Constant and Changing (kryber)

Chapter 42: Hot Summer

"Do you think our situation will seem better once we're together again?" Krystal wondered softly as she stood in line at Incheon airport to board a flight to London. Behind her BLANC & ECLARE sunglasses and an icy expression that was focused straight ahead, Krystal was wrestling with a number of concerns in her mind. She worried about the future of f(x) now that Sulli had left the group. She worried about her overworked members--Amber who was performing in China and Victoria who was filming in London--who were scattered across the globe. And she worried about tomorrow's London Korean Festival and how the world would react to their first official performance as 4. For the sake of f(x)'s future, it was crucial that they did well and that the world cheered them on as 4. If the world could only accept them as 5, there would be no hope for f(x) after tomorrow.

"I'm so worried about tomorrow that my heart's gonna burst," Krystal admitted.

Standing next to her, also looking straight ahead at the boarding gates, Luna couldn't help but smile as she listened to the nervous girl at her side. "People always say that I cry easily, but I think your heart is the most fragile out of all of us," Luna replied softly with affection. "Things already feel better because you're here with me, Sooddungie. Once we're together with Vic-unnie and Amber-unnie, everything will be perfect for sure."

Krystal's naturally unsmiling expression could not withstand the power of Luna's shining optimism. A faint smile crossed the younger girl's lips and she dropped her chin slightly, nodding in agreement at the older girl's confident response. Wordlessly, as the two girls continued to face forward, Krystal reached out and gently took Luna's hand as they waited for their turn to board the plane.

Victoria had spent the past several weeks in London filming for the Chinese remake of "My Best Friend's Wedding". The eldest f(x) member was eagerly awaiting her two dongsaengs when the jetlagged pair arrived at the hotel in London. Victoria pulled Krystal and Luna into a hug the moment they stepped foot into the hotel room. The maknae held Victoria closely and basked in her unnie's familiar scent, somehow feeling like she was home even though Korea was now thousands of miles away.

As the girls stepped back from each other after the hug, Krystal could see tears starting to form in Luna's eyes from the warm reunion. Victoria reached for the tissue box on the nearby table and handed one to Luna.

"And you say MY heart is fragile?" Krystal joked.

"I'm not crying," Luna pouted, dabbing at her eyes. "My eyes are tearing up because I'm tired."

"You two go sleep off your jetlag," Victoria ordered, pushing the girls toward their beds and closing the blinds. "We'll practice for the show tomorrow."

"There's not enough time to practice tomorrow," Luna complained. "We should practice now and sleep later tonight."

But Victoria shook her head firmly, overruling Luna's opposition. "I know I'm a little out of practice because of my leg," Victoria admitted, referring to the leg surgery that had kept her from performing with f(x) for the past month, "but I've always been the fastest at remembering our choreography. I'll be fine if we hold a short practice tomorrow, so go to sleep."

There was no arguing with Victoria when she was in leader mode. The older girl rarely pulled rank on her members, but she was known to be very firm when it came to worrying about everyone's health. And since Krystal and Luna could barely keep their eyes open after the long flight, there was no way to win this fight. The two girls climbed into bed under their Vic-omma's watchful eyes and slept soundly until morning.

After waking up the next day, the girls immediately jumped into practice and made sure that Victoria still remembered their choreography. They needn't have worried about her; Victoria quickly reminded them why she was designated the main dancer of f(x). By the time Amber arrived at the Trafalgar Square stage just minutes before their press conference, three songs worth of choreography had been practiced and perfected.