[a/n] I've made a lot of typos and grammatical errors on the previous chapters but as I've said before...I only write to keep my mind at peace. I hope you're all safe 💜

"Joohyun unnie, do you think I could just stay here in Jisoo unnie's place? It's waaaaaay cleaner than ours." 

The leader just rolled her eyes and told Jisoo, "You don't have to do this Jisoo. I'm sure the company trusts you that's why they chose you." Jisoo chuckled. "No, it's fine, I think it's important that you trust me too." 

The leader and Jisoo continued to talk about work related stuff while the others walk around the living area and kitchen. 

Jennie was eyeing Chaeyoung from the living are to the kitchen as the woman casually grab a bottle of water inside Jisoo's fridge and bringing it back to seat beside Jennie.

"What?" Chaeyoung asked with a smile.

Jennie just shrugged and shouted at Joy and Yeri who is now, turning on, Jisoo's expensive looking computer gaming set up.

Wendy too stepped up and dragged the two trouble makers to sit and just watch the television.

"Why don't you guys just stay here for dinner, you know we can all get to know each other and stuff." Jisoo suggested coolly. 

"Yeah, stuff." Jennie murmured while eyeing the blonde.
.......

The food arrived and Chaeyoung followed Jisoo to the door.

"Is it just me or those two looks like they know each other already." Wendy asked.

"I know right? I thought I was the only one who notices it." Jennie answered while they both look at them while talking to the delivery guy and checking their order.

"I've seen her before!" Sooyoung said and crawled closer to her members. "I've opened doors at her once and Chaeng went out with her." 

"She went out with her?" The leader almost shouted in surprise.

"Oh! I remember, I was there when Chaeng came back after midnight with Jisoo." Wendy recalled.

"So, they really do know each other." Jennie said. 

"Are they like you know?" Yeri joked in reference to a meme.

"Shouldn't you talk to Chaeng about this?" Jennie asked Irene.

"She's our neighbor and manager, I don't think anything weird is going on." The leader sounded unsure. "Should I talk to her?" She asked back and the members just shrugged. 

"What are you guys gossiping about?, let's eat." Chaeyoung cam and the members jumped a little in surprise.

Jisoo and Chaeyoung knows that BlackVelvet is already suspecting something between them, they could either address this now or maybe let their head ache about thinking what is happening between them.

They both chose to tell them now.

"Oh, wow! You're really flexing at us Jisoo." Joy joked about how much food Jisoo ordered. 

"Oh my God." Wendy face palmed herself, embarrassed. "Have some manners Sooyoung." Which the taller woman only shrugged at.

They were all grabbing their seat when suddenly Jennie and Rosé had this little tug of war over the seat beside Jisoo.

"Chaeng." Jennie never played the 'I'm older card' but if the blonde is hiding something from them, they have to know it now and grabbing a seat closer to Jisoo is the best way to squeeze it out of the blonde.

"Jennie." Chaeyoung did not back down and the innocent tug of war now turned into a slightly more tensioned pull from each other.

"Hey, Chaeyoung-ah, you can have 
this seat." Jisoo was seating at the far end of the table and is now offering the chair opposite the cursed chair they were fighting about. "Let your unnie have that chair." Jisoo smiled at Jennie, which caught the group's center off guard.

The rest of BlackVelvet is just watching in amusement. 

"Lisa would flip if she see's this." Wendy murmured and the two younger members agreed.

"Jennie-ah, Chaeyoung-ah, settle down and let's start eating, Yeri's dying of waiting." The leader said and the two members followed in reluctance.

Yeri isn't dying of waiting, she was actually enjoying the show.

........

Rosé followed Jisoo and gave up the seat for Jennie. 

They were eating and talking casually about how things are with CoEx,  how they usually go on a busy day, their rest days if there's any and of course the stroy behind Jisoo's gorgeous purple locks.

"Ohhh, so you mean, I get to be with you guys like, everyday?" Jisoo asked, surprised.

"Every. Single. Day." Yeri clapped in between. "Damn, I should've requested you as my manager, Seulgi unnie is too strict." Yeri whinned.

"Lisa is too chaotic!" Joy whinned too and the table erupted into another laughter.

Jennie was silent most of the time. She kept on thinking that Yunho should have still been her manager if only she wasn't selfish enough to date. 

"Hey, don't you like the food?" 

Jennie stared a bit longer at Jisoo, taken a back that the stranger might actually be a good person or maybe a good manager.

"No."

