Two days after the successful proposal, everyone was called to the agency for a CF theme song recording. While waiting for her turn to proceed to the booth, Yerin cornered me for a quick but eager chat.

“My agency found out about me taking you to the gym. I was ordered to take you home immediately and I had to report the next hour.” I omitted the important but disturbing details that she did not have to know.

“Was it that serious?” Yerin answered irritably. Being idols, the group has been restricted from being free to do what they wished even before debut; and although she was obedient, she particularly did not appreciate being held captive nor controlled by her company or any security personnel.

“I almost got suspended, Yerin-ah. It was a serious negligence on my part.”

“Omo… I’m sorry eonnie.” Irritation turned to guilt.

“It’s not your fault. But just to give you heads up, the agency asked for all of the details of what happened that day. I’m sorry, lying about it will cause more trouble. They took the CCTV footages.” … the entire van and that irksome note they found on your window.

“You did not have to make an alibi; I don’t care if my company discovered, it’s not like Sinb and I have not been this close before, but I’m more worried of you. What if they saw that I knew about you… I mean…” Yerin could not complete her sentence.

“Being different? None of those moments were recorded. But it will help if we became more careful.”

“You can count on it.” She gave out a thin but reassuring smile. “But why was the van changed because of that?” Her question caught me slightly off guard.

“Ahhh… Just protocol. Because I did not divulge our location properly. Something related to that.” I tried to dismiss her inquiry as casually as I could. “But how did you know the van was not the same?”

“I was certain that I left the red box on the dashboard after I wore the rings. It wasn’t there when we came back. And aside from that, your face told it so, it was screaming of worry.” She switched to a teasing tone.

I half-smiled and shook my head. “But thank you for covering up for me.” Relieved that she did not pursue the previous topic.

“No. If there’s someone who needs more thanking, that’s you.” Yerin stooped forward over the small table that separated us and stretched her arms to give me a hug. “A lot of things changed because you came.”

“Aish! You have a giraffe literally throwing herself at you but you choose to hug my Yerin?” Sinb remarked as she skillfully separated us after laying the egg crate coffee holder she picked up from the lobby.

“But I did not hug her!” I contradicted after listening to her half-English scolding. Realizing that I did not actually respond physically to the hug that trapped me, Sinb turned her reprimanding stare at the other girl in our midst.

“I can do more than hugging my Sinb if she wants.” Yerin winked before she s her way to hold the hand of the other girl who grimaced to her daring innuendo.

“Yah! Here, just drink your coffee!” I exclaimed to the two who suddenly got magnetized by each other’s gaze.

“By the way eonnie, why did you not tell me about her confronting you?” Yerin was mischievously looking at Sinb who sat beside her.

“How could she if she was too distracted about the bathroom scene with Sowon-eonnie?” She quick-wittedly replied.

“Bathroom scene??”

“Yeah, what else would it be?!” Sinb savagely uttered before taking a sip of her iced coffee.

“Do you want me to tell Yerin-ah about a crying scene I know??” I raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I can tell her everything now since the two of you are already together. Openness in a relationship is imperative. So Yerin-ssi, that night at the par--”

“Yah! You promised!!!” She quickly sprang from her seat to cover my mouth almost tipping over the table and the coffee cups on it; it was so hasty that she hit my glasses that they got displaced.

“Yah! What are you doing?!” Sowon who came out of nowhere was already slapping Sinb’s behind like she was her misbehaving child. She took the liberty of fixing my glasses after pulling the other girl away from me.

“Yah! What was the whack for??” The maknae grunted before retreating to the arms of Yerin as if asking to be safeguarded.

“Yah?? Yah?!” Sowon was about to attack her again but I took her hand and made her hold onto the coffee cup that immediately calmed her down.

“Omo! Where did you come from? I did not even see you enter the room.” Yerin asked in shock while playfully her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“I teleported!” Her answer made me and Yerin briefly stare at each other. “Tsss… I came from the washroom behind you and I quickly ran here. What are you doing anyway?? And why are you killing my Joon-eonnie!?” Sowon was asking the youngest girl assuming I could not understand her words.

“Do you want me to translate to her what you just said?!” The Jerry of Tom counterattacked swiftly.

“Yah! You want another whack??” Sowon threatened. Yerin was just laughing amused at the conversing duo knowing no translation was needed for me to understand the commotion.

“English please!” I deceitfully demanded.

