"Nayeon, the whole purpose of a security team is that it's.... a team," Sana says while putting a lunch box next to Nayeon's bed, "If it's a one-person team, then there's no point." 

Nayeon grabbed the lunch box, quickly opening and eating it.

"I asked you to bring me three eggs and I'm only seeing two," Nayeon says while glaring at Sana, "You owe me an egg now, Sana." 

"Nayeon unnie, are you okay?" Tzuyu grabs a chair from the corner of the room and pulls it next Nayeon's hospital bed, "We were really worried about you." 

"I wasn't," Jeongyeon says while stealing a sausage from Nayeon's lunch box, "Nayeon has the hardest head in South Korea. I knew you were gonna be fine."

Nayeon quickly puts her hand over her food, not wanting Jeongyeon to take another one. 

"I would appreciate it if you didn't steal my food today Jeongyeon. I'm so sick of porridge," Nayeon says while taking another massive bite of rice, "It's all Jihyo brings me."

"Sana unnie," Dahyun says while sitting on the couch on the other side of the room, "You should be happy she even agreed to have anyone follow her. I thought Nayeon would've held off on having a security detail forever." 

Sana went to sit next Dahyun on the couch. 

"I guess I was surprised Nayeon gave Jihyo conditions at all, but that doesn't mean I like them," Sana says, "I don't understand a lot of them either." 

Nayeon angrily slammed her chopsticks on the makeshift table, turning everyone's heads.

"This is the first time I'm seeing you guys in three days. Can't we talk about something else?" Nayeon says while laying back down, "Jihyo was yelling at me for three hours about how reckless I was yesterday and I'm not in the mood to be scolded by more girls who are younger than me." 

"Nayeon unnie, I seriously don't understand the height requirement you put on the list," Dahyun says while reading off a copy of the list Jihyo gave her, "Why do they have to be "no more than two centimeters taller or shorter than me" as one of the most important conditions?" 

Nayeon sighed in defeat and sat back up, acknowledging that her members wouldn't be listening to her requests. 

"It's pretty simple. If they're too tall or short compared to me, it'll make me look bad in photos and that's the last thing I need." Nayeon says as if it's obvious, "I don't want to look like a giant or a midget." 

"What about this one, "has to be less attractive than me". Why is this the number one condition?" Sana says.

"Sana, come on. She always has to be the prettiest in the room, you know that." Jeongyeon says while trying to grab another sausage. 

Nayeon smacks Jeongyeon's hand away before it could even reach the table. 

"This one confused me." Dahyun says, "Why can't they carry any guns or knives? Don't you want them to like... protect you?"

Nayeon took another big bite before answering. 

"I don't want guns in the dorm," Nayeon says after swallowing, "And you know I hate knives."

"Yeah, we know you hate knives," Jeongyeon says as she plops down next to Sana on the couch, "That's why you never cook on dinner nights, you bum."

"That, and she at cooking," Tzuyu says while laughing, "Remember when she tried to make me a birthday cake, it tasted horrible." 

"HEY! You said you liked it," Nayeon said with a pout, "You ate like three slices." 

"I only ate it because you made it," Tzuyu says while shuddering, "I'm never asking for you to make me a cake for my birthday again."

"Nayeon, your security team should really have more than one person if you don't want them holding any weapons," Sana says, "One person with zero weapons isn't going to do much against someone who probably wants to kidnap you. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan had a gun." 

"If it's more than one person, It's going to be a massive hassle to bring them anywhere. I don't want to ask multiple people for permission to leave, just to have them follow me there anyways. You know most security personnel don't listen. Remember when we went to Japan? The security we hired was way too much. They followed us to our hotel and it just made us stick out even more. Also, if it's only one person, they could probably live with us instead of having to rent the apartment next to ours." 

"I guess that makes sense. But still, I don't know. I'm just worried." Sana says, "As much as I hate you, I don't want you getting hurt. I guess we kinda need your vocals and stuff." 

"Did you just compliment me?" said Nayeon, wrapping her hands around her head, "Or is the concussion making me hallucinate?"

"Forget it, I fed your already massive ego too much today. I hope you get kidnapped." Sana snaps back.

"If Jihyo can't find someone to watch you by the time he lands in Korea, you know she's gonna be forced to hire the team that guarded us in Japan," Jeongyeon says, "Jihyo has a lot of connections, but I doubt she knows any secret service members or highly trained security guards." 

"Yeah, who is she gonna find that fits all those requirements in four days," Dahyun says, "You're eliminating most of the male population with that height requirement."

"If it doesn't match those requirements, I'm gonna make those guards lives a living hell until the day I di-," 

Before Nayeon could finish, the door to her room slides open. In the doorway is a girl with a box of fried chicken in her hands.

"Son Chaeyoung, I could marry you right now," said Nayeon.

"I'd rather die, but thanks for the offer," Chaeyoung says as she places the box of fried chicken in front of Nayeon, "How are you doing idiot? Jump out of any more windows recently?"

"Very funny," Nayeon says while opening the box, "I would be mean back but I guess this makes up for it." Nayeon held up a chicken leg. 

"Man, what did you say to Jihyo?" Chaeyoung said while grabbing a piece of chicken for herself, "She has been freaking out at the office for the last few hours. I had to leave the building because she kept interrupting me in my office, complaining about some height requirement and how much she hates you."

"Nayeon agreed to have security guard, but she gave an oddly specific list of conditions to Jihyo," Sana said while getting up to grab a piece of chicken, "Jihyo's probably going crazy looking for someone who fits Nayeon's criteria."

"Let me see the list." 

Dahyun handed Chaeyoung the list before grabbing a chicken thigh for herself.

"Jesus, Nayeon. No weapons? That's gonna be hard." 

"That's what I said!" Sana says with chicken in , "That's not even security at that point, that's just a sixth member of TWICE."

"Nayeon, you should cut Jihyo a break. She was really freaking out at the office. She called a bunch of agencies and didn't meet any of your requirements. I think the weapons were a deal-breaker, along with individual security. Most agencies only allow groups of three as their minimum and they're mandated to carry pocket knives and guns."

Nayeon stopped eating and looked at Chaeyoung.

