Ring Ding Dong Ring Ding Dong’

Her phone rang mercilessly. She didn’t remember changing her ringtone.

Jisoo lifted her head from her pillow and searched for the annoying phone.

Her hand found it by the edge of her bed.

Before she could mumble a hello, someone from the other line beat her to it.

“PARK SOOJI WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!” She dropped the phone when the voice from the other line started shouting.

The startling voice got her awake. Even from where she was, she could hear the voice from the other line cursing.

She forgot about calling them first thing she got out of the hospital. A lot of things happened that day that she forgot.

Hastily, she picked up the phone and turned off the speaker.

“Yoosu…” Jisoo yawned, her body still crave sleep. There hasn’t been time to catch enough sleep. “I just woke up.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.” Yoosu lowered his voice and then continued. “Why didn’t you call?” he asked. “Everyone was worried.”

Like Sooji expected, Soeun already told Yoosu what happened the day before. She just wished her friend didn’t have to call so early in the morning.

“So did your girlfriend enjoy yesterday?” She tried leading the conversation away from the issue.

“She did and~ hey! You’re avoiding the question” her friend accused.

She laughed at how easily Yoosu gets distracted. “I’m sure Soeun already told you all about it.”

“You’re damn right! You’re stupid to perform for the sake of their approval. You know very well how an injury might end anyone’s career and you aren’t excluded from it.” The leader growled.

Sooji knew very well the risks. She had been dancing for a long time. Pain has been the constant companion of her chosen path.

“Did you know that the B2ST is asking for her number?” She made another attempt to distract her friend, but it didn’t work.

Instead, she got an earful.

“What the hell Sooji! Don’t you dare give them her number and stop DISTRACTING ME!” He warned and yelled the last part.

“You’re too stressed Yoosu. Yelling at me will lead you nowhere.” She smiled to herself. Teasing her friend has always been a favourite past time of hers.

“I get it.” Yoosu sighed. He knew scolding his friend would do nothing. “You better not do anything stupid for these s or you’ll be receiving the end of it.”

Sooji is as stubborn as a mule. Once she’s set on something, there was no stopping her.

“I can’t promise you anything. You know how I am, but I promise not to dance with an injury.” This was the only thing she could promise Yoosu.

She knew deep inside that this was only the beginning of what in store for her if she wanted to bring the group together.

Another sigh escaped from Jisoo’s caller.

“You’re really testing me here Sooji… But I will be watching. If I think it’s too much, I’ll take you away from that place whether you want it or not. Your brother will kill me when finds out that we’re leaving you on your own with these people. You know how much he disapproves of the lifestyle.”

Of course Sooji knew that. Her brother wanted a peaceful and quiet life for both of them, not the hectic schedules celebrities live by most of their lives.

“Don’t worry about me Yoosu hyung, I’m fine.” The idol assured her concerned friend.

“Like I would believe that.” Sooji could visualize her friend, Yoosu rolling his eyes as he said it.

Looking at the ceiling of her room, Sooji defended the idols. “You know, not everyone is as bad as you think”

Yoosu snorted. “Like who?”

“You won’t believe even if I tell you. Not everything that happened yesterday was all bad.”

“Tell me.” Yoosu demanded, but Soojin won’t give in.

Demanding as he is, he wouldn’t stop barging Sooji with questions and protests, so Sooji decided to end the call early.

There were things that should remain secret.

“Well, look at the time. I better get going. I still have things to do. Bye HYUNG!” Sooji rushed and shut the phone without hearing what Yoosu has to say.

The line went dead and Yoosu cursed out loud. This was the first time Sooji did that to him.

Now that Sooji was no longer sleepy, she thought of something she could do.

It didn’t take long before she decided to go to JYPE. It was the most productive thing she could come up with. The other choice was to laze around the dorm.

She got dressed and took a cab.

It was still early and she was in time for her vocal training. JYP was her vocal coach just like the rest of her group, but there were times that he wasn’t available.

For the young rookie, aside from JYP she had another vocal coach which was a male one.

“Sean Sunbae!” She called happily as she limped towards her vocal trainer.

Her trainer turned around with an expression of surprise. “Jisoo, you should be resting.”

Jisoo rested her weight on the crutches and smiled.“I would be wasting precious time. Besides, I needed something productive to do than staring at the ceiling. That won’t be good to my health. Before I can recover, I might go insane if I don’t do something.”

Sean reluctantly gave in and started with their sessions. “Fine. I’ll make sure you aren’t slacking off. I think you’re the first person I’ve seen craving for more work instead of rest.”

