A.N: Here's FINALLY one of the moments we were waiting for...

...............

SEULGI

Kai had apologized for his tardiness, which Seulgi hadn’t really minded quite as much as her family’s. They, on the other hand, had apologized for their absence by phone, leaving messages on her voicemail. Her parents hadn’t wanted to venture so far downtown with the subway problems as they were, and Chanyeol had been threatened by Seunghyun if he came anywhere near him.

So much for a family reunion, she thought, watching the passing traffic. She’d gone out to check her messages and hadn’t wanted to go back in right away. She breathed in, the cold air scented with cigarette smoke and the aftertaste of rain. She crossed her arms and shivered, knowing she should go back inside. There was no sense in moping. The night was still going well. Her artwork had sold, and people seemed to like it.

“You’re going to freeze out here.”

It took her a moment to recognize the voice. “I don’t mind the cold,” she said, turning. 

“Want me to bring you your coat at least?”

Kai looked so concerned that she had to smile. The temperature had plummeted since she’d last been outside, and she knew that staying out there wasn’t healthy. “Nah, you win.”

Once inside, Joy materialized in front of her in the way she imagined demons did. “Don’t look now,” Joy was saying, “but Kim Jisoo is checking out your stuff.” She frowned. “Your artwork, I mean. Not your...” She waved her hands around Seulgi’s s.

“Totally unnecessary clarification, thank you,” Seulgi said, grabbing Joy’s hands and pushing them back down. She glanced over Joy’s shoulder because she couldn’t help herself. The section of the gallery with her art was visible from the entrance, and she had a clear view of Kim Jisoo. Or, at least, Kim Jisoo’s back. “She’s talking to the Gallery Director.”

“What are they saying?”

Seulgi squinted. “From the way her shoulders are angled and the way her head is tilted several degrees to the right, I would have to say they’re talking about slow dancing aliens.”

“Ha ha”

“Ask a stupid question...” It was Kai who said this, and Seulgi grinned at him.

Seulgi moved so that she was no longer facing Kim Jisoo. Joy, who had no qualms about staring at the actress, turned around.

“I wonder who makes that coat she’s wearing,” Joy said. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“You could probably feed a small country with the price of her clothes,” Kai said. “Such a waste. We live in a society that would rather spend money on shoes than on helping another human being.”

Seulgi glanced at him, surprised and pleased by his comment.

“Hold your horses there, social issues boy,” Joy piped in. “This is Seul’s night and on Seul’s night there will be no conversations that require deep thoughts.”

Seulgi wouldn’t have minded discussing the subject further; it sure beat talking about Kim Jisoo’s outfit. But she remained silent, thinking that perhaps she and Kai could discuss it amongst themselves at a later date; perhaps over coffee. She filed the thought away for later.

“I think they’re talking about you,” said Joy a second later. 

“What?”

“The Gallery Director is pointing at you and Kim Jisoo is staring right this way,” Kai answered.

“Heads up,” Joy said, covering her lips with her glass. “Director man headed to you.”

Seulgi turned to find Marcus St. Marks walking toward her. He was dressed in one of his usual designer suits; salt and pepper hair combed to the side to hide unseemly bald spots. He was fit for a man in his late sixties, but for the first time all night, he looked breathless and agitated. Seulgi could’ve sworn he was sweating. “Hello, Mr. St. Marks,” she said politely the moment he was close enough.

“Marcus, please,” said the man, adjusting his suit. “Ms. Kim wishes to talk to you about your work.”

Seulgi arched an eyebrow. “She wants to talk to me?”

“Yes, yes. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep her waiting.” The man put his arm around Seulgi and began leading her toward the actress. He whispered, “Ms. Kim has her eye on one of the most expensive paintings in the show. Keeping her happy is of utmost importance. A purchase from her would benefit us all.”

It will benefit your pocket and reputation, Seulgi thought, but only nodded. She was too nervous to speak. What in the world could Kim Jisoo possibly have to say to me?

***

JISOO

This hadn’t been part of the plan; not that Jisoo had had a plan. But if she’d had a plan, talking to Seulgi would not have been part of it. She’d been looking at Seulgi’s artwork when Marcus St. Marks had approached her for the billionth time since she’d stepped foot in the gallery. The dollar signs in his eyes flashed as brightly as the Rolex on his wrist, but Jisoo had been content to humor him, going as far as feigning interest in an overpriced painting one would have had to be blind to appreciate. She would buy it, certainly, for charity if not genuine interest, and then send it straight to her stepmother. With luck, it would be cursed.

Marcus St. Marks, though an annoying and greedy sort of parasite, shared one very critical point of interest with Jisoo: Seulgi. The Gallery Director had seemed sincere in his praise of the artist, volunteering information without Jisoo having to ask. And though she hadn’t expected the brief but thorough analysis of her paintings, Jisoo had been more than happy to listen.

Jisoo imagined that her interest in the subject had been more than apparent, because a second later Marcus St. Marks was pointing Seulgi out in the crowd and half a second after that insisting that they meet.

