Jeongyeon and Sana sat on the brick bench at the park far away from the filming set, both of them had a mask on, a round nerdy glasses and a bucket hat for Sana, while Jongyeon goes for an old beige cap and oversized t-shirt. Sana her ice cream that melted down to the cone and Jeongyeon had to help her pull up her sweater sleeve before the girl clumsily left ice cream stained on the fabric. It was late at night and both of them are tired from their separate schedule but Sana insisted that she’ll accompany Jeongyeon to go to Mina’s filming set because she needsto go get some air.

 

 

“That guy looks three times more feminine than Mina when he’s sitting like that.” Sana nodded her head to the filming set direction and Jeongyeon followed her gaze. “Do you know he’s actually younger than Mina?”

 

 

Jeongyeon snickers, studying the guy’s sitting posture then compare it to Mina’s. Sana was right, the guy looks ten times more feminine than Mina when he sits cross legged with a glass of cocktail on his hand while the other playing with his hair, which probably trying to look cool in front of the girl he is supposed to impress.

 

 

“And Mina didn’t even look at him most of the time.”

 

 

Jeongyeon laughed when Sana started to laugh softly, her ice cream again all the while hiding her face under her bucket hat. She crossed her legs then turned to look at to Jeongyeon. “Are you worried?”

 

 

“About the guy?” She asked the girl and she nodded. “I am actually. That guy is so her type if you can’t tell already, I mean despite right now when he sat down like that, I bet Mina hates it.” They both laughed again. “But yeah, of course I’m worried. She’s my girlfriend and Mina is pretty and all, so…”

 

 

“You’re pretty too, you know.”

 

 

“I’m not the one in the reality wedding program.”

 

 

“True, true.” Sana nodded her head couple times. “But you don’t have to worry, I mean Mina can only look I you, I swear.”

 

 

Jeongyeon’s face feels a little bit warm and she hid it from Sana by looking away where gentle night breeze swept through her face. Jeongyeon looks down to her shoes – Chaeyoung gave her for a Christmas present last year – when Sana’s arm wrapped around hers. Jeongyeon rests her head on the girl’s head after she helped the girl wiped her sticky hands with wet tissues. Sana finished eating her ice cream when she talks again.

 

 

“I heard you were not doing so well when Mina was filming the program for the first time.”

 

 

“Ah that, yeah. I guess I was panicking.”

 

 

She feels Sana rubbing circle on her palm and it soothe her as she feels a lot calmer and safer than she was supposed to feel while watching her girlfriend wrapped in an arm of a guy. Jeongyeon was so close to get jealous again when Sana giggles, she was saying something like the guy tried too hard and it makes him look as if he was about to vomit out of nervousness because Mina is clearly is not feeling it. When Jeongyeon sees the scene, she giggles along with Sana, she hates to admit it but even though sometimes Sana is just full of absurdness, this girl is actually very observant and smart. And Jeongyeon trusts her, even if she has to make fun of her first before giving in, she always trusts her.

 

 

“Jihyo and Nayeon unnie trashed my place last week.” Sana laughed. “They stayed until morning and I just wanted them to go home, they bicker so much it feels like I could drink a gallon of alcohol.”

 

 

“Right? Sometime I really don’t know why they’re even engage.” Sana exclaims as she laughed and sits properly, still clung to Jeongyeon’s arm. “One day they came to the dorm and stayed for an hour only to bicker.”

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

“Yeah, Momo woke up and kicked them out instantly.”

 

 

“Momo did?”

 

 

The girl nodded her head. “I never seen her so annoyed.”

*

 

 

Mina watches the tv crews moves collecting things and folding some of the tripods from the corner of her eyes. She observes Chaeyoung who was standing far behind the guy that was her fake husband – pretending that she actually looking right at him – waving her hands to two girls’ direction that was sitting not far from her before the small manager jogged towards them.

 

 

The person in front of her complimented her out of script and she did what she’s supposed to do; looking down shy as she tucked strands of hair behind her ear before she looks up to him then held his pinky. She acted for some more minutes before the director behind the camera shouted ‘cut’ then applaud her – and the guy of course – for making it easy for them to shoot as the both of them looks natural.

