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To say Yeri was annoyed was an understatement.
The girl was furious. Royally pissed.
She was the equivalent of a raging cat who was ignorantly bathed by a five-year old child. Or like a starving, angry person who hadn’t eaten in hours and when they finally get to, they drop their food onto the cold, unforgiving ground. Perhaps, like a late employee who’s stuck in traffic. One would get the point.
It was a rare sight for any of the members to see Yeri so unlike her cheerful self.
But can anyone blame her? Her day has been awful.
First, due to their comeback being pushed, she had school that day.
Second, her uniform was still in the washing machine, soaking wet (and that damn ketchup stain was still there from the last time she wore it).
Third, she couldn’t find her stupid tie so she had to settle for a bow she stole borrowed off Seulgi’s stuffed bear. (What Seulgi doesn't know won’t hurt her.)
And finally, her eight-page essay that took her, mind you, two bloody weeks to write was lost.
Forever.
Poof. Just like that.
All because a certain twenty-five-year-old grandma didn’t know how to use the document program (or any program in general) and logged off without realizing the damage she had done.
Yeri couldn’t believe it when she went to print her assignment, only to find that her beloved laptop was shut down and the program never autosaved her work.
Who would dare touch her laptop?
And what stupid program doesn’t autosave?!
By now, Yeri is fuming at her current predicament. (If one asked, Seulgi would swear she saw steam coming out of Yeri’s ears.)
It was no joke that Kim Yeri was angry.
And it was all Bae Irene’s fault.
*
“I can’t find my tie! And my uniform is wet! It looks like someone left it out in the rain and ran over it! There’s no way I’m going out like this! It’s bad enough I even have to go!”
“Yerim-ah, c’mon now, be reasonable. We can look for your tie and I’ll just wash the shirt and skirt again.”
“And what am I supposed to do about the essay you lost?”
The baby-faced leader and maknae were currently having a staring contest in the living room, the other three members watching the scene unfold from the couch.
(Seulgi had her face masked behind her hair. Wendy was nervously biting her nails. And Joy looked bored.)
“Surely you’re not putting all the blame on me? I really didn’t know.”
“What person doesn’t know how to use Microsoft Word?! Better yet, what 25-year old doesn’t know how to use Microsoft Word?!”
Irene sighed. “You know technology isn’t my strong suit and I-”
“Why were you even near my laptop in the first place? You know I don’t like it when people touch my belongings! And that essay took me ages to finish!”
Yeri wanted to scream her head off; she was ready to explode. Irene’s calm tone didn’t help this at all. The older girl looks at her apologetically.
“I’ll try to help you in any way I can, Yerim. I really am sorry.”
Yeri scoffed.
“You couldn’t even do the laundry right this time. What makes you think you can write an eight-page essay?”
“Yeri!”
Wendy couldn’t take the argument anymore. Yeri was never like this, arguing with her members. The younger girl was never this…disrespectful. But Irene, she simply stood there, taking the verbal hits calmly.
“How can you be so young yet so old, unnie? I don’t get it, really. I mean, what leader is like this?”
“Kim Yerim, watch your mouth,” Joy warned.
The argument didn’t seem like much at first, but the moment Yeri started insulting their leader, Joy knew the girl was stepping out of line. However, Yeri only pressed on.
“I bet anyone else here could do what you do and better. Heck, I could be a better leader. Unlike you, I know how to work technology to its full abilities.”
Irene’s face hardened. With arms crossed, she raises an eyebrow.
“Is that so?”
Yeri confirms smoothly, arms crossing as well.
“Have it your way then.”
On that note, Irene quietly makes her way to her room, the door closing behind her. Everything is silent throughout the Red Velvet dorm. Yeri was still fuming as Wendy and Joy sat with their mouths agape.
As for Seulgi…
“So I guess you’re skipping school today?”
*
“Yeri, please come out. You need to eat.”
“Did Joohyun unnie make it?”
“Yes…”
“Then I’m not coming out.”
Wendy sighs from her spot in front of the bedroom door, locked as expected by the young seventeen-year old.
