I’m an idiot.

When JYP was about to leave, all of a sudden—Jihyo yelled, “Tell me PD-nim. What does it take to stop the deal?! He would be useless; noTHING TO COVER IF I WERE TO BREAK UP WITH- “  

The producer paused on his tracks. He looked over those two with their grasps now broken off. In shock of herself, Jihyo brought hands over mouth.

“Oh.” Eyes up the ceiling trying to pull those tears in, it was too much for Sana to hear. She excused herself and walked out the door.

An advice had just been given for the future. As it seems, Jihyo too was paying attention to her most hated noise and missed the message. The fatherly producer bows in frustration, “You know what this looks like?”

“Convenience. You’re too disgusted of Kang Daniel that it’s become more important for you to wreck the deal, by any means. Even by losing Sana. Do you really care for her? Or, are you just using her to show you’re not dating him?”

Jihyo is often clueless to these things. Case in point, she didn’t even notice she has fallen. With the pressure from the boardroom, the more she doesn’t recognize which is which. It’s the members who spot it and help her realize.

In the dorm, 3 of the foreign line connived. Tzuyu asked, “And if Sana-unnie calls other members instead?”

“Then, they’ll know what to do. Especially, Jeong-ie.” Momo said.

Boo ran to them, “Boo-chan here here~ Good boi~ Two of your moms in quarrel. Help us too, okay? …Wrap up, Sana’s gonna walk in soon.”

“Alright. Jihyo is preparing for the Melody Project. Pretty sure other members will get the message.” Mina softly huddled with the two, “Twice Twice jjalja!”

A week passes. The 1^st Look magazine releases its April issue. A mini interview is also uploaded on its Youtube channel. Sana shared about the games in the dorm and the penalty she got.

While on standby, Jihyo has a glimpse of this clip on loop. She watches Sana’s narration retelling the lines, “How much do you love me?”

And on the desk, there’s a copy of the mag. She opens it. Then commences marveling through the pages, gawking over the Japanese posing with colorful dresses on.

She stops at an orange-dressed Sana who’s carrying the rest of her clothing into arms. There’s this calming air pulling her temple to lightly rest on it. Fingertips tracing to where her gazes are. Greed didn’t get the best of her this time.

Jihyo is contented to lay beside Sana like this, even just as a print. Pouting, “Annyeong, my dear queen~ You have every right to be cold to me. I’ve become a bad girl. Aren’t I?”

Turns inward and buries face, “I’m an idiot for thinking it.”

Jihyo and her misplaced pent-up anger. All those indecisions have repressed her strong emotions. She has kept taking things in. But with the lack of healthier expression, it’s blurted out at a moment uncalled for.

The idea of breakup has been at the back of her head; especially from when anxiety worsened. It was a thought intended for the reported boyfriend. But how could there be a breakup when there’s no relationship in the first place?

The leader then has resorted to getting in trouble with the Japanese. Jihyo is THAT disgusted of Daniel, she would rather cling and be linked with Sana.

Which lead her to wrestle with the thought. How much do I love you? Do I really love you, Sana-yah? Or am I really just… using you in order for me to oppose any link to him?

Gazes back at Sana and sighs, “What I know is that… Your being with me- gives me strength, lends me life, makes me happy. What do you call this then?”

Tap on the shoulder, the train of thought is interrupted. Jihyo must now enter the recording booth, the proper place to let these emotions out. She wears the headphones on, ready to remake a ballad for the Melody Project.

Cue: A Late Night of 1994.

[In an empty room, when I’m all alone

Only then I might realize

That you are not there…

I hope you remember this

How much I love you,

I love you]

Another week passes. The Allure preview for the US May issue is released this time. The girls have been on meetings finalizing concept for the 9^th mini album comeback. Sensing that the Jjakkungs have become—formal with each other nowadays, NoJams Jeong and Chaeng are onto a scheme again.

“Anything from behind the scenes you got there?” Jeongyeon asks Jihyo as an attempt to wing for her. She infers it might help the leader break the ice towards the Japanese and fix the rift between the partners.