She’d been watching Seulgi all evening because she couldn’t have helped it even if she’d wanted to. She’d been unsure, at first, that she had the right person. She almost hoped she’d gotten it wrong. What were the odds, really, that Seulgi would turn out to be the kind of beautiful that would make Kim Jisoo take notice? Even if it hadn’t been Seulgi, Jisoo would’ve watched the young woman. She would’ve watched and stared and tried to think of a way to wander closer, to strike up a conversation, just to get a better look. It wouldn’t have been the first time Jisoo had spoken to someone just because she found them attractive. She’d spent many years hiding her pleasure at exchanging meaningless conversation with a gorgeous woman. But this was Seulgi. Not a beautiful stranger at a Hollywood party. It was Seulgi. And Jisoo had never felt more intimidated by anyone in her life.

“Ms. Kim?”

Jisoo’s breath caught at the sound of the Director’s voice. She turned, trying to act calm, even if she wasn’t. Her gaze fell on Seulgi, and she offered what she hoped was a neutrally polite smile.

“Ms. Kim, allow me to present Kang Seulgi, one of New York’s most promising young artists.” Marcus St. Marks looked like a proud father standing beside his daughter, and Jisoo was annoyed by his act. Seulgi couldn’t have possibly looked more uncomfortable. After a moment, the man spoke again. “Well, I’ll leave you two ladies to it, then. Ms. Kim, please let me know the moment you need anything.”

Seulgi was the first to speak when the Director had left them. “Mr. St. Marks said you wanted to talk to me.”

Did he now? Jisoo looked away because looking at Seulgi was entirely distracting. She looked up at the artwork instead, thinking it a safe place to rest her gaze. “You’re very talented,” she said.

“Thank you.”

Seulgi was nervous, Jisoo could tell, but it wasn’t the sort of nervousness the actress was used to. There was nothing that hinted that Seulgi was a fan, or that she was particularly impressed that Kim Jisoo would want to talk to her. The artist seemed mostly impatient, like she wanted to get away. Jisoo wasn’t sure if she was hurt or intrigued by this. What do you think of me? Jisoo wondered. What would you think of me if you knew the truth?

Saving these thoughts for another time, Jisoo focused instead on the art. One painting in particular had given her pause. It was a painting similar to the one Jisoo had hung above her bed, only this time there were two figures instead of one. “I like this one a lot,” she said, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound moronic. “It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your own loneliness that you forget there are others out there just as lonely as you.” She’d said this quietly, and for a moment Jisoo thought that Seulgi hadn’t heard. She dared a glance in the artist’s direction, only to find light brown eyes staring curiously at her.

“I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

Seulgi shook her head, looking embarrassed. “No. I’m sorry. You reminded me of someone else just then.”

Jisoo only nodded, panicked at the thought of Seulgi figuring things out.

“I tend to paint a lot about loneliness,” Seulgi said after a second. She shrugged, seeming shy suddenly. “I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m alone.”

“You can be surrounded by a thousand people and still feel alone,” Jisoo said.

A look Jisoo couldn’t decipher passed across Seulgi’s face. The artist looked at her, then; really looked at her, and Jisoo worried that the artist had managed to piece it all together. Seulgi looked like she wanted to say something, but changed her mind. “I suppose you’re right,” is what she finally said.

If Seulgi suspected anything she hid it well, and Jisoo couldn’t decide whether she was more relieved or disappointed. “I appreciate you coming over to talk to me. I didn’t mean to interrupt your time with your friends.” Jisoo glanced in Joy’s direction only to find the redhead and the guy Jisoo guessed was Kai staring back. They instantly looked up at the ceiling as if they’d been looking at it the entire time. Jisoo stifled a smile and turned back to Seulgi.

Seulgi was shaking her head. “I’m sorry, they’re not very subtle.”

“It’s okay; I’m kind of used to it by now.” She made a face. “Sorry, that sounded rather arrogant of me.”

“Yes.” Seulgi smiled. “But I can imagine that it’s true.”

Jisoo arched a brow. “Me being arrogant?”

To Jisoo’s surprise, Seulgi laughed. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Fair enough.” Jisoo smiled. She didn’t want to end the conversation, but she’d also never meant to start it in the first place. She stretched out her hand. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Kang. Best of luck.”

Jisoo’s skin tingled the moment it came into contact with Seulgi’s. It was a brief handshake, but Jisoo could still feel Seulgi’s hand long after the artist had thanked her and walked away.

***

SEULGI

Seulgi had never been one to think much about celebrities, and in the rare moments when she did think of them, it was seldom in a favorable light. She’d never been one to care for autographs. There was no one whose picture she’d want to hang on her wall. For the most part, she found her country’s obsession with fame and Hollywood life idiotic. People were starving and suffering all over the world while those with the means to help cared more about the latest celebrity gossip.

What had people like Kim Jisoo ever done to merit such attention? She had never understood the mentality behind treating actors like royalty while the true heroes – the teachers, the social workers, the police officers – were left scraping the bottom of the barrel, trying to make ends meet.