“You know Joohyun unnie didn’t mean to do it, right? She’s human too, you know.”
There’s no response for a moment, and Wendy decides to leave and let the girl have her much-needed time alone. But just in case, she leaves a tray with the younger girl’s uneaten dinner outside the door. She knows how hungry Yeri can get, especially when she is angry.
Behind the door, Yeri sat against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest, her head leaning back restlessly.
She had locked herself in the room since noon, the other members, sans Joohyun, each trying to coax their youngest from the room to no avail. Seulgi and Joy, especially, were desperate, mainly because it was their room that Yeri decided to hole herself up in. But no amounts of pleading from the bear or threats from Satan herself could make Yeri move from her spot on the floor.
There was no way in hell she was going to her room, which happened to be Joohyun’s room as well.
Nope, she wasn’t going to go near it, not if the older girl was around.
The sky continued to turn dark outside the window. Yeri sighed in frustration, a hint of exhaustion from her recent lack of sleep, a condition that didn’t seem to fade any time soon.
“I could do better than her. I bet I could…”
Tiredness became weariness and the young girl fell asleep with this thought on her mind.
*
Urgent knocks woke Yeri up from her slumber. She stretched her sore limbs, aching from the night spent on the floor.
Muffled shouts could be heard beyond the white wood door. She rubbed her head lazily and pulled herself up from the ground. The knocks became more urgent. Tiredly, she opened it, one hand rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“Unnie! Help me out here! Joohyun is taking too long in the bathroom!”
Yeri looked at Seulgi weirdly. When the girl didn’t reply, the bear grabbed the shorter girl’s arm, tugging it and whining softly.
“Unnie! Please! I need to use it!”
Yeri lifted an eyebrow. Unnie? Did Seulgi hit her head or something? Perhaps she didn’t hear her correctly; she still felt groggy after all.
“Just tell Joohyun unnie that you need to use it now…”
The taller girl looked at her strangely this time.
“Why would I call her ‘unnie’?”
Has Seulgi gone mad?
“Because she’s older?”
Seulgi shook her head and looked at Yeri confusedly.
“Did you drink last night, unnie? Are you tired? I mean…”
“What are you talking about?”
The bear-like girl scratches her head awkwardly.
“You called Joohyun ‘unnie’ when she’s eight years younger than you…and you called me ‘unnie’ too…Are you alright?”
Yeri didn’t even have enough time to process what Seulgi just said, because the next thing she knew, loud knocks and shouts could be heard again.
“Yah, Bae Joohyun! Don’t make me drag you out here!”
“Joohyun-ah, please hurry. We have a full day ahead of us. And you don’t want to be late for school, do you?”
What the hell is going on? Yeri took in the scene in front of her, her three supposedly younger members shouting and trying their best to plead to the person beyond the door, a person who Seulgi claims to be eight years younger than Yeri herself. How is that possible?
“Bae Joohyun, don’t make us get Yerim unnie. You know how scary she gets!”
Scary? Said girl wondered if it was an insult or a compliment.
Disgruntled groans could be heard on the other side before the door opens to reveal Joohyun in…a uniform? But not just any uniform—Yeri’s uniform. The one she complained about just yesterday. This time, however, the uniform is spotless. Even her previously missing tie was present, tucked neatly under the navy-blue blazer.
“No way…What are you doing in my uniform?”
All eyes turn to her before looking around questioningly. Joohyun, especially, looks the most confused.
“This unnie is weird…this is my uniform, you know.”
“That’s impossible! That’s my uniform!”
More looks are exchanged between the other four.
“The tie was missing and the shirt had a ketchup stain on it! I couldn’t go to school yesterday because you didn’t wash it!”
Yeri begins to really hate the confused looks the others give each other, as if they think she’s crazy.
“Unnie, you graduated eight years ago. Is something going on?”
Yeri looked at Wendy, eyes pleading.
“You don’t believe me?”
No one said a word. The distraught girl looks at Joohyun again, her eyes widening at the nametag pinned on the blazer, the one she didn’t notice before.
