The bawling soon petered out since Moon Byulyi was completely exhausted. It had been a long day for her. Somehow, Minji summoned the energy to drag the exhausted rapper back to her apartment to clean up and rest for the rest of the night. The rapper fell into a deep sleep when she collapsed in her sofa, her face hidden in the cushion. “After all these years, you’re still a kid, Byul,” complained the woman as she removed her footwear and made her comfortable. She fished out Byulyi’s battery-dead mobile and charged it.

The screen blinked, showing the start-up screen.

How early did Byulyi need to wake up the next morning? She only remembered the rapper telling her that she was going to have a long day. Minji returned to the living room where she left the rapper and jabbed her between her shoulder blades hard.

The rapper yelped as she rubbed the painful area.

“What time is your Oppa fetching you?”

“Don’t know,” hissed Byulyi, covering her face with a cushion. “’m tried.”

“Don’t be a brat. Settle your arrangements or your leader will kill you,” nagged Minji, shoving the tired rapper hard. The threat of the leader seemed to work since Byulyi started stirring, flopping around like a little worm.

“Whipped,” remarked Minji as she shoved her mobile into her face. “Get up, Byul. You better be messaging the right person when I’m out of the toilet. I need to make arrangements for tomorrow too.” She slapped her bottom. “You’re damn bony, Byul. I prefered how you were in the past."

She headed to her bathroom to clean up, leaving the rapper with her mobile on her face. Her face crinkled as she picked it off her face, whining loudly. “Min, you’re just so mean.” She cracked her eye open and stared at her mobile after unlocking it with a password. Her mobile froze temporarily from the sudden influx of notifications.

There were 30 missed called and a lot of notifications.

Aish, she would deal with them the next morning.

Byulyi frowned slightly, feeling a mild headache. “Why would someone call me 30 times in the middle of the night?” The rapper scanned her manager’s message and realised that he had told her that he would pick her up at seven if she was still in the same location. She huffed, scratching her stomach absently. “That’s like one more hour.” She sat up, scratching her shoulder absently.

Byulyi took a sniff of herself and frowned in disgust.

Minji changed into her pyjamas and stared at the awake rapper absently. “Settled it, Byul?”

“Yah, Oppa is coming in another hour. He’s picking me up from drinking place.” She rubbed the back of her head absently. “I think I’ll just grab a shower and sleep in the van later. I reek. I’m going to steal your clothes,” announced the rapper finally. She stood up and wandered to her wardrobe to pick clothes.

Minji waved to her closet absently before she collapsed into her own bed. “Feel free to do whatever you want. I’m going to call sick in the morning.”

“Good idea. Min, Don’t you have anything that isn’t a dress for work?” complained the rapper as she studied all her clothes on her rack.

“Go , brat.”

She rolled her eyes at her comment as she continued to hunt for just a plain T-shirt to match her sweatpants. “I’m gonna take you shopping when I recover from my recent expenditure.” Finally, she found an old white T-shirt hidden in the dark corner of the wardrobe. If she had remembered correctly, Minji had worn this when they were in high school.

It fitted her needs anyway. She grabbed the T-shirt, a spare towel and padded into her bathroom for a long and warm shower to rid the effects from binge drinking. The shirt smelled a little musty, so she used some of Minji floral perfume to cover the smell. What was with this woman and flowery things? Everything was of floral scent. The rapper tried her best to hide her tiredness with make-up, borrowed from Minji. She looked almost normal, except for her red and puffy eyes. There was nothing she could do to alleviate them now except to conceal them with shades. She stole a stylish looking pair of Aviator shades that matched her outfit. Satisfied with her appearance, she checked on her friend. Her good friend was completely knocked out, snoring at the top of her voice.

“Your throat is going to feel dry,” remarked Byulyi, pushing her so that she rested on her side. The snoring subsided almost immediately, and she was satisfied that she had helped her friend. How could she thank her friend? She grabbed a piece of paper to write a ‘Thank you’ note before placing that on the fridge. She let herself out of her apartment, her sneakers crunching the pavement. The morning breeze felt comfortable on her skin and despite the effects of the hangover, she felt truly unshackled. On auto-pilot, she raided a convenience store for hangover soup, pain medication and a huge bottle of water. Since it was still incredibly early, there was no one in the convenience store but her.

That was good since she did not bother with a face mask.

