MADRID.

스물둘 22

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Lisa offered once they finished.

"No, it's okay," Chaeyoung declined, rubbing her arm to reassure her.

"But—"

"Go!" she lightly laughed as she pushed the girl out the door, along with the other two who also tried to protest.

"Chaeyoung, you know I'm not just picking on you for fun," their choreographer assured her once it was only the two of them in the room. I love you girls, and I just want you all to do your best."

"Gwenchanayo, I get it," she nodded. "I'm sorry I've just had a lot of stuff on my mind lately."

Chaeyoung had spent almost every day of that week in that room. And if not there, she was in the recording studio, practicing her parts.

She had barely gotten any sleep as well. On the rare occasion that she found herself in her bed, she would just lie awake staring at the ceiling. Her overthinking would not allow her to drift to sleep.

"I know," she gave her a small smile. "Lock up before you leave. I can see you from the cameras so don't try going early."

Chaeyoung tried returning her smile, but once she turned her back, she could not force it anymore.

She sighed before restarting the song and getting into position again, ignoring her weak stature and difficulty in breathing.

The three girls sat around a table in the corner of their favourite bubble tea shop near the YG building after their dance practice and reluctantly leaving Chaeyoung behind.

"I'm worried about her," Jisoo sighed. "She hasn't been eating, and I hear her awake late at night."

Ever since Madrid, it had become a bad habit for them to discuss Chaeyoung's actions. They didn't mean to talk so much behind her back, but it's not like they were saying anything bad, it just seemed like she was hiding things from them and doing things out of the ordinary.

"I don't know what happened," Jennie joined in her frustration.

"Maybe it's just stress?" the eldest proposed. "Things have been so real lately because of our comeback."

"Between all of us, she has been the busiest," Jennie agreed.

Correction. Between all of them, Chaeyoung did not have the privilege of keeping her private life a secret. While some of them were able to prance around with other idols and not get caught, she did not have the same opportunities and had to pay the price.

The youngest nodded along but did not utter a single word.

Lisa decided to keep quiet about that one time she found Chaeyoung in that practice room, very early in the morning. And how she had bursted into tears in her arms with no explanation. Although, she might have an inkling as to why.

It was not sitting right with her, how comfortable the pair were getting once again. She knew they had been in constant contact with one another, especially since their surprise date at the LANY concert.

She recalls seeing a giggly Chaeyoung, stumbling into their apartment after, looking like she had just gotten struck by cupid. That was before she immediately confronted her about the truth about Madrid, though she thinks not everything was said.

But nevertheless, Lisa was sure that her best friend felt happy now, but she could not forget the past as easily as she can.

Jungkook may seem like a changed man, but it was only a few weeks ago that he had said hurtful words to her face, made her cry, and mislead her, among several other things. No one could blame her for not easily falling for this new trick.