Zoey woke up the next morning with Hyorin snoring right next to her. After Himchan had left, Zoey informed Hyorin on everything that happened during that evening. She let her talk and talk until they were out of words and just went to sleep.

Morning:

Zoey got up from the bed headed to the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror and saw how bloated her face was from the lack of sleep. 

She headed to the living room sitting down on a chair facing the glass window whilst sipping on her coffee, letting her mind wander. Grabbing the notebook and pen that was sitting on the glass end table right next to the chair, she began to write. Zoey wrote on and on until she suddenly felt someone hovering over her. She spun around in the chair to find Hyorin looking down at Zoey, Hyorins hair was sticking out from the bun she had slept in. Zoey started to laugh and closed her notebook. “You look like my worst nightmare.” Hyorin glared at her best friend and made her way to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She came back into the room and sat opposite of Zoey on the couch. “How long have you’ve been up?” Zoey looked at the clock that read ten-thirty. She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure, I don’t think that long. I didn’t want to wake you up, I think your snoring woke me up.” She teased. Hyorin shot her a death glare. “Yah, more respect! I’m older than you.” they started to laugh, Hyorin sighed and said “I have no schedule today you want to do anything?” Zoey looked at her when a bright idea popped in her mind. She gave Hyorin a cunning smile. “Let us go to Lotte World, I haven’t been there in three years! We will wear some disguises.” Hyorin put her coffee down and looked at Zoey with no emotion in her face before a huge smile crossed her face. “Yes! I’ll put on a wig and paint a unibrow on my face, you wear a blonde wig with some glasses! I haven’t gone on a rollercoaster in forever.”

Walking in Lotte World was weird for Zoey primarily because there wasn’t any cameras following her and secondly no fans were taken pictures. She looked at Hyorin who went all out with the disguise, as to even painting on fake zits so she could look like a teenager. The day was lovely not a cloud in the sky, just a bit cold but what could one expect when they went to an amusement park in the middle of fall turning into winter.

“I have a bunch of rollercoasters I want to go on today, and you better come with me.” Hyorin handing her the pamphlet, Zoey heard the serious tone she had when she said that. Zoey was never the one to go on rollercoasters primarily because she is the biggest punk in the world. “What do I get out of this, if I go with you?” she countered her suggestion. Hyorin looked at her and scoffed “Mwo? You get to be with me that’s what you get out of this.” Zoey glared at her and followed her lead to the line forming at one of the rollercoasters.

4 Hours Later.

Evening was approaching and the girls were getting out of the last ride for the night. Zoey hate to admit it, but she had enjoyed the day even if it was spent with her screaming at the top of her lungs and almost fainting. Hanging out with Hyorin was always like that, even if it was something Zoey hated doing or was scared of doing she always made the trip worth it, the almost heart attacks worth it.

“Aish! I’m so hungry!” Hyorin stomped her feet on the ground as the two were headed towards the parking lot.  “What do you want to eat you big baby?” she took off the curly haired wig she had wore, “Ah this feels amazing my hair can breathe! I want kimchi fried rice, gimbap, pizza, fried chicken wings and water.” Zoey stopped and looked at her. “You’re too much, I swear you are.” Reaching for the car keys in her purse Zoey unlocked the car doors so the two of them could get inside.

            Before heading into the low key restaurant Hyorin and Zoey took off the remaining of the disguises in the car. The restaurant that the two had entered was one that they could relax and be yourselves, it was known for being so low key. They entered the place grabbing a booth table next to the window.

“It feels so good to be finally sitting down and eating.” Hyorin had the biggest smile on her face as she looked through the menu.

            “Why aren't you smiling?” Hyorin said right after the waitress left the table with your orders. Zoeys head shot up “What? What did you say?” she cocked her head to the side “What? That’s what you were writing this morning when I glanced over your shoulder. Is it supposed to be a secret?”

Shaking her head “No, no it’s not supposed to be a secret. It’s a little something I’m playing around with.” “Mm, what new music?” Zoey started fidgeting with the chopsticks that were on the table. “I don’t know yet I’m just writing I have a lot more to go but that is what I had so far just a little story.”