It was for this reason that she had never thought much of Kim Jisoo. The Hollywood star had always seemed to Seulgi as entirely self-involved. It was easy to imagine that the actress’ extreme beauty was simply nature’s way of making up for a total lack of intellect. But as Seulgi walked away from Kim Jisoo, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d been unfairly harsh in her prior assessments. After all, what did Seulgi really know about her?

She hadn’t known what to expect of the actress, but comments such as I think that’s a pretty frame wouldn’t have surprised her. What Seulgi hadn’t expected was Kim Jisoo, of all people, talking to her about loneliness. She hadn’t expected the mixture of confidence and vulnerability that coated the actress’ words. It had made her forget, however briefly, that she was talking to a Hollywood star and not a random person in a gallery. She’d had to stop herself from asking any of the myriad of questions that had sprung to mind, because despite her belief that famous people weren’t any different than anyone else, Seulgi couldn’t help but feel a certain element of shyness in Kim Jisoo’s presence.

Up close, the actress had been even more beautiful than she’d been from afar, and Seulgi had been momentarily startled by that fact. Even with her bag full of preconceived notions about Kim Jisoo, Seulgi couldn’t deny that the actress had a fascinating sort of energy about her; every movement was fluid, never awkward or forced. Her face was a textbook example of perfect symmetry in action. And the eyes; she had tried to calculate how many different tubes of paint she’d have to mix in order to duplicate that shade of brown.

She’d lost count.

“What did she say?” Joy asked, closing the distance between them. “Tell me everything; word for word and with careful attention to inflection.”

“I’m surprised you don’t know, given how much you were staring,” Seulgi said, ignoring Joy’s request. “You guys couldn’t have been more obvious.”

“I’m sure we could’ve,” Joy said. “Now shoot.”

“Where’s Kai?”

“He went outside for a smoke. Quit stalling before my head implodes.”

Seulgi frowned. “He smokes?” She felt a sudden pang of disappointment. 

“Seriously. Brain imploding. Any second now.”

“She seemed to like my paintings,” Seulgi said casually. “She didn’t say much.”

“You . Kim Jisoo asks to talk to you about your art and you come back with ‘she didn’t say much’? She had to have said something. I saw you smile. Hell, I saw you laugh. And it wasn’t even that forced laugh you do when you don’t want to laugh but feel like you have to. It was genuine. And considering how much you’ve claimed to dislike Kim Jisoo, that’s huge. So spill.”

Seulgi sighed. Joy was exhausting. She looked around to make sure the actress wasn’t right behind her. “She said she liked one of my paintings in particular, and then said something about loneliness, and—“

“Really? You think that means she’s lonely?” Joy appeared thoughtful. “Well, her boyfriend did recently dump her.”

Seulgi rolled her eyes. “Anyway, she said something and then apologized for sounding arrogant, and then I said I could see how what she’d originally said was true, but she asked if I meant her being arrogant, and that’s when I laughed, and I’m really bad at retelling conversations.”

“Yes, you royally .”

“And then she shook my hand and that was it.”

“Wow. You shook Kim Jisoo’s hand. I didn’t get to do that. Do you think I should go back and do that?”

“If you want her to think you’re a complete freak, sure.”

“I liked her,” Joy said thoughtfully. “She seemed very... I don’t know... present in the conversation. Like she wanted to be talking to me even though I’d just come up to her out of the blue and pestered her for an autograph.” She shrugged. “Probably just an act. But it felt nice all the same. I hope I’m that friendly when I’m famous.”

Seulgi found herself scanning the crowd as she listened to Joy talk. There were more people than there had been earlier in the evening and she could only hope that meant the mess with the subway system had been fixed. Her gaze suddenly fell on Kim Jisoo and lingered there for longer than she’d intended. The actress was talking to Marcus again, or rather, listening as he talked to her, and all the while people passed by and stared as they noticed her.

Watching her from the other side of the room, Seulgi wondered if this was one of those moments when Kim Jisoo felt alone.

~.~

JISOO

Jisoo stifled a yawn and stole a glance at the time on her cell phone. The day had been a long one, starting with a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call that Rosé had set up and Jisoo had forgotten about until the voice on the other side of the phone had welcomed her cheerfully into consciousness. Many hours later, Jisoo sat inside a room inside a building somewhere in New York City, watching fellow actors – some of whom she recognized, some of whom she didn’t - audition for a part in Jennie Ruby’s next film.

An actress Jisoo recognized but couldn’t place walked into the room, looking politely hopeful. The people in the room welcomed her kindly, if a bit tiredly, and asked her to begin whenever ready.

In the center of the room, a camera rolled, and Jisoo watched the girl’s monologue with growing interest. Victoria Kelley, Jisoo remembered the girl’s name suddenly. She was auditioning for the role of Jisoo’s younger sister, and Jisoo thought, watching as the girl read off the lines on the paper, that Victoria Kelley would be perfect for the part.

Jennie was the first to thank her when the girl was done, and Jisoo could sense the smile on the director’s face the second Victoria Kelley had left the room. “That’s our Sara.”

