Midnight

Clueless

Another busy promotion week has passed. They all did amazing with both group and individual schedules.

Yangyang and Hendery were given opportunities to promote with famous YouTube creators, and recorded many hilarious contents. Their outgoing, and funny personalities did not make it much complicated for them.

While the leader was called to some other shows on TV broadcast. His so-called 'unfunny' personality unexpectedly became his charm which gained himself more admirers and fans after the episode of 'My Manager' being broadcasted.

Aeri? Nothing. Not because she's not given any opportunities. In fact, she's the one with most calls, but she rejected.
Instead, she spent those times apart from group promotion in her brother's studio, working on her creativity, which was lost during the debut preparation and continuous schedules. She almost lost the inspiration for all.

others may said she had the privilege that normal rookie does not have. which was partially true.
it's in the contract after all.

The guys support her. They're aware of her situation and respect her decision.
Besides, she's made it clear since the beginning that this group will not always be her priority. With her lacking off the promotion, would give them more exposure and solid fan base . So, it would be easier for her sudden departure when time comes.

"Yah." Aeri jumped when her brother tapped her shoulder.
"I've been calling you." He looked worried. "Improvement so far?"
She looked at the messy pages, full of ideas, but all of them got crossed out. They're either too cringe, irrelevant, too simple, or too much. None of that had the wow-factor.

"Lunch time." Taeyong tried to cheer her up. "Let's go eat first."
"Nah, you go."
"Uh uh, no breakfast, now no lunch?"
"Yong, i promise, okay? I'll eat later. Actually, i have to meet someone too."

That got her brother's brows raised. "Who? Boy or girl?" His protection mode was activated.
"just a friend of mine."
"Oh really? Then you won't mind me coming with you. I have nobody to eat with."
"No."
Taeyong acted as if he was shot. But before he could proceed, there was a knock on the door.
Aeri glanced at her watch. "It's still early though.."

Taeyong yanked the door opened, to see the least expected person on his door.
"Mark?" He gasped in betrayal.
The latter was smiling widely, greeting the older guy with pure excitement, thinking his surprise was a success. Not until taeyong grabbed his collar.

"Since when you two started seeing each other?"
"Wait? What- seeing who?"
The guy started to panicked, at the same time confused. He thought he's gonna be greeted with warm hug, yet now at the edge of receiving a punch for no reason, or at least, the reason he was not aware of.

"Bro! Chill." aeri came to separate them, but failed.
The moment mark saw the girl, his worry somehow switched to her presence.

Aeri grabbed her brother's wrist, "let him go. What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? About time you tell me, ri."
"Tell you what-"

Someone's clearing her throat, catching their attention.
There stood jaera with her uneasy expression. "Is everything alright...?"

"Jaera?" Taeyong and mark both exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Yup, still me."  She awkwardly stepped towards them. "I'm here to meet giselle."

Aeri took the chance to yank her brother away from the cluelesss guy.
"She's the one you're seeing?" Taeyong blurted out in shocked which received a smack from his sister. "Dont say it that way. She's my friend, and we're hanging out. Is that enough to settle down your wild thoughts?"