A/N: Song of the chapter Shawn Mendes - Lost in Japan.  The song just has this mood, you know. Enjoy!

"Oh shizzle … I'm late…" I muttered under my breath as I glanced nervously at my watch. Going to bed way after 2 a.m. of the morning had caused me to oversleep. Dara isn't going to be pleased.

I jumbled towards the lift and jabbed the "up" button with my forefinger. I then folded my arms and watched impatiently as the lift made its slow descent – before getting stuck at the tenth floor.

Why oh why does a six-star hotel only have one lift?

Another brief look at my watch and I grimaced. The manager might seem easy-going, but she's a real stickler for punctuality. At this rate, she's going to roast me over a pit.

I strode hastily to the other side of the lobby, where a large marble staircase was situated. I climbed a step and paused.

Thanks to the medicine prescribed by Doctor Oh, the swelling in my right knee had gone down quickly. Nevertheless, she did warn against overexertion in the short term.

I'm sorry, doc, but I'm not going to get myself barbecued.

With a wry grin, I raced up seven floors to the grand ballroom.

"O—oh!"

I snapped my head up at the exclamation to realise that I had nearly crashed into the girl before me. "Sorry, Bom," I said as I went around her.

"It's okay…" The blonde answered hesitantly. "Good morning, Jennie."

I continued to stride towards the table tucked in a corner of the spacious ballroom. "Morning," I replied before grimacing a little. Something told me that this scene was oddly familiar, yet different.

"Hey Bom," I asked as I did a quick survey of the place, "is Dara here yet?"

"Nope."

"Hoo…" I sighed in relief as I collapsed on the chair. And to add to my joy, my right knee was not acting up despite the earlier sprint. Except for a slightly numb feeling at the kneecap, everything else was fine.

Lucky me.

Bom approached the table with an amused look on her face. "You're really happy today."

"I am?" I said, even as I broke into a big smile.

"Yes. A huge difference from last week." The girl gave me a knowing smirk before walking away.

I stretched back lazily on the chair.

Life's good when no one's angry with you.

As I gazed at the bright lights on the ceiling, I started to hum the tune from Shawn Mendes that has been stuck in my head since last night.

What had happened then seemed almost surreal now.

You see, there was some on-location filming to be done at the grand ballroom of the hotel, and I had been tasked by Dara to oversee the preparations. It was almost 11 pm when I finally stepped out of the tiny office located on the same floor. While the others had long left for the day, I had stayed behind to finish some administrative matters.

I trudged along the dimly lit corridor, idly wondering whether excessive yawning could cause jaw dislocation. Just as I was about to round the corner, however, I spotted a sliver of light extending from the slit between the slightly ajar doors of the ballroom.

I frowned. Didn't I tell Mino to switch off all the lights before leaving?

I made my way reluctantly to the entrance, where I pushed the heavy doors open. And stopped in my tracks.

Under the dazzling chandeliers, was a girl dancing.

Classical music played softly in the background as she twirled on the polished floor, completely oblivious to my presence. Her eyes were closed in deep concentration while her arms were raised in front of her, as if holding an invisible person.

I leaned against the doorway, admiring the way her purple hair swirled around her as she glided across the ballroom to the rhythm of the music. Any other person would have seemed strange dancing by theirself, but not when it came to her.

When it came to her… it became fascinating.

This picture before me, her dancing so gracefully yet so lonesome. It engraved into my memory- and I would make sure to always remember this moment.

I feel great. Even though I’m dead tired and exhausted, I feel so entirely happy.

At last, I stepped into the light. "Boo."

My voice echoed through the hall and the girl literally jumped.

"Je—Jennie!" Jisoo shot me a glare from the center of the ballroom. "You gave me a fright!"

I smiled tiredly. "At least you didn't end up with your on the floor," I said lightly raising an eyebrow, recalling a certain incident in the studio. It had seemed so long ago.

The girl's pale face regained some colour as she tried to stop herself from breaking out into a smile. Not very successfully, I must say.

That smile again. It’s like playing an instrument, you had to put excessive work into, so it would actually sound like an instrument. Wow what a lame comparison. It just, making her smile is so hard, yet so satisfying in the end, when it actually worked out-

"What are you doing here? It's already late," she startled me out of my odd thoughts as she walked towards me.

"Right back at you. What are you doing here, Unnie?"

Based on her schedule, she should have been occupied with several appointments and appearances during the day. I would have expected her to be sleeping at home by now.

"I asked you first," Jisoo huffed, folding her arms.

I rolled my eyes. Jewel girl can be such a grumpy cat sometimes. "To answer your majesty's question, I'm in charge of ensuring that everything is in order for the filming tomorrow."

"So, would you agree to reply now?"

The girl frowned, not really understanding my last sentence. But of course, she wasn't going to request an explanation.

She made a guess. "I'm practicing for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I repeated, before being reminded of the plans for the next day. "Oh..." I said as I grinned slyly, "the ballroom scene."