"Do I look like someone who falters just because Mommy Jihyo is stressed? If you haven't noticed, making Jihyo stressed is one of my main personality traits. It's a Im Nayeon trademark to get Park Jihyo to hate me." 

"It's not just Jihyo who you get to hate you. Jihyo is a god for being able to tolerate you every day." Chaeyoung says while ruffling Nayeon's hair.

"I'm gonna head back to the office now, I only came to drop off food for you guys. I have to start working on sidetracks for GOT7's next comeback. Can I take this list Dahyun?" Chaeyoung said while heading out the door.

"Sure, anything for the bringer of fried chicken," Dahyun says while taking another bite.

"Bye Chaeyoung." All five of them said as Chaeyoung shut the door behind her. 

"You know, we can just go on hiatus until he gives up and goes back to Brazil," Tzuyu said quietly to Nayeon, "None of us would mind."

"Yeah, we don't care unnie," said Dahyun, "We could all use a little vacation, maybe go traveling. It's not a big deal."

"You guys, we're not going on hiatus because of me," Nayeon says firmly, "We already had to delay our comeback two weeks because of him."

"But this is about your safety. If you get kidnapped, I guess I would be kinda sad." Sana says humorously. 

"We spent months in the recording studio with Chaeyoung, writing and recording songs. We spent months practicing all the choreos for our main track and our sides. We aren't going on hiatus and that's final." 

"It's not like you can perform anyways," said Jeongyeon, "You got a concussion and a sprained wrist. No way Jihyo letting you record for the music video, let alone perform live."

"Doctor said wrist would heal in two weeks, three max," Nayeon said holding up her wrapped wrist, "And I swear to god, Jihyo was being so dramatic with the concussion. It's a grade two concussion, best case scenario is that only need one week of rest and checkup every three days to see if I have any symptoms. Other than that, I'm fine to dance and sing. Our music video filming schedule is in 15 days. We are coming back in three weeks no matter what."

The rest of the members stayed silent, not wanting to object their leader. 

"Now, can we eat? Chaeyoung walked all the way to the hospital on her short little legs to drop this off. Let's not let it go to waste."

Zero objections were made.

---

Chaeyoung walked back to the office building, silently staring at the list of conditions Nayeon gave Jihyo.

She entered the JYPE building and got into the elevator. She pressed floor number 10 without even looking up, it was like muscle memory. The elevator arrived on her floor and she started walking to her room. Chaeyoung opened the door, walked to her chair, and sat down without looking up once. 

"What are you looking at?"

Chaeyoung flinched so hard, she banged her knee on her desk. 

", what the hell." Chaeyoung put the paper down on her desk and looked up. She saw Jihyo laying on the couch, laughing.

"Why are you in my room? You gotta couch in your office too, you know that?" Chaeyoung says while holding her knee, "Either that or you just missed me too much."

"You have the most comfortable couch in the entire building, don't flatter yourself," Jihyo says while sitting up, "I'm feeling pretty defeated Chaeyoung. I called thirty different Korean agencies and they all said they couldn't release individual security without the addition of a weapon. I was always planning on ignoring her stupid "less attractive than her" rule and the height one, but I can't ignore the knife one. I tried contacting a couple of foreign agencies as well, but they had really strict rules too and it just didn't work out."

"What's her big issue with weapons anyways?" Chaeyoung says while opening the mini-fridge under her desk, "She's like in her mid-twenties and she's still afraid of things like that?"

Jihyo stands up and walks towards Chaeyoung's desk. She grabs a drink and sits back down before she starts. 

"I know she doesn't like guns because she doesn't like them hanging around the dorm. But I don't really know what her issue is with knives," Jihyo says while opening her bottle, "I remember though, when she was still a trainee and I was in my third year of college, I invited her to my dorm for the first time. My college gave upperclassmen dorms with kitchens that had a stove and a lot of counter space to cook, so I was planning on making our food." Jihyo took a long sip before continuing.

"But, when I pulled the knife out from the counter, she freaked out. Like not just normal freaking out, Nayeon was full-on hyperventilating. She even ran to the bathroom to throw up. I had to wash her hair in the shower and change her into a pair of pajamas. She couldn't stop shaking for hours." 

"Did you ask her what was wrong?" Chaeyoung asked.

"I tried asking her the next day, but she just said it was nothing and tried to change the topic. I just assumed it was a panic attack and that it wasn't a big deal. I didn't even know it was a knife that set her off until a few months later when they debuted."

"What happened then?" 

Jihyo put her drink down before replying.

"They usually went to Korean restaurants when they were trainees because all the foreign restaurants in Seoul were too expensive. But their debut was confirmed and we wanted to celebrate so we went to an American steakhouse. Korean restaurants usually only have chopsticks and a spoon, but this steak house had this big steak knife on the table. The second Nayeon sat down, she started hyperventilating and she fell out of her chair. Tzuyu and Jeongyeon had to carry her to the bathroom to get her to calm down. The members told me she didn't leave her room for two days after that. "

"Wow," Chaeyoung says while taking another sip, "So I guess weapons are a big no." 

"Yeah," Jihyo plopped back down on the couch, laying down with her hands over her eyes, "A really big no."

"I always wondered why she always came inside last for company dinners. I'm assuming it's so the members can make sure there are no knives on the table?"

"Yeah. Most people think it's because she's cocky and stuff, I mean she is a cocky little , but it's mainly because she can't look at knives. I tried to explain to people but she said not too. She's like that, you know?"

Chaeyoung hummed in silence thinking back to all the times she and Nayeon went out to eat. She never noticed how Nayeon hated knives before, but now that she's looking back, Nayeon has never eaten anything requiring a knife.

"Anyways, if I don't find an agency that allows one-on-one security without a weapons requirement by the end of this week, the higher-ups are going to force Nayeon to use a team. And I don't know about you, but I do not want to be the one to break the news to Nayeon. I think she might actually kill me."

"Why don't you start focusing on things other than an agency? Like a freelance worker?" 

