Sapphire Corp., Seoul

Monday, October 10th, 2024

“Unnie!!” Yena felt her body pushed back when someone jump on hugging her. “I miss you!!”

Yena laughed at the familiar voice. She put her arm around the girl’s waist, hugging her back as tight as the girl did.

“So now you prefer to hug Yena Unnie first before me huh?” Behind them, Chaewon looked at the scene with one eyebrow raised.

The girl released her hug to Yena and walked toward Chaewon.

“Don’t be grumpy. You don’t have to say that to me if you hug Chaeyoung first before me every time you come to Tokyo. You don’t even care about my existence.” Despite the protest, the girl showed an opposite gesture. She gave Chaewon a tight hug just like she did to Yena.

“I don’t not want to hug you first, Heejin-ah. I just don’t want to get a glare from your ‘puppy’.”

Heejin laughed but didn’t let go of her arms from Chaewon’s waist. She looked at Chaewon who pursed her lips. One thing that Heejin likes about this same-aged friend of her, Chaewon is so easily upset every time Heejin teases her. Especially if she used her ‘Kim Chaewon doesn’t care about my existence’ card. Even so Heejin knows exactly why Chaewon chose to keep her distance. Not only with her, but with everyone. It’s no secret that among the Sapphire Troika, Kim Chaewon is the most difficult to approach.

“So, care to explain us what are you doing here, Jeon?”

“I’m moving on to Seoul. Of course, to be a part of Sapphire Crown Team!!”

***

Seoul, An's Residence

Sunday, August 31st, 2025

In a loft apartment, a girl with shoulder-length hair was looking serious as her right hand busy moving the computer mouse while her left hand busy typing on the two laptops in front of her. As she working, her head bopped along the rhythm of the song she was listening from the big headphones that covered her ears. A satisfied smile was etched on her lips shortly when she finished editing the video she’s going to publish tonight.

She reached the soda can and drink it enthusiastically. After putting it back to the table, she started checking her channel to see the responses to the previous video she published two days ago.

“You did well, An Yujin.” Yujin said, grinning proudly to herself. She spread both arms, stretching her stiff muscles after working almost all day in the studio in her apartment.

Yujin had returned to Seoul three days ago after her long vacation and the first thing she did when she arrived at Seoul was working on her videos. Her vacation successfully gave her many contents for her vlog and she’s pretty sure people is going to love it. She can’t wait.

The new video will be published on her birthday, which is tomorrow. Finished with the editing, Yujin started to tidy up her equipment. In the middle of cleaning up, her phone’s screen was turning on, and it caught her attention. She frowned at the caller’s name on the screen as she glanced up to the digital clock next to her laptop. A phone call at 01.43 in the morning?

“Hello?” She answered the call while her other hand turned off the laptop.

“Yujin-ah...” The voice on the other side sounded unclear and weak. “Are you still awake?”

“Yeah, I’m still in my studio.” Yujin leaned on her sit, trying to hear more clearly. She didn’t hear a loud stomping music on the background nor any noises. Actually, there is nothing at all and Yujin got worried. The only thing she knows is, the caller wasn’t at the bar. “Hyewon Unnie, are you all right? Are you still in Osaka?”

“Yeah… I will stay here until my business is done. I just woke up from my beautiful sleep.”

Yujin snorted at the words.

“You had a bad dream?” Even so, she silently sighed in relief knowing the older girl seemed fine.

“It seems like that. I don’t really remember it. I never remember it.”

Despite talking sleepily and unclear, Yujin felt there’s something more on Hyewon’s last sentence. She didn’t say anything.

“Hey, last night I watched your latest videos.”

And now Hyewon changed the topic. Yujin can’t help but chuckled, but she let her.

“Is that okay?” She asked with a big smile on her face. “Do you like my videos, Unnie?”

“I watched it because you made it, not because I liked the contents.”

Once again, Yujin grinned at the response. As usual, Hyewon never cares about things that don’t interest her. She smiled when Hyewon mentioned one by one the videos she uploaded for the past three days.

“So… May I know what you have been doing until midnight? Why you haven’t sleep yet?”

Yujin laughed and shook her head even though she knew Hyewon could not see it.

“I just finished working on my upcoming video, Unnie. It’s a mash-up video, it’s a highlight of what I’ve been done during my vacation. For the first time, I will release an EDM video,” Yujin explained excitedly as she looked at the gift Yena gave her. She remember how mad Hyewon was at her same-aged friend for giving Yujin a DJ equipment as her ‘coming age of ceremony’ gift.

“You were really DJ-ing?” Hyewon asked with annoyed tone. When Yujin didn’t answer, she sighed deeply. “Yujin-ah, isn’t it enough that you are working as radio DJ for now?”

“I work as Radio DJ only at Friday night, Unnie, and that’s why my weekend was boring. I want to spend my free time doing something good and useful too,” Yujin grinned when she heard Hyewon scoffed at her reason.

“How about spend your time to study too? The campus will expel you anytime soon if you keep like this.”

Of course Hyewon told her to study. “How about you stop treating me as a kid? I have grown up, Unnie. For the past two years, I have always traveled by myself.”

“And what does it have to do with your study? And, An Yujin, you will always be our baby. Period.” Although she can’t see it, Yujin knows Hyewon was glaring at her. There’s silence between them before Hyewon release another sigh. “Yujin-ah… Are you okay?”

“I just came back from my vacation, Unnie, of course I’m okay,” Yujin answered calmly.

“Yujin, stop lying. I know what you are doing. It’s always the same every year, at