“I'm going with you today,” Yeji said.

Ryujin put on her sweatpants and looked at her roommate.

“For real?”

Yeji let out an "uh-huh" as she reached for her workout clothes.

“Okay,” Ryujin said.

She felt a twinge of frustration. She couldn't treat Yuna like she always did with Yeji present. After thinking better of it, she felt ashamed of her initial reaction. Yeji was her and Yuna's friend, not a hindrance. A single evening with Yeji present would not be a big drama.

With that reasoning, Ryujin was glad. They would have a pleasant time.

---

Shin Yuna was getting ready to leave her room. She was dressed in the clothes she was so familiar with lately: gray sport shirt and gray sweatpants. Before, she associated the outfit with comeback time. Nowadays, she still associated it with comebacks, but with an added bonus: Ryujin. Yuna smiled at the thought of the short-haired girl. She would probably be waiting for Yuna in the practice room. Ryujin was always earlier than her.

“I want to see you as soon as possible,” Ryujin said when Yuna asked her why she was so early.

The answer, Yuna recalled, had brought an irrepressible smile to her face. Hearing Ryujin talk like that was something Yuna loved.

“Are you going out today? Again?” Jisu asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Yuna said cheerfully. “Ryujin-unnie and I will soon finish learning a choreography.”

“Oh, okay,” Jisu gave her a thumbs-up from her bed. “I'll go visit Chaeryeong in her room in a couple of hours.”

Yuna nodded in response. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was time to leave, to meet Ryujin.

“I'm leaving,” she reported as she headed for the exit.

She reached the room without delay, as usual. She opened the door, expecting to find Ryujin warming up, but was surprised to see a blonde girl with her.

“Yeji-unnie!” Yuna said as she closed the door. “You're finally coming to join us.”

Yeji smiled.

“That's right.”

“This changes our plans,” thought Yuna as she closed the door and went to set her water bottle down next to Ryujin and Yeji's.

“I realize now that it's been a few days since I last saw you, Yeji-unnie,” Yuna commented.

“And yet we live in the same building,” Yeji said as she continued her warm-up.

Yuna crossed her gaze with Ryujin's. They smiled at each other. Yuna took position next to her. Normally they would chat for a while before warm-up, but with Yeji there they would jump right into training.

---

I'm so sick of this fake love

I'm so sorry but is fake love

Yuna dropped to the ground, exhausted. Yeji was only sweating lightly. The girl was executing the moves flawlessly and energetically, reminding Yuna why she was one of ITZY's main dancers.

“You're impressive, Yeji-unnie,” Yuna snorted.

“Impressive is an understatement,” Ryujin chipped in.

Yeji paused the song, looking at both of them.

“Impressive? That's good to hear,” she said.

Yeji's gaze wandered around the room. She approached the large mirror that almost made up an entire wall of the room. She executed a couple of moves from the choreography of Fake Love, looking thoughtful. When she stopped, she looked at Ryujin and then at Yuna through the mirror.

“More impressive is the fact that you two are dating.”

Yuna felt the room become much colder all at once. She raised her head abruptly to look at Yeji. She heard Ryujin choke on the water she was drinking. Yeji looked at Yuna through the mirror, paying no attention to Ryujin. She had a serious expression, which was reflected in her cat-like, sharp eyes.

Yeji's eyes moved to another part of the mirror, the one that reflected Ryujin. Yuna turned her head to look directly at the short-haired girl. Ryujin was coughing.

“What do you say, Yeji?” she said between coughs. “I don't understand.”

“Right, unnie,” Yuna interjected quickly, looking at Yeji. “I don't understand what you mean either.”

Yuna's heart was pounding nervously.

Yeji turned to look directly at them, alternating back and forth. Her brow was furrowed.

Yuna couldn't understand how Yeji knew. It was impossible. They had never attracted attention in any way, and Yuna was sure Ryujin hadn't said anything to Yeji, judging by her reaction.

“‘Can you kiss me? There's no one around here’, was what you said to Ryujin in the park,” Yeji said.

Yuna felt cold. She stood up. How? How did she know that?

“Yeji, that's...”

“Ryujin, no,” Yeji cut her off. Her tone of voice was calm, though Yuna felt a furious effervescence underneath.” Don't lie to me. Don't make excuses. Don't. You know it's true what I say.”