Jisoo silently agreed. It had been a long day, but it was looking up.

“What did you think, Jisoo?”

Jisoo looked at the director. “She’s perfect.”

Jennie looked pleased. “We’ll have her come back and read with Jisoo tomorrow, then. Just to be sure.” She stretched. “The good news is we’re done for the day.”

“Thank God,” the guy working the camera said with a laugh, and everyone let out a collective chuckle of agreement.

Jisoo turned the sound back on her phone, only to have it chime in her hand the moment she did so. The name “Seulgi” stared up at Jisoo from the screen and she blinked a few times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. She felt her heart speed up as she answered. 

“Impressive timing,” she said by way of greeting, and she felt everyone’s eyes on her suddenly. Jennie’s looked particularly curious. Jisoo averted her gaze, feeling embarrassed. Her tone of voice, Jisoo realized, changed considerably when talking to Seulgi.

“Is that right?” came Seulgi’s voice. “Why’s that?”

“I was just finishing up something,” Jisoo said, knowing, as she said it, that it would lead to questions. She quickly added, “Actually, could I call you back in five minutes?”

“Ah, so my timing was actually off by five minutes.” Seulgi sounded amused. “I’ll have to work on that. Talk to you in five then.”

It turned out to be closer to twenty minutes. Getting to a place of privacy took longer than Jisoo had anticipated, especially after Ella Peters ered Jisoo into a conversation about designer shoes that Jisoo thought would never end. But it had ended, eventually, somehow, and Jisoo had escaped.

She began dialing as her limo driver opened the door for her. She’d given Rosé the day off to spend with Jackson, and Jisoo was suddenly grateful for the solitude.

“Satan’s house of worship,” came a voice that wasn’t Seulgi’s. “How may I spank you?”

“What are the options again?” Jisoo asked, playing along. Joy didn’t miss a beat. “You’ll have to speak to our resident pert, Mistress Spankalot. Oh and here she comes now—“

“I told you not to answer my phone,” said Seulgi, in a voice that sounded far away. And then, closer, “Hello?”

Jisoo smiled into the phone. It had been less than 24 hours since they’d spoken face to face, but it felt like longer. The previous evening felt like a dream. “Satan’s house of worship?”

Seulgi laughed. “Sorry about that.”

“And I’m sorry that my five minutes turned into almost half an hour. Are we even?” 

“Sure, that seems fair.”

Jisoo watched the scenery outside the window. If she’d been honest with Seulgi from the start, would they be having this conversation? How nice it would be to be able to say, “I’m free for the evening, do you want to grab dinner? I’m in the neighborhood. I could pick you up.” But she hadn’t been honest from the beginning. “So, how did it go last night? Tell me everything.”

“I was going to email you all about it, but then I decided to call you up instead. So, last night. Hm. Last night was definitely interesting.”

“Oh?”

“Well, there was this stupid subway malfunction, and my parents couldn’t make it. And my brother couldn’t make it either because my step-father is insane. But on the plus side, my artwork all sold. Someone bought them all. Crazy huh?”

Yes, I am, Jisoo thought. “Congratulations,” she said.

“I wish I felt happier about it.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I mean, I do. I just... there was one... and this is going to sound really stupid, but there was one I wanted to keep.”

“Oh.” Jisoo frowned, wondering which one.

“For you,” Seulgi added softly a moment later; then quickly followed it up with, “I know that sounds kinda weird...”

Jisoo’s heart was doing strange things. She didn’t know what to say.

“I’ve embarrassed you,” Seulgi said. “I’m sorry. It’s just that when I was painting it, I thought of you. I thought it would be something you would like. A kind of sequel to the one you bought ... or something. Anyway, I didn’t think it would sell which is why I agreed to display it but well ... it sold. I did take a picture. I can send you the picture.”

Jisoo found her voice. “Yes, I’d love to see it.”

“Cool. Um. So, anyway. Uh, Kim Jisoo showed up at the gallery, which was pretty surprising.”

Jisoo swallowed nervously. “Wow,” she said, knowing it sounded horribly flat. She couldn’t muster fake enthusiasm for herself.

“I know,” Seulgi said, “I wasn’t all that excited either.”

Jisoo felt something painful in her chest. “Oh, you don’t like her?” she forced herself to ask, thinking, as she spoke, that she didn’t really want to know the answer.

“As a rule, I’m generally not into the whole celebrity, Hollywood stardom thing. I think the world has better things to focus on, you know?”

“Absolutely.”

“And truthfully, she always seemed kind of a bimbo to me.”

Jisoo frowned. She’d been called many things in her life, but never a bimbo. “She went to Yale, you know,” she found herself saying before she could stop.

“Yeah, but she’s famous...”

“And graduated second in her class!” This she nearly yelled. “A very close second.”

“Whoa, whoa, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were a fan.”

What the hell am I doing? Jisoo ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. “I’m not a fan. I just ... um ... don’t think she’s a bimbo.”

“Well I don’t either,” Seulgi said, “anymore.”

“Oh.”

Seulgi started laughing. “Do you have a crush on her or something?”

