With a sigh of relief, she unconsciously tossed her things somewhere in her room and all but plopped down on the bed.

After whispering an expression of gratitude, Joohyun finally allowed her body to succumb to the exhaustion and let the day catch up to her. She and Seulgi were due to debut tomorrset before aseul debut.ow as Red Velvet’s first ever sub-unit and everything has been hectic since the move was decided - From recording sessions, dance practices, and stage rehearsals, things seemed to move at a fast forward pace, creating a distraction and leaving her no room and time to process her thoughts.

But now, with only the silence of the room to accompany her, Joohyun suddenly felt her mind going into overdrive.

What if my vocals aren’t good enough?

What if the fans don’t like it?

What if I mess everything up?

Feeling the sudden bout of anxiety creeping up on her, Joohyun clenched her fists on the covers and attempted to get her breathing back to a normal pace. The suddenness and uncertainty of what they’ve worked so hard for brought about the doubts and insecurities that she’d always try so hard to bury.

You see, she was the leader – the strong and dependable leader, who never prioritized her own pain because she had to be strong for the members. She was their leader; which meant that the responsibility of protecting them was her duty, even if it at times it meant she couldn’t even care for her own self. But now, without anyone’s needs to put before her own, Joohyun allowed herself a moment of weakness and let the traitorous tears fall down, muffling the soft sobs which escaped her every now and then.

Not even a few minutes later, the sound of her silent cries were interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

Seungwan.

Wiping the stray tears on her face, she took a steady breath as an attempt to compose herself. Hands slightly shaking, Joohyun picked up her phone.  

“Hey, Hyun.”

Joohyun’s breath caught in her chest at the simple term of endearment; tears forming in the corner of her eyes at the feeling of warmth and familiarity that just naturally came with Seungwan.

Attempting to be playful, she slightly admonished the younger girl in an effort to break the ice. “Yah, why are you calling me this late? You’re