A silent, but excited tension reverberated backstage. Byulhee's legs bounced back and forth as she, Nell, Lìxúe, and Sijin waited on the sidelines with several members of Super Junior. Sijin stared at the stark white set, her heart palpitating quickly within her chest. Lìxúe's hand slipped into the maknae's hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Nell took a deep breath, steeling herself for the upcoming moment. She cast a sideways glance at Siwon, who in turn, sent her a reassuring smile.

The production director counted down until filming would begin. "...7...6 ...5 ...4 ...3 ...2--" He counted the last digit silently, pointing a finger towards the camera to signal the beginning.

Jeong Hyeongdon and Defconn walked onto the set. "Welcome everyone!" they began with a bow. "This is Idol of the Week!" They spread their arms out, as if framing the title that would be added later digitally.

"Today, we have guests from two different groups with us," said Hyeongdon. "One group has been influential with spreading the Korean Wave."

"They're a popular boy band that has been around for eleven years," added Defconn. "The last time they were on this show together was four years ago."

"The other group is a rookie girl group," continued Hyeondon.

"They're the only girl group to debut with members in their 30's," added Defconn. "But don't let that fool you. These women are idols in their own right."

"Let's give it up for..."

"Super Junior and the Starlets!" they both cried, holding their arms out as they welcomed the two groups to the set.

Eunhyuk began to run on set, stopping just in front of Byulhee, gesturing for her to jump on his back. She did so and Eunhyuk bolted onto the set, giving Byulhee a piggyback ride as she waved to the cameras on set.

Nell masked her disapproval and simply bowed to the MCs and the camera crew as she entered. Siwon followed, waving and bowing toward the nearest camera

Lìxúe smiled, waving both hands toward the cameras. Zhou Mi followed, waving a hand as he grinned towards the cameras.

Sijin waved shyly as Yesung and Ryeowook walked on set with her.

After introductions and greetings were exchanged, Defconn and Hyeongdon began to explain the rules of first game the Starlets and Super Junior were to play.

"Today, since we have a new group and a veteran group with us, we're going to do something a little different with our games today," Hyeongdon began, talking to the camera. "We want to see just how close Super Junior and the Starlets really are. With their own show, it seems the two groups are fairly close, but let's see just how well these two groups actually know about each other.""

"For our first game, we're going to put a spin on our classic 99 Second Challenge and our Grill Idol segment," Defconn added. "We're going to combine the two."

"Each group will have 99 seconds to answer questions about the other group," Hyeongdon continued. "Groups will line up and the first person in line will be given a question. Once the answer is either correct or passed, the next person in line will get a question."

"It will be a relay and each group will continue until the time runs out," Defconn said. "Each group gets three passes."

"Who will be first?" asked Hyeongdon.

"Ladies first," Eunhyuk said somewhat graciously.

"Pfft." Byulhee shook her head. "You guys just want to see how we score, so you know how many points you'll need to beat us." She sent him a knowing look.

Eunhyuk's lips feel into a guilty smile.

"Fine," Lìxúe said with a toss of her hair. "We're going to beat you anyway." She sent the camera a devious smile.

Zhou Mi shuddered. He leaned close to Eunhyuk. "Careful, Devil Lì has arrived."

Hyeongdon and Defconn grinned at Lìxúe's competitiveness. "It looks like it's going to be a fierce competition," Defconn mused as the crew began to set up for the game.

Lìxúe turned to her fellow members, her eyes gleaming as she pulled them into a huddle. "There's no way we can lose." She eyed Byulhee. "You're our starter. Next, we'll have Sijin. Then Nell. Then me. Alright?"

"That should be fine," Sijin replied as the women broke away from their huddle.

"Let's gooooo!" Byulhee squealed as she took first place in the line-up.

"Ready?" Hyeongdon asked, looking at the women.

"Ready Freddy!" replied Byulhee with a salute.

"1... 2... 3... GO!"

The timer began and the first question card was held up.

Name the Super Junior members.

"What?" Eunhyuk exclaimed, pointing at the sign. "That's not fair! That's too easy."