>>>

Friday morning, the dance routine for the CF song they recorded was shown to them. It was relatively simple to memorize, hence six hours in the practice room was enough to make them ready for the actual filming the next week. And within those six hours I met with my boss who summoned me to a conference room within the building. Unannounced visits by supervisors were not uncommon in my field of service, but seeing the CEO of Source Music in the same room was utterly a rare occurrence.

“Annyeong hashimnikka.” I bowed to the boss of my boss.

“So, how are the girls doing?” The kind-mannered man asked after motioning me to take a chair.

“They are very mindful and compliant of your company’s security guidelines. I am not having difficulties taking care of them.”

“I meant their English skills. Hahaha!” The CEO clarified and broke into a sincere laugh as he saw the embarrassment that dawned on my face.

“Ahhhh… They are definitely better than the first time I met them. I think everyone can now carry on a sensible conversation but Umji-ssi particularly excels.” I refrained from addressing them in a personal manner.

“You mean our Yewon?” The CEO smiled warmly indicating that it was unnecessary to deny the closeness that has evidently developed over the months of living with the six. In spite of my interaction with the girls being an open book to everyone in the company, I felt it was inappropriate to regard them in a very intimate tone in front him.

“Yes, Yewon-ah. She is becoming more natural with her fluency.” I nodded.

“Anyway.” My superior interrupted the forthcoming chitchat. “We called you because the WGM show will soon be filming. I know you have been awaiting instructions since the day of its announcement.”

I listened attentively as he explained why I was never informed of the company’s decision beforehand and subsequently why I was not contacted for security briefing. The variety show was produced by a large enterprise and that being said was an enormous security challenge that lengthy planning was an absolute necessity.

It was only now that it came to my knowledge that the false pronouncement of Yerin joining was a shrewd move by my agency to intentionally mislead the investigation and consequently the people, the culprits mainly, who anticipated our every move. He highlighted that we have been dwelling on the possibility of terrorism that we discounted the other angles and probable motives prematurely.

“The notes were inconclusive.” I flinched to the sound of the plurality of the word as my boss glanced at me. “But can be highly suggestive of an entirely personal message.”

I kept on contemplating what was personal about ‘It will not be bloodless’ and ‘It will not be painless’? All I got from those words was that the writer has a distinctive fondness for double negatives.

“We are now looking at the angle of a possible ual assault premeditated by a well-informed obsessed fan. By the looks of it, he might be a former or even a present member of the force, because of this...” He dropped a bug transmitter on the table and slid it to my direction. “We sweep the apartment every week but the vehicles are checked on a daily basis and this was different from all the ones you use when you follow the girls.”

The bug was found on the night of the second note’s appearance. There are a million possibilities as to when it got installed and so we did not discuss the matter. He also added that since its discovery, even the members of the security detail I assembled that day are now under extreme scrutiny but for very obvious reasons, I was excluded from the investigation.

“We lessened our counter surveillance measures to intentionally make the information known to our possible person of interest. We have been merely skiptracing and we thought this was the only way to make our criminal surface. It was risky but we had to do what we could to make the investigation move forward.” The agency with the permission of their company used the show as an attempt to agitate the yet identified suspect. The obsessed fan is keen to the company’s movement and is expected to react violently to Yerin’s participation. It was theoretical that playing with a criminal’s emotions as sudden as the announcement can make him act sloppily and lose his calculative stance.

A pang of anger momentarily overcame me after understanding that my agency practically made Yerin a bait. ‘Risky’ is not enough to describe my agency’s ploy. While it was true that the unknown subject could become agitated, it was also highly likely that he will become more aggressive. That chain of reaction is textbook and I found myself more disturbed by it. “Do we have a lead?”

“No. But we are getting close.” He proudly declared as he raised a plastic that contained a familiar yellow paper. “We found this after the company posted about the midnight broadcast that will happen later.”

It will not be a pretty scene. The atrocious crook finally dropped the double negatives but the same terrorizing tone remained. What monstrosity is this criminal planning?

“I called you to inform you that we have been employing additional surveillance aside from what is already in place. You are free to take the group anywhere they like and you don’t have to worry about compromising their safety.”

“Why? Is it because we actually want it compromised?” I was surprised by my own response as I realized that the air of annoyance has not subsided.

“Partly.” My boss was well-known for his innate frankness. “But no.” He did not expound further.

“Is the variety show only fictitious then?”

