Chapter 1 – Who picked up the gun?

“Uuuuurrghhh I’m so exhausted, I can just drop dead this freaking moment.” Jiyeon complained and laid down on the waiting room sofa after T-ARA’s Day by Day weekly performance on Music Core.

“You want something to drink?” Hwayoung offered Jiyeon a bottle of Strawberry Fanta and took a seat beside her.

“No, get that thing out of my face... Go..” Jiyeon lazily said and closed her eyes.

Hwayoung was a lil’ taken aback but she is already used to Jiyeon’s rejection. Instead, Hyomin came and friendly pinched her cheeks, “I’ll take that..” and drank the strawberry Fanta.

Hyomin noticed Hwayoung’s disappointed face and pushed her a little bit on her shoulder as if asking what’s wrong but Hwayoung only smiled.

“Aigoooooo, one more extra seat in the van, it’s getting cramped up isn’t it?”, Boram said playfully and the other girls laughed along, well except for Areum and Hwa though. Areum only smiled and Hwayoung got a little annoyed by her older sister’s statement and look to Areum for reassurance but Areum only looked down.

“Later, we’ll get another extra seat with little Dani too...” Hyomin said and Eunjung laughed.

First stop was Soyeon’s house.

“Bye girls, see you tonight for practice, don’t be late. Love you guys,” Soyeon reminded her teammates before hopping off the van and get into her house.

“Jiyeon ah, you shouldn’t too cold to Hwa..” Hyomin whispered to Jiyeon who was sitting beside her.

“Huh? What did I do to her?!” Jiyeon said with a loud voice shocking everyone in the van especially Hwayoung. Like every other human being, Hwayoung felt that Jiyeon was talking about her.

Hyomin slapped Jiyeon’s hand and said, “Take care of her feelings, she’s really hurt. Don’t ask me if she told me anything, I just see it in her eyes. Stop acting so cold to her. Act nicely and if you don’t want something, say it nicely. Don’t shut off somebody like that. You’re a big girl,” Hyomin gave a long lecture to Jiyeon but Jiyeon only rolled her eyes.

“I was only tir...”

“Don’t try to explain to me, that doesn’t give you any right to shut her off like that,” Hyomin cut Jiyeon off.

“Whatever, you have always loved her more..” Jiyeon said with annoyance.

“No, I do not. I’m just trying to correct what is wrong. I’ve seen several times how you shut her off like that..” Hyomin defended herself.

“Oh just stop it Unnie..”

Eunjung noticed the tension conversation between her two younger ones beside her.

“Yah yah, why are you fighting?” Eunjung slapped Hyomin’s hand but can’t reach for Jiyeon’s.

“Nothing, it’s just Hyomin Unnie being biased..” Jiyeon said which triggered Hyomin’s anger.

“Yah, what the hell is wrong with you? I was just only trying to advised you,” Hyomin got boiled up until the van stopped in front of Jiyeon’s house.

She hopped off the van and went straight into her house without saying goodbye to the other teammates.

“Jiyeon ah, bye....” Boram said goodbye but only replied back with Hyomin shutting off the door.

Boram and Qri realised the tension in the air but only stayed silence.

Eunjung tried brightening up the atmosphere,

“Yah, I almost forgot! My mom packed me some kimbap, not some, quite a lot. Hwayoung ah, Areum ah, have some!” She turned around and offered the maknaes the kimbap and they happily took it and munched it.

“Is it good? My mom is the best at kimbap!” she went on and offered it to Boram and Qri.

“Hyomin ah, have some..”Eunjung sat back on her seat and offered Hyomin.

*At night, in the practice room*

Day by Day began playing in the room and the girls are almost soaked in sweat after only one and a half hour of practice.

“Now let’s try practicing while singing, we don’t want to be called lip-syncing idol group,” Soyeon strictly said and the other girls nodded.

“But before that, let’s take a break first, the fried chicken are here..” Soyeon said and went outside with Qri to pick up the packs of fried chicken.

Obviously the argument between Hyomin and Jiyeon haven’t ended because Jiyeon purposely handed all water bottles to other members except Hyomin.

“Pfft, do you really want to drag it this far?”Hyomin faced Jiyeon.

All the other girls went quiet and watched the scene before their eyes.

“Oh sorry unnie, I forgot to hand it to you..”Jiyeon took another bottle and gave it to Hyomin.

“No you didn’t forget, you did it on purpose, stop acting like a baby and grow up!” Hyomin yelled to Jiyeon and went back to her seat beside Boram.

“You are the one being biased! Always taking Hwayoung’s side! Before this when I had a fight with Hwa, you backed her up too!” Jiyeon yelled even louder.

Hwayoung looked down. Hyomin noticed Hwayoung’s reaction and got back up.

“I’m not backing her up, you were just wrong back then! Admit your fault atleast one time! Why is it always someone else’s fault when it comes to you!”

The yelling got a little out of control which shocked new maknae Areum a little bit, because she never seen this kind of fight in a girl group.

“Yah! Why are you fighting?! Stop it!” Eunjung yelled to the two younger ones.

“Unnie stay out of this! Stop butting in!” Jiyeon yelled at Eunjung too.

Eunjung was shocked as Jiyeon never got angry or yell at her before and went out of the practice room.

“You have no sense of respect!” Hyomin slapped Jiyeon right across the face.

Everybody held their breath at that moment.

“Hyomin ah, calm down..” Boram got up from her seat and pulled Hyomin from Jiyeon a little bit.

Jiyeon who was taken aback from her older sister’s doing , looked at her with so much anger and walked away from the room.

Jiyeon brushed shoulders with Soyeon and Qri outside the room with tears in her eyes.

“What happened?” Soyeon asked but quickly got the answer when she noticed the Hyomin crying too with Boram calming her down and Hwayoung wiping off tears of her cheeks with Areum only sitting with obvious shock.

“Great! I only left you guys for freaking 2 minutes and everybody’s crying!” Soyeon walked off too.

Qri put down the packs of fried chicken and went to Hyomin who was crying. Boram who was only watching, cried after that too.

The practice that night ended earlier than usual.