"So, Cheng Xiao, you as a top superstar must have some beauty and fitness secrets. Would you like to tell our listeners how to look as flawless as you?" The radio host asked. 

"I think everyone has their unique charm, and nobody should try to look like someone else in order to be beautiful." Cheng Xiao chuckled melodically. "But I'd say my best beauty advice is to take care of your body from the inside. If you eat well and stay hydrated, you will notice how much clearer your skin has become. And you will also feel happier, which means you smile more. Your smile is always your biggest charm." 

Bona watched the interview from outside the studio, cursing herself for her inability to stay awake and alert. It was her job to pay attention to the course of the interview, but today, on her very second day, she failed at it. Because last night, she barely got any sleep. 

She was happy about the outcome of their conversation, that they'd set everything straight. But then Cheng Xiao snuggled close to her and nearly kissed her on the lips. That moment, something electrifying she'd never experienced before ran through her blood stream. Adding to the fact that she slept soundly in her chest the whole night... Bona was afraid the thumping of her chest would actually wake her up, with how intense it was. 

Her thoughts went berserk. Was what Cheng Xiao did really something close friends do? Was that her idea of a close friendship? Because if it was, Bona definitely wasn't used to it. 

She liked Xuan Yi, and so far she'd been the only person she'd ever shared a bed with. And when they slept together, they certainly didn't cuddle and hold each other through the night. Still, what would she think of it if she knew? Would she even think anything? They weren't in a real relationship either. They weren't exclusive. Only good friends who... happened to go on dates and coincidentally spend some nights together. 

And above all, what was that feeling that overwhelmed her when Cheng Xiao came close to touching her lips?  

Avoiding that stream of thoughts, she shook her head violently and drove her attention back to Cheng Xiao. And the interview. And the script in her hands. Yes, all part of her job. 

"You've been in quite a few dramas and you're also a rising model and spokesperson. I'm pretty sure you've had some funny episodes happen to you while on set. Can you share one with us?" 

"Ah, of course there are." She giggled. "There was one time I was shooting a commercial with Jackson-oppa, and one of the light projectors got knocked over accidentally by the staff. I was so scared I let out a loud shriek and jumped, bumping right into Jackson-oppa. I ended up pushing him, so he tripped over a prop, and knocked another light projector to the ground."  

Everyone on set laughed. Bona scoffed to herself, checking the script to find she'd said it nearly word by word. The story had happened, but he didn't actually trip and break anything on set. Plus, she never even called him oppa in everyday life. The usual white lies that sell. 

"That really was something! Was Jackson mad at you?" 

"No, he just laughed over himself and teased me about my shriek. But he's really kind, so he just kept asking me if I was okay and if I wasn't hurt. The staff, though, was a little bit upset since we nearly broke expensive equipment." 

"Haha, I see! It sounds like you and Jackson are really close... could that mean something more than friendship?" 

"Aaaah, no, no way!" Cheng Xiao acted cutely embarrassed. "We've been friends since we were kids, so I see him as an older brother. He really does care for me a lot and I am very grateful for that." 

The same old narrative both parties were taught by the agency. Cheng Xiao fed the media with hints of closeness between her and Jackson, only to always end up denying it, but not too convincingly, to leave speculation out in the open and simultaneously not hurt her male fanbase. Jackson did the same with her. It broke Bona's heart every single time to see her act it out so nonchalantly, when reality was as she knew. 

That served to remind Bona of one thing: Cheng Xiao liked Jackson, and she was well aware of what she had going on with Xuan Yi. That could only mean she had no second intentions after all, so it was time to get used to her idea of closeness and stop reading things she wasn't supposed to. 

Not like it erased her own feelings over the situation, but it was not also like she could afford to give that any thought. 

The radio host thanked Xiao for her presence as he closed the interview. She left the studio and went to meet Bona. 

"So, how did I do?" Cheng Xiao asked, linking her arm with her manager as they had finished saying goodbye to the team, and prepared to leave. 

"Great, as always. You were right on script." Bona praised. 

"Actually, what did you think of that part about the beauty tips? I went a little off-script there, but I thought it was a nice touch. I hope that was okay." 

Bona took a moment to search her mind, but that's right, she wasn't paying attention. 

"Oh. Yeah, it was great." 

Cheng Xiao raised an eyebrow at her, then shrugged. 

"So what's next? The magazine, right?" 

"Yes, it's a shoot for a magazine spread about rising actresses, with Suzy and Seolhyun. But it's going to be carried out in their agency's studios, and there will be catering for lunch. Then we have the meeting at SSB late afternoon with those drama producers. As usual, to give you the script and invite you to the casting." 

"Okay, got it." Cheng Xiao smiled.  

When they reached the car, Bona noticed she was missing one essential item. 

"Xiao, have you seen my keys?" She asked, searching everywhere in the benches and compartments of the car.  

"Uhm... your back pocket." Cheng Xiao teased. 