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. If you haven't deduced by now, our Ice Princess here was supposed to dance with Jinyoung in what was considered the crucial scene in the movie. In other words, the scene that was calculated to make all the audience, female or male, swoon alike. I don’t know which director thought of Jisoo being able to sweep the male audience in particular off their feet, considering her charme was as exciting as a broom. I guess it’s the hair. Definitely not her smile, I haven’t seen her showing it to anyone ever…..except me.

My gummy smile does have some kind of magical power.

But-  hasn't she been practising intensively with the dance teacher for almost a week?

She's really hardworking.

I stepped towards the girl, who had in the meantime seated herself on top of the grand piano.

"May I?" I said as I stretched out my hand, bowing slightly.

Jisoo blinked.

I tilted my head a little to the side.

"Well, I'm sure you would like someone to dance with instead of waltzing around with a phantom."

The girl glowered at me but I merely chuckled. "C'mon," I whispered encouragingly as I took her hands and pulled her off the piano. I led her to the center of the ballroom, where I put one of her hands on my shoulder. At the same time, I reached around her to rest my palm against her back.

"Wh—what?" Jisoo choked as her face reddened. She hurriedly retreated backwards, removing her hands from me.

"Aren't you practising for tomorrow's scene? So I get to be Jinyoung right?"

The girl let out an indignant puff. Nonetheless she obediently closed the distance between us.

"Try not to step on my toes though," I added with a grin.

She snorted. "What makes you think you can dance better than me?"

"Mmm... I don't know," I stared at the other end of the ballroom thoughtfully. "Maybe the fact that I was a cheerleader back in New Zealand?"

Jisoo mulled over my words for a moment before her eyes widened. "I didn't know you liked to be on top."

"Hmm? On top of the social ladder you mean? Well, my mom had insisted that I made some effort to be the best version of me. And it did help me physically and mentally…"

I grabbed her hands again. "…although I much prefer slower moves."

"And this," I pressed my hand against her back, pushing her body against me, "is how you do the waltz."

I drew back slightly, smirking at the sight of the deep red tinge on the girl's cheeks. Geez. Someone has a really good blood circulation.

"Idio—"

Before she could complain, I tightened my grasp on her further, causing her to gasp.

"And... one, two, three, one, two, three…"

She was resistant at first, but after a few minutes she gradually relaxed and got into the groove.

I was pretty impressed. She had only been taking lessons for a while, but other than being a little stiff, her movements were smooth and elegant.

"Je..nnie."

"Hmm?"

"You've heard? About... John Smith's movie?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh yes. I haven't congratulated you yet. Congratula—"

"Was it because of you?"

"Me? What do you mean?"

"When he called Dara to tell her that I was selected, he said something weird."

"Weird?"

"He said... 'Ms Kim should be thankful that her assistant has such a good stamina.'"

My eyebrows twitched. Why, that —

On seeing the flash of irritation on my face, a mixture of worry and horror clouded her expression. "Jennie, what did you…"

I nearly smacked my forehead in exasperation. Damn guy deliberately made it sound so wrong.

"I didn't do anything!" I interjected quickly, lest she got the wrong idea about what happened. She still looked unconvinced.

"I'm serious. He just made me stand outside the meeting room to wait for him."

"Wait for him?" She continued to eye me suspiciously. "For how long?"

I blinked. "Umm... A while?"

Her black eyes narrowed, and at once the dark aura reminiscent of our quarrel at the restaurant began to swirl around her. "How long? Tell me."

I swallowed hard. I knew better than to get her riled up again. "Ah... About like three hours?"

She stopped dancing immediately.

"Was that why your knee was hurting?"

She knows about it? And I thought I had done a pretty good job of hiding it.

"A—ah?" I released her right hand and waved my hand dismissively. "It's nothing, really."

Jisoo growled, her anger taking me by surprise. She twisted herself out of my grasp and stomped towards the exit.

"H—hey!" I said as I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to me. "It was so difficult to get selected for the role. You're not going to blow it now, are you?"

"But—"

I took the opportunity to secure my arm firmly around her waist, in case she decided to run off again.

I flashed her the warmest smile I could manage.

"Besides, it doesn't hurt anymore." Holding our eye contact.

She appeared unsure for a moment, but she was soon swept up in the music. We danced in silence.

Eventually, she mumbled. "Thank you."

I exhaled lightly. "You don't have to thank me, I was the source of the trouble anyway."

The girl didn't say anything, staring intently at our moving feet instead.

I decided to steer our conversation in another direction.

I coughed and let out a dramatic sigh. "You know… I'm your personal assistant, yet I'm standing in for dance practice. I should really ask for a pay raise."

Jewel girl looked at me.

"All you think about is money... Are you going to be a businesswoman or something?" she chided, although her eyes carried a glimmer of mirth.

"Bingo."

Jisoo raised her eyebrows.

"But it’s actually not why I’m so ‘obsessed with money’" I replied.

"Jennie I didn’t —"

"Okay okay, just kidding," I interrupted hastily.

She chuckled. "Tell me."