Jisoo's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I mean, no, it's fine, I like it actually." Jennie quickly clarified.

The purple haired manager smiled in relief.

"Chaeng-ah, let's just change managers." Yeri suggested.

"What?" Chaeyoung rolled her eyes while biting into a piece of pork belly. "Seulgi is nice, stop pining after Jisoo." She waved her fork dismissively.

"Speaking of pining." Joy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and both Rosé and Jisoo stopped mid chew. "What's up with you two?" 

"Joy!" 

"Sooyoung!"

Irene, Jennie and Wendy exclaimed in surprise. While Yeri was sniggering at the side. 

"What? I'm just asking." The tallest member shrugged.

"Not right now." The leader whispered harshly. Which to be honest scared her members.

Jisoo smiled and reached for Rosé's hand. 

"About that..." 

The idol quickly pulled away her hand and landed a soft punch on Jisoo's shoulder.

"Hey! What the hell!" Both Jisoo and Rosé laughed.

The rest of BlackVelvet was just looking at them, puzzled.

"We're just friends, okay?" Rosé quickly supplied followed by a brief explanation of how they became friends. Minus those sensitive topics about Jisoo family issues.

"Ohhhh, you two look good together though." Jennie teased with a smirk.

"Ewww." Rosé said. "No offense Soo." 

Jisoo just laughed it off. Unbothered.

.......

It's been a few weeks since Jisoo became BlackVelvet's manager. 

It's also been a month since that unfortunate dinner with her family. Her sister and mother checks-up on her from time to time but her father never once lifted a finger to see if she's doing well. 

She is indeed doing well. The job really is demanding and Seulgi keeps on telling her that hell is just about to start once the promotions rolled in. Right now is the calm before the storm.

"Okay, 15 minutes water break, another flawless full set and you're done for the day, girls." The choreographer shouted inside the practice room.

Jisoo, along with Lisa and Seulgi were off to the side, fixing BlackVelvet's schedule for next week. 

The other girls were seating, drinking and catching their breath while Jennie was still polishing a step that the choreo had just taught.

Jennie saw from the mirror that the purple haired manager was looking at her but she ignored it and just kept dancing.

She glanced again and saw that her manager is now walking towards her with a bottle of water.

"Jennie, don't forget to drink water." And just like that the manager went back to the little circle she was in.

"Drink up, Jen." Chaeyoung gave the center an air toast. 

The center nodded and smiled at Jisoo from the mirror.

.....

"Jisoo-ah, can we get a milk tea?" Jisoo's attention is so focused on the road that she missed what the maknae said.

"Sorry, what was that?" She asked.

"Milktea, yaa know that thing with bobba." Yeri acted like she was drinking the milk tea.

"Ohhh, shoot." Jisoo didn't know how to say that they can't drink that cause they're on a diet for the comeback.

The leader noticed Jisoo's hesitation and just reminded the maknae of the diet they have to follow.

No one said this job would be easy so she smiled back at Irene from the rear view mirror in gratitude.

.....

"Yunho oppa!" Joy shouted when she opened the door.

Jennie ran to the door and gave her former manager a tight hug which he returned back with the same vigor. It had been so long since Jennie smiled that big ever since her former manager left. Her guilt had been sitting so comfortably in her mind that it's becoming an unknown burden to her.

"Hi! Girls!" Yunho was waiting by door with a wide smile after he ringed the door bell of their dorm.

BlackVelvet gave him a hug and invited him inside.

Yunho had always been a popular manager in CoEx, especially with his kindness and good looks. BlackVelvet used to be so shy around him when they first met him.

The members quickly gathered on the fried chicken that Yunho bought as a gift.

"Eat well girls." He laughed.

"Yah, oppa we're on a diet!" Wendy whined.

"So? This will be our secret." He chuckled and ruffled Wendy's hair. "Jennie-ah, eat." He smiled softly at her, like the old times.

......
The night continued with laughter as they talk about his wedding plans and his new job. 

Yunho had always been close to them and now that he isn't their manager, they missed him a lot.

"It's getting late, I should go." Yunho bade his goodbye and gave each members a tight hug. "Take care of yourselves, okay?" He said, like a big brother and the girls nodded with a smile.

Jennie offered to walk him to his car but not before asking for Irene's permission.

The walk to Yunho's car was quiet and the former manager was the one to cut it.

"How are you, Jen?" 

The idol was quiet while her head was hung low.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can make it to your wedding." She chewed on her lip anxiously.

