Practice had ended hours before, and the other girls were going through their things to clear their dorms. Reina had decided to help the girls figure out a health plan. There had been far too much junk in their dorms, processed foods, snacks that weren’t really necessary, and so on. So now, each girl was cleaning everything out and compiling it into the “OMG” pile, as they’d decided to call it. It was the comfort food they may need at any given point in time, which was only accessible through Cho Hee, who knew the drill, that it was only for emergencies.

But Cora had left it to Reina and Maria, and dragged herself to the gym. She’d been on the treadmill for a half hour when her phone buzzed. It was Mark. She ignored the call and texted him instead, telling him she was on the treadmill and she couldn’t talk on the phone.

Are you still meeting me tonight?

She bit her lip. “Crap,” She muttered, slowing the treadmill a bit. She had meant to stay at the dorm, since she’d only just fixed things with the rest of the band. But they knew that she was with Mark again. She sighed and told him that she’d be there in an hour and a half. And then she sped up the treadmill.

MinHee pulled her phone out of her pocket just as she sat on the bed of the hotel room she’d been given. It rang once, twice, and then there was shuffling on the other end.
 

“Hello?” Jackson asked.

“Hey,” MinHee answered. “How are things?”

He sighed. “You’re mad I didn’t come visit, aren’t you?”

“Not at all,” She said easily. She wasn’t. She knew he would come, eventually. She didn’t need him to come the second she got there. “I’m seriously just calling to see how you’re doing.”

He laughed. “I’m fine. How was filming?”

“Uneventful. We finished so quick that we literally had so much down time it was incredible.” She sighed. “Aiden’s nice though. He bought lunch, so I tried to buy dinner.”

Jackson was quiet for a minute. “Have you talked to the girls?”

“Not yet. I think they’ve been busy though.”

Jackson hummed. “I’d say. Did Cora tell you that Cho Hee threatened to put the group on hiatus?”

“What?” MinHee said, jolting straight up. “What did you just say to me?”

He sighed. “Apparently, things were slipping before you left, and Big Hit wasn’t happy with everyone’s behaviors. So Cho Hee told Cora that if you guys didn’t get your act together, it was over. Maria was talking to Youngjae about it, and I overheard.”

MinHee was silent for a moment. Why hadn’t Cho Hee told her? She was the leader, after all. “And now?”

“Now they’re trying to pull everything back together, I guess. Something about serious changes.” He was quiet for a minute. “But I don't think you should worry about it. I think they’ve got it under control.”

MinHee nodded. “I have to go. I just wanted to see how you were. I love you.”

“Love you too,” MinHee just barely heard before she hung up.

She was not going to sleep well that night.

Cora woke up in Mark’s arms, as always, and smiled lightly to herself, closing her eyes and laying her head back on his chest. Her alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so it must have still been early. Ginger lay at the foot of the bed, her eyes glued on Cora and Mark, and Cora called for her.

As the cat approached, Mark groaned. “Don’t,” He mumbled. “I only just got her to stop trying to sleep on my face.”

Cora laughed. “She’s coming over here for me,” But the second the words left , the cat leapt onto Mark’s chest and circled into a ball, purring happily as his hand dropped onto her back and he lazily pet her. “Well, you let it happen.” She said, sitting up.

Mark shrugged. “At least she doesn’t hate me anymore, right?”

Cora laughed again and stretched her arms over her head. “What time is it?”

Mark grabbed his phone from the nightstand and turned it on. “Six fifty.”

Cora gasped. “Oh crap!” She leapt off the bed, slamming down on the floor, and grabbed her phone from the charger. “Bye! I’m sorry I’m late for practice! Bye!” She called, hurrying out of the door and running all the way down to the street. She hadn’t even bothered to take the elevator.

When she got outside, she hopped into a cab, since the car ride would only take five minutes, but it seemed like they hit every red light, so almost a quarter of the way away, Cora leapt out, paid the driver, and ran the rest of the way.

She