After all, it’s through Twicetagram that the Jjakkungs have picked up conversations. With lips sealed, the leader smiles back in tiny. Jihyo proceeds posting some extras from the photoshoot.

The other members side-glance each other. Chaeyoung then initiates scrolling through the post. The kid rebel shows phone to Mina who’s beside Sana, “This just slaps, right? Look at Jihyo-unnie! Look at herrrr!”

Mina grabs and holds the phone giving Sana a peek on it. She nods and makes satisfied hums waiting for the latter to second her response.

Appreciation for the post is cut short, however. One of the managers informs the leader to delete it. Members are disgruntled, “Aw~ But the photos have come out well!”

“Wae, manager unnie?” The members have lit up as they’re finally hearing Sana comment about Jihyo. She asks, “What’s wrong?”

The Japanese was able to post about her 1^st Look shoots on IG; she finds it unfair for the leader. So, upon learning that the directives came from Allure’s side and it’s due to copyrights, Sana expresses regret. “Shame. Jihyo is pretty.”

Later in the dorm, the girls settle with their newly arranged roommates. There’s Nayeon, Momo, and Sana. Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu on the other. And here’s Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Mina.

“Hey, idiot. Heard what Sana said?”

“Mm”, Jihyo responds timidly. Drops to bed, she puts the back of hand on forehead “But what does that mean? Does she still want me? Would she forgive and accept me again?”

“It means she still cares about you. It means you have a chance to work things out with her”, Mina takes notice. She adds, “She forgives. May take longer than usual though. This is the gravest one, I believe.”

“As for the rest, only way to find out is to woo her back.” Jeong advices.

“How?” Jihyo now brings another hand up and together massages her own scalp to come up with ideas.  “What should I do for her to like me?”

It’s as if her life is on the line. Well, it IS Sana who is at stake.

There’s no excuse to what’s done. Though it may be deemed an honest mistake, Jihyo knows she still did wrong. She can’t lose Sana and that she’ll regret if she wouldn’t do whatever it takes to get her back.

The following day, Jihyo does her best to be liked by Sana. She shows up at the dance practice embodying one of the Japanese’s most loved. Instead of dyeing hair with Sana’s official color which is Purple, Jihyo went with the favorite—Pink.

The choreography is the most challenging yet. It’s taking day ‘til night to absorb the moves. Dinner break, manager unnie excuses the leader for a phone call from Wook Sajangnim.

Jihyo is puzzled at first. But eventually, felt in luck and joyful upon hearing what is said. The CEO instructs “About you and Sana, I take back what I said. Go forth.”

“I- uh… have to fix things but I’m glad to work on that. Why the sudden change, Sajangnim?”

“Apologies, I really thought he’s a good guy. Now I see what Nayeon was furious about. Now I realize what kind of guy he is…”

The leader races back with the desire to share this news as loud and clear as her vocals. Especially to the one who has to hear it. Without slowing down, she bumps right into Sana embracing her.

“Mianhae, Sana-yah…”

The Japanese catches the leader and steadies her. Jihyo, however, senses Sana pushing away through the shoulders. She tells her, “I- have something important to say.”

“I already know”, Sana presents phone displaying the day’s trending discussion about Kang Daniel solely following K-Tigers Kim Youjin, a member of a rookie K-pop group, on Instagram.

As expected from the deal, the name Daniel is making noise following Jihyo’s Allure stint. Regardless of how negative the content of that noise is, it would still turn heads and have people talk.

“This may be out of habit that you cling to me, with the way the comments are going.” Sana utters letting go of Jihyo’s arms, “But that won’t be necessary anymore. Chukahae, Jihyo ssi! It seems the breakup you ever wanted is on its way.”

“Sana-yah”, the leader tries to oppose the formal way of addressing each other. Yet, it fails as the reigning message on the Japanese’s understanding is that they are over.

Sana resumes dance practice leaving Jihyo sighing in frustration.