Slowly, then all at once.
A single loose thread
And it all comes undone.

/ 24 / Que sera, sera

A call woke up Yerin from her sleep. It was two in the morning. She glanced at her roommates, waiting for someone to pick up the call, but then realized that it was her phone. She reached it on the table beside her bed and held it. When she adjusted from the light, she read the caller ID, it was from Sojung's sister, Sohyun.

Yerin quickly pressed the answer button. An immense amount of fear engulfs her. It was two in the morning. No one would call at this point with no reason. She listened to the voice on the other line, the voice was raspy and the lack of sleep was evident.

"Yerin?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Sojung is in ICU."

Yerin was frozen for a moment. Sinb just saw her the last time. She said Sojung was okay the other day. She even wrote them a letter. She was laughing the other day. They thought she's getting better. 

"I just want you to know," Sohyun said. "Sojung doesn't want to tell you. But she kept telling me that she misses you, girls. She's really excited to see you again." The worry was etched on her gloomy voice. "I just wanna tell you so you'll be ready when you come back here tomorrow."

Yerin put down the phone after the call ended. She doesn't know what to do, her hands were trembling, her heart was pounding, and in her mind, she was seeking desperate answers. Why? Why does it have to be Sojung? Why is the universe slowly taking the life of the person who taught them to live?

She sat still on the bed. It's two o'clock and she's contemplating to go to Sojung. She was desperate. She was scared. 

She moved and walked closer to Yuju's and Eunha's bed. She shrugged Yuju's shoulder and wait for the young girl to stir up. She bit her lip and tried not to cry in front of the younger.

Yuju opened her eyes just to see her unnie's worried face. She quickly sat up and face the older.

"Unnie, is there a problem?"

"Sojung unnie... she's in ICU." Yerin whispered slowly.

Yuju couldn't speak right away. They are set to go home tomorrow. Weekend. A day where they get to see her again.

"I'll... I'll let the others know," Yuju said, forcing herself to calm down. "Take a rest, unnie. We'll go early tomorrow."

Yerin nodded her head. Yuju pats her shoulder and stands up to go to the maknaes room. Yerin was about to stand up too when Eunha held her wrists. 

"Eunha..."

"I heard... is it true, unnie?" Eunha asked in almost a whisper. Yerin nod. 

"Don't worry. We will go there as soon as possible tomorrow. Sleep now." Yerin mustered a smile despite the turmoil inside her head. The younger nodded and Yerin has left again with the silence. She slipped through the bed comforter and burry her head on the pillows. The room was cold and silent and Yerin embraced herself. 

Silence is where thoughts screamed the most.

_

Eunha did not sleep. She was restless, her body's tired. Well, they all are. It's obvious on their eyes that they did not sleep well last night. Who could anyways? They did not know what will welcome them in the morning. 

The alarm clock rang. Yuju set it up at five in the morning. Her roommates immediately got up and fixed themselves. Eunha was even surprised that the maknaes were ready and dressed that early. 

They met up in the hotel lobby. Like Eunha, they all look sleep-deprived, pale face, bloodshot eyes. Sinb didn't even fix her hair, and Umji's and Yerin's eyes were puffy. They waited for their flight. It was almost 8 o'clock when they landed. 

The girls were supposed to show Sojung their gift. They want to make her happy even just for a while. Their fans, buddies, also prepared something fo