[Byun Baek Hyun’s POV]

It has been another tiring and boring day at the company. We have been stuck inside the practice room since early morning - rehearsing, trying to make our dance perfect and well-synchronized. All of us were tired, but no one dared to speak - no one dared to stop. 

I was sitting on the wooden floor, my back leaning on the mirror - the one we use to monitor our every move during practice. I grabbed my backpack and fetched for the bottled water I’ve kept there. I finished it in one gulp. I am still breathing heavily, sweat making my black sweater stick to every portion of my body. 

The other members are sprawled on the floor, tired and wasted. We’ve only just finished a few hours of practice. We still have the whole afternoon ahead of us. I felt myself cringe. I just want some rest.

Chanyeol sat beside me. I gave him a high five.

“You okay?” he asked. I nodded. I know he was about to say something more when the door to the practice room suddenly burst open. 

I know all of us were expecting to see Manager Ji Hye but she wasn’t there. It was another employee standing at the door. Maybe she hasn’t come back from her trip. She never told us where she was going, only that she might be back late.

“The CEO wants to see you,” the man said.

“We’ll be right there in a minute,” Suho hyung answered.

The man shrugged and closed the door, leaving us.

“Let’s go, boys. The CEO wants to see us,” Suho hyung ordered, helping Sehun and Kai stand up. 

“Why do you think he wants to see us, hyung?” Kyungsoo asked. He stood and faced the mirror, fixing his hair. Unwillingly, I stood up. I tried smoothing the creases formed on my sweatpants due to sitting but after a few moments, I gave up. There’s no solution to it, anyway.

“I don’t know. Let’s just go and see for ourselves.”

And we left. We marched down the hallway and onto the elevator, now knowing the route to the CEO’s Office so well. The door opened before Suho hyung had the chance to knock.

It was Manager Ji Hye. She was here after all. 

“Why does the CEO want to see us, Manager?” Sehun asked.

She simply shrugged. She looked a bit puzzled. “I have no idea.”

She asked us to enter and we obeyed. 

That was when I saw her.

She was sitting on the CEO’s white sofa, looking lost. Her posture was so stiff you could easily tell she was nervous. I looked at the other members’ faces and knew they were thinking the same thing, too. 

I wonder who she is.

“Shall we call the other members?” Suho hyung spoke, waking me up from my reverie.

“Video call. Let’s do a video call,” Chanyeol suggested.

Sehun beamed. “Let’s tell them about noona. They’ll be surprised.”

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