Bona touched her backside to find the keys there, just as expected. She brought a hand to her forehead and sighed. 

"Gosh, thank you." Bona took the driver seat and started the car. 

"Everything alright, Bona?" Cheng Xiao inquired. 

"Yeah, I'm just... sleepy."  

"Really? Was it me? Did I kick you in my sleep or something?" 

Bona went ice cold at her casual mention of the previous night. She was acting as natural as ever, as if nothing happened. Of course she was, because nothing happened. Bona needed to engrave that in her mind once and for all. 

"No! Nothing like that!" She said, flailing her arms in embarrassment. "J-just I um... drank too much coffee yesterday." 

"Oh. Okay." Cheng Xiao nodded, with an unconvinced pout on her face. "You should take care, Bona. It's not good for your health to drink too much coffee and not sleep at all. And here I am watching for your health when you should be the one watching out for me, heh?"  

Cheng Xiao playfully pinched her cheek, making her face break out a smile. 

"Y-yeah, you're right. I should be the one watching out for you. I'm sorry. Now, let's get going." 

Throughout the photoshoot, Bona couldn't recognize herself. Usually, photoshoots were a time she used to answer emails and contact representatives, as well as check the media. There was not much she needed to pay attention to, as there was no script to follow. She only needed to keep an eye on her manners, but Cheng Xiao was always so polite and likeable there was never much to watch. 

Yet this time around, she could not take her eyes off of Cheng Xiao. 

Even with Suzy and Seolhyun, who were known to be among the most beautiful celebrities, she had a different radiance to her, a charm that made one look at her, and only her. Bona's eyes were glued to her, and she couldn't fight it. 

She took notice of those bright eyes, her flowing hair that framed her small face, her plump yet delicate lips, her stunning body line... And then back to the laptop, with a shake of her head. Yet, it was futile trying to keep her attention on the internet.  

How could such a competent, intelligent, well-trained professional such as her feel so off because of something so insignificant? In the morning, she couldn't even bear to look her in the eye, and now she couldn't take her eyes off of her. What was wrong with her?  

Bona remembered all the work she put in to be where she was in her career, as to endure her work day, despite her inner conflict. Thankfully, after the meeting with the drama producers, she could say she'd made it. 

"That went well, didn't it?" Cheng Xiao asked as they left the meeting room. 

"Yes, like your parents said, they basically handed you the role. You just need to show up for the casting. This is an amazing opportunity!" Bona smiled and raised her hand for a high five, which Cheng Xiao grabbed instead. They continued walking with their hands linked together. 

"I'm so excited! I love doing dramas even though they're so demanding. It's the most challenging, but also the most satisfying... Pretending to be someone else." She mused, her eyes darting to the ceiling, and then to Bona, who had her head down, and didn't say anything. "Bona?" 

"U-uh, y-yes?" She jerked, her eyes fixed downward, on their linked hands. They had held hands so many times before, so why was it that this time felt... different? 

Cheng Xiao frowned, took a turn, and stopped in a corner that lead to the restrooms. She let go of Bona's hand. 

"I know something's up with you. It's me, isn't it?" Cheng Xiao confronted, a sad look in her eyes. 

Bona petrified, refusing to look up. 

"N-not really, it's j-just..." 

"I'm making you uncomfortable... I'm sorry." Now, she also faced down. "I'm sorry if I was too pushy or if you feel forced to be my friend, or something. You are my manager after all and if you want to, we'll keep things as professional as possible." 

"No!" Bona interrupted, grabbing Cheng Xiao's wrist. Before she knew it, she was staring right into those dangerous brown eyes. "It's nothing like that. I meant what I said yesterday. To be completely honest, I never had many close friends either. Growing up as a daughter of superstars, most people were just interested in my parents and not me... With you, I don't have to worry about that, and I feel like we really get along, b-but I'm... not very used to physical closeness from friends... that much. I guess." Her eyes shot back to the floor. She wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling the entire truth either. She couldn't face her and risk being seen through. 

"Oh." Cheng Xiao furrowed her brows, then pondered. "This is about last night." 

Bona nodded reluctantly. 

"Sorry if that was a bit overboard... We're all really touchy around here and it's a natural thing for me. I would have slept and cuddled with any other friend if I'd ever had the chance. I didn't see your side or think about how you'd interpret it." 

Right. She would have done that with any other friend. Bona could now finally breathe, once and for all, and take the silly ideas off of her head. Couldn't she? 

"I can stop if you---" 

"No, no, no." Bona interrupted once more and waved her hands front of her body. "I don't want you to stop. I want to... get used to it. No awkward barriers between us." She wasn't sure what had come out of nor why.  

"Okay." Cheng Xiao loosened her lips into a bright smile. "Then just let me know anytime you're uncomfortable, yes? Are we cool, then?" She extended her arms, asking for a hug. 

Bona smiled back and let herself be wrapped in the quick hug. She was most glad that conversation was over. 

As they turned the corner to head back to the main corridor, they crossed paths with Jackson. 