“Bae Joo Hyun”
The last thing Yeri hears before she faints is Wendy’s concerned voice asking if she’s okay.
Needless to say, Yeri is most definitely not okay.
*
Yeri doesn't come around until two hours later with three pairs of eyes peering down at her from where she lay, a pillow supporting her and a towel on her forehead.
"She's not dead, is she?"
"Of course not, you bear. Yerim unnie is stronger than that. Not even a truck could knock her out for too long."
"We should still tell manager unnie at least. Just to be sure."
She held her head, still groggy. What on earth is going on?
"What happened? What time is it?"
The three members exchange glances before Wendy speaks up quietly, concern in her voice.
"Unnie, you fainted. Don't you remember? You were out of it for two hours..."
Again with the’ unnie’, Yeri thought. Where's the actual unnie?
"Joohyun un–Joohyun. Where is she? I need to see her."
Seulgi answered her this time. "Manager oppa took her to school after you fainted, but she'll be back later. She just has to drop off her assignments that were due."
Yeri groans. Something strange is going on...
"Unnie, as worried as I am, can you make us some breakfast? We've been starving while waiting for you."
Yeri looks at Joy, whose face was as nonchalant as ever, as if Yeri hadn't just hit her head on the ground earlier.
"Why couldn't you ask Wendy unnie to cook?"
Another blunt response came. "Because Wendy nearly started a fire in the oven the last time she was in the kitchen."
"That was Joohyun and Seulgi!"
Joy merely brushes off the indignant response from their main vocalist and turns to look at her pointedly.
"You started the fire. They broke our blender. Either way, none of you are allowed in there except for Yeri unnie and I."
Returning her gaze to Yeri, Joy looks at her tauntingly.
"And today is unnie's day to cook."
Whatever universe I'm in, Yeri thought, Joy unnie is still the same. But she's not going down without a fight. Plus, it's just breakfast.
How hard can it be?
*
Yeri doesn't cook.
She has barely ever cooked in her life. And instant ramen doesn't even count.
So, as she smiles embarrassedly at her supposedly younger members, all of whom wore the same grimaces on their face as they ate her salty eggs quietly, she wishes for an escape from the awkward atmosphere.
Clearing her throat, Yeri was about to ask how it was when the door opened and the person she was waiting for entered.
"I'm home!"
Joohyun, still clad in her uniform, entered the kitchen, eyes brightening at the sight of food.
"Ooh, eggs! I didn't get to eat earlier!"
She swipes a bite from Seulgi's plate before anyone could stop her. They watch with their mouths gaping as the girl pops the spoon into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before her taste buds caught up with her.
Eyes widening, Joohyun chokes up the eggs and spits the chewed-up ball back onto the spoon, handing it back to Seulgi. The poor girl doesn't spare the spoon a second glance and simply places it onto her half-empty plate, her appetite ruined.
"Joy unnie, did you make this?" Joohyun asked, her face twisting in disgust.
"Yah, do you actually think I made this? Ask that unnie over there," the tall girl replied, throwing a thumb over her shoulders at a sheepish Yeri.
The look Joohyun gives her is unreadable. "I think I'll just settle for some cereal..."
Yeri nods in understanding, scratching the back of her neck embarrassedly as she retreats to the living room. The remaining members share a look amongst each other.
Sure, breakfast was a failure, Yeri thought, but the main concern is talking to Joohyun. She must have answers to all of this.
Pumping a fist in determination, she looks up over at her members, who were arguing over the last serving of cereal as Joohyun sat eating hers with a smirk.
Yeah, that girl definitely has some answers to all of this.
*
"Yeri unnie, the fridge is empty!"
"Unnie, the computer froze!"
"Yerim unnie, I can't find the TV remote!"
Said "unnie" was exhausted.
She had been running around for the past four hours trying to complete the tasks that the members seemed to be throwing at her one after the other. Grocery shopping wasn't that bad, Yeri had to admit—she was finally able to eat herself thanks to the food stand outside the store. Plus, Wendy had provided her a list so it was easy. Until she got to the register and realized no one had lent her money so she had to use her own.