Byulyi finished the soup and another piece of bread before she padded to the road near the drinking shop to wait for Manager-nim to fetch her. The killer headache she had started to ease since the medication kicked in. She had finished more than half of the bottle of water, swinging it absently as she walked along the street.

The sky was starting to lighten up, the sign of a dawn. She tracked the sky, in search of the sunrise and found it. The rapper lowered her shades slightly as she stopped to watch the rising sun paint the sky with streaks of orange and red, taking her breath away. It looked like it was shaping up to be a good day. She pressed the bridge of her sunglasses back to her nose. She had a promise to uphold: moving on from the pain after acknowledging it last night.

Her lips curled into a faint smile when a familiar black van stopped before her. Byulyi reached for the door with her free hand and yanked it open.

She was surprised to see that all the members of MAMAMOO was around. “Good morning?” greeted Byulyi with a husky voice, staring into the worried faces of the other members.

“Unnie!—”

“—Unnie!—”

“MOONBYUL!”

Her head throbbed violently at their squeals and she winced openly. “Calm down, please.” She rubbed her temples gently as she buckled herself into the seat. She set her large plastic bottle aside.

“Unnie, why didn’t you respond to us?”

“Did you drink last night?” demanded Hyejin heatedly, leaning forward as she grabbed her head with her hands and pulled her close to her to smell her breath.

“Jinie, I don’t think you can smell alcohol from my breath—“

“You did,” determined Wheein finally. “Here? Alone?” The younger member stared at her sternly.

“No—”

“We’re near her family home,” quipped Yongsun absently, staring at the passing scenery. “That friend from high school?”

Byulyi spun her head to stare at her leader openly, impressed. “Unnie, you’re really good.” She flashed a thumbs-up. “Well, I did.” When she scanned her tight expression, she realised that the older woman looked exhausted. Her eyebags seemed heavier and her heart ached. “Did something happen last night?” asked Byulyi, scratching her nose slightly.

“We should be the one asking you this question, Unnie!” scolded Wheein, her eyes narrowed. She pushed her shoulder slightly. “Why didn’t you answer our calls?”

“Huh?” She looked at her members, confused. The Spanish inquisition first thing in the morning? “Go easy on me, kids. I didn’t have much sleep. Can you pass me the cushion, Wheeinie?” She pouted at her as she pointed to the unused cushion at the back of the van.

Yongsun glared at her, arms folded before her chest. “Byul, did something happen last night? I tried calling you. No one could reach you.”

Wheein handed her the cushion and Byulyi fixed it behind her back.

Three sets of worried eyes were fixed on her as she tried to get into a more comfortable position. “Nothing of interest. Ah, I met my school bully last night on the set. That’s why I decided to meet Minji last night after the filming. It’s handled. Oppa, why don’t you tell them? I was with him. Oppa dropped me off here,” protested the rapper, frowning.

“I did. I told them that you were safe, Byulyi-ssi. I think your members wanted to hear that from you.”

The atmosphere became frosty cold, sending shivers down Byulyi’s spine.

“Which one?” fired Yongsun immediately, her gaze lethal.

Byulyi could feel goosebumps on her skin. She rubbed her arms absently. “My former good friend,” returned Byulyi honestly. There was no need to hide that encounter from them since she had brought it up to Manager-nim. “I didn’t recognise her at first until she offered me chocolate after filming.” She traced her brow absently as she recollected the incident briefly, skipping the threat. “We had a brief exchange of words and that’s all.” She gave an absent shrug before she curled into her seat. “I’m good, guys. She just reminded me of the past,” admitted the rapper distractedly, scratching the side of her nose. Her lips lifted in a small smile. “I’m finally over her I think," added Byulyi, proud. She pressed her hand on her chest, waiting for that hollow feeling that never came. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “I was just upset that she could still hurt me with her presence, so I wanted a stiff drink. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

She bowed apologetically.

Yongsun’s stern gaze pinned her like a specimen as she tried to figure out if there was duplicity in her words. The tension dissipated from her shoulders when she took her hand.

Byulyi tried not to flinch at her touch, instead, allowing the older woman to grasp her hand.

“You should at least drop us a message,” huffed Wheein, folding her arms. “Is that bully in our industry?”

“No,” answered Byulyi, using the opportunity to pull her hand away from Yongsun’s grip as she folded her arms behind her neck to pillow her head. “It’s fine. It’s hard to survive in our society.” Byulyi waved it away as she yawned loudly.

