Please forgive me for my long haitus... 

The practice flew by, and before the girls knew it, they were on the large, brightly lit stage. They were huddled off to the side in the wings, crew and technicians busying themselves with the final preparations. Tiffany let out a shaky sigh, prompting Sunny to squeeze her shoulder as racks of clothing were brought out from back stage.

“Where’s Taeyeon?” Hyoyeon mumbled under her breath, glancing around with a look of slight confusion.

“I haven’t seen her since she went in the elevator before practice,” Sooyoung answered, arms crossed over her chest as she thought.

“Alright, ladies, we’re going to call you back one by one to try your outfits on for all your performances. You will have three, one chosen for your solos, one for your group performances, and one for the entire group song. Choi Sooyoung, you are up first. Hwang Miyoung, you’re on deck.”

Sooyoung slipped out and into the dressing room with the fitters and manager, door closing behind them.

The remaining nine shifted and muttered to each other, anxiety evident in the air around them.

Tiffany’s eyes darted around, noting a certain redhead looking at her with a smirk. She turned back around promptly, frowning as she wrung her hands nervously. Sunny saw the familiar habit, and her arm went around her waist protectively, an icy stare aimed at the other.

“Hwang Miyoung.”

She stepped forward, leaving her comfort behind as she proceeded into the much smaller side room. She slid behind the curtains, changing into the provided pants and jeweled jacket and crop top. The instant she went out, the seamstresses were looking her over, nodding as they circled her. They motioned for the next outfit, the girl whisked back inside the curtains. The shorts were much less covering this time around, but comfortable, as she pulled the more form fitted shirt and overshirt on. Once again, the others gave their approval, bringing in the last set for her to try. She slid into the gown, a bit breathless as she looked it over. The dark ruby jewels and sequins sparkled under her fingers in the dim light, a soft smile forming. The soft red fabric felt lavish and rich, much unlike the clothing she typically wore. She carefully stepped out, delicately maneuvering out of the curtains and into the room.

The manager gave a slight smile, gesturing her toward the mirror. Her eyes widened as she gazed at her own image, hand going up to cover . The deep red contrasted with her skin beautifully, the one-shouldered dress hugging her small waist and flaring out to hide her “wide” hips. The small adornments glittered brightly, casting small rays of light across her skin.

“No adjustments needed. You can move freely?”

She nodded, doing a slow turn and watching the satin flow away from her. Her smile grew, feeling almost like princess. Her happiness and smiles never faltered, even after she changed back and rejoined her friends.

“So?” Hyoyeon asked bluntly, all looking at her expectantly.

“They’re amazing,” she whispered, Soo nodding in agreement, the other’s smile just as clear.

“Im Yoona!”  The slender girl gave a nervous grin, striding quickly and disappearing into the side room.

“Excuse me, ladies, but have you seen Taeyeon lately?” The girls turned toward the stagehand, confused.

“She was going into the elevator last we saw,” Jessica replied, all of them looking more concerned and worried.

“Alright, thank you,” the man turned and left as quickly as he had come, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

“Where do you think she is?” Yuri questioned softly, arms crossed over her chest as she glanced among them.

“I don’t know,” they mumbled, thinking long and hard.

“Do you think she’s alright?” Sunny added, her eyes moving from person to person, full of concern and sadness.

“I hope so,” Tiffany whispered in response, heart sinking as she tried to remember the conversation the star had shared with her a few hours prior.

“Now look what you’ve done, Miyoung,” Hyuna said in a quiet, sing-song voice as she passed by her, taking her turn with her stage outfits.

Stephanie’s heart stopped, freezing her in place. ‘I didn’t… Did I? Did she really… And those things I said to her…’

“Miyoung!” Sunny snapped lightly, shaking her gently back to reality with steely eyes. “Look at me. This isn’t your fault.”

“But, Sun-”

“No. I know what you’re thinking.”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Yuri quipped, breaking up the tension as she tried to get their attention. “What if, after the fittings are over, we sneak out and look for her on our own?”

“But, if they catch us out of bed-”

“Then we just have to try and not get caught,” Yoona interrupted the maknae, finishing Yuri’s thought.

“We all have phones. We can each take a part of the surrounding area,” Sica joined in, eyes far more alert than before.

“And, if we’re only gone for about an hour…” Hyoyeon murmured, trailing off as a switch flipped in her head.

“They won’t miss us.” Sooyoung nodded in agreement as she turned to face the blonde.

“I’m in.”

The girls spun to look at the other girl beside them, surprised at the new voice.

Jiyoon gave them a look, eyebrows raised as she brushed her short hair from her face. “What? Taeyeon is not just your friend. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. I owe her a lot.”

“But, Hyuna-”

“Won’t even know I’m gone since she’s asleep.”

They all smiled to each other, nodding. “Alright, meet up in the stairway after this?” Hyoyeon asked quietly, to which all nodded. They resumed whispering like they were before, the confused tension turned into concealed anxiety and anticipation as the remaining girls went in one by one.

‘Please, Taeyeon… Please be okay…’

The girls gathered like they had promised, clothed in conspicuous with sweaters, scarves, and gloves to combat the cooler night temperature.  Yoona tucked her hair under her knitted hat, smacking the tanned girl beside her, who only laughed. Jessica swept her hair aside, warm, long coat covering her nearly completely. Sooyoung had a similar get up, though hers was considerably shorter on her taller frame. They grew antsy with each minute, waiting for the remaining members to show. Not long after that, they stepped into the light stairway. Tiffany and Sunny sported matching baggy sweaterlike jackets, scarves wound tightly around their throats. Jiyoon wore a hat and scarf with a crazy zigzag color, gloves even matching the pattern. She gave a light shrug when some looked over at her, and she smiled. “What?”

