“LE unnie! Where are you going?”

“LE unnie, wait!” LE flagged down a taxi and got in quickly, ignoring the cries of her name behind her.

"Drive me to..." She trailed off. Where was she headed? Where could she go? All she had ever known was the house she lives in. She had never gone anywhere else. Not ever since her accident.

"Miss?" LE was snapped out of her thoughts by the taxi driver.

"Um...Hongdae." She had no idea where the place was, but somehow the name felt familiar to her. Had she gone there before at some point? "Our home ground..." She murmured absentmindedly. What did that mean? If she had called this place her home ground, then she must've been familiar with it. Maybe Solji might be there.

"Thank you." After thanking and paying the taxi driver, LE walked around the crowded place. She pulled up her hood, wanting to avoid people. If she had been in a girl group, no doubt people would recognise her, even if she didn't recognise them. She looked around. Bright lights, lively night crowd, open shops... It all felt so familiar to her. Her mind couldn’t recall the place, but her body navigated through it effortlessly. Perhaps at some point in her past, she had spent much of her time here. Did she come here with Solji? She froze in her steps at the sight of a large fountain before her. Looking up, the various lights lighting up the area reflected off the water, making the sight absolutely breath-taking. She sat down at a nearby bench, staring at the fountain, feeling her inner turmoil fade away. The sparkling water... The sound of the bustling streets... The cool night breeze... The starry night sky… It was all just so oddly calming and comforting to her.

"It's so pretty, isn't it? Just like you." LE held her head as she heard her own voice say. Memories flashed through her mind as a deafening screech seemed to fill her mind. She cracked her eyes open as she forced herself to look up at the fountain again.

“In fact, Hyojin, I…”

She came here before. She knew this place.

FLASHBACK

"It's so pretty, isn't it?" Solji had been looking up at the fountain, awed by the sight, when a voice behind her made her whip her head around to find the source. "Just like you." At that, Solji couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as LE walked up beside her.

"What? What's with you suddenly?" LE just smiled as she s one arm around Solji's waist.

"Nothing. I just suddenly thought of it." Solji laughed again as she smacked LE lightly.

"You're such a smooth talker." LE grinned in response.

"Am I? But you love it, don't you?" Solji smiled as she leaned back into LE's touch.

"Yeah. I do love it. In fact..." She pulled away and turned to face LE fully. "In fact, Hyojin, I..."

END OF FLASHBACK

LE let her hands drop to her side as the screeching faded away. Looking up at the fountain, there was newfound recognition in her eyes as the sight of the fountain seemed to reflect in her eyes. That's right, she remembered now. This is... This place is...

"...where it all began." She murmured to herself as tears streamed down her face.

Unnie. Unnie, I want to see you. But...I know. I know you won't come back again. I remembered everything. Unnie, I remembered that 6 years ago, you...

6 years ago…

The white walls of the room added to the tension in the room. Hani was trying her best to distract herself with her phone, yet her eyes kept darting around the room except on her. Hyelin was fidgeting with her hands idly, probably preoccupying her mind with thoughts of what to cook for dinner. A dinner for 4. Jeonghwa sat in the chair beside her bed, just looking down, a glum expression on her face. Looking down at the hand gently massaging her own, she followed it to its owner, who was seated on the other chair next to her bed, focused on her task and refusing to meet her eyes. It's been the same thing since a few days ago, when the news came.

"Girls." All of them visibly flinched, before simultaneously looking to her hesitantly. "I'm fine. Will you do me a favor and get some water for me? Food would be good too." They casted uncertain looks to one another before nodding.

"Sure, unnie." 1 of them didn't reply. A sigh.

"Go, girls. I need to talk to Hyojin." They gulped and looked between their two unnies before nodding and scurrying out of the room. Left alone, Solji turned to LE, who hasn't looked up nor spoke a single word the entire time. "I'm really fine, Hyojin. My Hyperthyroidism just relapsed, that's all. I've lived through it once, I can live through it again." LE paused, the massage stopping for the first time since it started.

"But unnie, the last time it happened, you were always so upset. You were suffering all alone. None of us could do anything to help." LE replied finally after a moment of silence, her voice breaking.

"I wasn't alone." Solji said firmly. "You girls and my family were with me through it all, and I'm thankful for that. Our fans also supported me and assured me that they would wait for me, which was really encouraging for me."

"But you suffered the most." LE said quietly. "We were with you, but you were the one going through various treatment and spending multiple nights in the hospital."

"It's different this time. This time, they told me of a surgery I can take, and I agreed to do it. All I gotta do is live through the surgery, and I'll be better in no time!" Solji argued back.

"But the surgery has a high chance of failing, doesn't it?" LE fought back, finally looking up to meet her eyes, looking on the verge of tears. "I'm scared, unnie. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. I'll be ok." Solji reached down and clasped LE's hands in her own. "I'll pull through it, Hyojin. I promise you that I will. I’m taking a leap of faith with this surgery, Hyojin, because I have things to live for. I have you to live for, Hyojin. So I need you to have faith in me."

“I do have faith in you. I just don’t have faith in myself. If anything happens to you, would I be able to continue living? Would I be able to be strong enough for the girls? Would I even be able to be strong enough for myself?” Tears finally spilled from her eyes as she ranted, pouring out all her pent-up fears.

“Nothing will happen to me, Hyojin. Not as long as you are by my side. Trust me.”

“I trust you! But I can’t trust myself! This happened even though I was with you, unnie! I was with you for the past 8 years, and yet, twice I’ve failed you! I should’ve learned from the first time, but even when you started showing the symptoms again, I brushed it off! Twice, I was ignorant until you were taken to the hospital! You said nothing will happen to you as long as I’m by your side, but something did happen! And it was the same thing twice!”

“Hyojin, I’m ok.” Solji comforted her gently. “I have Hyperthyroidism, and it relapsed, but that’s not your fault. There was nothing you could’ve done.”

“No, there was something I could’ve done!” LE leapt to her feet. “I should’ve taken better care of you! I should’ve watched your diet closer, to make sure you’d never suffer a relapse! I should’ve been more observant to the signs you were showing! I should’ve worried more even when you assured me you just needed some rest! I should’ve been by your side so that I would be there whenever you need me! I-!”

“I don’t need you to take care of me!” Solji cut her off, frustrated tears b in her eyes. “I have Hyperthyroidism, but that doesn’t render me completely helpless! I don’t need you at my every beck and call! I can still take care of myself, even without you!” Her eyes grew wide as she realised what she said. Before she could even think of what to do, LE had dashed out of the room.

“...unnie…?” She looked to the door to see the 3 girls peeking in timidly. Solji just sighed.

“We had a fight.” They nodded.

“We saw LE unnie run out.” Solji gulped, wiping her tears away.

“We both need time to calm down. I’ll talk to her after my surgery.” As if on cue, a nurse came in to bring her away for her surgery. Left alone, the 3 girls left the empty room. All they could do was hope for the best.