This is like a throwback, Hehez 

“Yeojin?”

Yerim knocked on the practice room’s door  but realizing that it was a stupid move because the person inside the room wouldn’t hear her because of the blasting music playing that she’s quite afraid that the occupants of the building beside theirs could hear it. So, upon the realization, she decided to just enter the room.

She slowly opens the door and carefully scans the room and her eyes immediately landed on the other lass. A smile immediately made way on her lips. With careful steps, she approaches the sleeping woman.

She couldn’t help but sigh seeing the sweats covering the younger girl. Yerim grabbed the towel that is resting on Yeojin’s thigh before gently wiping the dripping sweat on the smaller’s forehead, careful enough not to wake the tired girl.

Yeojin has her back against the practice room’s wall, just beside the huge mirror. She has been practicing non-stop for a few hours and decided to take a rest just a few minutes before Yerim’s arrival. She couldn’t stop herself from taking a nap though, the exhaustion of her solo practice taking a toll on her already tired body.

The older of the two decided to sit beside the sleeping girl and wait for her to wake up. She doesn’t have the heart to disturb the rest of the tired Yeojin, so she just decided to wait for her to wake up.

Yerim realizes how hard the other girl was being on herself. She might not say it but she can see how Yeojin tires herself from practicing too much. The youngest doesn’t even join them for midnight games or movie marathon, saying that she’s doing something important. But Yerim can see it─ how Yeojin looks really tired, how Yeojin would avoid staying in the same place with Sooyoung, how Yeojin would always look down every time they practices together, and how Yeojin continuously beat herself up.

Yerim notices everything, everything about Yeojin. So, she instantly got hold of the changes on Yeojin after their concert. It started from constantly saying sorry to avoiding the oldest members and then she also started avoiding almost everyone, then she would sometimes say she couldn’t join their weekend bonding until to the point that they would only see their maknae when they have group meeting or practices.

Of course, Yerim feels sad. She does because Yeojin is her closest in the group, okay maybe after Hyejoo. And, Yeojin shouldn’t even bother blaming herself because it was an accident after all. No one wanted that to happen.

“Yerim?”

Yerim was stopped from her deep thoughts when she heard the raspy voice of the new awaken girl beside her.

She turned to look at the still sleepy Yeojin and give out a small smile, “Hey, I came to pick you up.” She says.

Yeojin frowned before nodding softly, “Alright, I’ll just change.” She then stood up and walk towards her bag before grabbing a shirt and without waiting for any response, she went out of the room to change.

Yerim couldn’t do anything but just watch how careful Yeojin moves. It wasn’t Yeojin-like to be like that. Yeojin is clumsy, maybe not as much as Jinsoul or Gowon or Heejin, but she still is. And she usually moves big, not like some controlled puppet with limited movements.

That’s not their maknae.

That’s not Yeojin.

That’s not her Yeojin.

Yerim sighed before standing up to turn off the loud music and fix the place. She was already cleaning the water bottles around the room when Yeojin returned, new shirt in place. She glanced at Yerim before turning around to fix her personal things.

After making sure that everything is in place, the two decided to leave. Yerim is a couple of steps ahead while Yeojin is following her closely behind.

Yerim frowned because it’s not them. Yeojin is supposed to be already clinging to her arm, head leaning on her shoulder as they walk side by side.

Not like this.

This reminds her of their past.

 When they are still not close.

When they still doesn’t know each other.

This is not them.

She turned around to face the younger and ask her to walk beside her, not behind like some puppy following her owner.

“Yeojin.”

Yeojin looked up from her phone to face Yerim, “Yeah?”

The look on Yerim’s eyes intimidates her. She couldn’t read what’s running on the older’s mind. Yerim was looking at her like she’s trying to read what's on her mind, so she went back to look down on her phone, away from the brown orbs that could drown her.

She heard Yerim sigh and then a hand was wrapped against her own. She looked up and meets the orbs of the former who’s looking at her gently.

Yerim’s eyes are beautiful, that Yeojin surely knows. She has seen it many times to know how much warmth it held. She can see the sincerity inside those orbs and worry. She doesn’t know though, why would Yerim look at her with such emotion.

