HOPE [빛] Season 1 - COMPLETED!!

4화

Koeun was startled as her alarm went off. There's only one week left until their first stage with SMTOWN. She slowly got up when it suddenly felt like a sharp pain jerked her back. She wondered if the pain was because she had been practicing too hard. As she got off of her bed and tried to walk over to the bathroom, she bent forward as she felt the pain strike her back again.

Hina: "Unnie, are you okay?" she got up instantly and jumped over to Koeun's side.
Koeun: "I don't know why I'm having this sharp pain in my back..."

Usually, Koeun can tolerate pain or anything of it really well so for her to express or even react to her own pain was something new to Hina.

Hina: "Unnie, maybe we should have manager-nim take you to go get it checked out. It looks serious" she insisted but Koeun shook her head.
Koeun: "No, we don't have that kind of time. I'm going to go wash up. Can you help get the other girls up?"
Hina: "But--"

But before Hina could stop her, Koeun had already gotten back up and started walking towards the bathroom again where she slowly closed the door behind her. Hina went around waking everyone up and shouting for the other girls to get ready for practice.

** (( SM Entertainment | Dance Practice Room )) **

All of the girls and boys of SMROOKIES were in the practice room waiting for Jaewon-saem to arrive. He had informed them the day before that today would be the day he would announce who and who would be performing with SMTOWN.

Mark and Donghyuk walked into the room and noticed how loud and playful everyone was. Noticing that Koeun wasn't around, Mark walked over to Herin who was trying to hush everyone and assemble them into practicing and not just fooling around.

Mark: "Herin-ah, where's your guys' leader?"
Herin: "Koeun-unnie was in pain this morning so manager-nim took her and Hina to the hospital to get it checked out"
Mark: "Pain?" he couldn't help but worry a little about Koeun's current condition.
Herin: "Everyone, please settle down. I don't want Jaewon-saem to walk in and scold us" she tried to yell over the loud music and chatter.
Mark: YO! EVERYONE!" he shouted as soon as he managed to turn off the music. "What are you guys doing? C'mon now! You guys know the drill. Get practicing!" he instructed them.

Even during practice, Mark couldn't get over what was happening with Koeun. What kind of pain was it? And was it serious? Why is it taking so long?- he wondered. Right then, Hina walked through the door.

Donghyuk: "Hina-yah, how's Koeun-noona's condition?"
Hina: "She's resting back at the dorm. Doctor says it's just a spasm and that a day of rest and some pain killers should do it." she responded with a frown.

Hearing this, Mark felt better knowing that Koeun was at least back in her dorm resting. He wanted to go check up on her to make sure she was alright... but he knew better not to.

Several minutes later, Jaewon-saem and other SMROOKIE members from group A walked in. It's been a while since Mark has seen his hyungs and noonas. Taeyong, Johnny, Taeil, Ten, Yuta, and Jaehyun walked in and were welcomed with big hugs from their younger brothers.

Jaewon-saem: "Alright kiddos, let's gather" he instructed them to huddle as he was going to make his announcement. "Here's the list for who will be performing at SMTOWN next week. For SR14B- we're going to have Mark, Donghyuk, Jeno, Jisung, and Jaemin performing "Growl" by EXO. For SR14G- we're having Koeun, Hina, Herin, Jeesu, and Winny performing "Nonononono" by Ha Soobin with Yerim. Keep practicing for your first stage, guys. This opportunity only comes once in a blue moon" he encouraged them. He continued, "Jja! We need leaders in this room to enforce rules. Mark, you take care of your boys and when Koeun returns she can take care of the girls"

Jeesu: "Saem, I can take care of the girls too... since Koeun's out sick today" she insisted.
Jaewon-saem: "Okay then, you take care of the girls for today until Koeun returns tomorrow" he agreed. They all greeted him and the group A boys as they headed out of the practice room.

Jeesu: "Alright, listen up. I want everyone to---" but before she could say any more, everyone proceeded to practice on their own already. Somewhat embarrassed, she lowered her voice and started demanding Winny and the other girls to work hard.

** (( SR14G Dormitory )) **

Koeun: "Yes dad, I know..." she spoke over the phone. When her father found out that Koeun was in bed resting, he called her immediately. "Let me guess, Hina called you?" she asked her overly dramatic father who was expressing too much worry over her 'little' back spasm. "Wait, who called you?"
Dad: "Minhyung-ie did. Luckily he called to let me know otherwise I would've probably left the country without even knowing about this" he said to her.
Koeun: "Ah jinjja, this boy Mark... since when did he become my nanny?" he muttered.
Dad: "What was that, Eun-ie?"
Koeun: "Nothing dad... Don't worry about me. You go on your trip. Your students need you anyway" she told him.
Dad: "Alright, I'll take your word for it. But if you experience any more pain, let me know and I'll fly like Superman right to you!" he continued to speak dramatically.
Koeun: "Araso, fly safely then" she teased her father. "Eoh, bye" they hung up.

Feeling like she wanted to head back to the practice room to join the others, she texted for Hina to come back to the dorm and help her sneak out since her manager wouldn't allow her to leave the room. She's been in bed all morning so all she had on were her shorts and a rolled up muscle top (since she had bandages on her back) where her stomach was completely exposed. As she got up to put some clothes on, the door bell rang.

Koeun: "Well, that was fast" she said to herself, thinking Hina had already gotten her text and came back for her already. "Use your key!" she shouted but the door bell kept ringing.

Thinking Hina couldn't hear her, she slowly walked over to the front door and complained the whole way as she rested her hand on the bandage on her back to keep it plastered on. Koeun opened the door and realized it wasn't Hina but instead Mark who stood in front of her, now staring at her like he was shocked.

Koeun: "Oh, it's you" she said to him casually as she dragged the door open and walked back towards her room to dress. "Did Hina send you? That girl, I tell her to come help me but she sends someone else instead. Tsk, tsk..." she complained.

Then, she noticed Mark wasn't being his usual, chatty self so she turned around. He was looking away like he was embarrassed or something.

Koeun: "Why are you so quiet? Are you sick somewhere?" she asked Mark, who was still trying to avoid eye contact with her. Confused, she looked around... and then it finally hit her. SHE WAS STILL IN HER ROLLED UP MUSCLE TOP AND HER PAJAMA SHORTS!!!!!

She panicked and started to throw pillows at him as Mark persistently tells her that he wanted to tell her but it looked like she was just too comfortable in what she was wearing.

Koeun: "You mean to say that if I stood here naked, you wouldn't have told me either?!" she was still throwing pillows and slippers at him.
Mark: "Well, no... if you were naked, wouldn't you have realized already then?" he asked her back- which only infuriated her more.

She threw one last slipper at him and attempted to walk towards him when she loses her balance and accidentally slips on a banana peel that one of the girls had left on the floor. Seeing that she was going to fall, Mark immediately ran to her aid and grab her by the waist as they both fell on the floor with Koeun landing on top of him.

As she slowly lifted her head from his, their eyes met. Koeun's ears started to burn up and turn red as she stared at his eyes and couldn't utter another word in front of his presence. As if they were taking turns glancing into each other's eyes, it finally hit Koeun that she was still laying on top of Mark. Breaking the eye contact, Koeun slapped his arm and attempted to get off of him but as she pulled herself up, she felt another sharp pain on her back again. Without realizing it, she loses grip of both her hands and falls right back on top of Mark but this time, her lips landing on top of his.

After a long lasting second, they both heard a big gasp from someone who stood at the front door and witnessed it all.