***

“Okay, you got this Honda Hitomi.  You got this!  Fighting!”  Hitomi pumps herself up, as she approaches the front door of the house across theirs.

“You got what, Hii-chan?”

“Ah!”  Hitomi jumps from fright, not expecting a voice to sound from behind her.  She loses her footing as she lands, but the owner of the voice catches her and steadies her.

“Woah there, didn’t mean to scare you.  Sorry.”

“Unnie~” Hitomi cries, heart beating a mile a minute.

“You okay?  Can you stand on your own?  I really didn’t mean to scare you.”

As the still clearly frazzled Hitomi is being fussed on by her unnie, the front door opens, revealing two worried-looking girls.

“What happened?  We heard a scream.”  The one with the mid-length hair asks.

“Nope.  Don’t think so,” Hitomi’s unnie says.  “Hey, Chaeyeon, would you mind getting Hii-chan a glass of water?  I’ll bring her inside.”

****

“I’m fine, unnie.  You just startled me a little.” Hitomi lightly protests, as her unnie urges her to drink more water.

“‘A little’?  Hii-chan, we heard your scream from our room.”  Chaeyeon informs them.  Hitomi sends her a mildly exasperated look, hoping it would be enough to stop her from saying something more.

The message is not received, as Chaeyeon has gone back to the kitchen to make some tea.  “It will calm your nerves.”

“Chaeyeon unnie, I’m really fine.  I just didn’t expect that Chaewon unnie would be right behind me.  I thought you were all home.”  Hitomi reasons.  She really can’t afford to lose more time here drinking an assortment of beverages.

“I just got surprised.  It happens.”  This one she says to the last occupant of the house who hasn’t said anything since.  It’s not necessarily uncharacteristic of Sakura, but Hitomi could really use her help right about now.  So, Hitomi holds Sakura’s gaze, imploring her with her eyes.

Sakura takes pity on her.  “What were you doing by our front door, Hii-chan?  Do you need something?” she asks.

Hitomi wrings her hands despite herself, “Well, you see…”