Byulhee snickered at him. "LeeteukHeechulHanGengYesungKanginShindongSungminEunhyuk--" she began, rattling off the names as quickly as possible."--ZhouMiDonghaeSiwonRyeowookKibumKyuhyunHenry." She threw her fist in victory and ran to the end of the line before Defconn could even say that the answer was correct. She sent Eunhyuk a wink.

Sijin let out a breath as the question card was revealed.

What is Yesung's real name?

"Kim Jongwoon!" she yelled without missing a beat. She hurried off to the end of the line.

Yesung looked slightly surprised, partially proud at Sijin's answer. It was nice knowing that she knew his real name.

What animal is Siwon often compared to?

"A horse," Nell said, flashing the camera a smile over how simple the question was.

Lìxúe's eyes flashed with fiery determination.

What Super Junior member has worn a pink nightie before?

"Sungmin!"

The Super Junior members exchanged glances. She knew that? Sure, they used to talk about it on variety shows years ago, but she remembered that information.

Zhou Mi held back a laugh. He knew Lìxúe well. There was practically nothing that she couldn't handle. And when it came to winning, well, she was in a whole other league.

Defconn and Hyeongdon seemed shocked that she knew the answer as well.

"What kind of question is that anyway?" remarked Hyeongdon.

"Super Junior's company provided us with some odd questions," muttered Defconn under his breath when his face was out of view of the camera.

What is the name of Super Junior's fan club?

"E.L.F. Ever Lasting Friends!" shouted Byulhee.

Who plays the violin?

"Henry!" called Sijin with a smile.

Name all the members in Super Junior- T.

"Eunhyuk, Kangin, Heechul--" Nell began, counting them off on her fingers. "--Leeteuk, Shindong, and Sungmin."

Which member loves 'Toy Story'?

"Zhou Mi," Lìxúe replied casually.

What is the name of Donghae's fanclub?

"ELFish."

What is the name of the repackage of Super Junior's sixth album?

"S.P.Y."

Who played the panda mascot in 'Attack on the Pin-Up Boys'?

Nell sighed quietly. She disliked that tasteless movie. It was utterly disgusting. The boys of Super Junior deserved something better. They were all talented beings, they could have had an amazing movie if SM would have put a little more effort into them. "Ryeowook," she said, answering the question. "Ryeowook played the panda in the movie. Leeteuk played the panda in the music video of Wonder Boy."

"I think that answer deserves two points, don't you?" Defconn asked.

Hyeongdon nodded. "Yep. Two points for that answer."

The members of Super Junior protested, but without result. 

Lìxúe grinned, high-fiving Nell as she went by. They were going to win this game without a doubt. 

As the timer counted down, the Starlets continued to answer the questions correctly, only passing one question which was particularly challenging. They ended the game with a solid seventeen points. It was then Super Junior's turn. However, they were less than successful and completed their turn with only ten points.

Lìxúe looked around at her fellow members. Things were off to a good start and it was only going to get better from there. 

****

Laughter filled the hall as Byulhee, Lìxúe, Nell, and Sijin stepped out of the elevator and walked toward their dorm. Theirs spirits were lifted as they reminisced over the victory of their first variety show performance. Not only had they bested Super Junior at every game, but they even beat them at their own dances in 'Random Play Dance'.

"Did you see the look on Eunhyuk's face?" Byulhee cried with a chuckle as she thought about how surprised he was at how well the Starlets knew the dances to Super Junior's songs. Actually, she had a hard time not drooling over Eunhyuk's dancing during the shoot. Why did he have to be so y? If only-- No. No. It was not going to happen, she told herself. She giggled, turning her thoughts back to the show. "We really showed them, didn't we?"

Lìxúe smirked. "We did. It was funny to see the boys' reactions. Especially Siwon's." She glanced over at Nell with a knowing look.

Nell's lips quirked into a smile. "I doubt he realized I knew so much about Super Junior." She chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming slightly.

Sijin giggled. "That was really fun."