Trying to fix a frozen computer was out of her hands so she left that to the manager, with Joy sighing exasperatedly at her before walking away.
The TV remote turned out to have been hidden away behind the TV the whole time and Yeri could only wonder who put it there and why. But instead, she simply tosses it to Seulgi tiredly, almost hitting the girl in the face, before making her way to her room for a much-needed nap until a call beckoned her by the one person who hadn't asked her for anything yet.
The Final Boss.
The last level.
Joohyun.
Yeri suppresses a groan and glances up at the clock that read 5:04 PM. You can do this, Kim Yerim. Her name is called again.
"YERIM UNNIE!"
"Coming!"
She finds the "maknae" in the laundry room, three full baskets at her feet, face looking at Yeri expectantly, lips jutted in a pout.
"Unnie, you forgot it's your turn to do laundry again."
Pointing to a white button up in the pile, Joohyun explains to her, "I accidentally got some dirt on my shirt today. Picture Day is tomorrow and I need it washed. I think some bleach should do the trick."
The bunny-like girl gives Yeri a quick peck on the cheek before walking out in search of her "Seungwan unnie." Yeri looks down at the piles of clothes, wanting to collapse in the heap and just sleep. But she suppresses the urge and does what she's told.
"Just put it in the machine, add some soap, and press start. Easy. No big deal, right?" Yeri asked herself. Then again, she'd been asking herself a lot of questions today.
But she's tired and all she wants is to sleep.
Let's get this over with.
With her last bit of energy, she gets her task done, finishing it off with a press of the start button, and proceeds to drag her exhausted body to bed.
Forget dinner—sleep was waiting for her.
*
Yeri was woken up by a pair of hands on her shoulders shaking her awake, the intruder shouting frantically.
"Unnie! Wake up! The laundry room is flooded!"
The girl shoots up immediately.
"What?!"
She runs out of the room with Wendy quickly following, only to skid to a stop in front of the laundry room, watching in horror at the mountain of suds that continued to grow. Joohyun and Seulgi were in the middle of all the bubbles, trying to stop the machine, only to slip and topple on top of each other. Joy was pacing in the living room, calling the managers.
"Unnie! What happened? I thought you did the laundry!"
"I-I did! I don't know what happened!" Yeri sputtered.
Crawling off Seulgi, Joohyun shoots back, "You put too much detergent! That's what happened!"
Yeri can only gape at her. Is that what I did?
Joohyun continues. "Seriously unnie, who doesn't know how to do laundry at your age?!"
"Joohyun, stop right there. Use your manners," Wendy said gently, but sternly.
The girl looks at Wendy incredulously. "Am I wrong? Anybody can do laundry! And now my shirt is lost in this mess! There's no way I can wear it tomorrow!"
Wendy looks at her understandingly. "Everything will be fine. We'll get this cleaned up and get you a new shirt. There's still time."
But Joohyun wasn't having any of it. She turns to Yeri and whispers darkly, "This is all your fault."
Yeri looks at her in shame. "Joohyun, I'm so sorry this happened. I'll try to fix it. You'll see."
The girl only scoffs. "You couldn't even make eggs properly. What makes you think you can fix this?"
If Yeri was startled by the strange feeling of deja vu, then she refused to show it. Extending a hand out to help the other girl, she was instead shoved out of the way by a soaking wet Joohyun, who was immediately followed by Seulgi, equally as wet but apologetic as she bows her head at Yeri before leaving to console Joohyun.
Wendy shakes her head at the situation and quietly offers to help Yeri. But before the main vocalist could head into the mound of bubbles, Yeri stops her by the wrist.
"No, don't. I did this, I'll fix it. Just go make sure Joohyun and Seulgi okay."
The girl in front of her opens her mouth to respond but doesn't and leaves to follow the wet trail the others left behind.
Taking in the sight in front of her, Yeri braces herself before heading into the white soapy mound, her mind ridden with both guilt and determination.
But she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity of the situation.