“No,” Jisoo said, thinking the question so ridiculous she almost laughed. “She’s not really my type.”

“Really? I’m surprised. I mean, she’s pretty hot.” 

“You think I... uh, she’s hot?”

“I thought everyone did. I think Joy put her on her list of celebrities she’d have a with.”

“Oh, she’s not on yours?” Jisoo asked.

“Uh, I don’t have a list of celebrities I’d have a with.”

How about a twosome? Jisoo thought, but quickly pushed the question aside. 

“Do you?” Seulgi asked.

“I’m not really a kind of girl,” Jisoo said.

Seulgi laughed. “How did we get on this subject again?”

“I’m pretty sure you brought it up.”

“So I did. Huh. Anyway, yeah, last night was interesting. And I think Kim Jisoo is actually pretty nice. I mean, I haven’t met any other famous people to compare her to but in human terms, she was nice.”

Jisoo smiled. “I’m glad you had a good time last night.”

“Yeah, it was good. Kai came. He invited me out for a drink after but I was too tired. I think I will ask him out for coffee one of these days though. I think we have a lot in common.”

“Great,” Jisoo said, but she knew she didn’t mean it. And the fact that she knew she didn’t mean it, worried her. I will not fall for a straight girl, she thought. I absolutely will not.

“So, what about you? Any romantic prospects?”

“Nope.”

“What about She-Who-Saved-You-From-the-Perils-of-Boring-Conversation? I was gonna give her an acronym but I think it’s too long ... SWSY ... FPBC ... how would you pronounce that? Sausy.” Seulgi laughed. “Sausy Fipbic”

Jisoo laughed. “Sausy is not a romantic prospect. She’s someone I spend time with on a professional basis. And that’s it.”

“That’s how many of history’s most torrid love affairs have started.” 

“Mm. I doubt any of them involved someone named Sausy Fipbic.” Seulgi giggled. “That’s not really her name. What’s her name?” 

Jisoo hesitated. “Jennie. Jennie Fipbic.”

Seulgi was laughing, and Jisoo knew she was quickly becoming addicted to that sound. “I’m sorry to say this, but I have to go,” she said regretfully, watching as the hotel came into view. The last thing she needed was her real name getting called while on the phone with Seulgi.

“Yeah, I should start getting ready for tonight, anyway. Email me?”

It was the first time Seulgi had ever asked her for anything, and Jisoo recognized at that moment that there would be nothing she would deny the artist. 

“You got it.”

“Later, Sooya.”

She finished the call just as the limo rolled to a stop.

A man smiled cheerfully as he opened the door for her. “Welcome back, Ms. Kim.”

***

“Get Cynthia on the phone,” Jisoo said the moment Rosé opened the hotel room door.

Rosé frowned. “I thought I had the day off?”

“That was before I found out about the bimbo image crisis,” Jisoo stated seriously. She glanced over Rosé’s shoulder at Jackson, who was doing his best to cover himself with a sheet. She smirked. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Rosé shook her head and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door. “You didn’t. He’s just a nudist. What’s this about a bimbo crisis?”

“People think I’m a bimbo.” 

“What people?”

“Some people.”

“But you went to Yale.”

Jisoo laughed wryly. “Well! Apparently if you’re famous, people think you attend an entirely different school called Yale. Yale School for Total Morons.” She paused. “I wanted to do a really witty thing there, like Yale as an acronym but all I can come up with for the Y is ... Yemen.”

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” Jisoo asked.

Jackson opened the door, dressed in a white t-shirt and black sweatpants. “Is this girl talk or can I join in?”

“I think Jisoo is having a meltdown.”

Jisoo pushed her way into the hotel room. “Seulgi thinks - thought, or hell, maybe she still thinks – that I’m a bimbo. A bimbo! Me!” She started pacing. “Call Cynthia and tell her she’s fired as my publicist unless she can turn me into the Albert Einstein of celebrities by tomorrow. I can’t have people thinking I’m an idiot.”

“Maybe if you wore your glasses more,” Jackson suggested, only to get elbowed in the stomach by Rosé.

“It was that stupid Award ceremony, or whatever the hell it was called. I should have never agreed to it,” Jisoo said. “She probably saw me say that thing they made me say about how much I love my hair, only to cut out all the other stuff after that so it was just a shot of me going, ‘I totally love my hair.’ I’m gonna sue those bastards. Can I sue them?”

“Uh,” said Rosé. “I’ll check on that.”

Jisoo sat down on the bed. “I’m not having a meltdown.”

“Okay,” said Jackson, leaning against the nearest wall and crossing his arms. “So, if I’m reading through all of the b.s. correctly, you’re freaking out that Seulgi turned out to be way hotter than she appeared in all of your , girl-on-girl fantasies, and now you’re worried that you won’t be able to dodge Cupid’s arrows forever because he’s aiming them straight at your oversensitive, undered heart.”

Jisoo opened to say something, but shut it.

Jackson smirked. “Just how hot is this girl?”

Jisoo fell back on the bed and covered her face with the nearest pillow.