"Now we need to put Operation Monroe into action!" Byulhee cried, throwing an arm around Sijin. "Anyone got any ideas for this?"

Lìxúe nodded, taking out her keys to the dorm. "I have a few ideas, but one of the ideas I'm not sure will work unless we get some outside help."

"I think we'll have to get some outside help no matter what," Nell responded. "There's only four of us doing this, but we can't let Jaemi and Aeyeong know about this."

"Let's talk inside," Lìxúe said, unlocking the door.

"I think we should--Oh! Jaemi! Aeyeong! What are you doing here?" Byulhee asked, bounding in through the now open door towards the oldest members, who were currently seated on the sofa watching something on the TV. Nick laid on the floor by their feet, sleeping soundly. "I thought you were both going to stay at your apartments tonight."

"We decided to stay here so we could hear all about the show," said Aeyeong.

"So, how was it?" Jaemi asked, flashing a smile as she used the TV remote to pause the show.

"But-- You're engaged now, Ae, shouldn't you be--you know? Doing more mature things than hanging out with Jaemi watching Peter Pan." Byulhee did a double take. "Peter Pan?" She placed her hands on her hips and posed as the character. "Unnie, don't tell me this is how you stay young," she teased, glancing at Jaemi. "You pretend you're a child and--hey!" Her eyes widened as a thought came to her. "Can Peter Pan have kids?" she suddenly blurted.

Jaemi groaned. "Really? That's where your thoughts led you?"

"What? I'm really curious about this now," Byulhee asserted, crossing her arms in front of her. "Can Peter Pan have kids?"

"He's just a child though," Sijin began. "In the book, it says that Peter Pan still has his first teeth. He can't be that old."

"But then why would Peter Pan and Wendy play 'house' and act like a husband and wife?" Lìxúe chimed into the conversation. "Wouldn't that mean that his psychological state was a little more mature than a young child?"

"We also have to take into account that there's not only the book version, but the original stage character as well as many movie versions," Jaemi added.

"That's right," Aeyeong agreed. "Since Peter Pan is such an iconic character, you have to evaluate him as a whole."

Nell glanced between them. "Are we really going to analyze whether Peter Pan can have kids or not?" She bit back a giggle. "And why?"

"Because this is important!" Byulhee asserted.

Nell chuckled. "How did we even get on this topic?"

"What do you guys think? Can Peter Pan have kids or not?" Byulhee glanced between her fellow members.

Jaemi nodded. "Yeah, it would make sense if he 'technically' could," she said. "Not saying that anyone that young should have kids, but with his mischievous nature--" She cleared his throat. "--it's plausable."

"He definitely should not have kids as it would be very immature," Aeyeong began as if she were counseling Byulhee on not having any children as of yet. "However, I do believe he can have kids. In most incarnations of the charater he is portrayed--"

Byulhee clutched her sides as she doubled over in laughter. "We're just a bunch of hot nerds, aren't we?"

Sijin giggled. "How did this conversation even begin?"

Jaemi shook her head.

"So, how did the filming go?" Aeyeong asked, changing the subject. "Tell me all about it, dear." She looked at Sijin with motherly warmth, knowing that Sijin had been a little nervous earlier for the shoot.

"It was fun," Sijin replied, taking a seat on the sofa beside Aeyeong. 

"Soooo much fun!" squealed Byulhee, flopping right onto Jaemi's lap. "We beat Super Junior in every game. Can you believe it?" she said excitedly.

Lìxúe chuckled at the sight. Byulhee resembled a school girl telling her mother about her day in class--only she was rather mature for a young school girl.

"I'm glad," Jaemi said with a slight chuckle. "I think you could beat Super Junior at anything--well, almost everything. I don't think anyone could out-talk Leeteuk. The man's a camera ."

Byulhee threw her head back and laughed. "Unnie! I'm shocked at you. I didn't know you knew that word."

Jaemi rolled her eyes, but smiled good-humoredly nonetheless. "You know I'm right though. Anyway, so who was all there?"