"I did, but it's too risky. This person is going to be following Nayeon around everywhere. We can't have headlines about Nayeon's bodyguard secretly being a racist or a murderer. When it comes to freelance workers, their background is so hard to check fully because they're so secretive. I can't risk another controversy, this whole Ryan situation is already too much. Also, a lot of fans have been pretending to be freelance security, and to invite a stalker into their dorms while trying to protect her from an already existing stalker is too much of a headache to even fathom. My hands are tied." 

Chaeyoung didn't reply immediately. She looked deep in thought. Like she was weighing her options on what to say next. 

"You good Chaeyoung? Am I ranting too much? I can leave if you have work." 

Chaeyoung stayed silent for another moment before responding. 

"I know someone."

Jihyo jumped up from the couch, running towards Chaeyoung, wrapping her tightly in her arms.

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Oh my god Chaeyoung, you're a life sa-"

"They're not a security guard." 

Jihyo's excitement quickly died, her arms weakening and falling to her sides.

"I was reading the list the whole way back from the hospital. It reminded me of someone I knew back in the day... I don't know, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"Who?" Jihyo said while leading against Chaeyoung's desk, half sitting, half standing.

"I don't know. They're not really a security guard or part of any agency. She's pretty decent at martial arts though, she never lost a fight before... I don't know. I shouldn't have mentioned it. I doubt they would agree. Not now." Chaeyoung says, with a hint of sadness lingering at the end of her words. 

"How did I not think of that! Professional Martial artists don't use weapons, they're perfect " Jihyo says, but her face falls as quickly as it came, "Wait... I don't know any professional martial artists, let alone who would commit to watching a Kpop Idol. I can't use a retired martial artist either, they're too old... How old is this friend of yours?"

"She's two years younger than Nayeon."

"24? Does she teach kids now? Or is it like a hobby of hers? Because even if she was a recreational martial artist, she could still buy us some time in trying to find a professional."

Chaeyoung's face fell a little before responding.

"She had to retire early for... personal reasons. She doesn't even live in Korea and I don't think she'll be coming any time soon. "

Jihyo slumped her shoulders at the news and stood up. 

"Damn, I got all excited for nothing," Jihyo started walking to the door, "Are you sure you can't call her? There's a lot of mental benefits to rekindling friendships."

"I don't think so Jihyo," Chaeyoung says while giving a soft, sorrowful smile, "Some things are better left untouched."

Jihyo gave Chaeyoung a look of understanding, realizing this must've been a sensitive topic for the younger girl.

"I guess it's back to square one. I'm gonna go call a couple of Chinese agencies before I start practicing the script I'm gonna recite to Nayeon when I break the news to her." 

Jihyo left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Chaeyoung alone to bathe in silence. 

'I can't call her, not now. It's been years. You went two years avoiding every thought of her, you can do a couple more.' Chaeyoung thinks to herself.

Chaeyoung decided to start working on writing GOT7's new songs to get the newly resurfaced memories out of her head. She is responsible for three out of the eight songs in their album, including the main title track. There was a lot of work to be done.

It took Chaeyoung ten minutes of staring at a blank piece of paper to realize that this wasn't going to work. So she got up again to take a walk around the building. She took the elevator to the ground floor, wanting to go to the cafeteria to see if anyone she knew was there.

Chaeyoung needed a good distraction. 

She walked into the cafeteria and got a cup of water from the water machine before sitting down at one of the tables. 

"Did you guys hear about Jihyo sunbaenim?" 

Chaeyoung couldn't help but overhear the conversation the trainees were having behind her. 

"Yeah, she might be getting promoted to Co-Executive PR alongside Kim Woohyuk sunbaenim. I heard he wasn't too happy about that, especially because she's three years his junior." said one female trainee. 

"She deserves it. Every comeback she leads with Twice is a massive hit." said another female trainee. 

Chaeyoung smiled at that. Everyone knew Jihyo was a genius when it came to PR and marketing, but that doesn't mean she hasn't had her fair share of obstacles within the company. She was young and female. It took twice the work and three times the accomplishments to be recognized equally in a male-dominated buisness. Chaeyoung had also had her fair share of obstacles as the only female producer working in the Seoul branch of JYPE buildings. She fought for every opportunity when she was an intern and it led to her becoming one of the youngest songwriters/producers in the industry. 

"The only reason why Jihyo sunbaenim got all the opportunities to lead in projects is because of Nayeon sunbaenim being a stubborn little , only requesting Jihyo to lead in PR for every comeback. I swear, Jihyo isn't even that good." said a male trainee. 

Chaeyoung almost jumped out of her seat to yell the trainee, but before she could, another trainee chipped in. Stoping her in her tracks.

"Are you stupid? Nayeon is the one tanking Jihyo now. I heard if Jihyo doesn't deal with this whole stalker situation well, she's not going to get the promotion. I think the higher up's are going to switch TWICE's lead PR to Lee Hanwoo their new comeback."

"I heard Nayeon sunbaenim doesn't want a security team because she's secretly dating someone and she doesn't want them exposing her relationship." 

"Really? I heard it was because Nayeon sunbaenim thinks she's stronger than Ryan sunbaenim. I heard she was going to beat the crap out of him."

"Isn't she suicidal? I heard this situation was giving her depression and that's why she jumped out the window." another trainee added in.

"I heard if Jihyo doesn't find someone to guard Nayeon sunbaenim, she's getting fired."

"No way! She's way too important for that. But I did hear some talk about Nayeon being kicked out of the grou-"

Chaeyoung had enough of the gossiping. She loudly stood up, letting the chair scrape the cafeteria floor. The trainees behind her jumped and quickly looked down at their laps, wanted to avoid eye contact. 

"Let's leave the cafeteria to eating and small talk, not gossiping about your superiors," Chaeyoung said, giving the trainees a small smile, "You're lucky it was me listening in instead of someone else. Things like this could be career-ending for you guys if it falls into the wrong ears." 

"Sorry Chaeyoung sunbaenim," said one of the female trainees. 

"I'm not asking for your apologies. Just be careful next time. There are a lot of ears and eyes on you guys. JYPE takes personality into account just as much as the rest of your talents," Chaeyoung starts walking towards the exit.

