Gaeul’s POV:

I was sent back home by COO Minatozaki and CEO Chou so I can rest as they investigate further about what happened to me and the team. It wasn’t like I hurt everyone on purpose, No. It was more of me lashing out for my loss or should I say the choice I had to make moving away from home and giving up my life to create my HypeGirls Persona Autumn. I hailed from Incheon, Bupyeong-gu District, SZC was right in front of the Old JYP Entertainment Building at Gangdong-gu before they closed down and ceased operations after being sued by CEO Chou. My house was a subway ride away from the HQ, but I had to move to Gangdong because of the traffic jam. Traffic jams, which was a constant around Seoul, would take you two hours by car to get to and from Incheon, because Incheon has an Airport Terminal, right in the west portion of Incheon. It has been three years since I left Incheon and now, I am returning from Australia. I wasn’t allowed to go back to the dorm as of yet. I was dropped off to our gate by Manager Park. The car sped past me right after I was dropped off. I stood in front of our gate, I opened the gate and was welcomed by Eomma with a hug. I allowed myself to sink into her arms, my back was patted by Eomma. 

“I’m glad you took a break, you’ve been working hard my Ttal. We are proud of you.”  She whispered into my ears. 

“Gomawo, Eomma. I’m just going to deposit my bags in my room and then I’m going out for a run.”  I replied to her and patted her back as well. 

“Aren’t you tired? You just arrived and you’re leaving again?”  Eomma briefly pulled away from the hug and looked me in the eyes.

My eyes bore nothing but the need to get out of her presence, far from her scrutinizing and inquisitive gaze. I can’t tell Eomma that I’ve been a bad girl simply because it was a choice I made, leaving Incheon, leaving my love alone to fend for herself. It hurt like hell, but it was an hour away, besides, she needed to focus on her school. She was two years younger than me, the same age as Yujin and Kazuha. I smiled at Eomma tenderly and replied to her.

“I just need to run and release some of my stress. My whole being is good, it’s my mental state. I need to run and be physically tired, it’s the only way I can sleep.” I replied to her.

“Arasseo, go ahead and be home before dinner.” She replied to me and placed a kiss on my forehead. 

She quietly let me go and proceeded to the Kitchen to prepare for Dinner. I made my way to my room, it was three in the afternoon and Eomma was always preparing food in advance for Appa, Oppa and I, the Maknae of the family. We strictly eat dinner at around Seven in the evening. Roughly four hours to go and see her. I put on my hoodie and changed into track pants. It was Fall, Autumn to be precise in Korea, I wore a mask due to the wave four of the Pandemic. No one could travel unless you were vaccinated and were wearing a mask. Recently, a member of a group we were close to recently contracted a newer strain of COVID, much deadlier than the previous strain. It had been a decade since the Pandemic started, we were stuck on a loop with this pandemic it seems. 

Half my life, I was in face masks and the other half showing my pretty HypeGirl persona. My hair, dyed in vivid and outrageous colors. I was the 'Black Sheep' of HypeGirls, the only person to dye their hair in Rainbow Colors, the only one who wears a bob. The whole team had Naturally long and healthy hair. All of them have grown their hair long. Carrie and Danielle had long and wavy hair, like in the American movies, the IT girls wore their hair long and wavy. The difference is that Carrie and Danielle were absolute angels and sweethearts. I put on my running shoes and stretched my legs for a bit, to warm them up.

If I can guesstimate her schedule, Four in the afternoon she'll be running at the City's Track, my first failed love. COO Minatozaki spoke with me at length yesterday, prior to me lashing out at Heath. She asked me if I was doing alright and if I was feeling okay. She told me I can come out with my truth about what's causing me to be so controlling, touchy and feely that my Members were feeling uncomfortable with every interaction with me. I unraveled my life's biggest mistake to COO Minatozaki and that was letting someone go. Preemptively, without warning, I just vanished from Incheon and never looked back. It took me about five years to finally end up at SZC, but during those five years, I was in love with my first love.

Her name is Kim Ji Won, born two years after me, I was her two year older senior in School. We've met at my school's Show Choir Team called Sirens. It was the audition and I was one of the selection panelists, being that I was in my Junior year and have gained notoriety among my Seniors as an all rounder member, my Seniors trusted my opinions, it was the only way I was invited to be a panelist. When she was called to perform she timidly made her entrance and bowed a perfect 90° bow to us before introducing herself.

Flashback

Hello, my name is Kim Ji Won, I will be performing my own rendition of Kim Taeyeon's Fine. 

She started to make the sounds for her intro, using her beatboxing techniques. She was great at this. I was left listening intently to her voice. To say I was in awe of her voice was an understatement. I was smitten and filled with so much brightness, bursting to the seams. She looked at me several times throughout her performance. As if begging, pleading at me, I had to look back to check if she had a friend in the audience. There was none, she came to audition on her own, judging by the few people in the auditorium, each one vocalizing and harmonizing, some hyping themselves up, some reading or writing. She was a newbie to the school, otherwise, a beauty like her, I would notice her no matter how good she was at hiding.

She was exactly my type, her dimple on the right cheek was so deep that whenever she sang, the dimple peeked, I could drown in her cheek. I know, it doesn't make sense, but I swear, her cheek. Her right dimpled cheek was too adorable. I wanted to poke her cheek, to kiss her dimpled cheek. But, that dimple fell right below her lips on the right. The other Seniors whispered to me.

She's great right? I love her voice. 

One of the outgoing Seniors whispered to me. The panelists were mostly Seniors graduating, I was a Junior. I nodded at her and whispered back.

Yeah. I replied to her.

Okay, Ji Won, thank you very much for the wonderful performance. Please have a seat, we'll be announcing the people who got in later. Areum Sunbae-nim told her.

She smiled at Areum Sunbae-nim and bows at her.

End of Flashback 

Ji Won or Liz, short for Elizabeth Kim, her English name. She was a good woman, but my dreams were far stronger to be shut down all because of a silly word called Love. Liz went on to train as a Professional Volleyball player and she runs for a jog at exactly 4 in the afternoon at the track. How I knew it was crazy. I watched all her interviews and there was one where she talked about her fitness regimen. She says she runs at the Incheon Track for about three hours in the afternoon. Then she stops by at a Cafe nearby to get her afternoon coffee and sugar rush. She pointed out all the things one should do religiously so they are in good health. That tidbit of information became ingrained within me. 

I quickly made my way to the track