“Where’d you get them?” Hyoyeon asked, curious. Jessica held her back, as did Soo.

“No, Hyo. You’re a fashion terrorist enough.” That made the blonde pout slightly, but she chuckled as the maknae checked her watch.

“Are we ready?”

“Okay, everyone goes in a group of three,” Hyoyeon began, laying down what they had discussed previously before returning to their rooms for the night.

“We’ll take the river north of here,” Sunny gestured to Tiffany and Jiyoon.

“Yuri, Juhyun, and I will go to the south, toward the mall,” Yoonaadded, the other two huddling behind her.

“Soo, Sica, and I will go east near the shops down there,” Hyoyeon finished, nodding as they put their hands in the center.

“Fighting!!”

The groups quickly split apart, slipping out of the dorms through the parking garage and going their own ways.

“Steph? Are you okay?” Sunny questioned quietly as they meandered the still busy streets.

“Yes, I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

“Where I would go if I was her.”

“And, what do you think?” Jiyoon chimed in, pulling the hat further down her ears as her breath left in a cloudy haze.

“I would go to the park. People walking through it all the time, so you’re alone, but never really at the same time.”

“Shall we try there first?”

They agreed and hurried down the road to the riverside park. They scoured every part of the public space, searching everywhere for the missing singer, but to no avail.

Tiffany gave a pained sighed, answering her phone.

“Any luck.”

“None, you?”

“The same.”

“We’ve only got half an hour left…”

“Guess we better hurry then,” Hyoyeon told her, hanging up promptly.

Miyoung thought harder, eyes scanning the nearby streets. She spotted a familiar sign a little further away on the next street corner. ‘That was on one of Taeyeon’s bags….’ She walked over swiftly, the writing shifting into view. ‘Juyoung’s Dance Studio…’ She peered into the front window, dim lights greeting her. She tried the door, finding it unlocked and calling inside softly, “Hello?” Quiet music answered her, which only gained her attention even more. She entered cautiously, sneaking farther down the hallway as she followed the song to the small studio at the end of the hallway. She peeked in, silently pushing the door open to get a better view. She smiled, eyes watching the figure inside through the mirrors opposite her, body leaning against the doorframe in relief.

The music faded away, a new song beginning. The young woman shifted gracefully, moving with the new tempo as her eyes closed. She sang along softly with the lyrics, face calm and serene with her attention solely on the music. Taeyeon sank to the floor, rolling before coming back on her feet, arms spread out from her as she spun around. She continued the emotional, yet beautiful dance until that, too, faded into another. Her arms fell to her sides as her chest heaved, eyes opening and immediately honing in on the newcomer. She turned around rapidly, speechless.

Tiffany’s arms went around her before the elder could utter a word, hugging her tight. “We were so worried… Are you okay?” When the other remained silent, she pulled back, using her gloves to wipe the remnants of tears away as she smiled warmly. “Will you come back with us? Please?”

The teen gave her a shocked look, taking a step back from her with wide eyes. “What- How did you find me?”

“We came looking for you. I recognized the symbol from one of your bags you had when you visited our practices.”

“…. But why?”

“We were worried, so we sneaked out to look for you on our own.”

Taeyeon sighed, pulling the ponytail from her hair and letting the dull, messy chestnut tresses fall to her shoulders. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Tiffany smiled lightly, but it fell as she watched the other gather her things and pull her coat on. Dark circles lingered under the unusually dull onyx eyes, tiredness etched into her face. “Is everything okay, Taeyeon?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? I just needed to get away for awhile. Shall we go?” The singer flicked the light off, leading the other back out onto the street after locking the studio behind her.

“Miyoun! We were- Taeyeon! You’re okay!” Sunny clapped happily, face crinkling with her smile. Jiyoon ran over, smile wide as she stopped in front of them. Tiffany’s phone chirped a warning, prompting the three contestants to glance at each other worriedly. “We have to go, and fast.” They walked quickly back to the dorms, girls surrounding the pop star.

Taeyeon’s eyes darted between them, frowning slightly. ‘Why are they so quiet? They’re not even bothering to ask questions, though I can see them in their eyes…’

Sunny rested a hand along Taeyeon’s arm, stopping them for a moment. “Taeyeon, I can see that you’re going through a lot. But, we won’t interrogate you. You don’t need to explain anything to us, unless you want to. We won’t push you or demand anything from you. Kim Taeyeon, you are our friend, period. We will support you know matter what happens.”

The singer turned away from them, her form visibly shaking. Her eyes went to the dark sky above them as she walked over to the railing, arms resting over it as her tears began to fall.

The other three wrapped their arms around her, enveloping her in a loose hug as they started to cry, too.

“Taeyeon, we just want you to be yourself.”

“And talk to us.”

“We want to know what your feeling, what your thinking.”

“But only if you want us to.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

Footsteps approached them, the other six girls spotting them and quickly joining the embrace.

“We’re all here for you, Taeyeon.”
“We will always be here.”

After some time had passed, they all moved back, wiping at their faces with soft laughter.

“Look at us all…”

“It’s a good thing we’re all in disguise, so to speak,” Sooyoung mentioned, a wide smile on her face, as did the rest of the group.

“Well, not much of one,” Jessica retorted teasingly, smiling as she looped her arms with Soo’s.

“At least we’re all together now,” Seohyun interjected, tugged into the line by the two tricksters.

“Shall we head in?” Hyoyeon asked, eyes looking at Taeyeon.

Taeyeon shed her coat, hanging it up along with her scarf and gloves before climbing into bed. She pulled the blankets about her shoulders, eyes fluttering closed as a few remaining tears slid free down her cheeks and onto the pillow. She fell asleep in moments, completely exhausted.

‘I have… friends. I have friends. And maybe, just maybe, something more..?”