|15|

“Come, maknae.”

A soft hand took hers. It had always been gentle to her. It had always warmed her palm as the hand’s owner slowly tugged hers, making her move forward with Ginger tailing them.

A beautiful sight welcomed her when she had reached the foyer. It all seemed like everything went back to the norm.

Seo Juhyun felt whole again.

“Sit and eat, maknae.” The hand’s owner had coaxed her, and just like that, the incident from before had been forgotten as Juhyun allowed herself to be seated by her Taeyeon-unnie.

A small plate with a velvet cupcake sitting on it was offered to her and Juhyun looked up to meet a pair of fierce yet caring eyes. The youngest smiled, returning the sweet grin being beamed at her by the second eldest. Juhyun felt pampered by her eldest unnies, even though she had being hurting them the most that it made her suddenly sullen, oblivious of the tears now tracing her cheeks’ contours.

“Maknae?” An alarmed tone awakened her from her reverie.

A hand pushed aside her fringe, a warm palm caressed her cheek before fingers began wiping the tears away.

“I-I’m sorry…” Juhyun quivered, “I’m sorry, unnies…”

The room fell silent before feet shuffled to stop before the maknae sitting on the floor.  

“Yah,” It was her Hyoyeon-unnie. “Your velvet cupcake will run away if you continue crying.”

Juhyun sniffled some but she tried her best to muster a smile for her humorous unnie. Yuri toddled over, worried about the maknae’s sudden bursting into tears. The tanned woman knelt before the youngest, eyes inspecting Juhyun for the cause of her tears.

“Maknae, what are you apologizing for?” Yuri asked in her usual gentle and husky tone.

The other girls sans Hyoyeon and Yuri had some inkling about the maknae’s reason for her sobs. Yoona handed her dongsaeng a couple of tissues.

“Hmm, Yuri, can you help me to my wheelchair?” Jessica suddenly requested, interrupting whatever fuss the other girls had over their youngest.

Yuri eyed the second eldest for a moment before finally getting the hint that the Jung might have wanted to shed some light on the maknae’s episode. The Kwon, along with Taeyeon’s quick aid, was able to easily transfer their injured sergeant into the wheelchair. Taeyeon had thoughtfully hooked Jessica’s IV into the stand attached to the chair before settling herself beside the now sobered up Juhyun.

“Care to walk with me to the balcony, Hyo? Yuri?” Jessica asked, “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the outdoors.”

Hyoyeon and Yuri were about to wrestle over who gets to push Jessica’s wheelchair when Taeyeon suddenly said, “Sooyeon-ah, I don’t think it’s going to be good for you to go outdoors. You’re still healing and you’re still taking pain killers and antibiotics.”

A defeated sigh left Jessica’s lips. She turned to Taeyeon and gave the older girl a knowing smile, something that indicated that she was going to be good and follow the eldest’s words. Turning a bit to where Hyoyeon and Yuri were standing, she said, “Let’s talk in the dining, instead.”

Using her delicate hands, one of which had an IV needle attached, to turn the wheels instead of having Yuri and Hyoyeon fight over her, Jessica rol