Frozen Memories➔ps.ff

Chapter 19

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That day, we practiced late into the night. We had no choice; the comeback dates were creeping closer, and on top of that, we were hosting other events. We had just finished our tour a few weeks ago, and without any rest, our schedules were packed once again.

The only silver lining was that this upcoming comeback would be our last for a while. We'd decided to go on hiatus afterward, to finally take some time off, focus on ourselves, and pursue our individual interests. We've been working nonstop, with barely a moment to breathe.

Our fans are everything to us, and their energy keeps us going, but even they wanted us to rest for a bit. Some of the members' health wasn't in the best shape due to the relentless pace, and it was obvious that everyone needed a break.

So, with that in mind, we pushed ourselves to give everything we had for this comeback—to not disappoint the audience, to show up as the ever-charming and hardworking idols they know and love.

The company used to treat us like crap in our early days, but now that we've made it big, they're finally paying attention. I guess when you're one of their prized possessions, things change. They've grown so much because of us, raking in money and prestige.

Our fans have loved us since our pre-debut days on the survival show, and we've always felt that. But despite all the love and support, it was an exhausting day, and by the time I finally reached my apartment, I was starving and dead tired.

Yes, my own apartment. We used to live in dorms when we were younger and just starting out, but we've grown a lot since then. Now, we each have our own apartments in luxurious buildings. I collapsed on the sofa for a few minutes before dragging myself up to shower and order dinner.

I like to cook, but with our hectic schedule, I rarely get the chance to make my own meals. It's usually takeout, or on lucky days, my mom brings over her homemade food.

Once I hit the sofa, I felt too lazy to get up right away, so I started scrolling through my phone. It's not like I have anyone to talk to, but I like to keep myself updated on everything and monitor what's going on.

I've never been in a relationship. Of course, it crosses my mind, especially when I see my members. Some of them have been in relationships, and a few are in long-term ones now. I just never felt drawn to it. My focus was always on my job and my family.

I did have a crush when I was a kid, but that was that—I never moved on from it. The guys always tease me about it, but I've been okay with it for a long time.

Lately, though, there's this loneliness that I can't shake. I'm not ungrateful—I have my mom, my sister, and my members, but I don't get to spend as much time with them as I used to. My members have their own lives outside of work. Sure, we hang out occasionally, but they have their own stuff going on. My sister's always traveling for work, and I can't just hang around my mom all the time—I'd just be a burden.

Most days, I come home, scroll through my phone, do some work on my computer, eat, workout, and then sleep. Aside from my idol duties, I'm a brand ambassador for some big names, and I occasionally appear on variety shows.

A few years back, I taught myself to produce music, and now I spend hours in the studio—it fills the time when I have nothing else to do.

While mindlessly scrolling, I stumbled upon a video—a promotional clip for a company. It caught my attention. It was from Park PLC, a massive food processing and manufacturing company. I learned earlier that it was Sarang's family business. I knew her dad was in that line of work, but their business has grown so much since I last remembered.