“Haha. I’m still lacking in a lot of things so I need put more effort.” She grinned sheepishly. Her attitude encouraged Sean to guide her along.

In the middle of their training, they were interrupted by the 2pm’s manager.

“Jisoo. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

The idol just looked at her manager with a confused expression.

Her trainer ended the session right then and there and left her with her manager avoiding to be scolded.

Minjae, 2pm’s manager just sighed and flicked his hand to disregard his earlier comment.

“JYP told me that he has good news for you.”

“What is it?” Her face brightened up.

Minjae turned to look at Jisoo. “You just received your first acting job!”

Did she hear wrong? She swore Minjae just told her that she was going to act.

“Someone saw your performance at idol army and recommended you to a director who was searching for a new talent. The director’s very well known and you’ll be part of a drama special for SBS. It’s a Christmas special. And-”

PARK JISOO was going to have an acting debut!

“-you’ll be paired up with Yoona-sshi.”

That was when the excitement died down.

“Girl’s Generation?” She hoped it was just a miscommunication, but she thought wrong.

“Who else.” Minjae smacked her head.

Oh boy.

This thought was the only thing circling around her mind. The moment, her manager mentioned a female idol- a famous one will be joining her in the drama, she forgot how to think.

“Don’t worry. The company will be there every step of the way. You don’t know how lucky you are for landing this opportunity. A lot of celebrities have wanted your part. You got to be one of the main casts. ”

Minjae mistook her surprise for nervousness because of being paired to a female idol. His reassurance didn’t make anything better for Jisoo.

When they came home, Sooji was welcomed by Chansung who had a goofy smile on his face.

The knowledge that there was someone in the group, who supported her, made her day a little better.

“Can we have Curry tomorrow?” The previous maknae whispered to him.

She laughed “Can’t. I don’t have the ingredients. Maybe after tomorrow?” Jisoo suggested.

“Ok!” Chansung beamed like a six-year old child.

She was happy for a moment until the other members came into view.

Apparently, they weren’t too happy about Chansung being friends with the new member.

They were leering at the Jisoo who just entered the dining room together with Chansung.

In front of the manager, they remained quiet and waited until he was out of sight.

Jisoo didn’t say anything. She saw how the others looked at her when she was with Chansung.

Anger rose from Taecyeon and called. “Chansung can I talk to you for a sec?”

Without waiting a reply, Taecyeon dragged his co-member Chansung to one of the rooms.

“What the hell Chansung!” Taecyon exclaimed.

“What?” Chansung feigned innocence. “He’s not that bad.”

“So you’re siding with him now? Is that how it is?!” The older one temper rose.

“Hyung you don’t know what he’s doing for us. He cares for the group more than you think.” Chansung defended the rookie.

Taecyon couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his friend. Chansung was supposed to be the troublemaker.

What happened? One moment he was so angry at the new guy then suddenly, he was friends with him.

“Traitor.” Taecyon muttered but Chansung heard him loud and clear.

“You’re being childish hyung.” The younger meant it as an insult and left Taecyon by himself.

He returned to the others with a happy expression on his face knowing he just scolded his hyung. “What’s for dinner? I’m hungry!”

After dinner, Chansung helped Jisoo back to her dorm.

As soon as the two settled in, the maknae couldn’t help herself but tell the news.

“Minjae-hyung just told me that I have been offered an acting role.”

“Really? That’s great!” He took a sip of his drink which he just took from the table in the living room. “Which acting project would it be?”

“Hyung said it was a Christmas Special” She added.

Chansung almost spilled his drink when he heard what the maknae told him. “You mean the drama special which include top stars and SNSD’s Yoona?”

“I don’t know about the other cast but manager-hyung did mention Yoona sunbae.” The younger shrugged.

“Man! You’re so lucky! There are a lot of idols coveting a slot for that drama. They say it would be directed by a famous director.”

Jisoo shyly smiled.

The recording for the drama took place after a few days after 2pm’s manager informed her. The rookie received her script a day before the actual filming.

According to the information she received, there were a total of 8 main casts which included her and SNSD’s Yoona, who will be paired up with her.

Being reminded of her partner, she didn’t want to think about the possibility of a kiss scene. Just thinking about it was causing her to shiver all over. When the time comes, she would worry about it then.

Other than her and Yoona, there were two others who are about their age. As it turns out, it was MBLAQ’s Lee Joon and T-ara’s Eunjung.

The drama was divided into two parts. The first part concentrates on the older cast while the second part will concentrate on Jisoo together with the remaining three idols.

The second part of the drama will start in a bakeshop where all the remaining actors will be connected.