 "There are ears and eyes everywhere, evaluating you guys. Good luck with dance training in thirty minutes, Jinwoo." Chaeyoung said as she was exiting the cafeteria, a smirk on her planted on her face.

"Thank you?" the trainee who called Nayeon a looked up, giving a confused stare to his senior walking out of the room.

Chaeyoung walked silently to around the ground floor, trying to digest the information that she just got. She knew most of the gossip was false, trainees didn't always have the most reliable source of information. But if the information regarding Jihyo's promotion was true, it would explain why she was so stressed about finding someone to guard Nayeon. This was important for Jihyo. Chaeyoung had heard Jihyo mention this promotion briefly in conversation before. Jihyo was never one to let others worry about her, but anyone who knew Park Jihyo knew this was probably the most pressing issue on her belt. Chaeyoung was naturally talented at songwriting and producing, creating music at the young age of 12. Chaeyoung came from a wealthy family, a family where her hobbies could be turned into a profession with her own hard work and determination. She never had to worry about money in her entire life. Chaeyoung knew she was privileged in that aspect. But Jihyo came from a lower-middle-class family. She paid for her own college and her income increased came from each promotion she got. If the information she got was true, it would mean she would be getting a significant pay raise. Jihyo probably didn't tell Nayeon this information, not wanting to burden the older girl. Jihyo and Nayeon were attached at the hip, everyone knew that, but Jihyo cared too much about Nayeon to let her promotion come before the older girl's comfortability. This was more than just finding a security detail for Jihyo. This was her job on the line.

 Chaeyoung sat a couch in the front office, wanting to think quietly. She weighed her options. 

1) I could tell Nayeon and Nayeon would probably agree to a team. 

2) I could call her.

Chaeyoung knew Nayeon would put her life down for Jihyo. In the five years Chaeyoung has worked at JYPE, she could confidently pick Jihyo and Nayeon to be the closest out of everyone. Nayeon was erratic, it's what made her who she was. But Jihyo was like a mother to the girl. Jihyo was the only person Nayeon listened too and it was evident Nayeon would do anything for the younger girl if she knew it was important. It would work for sure.

But Chaeyoung knew she couldn't tell Nayeon about Jihyo's promotion is on the line. Chaeyoung was good at knowing her place whenever she went. She was definitely the most liked superior in the building. She knew there was reason Jihyo didn't want to tell Nayeon, so she eliminated option number one. 

She knew what she had to do (or at least attempt to do).

Before Chaeyoung headed back to her office, she stopped on the third floor. She walked down the hall, checking the sign-in sheets outside each of the dance rooms. 

Jinwoo. 

Chaeyoung peeked her head into the studio and saw Instructor Kang writing notes on the whiteboard. 

"Hey, Chaeyoung. What brings you here?" Instructor Kang says while putting down her marker. 

"Are you training Jinwoo in 15 minutes?" Chaeyoung said, standing in the doorway. 

Instructor Kang takes the clipboard on her desk and checks the trainees who are in the next class. 

"Oh yeah, Oh Jinwoo. I have his class in a few minutes."

"Give him hell for me, would you?" 

Instructor Kang laughed at the request. 

"Damn, someone pissed Son Chaeyoung enough to get her to come all the way down here? Must have been bad. Don't worry, I'll make sure he works up a sweat today." 

"Thanks, Seulgi. I owe you one." 

"Yeah, yeah. They always say that." Seulgi said while laughing. 

Chaeyoung closed the door to the dance studio before heading for her office. 

It was time to make a long-awaited phone call to a certain Japanese martial artist. 

---

Jihyo was officially working two and a half hours overtime. She had been calling agencies all over the world, trying to find someone who could fly to Korean in less than a week. She hasn't gotten so many rejections since her first time applying for a job. Jihyo was about to ring up another agency located in France when she heard her cellphone ring.

Nayeon.

Jihyo picked up the phone. 

"Hey, Jihyo. The girls went back to the dorm for the day, sorry I couldn't call sooner. Any luck with finding someone?" 

"No, not yet. I'll find someone before the end of the week. I'm not worried." 

Nayeon and Jihyo had little in common. Everyone who knew them could tell.

But there was one thing they shared.

They were good at lying, especially to each other. They knew of course when the other way lying to them. The mentality was: if you want to talk about it, we can talk about it; but if you don't, we won't. Lying in their friendship was essential. Im Nayeon and Park Jihyo had their own reasons for lying and they respected that about each other. 

"You know, Chaeyoung brought fried chicken to the hospital today. You should take a few pointers from her and stop bringing me that awful porridge three times a day." 

"You know, those are homemade. I actually tried to make it decent for you."

"If you actually cared about me, you wouldn't try to poison me. I have an inkling that you secretly have plans to kill me. Please confirm as soon as possible so I can poison you back."

"I have more chances to kill you than you think Nayeon. Better watch out," Jihyo says, relaxing back into her chair, "Why did you call anyway?"

"I wanted to tell you that I thought of something else for the list" 

Jihyo groaned, banging her head on the back of her chair. 

"What now?"

"They have to be a slower runner than me," Nayeon said excitedly, "This is actually super important so make sure to ask whoever you hire what their mile time is. If it's less than 8 minutes, I refuse to accept that."  

"Nayeon, you realize that a security guard actually has to be athletic?" Jihyo says with disbelief, "What does it matter anyway?"

"A ton of reason, Jihyo! Let's just say I do encounter Ryan and he's running after me, trying to kidnap me," said Nayeon, "My guard could be like a good distraction for him!"

"Wh- Nayeon you have to be joking." 

"I'm not done," Nayeon says. Jihyo can hear the bedsheets ruffling. Clearly Nayeon was excited to share her ideas. 

"If we are being chased by Ryan. I have to be in the front so if there is paparazzi there, they get pictures of me. Everyone says I'm a pretty runner these days, did you know that? Anyways, I can't have some lunky man in front of me, blocking all the shots and the flas- can you stop laughing at me? I'm being serious."

"Only you would care more about how she looks while getting chased then actually being captured." 

"Opportunities Jihyo. I always tell you to take every opportunity you can get. Who says I don't apply that to myself as well?" 

"Yes grandma, I get it now." 