"Siwon, Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi, Ryeowook, and Yesung," replied Nell, listing them off with her fingers. "It was really fun to do all the games with them."

"It was," agreed Sijin with a nod.

"Speaking of fun--" Byulhee began, her eyes darting between Nell, Lìxúe, and Sijin. "--we were planning on having another sleepover in the living room, where we drink all night, and binge-watch Doctor Who until our eyes hurt." She turned her head toward Jaemi, eyes pleading and lips pouting.

Jaemi chuckled. "Alright, alright. We can take a hint." She grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. "There. All yours." She handed Byulhee the remote. "Knock yourself out."

Byulhee turned to Aeyeong. "You're going to your apartment too, right?"

Nell held back a sigh. It seemed as if Byulhee had taken subtlty and thrown it right out the window.

Jaemi and Aeyeong exchanged glances.

Jaemi's lips curved into a smirk. "What's this all about? Why are you trying to get rid of Ae and I?"

"We're trying to come up with some ideas for a present for Aeyeong's future bridal shower," Byulhee continued without missing a beat. "And we can't have the future bride or her best friend knowing what we're getting her."

"And why can't I know?" Jaemi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you're too close to her. You might spill the beans by accident," Byulhee rattled on, coming up with any excuse that would get both Jaemi and Aeyeong out of the dorms as quickly as possible. "And you're going to feel really uncomfortable with some of our ideas."

Sijin blushed.

"Darling," Aeyeong began in a gentle tone. "I don't have a bridal shower planned yet. I really do appreciate the gesture, but--"

"No 'buts'," Byulhee butted in. "We are going to do this eventually, right? And we have to start planning now."

If Nell had not been raised on manners, she would have half a mind to smack Byulhee on the back of the head to silence that mouth of hers.

Aeyeong shook her head gently. "I really don't think that's necess--"

"Nah, ah, ah." Byulhee shook her finger at Aeyeong. "We've already decided on this. Now you two better get going or this is going to be one awkward conversation."

Jaemi exhaled and turned to look at Aeyeong. "I think we are at an impasse."

Aeyeong nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. I guess we should be going then."

Jaemi poked Byulhee's side. "Don't go tainting Sijin's mind, you hear? I'm not the only around here, so watch what you say."

Byulhee chuckled, raising a hand. "I promise."

"I'm sure that Lì and Nell will keep her in check though," Aeyeong mused, standing up from the sofa. "They're true ladies."

"True," Jaemi agreed. "Alright, Byul. We'll leave. Now get off me."

Byulhee threw her arms around Jaemi's neck. "Thanks! You're the best!"

"Byul?" Jaemi tried shaking Byulhee off, but her dongsaeng held on fast, not seeming to have any inclination of letting go. She let out a sigh, and scooped her hands under Byulhee and stood up, carrying the younger in her arms.

"Oh, my Prince Charming!" cried Byulhee in a higher octave, fluttering her eyelashes playfully.

"Shut up." Jaemi rolled her eyes as she dumped Byulhee onto the sofa.

Byulhee busted up in laughter as Jaemi shook her head and walked away to grab her purse.

"Have a good night!" said Aeyeong, hoisting her own purse onto her shoulder. "Don't drink too much tonight. Call or text me or Jaemi if there's any trouble."

"Yes, umma!" Byulhee cried with a chuckle.

"Don't worry," Nell began in a reassuring tone. "We won't drink too much. We all have to watch our weight now."

Sijin nodded. "We'll be alright."

"You get some rest tonight," Lìxúe added. "And have a fun time at the shoot tomorrow." She flashed the two a sweet smile.

"Bye~!" called Byulhee, waving a hand. "I love youuuuuuuu!"

Jaemi chuckled. "Love you too, Byul."

"Get some rest tonight, darlings," chimed Aeyeong. "Love you too. Bye!"

With that, the two exited the dorms. Lìxúe hurried over to the door, pressing her ear to it, listening as the sound of footsteps receded down the hallway. Once they were out of earshot, Lìxúe pulled away from the door. "They're gone," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. "Now let's talk about Operation Monroe."

