping track but she was sure three songs had already passed. She needed to get to her team fast.

What excuse was she going to give?

"Unnie where were you? We're up next!" One of the younger girls in her team asked as they all rushed to her.

Hyejoo only kept shut, but couldn't answer regardless with all the girls helping her set up the audio monitor in her outfit and putting on her in-ear mic. Only she would be one to have a hand-microphone compared to the rest who wore headset microphones. It'd be easier for them to have their hands free and not have to think about how to switch the mic from their hands.

They wouldn't let her get away without an explanation though as she felt someone's gaze on her. Looking to the side she noticed Haseul looking at her for a brief moment before going back to monitor the group that was currently performing. Loona looked like she had no idea so Sooyoung most likely only told the CEO.

She would think of an excuse after their performance, she couldn't afford to become distracted right now. Looking straight ahead of her she realized that the team Yerim and Hyunjin were in was the one currently performing. When they finished and Yerim walked back to stand in line where the other trainees were at. her eyes widened momentarily.

She probably wasn't expecting her to make it back. Joke's on her. This somehow only fueled Hyejoo to do better. She was going to get payback by sweeping the floor with Yerim on stage. She couldn't do anything physically but she knew the other girl would become furious when she saw her perform. That's what this was all about anyway. Yerim being jealous. It had always been that way.

Hyunjin wasn't as bad as her, but throughout the years she never stepped in to stop Yerim with all her abuse. She simply let Yerim throw hits and curses and stood back to watch. But being a bystander was just as bad as being the perpetrator. She had just as much fault as her Yerim.

They never treated her like a sister, they always saw her as an anomaly. Hyejoo never asked for their acceptance. She never even wanted to join their family, yet they always treated her like things were her fault and she caused their suffering. Because of this, Hyejoo always saw herself as the bastard child that brought misery to all of them.

She never asked for any of this to happen yet she was forever cursed. Life always treated her like and all Hyejoo could do was get used to it and take it. She built her walls high and came up with this nonchalant y facade to avoid people getting too close and risk her getting harmed again. There was only so much she could take from people.

"Next is the Girl Crush team."

Hyejoo glared at Yerim as she walked past her but she couldn't hold back the nervous gulp as she was getting into position with the rest of her team. It's okay. She's done this song countless times and knew it by heart. She trusted her teammates as she knew they had all worked hard for this performance. It was time to show what they had to offer.

The lights dimmed for effect but then came back on at the same time with the music. All her uncertainties and nerves seemed to burn with the newfound flame lit inside her. Even her look had attained a fierceness that was almost scary. When she was on stage, no matter how big or small, it was like she became a different person.

"PinkBlack in your area.

PinkBlack in your area.

Been a bad girl, I know I am.

And I'm so hot I need a fan.

I don't wanna boy, I need a man."

Hyejoo had the steadiest vocals but another on