*
It's nearly midnight by the time Yeri finishes cleaning up the laundry room herself. Joy and Wendy had come by every now and then to offer a hand but she turned them away. She made the mess, and she was going to take responsibility for it. After all, if she's the unnie like they said, then she should act like one.
Yeri collapsed on the couch, her soaked body sprawled out over the white leather, not caring if she was going to have to clean it up later. Her eyelids feel heavy as she fights to keep them open. She has one job left to do and that's apologize to Joohyun but her thoughts are interrupted by the tall Satan walking towards her.
"The girls are in bed. Seungwan and Seulgi managed to get Joohyun to fall asleep. I made dinner for them earlier so you don't have to worry about that."
Yeri struggled to pay attention as sleep fought to take over.
"Unnie, what happened today? You've been acting really strange. You're not like yourself at all."
The girl sighed and forced herself to sit up, looking for an answer but found none.
"I'm sorry, Sooyoung. I don't know what's wrong with me either. I guess I'm just not feeling well."
Joy looks at her pityingly. "You know we're here for you right? You may be the leader but you must take care of yourself as well. I can't imagine how hard it is for you, but we have your back. Me, Seulgi, Seungwan, and Joohyun, too. Even if she is a brat sometimes."
Yeri chuckles softly. So, I’m the leader in this world too? She shakes her head.
What was she thinking? Leader or not, no one was better than Joohyun. She feels a wave of remorse washing over her.
"I'd be nothing if it weren't for all of you. Especially Joohyun unnie. I guess I should apologize to her now."
Joy sighs. "There you go again, calling her ‘unnie’. I don't even know why you do that. No wonder she doesn't use formalities with us! You're too soft on her!"
Shaking her head, Yeri makes her way to her and Joohyun's shared room, leaving Joy on the couch. Knocking on the door quietly, she enters the room and spots the lone sleeping occupant and makes her way over to them. She takes a seat against the side of the bed, leaning her head back as she draws her knees up to chest, trying to think of the right words to say. Throwing caution to the wind, she decides to let her mouth run.
"I don't know why I thought I could be a better leader, or even a better unnie..."
"...I don't know why I thought the job would be so easy. And that's why I feel even more ashamed knowing that I failed you today..."
Yeri turns her head to glance at Joohyun, but the girl was breathing evenly—she was fast asleep, unaware of Yeri's presence or even her words.
"Whether you're Joohyun or Joohyun unnie, it doesn't matter. I just want you to know that I'm sorry for hurting you. I never wanted any of this to happen."
A lone tear escapes down her cheek and she brings up a hand to quickly wipe it away. Her nose sniffles and more tears spill soon after.
"I don't think I want to live in this universe, whatever parallel reality this is. All I know is that I'm sorry and I want things to go back to the way they were. It's only been one day and I'm in way over my head to think that I could do any better than what you've done for years."
Choking back a sob, Yeri cries. "Joohyun unnie, what do I do?"
With tears running down her face and her body limp, Yeri falls asleep with this on her mind.
Joohyun unnie, what do I do?
What do I do?
*
The following morning, Yeri wakes up to find herself on the ground once again and groans at the ache in her joints, her limbs stiff from her position.
I really need to stop sleeping like this…
That’s when she remembers the day before and fear takes over her face. She looks behind her to find the previously occupied bed empty and made, as if no one was ever there. She stands up and all but runs out the door, frantically looking for her members.
“Joohyun? Seungwan? Seulgi? Sooyoung? Is anybody there? Hello?”
Yeri nearly burst into tears if it weren’t for the sight of Seulgi walking out of the bathroom with her hair damp as she dried it with a towel.
“S-Seulgi unnie?”
The bear finally takes notice of her and was shocked to find a teary Yeri looking back at her.
“Oh? Yeri-ah, what’s wrong? Why are you cryi-”
The taller girl never got to finish her sentence as the younger member ran over to her and engulfed her in a hug. Seulgi could only respond by patting Yeri’s back awkwardly, confused as to what’s going on. It’s during the tearful hug that Wendy enters from the kitchen and spots the two.