 

 

Mina quickly turns around and instantly let go of the guy’s finger then bowed down to the crew. She sighed a relieved sigh and was about to make her way towards Chaeyoung the two other girls she was talking to when her fake husband blocks her way. Mina stops then looks at him scratching his head.

 

 

“Thank you for today, Noona. You’re doing really great, it’s an honor to work with you.” he smiles shyly then gulped.

 

 

“Oh, no no, the honor is mine.” Smiling, she studied the guy. “Are you okay?”

 

 

The question Mina throws at him gets the guy chuckled nervously before she talked again. “Actually, Noona. Since it has been several days, can I have your number? Just to make it friendly since we are co-star and all? I mean I understand if you can’t but I promise I have no other intention.”

 

 

He flashes out his phone from his pocket then handed it to Mina. She looks at the phone on his hand as she contemplating whether it is a good idea to give him her number or not. She would prefer to asked Jeongyeon first or even tell him that she is actually taken and have no interest in him in any way, but she doesn’t want to be rude, if he was telling the truth that it is only for professional purpose then there is no need to tell him that she can’t, besides Mina hates to be called arrogant, it will only ruin her image.

 

 

She bit her lip, looking to behind the guy where Chaeyoung and two other girls now looking at her, she can only pray that this won’t ruin any aspect in her life. Especially the one with Jeongyeon in it. Mina took the phone then typed her number before she gives it back to him. Before he can say anything else, she excuses herself and walk fast towards the girls that are looking at her.

 

 

Sana was the one who hugged her first, as if they hadn’t meet in decades. “Look at you getting all the praises, I’m so proud of you.”

 

 

“You always said that.” Mina giggles at the second oldest of her group, then averted her gaze to the girl standing right beside Sana and almost split her face into two by how wide her smile became. “You came.”

 

 

“Of course, I came.” Jeongyeon reaches out to fixed her girlfriend’s hair, affected by Mina’s wide smile as her heart feels like growing with a bunch of roses. “Tired?”

 

 

She made her way towards Jeongyeon then completely hugged the girl ignoring the fact that they are not supposed to show affection in public. The older girl exchange looks with both Chaeyoung and Sana who’s smiling dumbly at them then turns away before they started walking away from them.

 

 

“Not hugging me back?” pulled away, Mina look up to see Jeongyeon’s face flushed, she giggles. “You don’t miss me?”

 

 

Jeongyeon clears , looking away then started walking slowly following Sana and Chaeyoung with Mina clinging on her arm, intertwining their fingers. “I miss you dearly, but I don’t think people know we are that close.”

 

 

“They know we are close friends. No one is here except for the filming crew anyway.”

 

 

“There might be some fans or even paparazzi following you, Minari. We have to be careful.”

 

 

“Fine.” Mina lets go of her hold on Jeongyeon and put some distance between them, arms crossed on her chest and Jeongyeon regrets how the warmth went away from her.

 

 

Closing the distance between her and Mina as they walk, Jeongyeon nudge her girlfriend’s shoulder. Mina is sulky now. “Sorry, that came out really harsh. Let’s hold hands again?”

 

 

Mina didn’t respond Jeongyeon’s waiting hand but the way she bit her lips gave away the clue that the girl actually fighting the urge not to held hands with her girlfriend.

 

 

“No? no more holding hands?” Jeongyeon said. “But I miss you too. Can I at least hold yours? It is okay if you don’t hold my hand back.”

 

 

The girl rolled her eyes, hit Jeongyeon on her shoulder then crack a little bit of a smile. The older girl chuckled as she took Mina’s hand in hers and let the girl clung to her once more. “Don’t ruin the mood, Unnie.”

 

 

“Okay, ma’am.” She rubs Mina’s cheek with the back of her finger as they continue walking behind Sana who’s now carrying Chaeyoung on her back.

 

 

“Is Sana drunk?”

 

 

“Hm, no. But she always acts like she is.” Mina laughs softly and Jeongyeon was fighting with her last brain cells that she can’t kiss Mina in public. Not when she saw someone really took a picture of them walking in the middle of the night at Han river. This is going to be everywhere in social media tomorrow.