"Haha, very funny. Anyways, I just wanted to call to tell you that before I forgot. I'm going to sleep now, by the way. Sana and Jeongyeon yelling and Dahyun trying to calm them down was a lot. My head's been aching all day. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." 

Jihyo hung up and put her phone down next to her. 

Only Nayeon would think of such an absurdity and try to justify it. 

Jihyo knew that Nayeon was special in her own regard. Even the way they met was unique. 

To Jihyo, the universe aligned differently for Nayeon than most. For Nayeon, things worked out for the sake of working out. Jihyo quickly learned that about Nayeon seven years ago.

It was Jihyo's favorite story to tell at dinner parties. 

It was two months after speaking to Im Nayeon for the first time. Jihyo was finishing up paperwork in her booth. She was still an intern, but she was widely regarded as one of the best interns working at JYPE and was a promising youth. It was the summer, so Jihyo always worked overtime. Anything to impress her bosses. 

She was packing up for the day when she felt her pager go off. The pager was typically used for coffee runs or other minor intern duties, but this was a page to come to CEO Park's office. 

Jihyo quickly grabbed her belongings and rushed to the top floor. She ran the whole way, recollecting herself in front of his door, catching her breath. 

She knocked softly on the door. 

"Come in." 

Jihyo walked into CEO Park's office, closing the door behind her. CEO Park motioned for Jihyo to sit on the chair in front of his desk and she obliged. 

"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" 

CEO Park stood up to grab a drink out of his beverage shelf. 

"Would you like a drink Jihyo? I have banana milk, strawberry milk, water, and soda." 

"Um, water is fine."

"Wow, that's pretty boring." 

Jihyo nervously laughed at her boss's comments, feeling as if he was evaluating her. 

CEO Park sat back down, sliding Jihyo a glass of water.

"Do you want to know an interesting fact?" said CEO Park, as he cracked open his soda, "There are currently 34 interns working in this building. Did you know that?" 

Jihyo nodded. 

"Out of the 34 interns working here: 4 work in producing, 8 work in accounting, and 9 work in management. Do you know where the remaining 13 interns work Jihyo?"

"Marketing and PR sir." 

"Correct! It's a tough battleground for the marketing and PR division interns, you and I both know that." CEO Park says, taking a long sip of his soda. 

"Yes sir. It is competitive." 

CEO Park hums for a moment before continuing. 

"Jihyo, we are picking one intern from each division to watch in the JYPE auditions this year." 

Jihyo held her breathe. The air thinned in the room for Jihyo as she realized why she was called in the room. 

"Jihyo, do you know what the advantage is to watching a JYPE audition as an intern?"

"As an intern, when you provide input on the auditioner regarding the division they specialize in, it could demonstrate the intern's vision and overall ability to evaluate an idol's future abilities and their overall performance as an entertainer. For example, for producers and songwriters, it important for the interns to provide valuable input on whether the auditioner's vocals are compatible with the sound JYPE wants to broadcast." 

CEO Park smiled at the girl's response. 

"Every division is equal in responsibility and importance, Jihyo. But for this opportunity, which branch do you think inputs the most important? In terms of broadcasting the intern's ability in their respective field." 

Jihyo thinks for a moment before responding.

"Marketing and PR, CEO Park."

"Why?"

"Marketability is an extremely important trait of the JYPE idols. There are a lot of amazing singers and dancers, but JYPE idols need star power. Personality is just as important as singing and dancing. To be able to pick up on those aspects is a skill unique to marketers."

CEO Park finished off his drink, throwing the can into the trash can next to his table. 

"Our marketing team is growing old. The times are changing and we need someone younger to participate in conversations and to provide input. We aren't just auditioning for future idol's tomorrow, we're auditioning for positions in our marketing team tomorrow." 

Jihyo's eyes grow wide at the news. She was only a first-year intern. There was no way she was going to be invited to the auditions tomorrow. 

"Senior Marketer Ryu is moving to our Busan location and manager Kim is taking his place. That means that marketer Jo is becoming a manager. That leaves a spot for a low-level marketer to take Jo's spot." 

Jihyo is nearly about to her pants, waiting for CEO Park to continue. 

"Jihyo, I picked you to be auditioned tomorrow for the position." 

Jihyo's heart does a massive leap when she heard the words.

Me?

"You pitched the photobooth project for 2 P.M.'s album three months ago. Even though we didn't pick the project, it was promising work and you had great presentation skills. Then the SIXTEEN project you presented a couple of weeks ago was an eyecatcher. You have a lot of promise in becoming the next big name in marketing Jihyo."

Jihyo almost burst into tears at CEO Park's words. She worked overtime every day, bringing projects home and perfecting every detail. She participated in most mini-projects and she always contributed input at every meeting. There were many times when she thought her efforts were unnoticed, but she persisted. 

"It took a lot of convincing to get the rest of the board to pick you for tomorrow. Don't disappoint me. You can head on home now."

Jihyo jumped up from her seat, bowing four times and rapidly spitting out thank you's and "I won't disappoint you!!". Jihyo ran all the way home that day with the biggest smile planted on her face. It was only the next morning when the nerves started kicking in. 

'If I fail this audition, I'm never getting a job at JYPE'

The walk to the JYPE building that morning was a quiet one for Jihyo. On approaching the building, Jihyo could see the massive line of people waiting outside the JYPE building. Blocks of people filling the street. 

In the JYPE building, the main auditioning room was next to a conference room. The auditions being held were open auditions, meaning there was no prerequisite for entering. It was a first come, first serve system. You are solely based on the skills you bring the day of auditions. JYPE held open auditions in the Seoul location once a year. The audition period was two days long, three including results. At the end of each of the two-day auditions, all the interns watching and higher up judging would go into the conference room and discuss the top 25 auditioners they thought were promising. Then at the end of the day, they would be called in for one-on-one interviews. Out of the 25 auditioners who interviewed, 5 would be picked to be JYPE trainees. 10 trainees being picked for the year. 

The interns would be asked to pick one trainee for the interview round during the group meeting for each day and then the board would make the final decision. Each intern was to take notes on each auditioner on skill sets and visuals.