"So you know how I ended up here by your side ?" I said as I extended my arm outwards. The girl slid to my left right on cue, performing a sleek spin as I reeled her back into my arms. "Hmm…"

"My cousin is working here as a producer. I was practically ordered to bring him back home to New Zealand to attend my aunts wedding. But."

Jisoo encouraged me to go on with a nod.

"He has a high rent and made some huge dept. I’m helping him out."

I closed my eyes.

Our movements became smaller and smaller.

"My mom also said that I should make friends.” I whispered.

Eventually, we stood still.

"It's —."

I opened my eyes.

The girl's eyes were lidded, while her head rested on my shoulder.

She had fallen asleep.

"Am I that boring?" I gave a pout. Nonetheless, I knew it was more likely that she had been worn out by days of non-stop practising.

"Hey," I called softly. But instead of waking up, she let out a contented hum and buried her head deeper within the crook of my neck. Someone’s comfortable.

I fiddled a little, feeling my face heat up for some unknown reason.

This girl's really incredible. I've never seen anyone sleep while standing up!

Before I knew it, my right hand had detached itself from her back and reached upward from behind her.

I patted her head gently. "Jisoo."

She doesn't stir. Logic dictated that I either call louder or smack her awake, but I did neither.

Instead, after some hesitation, I placed my hand lightly on her purple hair, running my fingers through the soft strands that cascaded down her back. I think this will be my favourite memory of this extraordinary summer. Having Korea’s Jewel in my arms. Her feeling so comfortable, it really made my heart pound out of my chest.

A part of me doesn't want to wake her.

Maybe we can stay like this a little longer.

"Jennieeeeee…"

I snapped out of my trance on hearing the singsong voice, to find CL perched on the table next to me. As per normal, she winked at me by way of greeting.

"Wh—what?" I sputtered, "CL Unnie?"

"What are you thinking about, Jennie?" she asked, her forefinger drawing small circles in the air as she pointed it at me. "You're grinning like an idiot."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times in shock.

"H—huh? I'm not th—thinking of anythi—ng."

However, the fact that I was tripping over my words was a dead giveaway. Why do I feel so embarrassed anyway?

And was I really grinning like an idiot?

"Reeeaaallly? You are extremely adorable little Jen." CL said, peering at me deviously.

It took me ten seconds and I finally found my long-lost composure blushing. "Little Jen? I was spaced out, that's all," I replied calmly as I straightened myself up on the chair and took a sip from the can of ice tea sitting on my desk.

"Oh, I thought you were thinking about Chichuu."

I nearly spat my tea out.

"W—what?" was all I managed to utter as I frantically checked that my things were not inadvertently subject to a "shower of blessing".

CL giggled, swinging her legs back and forth. "Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for the filming later. It's gonna be exciting," she said, almost too gleefully.

Oh yes, of course. Jisoo and Jinyoung are performing the ballroom scene today. The mere thought of it, however, caused an unpleasant feeling to rise in the pit of my stomach.

Ugh. What is it now?

CL suddenly lifted her head, looking past me. "Well, well…" she drawled, a smirk forming on her pretty face.

I turned around in my seat and my jaw dropped.

A distance away, stood Jisoo and Jinyoung, who had evidently just stepped out from their respective dressing rooms.

Jisoo was clothed in a dark red evening dress, the satiny material dipping dangerously low behind to show off her flawless back. Jinyoung, on the other hand, was wearing a smart black tuxedo complete with a tailcoat.

They looked good together.

That Jinyoung… sure is lucky.

The unsettling emotion I was feeling seemed to surge with greater force, and I had to repress the urge to walk out of the ballroom. As I stubbornly refused to budge, I realised that I had been getting those weird feelings more and more frequently. I hadn't figured them out, but something told me that the answer was just around the corner.

It also told me that I wouldn't like it much.

CL scooted closer to me and hooked her left arm around my shoulder. "I must say… Jisoo looks pretty hot today, huh?"

My mouth felt really dry. "Yeah." I gulped.

The girl in question, in the meantime, was clearly uncomfortable with the extra attention she was garnering from the love-struck people surrounding her. She shifted her weight restlessly while the makeup artist and hairstylist continued to fuss over her.

"Jennie."

"Hmm?" I said distractedly, my gaze still glued to the even-hotter-than-usual Ice Princess.

CL pulled on the back of my shirt, like a cat hoisting her kitten. "Aren't you her personal assistant? Go!" she commanded as she gave me a hard shove.

"Wha—, okay, okay!" I grumbled as I staggered forward.

I made my way reluctantly across the ballroom, extremely conscious that my pulse was quickening by the minute.

What is wrong with you? Didn't you just talk to her normally yesterday?

Just as I reached Jisoo, the makeup artist and hairstylist decided that they had fussed enough over her for the time being and left.

I cleared my throat, causing the girl to turn her attention to me expectantly.

"Hi," I said, trying to speak as casually as possible, but what came out sounded like a squeak.

I furrowed my brows irritably. That's one word down. 3,456 more to go. Hurrah.