“No, but it is not our Yerin-ssi who will join.” The CEO who was just a spectator for the past thirty-five minutes, replied. “It will be Sowon. How do you think she’ll take it?” He finished his question with a smile.

“She will not be particularly delighted by it but she will do her best like how she always does.” I lukewarmly replied as I imagined that it will be both a relief and a burden for Sowon to know the real situation.

“But you cannot disclose the information to anyone just yet.” My boss interrupted.

“I don’t have plans of doing so.”

“You will be called again for the formal briefing. You may now leave.”

I bowed to both of them and left to return to the practice room.

---

“Eonnie! We’re almost done and we are starving already. Can we run by the convenience store before going home?” Yewon excitedly welcomed me.

“I’m craving for noodles…”

“Yuna-yah never craved for anything. She must really be hungry.” Eunha uttered while trying to follow a step Sinb has been demonstrating for the nth time.

“How does staying at the convenience store sound to you? We don’t have to take the food home for once.” I asked, although half-heartedly as I was reminded by the thought of exposing them intentionally to danger.

“Jinjja?!” From across the room, Yerin heard my suggestion and sprinted to my direction to award me her unsolicited hug. But Sinb was quicker with her steps and caught the thrilled ginseng’s face with her large hand.

“Yah! What did we say about all the hugging?!”

“Awwww…ch.” The girl who got smacked on the face was now pouting and holding her nose. “You cannot have all the hugs for yourself, you know.”

“Okay then, you also cannot have all my hugs. You want me to give some to a cosmic girl??” Sinb replied with a blackmail that sounded more sweet than menacing.

But the threatening banter turned Yerin’s pout into a sob that startled even Sinb who did not mean to hurt her with her words. The crybaby proceeded to run to me and sought for my embrace which I obligingly gave. This time, no hand impeded her from reaching me. Although Yerin admittedly felt uneasy with Sinb’s friendship with Eunseo, a.k.a. the cosmic girl, the extent of jealousy was not revealed to anyone except to me and her tall leader.

Albeit clueless, the girl who stood stunned could not help but feel the guilt of unintentionally making the older girl cry. She approached and poked her lightly until she turned to her and instantly dove into her arms like nothing happened.

“Tsk! Tsk! One week in the relationship and you’re making her cry already?” Sowon approached with the classic shaking of the head with both arms across the chest.

“I don’t even know why she’s crying…” She hesitantly replied while tenderly the girl’s back.

“Let’s just say that for a long while that cosmic girl was her arch nemesis. And now you are using it against her.” Only Yewon and Yuna chortled to my comment.

“Yah, whatever Joon-eonnie said was right.” Sowon assumed. “So you better change your friend’s name, ringtone and picture on your phone if you don’t want her crying again.” Sowon mindlessly demanded as she removed her right shoe to properly pull her sock up.

“But Eunseo was the one who put those, not me…” Her response made Yerin cry louder and come back to my arms, while Yewon facepalmed, and Eunha shook her head in displeasure. There was a frenzy of reactions from the girls who were listening to her innocent but thoughtless answer.

“Aish… Wrong answer Eunbi-yaaaaaah…” Yuna interrupted before she could say something else that could make the situation more unpleasant.

“Aish…!” Sowon almost throwing her shoe at her.

 “Wae? Wae?” Sinb responded now worried and flustered.

I covered Yerin’s ears before Sowon could resume her lessons on Relationships 101. “Yah! That means you’re letting her use your phone! You don’t even let us use it and now you’re telling us it was Eunseo who put all that.”

“You never say that to your girlfriend eonnie, that someone else aside from her has access to your phone. It’s like an unspoken rule.” Yewon added.

“And that’s just one of the many unspoken rules of cellphone use, there’s more for SNS use and skinship with friends.” Yuna cautioned Sinb like she was narrating something spooky.

“And you don’t ever mention the name of the person she is extremely jealous of, no matter what.” Eunha was pointing her small chubby fingers at her while I was just enjoying how they were terrorizing the older and savage maknae to her core.

“And don’t tell me her name is still Yennie-Doong-Doong on your phone!?” I already uncovered Yerin’s ears a second ago thinking the sermons were over, hence she heard Sowon’s remark that made her whining worse.

“Yah, you’re making her cry even more.” She gingerly poked the girlfriend again and gestured her to come back to her arms. The sobbing girl complied without question like a yo-yo being hypnotically pulled back.

