She shushed Mira, rocking her back and forth while brushing her fingers through her hair. She was dumbfounded by the news. It was just their luck that the maknae walked past the bedroom, stopping in her tracks to peek in and see the girl crying.

“Unnie?...” Gahyeon called out to her with concern.

Yoohyeon looked at her with a pout, motioning her hand. “Can you tell Handong to come here?”

The youngest nodded, pulling the door and seeing to her request.

“Do you think you’d feel better talking to Handong?” After all, Handong was the one who knew Mira better than anyone else. Perhaps even her own parents.

She couldn’t speak up, only nodding her head to communicate.

“I don’t understand. I thought things were going well between you two?”

That’s what she thought too. Yoohyeon tried not to cry herself after seeing Mira cry, letting out a shaky sigh as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Your makeup is running. Can I get you a cold rag?”

Handong soon came in, the scene before her sending her into protective mode. “What happened?” She kneeled in front of Mira, placing her hands on her knees and looking up at her. There were only a couple instances that Handong had seen her like this.

Unable to speak, Yoohyeon stood up and talked for her. “Her and Wonwoo are breaking up…”

The girl tried her best to be quiet, but being reminded of the fact that this was the situation she was in broke her heart even more.

Handong widened her eyes, looking up at Yoohyeon and taking a second to process what she told her. Of course, with dating, there was always the fear that a couple would break up eventually but she never imagined her and Wonwoo to be that case.

She stood back up, her posture sharp and intimidating. “I’m gonna kill him.”

As the woman turned to leave, Mira quickly grabbed her wrist. When she looked back, the girl was shaking her head, pleading quietly to stop. “I-It’s not his fault.”

“Well it most definitely isn’t yours either.” She squeezed her hand, switching spots with Yoohyeon who left to get her a cold washcloth. “Let’s just calm down for a bit and then you can tell me what’s going on.” She flattened the sides of her hair down, pulling her into a hug. Her hugs were the most comforting to her because it felt like home. And she was her home.

Yoohyeon came back with a cold, damp washcloth, handing it to Mira. She started harshly rubbing her face with it to rid herself of all her makeup. Her eyes would definitely be red from the crying and puffy from the rubbing. She knew it probably wasn’t good for her skin, but she could care less about what she looked like right now.

The rest of the girls scattered, leaving Mira with Handong for a while more before she eventually settled down.

“If you’re ready to talk, tell me what happened.” Handong took the washcloth from her, as well as her water bottle.

“He wanted to take a break because of how busy we are.” She tried breathing in through her nose, being so congested from crying.

Handong furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “That’s all?”

“He said it was a busy time and that he could hardly take care of himself, let alone me.”

Handong looked away, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Her threatening aura had faded away quickly. “You scared me. With the way you were crying I seriously thought he cheated on you or something.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” She spoke under her breath, shaking her head. “He doesn’t love himself completely yet.”

Her member sighed, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her close with her head pressed against hers. “You know, it’s natural for people to drift apart sometimes. We’re all busy idols and it could be exhausting for one to be in a relationship.”

Mira squeezed her eyes shut, choking down more sobs as her mind went into overdrive. “Was I really exhausting for him? I told him I wouldn’t mind the distance. Maybe if I had showed him more affection he would have wanted to stay together-“

“Hey, stop. That’s not what I’m saying.” She squeezed her knee, her voice stern. “If you guys had stayed together, there would be miscommunications and you’d be neglected more that way. Do you get what I’m trying to say?”

“But I love him. I really thought he loved me too…”

“From what you’ve told me, he does love you. If he didn’t, he would have let the two of you drift apart without saying anything. Then you wouldn’t have any closure and it would have tainted your views on relationships.”

Mira’s mind was still foggy and emotional, but perhaps Handong was starting to put it into perspective for her. She sounded more wise than anything. So she started to consider what Wonwoo was going through instead of her own selfish feelings.

Handong brushed the sides of her hair flat, looking at her with sincerity. “It probably sounds cliche, but it’s difficult for someone to love another person when they don’t have that trust or love for themselves in the first place.”

She let the sentence linger in her mind, being quiet now.

“You need to love yourself before you can love another person.” She pursed her lips, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. “But if you’re still mad at him, just say the word and I will not hesitate to hurt him.”

Mira looked over at her, finally making eye contact before a grin crept its way onto her face. She felt a little better after talking to Handong, but her heart still ached.

Handong chuckled along with her, opening her arms. “Come here.”

Mira wrapped her arms around her best friend, more tears finding its way to the surface as they held each other tightly.

