Tall People Problems

Tall People, Smol People

Nako stares up at the night sky as she sits on her balcony, knees hugged to her chest. Layers and layers of blankets and hoodies are piled upon her as she breathes winter air, a portable heater keeping her company through the night. Fukuoka is warmer than Seoul, she thinks, at least in terms of the weather. While Seoul is dropping into the negatives, freezing her to the core, it's at least a bit more comfortable here in the country she calls home.

But in terms of people... Well, this past decade she's never been luckier. Growing up among a group of girls and women who support and love her to bits, performing her heart out to hundreds and thousands of fans, and finding her soulmate in a woman who has blossomed from a girl, growing up together and sharing secrets and slowly but surely becoming known as the two aces of their generation - Tanaka Miku will never let her go.

Of course, the most recent years have been the most hectic. So much has happened, from moving to Seoul, fighting through tough times in a merciless survival competition to debuting again in a new girl group in unfamiliar territory, to becoming one of the most popular groups in the world. Everyday since then she's been so busy with practice and photoshoots and concerts and language classes that she's just totally forgotten how to breath until-

It happened.

Suddenly all their schedules were cancelled. Rumours, baseless or not, started to spread. And she and eleven other girls - her family - were left in limbo. No one knew what was going to happen. Depression and anxiety and unanswered questions and yet...

Life went on. They slowly started to rebuild themselves. Now that there was time to actually take a breather, they did. Food could finally be enjoyed. Eyes could finally be closed for at least eight straight hours. Smiles started to bloom again.

If Nako was to take a good look around, she would have definitely agreed that this was exactly what they had been needing for a while now. A good break. Because she knew, they all knew, their fans would always be waiting for them to return. It's more apparent in real life now, if the warm greetings at the airport (warm is an understatement, lovingly loud is more accurate) were anything to go by.

Somehow she had missed it, the cacophonous clicking of cameras, the flashing lights and attention-grabbing shouts and all their fans and fan-masters. This time, even the reporters were waving at her, wishing her a friendly welcome back.

It also didn't hurt that her HKT members were all huddled around in the airport in what she supposes must have been their most stealthy disguises, waiting for her to land in Japan. The ride back to Fukuoka was nostalgic, her original family talking over each other as they fought for her attention until they all eventually fell asleep.

(She fell asleep too, comfortable in the warmth of home.)

Now she swipes at her runny nose as she recalls fond memories. She wonders what the Korean members of her group are doing in the dorms now. Have they gone back to their respective houses, spending time with their parents like her and Sakura and Hitomi? She wonders whether Yuri has gone back to Busan, wonders whether Yena has bugged her until the younger girl finally relents to introduce Yena to her parents.

She wonders whether Eunbi is feeding Hyewon, whether Chaeyeon is calling Sakura to herald in the New Year together. Are Chaewon and Minjoo cuddled together somewhere, with Minjoo resting on her shoulder as they send silly pictures of themselves to Hitomi?