Because of Yerin’s forgiving nature, reconciling with her was never a tremendous challenge for anyone who crossed her, but Sinb was putting effort to reassure her. “Yerin-ah, you can have my phone and do anything you want with it.”

“I don’t need your phone. Just your hugs.” Yerin answered. Everybody covered their ears right after.

>>>

I did not find it surprising that Yerin announced our unplanned trip to the supermarket that Saturday morning. She whispered that I should superspeed to preparing myself to go in five minutes because she did not want anyone to come with us. For a moment, I questioned myself why I admitted to her that I possessed that skill when I could have denied it until my assignment ended. Her eyes were swollen and even smaller but the happiness in her aura cannot be mistaken. I thought she could use some air after being engulfed in Sinb’s embrace all night, so I complied.

“Eonnie, why is it like that?” She stopped pushing the cart and slightly tilted her head as she faced me.

“What why? Why what?” I blurted out, flustered after bumping onto her.

“I have not done it before, but why does my body know what to do?” She was sincerely curious as she tried to clarify her question. “I mean, we did not even undress…”

“Byuntaerin-ah, my ears! Spare me of the details!” I covered my ears forcefully in a rather dramatic way as I interrupted her forthcoming narration.

She hit my shoulder so hard that I became unsteady on my feet. I grabbed onto our empty cart to regain my balance but hit a tower of cans that where neatly assembled on the floor. Her strength was no joke. While picking up the few corned beef tins that got knocked down by the cart’s movement, she tried to resume asking me questions but effortfully preventing herself from divulging the intimate details by my request.

“Tsk! I’ll just give you something to read.” I carelessly answered as I carefully replaced the last can. “You know, for starters.” I scowled to my own reply.

“Really?!” The girl jumped to give me a hug and knocking another can or two. “Ooops, sorry.”

“Aish… Can we drop the whole hugging thing especially in public? You can just thank me through words sometimes.” I told her while picking up the cans again.

“You sounded like my girlfriend. But I can’t control myself, so you just have to bear with it.”

There was no point at reasoning with her.

“But couldn’t you hear us last night?”

“Talking about who will turn off the lights, yes.”

“No, after that.”

“Crying, yes. And seeing you now, it’s undoubtedly you who was crying.”

“No, before that.”

Knowing which part she was curious about me hearing, I showed her the titanium ring I quickly wore a nanosecond ago. “I couldn’t.”

Being mindful of the conversation with the CEO and my boss yesterday, I immediately moved the ring to a different finger and started scanning the grocery for any suspicious personality.

“Ahhh… How about you, what did you do when we left?” Curiosity beaming from her eyes.

“Watched.”

“And?”

“Slept. I am pretty sure Sowon-ssi already told you, so why are you still asking me?” I answered while choosing a good celery out of a heap of greens.

“Aish… You’ll be a boring girlfriend!” She grabbed the celery stalk from my hand and dropped it into the cart.

“Just because I did not do what you did, whatever that was, doesn’t mean I’ll be a boring one.”

“You know she likes you a lot, right?” She continued while pressing on a large tomato to check its firmness.

“Yerin-ah…”

“Yeah, yeah… You will leave soon… This… That.” She quickly answered while handing me the disputed fruit. “Here, explain it to the tomato.” She sounded upset at my unchanging opinion about Sowon and her unreciprocated fondness of me.

“Yerin-ah, you understand that my reality is different from yours. She will realize that after I’m gone.”

“Yah, you make it sound like you’re dying. We can see you after you leave anyway, right?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” But I was certain the second answer was more accurate. “Do we need to get anything else? I think we need to head back. They want us at the SouMu building by lunch time and we need to fix those swollen eyes.” I pointed at her face and smiled to conceal my rising uneasiness as I saw countless security personnel disguised as customers and supermarket employees who might eavesdrop on our conversation as they surrounded us.

Before reaching the payment counter, I grabbed one of the wine bottles on display at an oddly situated rack.

“Someone’s drinking?” Yerin asked slyly insinuating it was our conversation about Sowon that prompted me to want to drink.

“No, we might need it for cooking.” I answered causing her to give me a confused look. Someone might need it after the meeting later.

>>>

Saturday afternoon was the final briefing for the reality show. The girls waited quietly in a small soundproof conference room before their manager and the marketing director entered. Their silence was more evident of anticipation to the adjustment they will have to deal with. But the anxious anticipation was only second to the empathy they feel for the struggle that the new couple among them will have to endure as soon as filming starts. Joon sat in one corner and completely disconnected herself from the group as she tried to focus on her phone.

