A sigh escapes my lips. I want to fall into the open dining room chair, but I don’t—this isn’t my home anymore. I want to grab a plate of pancakes and smother it in syrup, and chat with them about K-dramas. I want things to go back to normal.

I just want us all to be happy.

It’s as simple as that.

“I just want us all to be happy,” I say out loud to the girls. “Really. I’m just trying to do what makes me happy, and I want that for all of you as well.” Even though a big part of me is still frustrated with them, I do mean this. “We only release one album a year now. We have more time and luxury to pursue our own passions, and you all are free to start whatever ventures you want, including fashion lines. I would have your backs a thousand percent on that. I just ask that you have mine, too.”

The girls say nothing, though I notice Sunhee has tears in her eyes. So maybe I really have gotten through to them. Some of them, anyway.

But then Mina pipes in, “Well, you already made things harder for us. It’s only ever the first person who does something who can be successful at it. You should have thought about that.”

I sigh. Maybe that’s true, but we’ve all been the first to do something: Mina was the first to break into acting, Sunhee was the first to do radio. Besides, I never actively did anything to bring them down, and I’m tired of arguing this.

“Honestly, it’s pretty selfish of you, Rachel,” Eunji says with an air of superiority. “Starting a fashion line. Now other handbag designers might not work with us for shoots or endorsements—they’ll see it as conflict of interest. I bet you didn’t think of that either.”

“Right.” Lizzie nods. “If we had known what you were doing, we never would have agreed to it.”

“But you did know!” I shout, surprising myself. I’ve been trying to keep a cool head during this conversation, but I can’t let the girls keep denying that they knew about RACHEL K. This has to stop. “I don’t know why you keep saying you weren’t aware of my plans for the fashion line. I’ve kept you in the loop from the start.” I can feel my whole body buzzing.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. The girls stare at me, shock and tension still reflected on everyone’s faces. I wait a beat to see if anyone will speak, but no one does. “Well, I have a bag to unpack, so I’d better go.”