Harper looked down as she paced the length of the practice room that she has grown so accustomed to. She needed to be honest with the boys so that the fighting can end, but how? How could she? The members are going to be so upset that she's left out so much information when she talks about her days. They are going to be upset that she wasn't honest from the beginning, but she has to do it. She has no other choice now.
She had to tell them about all the bullshit she's been through the past year and a half, but how? She's been forced to keep all of it a secret for so long, how in the world is she supposed to her nine weirdos all the really difficult things she has to fight through to get to where she is now? She's so scared and in her own head that she doesn't notice the arms that lace around her waist to stop her from pacing.
The voice that spoke gently into her ear was so familiar to her, "Little one, what's wrong?" her heart shatters into pieces as she turns to face him.
"How? How are you here?" she asks the older male as she hugs him tightly, she hasn't seen him since before he had to go to the military and she's really missed him.
"Magic," he says as he boops Harper's nose, trying his best to get her to smile.
The younger girl can't form a smile and she shakes her head looking up at him, she's frowning as she speaks. "Why didn't you tell me you discharged?"
"I thought you knew, plus I really wanted to surprise you. Now that I think about it though, it wasn't the wisest move done on my behalf," he says getting a bit sheepish as he lets her go. Harper, however, does not let go of him, a normal thing for the younger girl.
"I've missed you Seunghyun Oppa..." she mumbles after clinging to him in silence for a few moments. He was playing with her hair and she hadn't really noticed how much time may have passed. After she speaks though, she reluctantly lets go of him.
"I've missed you too, but I have to get going," he says as he gently pats her head. "Promise you'll message me?" Harper nods at the older man's words.
"Good because I still want to know what's bothering you, Ivy."
The older boy nods and heads out, leaving Harper to crumble on the floor feeling even worse than before somehow. She knew he would discharge this year so why didn't she figure out when he did? She kind of feels like she disappointed him by not knowing.
Harper slumps into a corner of the practice room and hugs her knees to her chest checking her phone as she does. It was now time for the boys to show up and she wasn't really ready to say anything to them, but she has to. She has to be able to be honest with them, besides she wants them to find out before the public does.
The door to the practice room opens and she gulps, she's shocked when she realizes it's not her fellow group mates. It's one of her managers, he heads straight toward Harper and reaches a hand out to her, she wipes a few of the tears that she hadn't realized escaped before grabbing his hand and allowing him to help her stand up.
"What's wrong?" Harper asked in a hurried yet hushed voice.
"Something's come up." her manager starts but then the boys arrived before he could have finished.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" they ask the manager once they notice him with Harper.
"I need to speak to Ivy," he says simply.
"Whatever it is, you can say it in front of us," Chan says.
"Chris... I haven't even...." Harper is cut off by an older boy, Hwang Hyunjin.
"You haven't been in the dorms for months, and you don't hang out anymore, you only ever practice with us now. It's like you don't like us anymore." Hyunjin bursts out in one quick breath.
"Hyunjin, I'll tell you later," Harper says looking him in his eyes before shifting her eyes toward the other boys. "I'll tell all of you later, but first I NEED to speak to the Manager. ALONE. Please..."
The boys reluctantly nod before they let Harper and the manager leave the room. Once Harper knew they were out of earshot and no one could actually hear anything she decides to speak.
"So what happened? Is everything okay?"
"It's about Amelia." the manager says in a hushed voice knowing that Harper hasn't talked about this.
"What happened? Is she okay?!"
"Everything is fine. She's being treated in the hospital after being in a crash, but, doctors say she's fine and that she only has a few scraps and cuts. Nothing life-threatening." the manager spoke quickly when he noticed the fear on Harper's face.
"So she's okay? Like you're one hundred percent sure she's okay? No broken bones? No life-threatening injuries?"
The manager nods before speaking again. "Yes, she's fine, however, we need to go back to Australia."
I haven't even told them," she gestured to the practice room that Stray Kids was in. "what has been happening."
"Well, you need to. This isn't something you can keep hiding anymore Ivy. We are about to win it all. YOU are about to win it all."
Harper ran her hand through her hair as she let out a distressed sigh, "I know. I know... I already missed a comeback because of all of this... I plan to tell them today."
The manager nods and dismisses her telling her he'll text her the details of her flight and her trip. She sighs and starts to head back to the practice room. All the eyes snap to her once she enters the room. She's visibly exhausted, she hasn't slept in three days now and it's clear that her body is giving out. She fell to the floor and boys quickly rushed over to surround her. That's all she could remember before she blacked out and woke up in a hospital bed.
There goes her plan on telling her nine idiots what's going on, now what is she supposed to do? Wait? She can't wait, time isn't on her side anymore...