The first day of auditions went well. Jihyo noted three trainees she might pick for her final trainee presentation at the end of the day.

1) Auditioner #14 Yoo Jeongyeon:

Song for vocal evaluation: Nobody by Wonder Girls (Ballad version)

Song for dance evaluation: Honey by JYP

Special notes: Fun character, talented singer. Could use more practice with dance. Overall, a strong vocalist.

2) Auditioner #58 Park Jisung:

Song for vocal evaluation: Heartbeat by 2 P.M.

Song for dance evaluation: Growl by Exo

Special notes: Powerful dancer. Could have better vocals. Energetic.

3) Auditioner #102 Minatozaki Sana:

Song for vocal evaluation: Bad Girl Good Girl by Miss A

Song for dance evaluation: Taxi by Girls Generation

Special notes: Very unique personality. Good dancer. Needs to work on vocals. 

Intern Naeul picked Yoo Jeongyeon as the trainee to vouch for and she got a one-on-one interview. 

Jihyo picked Minatozaki Sana and she got her interview as well.

On day two of auditions, Jihyo woke up extra early. She wanted to get coffee for the seniors before auditions started. So, she headed out to the cafe next to the JYPE building. She walks into the cafe and orders the coffee. As she waited for the coffees to finish, she sat down to pass time. While waiting, Jihyo looks over to the table in the corner of the store. 

Im Nayeon. 

Jihyo still remembers the conversation she had with the older girl. She also remembers how the girl promised that she would see Jihyo again, but failed to comply. 

It was two months ago Jihyo, forget it. 

Jihyo picks up the coffee and heads out the front door. When she arrives at the building, she sees the same long line filling the entire block. 

However, Jihyo didn't notice the girl in front of the line until she got to the front door. 

"Hey, Jihyo." 

Jihyo jumps at the sound of the familiar voice. 

"Did you forget about me already?" 

"What are you doing here?" Jihyo asks, dazed, "Its' been two months Nayeon, where were you?"

"What do you think I'm doing here? I'm auditioning for JYPE," Nayeon says with a goofy grin on her face, "I had to stop coming to the building so I could practice, sorry I wasn't able to tell you. Did you miss me?" 

Jihyo wasn't going to admit how disappointed she was the first month she went without seeing Nayeon. She had finally made a friend and they only lasted one day. She wanted to get to know the older girl. Jihyo was in such shock from seeing her old friend, she only noticed what the girl was wearing. 

"You know, you're supposed to come to these auditions looking cool and well dressed," Jihyo says, looking down at the girl's attire, "You're not supposed to wear pajamas to an audition." 

"I know," Nayeon said, grabbing at her pajama pants, "But I wanted to be first in line this time and I didn't have time to change."

"This time?"

"I came yesterday at around 5 A.M. but there were already 20 girls here," said Nayeon, "So I woke up at 3 A.M. today and got here first." 

"You know the order doesn't matter? They don't care if you're first or last. It doesn't increase your chances." 

"I'm not concerned with my chances," Nayeon says causally, "But auditions begin at 9 and I have work at 10. So I wanted to finish first and run to work after. I'm employee of the month at the bookstore on 52nd street, you should visit." 

"Nayeon, practically everyone in the building knows you already."

"I know that," Nayeon says confidently, "I'm an inside joke."

"If you know that then why are you auditioning?"

"I didn't know being an inside joke meant I couldn't audition. This is an open audition right?" 

"Nayeon, I don't understand. You want to be an idol?"

Before Nayeon could respond, the door to the building opened. 

"Auditioner's Numbered 1 through 25, please come forward for registration." Yelled the front door receptionist. 

"Sorry Jihyo got to go," Nayeon said as she put her #1 sticker on her chest. 

Jihyo went ran into the building as well, remembering the coffees she had. She took the elevator and ran to the auditorium. 

She handed out the coffee's to the seniors and sat on one of the seats on the sideline.

Jihyo couldn't believe this is how she meets Im Nayeon after two months of no contact. 

'She disappears for two months and comes back to audition for JYP? I don't get it.'

There was a 10-minute wait for the judges to get settled in before auditions start. 

'I hope CEO Park goes easy on her' 

Jihyo already knew this was going to be a mess. The pajamas were bad enough, but Jihyo didn't know how CEO Park would respond to Nayeon's personality. Jihyo only had to have one conversation with the girl to acknowledge the fact that she wasn't a "normal" individual. Jihyo braced herself. 

"Auditioner Number 1, please come out onto the stage." CEO Park said into his mic. 

Jihyo recognized the walk. It was the same, elegant walk she saw that day in the cafe. She looked like a princess by the way she walked. 

Jihyo could hear the other interns and superiors laughing the second she stepped on the stage. The only one who maintained a straight face was Im Nayeon and CEO Park. 

"What is your name #1?" CEO Park said as Nayeon reached the center of the stage. 

"My name is Im Nayeon," Nayeon said confidently, not a single ounce of anxiety in her voice. It was like she was enjoying the laughter. 

"Im Nayeon, interesting choice of apparel," Jihyo recognized the judge who made the comment. Executive Hwang. She led the fashion department. She rarely accepted interns but she was always asked to come to auditions to judge the fashion sense and apply her own evaluation, "Did you forget to change on the way out?" 

Once again, everyone in the auditorium burst into laughter. Everyone except CEO Park and Nayeon. They both maintained steady composure. 

"No, I just felt like wearing this," Nayeon said with her signature bunny smile, "It's rather comfortable to dance in." 

The executive Park quickly stopped her laughter and scowled. She wasn't a fan. 

"Hey, aren't you the girl who usually stands outside our building? It is, isn't it?" The rest of the judges all joined voices in agreement, "Where have you been the past few months? We missed you."

 Nayeon's smile got wider. 

"Busy," Nayeon said quickly, "But I'm back and I'm ready to audition." 

"Let's start then." CEO Park said before someone else could ask another question. He seemed to have an oddly intrigued face on, impatient to see what the pajama-clad girl had to offer. 

"Of course." 

"What will you be singing?" CEO Park asked.

"I wrote the song," Nayeon said, taking the mic off the stand and moving the stand off stage, "It's called Kookeu." 

