|Aera's POV|
I'm just so lost and confused. Why didn't Sun tell me what was going on? Does she not trust me? Is she mad at me for something?
"Aera—Aera!" NaHee grabs ahold of my shoulders and squeezes tightly.
"Huh? What?" I shake my head and try to focus on her.
"Don't worry about her. She's really okay, Aera. Don't be upset with her not telling you. She didn't want to worry anyone. She'll be home before you know it. We're all on edge with debut just around the corner. We don't have anything scheduled tomorrow. Us four can just stay in and watch movies or something. We can watch a movie without having Sun screaming at her game in the background. Sun will be able to play her games at home without someone yelling at her for being too loud. It's a win-win situation. Sometimes we all need a little break. It's just life. Besides, Sun said she'll call you three tomorrow." NaHee does everything she can to try and convince me to calm down.
"Fine. I'll be in my room if you're looking for me." I mumble as I head back to my room.
If I'm going to be stuck in the room without Sun for a few days, I should at least clean it up a bit for her. I'll put her bracelet up, too, so she doesn't freak out about it being gone. I slip into the dark room and head toward her bed. I sit down on the edge and place my hand on her pillow.
It's so weird not having her here. It feels so empty in here. They might not like her screaming, but I find it comforting. It means she's still here. Isn't that the important thing?
"Why don't you talk to me, SunMi? Did I do something wrong?" I whisper as I pick up her stuffed black bear sitting on her nightstand. I hold it against my chest and breathe in her smell.
I lean back on her bed and set her bear next to me. I reach in my pocket and pull out her bracelet. I hold it above me and examine it. I never realized how pretty it was. She's always hiding it under long sleeved shirts.
I take one of the little charms between my fingers and smile. It's a tiny music note covered with little diamonds. I know her parents are rich, but this seems a little much, doesn't it? I sit upright and investigate the other charms. There's a heart, an apple, and a soccer ball.
I lean over and turn Sun's lamp on to get a better look at them. It felt like there was some kind of engraving on the heart. I run my fingers over it and smile as it all starts making sense.
"JH. I wonder who this could be from." I quickly get to my feet and make my way to SunMi's dresser. I open the top drawer of her jewelry box and delicately place the bracelet inside.
I know more than I need to know. I know where she is. I know who she's with. I know she's safe. That's enough for me. I just needed a little evidence, that's all.
"Hey, Aera?" NaHee taps on the door lightly before peeking inside at me.
"Huh?" I mumble as I close the drawer and turn toward her.
"Look—I know you're worried about Sun and all, but you shouldn't be. I can't tell you much, but—" NaHee attempts to explain herself to me, but I quickly cut her off with a hug.
"You don't have to tell me anything else. I trust you. I know she's alright. I know you only tell us what we need to know. So, don't worry about me. I'm just going to go back to sleep. It's only four thirty—I'm not a morning person." I pull away and smile reassuringly.
"Okay, if you need anything you know where to find me." NaHee returns my smile and slips back out of the room.
I lock the door behind her and move toward SunMi's bed. I'm the one who doesn't come home at night, not her. It's okay when it's me because I know I'm safe, but when it's my SunMi, I don't always know what'll happen. I know she's smart, but she's fragile. She doesn't need to see the dark reality behind the world.
I lay down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. She seems so tough on the exterior, but when you get to know her, she's really a big teddy bear. I mean what twenty-two year old has glowing space stickers above their bed?
I chuckle to myself as I slip under her blanket. I remember when she crawled into bed with me because she was cold. She was so cute. Is it so bad that I miss her? I mean I may not show it properly, but I really do miss her.
They are mean the world to me. Yeah, I put myself first a lot, but that doesn't mean I don't mean well. They're my girls. They are my everything.
I stare up at her stickers and take a deep breath. I close my eyes and imagine her laying beside me giggling over something video game related. She'll talk to me later. I can make it that long without her, can't I?