“Damn, I was really hoping that you lost your game!” Sangchul groaned, “You demolished us!”

 

The four were currently leaving the bowling alley, and Hoseok won… by a lot. Jisoo came in an honorable third place, so she’s happy with the results. Jisoo glanced down at Hoseok’s hand, wondering if she should grasp it. It only makes sense to… but why is she now holding herself back? Did those thoughts about the bed scare her that much?

 

Her posture stiffened when Hoseok was the one to grab her hand, but he said nothing about it nor even looked at her. It was almost like a natural response… is she looking into this too much?

 

“I bet if it was just the three of us, Hoseok would’ve . It’s cause he wanted to show off, of course!” Donghyun added.

 

“What can I say? I like to impress.” Hoseok joked. Now Hoseok was the one who was lightening up, and Jisoo was becoming closed off. He noticed this in the last chapter, which was technically thirty minutes ago. So, Hoseok up his inner conflict and joined in on the fun. He took enough time to process everything to the point where he can put it on the back burner. He’s sure that it’ll haunt him at some point later tonight.

 

“What are we doing now?” Sangchul asked, “Dinner time?”

 

“I didn’t think that far ahead.” Hoseok answered.

 

“You, Mr. Planner, did not plan the rest of the evening? On this special day?” Donghyun gasped for dramatic effect, “Who have you become?”

 

Jisoo chuckled, “I’m sure he just didn’t know what my plans looked like. Right?”

 

Thank God Jisoo was there for the save, “Yeah,” Hoseok responded, “Are you able to join us for dinner?”

 

She glanced at Hoseok’s pals, who were looking at her with anticipation. She really has had fun so far, even though she is still dying inside. Her mind is currently on how Hoseok’s hand is nice and warm against her cool skin, and how, WOWEE Jisoo, we have a lot to unpack in your mind right now. Let’s save that for later though!

 

“Of course! What were you thinking?” She asked, then realized, “Oh right. You didn’t plan.”

 

Hoseok frowned, and the two pals lost it. She didn’t mean it like that, but it sure came out that way.

 

“Can we order take-out at your place? We went to a restaurant last night and I kind of want to stay in.” Donghyun suggested.

 

“Yeah! Let’s have a pajama party! And Jisoo can sleepover!” Sangchul cheered, the fake couple nervously glancing at one another.

 

Well this just got interesting.

 

“Why are you back so soon?” Jennie asked as Jisoo hurriedly entered the dorm.

 

Jisoo sighed loudly, “I was voted to sleepover at Hoseok’s so Hoseok, his friends, and I have a pajama party while we eat take-out.”

 

Chaeyoung’s jaw dropped, “And you’re okay with that?”

 

Lisa smirked, “Yeah unnie, you good with that?”

 

“I-It’s fine,” Jisoo stumbled over her words, going into her room to get the necessities. At least she doesn’t have to hide that she’s sleeping over at Hoseok’s this time, but it feels a lot more embarrassing when you have six eyes just staring at your every move. She came out with a bag with whatever she thought was needed for this weird sleepover, “Please take care of Dalgom tonight?”

 

“He’s already sleeping next to Leo, so you’re good.” Lisa said.

 

“Unnie, don’t you think this is going a little too far?” Chaeyoung asked, “It’s one thing to do a fake relationship, but now sleeping over at his apartment?”

 

“Aren’t you sleeping in the JYP dorm building to be near Yugyeom?” Lisa turned to the blondey, making her blush. Bless Lisa for the save.

 

“She probably doesn’t think it’s too far.” Jennie stated, watching Jisoo’s surprised reaction, “You grabbed that stuff a little too quickly, missy. Almost like you’ve done it before.”

 

Silence.

 

Jisoo opened , but she was unable to say anything. Lisa then jumped in, “Well, she’s slept over Nayeon’s before a few times and at Sunmi’s place, so,”

 

“And the fact that Lisa isn’t joining in on this interrogation means that she’s covering for you.” Jennie added, making Jisoo groan in defeat.