"Kookeu?" CEO Park eyebrows wrinkled at the name of the song, "What is it about?"

"My imaginary dog," Nayeon said while getting back to the center of the stage, "I wrote it when I was 5." 

You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium. Jihyo could feel her cheeks burning. 

"I see," CEO JYP said, he was smiling now, "You know, you're supposed to keep the mic on the stand."

"I know, but I was thinking I could combine the vocal and dance part of my audition, is that cool with you?" 

Jihyo wanted to burry herself at that point. She thought CEO Park would've kicked her off the stage by now, but on contrary to her belief, he looked uncomfortably calm. 

"You're going to dance to a song about your imaginary dog?" said the head of production and songwriting in disbelief. 

"Yes, my shift starts in 30 minutes. You guys should come to the bookstore on 52nd street. I'm an employee of the month. I can't play two whole songs and be early." Nayeon said. She didn't stutter once. 

It was dark in the auditorium, but Jihyo knew everyone's jaw was dropped. 

"Well then," CEO Park said, "We don't want you to be late and lose your employee of the month status. You can start." 

And she did. 

To say Jihyo was surprised was an understatement. 

Jihyo noted 6 things about Nayeon's audition. 

1) Im Nayeon is a really good singer. Like really good.

2) Im Nayeon is an oddly good dancer. She was flexible and fluid with her moves.

3) Im Nayeon jumped off the stage and barked at CEO Park in the middle of the dance break, which he didn't seem to hate (the other judges got the scared out of them).

4) Im Nayeon is the most confident performer to audition yet. 

5) Im Nayeon was a decent lyricist as a 5-year-old. 

6) Im Nayeon left the second she finished, not looking back once.

To say the interns and the judge's panel were surprised was an understatement. Every break they took for the rest of the day was filled with conversation about the first auditioner. It was like the rest of the contestants didn't matter. 

The auditions ended at 3 P.M. and the group moved to the conference room. 

Jihyo was going to be the last one to present since she came last (no thanks to Nayeon). 

The rest of the interns all presented who they thought was fit to be a JYPE trainee. Every auditioner who got presented was well-rounded, well-mannered, and good looking. 

Jihyo didn't know who she was going to present until she got called on. The second she saw the look on CEO Park's face, she knew who to pick. 

"The contestant I am vouching for will be Im Nayeon."

The objections came the second the name left Jihyo's mouth. 

"You're joking, right? Did you see what she was wearing?" said Executive Hwang. 

"Forget what she was wearing, she sang a song about her imaginary dog. She's crazy," said Executive Yoo. 

"Are you forgetting she barked at us? Or is that just me?" 

"Quiet down," said CEO Park, "Let her continue." 

Jihyo nodded in thanks to CEO Park before continuing. 

"At first, I immediately discarded Im Nayeon as a possible contestant. But after further, unbiased analysis," Jihyo said looking up at the Executives, "I saw that she was an exceptional vocalist. She had an above-average range and she danced with fluidity." 

"Lots of contestants can do that and be mentally sane Jihyo." said lead vocal coach Ji, "I admit, she is talented. She's got great vocal tone and she's confident when she sings." 

"She's good at dancing too," said Choreographer Oh, "She has a good vision for choreography and she's flexible. I think she's crazy, but I'm not going to deny the fact that she's a good dancer." 

"She's good at dancing and singing, but we can't ignore her song choice Jihyo. She also shortened her audition because of work, without asking us. Her image doesn't match ours. And I have to say, I'm disappointed in your choice Jihyo, I thought you would have better vision than this." said Senior Marketer Ryu.

"But she's different," Jihyo said, suddenly gaining a new burst of confidence, "She was able to perform an odd song with weird dance moves and make it look good. She's talented and we need her in our company. She's weird and her song about her imaginary puppy was an interesting choice but she was able to make feel like a real performance. I think we should call her for the interview." 

The rest of the executives and senior members mumbled words of disapproval, waiting for CEO Park to reject her presentation.

"Interesting choice Jihyo," CEO Park said, smiling at the young intern, "I think we should call her back as well." 

The room grew loud again, groans of disapproval filling the space. 

Jihyo walked back to her chair nervously. 

'Im Nayeon you better not disappoint me.'

The rest of the hour was spent picking the remaining 20 contestants to reinterview. When the clock struck 6 P.M. CEO Park had the 25 applications filled out at the front desk be brought to the conference room. Each contestant was called back and told to go to the interview room on the 10th floor where they would have a one-on-one interview with CEO Park. They had finished calling 19 of the 25 contestants when one of the interns interpreted everyone. 

"Um... CEO Park," said Intern Jung, "I found Im Nayeon's application." 

The room fell silent and the sound of Im Nayeon's name.

"So? Call her and tell her to come back to the building," said Executive Hwang. 

"Um... She didn't put a number," said Intern Jung, now holding up the paper in his hand, "She just drew in the contact information section." 

Everyone dropped what they were doing to look at the sheet. 

Im Nayeon drew a little dog on a boat in the contact information box. 

'I am so screwed' 

Jihyo could feel the stares of the other interns and seniors in the room. CEO Park had an odd look on his face. It was like he was trying to remain calm. 

"Well then," CEO Park said, "I guess we just have to wait and see if she comes back in time."

She did. 

Jihyo snapped her neck every time someone came out of the elevator. There were 6 contestants left to interview when Im Nayeon walked out of the 10th-floor elevators. 

"Where the hell were you?" Jihyo said angrily, "Why didn't leave your number in the contact information." 

Nayeon looked at the younger girl with a blank expression. 

"Jihyo, I don't have a phone." 

Oh. 

It had been two months and Jihyo seemed to have forgotten that piece of information. 

"You should be up next alphabetically," Jihyo said, finally being able to breathe clearly for the first time since she saw the poorly drawn dog on the boat, "I was so worried you weren't going to show up." 

Nayeon looked at Jihyo with a puzzled expression. 

"Why?"

Jihyo started leading Nayeon to the waiting area next to the conference room.

"I vouched for you to get an interview," Jihyo said, sitting in one of the chairs, "If you didn't show up, I would've been killed. Or worse, fired." 

