"ah, this can't be it." jiu grumbles, looking down at the work she's done. the management's finally let her help with the song for their upcoming comeback, which'll take place in february.
"piri, piri—no, it sound like seventeen sunbae's getting closer, how about pill-il-il-il-il-ly?" jiu sings the song under her breath and smiled in satisfaction, correcting the lyrics. "now, i just need to arrange dami's part and—"
a light knock on her door startles her, and jiu's pretty much sure that her members shouldn't be up at this hour. which reminds her....
what time is it?
jiu glances at the dual clock on her table and sighs mentally.
2:30 a.m
that's how late it is.
so why would someone be knocking on her door?
jiu lets out a frustrated sigh. if this was siyeon—who wanted to disturb her from her work—or dami and gahyeon—who wanted to prank her again (she still haven't recovered from their last prank—she thought she'd have to explain to the management why sua should be the new main rapper) then god knows what she can do.
however though, it isn't siyeon, dami or gahyeon.
instead, it's yoohyeon.
jiu glances at her dongsaeng in worry, yoohyeon didn't cry that often. so why now....
jiu follows yoohyeon's eyes that's been looking at her desk.
oh.
that's why she's crying.
"unnie..." yoohyeon whispers softly, and jiu's heart could've broke right there.
without hesitation, jiu wraps her arms around yoohyeon's waist, pulling her dongsaeng's neck to rest against her shoulder. jiu feels the vocalist's body go stiff, and the tension bleed out.
yoohyeon cries.
that's it.
if jiu didn't know any better, she'd be whispering encouraging words to the younger's ear. however, jiu's known yoohyeon for years now. and she knows that yoohyeon doesn't like verbal comfort.
actions speak louder than words, after all.
once yoohyeon has calmed down, jiu leads the younger to her bed, a comforting arm around her waist as she steers her dongsaeng.
"unnie..." yoohyeon whispers brokenly again, and jiu is very much alarmed right now.
jiu just smiles at her warmly, moving her arm up to the younger's shoulder.
"you don't have to tell me what's bothering you." because jiu isn't sua, gahyeon or dami. she respects yoohyeon's privacy.
"you're helping with the song, right?" yoohyeon asks, pressing against the elder's side.
"yes..." jiu trailed off, wondering why yoohyeon was asking that.
and then jiu remembers.
yoohyeon's longing gaze on her notebook.
she wanted to have a first win.
"are you—um...are you done?" yoohyeon asks timidly.
jiu hums to herself, "i just need to arrange dami and gahyeon's part."
jiu hears the vocalist exhale a sigh of relief, "good, that's good. are you sure that we'll—"
"get our first win with this song? there's no answer to that, hyeon-ah." jiu replies soberly. "you and i both know that netizens like the cute concept better that the goth concepts that we do."
"then why can't we just change concepts?" the vocalist complains
jiu raises an eyebrow at her, "would you like to try cute concepts?"
"if it means a win, then yes."
"you don't even like aegyo." jiu snorts. "look, hyeon. winning takes time. and maybe, this isn't the right time for us to get our first yet."
yoohyeon sighs. "you don't know that..."
"how so?"
"nine muses sunbaes disbanded." yoohyeon reminds the leader, eyes in an accusatory glance, as if it was jiu's fault that nine muses disbanded. "they didn't even get a win."
jiu snorts, then speaks in a soft voice, "we won't end up like them."
"how can you say so?"
"because i know that insomnias will help us." jiu says, fiddling with a loose thread on her sweater.
"yeah, but—"
"shut up, and come here, you big baby." jiu says, wrapping her arms around her dongsaeng.
"unnie...i..."
"just shut up and let yourself rest for once, hyeon-ah." jiu says, dragging the vocalist to lay down on her bed, pressing a lingering kiss to yoohyeon's forehead.
"i—okay..." yoohyeon finally closes her eyes, listening to the rhythmic beat of jiu's heart.
"goodnight, yoohyeon."
"night, unnie."