 

 

“Minari, I have something to tell you.” Mina looks at her, moves away slowly without loosen her grip on Jeongyeon. “I got casted in a movie.”

 

 

“Oh really? That’s good. What movie?”

 

 

“The team said it was drama, so far at least.”

 

 

“Okay,” Mina was looking at Jeongyeon, waiting the other girl to continue, but Jeongyeon didn’t say anything. “That’s it?”

 

 

Jeongyeon hummed, clearing then smile. “The filming will start soon. I think around your filming ends, or at the time the first episode broadcasted.”

 

 

“Oh okay, so you might probably can’t watch the first broadcast then.”

 

 

Jeongyeon hums again. “Sorry in advance.”

 

 

This time it was Mina who hummed an answer, the girl yawned as she covers with the hand that was holding Jeongyeon’s hand. The older girl wiped the corner of Mina’s eyes with her thumb, bumping her head to Mina’s afterward.

 

 

“Go home?”

 

 

Mina looks up to Jeongyeon, eyes tired and sleepy. “Can I stay at your place for a night, Unnie?”

 

 

Jeongyeon raised her brows. “I mean sure.”

 

 

“Then I’ll have a very good night sleep.”

 

 

Jeongyeon’s heart swell, she can’t hide the smile that grew on her face and the blush that Mina – lucky for her – miss. She untangled her fingers from her girlfriend only to wrapped it around the smaller girl’s frame. Mina smells like flower when she nuzzled her nose on the girl’s brown hair. The paparazzi can screw themselves as the feels Jeongyeon feel right now in unbearable, she just misses her girlfriend so much.

*

 

 

Jeongyeon woke up by a buzz of her phone that keeps vibrating. She cracked her eyes open, squinting by the sunlight that came through the window of her room. The bed beside her was empty and cold, Mina must have been gone since early morning since the girl is really busy. Jeongyeon sighs, disappointed that she can’t see her girlfriend before going to work, or at least cook her breakfast. She crooked her neck to one side and saw a sticky note on the bed side table, Mina’s handwriting was small and tentative but she smiles as she reads it.

 

 

Sorry I have to leave early,

But the cuddle was really nice <3

 

I love you

Xoxo

-mina

 

 

 

Always the cute one, Jeongyeon thought and put the note on her wallet. She stretched her body before stepping out of bed, washing her face then brushing her teeth. She slips in the outfit Mina picked for her the night before and gets ready for work, she has a script reading for today and lunch with her new co-star after. Jihyo promise to meet her after their schedule ends, and Jeongyeon promise to help the girl with grocery shop since Nayeon has to ditch her on it and filming in Jeju for three days.

 

 

She took her phone from under the pillow on her bed then answered Dahyun’s twentieth call only to be greeted with a painful yell. She had to put some distance between her ear and the phone. Jeongyeon laughed at her manager.

 

 

“Wow that’s so not lady like, Dahyun.”

 

 

“It’s almost twelve in the afternoon and you’re talking about lady like?” Jeongyeon laughed again, she can hear Dahyun huffing on the other line. “I’m already downstairs, your schedule is fifteen minutes away, Jeongyeon Unnie. Get your down here right now.”

 

 

Jeongyeon nods on the phone as she imagined Dahyun’s face. The girl might be small and look unthreatening but Dahyun is really strict on her timeline and she was actually praised by the company’s director about it. She is a good manager and Jeongyeon trusts her, even before she became her manager. They’re old friend after all.

 

 

“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”

 

 

Once she was downstairs at the lobby, Dahyun was already standing there for god knows how long with her arms crossed on her chest, clearly not amused. When she saw Jeongyeon she swears if they’re not a really good friends, Jeongyeon might have had a one-day long lecture from her. So, she hugged Dahyun, showered the younger girl kisses on her face – which some she ducks completely – and promise her that it won’t happen again. The lateness, not the kisses. Dahyun rolled her eyes and scold her to get inside the car.

 

 

“You’re so lucky you helped me get through collage.”

 

 

“I know, I love you.”