"You vouched for me?" Nayeon took a seat next to Jihyo, "Why?"

"I liked your performance, " Jihyo said simply, "I didn't know you knew how to sing and dance."

Nayeon only shrugged as a response, not wanting to say much. 

"Your interview is being broadcasted to all the judges, so please don't be stupid," begged Jihyo, "My reputation is on the line." 

"IM NAYEON, WE ARE READY FOR YOU!" 

"Don't even worry about it Jihyo," Nayeon says as she stands up from her seat, "I'll make you proud." 

Jihyo got up to follow the girl. 

"Good luck," Jihyo said to the girl as she was entering the interview room. 

"Thanks," Nayeon said with a steady voice. 

"But I don't need it." Nayeon closed the door behind her, leaving an anxious Jihyo in the hallway. 

Jihyo went back into the room where all the seniors and interns were watching the interview's live. She sat on a chair and focused on the screen. 

"Hello, Im Nayeon," said CEO Park.

"Hello, Park Jin-young." 

The broadcasting room gasped in shock. Jihyo massaged her temples with her hands.

'This is gonna be the longest 15 minutes of my life' 

CEO Park maintained a steady face, nothing too expressive. 

"Im Nayeon, you sure garnered a lot of attention today with your audition today. How do you think you did?" 

Nayeon didn't even hesitate. 

"I did good." 

"Anything you would want to change?" 

"Nope." 

CEO Park folded his hands together on the desk. 

"Not a single thing?"

"Yes." 

"How can you be so sure?"

Nayeon paused before responding this time. 

"I stood outside this building for four years straight, rehearsing that performance over and over again in my brain," Nayeon said, looking around the interview room "I performed it exactly how I wanted it to be. No mistakes. No regrets." 

The entire room grew silent at her statements. Not even an executive spoke, wanting to listen to what Im Nayeon had to say.

"Four years," CEO Park said, "What made you stop at four?" 

Nayeon looked up at the camera in the corner of the room that was broadcasting the interview. 

"I had a sign come to me," Nayeon said smiling at the camera, "I knew then, that it was my time to audition." 

Jihyo reddened at the older girls' comments. It felt like Nayeon was staring straight at her. 

"Why'd you choose the song you chose?" 

"It was the only song I had ever wrote," Nayeon said as if it was obvious, "Why would I not sing it?"

CEO Park waited a moment before closing his notebook. He wasn't going to ask his planned questions anymore. 

"Why didn't you leave your number on the contact information sheet?"

Nayeon recited the same thing she told Jihyo to CEO Park.

"You could've left an email or even your workplace phone number? Are you messing with us? Is this company a joke to you?" 

Nayeon didn't even falter. 

"I didn't leave a number because I knew I was going to get an interview." Nayeon simply states.

"How did you know that?"

Nayeon went silent, thinking before for a split second before responding. 

"I know every single time your team of judges took a water break," Nayeon said while pointing at the camera, "I was the topic of the conversation."

"I know every single audition after mine seemed bland and boring compared to mine. I know when you guys were picking who to call back for interviews, you guys couldn't deny the fact that I was able to pull off the most absurdly ridiculous performance. I was able to make a childish song about my imaginary dog a worthwhile performance. The song a person picks for this audition means nothing if the performer isn't good."

"How can you be so certain that you are good in our eyes, Im Nayeon?"

"Because," Nayeon said calmly, "I know who I am and I know where I belong. I belong on the center billboard and I'm going to make it there, Park Jinyoung."

CEO Park had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Why don't you call me CEO Park? I am choosing whether or not you get to train under one of the top entertainment companies in Korea and you keep calling me Park Jinyoung. Do you think you are entitled to call me that just because you got an interview?"

Nayeon leaned into the table, acting as if she was telling him a secret. 

"I don't think I'm entitled to anything. You and I? We're the same. We both want to broadcast ourselves to the world. Make ourselves known to the public. You think just because you're the CEO, I have to respect you? I don't hand out my respect, you earn my respect just like everyone else in the world." 

The entire room watching was holding their breath, waiting for CEO Park to respond. 

'I am so getting fired' 

'I am so getting fired'

'I am so getting fired'

'I am so getting fired'

CEO Park went silent for a few moments before abruptly standing up and sticking his hand out. 

"I know results are supposed to be posted in the front entrance tomorrow, but I'll save you the trip." 

Jihyo could feel tears building in her eyes. 

'I am so getting fired'

'I am so getting fired'

'I am so getting fired'

'I am so getting fired'

"Im Nayeon trainee, I expect to see you here on August 23rd for you're first day of practice. Have a nice night." 

Nayeon stood up to shake hands with CEO Park. 

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to check anyways." And she left the room.

Jihyo thinks the stress building in was making it hard for her speak because when CEO Park walked up to her, she was speechless. The rest of the executives also stayed silent as their boss entered the room. 

"Good call Jihyo, you got the job," CEO Park said in front of everyone, "Next contestant."

Jihyo always thinks back onto the day she got the first taste real taste of who Im Nayeon was. 

The legend of Im Nayeon's audition would go down in JYPE history books. 

Jihyo's trip down memory lane was abruptly shortened when she heard a knock on the door. 

"Come in." 

Chaeyoung poked her head in the door. 

"Did you find someone for the job yet?"

Jihyo shook her head, quickly remembering the task she had at hand. 

"I called her," Chaeyoung said, "My friend from Japan, I called her." 

Jihyo jumped up from her seat. 

"What did she say?"

"She said yes," Chaeyoung said, giving a shy smile to the older girl, "She's flying down to Korea in tomorrow morning." 

Jihyo started screaming while running towards the shorter girl. 

"SON CHAEYOUNG YOU ARE A LIFE SAVIOR!" Jihyo says, wrapping her hands around the tiny music producer and lifting her up and spinning her around. 

"Wait," Jihyo abruptly stops, "What's her mile time?" 

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

---

This chapter is pretty long damn, my hand hurts. Anyways, I promise Mina will be coming in next chapter. The only character in this fic that won't be mentioned until way later on is Momo. She's going to be introduced midway or towards the end, sorry. I hope you guys enjoy this one :).