For Jisoo’s role, she would be playing as an aloof pastry chef and she was friends with the patron musician which will be played by Lee Joon. Eunjung will also be a patron while Yoona will be playing an eccentric girl begging Jisoo to take her as an apprentice.

Jisoo was a little relieved that there were people her age in the drama but it also nervous how they will react on set.

The only thing she could do was hope for the best and do the best she can without revealing the truth about her.

“Jisoo good luck!” Chansung, her only friend in the group cheered for her before she headed out to the film location.

The maknae had CC along with her to act as a temporary manager since 2pm’s manager needed to be with the majority. It was even a relief that she got a female companion. Even for a little while, she could feel like a girl in the world she had to live as a man.

“Hello I’m 2pm’s Park Jisoo. It’s nice to meet you all” She bowed while she leaned on her crutches.

It seemed like luck was with her since they were welcoming. No one gave her ill looks and was friendly and at the same time professional.

“Jisoo-ah! Im Yoona” Yoona grabbed Jisoo’s hand and shook it. She had a smile in her face.

Jisoo blushed a bit and smiled back. “It’s nice to meet you Yoona sunbae”

“Drop the honorifics. We should get comfortable as possible to be able to work well. Just Yoona-shi, okay?”

The rookie’s heart jumped a little. Yoona was the first female idol she met and she was very pleasant. She shyly nodded at the female idol.

Yoona was very nice when she met her. Jisoo envied her not just because of her looks but because she’s the epitome of all female idols.

Lee Joon was a little different that she expected. She had seen the male idol work the stage and he was very different. On screen, he was dark mysterious but when the cameras are not rolling; he was very goofy just like Chansung.

Eunjung the other female idol was also nice to her but she was somewhat careful. She was a little distant when she greeted Jisoo but it didn’t discourage her.

After the introductions, the filming started immediately. Jisoo had no problems with the script since she already memorized them as soon as she got the script from her manager.

The work was exhausting. It was a little hard because she was still wearing a cast and in her scenes, she had to stand on both feet and get rid of the crutches. Jisoo had to balance and act at the same time. It took her awhile to get the hang of it.

Out of the scene she was included in, Jisoo liked the baking scene the most. Because of background in cooking which included baking, there was no need for a double which pleased the director. This scene included also the other three. This was the scene where Yoona will fall in him. The other idols enjoyed watching her scene since it was like watching a cooking show. The other two; Lee Joon and Eunjung were mere spectators.

“Cut! Good work. Next Scene!” The director said and the idols and the other extras stopped acting.

The other actors on the scene were still looking at the newly baked pastry. Jisoo made a cream puff and the aroma filled the room. Even the staff couldn’t help but wonder what it tastes like.     

As soon as the cameras stopped recording, Lee Joon, Yoona and Eunjung rushed towards Jisoo and tasted one. Other actors stood near them, looking at the delicious looking goods.

“Wow! This is so good!” Eunjung savoured the cream puff she just picked. “I have to be careful or else my figure would be ruined.”

“Wow! Jisoo Where did you learn to cook like this?” Lee Joon grabbed a mouthful of the pastry.

“It was my bro- I mean a hyung from my neighbourhood. He cooks a lot and taught me most of what I know while I learned the other things by myself.” She almost forgot that Park Jisoo doesn’t have a brother. Her male identity was supposed to be the only child.

It was a relief they didn’t caught her in the lie.

“Not fair! You’re better than me!” Yoona pouted and it looked like a CF ad.

The rookie laughed. “It takes years of practice noona. I’m not that good.” She started cleaning up the utensils she used. This has always been a habit of hers. Her brother, Haehyun taught her that tools of the trade should be treated with care.

“You know if you’re a woman, you can make any guy fall for you. Remember the saying, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’.”

This made the rookie laugh again, but it didn’t hide the fact that she blushed a bit.

“That is seriously disturbing Lee Joon” T-ara’s Eunjung pointed out to the idol.’

Lee Joon smiled awkwardly.

Then, they all laughed.

Jisoo let out a small sigh while seeing the others laughing at Lee Joon’s weird comment.

If they only knew.

Jisoo shared the other remaining cream puffs to the other extras and staff. The director got to taste the pastry and praised the maknae for her skills.

After the opening scene, individual shots followed. The 2pm member watched her fellow actors in their scenes attentively. She wanted to exceed everyone’s expectations of her.

“Working hard maknae? You look tired.” Jisoo felt something heavy on her head and realized that it was CC whose chin was resting on top of her head.  

“Didn’t get much sleep. I was too nervous for today.” She said without looking at CC.

“I bet you miss being you.” When she meant ‘you’, CC was pertaining to the female side of Jisoo.