I took a deep breath, fully intent on moving on to a decent topic, like work, but apparently my evil subconscious had other plans.

"Y—you look really goo—d in this dress," I blurted out.

What was really running through my mind, though, was that she was absolutely gorgeous.

Whoa. I don't think I've ever used this word on anyone before?

And why have I taken to stammering like Jinyoung?

Jisoo's eyes widened for an instant. Nevertheless, she didn't say anything, offering only a small smile and a pinkish tint on her cheeks in return as she fidgeted with the cloth of her dress.

Talk about work now, talk about work!

My hand reached up to rub the back of my neck. "So, uh, boss, need me to do anything?"

The girl's lips parted, as if she was about to speak.

"Jisoo-ssi, do you need anything?"

Great. Here comes the original stammer-er. How the heck does he have such excellent timing each time?

As Jinyoung stepped between us to talk to Jisoo, (RUDE) I resisted letting out an annoyed sigh. "I'll get going then," I mumbled as I walked away.

Since the idols were dressed and ready, the horde of extras that had been hired to act as the other "dancers" began to file into the ballroom.

In less than 10 minutes, it was all systems go. A member of the crew swiftly positioned himself at the front of the set.

"Scene 17, take 1."

"Three, two, one… action!"

The chamber orchestra struck up the melody which had been lingering in my head, and all at once, the ballroom was filled with couples dancing to the beat. The members of the crew stood on the sidelines, everyone clearly enraptured by the sight of that one couple waltzing amongst the others.

I scrunched my shoulders as I leaned against the pillar. She looked even more graceful today, breezing through the steps with such ease and fluidity that would put more seasoned dancers to shame.

Only this time, I wasn't the one dancing with her.

"And… cut!"

"Excellent, Jinyoung-ssi, Jisoo-ssi!" the director exclaimed loudly. "Especially Jisoo-ssi, you were wonderful!" Amazement was practically oozing out of his pores.

Jisoo gave a polite nod of thanks with her signature aloofness. She appeared not to care much for what the director said, but I could tell that she was pleased.

Despite my gloominess, I felt the corners of my lips quirking up involuntarily.

Even though filming was taking place, there were other things which I had to do. With some effort, I tore my gaze from the girl and went about my duties.

When I returned to the ballroom an hour later, I was carrying a huge pile of assorted items, including books, files and a small sack. I wasn't sure what they were meant for, but Dara had asked for them, so I could only oblige.

As I strode along the perimeter of the hall, I saw that the cast was taking a break. Jisoo rested on her chair, her forehead covered with a thin sheen of sweat. The makeup artist dabbed it off gingerly, while another member of the crew passed a bottle of water to her.

She was reaching for the bottle, when a voice rang out.

"Okay people, places!"

Jisoo shook her head at the boy holding the bottle and dutifully walked to the middle of the ballroom. Jinyoung was already there waiting. He smiled shyly as he took her hands, while her face remained impassive.

"Scene 20, take 1."

"Three, two, one… action!"

The ballroom was once again alive with activity as the music played.

As the way to my table was blocked, I decided to wait where I was and watch.

"Jisoo-ssi, shift to your right… that's it, that's it," the director spoke into his loudhailer.

"Now, pause… and lean forward towards Jinyoung-ssi."

My eyes widened as my body tensed up.

Jinyoung and Jisoo had ceased dancing in the middle of the ballroom, even as the other couples continued to whirl around them. It was as if they were standing in the eye of a tornado.

"Gaze into each other's eyes… like you're torn as to whether to move closer or away…"

Is there such a scene?

"Jinyoung-ssi, tilt your head down towards her… Jisoo-ssi, tilt your head up a little…"

I didn't know there was such a scene.

I stopped breathing. Or should I say, I couldn't breathe.

"Move closer… and closer…"

Their faces were barely inches apart.

A voice was yelling in my head to look away, but it seemed that my body was temporarily disconnected from my brain. I was completely frozen, whilst my insides felt like they were tangled up in a knot. A knot that tightened with every second.

That's too close. Far too close.

No—

A loud clatter resonated through the hall, bringing the filming to an abrupt halt.

It was only a moment later that I realised that whatever I was holding had fallen onto the floor.

My eyes quickly scanned the ballroom. Everyone was staring at me. Including Jisoo.

I immediately dived to pick the items up in my arms and jerked back onto my feet. "I—I'm so sorry," I apologized profusely as I executed a deep bow, not daring to meet anyone in the eye.

Clutching the items tightly, I turned and escaped from the ballroom, before running blindly along the corridor and down the stairs.

My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it might burst.

Just as I was about to reach the second floor, my legs gave way and I slumped against the wall, sliding down slowly to sit on the carpeted ground.

I need to breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe, dammit!

I was still panting as I tilted my head back to rest on the cool, concrete wall. My arms relaxed at last, releasing the cargo from their vice-like grip.

As the haze in my mind gradually dissipated, I jammed my hand in my jeans pocket and fished out my phone.

My hands were shaking as I dialed a number I knew by heart.

Please, please pick up.