Handong rubbed circles on her back to comfort her. “I will always be on your side, Mira. Even if you’re in the wrong or you do unimaginable things, I will always be right there to protect and defend you.”

Mira sobbed quietly into her shoulder, fingers digging into her shirt. “I love you.”

“I love you too. And I’m so sorry that this had to happen.” Handong pulled back, wiping Mira’s tears once more. “If things don’t work out, don’t you worry your pretty little head. You have me. And we can bother each other till we’re old and wrinkly.”

She got a laugh out of the girl, hugging her once more. “You’re probably really tired.”

Mira nodded, rubbing her eyes from how irritated they were from crying. Handong sat up, pulling the sheets out from under the girl and getting her legs covered.

“Where’s your phone?” Handong searched for her phone, Mira pointing to the device sitting on the nightstand. She found the charger and plugged it in before continuing to tuck her in.

“Do you need anything?” Handong brushed her bangs out of her face, patting her blankets to fluff them up. She shook her head, slouching down in the bed until she was flat against the mattress.

Handong leaned down to give her a kiss on the head. “It’s all gonna be okay. Goodnight.” She pinched her cheek, heading for the door and looking back at her.

Mira could only get a whisper out, saying goodnight to her as well before she closed the door, leaving her in the bedroom with only her night light on.

She wondered where Handong got so wise. She always had the right things to say and never questioned it. And she was feeling a lot better than she was when she first got back to the dorms.

― SUA ‣ sura

Mira was a bit cautious with this unnie. There were moments when she was cold and would leave Mira in a speechless position. She always made sure she had all her thoughts planned out before approaching her. She feared that she would be scolded if she were to mispronounce something or say something completely unintentional because she was new at Korean. After several encounters, Sua finally called her on the awkwardness that floated in the room whenever they were together. Mira spat all of her anxieties onto the woman and that’s when the two finally put aside their assumptions and befriend each other. Sua felt really guilty for making Mira feel uncomfortable as it was not her goal. The following weeks she would treat her with extra kindness and helped her out with anything she struggled with.

Sua acts as another language tutor for the foreign members. She basically teaches Mira slang, as well as dad jokes and hidden meanings apart of the Korean language. Over the years, Mira became adjusted to Sua’s sense of humor and no longer takes things to heart. Being around her for so long, her personality rubbed off on the girl. They’re able to catch on to each other’s jokes. Sometimes the two have problems, mainly because Mira misinterprets something and is quick to confront her unnie. They are always able to work through whatever they have going on and come back stronger than ever. Sua is always capable of putting a smile back on the young ones face when she is down in the dumps. They have a lack of affection in the public eye, but when vlogs and clips come out, you can tell how much they care for one another.

― SIYEON ‣ miyeon

It is an understatement to say that these two got along pretty well and quickly. Siyeon was extremely inviting right off the bat. She told Mira that she was always there to help when she was in a jam. Despite Mira’s Korean skills being surprisingly intermediate, Siyeon would still use a translator app to make her feel more comfortable. That strategy became less useful as soon as they debuted. Something about Siyeon made Mira feel like she really belonged. She didn’t feel like an outsider and was always in the loop when with her unnie. Mira’s always wanted to become a better vocalist because of Siyeon. Her voice gives her chills and she wants to make other people feel like that too. Soon, their relationship was smooth sailing and they shared a lot of stories about themselves with each other.

The gay moments are unanimous. It’s a habit of Siyeon’s to lock her arm with Mira’s or even rest her hand on her tush. One is always complimenting the other on how hot they are, making Sua jealous. Any bystander would think they were both on crack by how chaotic and hilarious they are. They ultimately share one braincell that barely functions most of the time. Mocking each other is a common occurrence in the group. Especially during Boca, Mira would reenact Siyeon’s hand movements anytime she was caught on camera. They’re like the duo that has to be separated when in class or else they’ll be a distraction to everybody. They go out together on food dates often. They even have a routine where they go out every month to a new location to try out different foods. Mira looks up to Siyeon a lot and confides in her when she’s going through a rough patch.

