Minji and Yubin had been in Yoohyeon’s room for ten minutes. Handong had gone to Yoohyeon’s apartment to make sure Pie was taken care of, and the rest of the members were sleeping in the waiting room. It was another couple hours before she was due for her next surgery, so they were trying to make the most of what time they had.

Or at least, that’s what Minji told herself when she first walked in.

Now... she wasn’t so sure.

Seeing the state of Yoohyeon’s body, all the machines working hard to keep her alive... It all felt so hopeless. Minji felt there was nothing she could say to make things better. Nothing she could say that would ease the younger girl’s pain.

Yubin looked at her leader and misunderstood the silence. She thought Minji was waiting for her to speak first.

“Minji, I know you’re upset. You can say something first if you’d like.”

The older girl just shook her head and kept her eyes on the large cut that had formulated across Yoohyeon’s cheekbone. From when she had slammed into the road after being hit by a speeding car.

Yubin spoke again. “The doctor said talking to her would help... Don’t you think it’s worth a try? The others did-“

“What can I say right now that’ll fix this? Or help her? God, Yubin. Look at her! You heard the doctor, she’s not going to make it... I did this to her. And nothing I do will fix it or bring her back. So just stop.”

Both of them froze, shocked by Minji’s outburst. Yubin’s words came out slowly and deliberately, her tone dangerously low.

“The doctor said she has a chance. However small, we should do our part to help her fight for it. And no offense, but now’s really not the time for your little pity party. Out of all of us, you are the last person who is allowed to give up on her. Don’t you dare even think about giving up on her for one second. Not after everything she just sacrificed for you. Nobody wants to hear about your guilt fest, least of all her. Here she is laying in a hospital bed barely breathing, in unimaginable amounts of pain, and she has to hear how bad you feel about it. Either be a supportive friend for her or get out. But just know if you leave out that door right now because you don’t believe in her, then I will not be allowing you back in. I’ll make sure the other members follow suit.”

Minji just stared at her. When it came to serious matters, Yubin never lost her cool. She was quiet, observant, and reserved. The leader had never had any of her members talk to her like that, and was shocked to hear it come from Yubin especially.

But she couldn’t deny that the younger girl had a point. She had successfully been put in her place. Now was not the time to sit there feeling bad for herself.

Yubin’s voice softened when she realized how much Minji was really struggling. She knew it wasn’t her intention to give up on Yoohyeon. Everyone’s emotions were running a little wild right now.

“She’s strong. Stronger than any of us. She’s overcome adversity time and time again. If there’s anyone who can beat these odds, it’s Yoohyeon. You don’t have to talk to her if you’re not up to it. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling. But just... at least let her know you’re here and that you care. After everything she’s done for us, it’s the least we can do in return.”

Minji nodded slowly and gingerly laid a hand on Yoohyeon’s arm. When Yubin saw that the older girl had no intention of leaving, she settled back into her chair and cleared .

The members had just finished dance lessons and were dismissed to the cafeteria for a small lunch. Some of the members had decided to shower first and others chose to do extra vocal practice, so Yubin found herself sitting alone. There was a newer trainee sitting alone at an adjacent table too, but Yubin did not feel like talking to her.

Earlier in the week, the trainee had been caught stealing extra portions of food and that didn’t go over well with any of the other girls. They were all allotted a specific amount of food by the company. She stole food that belonged to everyone else, after having her fair share.

That meant whatever the younger trainee stole now couldn’t be eaten by anyone else, but also that the CEO was incredibly unhappy. As a result, he had cut down on the already meager portions for all the girls as punishment. One selfish act from the trainee to get more food had resulted in the rest of the girls going even hungrier. It was safe to say she was the company’s most hated girl at the moment.

Yubin was brought out of her thoughts when she saw movement in her peripheral vision. She smiled and waved as Yoohyeon approached and sat across from her. Because they were seniors at the company, the seven members were given more control over their diet and portion sizes. It was still somewhat regulated by the CEO, but they hadn’t been nearly as affected by the girl’s selfish stunt as the other trainees had.

Still, Yoohyeon looked at the hated trainee and frowned. “She sitting alone again?”

Yubin just nodded. “CEO also cut her usual portion in half as punishment. Things will hopefully be more normal in a couple days when this blows over.”

Yoohyeon saw the young trainee clutching her stomach in hunger, trying to avoid everyone’s hateful glares. She then looked down at her own full container of food and shook her head.

Without warning, she stood up and walked over to the girl. Yubin watched curiously while all the other trainees began whispering.

By now, the seven girls were well-known in the company and respected by the others. The younger trainee braced herself to be berated by her senior, but instead watched as Yoohyeon took a seat across from her. The whispering intensified.

The older girl flashed a soft smile and slid her container of food across the table. “Here, I’m not that hungry today.”

The younger trainee profusely shook her head and pushed the food back. As much as she wanted it, she knew she didn’t deserve it and shouldn’t take it. The others all stared jealously. That trainee was a criminal in their eyes, so why was the older girl giving her food when the others felt they deserved it more?

Yoohyeon wouldn’t take no for an answer though. The poor girl couldn’t have been older than fourteen. She didn’t deserve to starve, no matter what she had done. “We finished our comeback preparation yesterday and the CEO gifted us with a big dinner. I really don’t need this. By the looks of it, you do.” She reached across the table and gently touched the scared girl’s arm. “Please, take it.”

Yubin frowned when she heard this. It was a lie. There had been no special dinner the night before.

The younger girl wasn’t refusing as intensely as before but she still looked uncertain.

“Hey, I know what it’s like to be so hungry that you’re willing to do anything. What you did may have been wrong, but you don’t deserve to starve for one mistake. For what it’s worth, I forgive you.” She looked around the room and raised her voice slightly. “And I’m sure the other girls will come to their senses too. Sometimes, forgiveness is the best possible gift you could ever give.”

