Mir's P.O.V

I rubbed my pin-pricked back as I attempted to sit down and picked my phone up off the side table: seventeen missed calls... three new messages.  I took a deep breath and opened the first of Su-Ji's texts:

19:27~ "Hey Mir! We're about to start practicing- get over here ASAP. SJ x"

20:01~ "MIR!!! Where are you?! SJ"

21:34~ "Needed you tonight; Where were you?"

I groaned and texted simply back:

"Busy. Sorry."

What else could I tell her? 'Oh, I'm getting acupuncture every two weeks for a childhood back problem.'

"No Way.  That's so un... manly," I thought to myself, fighting back the prickling tears in my eyes.

I gave up trying to sit down on the chair and went through to the kitchen for an ice pack to soothe the throbbing in my back.

I eventually, with much difficulty and large words, got laid face down on the sofa with one eye peeping over the edge of the cushion and one arm dangling down to my laptop.

I opened up my emails and clicked on the expected one from Joon:

"You okay, Mir?

Your back looked pretty messed up earlier...

I didn't tell Su-Ji~ Don't worry.  Just concentrate on recovering.

Joon"