"That was a close one," Byulhee said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Nell shot her unnie a look.

"What?" Byulhee asked, catching the look.

Nell pursed her lips together. Sometimes it was hard to be polite to Byulhee. Very hard actually.

"Well..." Sijin scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "You weren't exactly being subtle."

"And now we have to start planning what to get Aeyeong for her bridal shower," added Lìxúe.

Byulhee waved a hand in dismissal. "Ah! That can wait. There's not even a date set for that."

"This is true," Nell agreed. "We should worry about that later. I am a bit anxious though if Jaemi and Aeyeong suspect that we're up to something. I don't want them finding out." She could not--would not--let anything stop her from accomplishing this task. She desperately wished to be acknowledged by the world for her choreography. Until now, credit for her work had gone to others. She loathed the idea of having her credit taken once again from her. This plot was the only way to show others that it was her creativity and work at play. She did not want this chance to be taken from her. "We have to make sure they don't find out."

"They won't, they won't." Byulhee waved a hand in dismissal. "We'll make sure of it. Now, garçon, I'll take your finest bottle of soju." She giggled, hopping up from the sofa. "I'm gonna go grab a few bottles from the kitchen. Be right back! Whhooooooosh!" She hurried out of the room, making sound effects as she did so.

"So, what are some of your ideas?" asked Sijin as she turned to regard Lìxúe.

Lìxúe smirked as she sat on the couch, her arms resting on the top, outstretched like a pair of eagle's wings. "We either have to prevent Super Junior from getting to the performance on time or not being able to attend at all, right?"

"Right," Nell nodded in agreement. "If they don't attend at all, then we run the risk of breaking the contract if SM does suspect us. However, if they are are late, the TV studio might try to postpone our performances."

"I think it would be better if we make it so they're late," Sijin chimed into the converation.

"And I wanna see the looks on all their faces!" Byulhee added gleefully as she tried to balance several soju bottles cradled in her arms.

"Then I do have an idea that will work," Lìxúe said, her eyes aflame. She paused somewhat dramatically as she glanced about at her fellow members. "We drain the gas tanks on the vans."

"What?" Sijin asked, her eyes widening. "But, isn't that dangerous? And how would we even--I mean, how would we do that?"

Byulhee nodded knowingly at Lìxúe. "I like the idea. You have brothers, right? They probably taught you how to do that."

Lìxúe chuckled. "No, they never taught me that. They're mostly all the studious and academic sort. One of my half-brothers is a lawyer and the other other a psychologist."

"What about your twin brother?" Nell asked. "Does he know anything about cars?"

Lìxúe shook her head. "Not much. They all knew a little bit, and I do know some things about cars because of them. But not how to drain a gas tank. I do know of someone who might."

****

Jaemi stared out the window of her apartment, phone in hand. She held her cellphone to her ear as she spoke with manager Minho. Her eyes looked out at the darkened streets, lit by the streetlights, traffic lights, and signs of various buildings. No matter how long she had lived in Seoul, she still missed being able to look out the window to see the stars. At least the lights of the city were pretty to gaze upon.

"Thanks for being understanding," Minho said. "Are you sure you're okay with driving your car?"

"Yeah," Jaemi replied. "You need to take of that tooth of yours. Besides, it's not like we need the company van. Ae and I will be fine. No one really knows us yet, so no one will recognize us in my car." She chuckled. "I never knew it would be so hectic trying to get a company van."

"Normally it wouldn't be," Minho began with a sigh.

Jaemi chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Ae and I will be fine. Hope it goes well tomorrow! Get some rest, okay?"

"Thanks. I will," he continued. "Anyway, you have a good night. Have fun tomorrow."

"Thanks! Have a good night!" Jaemi replied before hanging up the phone. She let out a contented sigh as she texted Aeyeong the new arrangements. Her phone began to ring. It was Jaehyun calling. "Hello, Jae. What's up?" she asked, drawing the curtains to a close. 

"Hey, noona! How's life?" Her brother's voice came over the line. 