Everyone who had been watching suddenly found their lunch tables extremely interesting. None of them were willing to meet their senior’s piercing gaze.

“I don’t want you to dance all day on an empty stomach. It doesn’t feel good, trust me. Take the food. If you don’t, it’ll just go to waste. Both of us would feel better.”

The younger trainee finally relented and hungrily accepted the container. She meekly raised her eyes and quietly thanked Yoohyeon.

She smiled softly at the trainee. “It’s no problem. Don’t let the other girls bother you. I can guarantee they’ve all thought about stealing a little extra before too. You were just the first one who had the guts.” Every other trainee again averted their eyes in shame.

Yoohyeon just tapped the girl lightly on the arm as she stood to leave. “Just don’t do it again, okay?”

“I promise.”

The older girl just turned and walked back to Yubin, whose jaw was hanging open. She whispered, so no one else could overhear. “There was no comeback prep or fancy meal last night."

Yoohyeon just shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s okay, really. She needed it.” She looked over to the girl and saw she was wolfing down the meal with a small smile. Color was already returning to her cheeks as she finally got to eat something substantive. All she needed was a little kindness. Yoohyeon was positive she would never pull a stunt like that ever again. When Yooh had first been a new trainee, hungry and lonely, she wished somebody would have been there for her.

Yubin just frowned. “You need it, too. What are you going to eat?”

“I’m really not that hungry.”

With that, the older girl stood up and left. Yubin felt a surge of admiration for her member, always so selfless. But she did worry that some day that would get her in trouble. She was proven right not so long after.

That same night, the CEO called them in for a surprise dance check-up and the girls were worked to exhaustion for hours by the managers, trying to get the dance perfect. By the time the CEO’s observation had finished, Yoohyeon looked sick and exhausted.

She briskly excused herself before the members could spot something was wrong, but Yubin followed her out and saw she was headed for the bathroom.

As soon as she entered, she could hear the sound of Yoohyeon throwing up. She ran into the stall and quickly grabbed a hold of Yoohyeon’s hair, pulling it back. The younger girl then took a seat on the floor and rubbed soothing circles into Yoohyeon’s back, as she continued to throw up what little was in her stomach.

Once the retching finally stopped, Yubin softly asked, “Are you okay?”

The older girl just laid her head in her hands. She looked terrible. Yubin sighed with worry.

“You can’t skip meals, Yooh. If you had just eaten earlier, you wouldn’t feel sick.”

Yoohyeon took a deep breath. “I’d rather it be me than her.”

Yubin just shook her head. While Yoohyeon was taking care of everyone else, who was taking care of her? The younger girl resolved to be the one she could count on.

Yoohyeon looked to her with wide eyes. “Please... Please don’t tell the others. I don’t want them to worry.”

By the sink, the younger trainee from lunch stood frozen. She had walked in to wash her hands and unintentionally overheard everything that was going on. Guilt gnawed at her. She was happy and full for the first time in a long while, but it was at the expense of the girl who had so kindly sacrificed a full meal for her. Now, the older girl was paying the price. The price that was not hers to pay.

She turned to leave as quietly as she could. The young trainee had learned her lesson. With just one action, Yoohyeon had taught her so much more than just a lesson about stealing.

Even though it was against the older girl’s wishes, she knew what she had to do. Yoohyeon would never ask for help and Yubin wouldn’t be able to handle everything on her own. She walked to the main practice room, where the rest of the members were either sprawled out on the floor from exhaustion, or sitting in the corner drinking water.

She called out for Minji, knowing she was their leader, and the older girl joined her by the door.

“You need to go to the bathroom.” Her voice was low. If Minji could handle it, the other girls didn’t have to know.

“What? Why?” The older girl vaguely recognized the girl from the situation that had been going on inside the company. Word travelled quickly among the trainees. But she had no idea why the younger trainee was at the door right now.

“Please... just go. It’s important.”

Minji just sighed and nodded. When the younger girl was sure she was walking towards the bathroom, she left in the direction of her own dorm. She had a lot to think about.

Minji’s voice rang out, much to Yubin’s surprise. “I remember that night. I walked in and... I saw you both sitting by the toilet. I didn’t even need to ask what had happened. I knew. The trainee with her guilty expression begging for my help... I just knew.”

The eldest didn’t even know when she had started crying but her entire face was drenched.

Yubin nodded. “She-“

The conversation was abruptly cut off by a sudden loud beep. It repeated over and over again, and both of them simultaneously realized it was the heart monitor. The beeping was incredibly quick and erratic, and growing faster by the second. They knew it was a bad sign.

Then before either of them could even register what was happening, the intense beeping changed to one steady beep. The heart rate line was no longer spiking up and down. It had flatlined.

Both girls were frozen in horror, knowing they needed to get someone or do something, but too shocked to move. It had all happened so fast.

Luckily, a team of doctors heard what was going on and ran in with a crash cart. Yubin watched, with her heart in , as the doctors tried to defibrillate. It took a couple attempts, but finally the long shrill sound of the flatline returned to normal regular beats.

Minji let out a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. Her sad eyes watched as the doctors wheeled Yoohyeon out of the room and started running to the operating room, yelling orders at each other. It hurt her to no end, seeing the younger girl’s body jerk violently as the doctors sent shocks through it, trying to revive her.

She stayed frozen like that for what felt like forever, until she was broken out of her trance by the feeling of Yubin’s hands squeezing her shoulders.

“She’ll make it, okay? She will.” Yubin wasn’t quite sure if she was trying to convince her leader or herself.

The words did nothing to reassure Minji. Not after she had just watched Yoohyeon’s heart stop beating.