*Warning: The next few chapters will deal with panic attacks and a little bit of angst. If you can't/don't want to read about that it's best to back out now! 

Minju pov

As much as I tried to distract myself after talking to Euna, I couldn’t help but think back to everything bad that had happened that day no matter what I did. Eventually I ended up pacing incessantly through my extremely small living room while waiting for Euna to arrive. The tears I had so valiantly tried to hold back while on the phone finally poured out and I sobbed as visions of my breakdown at the dance studio a couple of hours ago flashed through my mind.

No! Stop it! It’s over now. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. I need to stop thinking about this and move on. I made my way to the narrow kitchen area and immediately gulped down a glass of water, as if I was trying to wash the sadness and bad thoughts away.

It seemed to have helped a little, for I could finally swallow the lump of emotion that seemed to have been stuck in my throat since that afternoon. I ran my hands down my face and noticed it was still wet with tears.

Great, I thought to myself. If I looked even half as miserable as I was feeling that meant I must’ve been quite a sight at that point, but I didn’t want Euna to find me in that state so walked to the bathroom to I check my appearance. It might not even be that bad. I mean didn’t even cry that long anyway I mused, trying to be positive as I reached my destination.

Not bad my ! God, I'm such a mess. If Euna sees me like this she's going to flip. I looked at my reflection in the little mirror in front of me as I leaned on the sink. Even to my own eyes I looked exhausted. It was getting dark so the sunlight was slowly waning, giving my tiny bathroom an eerie feel. Though I couldn't tell if the shadows on my face were from the lack of light or the lack of sleep.

I the small light above the mirror to see myself better and could only groan. Damn it. She'll definitely be able to tell I've been crying. Maybe I should just tell her not to come. I don’t want to burden her any more than I already have. But then I'll have to sleep alone tonight-

Shaking those thoughts from my mind I reached for the faucet and let the water pool in my hands. As soon as it turned cold I splashed my face multiple times with it. Hopefully the cool liquid would help my eyes look less swollen by the time Euna got here.

After a while I couldn’t stand the coldness anymore so I stopped and looked in the mirror again. This will have to do for now I thought as I reached for the towel next to the shower. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the door unlock and Euna’s cheerful voice rang through my rather cramped dorm.

“Minju-ya! I’m here and I got something for you. “

I had been skittish all day so even though I was expecting her, I couldn’t help but be startled by the sudden intrusion into the silence I was surrounded with just moments ago.

“You won’t believe what happened at the store though. I still can’t understand why people are so rude, hmph.“

I hurriedly dried my face and combed my fingers through my messy hair, trying to make myself look a bit presentable. Not quite satisfied with the result, though hardly having any other choice, I grabbed the door knob to enter the living room. But for some reason I paused before I could open it.

“Anyway, you haven’t eaten yet right? No worries, I’ll make something real quick or do you want to order something?”

I took in a shaky breath hoping to calm the sudden nervousness that had taken over me. Instead of calming down I only became more and more anxious and my breathing started to speed up rapidly.

Euna’s voice suddenly sounded so far away until it disappeared entirely and a familiar pang hit my chest. I started to feel lightheaded and nauseous so I closed my eyes while I leaned my head against the door to keep from falling.

Soon my whole body was covered in sweat and I could feel my hands starting to shake uncontrollably as I cursed myself for the rotten timing. I could feel my legs loosing strength so I let the door carry my weight until I felt myself hit the ground. I was still shaking and couldn’t get my breathing under control.

My mind went blank as I could only focus on the irrational fear that gripped me from the inside out. It felt like time stood still and I was back in that small dusty room with nowhere to go, trapped, while a dark figure kept approaching me.

“Minju-ya?”

I could barely hear it over my panic and loud breathing but it was enough to make me remember where I was and what was happening. I tried to call out to her but it was like there was not enough air and I couldn’t get my mouth to form the words. I could feel the panic rising at my incompetence so I knew I had to get Euna’s attention somehow and quickly before my hyperventilating got worse and I passed out.

It had been a while since I’d had a panic attack and even longer since I’d had one around Euna. Though I still had them from time to time, the frequency of the panic attacks had decreased dramatically after I left home and moved into my current dorm. With Euna being around so much and me finally having my private space to let off some steam when I needed it, I had gotten so much better despite becoming accustomed to the attacks.

But even if I’d gotten used to having them, it didn’t make it a less terrifying experience. I hated the feeling of losing control. The intense fear. The helplessness.

“Minju-ya, what’s wrong?”

My vision was blurry so I could barely see the door in front of me but I knew she was on the other side. My body felt disconnected from my brain so it took me a few tries to move my arms to the door. Somehow I managed to pound it hard enough because not long after, the door opened and suddenly I was in Euna’s arms.