"Hello?"

"He—llo? Lisa?" I said weakly.

"Jennie?" My best friend's voice was filled with concern. "What is wrong?"

"I… I…"

I covered my eyes with my hand.

The sinking feeling that I get whenever I see her with Jinyoung. The way I'm constantly reminded of her smile. The fact that my daily mood is hopelessly tied to her every move.

It has all become clear to me.

"I have a problem."

__________________________________________________________

Are you alright?

I snapped my phone shut, leaning against the couch with a sigh.

"Not gonna reply her?" Lisa asked from her favourite spot at the couch opposite me.

I let out another sigh.

"I don't know what to say," I said mind-numbingly as I slumped to my left, collapsing on the soft leather completely.

My best friend shifted in her seat, carefully placing the comic book which she had been reading on the small coffee table. I idly noted that it was the sixth volume she had devoured since morning. No hobbies Lisa?

"You can't avoid her forever. And even if the doctor's a quack, he can't keep providing you with medical certificates."

I rolled my eyes. I was too lazy to sit up, so I continued to lie on my belly, wriggling a little sideways while stretching my arm towards the coffee table. My hand d around blindly for a moment before I finally found my phone.

I flipped the cover open and scrolled to the "reply" button.

I'm okay, just feeling a little unwell.

I pressed the "send" button and stared at the screen sullenly. It irritated me to no end that I was lying to her. But technically I wasn't lying, right? I was indeed "unwell".

To my surprise, a beep sounded, signaling another new message from "Chi Chu".

Will you be coming tomorrow?

I puffed my cheeks and closed the phone.

Ever since my rather undignified escape from the ballroom, I had decided to call in sick at work. The first day came and went peacefully. Today, however, Ice Princess sent me a text message.

"It'll be so… awkward…" I buried my head in the pile of cushions, such that my voice came out muffled. Awkward was an understatement, really. I wasn't sure whether my body would even function, given that I knew that I lik— Well, you know what I mean.

"But you've to work right? You need the money."

I silently cursed my best friend's voice of reason. But as much as I hated to agree, Lisa was right. I have to go back to work sooner or later.

When I did not respond, she decided to carry on. "And honestly, I don't even know why you took so long to realize it."

I turned my face to the side and looked at the blonde. "Gee, Lisa, thanks," I answered dryly, "it's not as if you decided to enlighten me or something."

gaped as she desperately tried to think of a comeback, and I waited patiently for her to astound me. She eventually closed .

As expected.

"Okay," she admitted a tad sulkily, "I guess you're right, I didn't see that coming either."

"But thinking back, it seems so obvious. I don't think I've seen you so interested in another person before," Lisa said as she reached for the box of donuts sitting on the coffee table. She picked one coated with frosted sugar and took a bite.

"Really?" I mumbled miserably. Not that it mattered now, seeing how I didn't have a say in it in the first place. It just… happened.

Having spent the past two days reflecting on the issue, I concluded that I wasn't so much disturbed by the fact that she's a girl, but by the fact that she was both my boss and the Jewel of Korea.

Other than to say that I've awfully good taste, I wasn't sure how to console myself.

I flipped on my back, grabbing a cushion and hugging it.

"Lisa…"

"Mmm?"

"You're… okay with this?"

The blonde raised her eyebrows as she continued to chomp on her food. "You mean the fact that you like a girl?"

I twitched slightly at the word "like".

"Please, Jennie," she said, sounding affronted by my question, "I've known you long and well enough to not judge you just by that."

I smiled despite myself.

"Anyway, it's probably just a crush. It'll go away eventually."

This had me scrambling to sit up on the couch, although I continued to hold the cushion captive in my arms.

"Aren't I a little too old for crushes?" I scoffed indignantly. Somehow, I felt rather offended that she thought these feelings I had were merely something shallow.

"Well," Lisa's expression turned somber as she eyed me intently, "I do hope for your sake that it's just a crush, since you'll have to leave Korea soon."

The full force of her words had yet to hit me when the doorbell sounded.

Lisa stood up from her seat and strode towards the entrance. As the door swung open, it revealed a man with a decidedly funky hairstyle.

"Hello guys!" My cousin chirped as he flashed us a bright smile, which faltered when he sensed the tension in the room. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," I said placidly as I brought my feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch. "So what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

My dear cousin pouted as he walked towards me. "What, can't I visit you because I miss you?"

"Yes you cannnnnn," I grinned as I pinched his cheek. He gave me a mock scowl in return.

"I heard from CL that you've been on sick leave these two days. But you look plenty healthy to me," Jiyong said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" I coughed. "Ah, well, I've been having a migraine. You know how bad it gets. I'm a lot better now that I've taken the medicine though."

I glanced guiltily at Lisa, who had buried her nose within the pages of her comic book once more.

Jiyong looked a little unconvinced but he decided to drop the topic. "Anyway," he suddenly brightened up, "I've brought you guys juicy news!"

Both Lisa and I watched in part suspicion and part amusement as she rummaged in his very over-stuffed bag. Eventually Jiyong straightened his back, and dumped several copies of colourful magazines on the coffee table.