“You’re too nice, Unnie,” complained Hyejin finally. “You’ll tell us if she does anything to you right?”

“Of course. Feel free to smack me if I decided to date her,” laughed Byulyi brightly. At one point, she would have given up anything to date the delectable Miss Lee Chohee. That seemed so long time ago. She did not notice Yongsun tensing at her answer.

A ‘click’ was her only warning.

Byulyi was knocked to the side of the car, with Yongsun on her. Her wavy hair curtained down her face and she looked like an incensed angel, with a bright halo created by the sunlight drifting through the window.

Her heart pounded loudly as the older woman cupped her pointed chin hard, pushing it up so that the rapper would meet her gaze. Her eyes were completely black as she glowered at her. Her voice was sanguine soft, but it sent her senses ballistic. “Byul-ah, you didn’t give that woman your number right?” The small smile on Yongsun’s face sent shivers down her spine.

Byulyi backed up a little, petrified.

Her hand sild from her chin to her chest languorously as the dark-haired beauty leaned into her, resting her full weight on her. She was so close that Byulyi could inhale that familiar and sweet fragrance. Byulyi relaxed intuitively at that familiar scent as she chuckled, awkwardly, raising her hands up in surrender. “Of course not, Unnie.”

“Be careful of our Unnie’s head, Yongsun-Unnie!” squawked Wheein adorably, breaking the moment.

"Be gentle, Unnie!"

Yongsun frowned slightly as she eased off her, leaving her hand on her chest. "Aigoo, I won't hurt your Unnie."

The shiny ring on her fourth ring drew Byulyi’s attention immediately. She froze, staring at the ring openly. The memory of how Eric-ssi proposed to Solar-ssi and the way she had accepted it flashed in her mind.

Yongsun followed her entranced gaze to the ring. She backed off immediately, hiding her hand behind her back. Her cheeks turned crimson red. How did Byulyi know that it was the wedding ring? All members of MAMAMOO loved wearing rings.

It took her a while to put one and one together.

“You had your filming?” demanded Yongsun, her voice hitching sharply.

Byulyi sat up carefully, rubbing the back of her head. “Huh. Didn’t I just say that I had a filming last night—”

“No,” interrupted Yongsun dramatically before she frowned. “You had that filming. You were on the panel,” accused the leader angrily.

There were gasps of shock from the back of the van.

“Wait, why didn’t you tell us?” whined Wheein indignantly, wrapping her arms around her headrest as she leaned forward.

“That was last night? Heyjin removed her shades and glared at the rapper openly. The usually chilled Maknae looked so upset with her. “Unnie, why didn’t you let us know?”

Byulyi became sheepish when she realised that none of the members knew of the recording. What other filming would she be involved with at this time? She pinched the bridge of her nose absently as she dusted her shirt. “Yes, that was last night, Unnie. It was on the schedule,” defended Byulyi, throwing her hands into the air. “I didn’t even hide it from you intentionally.” This situation felt weird. Why were they angry with her that she didn’t tell them? “Wait, why do I need to let you know when I am involved with the filming?” asked the rapper suspiciously, studying the twin expressions of shock on the kids’ face.

The kids looked sheepish for a moment. “We wanted to hear from you—”

“Specifically, about the filming of WGM huh?” shot Byulyi, folding her arms tightly, finally latching to a clue. She gave them an unimpressed look. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Yongsun was going to remove that wedding ring from her finger. She halted her, grabbing her hand. “Don’t do that, Unnie. You’d lose it. Brother-in-law would be upset after all the effort he went through.”

“Brother-in-law?” The two Maknaes traded looks between them. Secretly, they were glad for the change of topic.

“Yah,” smiled Byulyi, ignoring the hollow feeling in her chest. “Ask Unnie to tell you.” She gave them a knowing look. “I am sure that Unnie will tell you eventually. After all, that prank she pulled on Brother-in-law in the café cannot be orchestrated solely by her.” She winked at the kids. “I had to bite my tongue. Why didn’t you consider writing Hangul for the pronunciation of the words, Unnie? It would have been more believable,” chided the rapper as she sighed aloud, brushing her hand through her hair.

“The prank? Ah, did it work?” asked Wheein, thrilled. She leapt forward, squeezing her face in the middle of the aisle.