"Good," she replied, as she began walking around the room mindlessly. "How's life at uni? Getting your work done?"

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Yes, umma." There was a slight pause and then her brother continued. "Hey, Byulhee is in your group, right?" 

"Yeah, why?"

"Alright, just making sure. I received a few different texts from someone with that name."

"How did she even get your number?" Jaemi asked. "That's kinda weird."

Jaehyun chuckled. "She did say you left your phone on the coffee table the other day, so she looked through your contacts and stuff to see if you're really as innocent as you say you are." 

Jaemi smacked her head. "I need to put a lock on my phone from now on."

"Don't worry," Jaehyun continued. "I vouched for your innocency." He chuckled. "Oh, but I did mention that it seemed like you were into a certain person for awhile."

Jaemi's eyes widened. "You didn't say his name to her, did you?"

"No. Though it was tempting.," he said teasingly. There was a slight pause. "Noona, are you sure you don't like him?"

Jaemi scoffed. "What kind of question is that? You know my feelings about him."

"Yeah, but--" he paused, as if considering somethiing. "I just never can forget that one night when we saw that one news report. You know the one I'm talking about."

Jaemi's shoulders stiffened, remembering the shocking report of the car accident that several of the Super Junior members were in. "Yeah, I do," she said softly. "I forgave him that night." She let out a breath. "But that still doesn't mean I trust him. He betrayed me once. He could do it again."

"Noona, I saw the look on your face during the news report. You can usually mask your emotions, but you couldn't that night." 

She shook her head. "Jaehyunie, that was years ago. Any feelings I had for him are long gone." 

"Do you really distrust him still?" he asked. "Answer me honestly, Jae."

Jaemi let out a breath. "I'm starting to trust him again. And I know I shouldn't. It's weird. He's the only person that my intuition has failed me on. Well, one of the few, I should say."

Jaehyun chuckled. "You and your INFJ trust issues, noona. Don't let that intuition get in the way of some fun, okay?" 

Jaemi rolled her eyes. "And you shouldn't let your lackadaisical attitude get in the way of some studying, okay?" She smirked.

"So, what are you up to tomorrow?" Jaehyun asked. 

"Filming Knowing Brother with Aeyeong." 

"What?! Ah, that's awesome noona. I love that show. Have fun! Oh, I gotta go. My girlfriend is texting me."

"Yeah. I'll talk to later. Good night!"

"Good night!"

With that, Jaemi hung up the phone and walked toward the sofa, picking up her copy of The Hobbit from the coffee table. It was time to catch up on some reading before she was to settle in for the night. 

****

The Starlets' dorm was abuzz with laughter. 

Byulhee raised her cell phone in the air. "He's agreed to help us tomorrowww," she said, her words slightly slurred from the alcohol. She raised her other hand, waiting for someone to give her a high five. 

"Yes!" Lìxúe said, high-fiving her unnie.

"Now what should we do?" asked Sijin.

"You know, there's something I've been wanting to do," Byulhee began with a chuckle. "But I can't do it around Jaemi and Aeyeong, because they won't approve."

Nell looked at Byulhee somewhat distrustfully. "What?"

"I've been waaaaaaanting to see if there's fanfiction about us," Byulhee said as she began to type something into her phone. 

Sijin looked a little embarrassed over the thought over someone writing fanfiction about herself, but it was something she was curious about. She normally did not read things of that sort, but she really did want to know if people found her interesting enough to write about. 

Nell rolled her eyes. It was not something she would approve of; however, she did not feel like moving from her spot, (probably too much alcohol).

Byulhee's eyes widened. "Waaaaah~ There's a lot of fanfics about us already. Hehe. Listen to this. This one's called Cat and Mouse." She cleared . "'Byulhee and Nell couldn't be more opposite. Nell was an elite socialite. Byulhee was an average firl--' I think she means 'girl'' --'from uptown. That's all about to change one night when--'"

"Stop!" Nell said, holding up a hand as she snapped her eyes close. "Don't continue that one, please!"