"It's fine, Jen, I understand." He smiled in understanding.

They both fell into another silence.

"I should have told you the truth, Jennie."   The idol looked into him. "The management knew, the last date you had with him was that day dispatch caught you." 

"I know I keep on saying this but really, I am sorry." Jennie's tears were threatening to fall.

It would have been fine if Yunho is a bachelor but he's the sole bread winner from his family. His parents are frail and his younger brother and sister are studying in the university. Jennie knew he married at his 30's because no one will support his family and not because he was 'finding the right one' as he always claim it to be.

"It's fine Jen. What's done is done. We're both at fault here." He grinned. "I've got a new job now anyway and my brother is about to graduate in a few months. I now have someone to help me with our family." 

"What happened?" She asked, Lisa would not disclose the full details and it's bothering her.

"It's in the pas..."

"Please, oppa. This guilt is eating my sanity." She pleaded and with a sigh Yunho spoke.

"The first day you went out with Kai, the management knew about it already, I did not tell anyone but it turns out, His company had tipped of Mr. Yang, so he wanted you to be followed with a private investigator and that's when I suggested that I could just follow you. I wanted to protect you so I told you and you trusted me, Jen. I valued our friendship more than my job and on that day you were breaking up with him. Dispatch saw you two." He sighed. "He's got nothing to loose but you Jen and the rest of BlackVelvet, you can loose everything you've worked for. The company found out that Kai's group is involved in a lot of scandal and it wouldn't look good for you girls to be associated with him so they paid dispatch and they fired me." He smiled bitterly. "This wouldn't have happened if I just do my job." 

Jennie cried. "You were a friend to me first oppa and I couldn't thank you enough." She hugged him. "From this day forward, what I have now with BlackVelvet is all because of you." Jennie smiled in gratitude. 

.......

"Jisoo, the girls can't be late! The Chris would definitely scold them when he gets here before them!" Seulgi was frantically walking infront of the rehearsal studio because Chris is coming anytime soon and even if he hates the guy's haughty attitude, he still is one of the best in his craft.

"The girls aren't ready yet!"

Jisoo was running back and forth helping the girls finish their packing.

"Okay, we're ready." Wendy hollered so Seulgi can hear it too from the phone.

"We're in the elevator already." Joy informed the head manager. "Waiting for it actually." She giggled.

"Where's Jennie?" Irene gasped when they saw Jennie was not around. 

"I'll go find her." The purple haired manager volunteered. "Lisa's waiting for you guys. Some of you can go wait in my car." Jisoo threw her key on time before the elevator door closes. She swears she heard Yeri hollering.

Jisoo went straight to the idol's bedroom and saw her sleeping facedown. She would have taken a picture if they weren't rushing.

"Jennie, hey." The manager softly called Jennie's name but the latter did not respond so she shook her while calling her name. "Jennie, we'll be late, please wake up." Jisoo pleaded and soon the sleeping beauty's eyes fluttered.

"Chris is gonna flip." Was the first thing Jennie said before rushing out the door, leaving Jisoo stunned. 

The manager then laughed and grabbed Jennie's bag as she run after her.

......

"Is he inside?" Irene tiptoed over Seulgi's  shoulder to look inside the practice room.

"Nah, he ain't there yet." Seulgi grabbed Irene's shoulder and laughed. 

"Now, listen girls." Seulgi then proceeded to explain what their day entails. Jisoo watched as Seulgi went from the friendly   manager to the serious manager she is now.

"Lisa, you'll go with Wendy and Joy for some costume fitting." Lisa nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Jisoo, you'll go with Jennie and Rosé at the salon." The purple haired manager nodded. "Do you think I can't get a touch up of my roots?" Jisoo whispered at Chaeyoung who giggled at her.

"What? I'm serious!" Jisoo smiled.

"Of course you can, I'm pretty sure you can afford their price, hot shot." Chaeyoung winked and Jisoo scoffed.

Lisa groaned at the back and Jennie just rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, Lisa. Nothing would happen if you just look at her and groan when she does those things to Jisoo." Jennie pointed at the blonde and purple haired.

"If only someone close to Chaeyoung could build me up to her, that'll be great." Lisa sarcastically answered. "Right, Jennie?"

The idol scoffed. "Yah!, I won't meddle with your love life. Go court her or something."

"Court her? Hmmm, maybe I'll do just that." Lisa was typing furiously at her phone about God knows what.

"You should've done that ages ago." Jennie just stared as Chaeyoung and Jisoo giggle at each other.