As we prepared for our debut, it was particularly grueling for her.

She had a busier schedule than the rest of us and had less time to practice.

They kept changing the dance steps for LA chA TA which made it difficult for her to keep up.

She broke down a few times.

It was heartbreaking for me to see her that way but I knew exactly what she was going through.

I tried my best to keep her spirits high as we drilled the routine over and over until muscle memory took over.

And finally, we debuted in September 2009.

We were so nervous the night before our debut stage that we couldn’t sleep.

Unni came to lend her support and encouragement having been through it herself.

But once we stepped on the stage the next day, adrenaline took over and we performed our hearts out.

Immediately after, we were greeted with the warm embrace of our loved ones.

I was extremely happy to see mom and dad of course, but I couldn’t help but to keep stealing glances at her.

After all, we had dreamed of being in this moment together for so long.