"These just came out today!" he proclaimed with some pride.

My gaze immediately fell on the magazine on the top of the stack. Since the incident where I got Lisa to translate my speech to Ice Princess (and thereafter fretted for days), I had been diligently studying Korean in my free time. It was a royal pain in the posterior at first, but as I progressed things started getting easier. And unfortunately, that meant that I understood what was written on the cover of the magazine.

The headline read: Kim Jisoo  and Park Jinyoung's secret date under the moonlight!

As it turned out, I went on another day of sick leave.

The skies were unusually overcast when I finally returned to the studio, and I was in a similarly grumpy mood. Curiousity had gotten the better of me and I had pored through the magazines brought by Jiyong, which described in excruciating detail how Jisoo and Jinyoung were spotted meeting late in the night at Hangang Park. The articles even came with grainy photos, in which I could barely make out their faces.

As I said, excruciating.

"Good morning, Jennie!" A bespectacled girl bounded into my field of vision. "Are you feeling better now?"

I managed a small smile. "Good morning, Irina. Yes I'm feeling, err, better, thanks."

"That's great!" The girl beamed. She was about to walk away, when she suddenly spun around. "Oh, I think I should let you know since you weren't around for the past few days. Jisoo-ssi is holding a press conference today."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you heard? The magazines and tabloids are exploding with news about Jisoo-ssi and Jinyoung-ssi!"

I could feel dark clouds gathering swiftly above my head. "Well yes I have…"

But Irina remained blissfully oblivious.

"Yes, it’s apparently such a big deal to her fans, that she has to hold a press conference to clarify things!"

"You mean there's a need to clarify?" I deadpanned.

Irina shrugged. "I dunno, apparently."

Although I knew better than to trust the rumour mill, the widespread speculation that Jisoo and Jinyoung were having "secret dates under the moonlight" made me… unhappy, to say the least. On one hand, unless they were in some kind of sadomasochistic relationship (in which case I'm absolutely not interested to know), the probability that they were dating was almost zero. On the other hand, you know what they say – Never Say Never.

This is so annoying.

I felt someone prod me in the arm. "Speak of the devil," Irina whispered excitedly.

My gaze drifted instinctively towards the door, landing on Koreas very own Jewel who was striding into the studio. My brain immediately commanded my feet to do a U-turn, but my stiffened limbs could not move quickly enough, and she caught sight of me.fml.

As she walked in my direction, Irina leaned close to my ear.

"I think she missed you."

I snapped my head around, giving the bespectacled girl a puzzled look. But before I could demand an explanation, she flashed me a mischievous grin and scurried off.

Leaving me rooted to the spot.

I gulped.

Okay, Jennie, you're ready for this.

"Hey," Jisoo said softly, the corners of her lips quirking upwards.

And… wow. I saw my resolve wobbling like a plate of jelly bouncing on a trampoline.

I breathed in sharply, stuffing my fidgety hands into my jeans pockets.

Haven't you spent the whole of yesterday prepping for this?

Get. A. Grip. On. Yourself!

Thankfully, I was rather skilled at masking my emotions when necessary. "Jisoo Unnie, good morning," I replied evenly, keeping my face devoid of any expression.

The girl raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly surprised by my unusually cool reception. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I'm better, thanks." I shuffled rigidly towards my beloved desk and she trailed behind me.

"You sure? You look… a little pale."

I bent over my desk to pick up a stack of paper. "Yes, I'm alright," I said, keeping my gaze fixed on the paper and praying that she would get the hint and move on.

"That's good…" she mumbled. "See you later then."

"Yeah, see you."

As she moved away, I felt a certain hollowness growing inside me.

It's just a crush. It's just a crush. It’s just a crush.

Those were the words which I kept repeating in my head as I travelled with the rest of the crew to the conference.

On arriving at the convention centre, we were led to one of its many conference rooms. The room was big enough to fit more than a hundred people, and the chairs were already arranged neatly in rows.

Soon after we stepped into the premises, the place began to fill up rapidly, with groups of people streaming in from the two entrances located at the back. From what I could tell, they were reporters from various newspapers and magazines. I thought I even spotted a couple from BBC and CNN.

Is this piece of news of international interest? !

I was still in a state of amazement when a hand grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me through the door situated near the podium into the corridor.

The blonde girl holding my hand wore a worried look on her face, and there were tiny beads of sweat coating her forehead.

"Bom? What's wrong?"

"Do you know where Dara is?"

"Dara?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her today."

"Where is she…" Bom murmured as she dialed a number on her phone. She held the phone to her ear, the furrows between her brows deepening as she did so.

"She's not picking up?"

"No. I've called her at least ten times. She should have called me back by now."

I groaned. While Dara can be rather, uh, unreliable at times, she wasn't the irresponsible sort. "She arranged for the press conference but she's nowhere to be found?"