“Unnie...” Yuna said.

“I'm furious, Ryujin, Yuna,” Yeji said, although her voice reflected only a slight discomfort. “I'm furious that you've kept something as important as the fact that you're dating from me. Do you have any idea how dangerous it would be if it got out?” Yeji's voice had lost its calm. Now Yuna could tell she was upset, “I wouldn't mind at all if... Damn it,” she put her hands to her head.

Yuna was surprised to hear a curse come from Yeji's lips. Rarely had she heard her curse.

“Calm down, unnie,” Yuna approached her. “Please.”

“Yeji...” Ryujin said, not knowing what to do.

“Listen to me,” Yeji said. “We'll call Jisu and Chaeryeong. Once the five of us are reunited, you're going to tell them. Then we'll talk. Understand?”

Yuna looked at Ryujin. She saw some despair in Ryujin's eyes, but Yuna tried to dispel it by nodding her head.

“We will, unnie,” Yuna said, looking at Ryujin.

Ryujin sighed and nodded.

---

“They what?!” shouted Chaeryeong.

She gawked at Ryujin, then at Yuna. She frantically alternated between the two.

They were in Chaeryeong's room. Jisu and Chaeryeong were sitting on the latter's bed, Ryujin and Yuna were sitting on a pair of chairs next to each other, and Yeji was leaning against the table.

Jisu's eyes were wide as saucers. She opened , but nothing came out of it. Yeji drummed her fingers on her arm, watching the scene unfold before her.

“Wow,” Jisu said at last. “It's not a joke, is it?”

“Let them confirm it for you,” Yeji said, looking at Ryujin.

Ryujin, who had her eyes on the ceiling, looked at Jisu, then at Chaeryeong. She bit her lower lip.

“That's right, Jisu-unnie, Chaeryeong,” she said.

Yuna nodded, confirming her words.

“I'm really surprised,” Chaeryeong said, scratching her head.

Jisu hummed, expressing her agreement, though in Yeji's eyes Jisu didn't seem as effusive as Chaeryeong.

“Listen, we're sorry to hide it, but we're not going to break up, if that's what you guys want,” Ryujin reported, looking at those present with challenging eyes.

Yeji sighed.

“Ryujin, I, at least, wasn't planning to ask you that,” Yeji looked at Jisu and Chaeryeong, who nodded. “My initial annoyance was that you guys allowed someone, me, to find out on the sly. What if it hadn't been me, but a stranger? Or one of those reporters who follow idols everywhere?”

“Ah? What, they didn't tell you first? -Chaeryeong asked, confused.

“Let's just say I found out by accident,” Yeji said, putting the matter to rest.

“It's okay,” said Chaeryeong. She looked at the couple. “Are you serious? Like, do you really like each other?”

Yuna put her hand on top of Ryujin's, who squeezed it gently.

“Yes,” Ryujin affirmed, “We've been going on for a month and a bit.”

“If that's so, then I'll support you without any problem,” Chaeryeong said.

“Count on me too," Jisu said, smiling.

The four presents looked at Yeji, waiting for her verdict.

“I have no problem,” she said, “I just... I just want you girls to be very, very careful. Please.”

“Exactly,” Chaeryeong echoed.

“That’s right,” said Jisu.

Ryujin smiled, and Yeji noted her obvious relief at the support. Yuna, on the other hand, was frowning.

“Why do we have to act practically like we're not dating?”

“Yuna...” Ryujin began.

“You see, Yuna, it's because the news, if it got out, would be a scandal,” Chaeryeong interjected. “Even though we're not popular outside the K-Pop industry... Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm just telling the truth,” Chaeryeong interrupted herself when she saw the offended eyes on her. “Well, that fact actually benefits us, since reporters aren't interested in us enough. Why follow an idol from a not so well-known group when you can follow, I don't know, Jennie-sunbaenim or someone like that? Those are names that generate a lot more clicks than ours," she paused, looking at the others one by one. “If it came out that one of us had a couple, it wouldn't be big news.”

“So why hide it?” Yuna asked. “I don't see what you're getting at.”

