Irene's POV

It's 8 am.

The noise coming from outside my room has just woken me up. So bare-faced, I went out to see what the commotion was all about.

What's our manager doing here this time?

I found my group members gathered on the sofa, wearily listening to our manager nag. Sometimes I feel left out when they gather like this without me, but this time I think it's a good thing. I mean, our manager was yelling as loudly as he was yesterday. "How could you not even convince her?! You know you need your youngest member to debut and you just let her leave like that? "

I grimaced. Leave? Only then did I scan the living room, but I can't seem to find our youngest member.

She actually left?!

I dashed to her room, hoping to see her there, only to be disappointed by her absence. She's not in this dormitory. The room was unoccupied; all of her belongings were gone.

"What's happening? She really moved out?" I freaked out.

"You slept so well, and you're freaking out just now?"  Our manager uttered sarcastically.

To my guilt, I looked away to avoid his gaze and sprinted to the bathroom. "I have to wash my face."

--

"She left at night. We were all sleeping then. She said she's not leaving, so we just let her be."  One of the members explained. "She took all of her belongings and left this letter." I couldn't help but listen to them behind the bathroom door.

I was so focused until the room turned silent all of a sudden. So I attempted to peak, but our manager started laughing oddly.

"OH GOD this person is funny! She left like that and had the courage to do this?! Is there even someone to replace her? HAH! I can't believe this person. "

Replacement? I walked out of the bathroom as soon as I heard that from him.

"She suggested a person to replace her?" Another member asks.

I was about to take a peek at the letter when our manager felt me standing from behind, so he kept the letter away immediately.

"I thought you were to wash your face."

Everybody fixed their eyes on my face, which looked far from refreshed. "I was just about to..."

"You girls better pull yourselves together. You can't debut without a vocalist, so we'll have no choice but to replace your youngest."

His words were suddenly music to my ears. Thus my hand raised unconsciously, "Sir... Can I--"

"Why? You want to leave as well? " He cuts me off.

"No sir, I--"

"It's settled then. You keep practicing today. I'll ask the new member to come tomorrow. "

And he left just like that. Damn that old man! He won't even let me talk.

"He didn't even tell us about the new member."

I turned to the members who were muttering. "Didn't you read the letter yourselves?"

"No, the note from outside said not to read it unless you're a staff member."

Seriously? As if the note would know...
---

The day passed by fast. The new member is coming today. With that, I woke up early.

I might have woken up a bit too early, though. The sun is yet to rise.

I'm just too curious to stay still. Also, you all know what I'm hoping for.

It's been four hours since I woke up, but nobody's coming. Even the other members woke up early to wait, but the room was just full of silence...

I was about to go back into my room when we heard a knock on the door. And believe me, we all sprinted towards the door as if we were running for the Olympics.

But why did I even run so fast to open the door if I knew I'd be this nervous about actually doing it?

With my eyes closed, I slowly pulled the door towards me, and as I opened my eyes, I saw a... complete stranger smiling at me?

"W-who are you?"