“You have the book with you? I want to hear more.” Zoey looked at Hyorin, who looked back at her with sincerity in her eyes, Zoey sighed and took out the book from her purse. “Ok, I’ve only written like a paragraph but what you read today was nothing more than a meer question I was asking myself, anyway no laughing, no interrupting, Arasso?” she nodded her head.

“Whenever I called you, I couldn't say was only yesterday, but yesterday is so far away. What's the ETA? Don't tell me you need me I am estranged and I'm over aged the trouble it maybe, there's still apart of me that has to know what you have to say. On and on we go always with the ghost of us in tow. Stuck somewhere between a friend and foe. ” Zoey closed the book and let out a sigh, she noticed her hand was shaking. She looked up to see the expression on Hyorins’ face which had a puzzled look. “You hate it don’t you?” Hyorin opened and then closed it, she then proceeded “No of course I don’t hate it. It’s beautiful and it’s relatable I felt it everywhere. Why did you start it off with “Why aren’t you smiling?”

“Because that’s what I said to myself when I was looking at myself in the mirror one day. Why aren’t you smiling, why aren’t you happy, why are you bad feeling for yourself. It’s just a rough draft but Teddy told me to write, that’s what I’m doing. Slowly just opening up.”

“Anything about him yet?” Zoey shook her head, just then their food had arrived.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the long day of practicing and recording the two friends decided to walk to a restaurant by the company, they didn’t have to worry about fans or anyone it was low-key. The two chatted about the day and what they wanted to do for the next album and the new song. An hour passed by they finished with dinner and just sat at their table letting the food settle.

“I have to tell you something, but promise me that you won’t freak out or you won’t do something stupid ok?”

“What is it?”

“Promise.”

“I promise. So what is it?”

“She’s back.”

A long pause came across the once lively night. The chatter from the restaurant was drowning out all he heard was his heart jumping and a cold shiver come across his body.

“H-How do y-you know this?” he stuttered over his words, not knowing what to say, what to ask.

“I ran into her manager the other day and he said she was there, at first the look on her face was as if she had seen a ghost. We then went to her apartment had some dinner and I left. It was the day you were texting so we could go bowling with the others.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he looked out the window, trying to not show the emotions going through his head on his face.

“She promised me not to say anything to anyone, but it just doesn’t seem right. And if you ran into her at the studio or in the building and had found out that I saw her you would’ve been mad. So I’m telling you that I saw her and she’s back.” He looked at his friend knowing that the news he just told him had changed everything about this night. He continued knowing what he was thinking about.

“She looks good, but there’s something different about her and I can’t pinpoint it. But when I was speaking to her you could just tell that she was different.”

He immediately took his gaze from the window and was now looking at his friend, surprised by the words he said. There’s something different about her.

“Did she? Is she?” he sighed. “Did she say why?” finally getting the words out of his mouth.

“She didn’t say why, she didn’t even touch on any topics about the past, she avoided them. I just want you to be prepared. I want the both of you to be prepared because a year passed by of you two not speaking or seeing each other and the worst thing to do is to make this company awkward, to walk out on meetings because neither one of you could stand being in the presence of one another. I know you haven’t really healed, I think she hasn’t either. Maybe you two could-.”

“Could what? Be together I don’t think that will happen because she decided to leave me she had made the decision to walk away from what we had. It was her choice not mine. You’re right I haven’t gotten over it. I won’t walk away from meetings or any place that I have to be in the same room as her. But I won’t allow myself to be disillusioned with maybe we could be together, or maybe she’s change, maybe she isn’t afraid anymore. I can’t do that anymore. So thank you for telling me, but lets not speak about her from here on out ok?” his voice was calm and quiet, his friend knew that he was serious and this topic should no longer be touched.

“Alright, lets eat this cake fast and get back home my bones are sore from today.” He picked up his fork and dug in not making eye contact with his friend.