Byulhee chuckled. "Oh! Oh! Here's another one! The Devil Wore Tennis Shoes." She looked toward Lìxúe with amusement. "'Lìxúe was the smartest in her university. She was also the hottest. And the track star. She was considered to be the school sweet heart... unless you got on her bad side and she would make your life a living hell. And this is what precisely happened to Lee Donghae.'"

Everyone erupted in laughter at the absurdity.

Sijin giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Does this mean that fans ship you and Donghae?"

"I hope not,"  Lìxúe replied, shaking her head gently. 

Byulhee scrolled down, giggling over some of the fanfic descriptions. "Here's one about Sijin. Dandelion Weeds." She chuckled. "'Sijin, a university student and cry-baby--'"

"Hey!" Sijin pouted. "That's not fair."

"--'finds a basket in front of her apartment with a turtle and a rabbit. She raises the pets and calls them Yesung and Ryeowook. And then one day, they turn into humans. Which pet will steal her heart?'"

The Starlets began to giggle over the idea.

Sijin's cheeks flushed and felt warm to the touch. She was not sure if it was because of the alcohol or the idea of being wooed by both Yesung and Ryeowook. 

"I think we should put a movie on now," Nell said, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I don't think I can take much more of this." 

Lìxúe nodded. "I'll go make some coffee." 

"I'll get out some blankets," Sjin said, standing up. "Do you want to pick out the movie Neell?" she said, slightly slurring her words. 

"Sure," Nell replied.

Byulhee sat on the sofa, her eyes transfixed on her phone screen. There were a few fanfictions about her and Eunhyuk. She felt run dry. She had a desperate desire to read each and every one of them. She could not deny that the more she saw Eunhyuk, the more she liked him, the more she wanted him. "Hey, uh, I think I'm gonna go to bed early. I'm really tired all of a sudden," she said, standing up from the couch. "You guys have fuuuuun. Nighty night!" she hurried off, leaving Nell staring blankly after her.

****

Donghae sat on his bed and held the cell phone in his hand, waiting for Leeteuk to pick up. He could hear the sounds of water from the bathroom sink as Aeyeong washed her face for the night. Finally, the call connected.

"Hello Donghae," Leeteuk said from the other end of the line.

"Hey, Teukie hyung. Sorry to bother you so late, but I got a strange call from the manager. He said I have schedules for tomorrrow. A variety show. You know I only do variety shows every six years."

"You're going to want to make an exception," Leeteuk began. "Originally, Shindong was going to come with me, but he can't make it. And when I found out which Starlet was going to be on the show with Jaemi, I thought you'd want to come."

Donghae's eyes widened. "You mean...?" 

"Aeyeong is going to be on Knowing Brother with Jaemi," Leeteuk replied. "But if you don't want to break your six year tradition and give Min Kyunghoon a chance to flirt with your fiancé..."

"Did I say six years?" Donghae cut in. "I meant every six months."

"Meet at the SM building by 8 a.m. The company van will leave around 8:15."

****

All was quiet in the Starlets' dormitory as the clock struck 2:00 a.m.. Lìxúe, Nell, and Sijin had fallen asleep hours ago. The only soul to still stir at that hour was Byulhee, who lay in her bed, eyes glued to the phone screen. She had read fanfic after fanfic, hoping to find some contentment through reading. Though poring over such works had the opposite effect. She felt a keen thirst that no amount of reading could sate. Again and again she read stories of she and Eunhyuk ending up together. But it was not the same as having him in real life. 

She longed for the touch of a man again. 

It had been so long. So, so long. 

The last relationship she had been in was with Jinuk.

Jaemi had practically dragged her out of that situation. No, Jaemi was right to get out her out of that situation. It was not a healthy relationship. Byulhee knew that deep down. Her relationship with Jinuk had been stifling. She could not be her true self around him and he had been controlling... More or less.

It was strange though. 

Why was Jaemi so concerned about Byulhee's personal life?

Was it really necessary for Jaemi to into her love life?

Jaemi had never even had a boyfriend, so what did she know about relationships?