“Annyeong haseyo…” The girls’ greeting was adorned with fake enthusiasm.

“It’s nice meeting you again. I hope our briefing today will be productive and not as shocking as it sounded the last time.” The director wanted to uplift the mood that was visibly gloomy. “Let me start by saying that there has been a change in the original plan as the company did due diligence in researching on the possible response of the fans.” Everyone lifted their heads and was attentive to the sudden modification the director was implying. Their manager whose right foot was now free from swelling and pain also emitted at aura of relief with the announcement the director was about to make.

“So instead of Yerin-ssi joining, which we thought will have more negative repercussions, Sowon-ssi will be replacing her.” The very moment the director indicated the presence of an alteration in the show, it seemed like the Sowon already knew that she was to inevitably step up and take her member’s place. And being the self-sacrificing leader that she is, she was expected to readily accept the responsibility and the processing of information can come after.

“Ahhhhhh…?” The silence endured except for when Eunha and Yuna both gave out a confused reaction.

Sinb and Yerin remained hushed with hands kept entwined while looking at Sowon who has already proceeded to reading the briefing materials given to them a few seconds ago. The oldest girl did not lift her head to acknowledge her members who were observing her. Yerin fixed her gaze at Joon, who remained neutral and uninvolved.

“Lastly, the CEO wants to remind everyone that none of what we discussed today must be disclosed to anyone. Not even to family members and friends, for not even the other managers will know about the change until the filming day itself. Only Sowon-ssi’s parents will be notified by manager later on. It will remain discreetly publicized that Yerin-ssi will be joining per CEO’s orders.” The director was looking at the manager and Joon who reacted for the first time, but only with a nod. An hour passed before the briefing was concluded. And in three days, the filming will begin.

“Oh and before I forget, the CEO congratulates you for winning another award. And so...” Everyone snapped out of their cheerless mood. “… He prepared a feast that’s waiting for you at the practice room.” The director exited and was followed by the manager who motioned everyone to proceed to the other room.

“Did you know about that? Did you talk them out of letting Yerin join?” Sowon dropped the respectful address as she approached Joon with her mixed-language question.

“No and no.” The foreigner lied about the first question. “I do not involve myself in those discussions.”

“I’m just relieved Yerin-eonnie is not the one joining.” Eunha commented while choosing which type of pasta to take. “Aish… I’ll just taste both.”

“I still cannot imagine Yerin-eonnie getting married. Especially now.” Yuna smirked at Sinb who trailed behind her now not-going-to-get-married-girlfriend.

“I cannot say I’m not happy about it. The switch was something I am thankful for. But eonnie, are you okay with that?” Sowon has hinted about her desire to join the TV show before but has never seriously considered it until an hour ago.

“Yerin-ah, we all know that it’s better that anyone of us joins than you or Sinb-yah.” The leader was indifferent with her response as she placed a slice of pizza on her paper plate.

“Huh? Even I?” Yewon aimed to refute.

“Oh no! Not you! You just came out of my womb, you cannot marry until you are as old as Sinb.” Sowon was gradually returning to her bright demeanor.

“But we are just of the same age!” The other maknae protested.

“Yah! Do you want to get married?!”

“No!”

“So then just eat your pasta and be a better girlfriend.” It was easy saying the word even in the presence of their manager since the group’s name can obscure the true meaning of her statement.

“Joon-eonnie!” Sinb yelled. “So, what can you say about Sowon-eonnie getting married?” Her tone was cute but definitely meaningful and devious.

After swallowing a bite of the pepperoni pizza, she promptly replied, “Oh I’m very happy for her. I know she’s excited about it. Isn’t it her dream to join the show??” She concluded with a teasing laugh.

“Yes! I am very very excited I want to film tomorrow. No, I can film now! It’s my dream. I am so happy.” Sowon dropped her plate on the long table and irritably stormed out of the room “I need to go to the washroom.”

“Aish…” Sinb snarled with displeasure. “It’s not me who needs to become a better girlfriend.”

“Why?!” Joon was still munching on the pizza.

Suddenly a shoe flew across the room toward Joon and struck the back of her head.

The shoe was Yerin’s.

Author's Note: There's only a few chapters left. I'm aiming to complete the story by the end of this month. Thank you so much for reading and appreciating my work. :) I am reading all your comments and it's one reason why I continue writing. :)