___

But, knowing Chisoo's luck, she didn't get to participate in the patient talent show.

Instead, she was discharged and stuck in her room, staring at the walls and wondering why she felt so out of place.

Something needed to change, she decided. What though? Her hair, her room, her personality, her everything? Chisoo decided she would do something with her hair. She figured if she changed as her surroundings changed, she wouldn't feel so stuck in time.

It was already six in the evening, so Chisoo slipped a hoodie on and headed out, excited for once.

As she walked, she ignored the cars, the people, the noise, and only tried to focus on what color she would be dying her hair.

She came up on the corner store and went straight to the hair care aisle. She had only done her hair once, and she got it done professionally, but what was a teenage life without doing something out of the ordinary on one's own?

After a few minutes of contemplating, Chisoo picked a dark blue to cover up her current color. Satisfied, she bought two boxes of it and gently swung the paper bag by her side after paying.

She was ready for change, even if it was small.

Chisoo looked at herself in the mirror after blow drying her hair and smiled. She liked the dark blue - she didn't regret it one bit. In fact, she was so in love with the change, that part of her wanted the color forever.

"Chisoo?" Haknyeon's voice rang from the other side of the bathroom door.

She opened it, and Haknyeon lit up. "Yes?"

"I don't know when this happened, but I love it," he smiled brightly, admiring the new color. "I came up here to tell you that the guys are here, if you wanna come down."

"Let me clean up in here and I'll go downstairs."

Haknyeon nodded and took in the change for a moment more before leaving her in her room. She couldn't help but smile to herself. She felt accomplished for doing something. She felt good, like a semi-new person. For that, she was happy, and she would soak in the happiness until something happened to make it fade away.

Downstairs, Haknyeon was ecstatic as he hopped on the couch and grabbed the console controller. "Chisoo did something cool."

Sangyeon looked over with raised eyebrows. "Like?"

"You'll see." The younger said as he resumed his game.

Now Younghoon and Sangyeon were extremely curious, and when they heard someone walking down the stairs, they couldn't tear their eyes away. When she was finally in sight, the boys couldn't look away.

Her new dark blue hair suited her well, and there was something else about her that Sangyeon and Younghoon both noticed but couldn't place. Was it that she seemed happier than she had been in a while? Probably so.

And when they finally looked away, the two boys made eye contact with each other, and they knew. They knew that both of them had feelings for Chisoo.

She plopped down on the chair adjacent to the couch and hugged her knees, but she smiled as she did it, rather than the melancholy expression she usually adopted when she made the gesture.

"It looks really good," Sangyeon complimented. "You pull it off well."

Chisoo couldn't help but blush. She hadn't gotten a genuine compliment since she was with Hayoon. Although it hadn't been long since the two broke up, Chisoo still craved that type of affection from someone.

Younghoon couldn't stop admiring. It was written all over his face that he was head over heels, maybe for her, maybe for the moment. Who really knew but him? "What made you want to change your hair?"

"I just wanted to," the girl shrugged. "I don't regret it one bit."

Sangyeon was about to say something, but a quiet vibrating sound stopped him. Chisoo looked down, and the smile that was on her face was wiped off.

"What?" Haknyeon had paused his game.

"It's Hayoon," she mumbled. "What if something's wrong?"

The boys were quiet for a second, until Younghoon cleared his throat quietly. "He wasn't much help to you, so I wouldn't put much effort in."

But she was shaking. She didn't have the guts to not answer the phone. So she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Chisoo," the boy said quietly, shakily. It sounded like he was out of it. "I'm in the hospital."

She pursed her lips. "For?"

"My appendix bursted," he replied. "Is it wrong of me to ask for your company."

She blanked out for a second. Why would he be asking her of all people, especially after how he treated her? Maybe the medicine the hospital gave him was too strong.

"Chisoo-"

"It is wrong," she cut him off. "But I'll have the common decency to check up on you every couple of days, unlike you. Get some rest, Hayoon."

She hung up and put her phone back under her leg. Her stomach was in knots just thinking about what he said, but she had to overcome it somehow. She needed a distraction.

But she felt like she would be using her friends and that's not what she wanted.

Younghoon suddenly got up and motioned for her to follow him. She followed him upstairs and he leaned against the wall as she stopped in front of him.

"Don't even think about him," Younghoon said quietly. "Focus on me, if you want."

She looked at him for a second before stepping forward and embracing him. His warmth made her feel safe, but she still felt bad for leaving Hayoon hanging. But why? She didn't owe him anything.

Younghoon rubbed her back for a moment, and when he pulled away, he knew that prior happiness in her eyes was dissipated, the now starry look breaking his heart.

"It's so unfair to feel like this," she whispered. "I hate myself for what I did to my family, I hate that I'm so helpless over a boy, I hate that-"

"Pause for me," he said quietly, grabbing her hand in a manner that made her anxious this time. There was a sense of urgency in it, and she wasn't sure why. "That is not your fault. None of this is."

"Then why do I feel so guilty about everything I do?" She mumbled, helplessness lacing her voice.

Younghoon wasn't sure what to say, really. "Stages of grief. It's normal to go through guilt stages."

She was starting to feel nauseous, overwhelmed. She let go of him and attempted to collect her composure, but she simply couldn't. She mumbled a quick apology to Younghoon and rushed into her bedroom.

Younghoon sighed defeatedly; all he wanted was for her to be the happy, bright Chisoo she was before. Though, he was aware that it wasn't an easy task for her.

He was also aware that only she could control how she felt, and all he could do was be in the background.

___