“You just need to get laid. You’ve got way too much pent up ual frustration making you all angsty and confused. Find a chick you think is moderately attractive and that you trust to be discreet, tear her clothes off, and let go. You’ll feel better, trust me.”

Jisoo tossed the pillow aside and sighed at the ceiling. “You know what? it. You’re right.” She got up from the bed. “You guys have been a lot of help.”

“We have?” Jackson arched an eyebrow.

Rosé frowned. “Do you still want me to call Cynthia?”

“No. Enjoy the rest of your day off.”

“Where are you going?”

At the door, Jisoo paused. She smiled. “I’m going to call Jennie.”

***

SEULGI

“I have to admit,” Kai began, “I was a bit surprised that you called me.” 

“You mean, as opposed to Joy calling you?”

Kai laughed and nodded. “Something like that, yeah.”

Seulgi looked around the café, at the rows of empty tables. She and Kai were the only people there, and it felt strangely intimate. She turned back to him. “I guess I wanted to thank you for coming to the gallery the other night. I did intend to call you myself to invite you to that, but Joy beat me to the punch.”

Kai chuckled. “She said something about you being rusty with any method of communication not involving the Internet.”

Seulgi rolled her eyes and shook her head, idly stirring the coffee in front of her. “She’s just jealous because I made a friend online. Joy is easily threatened and overly possessive.” She paused. “But... not in a creepy, Single White Female type of way. She just—“

“She cares, I get it,” Kai said, nodding. “It’s nice having a friend like that.” 

“It is. She’s like a sister.”

“I always wanted a sister,” Kai said. “Got two brothers instead; one younger, one older.”

“Me too,” Seulgi said. “Well, my older brother is really a step-brother, but I’m closer to him than my real brother, who’s a complete .”

Kai smiled.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. “Look, before we continue forth with this conversation, I just want you to know that I’m not trying to confuse you or lead you on or anything. I’m still not sure I’m ready to—“

“Seul,” Kai said, interrupting. “Relax. Really. I’m not expecting anything or reading into this in any way. I’m mostly flattered that you’d want to spend time with me at all. So, just drink your coffee. I’ll drink mine. And that’s all this has to be.”

She studied his face for a moment. Sensing his honestly, she relaxed. “Okay.”

“Of course, Joy did tell me you were going to sleep with me the other night, and you didn’t, so we should probably get on that.”

She froze, cup of coffee half-way to her lips.

Kai started laughing. “I’m sorry. Joy begged me to say that, and I couldn’t resist.”

Seulgi put the coffee down and shrugged. “Well, I was going to ask when you wanted to ‘get on that’, as you put it. But since you were just kidding...”

It was Kai’s turn to freeze. “Uh...” 

She grinned. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” 

Kai shook his head. “Touché.”

***

JISOO

Jisoo stared at the menu in her hand, wondering what the hell she was doing. Across from her, Jennie was on her cell phone, talking to someone about something that Jisoo had given up trying to follow.

She hadn’t called Jennie after her alleged meltdown. She’d dialed the numbers and stared at them, but hadn’t completed the call. She hadn’t wanted to make a rash decision based on advice from Jackson, of all people. But she’d thought about it. She’d thought about it all evening, and all night. And the truth was that Jackson was right. She had to loosen up. It was either that or lose her mind.

She’d run into Jennie at breakfast the next morning, and somewhere between the miniature croissants and the sliced strawberries, Jisoo had summoned up the courage to ask Jennie to dinner. The director had seemed surprised, but had accepted easily. And now here they were.

“... I’m having dinner with Jisoo right now, can I call you back later? Yes... yes... I know. I promise I’ll take care of it. Okay. Okay. Bye.” Jennie let out a sigh. “I’m shutting this off. I’m really sorry about that. Did I mention I hate producers? The lot of them can go to hell.”

Jisoo arched an eyebrow.

“I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course.”

“Of course.” Jisoo smiled.

Jennie took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. Is it bad news?”

Jisoo put the menu down and frowned at the director. “What bad news?”

“The reason you asked me to dinner. You’re not dropping out, are you, Jisoo? Please don’t tell me you’re dropping out of the film.”

Jennie didn’t suspect a thing, Jisoo suddenly realized. And why would she, Jisoo thought. It’s not as if she’d worn a ‘Nobody Knows I’m a Lesbian’ t-shirt. “I’m not dropping out,” she said.

Jennie let out a long breath. “Okay, I think my heart stopped beating there for a moment.” She sat back. “Okay. Okay, good. Anything else I can handle. Lay it on me.”

Well, I’m a closeted lesbian looking to lose my ity in the hopes that doing so will salvage whatever’s left of my sanity, and since you’re the only attractive lesbian I know... Jisoo cleared in the attempt to clear her mind, and dared herself to look at Jennie. “What makes you think I have any kind of news?”

A pale brow lifted in question. “You mean you don’t?”

Jisoo simply shook her head.

“Oh.” Jennie grinned. “How refreshing.” She grabbed the menu. “Usually the only time actors invite me to dinner it’s to let me down easy.” She paused. “And there was this one time when one wanted to sleep with me.” She laughed.