 

“Look, I’ve slept over a few times, but nothing like that happened! He sleeps on the couch and,”

 

“Oh my gosh, you sleep in his bed?!” Chaeyoung gasped, “What a gentleman!”

 

“No wonder you’ve been so spry recently,” Jennie observed, “Man’s mattress must be phenomenal.”

 

Jisoo shrugged, “I haven’t slept there in a bit though.”

 

“I get why you took the opportunity. But I’m just surprised that you liked the bed enough to sneak out and not tell us? Well, except Lisa apparently.”

 

“Well, you and Chaeyoung aren’t here much anymore anyways.” Jisoo replied, feeling a little hurt for some reason.

 

“Still doesn’t hurt to tell us since we live together. And we’re best friends.”

 

Jisoo clenched her fists, not knowing why she’s suddenly feeling attacked. Jennie is most definitely not attacking her in any sort of way. But what she said almost sounds ridiculous to Jisoo. Yes they are best friends, but this is the first time Jisoo has seen Jennie for more than ten minutes in a whole week! And they live together! Lisa cringed at the tension rising around Jisoo, hoping that Jennie is able to settle the eldest down like she usually does. Something must have happened while she was out with Hoseok.

 

And then Chaeyoung read the room wrong: “Ohhhh… so are you sleeping at Hoseok’s because we’re with our boyfriends?”

 

“Girl read a ROOM.” Lisa facepalmed.

 

“How did I read the room wrong with that??”

 

“You basically just called the girl lonely.”

 

“No I didn’t!!” Chaeyoung said, now feeling terrible.

 

“I-I’m not lonely…” Jisoo replied, “And I’m not sleeping at Hoseok’s because you three are almost always out. Well, Lisa is here more now, but still… I’m always here in the dorm, and sometimes we even plan something and it falls through because someone got asked out last minute. I slept at Hoseok’s because I’m able to pass out right away because at least I know someone is there.”

 

“W-We come back here though,” Chaeyoung muttered, still not getting it.

 

“Unnie, I’m sorry that you feel that way,” Jennie stood up to get closer to Jisoo, “I agree that we’re out a lot. It’s just hard, you know? Juggling it all. I think we’re still trying to navigate it. We’re each in different places relationship wise and, so I get why,”

 

“Why I’m pretending to be in a relationship?” Jisoo asked a little too defensively.

 

Uh oh. Looks like the unintentional diss from Chaeyoung hit Jisoo a little too hard. Is it because of the weird internal moment she had at the bowling alley?

 

“No, that’s not what I was going to say.” Jennie calmly replied. Lisa and Chaeyoung glanced at one another, not know what the hell was going on with Jisoo.

 

“But you were thinking it, right?” Jisoo said, then looked at the two youngest, “I get that you all have your dating lives now. But what happened to us hanging out? Yeah, sure, you’re all sitting here together now, but that’s all we do anymore! I feel like I’m the only one who would try to gather us all up to go and do something!”

 

Yeah, the lonely stuff really hit Jisoo hard. She couldn’t help it! After the scary moment at the bowling alley, Jisoo has been all out of sorts. If she’s starting to view Hoseok in that way, it’s because of what’s happening here. She’s not blaming the girls, but, to her, it’s clear that things have changed a bit since they’ve all gotten dating lives.

 

“Jisoo, i-it’s hard,” Chaeyoung muttered.

 

“No, it’s not!” Jisoo was almost yelling, her eyes wide with sadness and disappointment, “So what if I’m faking a relationship? I know you all think it’s going too far. I saw your faces when I told you I was going out with Hoseok and his friends. B-But I don’t need your pity, okay? At this point, Hoseok is the only one asking me to go somewhere, and I enjoy his company, and,”

 

“And you’re into him.” Jennie dropped the bomb, which was a surprising move. As stated before, Jennie is usually the one to calm Jisoo down. Well, she’s also the one to expose her friends in a silly way, but… I don’t think this is a good time for that.

