“Before we became Winter and Karina, we were just Minjeong and Jimin. Before you became Aespa’s leader, you were first my best friend. Never forget that.”

It is their debut stage. The four members are busy with their stylists and coordi-unnies along with their managers as they are about to perform their debut song in their first ever music show stage. One girl is somehow more jumpy than the others, constantly looking at the clock in the wall and to her reflection in the mirrors as she bites her lips to contain any sound from being let out. Karina has a lot in her mind right now. She is simultaneously thinking about their choreo as well as her role as their leader of their newly formed group. There is a lot on her plate right now, that she can’t help her hands to shake from nervousness as well as the panic with how they will be received by the public.

She can’t bare to think that their group as a whole might be critized by the netizens, she is already being written off as a bully by those rumors, she can’t bare to think this rumors will also affect them as a group.

She’s only staring at her reflection, not blinking just staring at a space when a warm hand grasps her own, making her stand up as the figure pulled her outside and towards the nearby restroom.

Karina only manages to blink and focuses her sight in front as she gains the clear image of Winter looking back at her with worry written in her face. She could only look as if she’s still out of it, making Winter furrow her brows.

“Unnie, you okay?” Winter’s gentle voice makes Karina wake up from her trance. 

“Yeah,” she says, offering a half smile that wavered in the end. But still, this little action catches Winter’s eyes.

“Did you read those nasty articles again?” Winter mu