Jisoo quickly averted her gaze and picked up the menu again. “And did you?” she asked after a moment. She’d had a couple of drinks before Jennie had arrived, and now she was regretting that decision. The self-edit button was quickly headed toward out-of-service status.

Jennie glanced up at the question. “No,” she said, and then added, “Not really into men.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Jisoo said under her breath.

“I’m sorry?”

Jisoo caught Jennie’s gaze and almost repeated herself, but the waiter intervened. He took their orders while Jisoo silently pondered what she was doing here.

The director was looking at her when Jisoo glanced up. “I’d like to run something by you to see what you think,” Jennie said.

Jisoo relaxed slightly at the thought of not having to come up with her own topic of conversation. “Go ahead.”

“Last night at dinner one of the producers suggested that I play Samantha. Something that had honestly never crossed my mind, but that they had apparently given a lot of thought to during their clandestine meetings. Obviously, that’s provided the perfect Samantha doesn’t walk through the audition doors, but ... what do you think?”

Jisoo blinked in surprise. This she hadn’t expected: Jennie playing her on-screen lover. She moved her head to the side, studying Jennie thoughtfully. She regarded the light blonde hair, the silky strands pulled back in a way that reminded Jisoo of Lara Croft. She imagined those eyes looking back at her in a different context. She thought of Samantha’s dialogue spoken in Jennie’s voice. It made sense, suddenly. “I could see that,” Jisoo said.

Jennie looked pleasantly surprised. “Yeah? Well, I guess we’ll see then. I’d still like to audition a few people. And maybe set up a screen test to see if you and I have any chemistry whatsoever in front of a camera.”

Jisoo took a sip of water and nodded because she couldn’t think of anything to say. She’d lost her nerve. She thought she’d at least get around to coming out to Jennie but she didn’t know how to at this point. And maybe it was for the best. She’d been stupid to think she could, overnight, turn herself into the sort of person who’d make advances toward another woman. She wasn’t that person; didn’t know how to be that person, no matter how much alcohol was in her system. And Jisoo knew that Jennie would never come on to her; not without an invitation, and maybe not even then.

“May I ask you something?” Jennie said suddenly. 

“Shoot.”

“When I first spoke to Ray about getting you for this film, he told me you’d never play a gay role. Then he called back and said you were considering it. What made you take it?”

Jisoo was caught off-guard by the question. But the answer was simple enough. “I loved the script,” she said honestly. “It’s really beautiful. Though, I guess what really sold it for me was ... well, you.”

Jennie looked surprised. “Me?”

“You were different from most of the directors I usually meet with. Not yet corrupted, I guess.” Jisoo smiled. “I’ve been doing commercially viable movies for a long time, while waiting for something different to come along. And you delivered different. Great script, great role, intriguing director... I couldn’t refuse.”

“Intriguing?” Jennie grinned. “I don’t think anyone’s called me intriguing before.” 

“Well, there you go.”

“Huh.” Jennie nodded to herself. “And your qualms about playing a gay role?”

Jisoo sighed at the question. “It’s not what you think. It’s not that I have an issue with it because of any political or religious views or even because I’m uncomfortable with the idea. I just ... um ...” How to explain? “I just wanted to remain off the gay press’ radar for as long as possible.”

Jennie frowned briefly at that. “That’s a curious answer. Any particular reason?” 

“I wanted to avoid speculation.”

“Ah,” Jennie said, as if she understood. She smiled. “Well, they say that people thinking you’re gay just means you’ve officially reached stardom.”

“And I’d be all for them thinking it,” Jisoo said, finding courage, suddenly, “if in my case it weren’t true.”

Comprehension dawned on the director’s face and she sat back in her chair, looking stunned. “Okay,” she said, after a moment, “I think my brain just exploded.”

Jisoo laughed. She should have felt more nervous than she did. She should’ve felt more concern, even regret. But all she felt at that moment was relief.

And maybe just a tiny bit of panic.

~.~

Jisoo looked down from her balcony seat to the theater below, silently surprised by the turnout. The rows of plush red seats were filled with hundreds of bodies, and all of them after the very same thing: a shot at stardom.

Jennie leaned forward, her arm brushing against Jisoo’s. “This is going to be fun,” she said, sounding every bit like she meant it. The director was practically bouncing in her chair.

“If you say so,” Jisoo replied with a short laugh. She sat back. Nothing much had changed between them since Jisoo’s confession two nights prior. The initial shock had passed, their dinner had arrived, and the conversation had drifted on to neutral topics. If the director had any thoughts or feelings on the subject of Jisoo’s uality, she certainly wasn’t telling Jisoo about them.

Ella Peters poked her head in through the red curtains and then walked in. “Thank God I found you. This place is a zoo. I had to jump over a guy pretending he was dead. At least, I think he was pretending.” She chuckled at herself and moved to take a seat. The producer was dressed in one of her usual somber-colored suits. Her brown hair was pinned back and away from her aging face. She looked, to Jisoo’s eyes, like every other producer she’d ever met. But Ella was, in Jisoo’s estimation, a kind woman; a kind woman with a job to do.