“Did you manage to dupe Eric-oppa and get back at him?” prompted Hyejin, with equal excitement, sticking her face next to her best friend.

The cheeks of the kids were squashed as they pressed their faces next to each other out of elation. Her lips curled into a smile. Ah, the kids were adorable.

Yongsun was temporarily overwhelmed by the excited puppies, pursuing her for answers. Their questions came at her in rapid fire.

“And did Eric-ssi propose? Is that why Unnie calls him Brother-in-law?”

“Yah? Tell us!”

“What did he do? No, tell us about the prank first, Unnie!”

"No, the proposal is more important. I want to know about that first!"

"Aigoo, I want to know the results of the prank," whined Wheein.

Byulyi smiled to herself as she relaxed into her seat and closed her eyes. A ten-minute nap sounded great. She was certain that Unnie would take at least that long to answer all their questions. The next time she was conscious, the van had come to a complete stop. She cracked her eyes sleepily, taking in her surroundings. They were in the carpark of a studio.

She stretched languidly, her bones cracking deliciously. Well, it was work as usual. The members of MAMAMOO tumbled out of the van in a great burst of energy, heading to the changing room to get ready for their performance. Byulyi merely trailed behind her members, watching them get into mischief together.

How did their company describe them again? A pack of over-stimulated beagle puppies.

Their performance outfits were plain beige long top that reached mid-tight, matched with tight white shorts. They had been practising this choreography since it was more sensual compared to the other dances.

Their opening performance went very well. Byulyi struggled slightly dancing with Yongsun sensuously, but she knew that it came off well due to the cheers from the crowd. After their usual introduction as MAMAMOO, they settled down for the interview with the host about the new album. The discussion only became very awkward when the host started asking Solar-ssi about Eric on WGM. She had blushed prettily as she shrieked in embarrassment before talking about her time on the show.

The room felt unbearably hot despite the light outfit and Byulyi had to constantly fan herself to cool down. A quick and silent look from Yongsun checking if she was OK made her realised that she had blanked out. She smiled widely at her leader, reassuring her. Soon, they ended that stage with another performance and called it a day.

Byulyi headed backstage first and was stopped when Yongsun grasped her hand and pulled the taller woman to her. “Byul, there is no need to rush. We'll be early for our fan meeting later.”

Wheein and Hyejin were staring at her openly.

“Something on my face?” asked the rapper, touching her cheek conscientiously. Yongsun stopped her to check her face before shaking her head lightly.

“No, Unnie. You just look really scary when you spaced out,” observed Wheein, falling in step with them.

“I do?” She pointed to herself absently. “That’s new.” She smiled at them, her nose crinkling adorably. “I’m probably tired.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“That’s for drinking last night. How much did you have?” asked Yongsun, worried. “Did you have food along with it?”

“Yes, Unnie. My friend ordered side dishes. I’m not too sure how much I drank.” She rubbed the back of her head.

Yongsun pulled her closer to her so that she would nestle against her side. Her shampoo and perfume made her nose wrinkled in distaste since it did not smell of the rapper: it was far too flowery for her. Irritation rose from the pit of her stomach, but she stamped it out. “You smell too sweet for my liking,” remarked the oldest member softly, her eyes narrowed.

“Do you prefer cologne now?” teased Byulyi, waggling her brows at her. “I am certain that you must have shared bed—”

“No, I prefer you to smell like yourself,” interrupted Yongsun, wrinkling her nose. She wrapped her arm around her tightly. “You have the scent of another person on you, and I don’t like that.” Her gaze darkened slightly.

Byulyi ignored the insinuation of her answer, not knowing how to answer her. She stopped and took a theatrical whiff of herself before she decided. “Better than soju. I like the taste of soju not the smell of it on my breath or my clothes.”

Hyejin smiled widely. “That is true. We should drink at my place soon.” She slipped her arm through Wheein’s. “It’ll be fun."

“Will you roast chicken for us again?” asked Wheein happily, looking at her best friend longingly.

“Let’s see,” smiled Hyejin, winking at her.

Wheein brightened up happily as she clapped her hands excitedly.

“Not tonight,” cautioned Yongsun sternly. “This party animal needs to sleep when our schedule ends. Give it a week. I bet she drank so much that it will take months for her liver to work out the alcohol."

Their faces fell.

“You don