― HANDONG ‣ midong

Mira had just moved to Wuhan from Hong Kong. She attended her new high school for a few weeks before crossing paths with Handong in choir. She became Mira’s first friend there and became best friends with the time they had together. They had formed a pact and always promised to stick with each other through thick and thin. They were partners in everything they did. When hearing Handong was considering going to South Korea to audition, Mira was quick to pack everything up and follow her. She couldn’t fathom a world without her, seeing as Handong understood her more than anyone else. She never had a friend like her before, leaving her only true friend in Wuhan and eventually drifting apart. Together, they studied Korean at the same university and auditioned at the same entertainment companies. It was a process. While Mira was given offers to train at JYP and SM, Handong never got a callback from either. They kept their promises to each other while their hope remained. The two were accepted into Happy Face together. They knew it would be hard to come by a company willing to sign two best friends together, so the duo were quick to accept the offer, signing with Happy Face in mid-2016, training together for the new 5 months to debut in Dreamcatcher together.

Mira tended to be the more vocal foreign member. Handong wasn’t very confident in her Korean skills, so she was always there to help her when she was confused on something. Because they have a history with each other, Handong knows all of her mannerisms, just as she can identify hers. They have a twin-telepathy type of sensory. They are sometimes in sync with the motions they do, even speaking at the same time and repeating the same words. They’re not blood-related, but they might as well be.

― YOOHYEON ‣ yoora

Yoohyeon and Mira became close extremely fast. She knew a decent amount of Chinese and English for them to communicate without any obstacles. She assisted with translating conversations when Mira was having difficulties. Whenever she was curious about a new word, Yoohyeon was her go-to as there were no barriers and they were together almost everyday. She’s also one of the members that Mira could go to for anything. She’s supported Mira since the first day they met, making sure to always compliment her to give her that extra push. She’s thankful for Yoohyeon watching out for her during the months they were preparing for debut. Mira’s taken it upon herself to look out for Yoohyeon just as she did for her.

Mira and Yoohyeon are extremely close and even Somnias can tell that much. They walk around like a couple, hand in hand. They do vlives together often. Yoohyeon’s even tried teaching her how to play the games she likes. They document Mira’s progress in games, Yoohyeon has even made a montage of her screaming and rage quitting. Actual snuggle bugs. Mira acts like a baby when with Yoohyeon, her cheeks always pressed against her shoulder. They act as the translators for their group when doing foreign interviews. They’re both so weird and enjoy each other’s company no matter what they’re doing. Mira takes note on the older woman’s charisma, because it’s something Mira wants to do to attract the audience. She’s always complimenting Yoohyeon on everything. Her outfits, hairstyle, makeup, singing, even the way she walks. Mira admires hers and has always expressed how much she loves Yoohyeon. Absolute best friends.

― DAMI ‣ dara

Mira felt like she scared Dami at first. She tried her best getting to know as much as she could about her. They were only given a few months, and even then they spent most of their time preparing for debut. Dami was extremely shy with Mira, so most times the older woman would keep the conversation going. Right after their debut, Mira approached Dami and had a heart to heart with her. She told the girl that she really admired her and all of her skills. She said though they’ve only known each other for a short while, she finds peace when they’re together. She also mentioned that she would like to get closer with her if Dami would let her. Mira congratulated all the girls one on one after their debut, but she felt like she needed to let her feelings out when talking to Dami. After that discussion is when their relationship really began to blossom.

Years later and they’re closer than ever before. It’s a common occurrence for them to make playlists for each other to introduce them to new artists and songs. Sometimes they go on walks together and take pictures. They are like two birds on a tree branch cuddling up to each other. Mira absolutely babies Dami. Always giving up her seat for the girl, wrapping her with a warm blanket, sharing her food, etc. She can be a bit of a savage sometimes, but Mira tries not to take it to heart. Sometimes catches the younger member talking about her and acts really tense. Always giving Dami the love and praise she deserves. One time they finished a drama together and would not stop reenacting scenes and making each other laugh. Mira treats Dami like a little sister and adores her. There’s so many clips of her squishing the girl’s cheeks and smothering her with hugs. Say anything bad about her and this plum will be at your doorstep.

― GAHYEON ‣ gahra

Gahyeon was extremely understanding of Mira’s situation when they first met. She always treated her unnie with respect in every scenario. They got to know each other well during Mira’s first few months at Happy Face. Even as their schedules got hectic and Gahyeon was cranky, Mira still looked out for everyone and made sure they were staying healthy, including the maknae. Gahyeon actually helped ease Mira’s mind a bit, seeing as the youngest had a lot of wisdom to share, it kept Mira’s emotions at bay when things got tough. Her unnie supported her through school even though most of her knowledge went in through one ear and out the other, she tried her best to help her with her projects. Gahyeon taught Mira a lot of things, including not to be a crybaby when the youngest had just debuted as an idol and was still going to school. Mira admires her for all the hard work she’s put in to the group and in herself.