They had just arrived back in Korea, but instead of going back to the dorm with the rest of the group, Jihyo and Mina rushed to the JYPE building and asked to see JYP. There they stood before the man who was like a father to them; JYP was like a father to everyone under JYPE. They stood there, holding hands, explaining exactly what transpired between the two girls. They were holding back tears as they described the moments after hearing their name announced as “Song of the Year” winners, the feeling of emotion mixed with adrenaline, about their tear-filled embrace where they confessed their love for each other. JYP sat behind his desk, intently listening to the two girls’ story; only nodding in understanding at times. Once the girls had recounted their story, the tears began to flow. They were not tears of sadness, but tears of relief; a weight had been lifted off them and they could breathe again (even though less than 24 hours had passed since the confession).

JYP sat back in his chair, letting himself fully absorb what he had just heard. After a moment, he began questioning the girls; did the other members know, do any managers know, did their parents know about their ual preferences. The girls were prepared for every question that was thrown at them; they knew there would be questions so they purposely sat together on the plane ride back to Korea. JYP’s final question was about the dating ban; It would be a major PR problem if word got out that two members were dating anyone, let alone each other, while the ban was still in place. The girls were ready for this question as well. They laid out their plan to JYP: as long as they were in public, which they defined as anywhere outside the protected confines of the dorm, they would maintain their current level of public attachment and fan service. The policy was to make the fans think that all their ships were sailing and for this to work, the other members would have to be on board, which they were.

JYP agreed and reminded the girls that everyone had to keep up the act one hundred percent of the time on order for this to work. He also let the girls know that he would personally announce their relationship once the ban is lifted. But, he cautioned the girls that once the announcement is made, things won’t be so easy for the girls. “It’s true that most kpop fans are a great ally to LGBT community, but there would be a section of the fan base and the greater Korean population that will not be happy with them or TWICE as a whole”, he warned. He reassured them that he had their back and as he was leading them out of his office he chuckled. “I had a feeling you two would end up with each other!”

The girls went back to the dorm to tell the members the good news, and explain to them the importance of keeping their relationship a secret until the ban is lifted. Jihyo and Mina were attached from that moment on, from sitting next to each other at the dinner table to showering together at the end of their busy days. But there was always something missing, something that other couples got to experience but they couldn’t. They both wanted date nights, but that was entirely out of the question. The other members picked up on this frustration, so they hatched a plan. While Mina and Jihyo were busy with a late schedule, the others transformed their dorm. When they arrived home, they were greeted at the door by Nayeon. “Hello, my name is Im Nayeon. I am the hostess for Café du TWICE. We have a table for two waiting for you. Please come in!” Nayeon lead them to the kitchen/dining room which was decorated like a five-star restaurant. Mina and Jihyo took their seats and were then greeted by another member. “Hi, I’m Chou Tzuyu. I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Our chef has prepared a wonderful feast for you tonight. I’ll get you a couple of drinks and let the chef know you are ready to eat.” A few minutes later the chef arrives with a large tray of food. “I am Chef Yoo Jeongyeon. I have prepared your favorite dishes. Well, my father did, but you get it. I hope you enjoy!” Mina and Jihyo ate their meal and thanked the girls for their “date night”. This was the first of many such occasions, some nights they “ate out” in the kitchen, others they went to the movies in the living room (Chaeyoung got a really good deal on a used popcorn machine online). One of their favorite nights was when the members turned the living room into a gaming lounge where Mina was able to teach Jihyo the finer points of CS:GO (Jihyo was a quick learner and even top fragged one round).

The months quickly passed and the dating ban was finally lifted. True to his word, JYP was the one to announce that Jihyo and Mina were dating and engaged to be married. JYP even gave the JYPE PR team a heart attack when he went on a five minute rant on how it was “high time that Korea adapted to the rest of the world and stopped shaming same couples.” That first day went better than they had thought, but that was mainly because the world was st