Im Nayoung really loved the girls in her small (well not really small as it was now 10 members but you catch the drift) band. She really did.

But being the oldest meant shouldering a metric ton of responsibilities, and sometimes she needed a break from the hyperenergetic group of girls.

So she often entered the room where many of the broadcasts for PLEDIS members were held. That was when she got to know SEVENTEEN's Joshua. 

Joshua was really a very nice person. He never made her feel awkward (her famous stone-like personality tended to make others wary of her). He liked the quiet of the room as well and often practiced the guitar in his free time. The melodic strumming noises were a welcome distraction.

She visited the room frequently in her off days. It was like stress relief. Joshua, being the same age as her, understood the responsibilities of being one of the oldest and also related to the feeling of being inadequate at times. It was nice to finally have someone who she could vent to, since she often bolstered a strong front in front of her dongsaengs, as they were all much younger than her and turned to her for support. So she let out her feelings little by little to the cat-eyed male.

Pinky noticed that her unnie was starting to disappear more and more often from the main and practice rooms. Her curiosity got the best of her and one day she silently followed Nayoung to the what they coined "the broadcast room". 

The door shut and Pinky stood outside, hoping to catch what was being said.

She heard a male voice and paused. It sounded very familiar. Definitely young. Soft-spoken. She finally realized it was a SEVENTEEN member, most likely Joshua by the light strumming of the guitar.

She felt her heart pang unexpectedly, like a stone had set in her stomach. Is this where unnie goes off to all the time? Talking to oppa in this room?

"You look stressed, is something the matter?" Joshua's voice rang in the quiet of the room.

She heard Nayoung sigh. "We've been practicing dance all afternoon. It's a bit stressful to keep the youngsters in check, but I'm managing," was her reply.

Pinky bit her lip. Did Nayoung always talk to Joshua about her worries? The idea stung a bit more than she'd expected. It was as if she was lacking, that she wasn't able to occupy that space, and instead Nayoung turned to someone else.

She heard footsteps behind her suddenly, and realizing how dumb she'd look just standing outside a door, mustered up her courage to open it and enter the room. Two pairs of eyes were directed to her, and Pinky swallowed.

"H-hi unnie, oppa," she started, smiling. "S-sorry to interrupt, I didn't realize you were here," she lied. 

Joshua, ever the sweet one, smiled back. "Oh no, you weren't interrupting anything. How are you? Pre-debut practice is always the hardest, I know."

Pinky nodded. "It's difficult, but I'm sure some people have it harder than others." Her eyes trailed to Nayoung, who looked almost...guilty. 

"W-well, I'm sure you two are busy, so I'll be taking my leave now, bye oppa, unnie!" She nearly bolted out the door, trying not to let her face betray her.

The door shut, and Joshua turned to Nayoung, a crafty smile on his face that she wasn't used to. "Are you sure you don't want to go after her? I think she misunderstood the situation," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the door.

"What's there to misunderstand? I was just talking to you," was her reply, though the guilty look in her eyes remained evident.

"Nayoung," that was the first time Joshua had addressed her directly and she was forced to look at him. "You like her, don't you?"

Nayoung froze. "Wh-what are you talking about? I mean, of course I like her! She's my friend," she backpedalled, wishing she hadn't jumped to conclusions at the question and stuttered.

Joshua raised his eyebrows. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Just go talk to her, alright?"

Nayoung sighed, knowing that arguing was pointless. Joshua was right, anyway. "Fine, but in exchange, you better tell a certain Jeonghan-sunbae how you feel as well," she replied, a sly smirk on her face when Joshua's eyes widened.

"This and that are different!" he faltered, though Nayoung simply laughed lightly before standing up.

"I'll listen to your advice this time, thank you," she said, smiling. She got up and walked out the door.

"Geez, how did she even know about Jeonghan in the first place?" Joshua mumbled, strumming his guitar again.

Pinky ended up in the now empty practice, slightly out of breath from running. She collapsed against a wall, and exhaled. I'm such an idiot, she cursed, looking at her reflection in the large mirrors of the room. To think I had a chance with unnie.

She sat there in silence for a while when the door abruptly pushed open. In came Nayoung herself, and Pinky thought she might've been hallucinating for a moment when Nayoung walked up to her and crouched down, level to her gaze.

"Hey," Nayoung started. Pinky tried to maintain her steadiness as she looked Nayoung in the eye. 

"Hi unnie," she replied. "Done talking to oppa so fast?" 

Nayoung's eyes dimmed briefly and Pinky wondered what was going through her mind. 

"Haha, yeah. It's nothing much, you know. Just 95' line stuff."

Pinky smiled ruefully. "Sorry that we stress you out, unnie. I'll try not to bother you so much anymore." She made to get up, but Nayoung pulled her back down.

"How much did you hear?" she asked, uneasiness obvious in her voice.

Pinky laughed dryly. "Enough to know that you'd rather go to oppa to vent than talk to any of us. I know I tend to go overboard when I show affection and stuff, so next time, please let me know if its annoying, I'll stop."

Nayoung tried to meet her eyes but Pinky merely looked bitterly at the ground. "I don't find it annoying," she replied softly.

"You don't have to lie to me, unnie. I can take it, you know."

Nayoung finally forced Pinky to look at her. "I'm not lying, okay? I just talk to him because he's a sunbae with experience, alright? I don't find you annoying!" Her voice rose towards the end, a hint of direness in her words.

Pinky closed her eyes. "Please let go of me, unnie. I don't like it when people see me cry." She could feel tears welling up in her system and she just wanted to go as far as possible from where she was now.

"No, it's fine if you do all that stuff, okay? I don't mind," Nayoung's voice came out in a pleading tone.

"Let go. Don't worry, I'll find someone else to cling–"

Her words were cut off when a pair of incredibly soft lips crashed onto her own. Her eyes flew open in shock as none other than Im Nayoung was kissing her, her eyes closed and her hands cupping Pinky's now tearstained face. 

She pulled away, looking at Pinky through half-lidded eyes. "Maybe a bit too late to say this now, but I like you, Zhou Jieqiong," she uttered in a husky voice and Pinky swore her heart accelerated a million miles an hour.

Pinky gaped at her, and Nayoung laughed a bit, reaching out and wiping the fresh tears off Pinky's face. "Please don't cry. I hate it when I see my donsaengs cry," she chided, gently caressing Pinky's face.

Pinky unfroze. "Am I dreaming?" she asked, shaking her head.

Nayoung giggled, and the sound was heaven to Pinky's ears. "If you're dreaming, then so am I. Oh, but do you like me back? That's an important detail to know."

Pinky nodded rapidly, her head nearly flying off in the process. "I've liked unnie since the IOI days, you know? That's why I'm sure I'm dreaming."

Nayoung looked at her fondly before stealing another kiss. "That makes two of us."

Nayoung helped Pinky up, since the latter's legs were currently jello. "Now what should I do, hm?" Nayoung asked, looking at Pinky. "I want to just forget my responsibilities as a leader and have a steamy makeout session with you right now."

"Unnie!" Pinky gasped, not expecting those words to leave Nayoung's mouth. But she smiled all the same. 

Nayoung sighed. "The others will be returning here shortly. Maybe later?" She quirked an eyebrow at Pinky who turned beet red in response.

"O-okay.."

Nayoung smiled and pinched Pinky's cheeks. "Hah, so cute. You really are a doll."

"Hey!"

The pair left the room, laughing.

Joshua smiled, watching the two girls reconcile. Now, he on the other hand had his own share of problems to deal with.

Maybe later.