“It. Hurts. So. Much.” Wheein whimpered as she clutched onto Byulyi’s arm, grimacing at the clawing pain coming from her uterus. She had gotten the bane of every woman’s entire existence her period earlier this week and the pain had just gone from tolerable to excruciating.

“Wheein-ah, how will I buy you painkillers if you won’t let go of me?” Byulyi said, trying to loosen the younger girl’s grip on her. The younger girl has been complaining about her period cramps for the past few days and her nagging has only gotten worse, much to Byulyi’s exhaustion. Not to mention that Wheein was being stubborn and refused to let Byulyi get her medicine, convincing the older girl that she doesn’t need them.

“I told you, I don’t need them. All I need is you.” Wheein mused, a smirk on her face despite being doubled over in pain. At this, Yongsun barged into the door with Hyejin following close behind her.

“Wow, and I thought Byul was greasy. I didn’t know she’s rubbed off on you already.” The eldest cut in, dropping her bags of groceries on to the floor of their small rooftop house.

“And don’t worry about the painkillers, I got them on the way here. I could hear her complaining about it all the way from your room last night.” Hyejin added, throwing the small pill bottle onto the couch where Wheein and Byulyi were seated.

“Well, it wouldn’t be so much of a problem for any of us if she would just drink her medicine, am I right, baby?” Byulyi looked at Wheein pointedly, watching as the blonde girl stuck her tongue out at the three other girls. It wasn’t an unusual sight for all four to have little arguments, especially when one was sick or on their period.

“Yah, I told you guys that I don’t need them! I’ve gotten through my period without them be-” Wheein doubled over in pain before she got to finish her sentence, feeling like she’s slowly dying from the inside.

“Please, just kill me now.” Wheein grumbled, burying her face into Byulyi’s lap. Her period cramps weren’t usually this bad, but from all the exhaustion the girls get through training, it took a toll on them. This time on Wheein. The three other girls had looked at each other and agreed that the best thing to do was to try to get the shortest to sleep.

“Byul-ah, just carry her to your room and try to get her to sleep. Whee-ssi, please at least try to take your medicine, it’s going to help the pain. We don’t want you training if you’re like this, okay?” The leader commanded the two, worried about the younger girl.

“I’ll help you make dinner, unnie. Wheein, get some rest, okay? Byul-unnie, take care of her, but please keep it PG. We can hear you all the way from our room, sometimes.” Hyejin smirked, watching the two girls on the couch as they blushed.

Byul starts to get up, asking Wheein to stand so she can give her a piggyback ride to their room.

“Unnie, I can’t get up. It hurts too much.” Wheein pouted, cuddling herself further into the couch and under her blanket.

Byulyi sighed in exasperation. “Yah, you didn’t have a problem when you tried kicking me off the couch earlier.” Byulyi said, looking at the younger girl accusingly. Though the rapper seemed annoyed, she was honestly just worried about Wheein. Her periods have never been this bad, but it seemed like it chose the wrong time to settle with the younger girl, especially with their debut coming soon. She just didn’t want Wheein to hurt any more than she already was with their daily training.

Byulyi couldn’t stand to see her in pain anymore so she stuck her arms under Wheein, making the smaller girl yelp, and carried her to their bedroom. Yongsun and Hyejin snickered at the sight of their little Wheein being carried off like that, but it wasn’t an unusual sight for any of them. Byulyi carried her into their shared bedroom, carefully laying her down on the mattress to make sure that she wasn’t causing any more pain than what Wheein was already going through.

“Alright, I’ll just get a glass of water so you can drink your medicine, okay?” Byulyi said, standing up from where she had placed Wheein.

“Please, don’t go. Sing me to sleep first?” Wheein begged, holding on to Byulyi while using her puppy eyes to get the older girl to stay with her for a while.

“How will you drink your medicine then?” Byulyi sighed before succumbing to the younger girl’s wishes and lying beside her.

“I promise to drink them once I wake up.” Wheein said, before cuddling into the arms of the older girl. Wheein always loved it when the rapper sings. Although the older girl felt shy whenever she did so, Wheein knew that she truly did have a wonderful voice. The rapper’s lower register always provided the best foundation for all the other girls’ harmonies, and even on its own, it sounded so sweet and smooth.

Gureume bicheun heuryeo jigo

Changgae yoranhi naerineun

Bitmulsori mankkeum shirin gieokdeuri

Nae maeum butjabgo inneunde

Even before the rapper had reached the chorus of the song, Wheein had felt herself drifting off to sleep as her eyes fluttered close.

Dashi geuttae cheoreomman

Geudaereul anaseo

Shiganeul geoseulle galsu eopnayo

Hanbeon irado

Majimak iljirado

Gwaenchanheul tende

Byulyi continued to sing the rest of the song even as she felt the younger girl’s breathing become steady, signaling that she had fallen asleep. She hummed the last few notes of the song, before the night lulled into the white noise of the city at dusk and the bustling of the other girls as they cooked dinner.

Though it had been a tiring day, Byulyi felt at ease with Wheein in her arms. She had only hoped that maybe the cramps will be a lot less painful for the younger girl, but if this is what it felt like to take care of Wheein, the rapper wouldn’t mind if she had to do it for the rest of her life.