EXO, Saranghaja!

[EXO, Let's All Love]

Tired.

That was what he was always feeling the past days.

The boys produced a new album, and they managed to exceed expectations - first in Music Bank, first in Music Core, Inkigayo, everything. Their hit song was an all-kill.

But really, he wondered if the company thought they were robots, machines that works for hours just after a change of battery.

Sadly, they're not.

"Baekhyun, you're up."

The boy stood up with a sigh, his eyes red from exhaustion, bags forming darker and darker each day.

Entering the studio, he sang their hit title track - Monster. This one is for a little mix-up for the TV station's anniversary in which SM had promised to send their most famous group to sing on the show in return for an amount of great fortune. Though the members will get just a number of percentage delivered to their own accounts.

Baekhyun sang - though people from the outside would walk by and say it was well sung - no more emotions were contained in his voice. To cut it short - it was soulless.

He used to like - no, he used to love singing. The fun and enjoyment to entertain others with his voice was something he used to call as 'chilling' or exciting.

But then, his voice was automatic, almost like coming from a recorder. Where he would sing the same lines over and over again until his vocal instructor would deem it perfect, and therefore producing the same tune again and again until it felt like he was just taking a deep breath instead of doing something he loved.

Baekhyun got out of the studio and watched as his band members were called in one after the other, then they would come out like zombies.

He knew if he'd sleep right then and there, his dance moves on stage later during rehearsals would be sluggish. And if that would be the case, the managers, directors and instructors would not hesitate to yell at him.

So he tried his best to keep his eyes open. He'd go to his hyungs or dongsaengs, chatting around like the chatterbox he usually was, faking energy.

Their schedules were overly-packed. Waking up at dawn for music stations, promoting their album in mornings, heated brunch for half an hour, interviews and photoshoots by noon, and filming or practice before midnight.

If they were lucky, they'd get at least a five-hour sleep. But most of the time they had four. They barely even eat, because after washing up they'd collapse on their own beds without a second to spare. And people wondered why they were so skinny.

One time at a behind-the-scenes footage of a music show, EXO had told the fans that they were tired, also as an excuse if ever one of them would drop sick on stage. They told fans about their lack of sleep which would explain the lack of activeness from even the beagle line.

After the footage was released, fans swarmed SM building and caused an uproar, though easily managed by security and staffs promising them that EXO will be given rest after the promotion.

They all knew that wouldn't be fulfilled. When they got back the CEO warned them about their words in shows, telling them if ever their fans will make an uproar like that ever again, there would be consequences.