“Yeri-ah, you’re awake. You better wash up soon and have breakfast. Manager oppa will be here to pick you up for school in an hour.”
At the sound of Wendy’s voice, Yeri runs over to her and embraces her as well. “Unnie, I missed you so much. You won’t believe what I went through!”
Wendy glances at Seulgi over Yeri’s shoulder, the two sharing confused looks. But the main vocalist didn’t get the chance to ask the maknae what was going on, for Joy made her way over to them with what looked like a tie.
“Hey, Yerim, I found your tie. It was in my drawer all this time. Must’ve gotten mixed up in the laundry by mista—What the…why are you hugging me? Are you sick?”
Yeri merely wipes away a tear and laughs. “No, not at all. I’m just glad to be here with all of you and Joohyun un—hey where’s Joohyun unnie?”
“I’m right here.”
The younger girl turned around so quickly the others would’ve thought she got whiplash but brushed it off at the sight of Yeri embracing Joohyun so tightly as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, with the older girl extending her arm holding a freshly ironed uniform out of harm’s way.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I’ll try harder, I promise,” Yeri whispered quietly, her face in the crook of Joohyun’s neck, her grip tight.
“Yerim-ah, if this is about yesterday, I forgive you. I thought it over and I understand what you felt. I forgive you…”
“Oh my gosh! Yesterday! I made salty eggs and broke the washing machine!”
“What are you talking about? What salty eggs? And the washing machine is fine. See?”
Joohyun held up the clean uniform for the younger girl to see and lo-and-behold, it was spotless, ironed and pressed. There was no stain to be found, no sign of being ruined in what was a soapy grave that is the washing machine.
“What? How did yo—”
“All that’s left is the tie, right?”
The leader takes it from Joy’s offered hand and places it on the hanger neatly before handing it over to Yeri.
“You can tell us about your wild dream later. Go get ready. We’ll wait for you.”
Smiling at the maknae, Joohyun gently pushes her in the direction of the bathroom and before Yeri closes the door shut, she looks at them fondly, Joohyun in particular.
“I love you, unnie.”
“I know.”
*
“We’ll see you later at dance practice, so study hard, okay?”
On that note, the older members send off their youngest for another day of school, with Yeri almost not wanting to leave the girls out of her sight. But she knows they’ll be waiting for her, so she leaves smiling.
“So, how did you do it?”
Wendy turns to look at their leader curiously, the older girl smiling mischievously.
“What are you talking about?”
“The name tag, the uniform? Where did you even go yesterday?”
“Yeah, unnie, you asked us to play along, but you never told us your whole plan."
Joohyun simply smiles softly.
“Let’s just say I had some business to do.”
*
“Mum, it’s me. You know my old name tag from high school? Yeah, can you bring it to me? Okay, I’ll meet you outside the dorm.”
Joohyun hung up the phone quietly as she gazed at herself in the mirror. Yeri’s uniform fit her better than she had hoped. Thank goodness Yeri decided to hole herself up in the other room, otherwise her plan never would’ve gone through. After all, if Yeri wanted to be the leader, then Joohyun will make it happen.
*
“Manager oppa, can you drive me to Yerim’s school? I wanted to drop off her essay for her. Her teacher deserves an explanation from me.”
After two hours of digging through the laptop’s software the night before, Joohyun miraculously recovered Yeri’s essay, a feat she never would’ve expected to accomplish. The older girl proofread it for good measure before printing it out and placing it in a folder.
“I’ll make it up to you Yerim, I promise.”
*
Wendy smiled. “That was sweet of you, unnie.”
“Do you think Yeri learned her lesson though?” Seulgi asked.
Joohyun simply nods. She has no doubt Yerim took a lot away from the day before, but she wasn’t about to tell their youngest member it was all a ruse. Being the oldest and the leader was no walk in the park and she made sure Yeri understood that.
And so, she, Bae Joohyun, will always be the leader of Red Velvet.
But only Kim Yerim will be Red Velvet’s maknae on top.