 

 

When they arrived at the place, Dahyun dragged Jeongyeon as soon as the older girl came out from the van, handed Jeongyeon her script and then pushed her to an empty corner. Jeongyeon looks around and then looks at the girl in front of her who barely taller than her chin.

 

 

“What?” Jeongyeon hushed, looking everywhere.

 

 

“Why are you hushing?” Dahyun said, not hushing but her voice was lower than her normal pitch.

 

 

“Why did you drag me here?”

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“I thought we’re hiding from someone.”

 

 

“No.” Dahyun raised her brow in disbelieve. Jeongyeon hates her. “Look, I hope you read the script summary I sent you on chat. But the thing is---”

 

 

“What? You are making me nervous.”

 

 

“Have you told Mina Unnie about this?”

 

 

“Uh, yeah.”

 

 

“Unnie…”

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“Have youtoldher?”

 

 

Jeongyeon didn’t answer for a second but nodded her head tentatively after. Dahyun sighs, running her hand through her hair as if she’s frustrated.

 

 

“I think it is better if you told her about everything,Jeong Unnie.” Dahyun eyed her. “There is kissing scene.”

 

 

Dahyun could swear that the older girl in front of her turns pale by the information. She quickly turns the page of her script on her hand and stops in a certain page only to cussed under her breath.

 

 

“Why I didn’t know about this?”

 

 

“They said they added this last minute.” Dahyun clears . “They said this movie is a gender-neutral kind of movie. Wait I told you that right?”

 

 

“Yes, but not the one where I have to kiss Irene!”

 

 

Dahyun shushed the girl by putting her hand on the girls mouth only to be swatted by Jeongyeon. “Seriously??”

 

 

“It’s just Irene.”

 

 

“She is my ex!” Jeongyeon hissed, Dahyun cringed. “Dahyun!”

 

 

“Look I’m really sorry, they really added this last minute, that’s why I dragged you here. You can’t back down on this, Unnie. You know that. That will affect your credibility and all. Besides,” Dahyun rubbed Jeongyeon’s arm, the girl was closing her eyes with her head rested on the wall. “Mina Unnie will understand.”

 

 

“I know she will.” Jeongyeon opened her eyes to look at Dahyun. “But this can only worsen the situation. First the freakin’ reality show and now I have to kiss my ex who happened to be my first real love that Mina really insecure about for a long long time.” the girl sighs in defeat. “It’s like the universe hates me or something.

 

“I can tell Mina Unnie about it.”

 

 

Jeongyeon shakes her head, started to walk from the empty corner with Dahyun beside her. “I think it is better if I told her myself.”

 

 

“Just make sure you will though, Unnie.”

 

 

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon said, knocking on the close door of the meeting room with her heart thumping a thousand times louder than it should be, then opened the door. Her eyes landed automatically on the girl sitting on the right side, wearing an off-shoulder pale dress, hair as dark as night and eyes as soft as ever, smiling as soon as she saw her.

 

 

Jeongyeon was ed.

 

 

“You look nervous.” Dahyun peeked from the girl’s shoulder.

 

 

“Shut the hell up.”

*

 

 

 

When she met Jihyo the night after her script reading, she can barely walk straight, she was completely exhausted and extremely worn off. The staff decided to put Jeongyeon to sit beside Irene all the time including the lunch, and the fact that the girl keep stealing glances at her and tried small talks with her in between meals was really not helping. Jeongyeon was nervous to begin with, it’s not because she still has feeling for Irene that way it’s just because the older girl always made Jeongyeon’s nerve irregular. Irene has that effect on her and she has no idea that she still affected her like that after for so long.

 

 

She told Jihyo about it and the girl was laughing at her misery, so much for being a friend. They all knew about Jeongyeon and Irene, those two are the university sweetheart at the time and Irene was just so pretty for everyone to deny or hate, Jeongyeon in the other hand was the acting major golden child. So, when the two got together, it is so hard not to be jealous. Irene was a nice kid, she is smart and competitive but humble at the same time, she exceled her modeling major like she was born to it. When Irene was sure that she can model just fine, she took another year to enroll as an acting major. Jeongyeon and her graduate together but their relationship had to end when both of them signed to a company that banned any dating relationship.

