“So, Mina didn’t ask you anything?”

A day had passed since Mina caught Momo and Rosie in a compromising position in the kitchen. It would be a shock to anyone. Getting two people caught making out would be a shock to anyone. But Mina was probably a professional at not turning things even more complicated for everyone. She never brought anything up and this was what Momo told Rosie over the phone.

“Nope. She didn’t ask me anything.”

“Well, that’s good. I was kind of worried about how you’d feel about it. I’m sorry.”

Momo chuckled. “Hey, I enjoyed it while it lasted. You don’t have to apologize.”

“But if she does, I can talk to her too.”

“Nah,” Momo insisted. “You really don’t have to. I honestly don’t think she would be asking.”

“I just feel bad about making things awkward for her, you know.”

“I’ll talk to her if she asks, okay?” Momo ensured. Worry was hearable in carefree Rosie’s voice. Momo wanted to take it away. “Everything is fine. We even had breakfast together and we drove to JYP together this morning.”

“Hmm… if you say so,” she said. “Oh, are you free for dinner?”

Momo pondered. “I have variety show filming in the afternoon but I think I can make it to dinner. Are you asking me out?” She asked, laughing.

“Shut up.” Rosie sneered. “Just pick me up at YGE around 9, love.”

***

She left the vacant studio after the phone call with Rosie, curious over the random dinner the woman asked her for and the new pet name she got from her. Love. Most of the time it was babe. Random but unexpected, she laughed and shrugged it off her mind. She had other things to think about that morning.

New lyrics were coming to life. Momo knew someday they would come around. Park Jin Young had also seen the improvement and had given his nod to half of the songs they would be including in the album. Yet, there was still the wordless title track and putting down lyrics were their mission for that day.

They would be successful if only the others weren’t glued on the television in the practice room.

“What’s going on?” Momo asked. It was the news.

“Read the headline,” Nayeon told her.

“Video of iKON leader Kim Hanbin’s proposal to BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim goes viral?”

“Well, they’re two of the biggest idols in the industry,” Jihyo said.

“And the guy did propose on the first snowfall. It’s quite special and it had a ton of fireworks. Romantic stuff,” Dahyun added.

Momo thought it was cute. From the clip alone, it seemed like a very sweet gesture. She knew of Hanbin’s efforts that always swept girls of their feet, on in particular. She was happy for him, she guessed. 

“Just imagine the talent that would come out of Jennie,” Nayeon remarked.

Chaeyoung joked. “The kid would come out spitting rhymes and stuff.”

“True,” Momo agreed, not paying attention to the headline anymore. “But shouldn’t we get back to the studio though? Where’s Jungyeon? She was here a moment ago.”

“I’m here.” Jungyeon appeared by the door. “Hirai Momo-ssi, can I have a word with you in private?”

The other members looked at Momo intriguingly. Momo pointed at herself. “Me?”

“Yes, you, idiot.” 

***

The two sat down in the recording studio. Momo could feel the mood intensify. Jungyeon was looking at her with scowling eyes ready to take away her soul.

“So, you must be relieved at the news of Hanbin,” she said.

“Wow,” Momo scoffed. “You really do go straight to the point, do you, Jungyeon?”

“Of course, I do. So, what is it?”

The memory of the fight she had with Mina was still fresh even though things were okay again. She still didn’t know what to feel about it. Should she be celebrating or should be react to it like it was just some lame news overly embellished by the media?

She breathed out frustratingly, looking away from Jungyeon who had not taken her murderous gaze at her. “I don’t know. Should I be happy? Because that implies they aren’t together again.”

“Well, I was just checking. I don’t want you getting your hopes up again.”

“I’m truthfully trying to move past the whole Mina problem, Jungyeon. Believe it or not. I don’t want to fight with her again. If she can’t love me the way I want to be loved by her then I won’t be forcing it anymore. I don’t want to hurt myself. I just want her to be there.”

She sighed, tired that her best friend was still skeptical about her. Jungyeon was right about the living situation she would have and that was how she learned to change her mindset. She was doing her best to get away from the dump she let herself in by accepting the reality.

“Mina is never going to see me that way and that’s just how it is,” she continued. “At least I can still have her as a friend.”

Jungyeon stood up, embracing her. “Okay, this is weird,” she said.

“Shut up, pabo. I’m just happy for you right now. You’ve finally grown up. I’m glad you’ve realized this.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, showing to Jungyeon that she was really doing better. “And I think I wanna see other people now, like, for real. I want a real relationship.”

Jungyeon laughed. “That’s go