Maybe she does, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

“Let’s go,” Yerim squeezed her hand softly, “They are waiting.”

Yeojin stopped at that and slowly pulled her hand away. She can feel how Yerim looks at her, the way Yerim is looking at her.

“Did Haseul ask you to pick me up?”

Yeojin couldn’t stop herself from asking. She’s completely aware that the members notice how she avoids staying with all of them together these days. She’s not that dumb not to notice the members’ worried gazes every time they look at her. 

Yerim looked at the girl in front of her, “No, I came here because I want to see you.” She says but Yeojin doesn’t seem to believe her.

Yeojin gaze at her before stepping back, “Can you tell them I won’t be home for tonight?”

The older frowned at that, “What? Why?” Yerim asked, confused.

She heard the younger sighed, “I’m just not ready yet. I know you already know why I’m doing this.” Yeojin mumbled softly before letting out a small smile, “I’m staying with a friend for tonight. Tell them not to worry. And thank you for coming here, Yerim.”

And with that, Yeojin started walking away.

Everyone stared at the main door the moment it let out a ding sound, informing everyone that someone’s coming in. They all waited for the person or people who are going to enter, hoping that it is the one they are all wanting to see.

But all those thoughts and hope instantly vanish the moment they met eyes with Yerim. The young woman shook her head and everyone just quietly sighed to themselves.

“Should I pick her up instead?” Hyejoo says quietly.

It is true that the members asked someone to pick up Yeojin, but Yerim did volunteered because she’s worried sick of the girl but now, it really doesn’t matter.

Yerim took the vacant seat beside Chaewon, “She already left the company and she’s not coming home tonight.”

“Why is she avoiding us?” Jinsoul couldn’t hide her frustration as she utter those words, “We didn’t do anything, right?”

“Maybe that’s why.”

The all looked at Vivi who was just observing them every time. She saw everything that was happening around the members.

“What do you mean?”

Vivi smiled at the girls who are all focusing on her, “Maybe because we didn’t do anything that’s why she’s avoiding us.” She explained, “We are already aware that she’s still blaming herself with the accident during the concert. We already know that she’s training every night in the dark to avoid another mishap. We already know how she’s feeling but we are not doing anything.”

“What should we do then?”

“She’s our maknae and she’s a smart kid, you know that. I think we just have to talk to her and hopefully stop her from blaming herself.”

Everyone starts thinking of way how to approach Yeojin, how to say their thoughts without hurting her.

It is Yeojin they are talking about.

Their precious maknae.

“We can’t talk to her like this.” Jungeun started, “If all of us is gonna talk to her, she will feel cornered.”

“Can I talk to her alone then?” They all looked at Yerim. The girl is determined to stop Yeojin on her self–blaming because it hurts her too.

It hurts her too see the changes in the younger girl. Yeojin has always been a cheerful kid and would cause laughter to the people around her, but the girl they have been seeing since the concert is not the Yeojin they know.

The girl staying with them is a stranger. The girl staying with them is not their maknae. That girl doesn’t even smile at them anymore.

“Alright, but we have to give her some time first.” Haseul smiles at the girls.

They all agreed to what their leader says, after all Haseul is the closest to Yeojin so she knows how the younger girl thinks. After their talk, they decided to just continue their usual Friday bonding which is to watch a movie until dawn or just until everyone fell asleep with the movie still playing.

But even with the movie playing, their mind still run with a single thought.

Im Yeojin.

They just hope that with enough time and space, the girl would eventually talk to them.

“What are we even doing?”

Yeojin gulped on her chocolate drink before looking at her friend who’s also holding the same drink. They decided to meet at Han River and just chill but of course the other girl knows that something is bothering Yeojin.

Yeojin put her half–empty drink on her side, “We’re obviously doing nothing.” She says nonchalantly.

She heard her friend scoff, “Obviously, but why are we here? I know something is bothering you by the way you’re not drinking your favorite yogurt.”

Yeojin chuckled, “I don’t even know what’s bothering me,” her smile slowly faded, “It could be what happened to the concert, maybe it was the guilt, maybe it was the disappointments, maybe it was just me, or just everything?”

She wanted to get drunk and just forget everything because according to the adults around her, getting drunk could be an escape from reality. But with her being a minor, she