"Please. Please, just, wait. Wait for me. Can we talk about this when I get home? It'll only be a little longer... No! Unnie, no, I'm sorry. Unnie, don't—"

The phone line cut off and Bomi was left hanging on the device to her ear, feeling absolutely lost. 

No... That did not just happen. No, no, no, no—

She redialled immediately and the cold fear began to pick up in her chest as she couldn't get a response. 

Unnie, you can't be serious... Th-This can't be happening...

Bomi was completely distracted in her frozen state that she didn't notice her members calling for her outside the bathroom, until the leader slammed the door threatening to kick it down. 

"Bbom-ah, are you ready?? We have a schedule!" 

Right. They were in between busy schedules right now and here she was in the bathroom with her phone gripped tightly in her hands. 

"B-Bomi unnie..?" Namjoo took a step back as the girl came into view, opening the door for them with a face paled and in shock. 

"Bom?" Eunji checked in, concerned. "You look like you've seen a ghost." 

The dancer cleared , plastering on a smile to show she was fine.

She was not fine. 

"Come on, we have a schedule," Bomi avoided, walking past them to grab her bag before heading to the van. 

Maybe it was nothing. The girls shrugged and followed their leader's nagging, ushering them out for their next schedule before their manager could do it first. There was just no time to spare, no time to think about what could've gone wrong in a few minutes. 

Bomi, who was quiet and probably tired... It was the side that fans don't usually see, but the members knew it well. 

Something had definitely happened, and it gave Chorong a bad feeling. 

——

The girls were given a well-deserved break for the Korean New Year to see their families after all the hectic festive activities. Hopefully the short downtime would be enough to help energise them for the promising year to come. 

Chorong was surprised to find Bomi back at the dorm first, although in hindsight, they never did resolve what happened to the girl before the holiday started... 

Liking her time alone, the leader had hoped for at least a day of rest to herself before the members would start returning, but it seemed the second eldest had beaten her to it—only something wasn't quite right with this situation. 

Bomi loved to be outside, hanging out with family and friends, and yet here she was, looking rather grouchy and a mess. She had been crying.

"We broke up." 

Oh...

Bomi breathed out painfully. "It's ruined everything... My heart..." she struggled for words in front of her member. Going home for the holidays hadn't been all too helpful in cheering her up because everywhere she looked in her hometown was laced with bitter memories. "Rong unnie... she wouldn't see me. We couldn't even talk it out. She won't tell me what I did wrong." 

Chorong frowned sadly. Heartbreak wasn't something she could protect the younger girl from, and it made her own heart twist in empathy. When Bomi fell in love, she fell hard, and the girl's feelings to others were always so sincere that Chorong couldn't believe someone would turn away and step on her like that. But it was clear some break-ups were like that. 

"I just can't believe she broke up with you over the phone..." 

The younger shook her head in despair. "Maybe it's better this way. She wants me to hate her and let her go, right? I've already started." Bomi gestured lamely to the used tissues in the bin and tutted, the sight making her chest heavy. 

Bomi gritted her teeth.

"Unnie, am I stupid for waiting for her? Am I stupid for thinking this could ever work?"

Chorong stayed silent, sensing the girl was ranting. 

"I've cried so much that my tears aren't coming out anymore..." Bomi attempted to chuckle off her pain. "In the years we were dating—can you even believe we dated for four years? No, it doesn't feel like that. Because of schedules and life, we never got to see each other that much. By the time we would meet again, we had already changed. We changed too much." 

"But I foolishly held on," Bomi said angrily at herself, her fist connecting to her thigh with a thump.

Chorong quietly wrapped her fingers around the tight fist, worried the girl might continue hurting herself.

"When will I ever find that kind of love again?" Bomi asked helplessly, recalling the past; the innocence of how they fell in love. "Something real..."

"...You'll find someone, Bbom."

Bomi sighed holding her head. "Deep down, I had a feeling the break-up might happen. I just didn't know when. And I guess it happened now..."

But I'm still hurting. God, it really hurts.

Chorong's warmth filled Bomi's senses as the older girl pulled her into a hug. 

I really did love her. 

The younger broke down in her arms, letting go the fragile side of her that she didn't like to show. 

In love with the idea of her, the memories we had together.

I loved her.

——

"By the decision of the company, Hong Yookyung's contract has been terminated. We have respected her decision to focus on her studies. Apink will continue on with its six members: Park Chorong, Yoon Bomi, Jung Eunji, Son Naeun, Kim Namjoo, and Oh Hayoung. The girls still have a lot to show so please continue supporting them. We will work hard with these six members to fill their promising future as Apink..." 

Everything in their small world shook to the ground when discussions of Yookyung leaving Apink were on the table. They didn't have a say. It was the company's decision and that was that. 

There was a survival element in training because trainees were moved around by companies all the time. Only the best of the best could hope to have a chance at becoming an idol.

When they debuted, the girls relaxed. Now that they were officially singers on the map with their names and faces tied to their idol group, the idea of survival wasn't a fear factor anymore, although they still worked their hardest in everything they did.

They hadn't considered the possibility of member changes despite news like that happening around them with other groups in the industry. They didn't realise how naive they were until the same thing came to threaten them and taunt them in the face. 

It was an understatement to say the girls were devastated. Negotiations with Yookyung's family were a mess, and Eunji almost argued with the CEO while Chorong tried to peacefully represent the group at the company meeting.

It was a time of high stress and running emotions for the people involved, and the company was having none of it. The decision was final. Yookyung was leaving Apink. 

Endless tears were shed in the Apink dorm leading up to the inevitable.

"Unnie, it's okay. It's not your fault. It's not Apink's fault," Yookyung soothed.

It was terribly ironic that the one leaving seemed the most free at this moment. It seemed she had somewhat accepted it when the others were still denying and wishing it wasn't happening. 

Yookyung had just graduated high school along with Naeun, and college was something she had been thinking about.

She was blessed to be able to experience idol life for two years—living out their fruits of training, and being there for their first win for "My My". Perhaps the idol life wasn't for her. Perhaps this was a sign she could do something else in life. Being a non-idol also opened a world of possibilities. 

All she knew was she wanted to focus on college. Unlike the unnie line, who chose music over college, she never had the chance to choose between study and music. It seems now it was rather the chance that had chosen her. 

"I want to study. Really." 

Even so, her soft eyes were laced with sadness when she said those words. She was parting from what had been her life for the past few years; from training day and night, to schedules that worked them to the bone, and the fans whose cheers might make the spotlight all worth it.

But it was her bond with the members that made it hard to leave the most. The girls felt like crying once more.

Apink performed happily with Yookyung one last time. 

They couldn't celebrate their 2nd anniversary as a group the same this year. 

The girls bid their former member one last farewell and best of luck on a diverging path from the six of them. 

And as if the memories of Yookyung would haunt their place, the girls were moved into a new dorm. 

——

To make matters of the group worse, comments slandered them.

With member changes comes the worst of rumours and it wasn't long before it got a bit messy online. Bullying rumours? Unfair treatment? Misunderstandings? Was it purely the company's decision or did Yookyung really choose to study?

All these speculations fired up at Yookyung's departure and the girls had to stay quiet. They were told that speaking out wouldn't help their situation at all. They just had to trust in the image they had shown and hope for fans to believe in them, even if they were down to six.

Eunji and Naeun were the first to have a schedule together after the dreaded media announcement,