She let out a sigh as she pulled her phone out, plopping down on the wood floor as she leaned against the wall. Angel unlocked her phone as she went to various social media sights, reading the different comments. Ugly, fat, worthless, talentless. All things used to describe her. Angel didn’t understand. Why was it always her that was the target for unnecessary scrutiny? What did she do wrong?

Angel read over each and every hateful comment that was written about her, sometimes even screenshotting the insanely nasty ones. She just couldn’t stop herself. If reading hate comments was a drug, then she was the addict. This would be one habit the boys would never be able to break her from. Angel sat on the floor till her bottom went numb, even then she stayed seated. She never let her eyes leave the screen of her phone as the door opened.

“Noona,” Angel heard from behind her as she lifted her head.

She wiped away at her face before turning to look at Sunwoo. He tilted his head, studying the girl's face as he closed the door behind him. Slowly walking towards Angel, Sunwoo sat down as he spoke.

“What are you doing here so late?” Sunwoo asked.

Angel snorted. “Says the one the came after me.”

Sunwoo smiled as he watched Angel continue to scroll through her phone. She is usually very aware of her surroundings. She never just shoved her head into her phone.

Sunwoo cleared his throat. “Anything interesting on there?”

Angel shrugged without speaking. The young boy frowned as he looked around the empty practice room. Angel had been very quiet since the news of the group making a comeback had been announced, quieter than usual that is.

“Hey,” Sunwoo said, making the girl look at him. “What’s wrong?”

Angel kept her head down, fiddling with the strings of the oversized hoodie she was wearing. A wet drop landed on a tiny patch of the hoodie, darkening the material as she spoke.

“I’m just tired,” She breathed out shakily. “I’m just so tired.”

Sunwoo stayed quiet as she continued.

“I don’t get it. What did I do wrong? What do I continue to do that’s wrong? Nothing I ever do is right. I just can’t seem to get anything right. Maybe what all these people say about me is correct.” Angel said through quiet tears.

“I, I don’t understand. Did someone hurt you?” Sunwoo asked worriedly.

Angel practically threw her phone at the boy as he caught it before it could hit him. He scrolled through the various social media apps she had open and felt his heart break at the comments. Just relentlessly coming after the way she looked, to the way she talked, to the way she acted. Some talked about her family, others stayed strictly on her and called her names Sunwoo wouldn’t have used on his worst enemy.

Sunwoo felt himself tear up at the comments before looking at the girl. “Why are you reading these?”

She shrugged. “I couldn’t help it. It was just eating at me. I don’t know why, but I just want to be able to please everyone.”

“But you can’t please everyone! Angel, you can’t please everyone. You weren’t put on this Earth to please everyone. You please yourself, your family, the fans, and us. That should be enough.” Sunwoo told her.

Angel sniffled. The boy moved closer to her as he wrapped his arms tightly around the girl. He moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion as he spoke softly into the empty room.

“Juyeon would kill you if he knew that you were in here, late at night, reading hate comments.” Sunwoo told her, feeling the girl shake from giggles.

“He would be really mad at me. Juyeon hates it when I put myself through this.” Angel said as she rubbed at her nose, still sniffling slightly.

Sunwoo smiled. They both sat in silence for a moment before Angel spoke.

“Do you think I’m talented enough to be in this group?” She asked quietly.

Sunwoo’s head snapped to look at her so fast, it felt like he broke it. She wouldn’t dare look at him either.

“How can you even ask that? Angel, you’re a triple threat. You can sing, rap, and dance. You’re beautiful and smart. You are so insanely talented, that it’s crazy. You deserve to be an idol, and you deserve to be in this group.” Sunwoo finished, making sure that she was looking right at him as he did.

Angel smiled slightly. “You promise?”

Sunwoo grinned. “I promise. Please don’t ever doubt yourself again. Those people that make those comments are just jealous. You don’t need their validation or anyone’s validation for that matter.”

Angel felt herself tear up again as she rubbed her head. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this comeback.”

Sunwoo looked at her. “Maybe you need a break?”

Angel nodded. “You might be right.”

She laid her head on Sunwoo’s shoulder as he spoke.

“Do me a favor,” Sunwoo whispered, making Angel him in acknowledgment. “The next time you sneak out, can it not be so far from the dorm?”