“Wait until I’m over,” Chaeryeong held up a finger. “It's a different story if you're gay. It's no secret that we live in a conservative society. The news would be juicier then. Add the fact that you are in the same group, and you can get a news story that will generate a lot of clicks on Naver.”

The rest looked at Chaeryeong in amazement. Yeji planned to answer Yuna's question herself, but Chaeryeong beat her to it.

“I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable, Chaeryeong,” Yeji said.

Jisu let out a small laugh.

“Right, right.”

Chaeryeong blushed.

“Well, I've read a lot about scandals and stuff.”

“Do you understand now, Yuna?” Ryujin asked, turning to her friend.

"Not friend, couple," Yeji corrected herself in her mind. She would have a hard time adjusting.

“I had already explained it to her in the beginning," Ryujin continued, “but she's stubborn.”

Yuna had the decency to blush.

“You can't be careless about this, Yuna,” Yeji said. “It's a matter that affects all of us, always remember that.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry,” said the maknae.

Yeji sighed, more relieved now that they had discussed the issue. She clapped her hands and straightened up.

-Well, that's all. We'll support you two. In fact, we're glad you've found someone to make you happy.”

She rested her hands on Ryujin and Yuna's shoulders.

“Yes, it's quite nice,” Chaeryeong said, lively.

“It is,” Jisu said as she got up from the bed.

Yeji was quite puzzled by the fact that Jisu, so energetic, hadn't jumped off the walls when Yeji broke the news to them. However, she forgot the strangeness quickly, wanting to go to her room to rest. She was mentally exhausted.

“Girls, thank you,” Ryujin said. She intertwined her hand with Yuna's.

“Yes, thank you for supporting us,” Yuna said, smiling. “To tell you the truth, I feel better now that you know.”

Ryujin nodded, agreeing with her words.

Yeji tightened her shoulders and walked out of Chaeryeong's room. 

---

Ryujin came out of JYP's cafeteria. She had gone there after finishing her intense routine. The year-end awards would start soon. ITZY, by unanimous decision, had decided to record all the presentations they had planned in one shot. They could do so because 2020 was a special year. There would be no audience at this year's awards, so everything was recorded in advance, to avoid crowds.

Ryujin glanced out of the large windows overlooking the street. The atmosphere had a bluish tint, evidencing that it was the middle of winter in Seoul.

Yuna and Ryujin, as well as Jisu, Yeji and Chaeryeong, had been quite busy. They had to record new choreography for the awards, and their perfectionist streak had forced them to polish every last detail for weeks. That had left little alone time for the Shin couple. Ryujin had made sure to interact a lot on camera with her partners, to avoid arousing suspicion. She flirted with Jisu, with Chaeryeong and teased Yeji, as she had always done. She hoped the fans wouldn't notice how she smiled, gawking, when she interacted with Yuna, or how Yuna's cheeks were tinged with pink when Ryujin flirted with her.

Yeji was in the room she shared with Ryujin, as usual. Ryujin greeted her. Ryujin took out her phone, noticing that he had a message, the sender's name was Yuna <3.

Yuna: "Ryujin-ah, my birthday is in a few days."

Ryujin smiled, feeling Yuna's excitement through the words.

Ryujin: "I couldn't forget it, Yuna-yah."

Yuna: “Good, good. I thought maybe we could have a sleepover you and me, at my house.”

Ryujin's heart fluttered excitedly at the idea. It was countered by the caution in her brain.

Ryujin: "I don't think it's a good idea. Your parents..."

Ryujin wanted to go, but fear held her back. Ever since Yeji told her how she found out about their relationship, she had become significantly more cautious in public.

Yuna: "They know you well, Ryujinie. You're not remotely a stranger to them."

Ryujin bit her lip, doubtful.

Yuna: "I asked them before, they said you can stay!"

Ryujin: "I don't know, Yuna. It might be suspicious."

Yuna: "ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I've had sleepovers before, when I was little. They've happily agreed. They don't even know I'm a lesbian. Please, Ryujinie."

A mixture of anger, shame and guilt ran through Ryujin from head to toe. She had made Yuna beg in the end, as if Ryujin wasn't interested in her.

“Damn me,” Ryujin thought. She clenched her fist, irritated with herself. She didn't know when she'd get the chance to be alone with Yuna again.

“Yuck,” she muttered.

“Did you say so