"Hey you two!" He greeted as bright as ever, poking Xiao's forehead. The girl melted into giggles and pink cheeks. "Glad I found you here. I'm done for the day, so I'm just going to get changed and get going. Is it too much to hope you're free so I can make it up for turning you down yesterday?" 

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to speak to my manager." Cheng Xiao turned to Bona with a smirk, a velvety tone in her voice that only came out when she was around him. "Manager?!" 

Bona clumsily checked her planners. 

"You're done for the day, too. You start with a hair appointment tomorrow at 11 am." 

"Then I guess this is your lucky day." Cheng Xiao faced him, containing her grin. 

"Great. Do you mind waiting for a little bit while I change, then we head for that restaurant you love around the corner?" 

"I won't mind if it's only a little bit." She teased. 

"Then I'll definitely hurry!" He laughed, then took off in a run. But not before shooting Cheng Xiao a wink. "See you around, Manager Kim!" He shouted from far the end of the hallway. 

As he turned the corner, Cheng Xiao faced Bona, grabbed her hands and squealed while she jumped up and down like a middle schooler.  

"See, I said you didn't need to worry." It took Bona some effort to put on a smile. Somehow, she couldn't share half of her enthusiasm. "Have fun and don't go home late. I'll pick you up at 10:30 tomorrow." 

"I know, I know. I'll tell you all about it in the morning." 

"I expect as much!" She laughed, making her way towards the exit. "See you tomorrow, Xiao Xiao." 

"Hey, Luda. I'm home." Bona greeted, as she arrived at the house she shared with the only person from school she could call a friend. 

"Yeah, I can see that. What's wrong with you? You're an absolute mess. Your energies are getting to me and I'm starting to get chills." Luda said from the table, where she sat with her laptop, a cup of tea, and the usual weird-smelling candle lit up. 

"What do you mean? I'm doing fine."  

"I thought you'd given up lying to me, Kim Bona. I'm sensing your troubles." 

There, typical Luda claiming to be psychic, spiritual, energetically sensitive, or whatever she felt like calling it. Worst part of it was, no matter how much Bona wanted to be skeptical and call bull on it, it was impossible to hide anything at all from Luda. She always knew, even if vaguely, if something was off with her. Bona wasn't one to hold her tongue or think before she spoke anyway, so most of the times, it only took an intense stare from her to get her to start talking. 

Bona ignored her and picked up some leftovers from the fridge, heating her meal and bringing it to the table. Luda stared at her, hoping to intimidate her into talking, but Bona kept facing her meal, and she eventually gave up. She knew that, as always, if she dared look up, she'd be spilling everything right then and there. It wasn't as if she didn't trust Luda, but she wasn't ready to talk about something she couldn't understand yet. 

She kept eating her food in half-inch sized bits until Luda banged on the table, making her jump and drop her chopsticks on the floor. 

"Damn it, Bona! I can't concentrate when you're so misaligned. It's messing with me. I need my protection stones and some sage incense. If you want to stay that way and not tell me why, I'm going to cleanse you and this house, which you just infested, whether you want it or not." She stood up and went to her room, coming back with the items she'd mentioned. 

To Bona, it was clear this was Luda's way of expressing her discontent with her not talking about her problems, as she always did. She felt bad about it, but this time... This time she had to be strong. She had to get distracted and hope it would go away with time, because there was no way she was going to put anything currently in her head into words.  

"Maybe I should go out and leave you alone to focus. Since you're working from home, where's Xuan Yi?" Bona couldn't hide the nervousness in her voice, afraid that at any moment, Luda would make her falter and she'd start speaking before she could figure out what was happening. 

"She's also working from home." Luda pursed her lips. 

"Great. I'm going there to give her some... encouragement." Bona stood up from her seat and cleaned after herself, then picked up her jacket from the hanger. 

"You're going to have to face your feelings and sort them out somehow, Bona. If you keep denying yourself clarity and understanding, whatever you're feeling will only consume you slowly, the more you keep it in." Luda sighed, her voice now calmer. "I've known for some time it would come to this." 

Bona's eyes darted everywhere but in Luda's direction. What in the world was she saying? 

"Yeah, maybe later. I'll be back... maybe. See you, Lulu." 

"Screwing my boss won't solve any of your problems!" Luda shouted as Bona closed the door and made her way down the stairs. 

She shot towards her car, speeding all the way to Xuan Yi's house. She needed her. She needed to remind herself of who she wanted to share a bed with. With whom it was right to do so. 

Because last night, something had awakened in her. Something unknown, unfamiliar, and in all senses, wrong. Maybe it had been there the whole time, just as Luda implied. But Bona didn't want to find out what it was.  

For her own sake, for her sake, for everything she'd ever worked for, she'd better not find out. 

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A/N: Poor Bona is going nuts haha! Hope you liked this chapter and look forward to what's going to happen. Thank you so much for the already great feedback on this new story. Please keep supporting it :)!