Bom pulled open the door slightly and peered through the gap. All the seats in the conference room have been occupied, and the place was bustling with chatter. "It's time… We'll just have to do without her." After a moment's hesitation, she pulled open the door and stepped into the room.

I followed her reluctantly.

The chatter grew even louder as the stars of the conference i.e. Jinyoung and Jisoo emerged from behind the door and made their way onto the podium. They sat behind a table, a distance apart, facing the audience. Jinyoung had a friendly smile on his face, while Jisoo gazed impassively at a particularly interesting spot on the table.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Bom spoke in Korean into the microphone mounted at the rostrum. "Thank you for joining us today."

"Without further ado, we will begin to take questions. Please raise your hand—"

Bom had barely finished her sentence and dozens of hands were waving wildly in the air. I could see the girl gripping the microphone nervously, pointing her finger at a random reporter. "Ah, yes, please."

The reporter quickly leapt to his feet. "I would like to ask Jinyoung-ssi."

"Are you and Jisoo-ssi dating each other?"

Jinyoung blinked, clearly taken aback by the blunt question. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Ah… well… I…" He sneaked a look at the girl beside him.

I couldn't resist frowning. I was initially convinced that the whole dating thing was just baseless gossip, but seeing his present reaction, I was getting increasingly unsure. And irritated.

Are you or are you not?

"We… I…"

I glanced at Jisoo, who was visibly trying to restrain herself from glaring at him.

Now, in such a situation, Jinyoung could have seized the opportunity and denied the rumours flat out. Alternatively, he could have explained why in the world he was meeting Jisoo at Hangang Park in the middle of the night. Heck, he could even have excused himself and made a run for the washroom.

But of all the things he could have done, he did one thing: He blushed.

The reporters in the room were instantly whipped up into a frenzy. Some of them jumped to their feet, prompting others to do the same.

I frowned. Jaw clenched. Starring intently.

"Jinyoung-ssi! How long have you been dating Jisoo-ssi?"

"Jisoo-ssi! What do you like about Jinyoung-ssi?"

"Is it true that you will be getting married next year?"

"I heard that you bought a home together in Seoul!"

Inhale. Exhale.

"Does that mean that you'll be retiring from showbiz soon, Jisoo-ssi?"

"Everyone, please! A question at a time!" Bom tried her best to maintain order, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the commotion. As Jun, B.I. and the other guys went forward to prevent the reporters from surging towards the podium, it became clear that the situation was getting out of control.

I quickly exited from the room and dialed Dara's number on my phone. Just like what Bom experienced earlier, the phone rung incessantly but no one picked up.

Luckily, a man happened to pass by along the corridor. "Excuse me, sir!"

"I'm so sorry, but can I borrow your phone? I have an emergency."

At first the man was shocked, but after I threw in a smile for good measure, he passed his phone to me.

"Thanks so much," I said gratefully.

I punched in the same numbers again. This time, she picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Dara!" I hollered into the phone, "Where on earth are you? The reporters are going crazy!"

"Je—Jennie?" The manager stammered. She then muttered something under her breath. She must be cursing the fact that she had picked up my call.

"I—I…" Dara hemmed and hawed for a gazillion years before finishing her sentence. "I'm at the airport."

"Airport?" My eyes widened. "What are you doing there?"

"Well I… I'm going to Egypt."

"To where?" I exclaimed, pressing the phone tightly against my ear in the hope that I had misheard her. Is there anywhere in Korea which sounds remotely like "Egypt"?

Nope.

"Ah… E—gypt?"

I was temporarily at loss for words. "Wh—why are you going to Egypt? Didn't you know that the press conference is held today?"

Suddenly, a loud wail blasted in my ear. "Jennnniiieee! I must go to Egypt! The professor is going for an archeological expedition and it's going to take years before he comes back! I need to go with him!"

The professor? I racked my brains hard for the familiar-sounding term. Oh yes, he's this guy that Dara is ridiculously in love with.

"Wh—what? Then who's going to hold the press conference?"

Dara's wailing ceased as abruptly as it came. "Umm, you?"

"ME?" I shouted so loudly that some of the passers-by turned to give me dirty looks. I lowered my voice at once.

"Are you serious?" I whispered harshly. "I can't— You can't just—"

As you can tell, I was absolutely flabbergasted. There's simply no way that I was going to go in and take care of that chaotic mess!

"How—how could you—"

"Umm…" she said timidly, "I'm really sorry?"

"I need to go on this trip! Otherwise I'll never get married!"

I finally found my voice. "No, you can't! I’m beggin’ you. This is too sudden!"

"Please, Jennie! My life's happiness is in your hands!"

Before I could retort that her "life's happiness" was condemning the rest of us to hell, I heard a woman's silky voice in the background.

"Oh! It's the last call for passengers! I've gotta go!"

"Wait! Don't you just leave me to pick up the piec—"

A click followed by a dull droning sound emitted from the phone. Dara seriously had hung up on me.

"You are soooooo dead, Dara," I growled under my breath. I'm going to chop, chop, chop you into a thousand and one pieces.

