Chapter 21 – No Longer Anybody

“Where is Areum?” Soyeon went to the living room after searching Areum’s room.

Jiyeon and Boram stayed quiet, indicating they don’t know.

“Um.. I haven’t seen her today...” Boram said slowly.

The three went quiet.

“Oh my God.. School!” Jiyeon suddenly said and Boram stopped munching on her Twisties.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Soyeon ran upstairs to grab her jacket and Jiyeon tied her hair, putting on her sweater.

“Unnie, aren’t you coming?” Jiyeon said while tying her shoes.

“Huh! Today is our rest! Aigoo!” Boram whined and ran upstairs to take her handphone and sunglass together with her sweater.

“We’ll have to take my car since manager oppa don’t know this brat went to school!” Soyeon yelled in frustration, shocking Jiyeon and Boram. Both of them looked at each other, thinking how is Soyeon going to deal Areum.

The car arrived at Areum’s school.

“Can’t we just call the school?” Jiyeon suggested as all of them are pretty scared to face a group of teenage crowd.

“Do I look like I have the number?” Soyeon looked at Jiyeon, shutting Jiyeon up.

“I’m going out, you guys stay here and take care of the car..” Soyeon finally made up her mind. Before going out, Jiyeon gave Soyeon a pair of sunglasses.

Soyeon nervously walked into the school compound, suddenly feeling weird because this is the first she’s walking in a school in few years since her graduation. Having mixed up feelings of worry and annoyed, Soyeon was glad all kids are in class.

Soyeon entered the office,

“I’m requesting for Lee Areum, senior class.” Soyeon said. The administrator looked at her, feeling familiar.

“May I know who are you to this student?” the administrator asked the basic question but it was a difficult one for Soyeon.

“Park Soyeon, her leader of the group....” Soyeon said slowly and the administrator gasped a little bit but regained composure, confirming her assumptions.

After a few long minutes, the administrator came back.

“Student Lee Areum will come after her presentation, which is happening now so she will come in no time..” she said and smiled at the sight of a popular idol in front of her.

Soyeon smiled, nodded and sat at the nearest sofas, waiting for her troublesome younger member.

Soyeon’s handphone buzzed, a message came in.

“Is Areum there?”

It was Jiyeon and Soyeon replied a simple ‘yes’ and Areum finally came into the office, all tensed up and nervous facing Soyeon.

Soyeon said thank you to the administrator and even gave a signature with the administrator saying ‘fighting’ to Soyeon and Areum.

Both of the members walked out the office and began walking back to the car. Soyeon was quite and Areum was arranging her words to explain to her older leader.

Areum got into the car with Boram ignoring her in the back seat and Jiyeon was also quite. Areum knew her older members are very angry with her since they are the expressive type.

“Did anything happened at school?” Soyeon broke the silence.

“Nothing....” Areum said, scanning every of her older members faces but they remained stiff.

“Somebody should’ve slapped you for coming..” Jiyeon smirked.

Areum was getting pissed,

“You want somebody to slap me?” Areum talked back to Jiyeon.

Jiyeon sarcastically sigh and looked back,

“Yeah! So you can stand on your own two feet back to reality!” Jiyeon snapped.

“Did anything happened today?! No, right! So what’s wrong with me going to school! Our schedule is at 3pm!” Areum snapped back.

“I didn’t go to school for so many days that people almost forgot me to bring up T-ARA!” Jiyeon said.

“Just because you did that, I have to do it too! Then, being in T-ARA means you don’t be in school!” Areum fought back.

“Then, don’t be in T-ARA!” Soyeon yelled, stopping the quarrel.

“If you wanted to go to school so much, why did you agree? No, it does not mean if you are in this group you don’t go to school but do you know what state are we in now? There are people out there that want us DEAD!” Soyeon gave Areum a piece of her word.

“You don’t feel the pressure because you didn’t raise it with us! So, why don’t you stand with us till the end, our work was crushed with a single controversy, it is time for us to build it up again so if you’re going to be stubborn, just get out of my sight,” Soyeon stopped the car by the walkway.

Boram was shocked at Soyeon chasing Areum off the car.

Areum was in the verge of crying and started packing up her bag to get out.

“Areum ah, don’t..” Boram pulled Areum’s hand and Areum stayed. All four of them was in quiteville again.

“For 3 years, non-stop we worked day and night, getting only 1 hour of sleep, working 25 hours a day, promoting like there’s no tomorrow, winning and seeing the outcome of our hard work but because we didn’t become united, everything fell. Hwayoung could’ve stayed but we are all too selfish, including her. We didn’t talk about our problems, we didn’t solve it. We were scattered so I felt like it was my fault so I’m going to redeem it. That is why I requested for us to dorm together again, so we can talk everything over in one house, no one excluded or outcasted. So I don’t get and I don’t want you to feel outcasted or whatever because you shouldn’t,” Soyeon said to Areum and Areum only looked down.

Soyeon began driving the car back with a silently crying Jiyeon on the passenger’s seat, suddenly remembering all of their hard work that had went down the drain.