“Sometimes. I miss my friends more.” Only when the coordi mentioned it, she realized how much CC was right. It has been far too long since she last wore girl clothes. Every once in a while she wanted to feel like a girl even though she prefers male clothing.

She hated to admit that the inner girl in her was screaming to get out. Probably sometime soon, she’ll be able to.

CC was still resting her chin on the maknae’s head and in other’s perspective, they looked like a couple.

Some of the staff noticed their closeness and started whispering to each other. The rookie noticed them in the corner of her eyes and sighed.

“Noona” She called the stylist’s attention. Instead of moving away, she went closer and brought her arms around Jisoo.

“Let them speculate.” CC mumbled.

The idol sighed loudly. For the short time Jisoo spent with the CC, she understood that one of the things CC likes to do best is to irritate people and play games.  

“We can’t afford any more issues. I don’t think JYP will be happy if we add another to his list.” She tried persuading her. The only thing that works on CC was persuasion. Pushing CC wouldn’t do any good. And sometimes, asking nicely doesn’t work either.

Luckily for this time, the stylist gave in to Jisoo’s request.

Reluctantly, CC released the 2pm idol. She understood what the younger one was trying to say, but she couldn’t help but tease those people who can’t keep minding their own business.

The shoot ended late in the evening.

CC helped her until they reached the 2pm dorms. They said their goodbyes and Jisoo went inside her own unit. She didn’t bother dropping by the main dorm. Her body was screaming for some rest and she was too tired.

As soon as her head landed on a soft cushion, she fell asleep.

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Things were going well for the drama. Hints about the upcoming drama special have began circulating online and a lot people have become curious about it. Since no specific details about the main cast, numerous celebrities have been speculated to be part of the drama. The media asked for details from the producers of the drama, but all lips were sealed tight. This only made the public excited.

Because of the growing interest of the public, the staff and all the people working on the drama had a newfound energy within them. They were more active and efficient, causing the production to finish sooner than expected.

Instead of a whole week dedicated to the drama, the production will be finished 2 days earlier.

Jisoo concentrated on acting. There was little time to talk to the other members even when Chansung drops by, they rarely talked.

Jisoo dreaded this day. It was the day she and Yoona will have one of the two kissing scenes they would be having. It was also the same day that her cast would finally be removed. She also had to shoot a running scene and the idol was a little nervous about it since the doctor advised her to take it easy.

Whenever the rookie remembers the scene she had to do with Yoona, she couldn’t help but feel restless. Who wouldn’t? She was still a girl. It didn’t mean she hadn’t kissed one, but it was a onetime thing. Her friend, Mina had to pay dearly for it.

“Jisoo?” It was Yoona who visited her in the dressing room.

A hard thumped came from her heart. She was too nervous for the shoot and Jisoo feared she would ruin it.

“Yoona sunbae?” Her voice betrayed her uncaring smile she gave Yoona.

Yoona approached her with a smile. “Tsk. I said not to call me that. So- how are you feeling? Pretty nervous”

The younger one nodded her head. “I’m afraid I’m gonna ruin the shoot today.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re far better than I when I first got started. Don’t worry. You’ll do fine trust me. I’ll help you, okay?”

Jisoo felt a little better with Yoona’s encouragement.

In the end, the shoot ended better than expected. Jisoo had difficulty relaxing in the beginning but somehow, she managed to overcome the awkwardness she was feeling. Thanks to Yoona’s encouragement, it didn’t take long for them to be comfortable and end the shoot smoothly.

------

The next and final shoot for the drama was in Jeju Island. When Chansung heard about it, he was so jealous that he almost threw a fit in front of the new maknae, Jisoo. Jisoo assured the former maknae to bring souvenirs to compensate for him not being able to go.

As expected it Jeju was exactly like in the movies. Even as they stepped outside the airport, Jisoo could smell the fresh breeze from the sea. This was the first time to come to Jeju Island.

The Jeju island shoot wasn’t supposed to be included in the production plans, but as a treat all cast members will be going.

For the final and last shoot, the production made last minute changes which altered the last scenes for Jisoo, Yoona, Lee Joon, and Eunjung’s to be altered.

Jisoo and Yoona’s final scene was supposed to end with their kiss scene but they added a vacation episode for the entire main cast to be part of.

The concept was a vacation to remember where each couple will be having an adventure story. For Yoona and Jisoo’s story, their relationship would be put to the test when Jisoo’s character found out that he has a terminal disease and decided to break it off with Yoona after the vacation. Yoona found about his condition sooner than expected and remain stubborn until the end. Their story ended with the couple still together, embracing each other with tears on their eyes.