Jennie was dressed in jeans and a tight red hooded sweatshirt. Her long hair was partly concealed beneath a black bandana.

Jisoo found the contrast between them amusing, and she hid a smile as she turned her attention back to the crowd.

“I hope you’re not wasting my time with this, Jennie,” Ella was saying as she draped her coat over the back of her chair. “If we’d wanted a bunch of amateurs we would’ve called for a bunch of amateurs.”

“You’re free to leave,” Jennie said, sounding neither impatient nor annoyed. “If I see anyone noteworthy I’ll have them come for a proper audition.”

“I’ll stay for a few minutes,” Ella said after a moment of thought. “Since I’m here.” She seemed to notice Jisoo for the first time. “Oh hey, Jisoo. I didn’t see you there. I was blinded by the red on this girl’s shirt.”

Jisoo smiled. “Hi, Ella. I believe Jennie has a meeting with a bull after this.”

Ella let out a loud, shrill laugh. “Oh I believe it.” She elbowedJennie. “She’s funny. I never thought she’d be funny.”

Jennie sent Jisoo an offended look but looked more amused than anything. “As it happens, I do have a meeting with a bull. Of sorts.”

Ella snorted, but Jisoo missed the joke; if it had been a joke. The actress glanced back down at the crowd. She liked the energy emanating from the room; it lacked the desperation she was used to back in L.A. She scanned the faces, trying to see if anyone stood out. No one did.

The doors to the theater opened, catching Jisoo’s attention briefly. A small of group of people walked in and quickly began searching for an open seat. The doors began to close, and then swung open again.

Jisoo was about to look away when recognition dawned. “Oh .”

“What’s wrong?” Jennie was leaning forward again, looking at the actress with concern.

Jisoo sat back as if the railing had burned her. “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I just remembered something. It’s not important.”

The curtains behind them parted again, and this time Rosé walked in. “Line for the bathroom is eternal,” she announced, and took a seat beside Jisoo. “Did I miss anything?”

The actress shook her head. She waited until Jennie’s attention turned elsewhere, and leaned over to whisper in Rosé’s ear, “She’s here.”

“She who?” Rosé frowned briefly in confusion then her eyes widened. “You’re kidding?” Jisoo shook her head.

“What the hell is she doing here?”

Jisoo shrugged. She was about to say she had no idea, when she remembered Seulgi mentioning that Joy was an actress. Of all the days and all of the auditions in New York City... Jisoo looked down at the throng of people again. It took a couple of minutes, but she finally spotted Seulgi, and beside her, Joy.

The artist was dressed casually in a black hooded sweater and jeans. She wore a long, multi-colored scarf around her neck. Her dark hair was loose, settling past her shoulders. Jisoo thought she looked even more beautiful than she had at the gallery.

“Neo looks really cute today,” Rosé whispered.

Jisoo frowned at her assistant. “Who?”

Rosé glanced pointedly in Jennie’s direction. “Code name. Learn it. Use it.”

Jisoo rolled her eyes and slumped down in her chair. But after a moment, she said, “She does.”

“I’ll be back in a sec,” Jennie announced, rising. “I just want to check on a couple of things with the person in charge of this shindig.”

“I’ll come with,” said Ella. “There’s no reception in this hellhole.”

Jisoo watched them leave and turned her attention back toward nothing in particular.

Rosé leaned closer. “Has she made a move on you yet?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe she’s shy?”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to risk offending her lead actress by assuming anything.”

“Yeah but you’ve at least flirted with her, right?”

Jisoo shrugged, feeling unnerved by the conversation.

Rosé flailed her arms. “Well then of course she’s not going to make a move on you. You need to let her know you’d welcome her advances.”

“Would I?”

“Why the hell wouldn’t you? Did you see her in those jeans?”

“Remind me again how much I’m paying you to be a complete pain in my ?”

Rosé smiled. “Definitely not enough.” She glanced at the curtain, making sure no one was about to come in. “You need to like... invite her to something.”

“I asked her to dinner.”

“That doesn’t count! That was before T.O.” At Jisoo’s blank look, she added, “Before the outing. All you did there was confuse her. Now you need to make your intentions known.”

Jisoo sighed. “Rosé, I have no intentions. What if things don’t work out? What if it turns out that we bring out the worst in each other and all we do is fight and the movie goes to hell; or what if she falls in love with me, and I don’t fall in love with her and she gets all psychotic and jealous? The mere thought of the potential drama that my involvement with her might cause is enough to give me hives.”

“Tell me again why you don’t have a therapist?”

“I’m being perfectly rational.”

Rosé nodded. “Oh yeah. Perfectly. That’s why you had a mental breakdown at the thought that Someone Who Shall Remain Nameless thought you were a bimbo. That’s why you keep glancing over that railing. ‘Cause having the hots for a straight artist who thinks you’re two different people is perfectly rational.”

Jisoo frowned and crossed her arms. “I have it all under control.” She said knowing it wasn’t true.