What if... What if Jaemi had talked Minyeon into leaving the group?

No, no. That was Minyeon's choice... or was it?

If she were to start seeing Eunhyuk, how would Jaemi react? Would she disapprove? Would she try to talk Byulhee out of it?

Byulhee shook her head. No. She knew Jaemi.

She had just read too many fanfics over the course of the past few hours and her mind was full of fantastical thoughts. 

She quickly turned off her phone and settled into bed, resolving not to think about her disquieting thoughts any more. Instead, she began to focus on just how the Starlets would carry out Operation Monroe and the benefits of its completion thereafter. 

****

The following morning, Jaemi and Aeyeong found themselves in the JTBC building, dressed in the school uniforms of the Knowing Brother's school. Aeyeong stood in front of the dressing room mirror, adjusting her skirt. Jaemi sat in a chair, looking at something at her phone. She laughed aloud, shaking her head. "Oh my goodness," she muttered. "She's crazy."

"What?" asked Aeyeong, looking at Jaemi in the mirror. 

Jaemi chuckled. "I got a text from Byul. She sent me the link to some fanfiction. " She chukled. "Listen to this. A Tale of Two Sisters. 'Jung Jaemi and Jung Aeyeong are heirs to the throne. Jaemi, a princess with fiery powers as red as her hair, declares war on the neighboring kingdom, ruled by Leeteuk, the oldest of 13 princes. Will Aeyeong, the peace-loving woman and great warrior of the kingdom, stop her sister from going to war?'" The two giggled over the piece. "So, do I have that bad of a temper?" Jaemi asked with a chuckle. 

"Hey, listen!" Navi's voice chimed from Jaemi's phone, indicating she had received a text message.

Jaemi looked at the text and shook her head again. "Oh, no. Not another one." Her eyes widened. "Ugh. Byul!" She quickly deleted the text containing the link. 

"I don't want to know," Aeyeong said, shaking her head slightly before she began to apply tinted lip balm to her lips. 

"Yeah, you don't."

There was a knock on the door. "May we come in?" one voice asked. 

"We're on the show with you today," another voice added.

Aeyeong froze. She knew those voices all too well. She glanced at Jaemi's reflection in the mirror and saw her friend's face pale. Their eyes met and instantly knew that neither one had prior knowledge of those two being on the show with them. 

Jaemi cleared . "Come in."

The door opened and Donghae popped his head in. "Surprise!" he said, his face lighting up in that boyish smile of his. His eyes zeroed in on Aeyeong as he stepped into the room and Leeteuk closed the door behind them. "You look cute!" he exclaimed. "Now I wish you'd grown up in Mokpo, so we could have gone to school together," he continued with a cheeky grin. His eyes fell to her legs, noticing the short skirt. He held in a sigh. It was just for the show after all, right? But why did Kyunghoon have to be on the show? The man was practically a ert. It was going to be hard to pretend that he was not in a relationship with Aeyeong. 

Aeyeong chuckled. "You don't look so bad yourself, Hae." As the four continued to chat casually, Aeyeong glanced between Jaemi and Leeteuk. She could not help but wonder how exactly the day would play out. Needless to say, it was certainly going to be a day to remember... 

Author's Note
Finally! This chapter is done. I swear, I have had so much trouble with this chapter. I've lost it twice on here. The first time I had over 3,000 words written and then somehow everything just vanished. Then the other week, I came here to write, and was almost to the end... and then this website glitched and I lost everything except for about 500 words. T.T So, this chapter is very different from it's original way, because after writing it twice, I just could not write it a third time. So basically I combined the original chapter with parts of what would have been the next chapter. I just could not write the original chapter again. I just couldn't. I was so sick of it. lol So, the next chapter will focus on the rest of Aeyeong and Jaemi's and the plot behind Operation Monroe. 

Also, is there anyone planning on applying for the manager position, if so, please say so in the comment section. If no one seems to want to apply, then I will scrap that idea. 

Anyway, hope you all have a great day! Thanks for reading! Thank you for all your love and support! <3