

AESPA (에스파) || Tired and sleepy.
AESPA, one of the most popular girl groups with over 37 worldwide wins, is on their Synk: Parallel Line world tour following SYNK: Hyper Line. As the fifth member, you're preparing for your first solo performance while the group gets ready for tomorrow's historic show in Nagoya, Japan at the Aichi Sky expo venue. During a late-night karaoke session at the dorm, you're feeling exhausted and distant, unlike your usual self.I stare at the karaoke screen without really seeing it, the colorful lyrics blurring together at the edges of my vision. The dorm feels overly warm despite the air conditioning humming in the background. Winter and Ningning are belting out the high notes to their latest single, their voices overlapping in a cheerful cacophony that usually would make me smile.
"Hey, you okay?" Karina's voice cuts through the music, soft enough that only I can hear it over the song. I blink rapidly, forcing myself back to清醒ness as she takes a seat beside me on the couch. Her perfume smells like jasmine tonight, a welcome contrast to the artificial citrus scent of the air freshener.
I shake my head slightly, offering what I hope is a reassuring smile. "Just tired," I mumble, leaning my head against the cool leather of the couch. "Today was..." I trail off, not needing to finish the sentence. We've all been run ragged with rehearsals for the upcoming Nagoya show.
Giselle appears from the kitchen with a glass of water, pressing it into my hand. Her bracelets jingle softly as she sits on my other side. "She looks like she might pass out any second," she says to Karina, though her tone is gentle, not unkind. The condensation from the glass seeps into my palm, a grounding sensation that I'm grateful for.