After passing the phone back to its owner, who had been obviously startled by my conversation with the manager, I marched down the corridor towards the conference room.

I opened the door and at once I was engulfed in a sea of chaos.

It was even worse than before.

Most of the reporters had stood up from their seats and were yelling and waving their hands around to get the attention of the stars. Some of the more enthusiastic ones had even charged towards the podium with microphones in their hands. It took several members of the crew to stop them from jabbing those devices at the stars.

My temples started throbbing immediately.

I glanced at the podium. Jinyoung was surveying the room with an expression of terror, trying to deal with the barrage of questions being fired at him. As for Jisoo, she was leaning against the back of her seat with her arms folded. Although she wore a stoic look on her face, I could perceive the glimmer of anxiety in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Bom stood at the rostrum, her figure leaning over the surface as she struggled to keep the situation under control.

"Please take your seats!" The poor girl pleaded even as the ruckus grew.

I gotta do something, so I did.

I made my way briskly up the podium to stand in front of the table where the stars were seated. I bent forward, resting my palms on the wooden surface and looking at Jinyoung and Jisoo in turn.

"What's your explanation?"

They stared back at me blankly.

I exhaled heavily, deciding to cut to the chase and ask the question which answer I both least and most wanted to know. "Are you two dating?"

At this, Jinyoung started to redden once more. "I… err—we…"

My god. Not the stammering again. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Jisoo. "So?"

"Are you dating him?"

When she failed to reply, I clenched my jaw. It was as if my insides were being wrung. I inched closer towards her and lowered my voice, all the while eyeing her intensely. "Are you?"

I could sense the quizzical looks being thrown our way by the other people in the room, but I ignored them.

My heart pounded as an unreadable look spread over her face.

"Yes? No?" I croaked, certain that I was about to go mad with anxiety.

Perhaps she found my crestfallen expression amusing, for she actually broke out in a smile.

"What—" I fumed as I tried to straighten my back. It's not funny at all!

But she quickly caught my hands and pressed them back against the table, leaning even closer to me at the same time. "No."

"No, I'm not."

A skipped heartbeat. And I grinned like I had just struck the lottery.

"Okay, I'll deal with this." I replied back ever so softly.

What a ing rollercoaster of emotions I just went through, my heart..

I jumped off the podium, finding Irina from the crowd and pulling her aside. After asking her a few questions and committing her answers to my memory, I strode towards the rostrum, and put my hand on Bom's shoulder. She spun around.

"Je—Jennie?" The girl looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Let me handle this."

"But—"

"It's alright, Bom. Trust me."

I nudged her, and she left the podium hesitantly.

I took over her position in front of rostrum, resting my hands on the two sides. As my fingers drummed against the smooth surface, I kept silent.

A long time ago, my parents had taught me that in an argument, trying to out-shout your opponent is akin to adding oil to fire – sooner or later you'll end up with a sore throat. A much wiser way of getting your point across is to be chill. Very chill.

My fingers continued to tap out a steady rhythm while I admired the fine grain of the wood. This rostrum is very sturdy, I must say. Is this made in Asia? I wonder which company made it? And is their stuff affordable? Perhaps I can recommend it to T.O.P, since he's sourcing for new furniture…

As I continued with my evaluation of the rostrum, some of the reporters began to notice the presence of the strange foreigner (since my skin tone was considered very tan for Korean standars) standing in front of it. One by one they turned their attention to me, leading others to do the same, and thereby creating a domino effect.

Eventually, the noise quelled down to a deathly silence.

I lifted my head slowly, my gaze traveling across the room in a broad sweep. The many pairs of eyes were staring at me curiously.

Now, to put what I've learnt into use.

I took a deep breath.

"Good afternoon," I said in Korean, "Thank you all for taking the time to attend this press conference."

I paused, to see that the eyes have widened. If they weren't paying full attention before, they were now.

My eyes scanned the room again as I took time to formulate the sentences in my mind.

"I understand that you have more questions for Jinyoung-ssi and Jisoo-ssi," I said, keeping my voice level calm and smooth. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have today. Jinyoung-ssi and Jisoo-ssi will issue their official statements by this evening."

Another pause. Do I still have their attention?

Yes.

Good.

"If you have any further questions, please send them by email to us and we will try our best to reply you as soon as possible."

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused. And once again, thank you very much."

I took a step backwards before executing a deep bow. When I looked up, I broadened my smile.

Jennies bewitching-gummy-smile, level 89!

I heard some gasps. That should do the trick.

Satisfied that there wouldn't be resentful reporters taking it out in the news coverage tomorrow, I turned around, to see the rest staring at me with an awestruck expression.

Jisoo, in particular, had a glazed look on her face, her cheeks tinted with a familiar pinkish hue.

I reached out to her, and when she placed her hand tentatively on mine, I clasped it firmly.

"Let's get outta here."

A/N: The weird thing is, how I made the most 4D personalities in YG (Bom and Jisoo) the most ‘normal’. That wasn’t my intention. Dara on the other hand is 8D!  Jinyoung is the handsome dude from GOT7.