 

 

Jeongyeon and Mina were just friend back then, unlike Nayeon and Jihyo who were already together when Nayeon was on her fifth semester – practically not long after Jihyo just enrolled – all nine of them were close friends, they went here and there together, hang out together and even cried together when the graduated one by one. Jeongyeon and Mina got together after the older girl’s dating ban ended and found out that Mina has always been liking her since they were in collage, it was just a crush at first and grew stronger after time goes by.

 

 

The nine of them happened to attend the same university, well, they knew each other because they attend the same university. Sana, Mina, and Momo was already debuting as idol at the time, Nayeon was debuted a singer back then and wanted to debut so bad as an actress, Jihyo was only a trainee then debut right when Jeongyeon spoke to her the day before. Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu majored in music, photography and theatre, none of the three desired on becoming an entertainer. And now here they are, still in the same inner circle and going strong.

 

 

“Are you really going to be that way? I thought you’re here to help me. I’m really bad at grocery shopping!”

 

 

“Jesus,” Jongyeon groaned, took the shopping list from the younger girl’s hand and walked fast to grab some stuffs that were written. “what if Nayeon died and you have to live alone?”

 

 

“I’d die too.” Jihyo watched Jeongyeon putting some grocery to the cart, her hands rests on the handle. “I don’t think I can survive one night. Which is why I asked you to help me, since you’re such a mom.”

 

 

“Honestly, I don’t even know why I help you.”

 

 

Jihyo sticks out her tongue when Jeongyeon shots the girl a glare. “Child.”

 

 

“A dependable one.”

 

 

“You can’t even grocery shop.”

 

 

“Shut up.”

 

 

They walk through the food section now, Jeongyeon had to slaps Jihyo hand when the girl began to took some unnecessary things and told her to stop. The younger girl followed Jongyeon everywhere and sometimes walked beside her peeking to the shopping list.

 

 

“You’re getting bored, aren’t you?”

 

 

Jihyo chuckled. “I’m just here for the food, but you won’t let me take anything.”

 

 

“Nayeon told me not to.”

 

 

“Nayeon Unnie lets me, most of the time.”

 

 

“I’m not Nayeon and I’m not your fiancé, hence I don’t love you like that and I can say no because, well, I’m not Nayeon, because she is definitely weak for you.”

 

 

Jihyo for some reason, blushed, Jeongyeon caught her and just laughed at her.

 

 

“Shut up.” She said fixing her newly cut hair. “How are things with Mina, by the way?”

 

 

“Don’t change the subject.”

 

 

“I’m not! I just wanna know.”

 

 

Jeongyeon ruffles the girl’s new short hair as she put down milk and cereal on the cart. “Everything is okay. She spent a night in my place last night.”

 

 

“Oh.”

 

 

“In a very innocent way.” Jeongyeon shot her a judging look. “What’s with you.”

 

 

“And the reality show?”

 

 

“It goes on, she’s still filming. Her first broadcast will be on the day I shoot my first scene.”

 

 

“Oh right, wait.” Jihyo gasps. “The one with Irene? That movie? Nayeon told me about it. She met Irene few weeks ago and she said something about being in a movie with you.”

 

 

“Wait she did?” Jeongyeon now fully turned around to face Jihyo. The younger girl nodded. So, Irene has known about this few weeks earlier than her, does she also know that she and Jeongyeon has to share the kissing scene together. “Did she… said anything other than that?”

 

 

“Huh? Like what?”

 

 

“I don’t know, like, the plot maybe?”

 

 

“We all know we can’t do that.” Jihyo now looking at Jeongyeon expectantly. “Wait what is it, Yoo Jeongyeon? I sense that something was off with you today, is it because of this?”

 

 

Jeongyeon only clears then continue reading the shopping list and roamed the place. She can hear Jihyo’s following steps and the wheel of the cart, she feels the girl’s eyes on her, curious. Jeongyeon sighs in defeat for the second time that day.

 

 

“We have a kissing scene.”

 

 

“A WHAT?”