 

Jisoo furrowed her eyebrows, Jennie’s comment feeling like a jab, “What does that even matter at this point? Do you,” Jisoo tried to stop herself from finishing her next comment, but the sudden overflow of pent-up emotions spilled it out, “Do you even care enough to know?”

 

“Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Lisa stood up, wanting to shut down the conversation as soon as possible. Sometimes the BLACKPINK conversations turn into arguments like this, but it’s rare that Lisa is the one shutting it down, “Jisoo! We’re not attacking you here! And we know we’ve been sort of missing a lot. I’m especially sorry. There’s a reason why I’ve been hanging out at the dorm more.” She walked closer to Jisoo placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, “You know, I was out with Eunwoo that one night, and things were getting hot, and for a moment a thought flashed through my mind.”

 

Tears started to fill in Jisoo’s eyes, the eldest clearly feeling bad for what she said, “What was it?”

 

“I thought about how that night was drama night. You know, the nights we have once a month where Chaeyoung and I force you and Jennie unnie to watch the cheesiest drama episodes? So I stopped what I was doing, put my clothes on, pat Eunwoo on the head, and told him ‘I gotta see my girls’. Then I booked it out of there.” Lisa said, Jennie was going to interrupt, but Lisa continued, “And then when I got back, none of you were here. And it kind of hit me, you know? We’re figuring out our own lives now that we reached this point together. So it’s only natural. But I’ve been at the dorm thinking about what I’ve been doing a lot. Jennie’s in a stable relationship, Chaeyoung kind of is, and meanwhile I was out there hooking up with idols I didn’t know much about. I realized that I was creating a reputation for myself that didn’t reflect me… it just reflected how I was figuring things out? I don’t know if that makes sense.”

 

“Mine is stable,” Chaeyoung commented.

 

“Still suspicious though.” Lisa shrugged, then pat Jisoo on the shoulder, “I’m sorry that we haven’t had the time to all hang out like we used to. I’m sure the other two feel the same. But it’s all a part of life. We go through different stages, and those who are meant to be our forever friends stay for the whole ride. And, unnie, you know we’re your ride or dies.”

 

And now, we commence the cry session.

 

Jisoo started sobbing, then Chaeyoung cause she cries at everything, then Lisa and Jennie at the same exact time. The four of them hugged tightly, and then Jisoo said, “I’m sorry for that random blowout… I don’t know what came over me.”

 

“It happens to the best of us. And it’s totally valid.” Jennie said with a smile, “I know you didn’t mean it. But I do think you’re into him. And that’s why you blew up.”

 

“You think that’s why?” Chaeyoung asked, confused.

 

Jisoo rolled her eyes, “I’m not,”

 

“There’s a reason why you sleep better there, Jisoo. Yeah, I get that part of it is that it feels really empty sleeping here when it’s just you, but Lisa is here almost every night now. Did something happen during bowling?” Jennie really knew how to read Jisoo. The eldest member sighed loudly, and Jennie laughed, “Oh so nothing happened between you?”

 

“Damn, she’s good.” Lisa muttered.

 

“I may have had a weird, internal moment at the bowling alley.” Jisoo replied quietly, embarrassed.

 

“What do you mean by internal?” Chaeyoung cringed, clearly getting the wrong idea.

 

And so, Jisoo explained that moment in detail. How she felt warmer when Hoseok slowly got closer, how she started thinking about that one night they slept in the bed together, and how her mind almost told her that she wanted to do it again.

 

“Damn girl, you’re in deep.” Lisa teased.

 

Jisoo frowned, “No I’m not.”

 

“I could tell that kiss would change things.” Jennie commented, “That went on for way too long to be a ‘this is fake’ thing.”

 

“We talked that over and,”

 

“Jus