Momo tried her best to focus on the group's practice for their upcoming comeback, but her mind was still reeling from her conversation with Mina. She kept making mistakes, causing the other members to grow frustrated.

"Sorry, guys. I can't seem to concentrate today."

"It's okay, unnie. Just try to focus," one of the members, Tzuyu, said.

"I'm sorry. I'll try my best," Momo repeated, but her mind was still elsewhere.

"Is everything okay, Momo? You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Jeongyeon."

Once the practice ended, the other members left the room, leaving Chaeyoung and Momo alone. The latter woman's face was drenched in sweat as she drank water, trying to catch her breath. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and her hair sticking to her forehead.

Chaeyoung approached her and noticed the strands of hair sticking to her face. She couldn't help but chuckle, finding it somewhat amusing that the usually energetic dancer looked so tired. "Here, let me help you with that," she said as she reached over to take the hair off Momo's face.

"Thanks. I must look like a mess right now."

"You did mess up a lot during practice today. Maybe that's why you look so tired," Chaeyoung teased.

The other woman let out a little laugh at the teasing before sighing and plopping down on the floor. Chaeyoung followed suit, sensing that her friend had something on her mind.

"I had an argument with Mina a few days ago."

"Wait, does that mean that it's confirmed? Mina will be your co-star?" Chaeyoung asked, referring to the upcoming drama that her friend was set to star in.

Momo nodded, looking down at her hands. "Yeah, it looks like it. I don't know how I'm going to work with her after what happened," she admitted, her voice tinged with worry. She took a deep breath before continuing. "It was just petty bickering at first, but it escalated into an argument about our past relationship," she explained, her eyes still fixed on her hands.

"What did she say?"

"She said some things that I didn't expect."

"Like what?"

"Like she did it for me. She ended our relationship because she wanted me to debut."

Chaeyoung sighed and fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "You know, that might be true," she said hesitantly, looking at Momo.

The latter woman's head shot up in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"What I mean is, I heard Mina talking with PD-nim back then," Chaeyoung explained, her voice low. "It sounded like they were having a serious talk, and even though it should have been private, I couldn't help but overhear." She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "She said something about wanting you to debut, and that she was willing to sacrifice your relationship for it," she revealed.

Momo looked like she wanted to hear more, so Chaeyoung continued with the details. "Somehow, PD-nim found out about your relationship with Mina. And as you know, you were already quite popular back then," she said. "PD-nim really wanted you to debut, but if the relationship between you and Mina continued, he would have had to change his mind and not let you debut as a sort of punishment."

The other woman's eyes widened in shock. "I had no idea," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know, it's not something you would have known. But that's not all," she continued. "PD-nim actually told her that if she broke up with you, he would make sure to make you debut in a girl group, and her as a soloist," she revealed. "I think it's because PD-nim didn't want you two to be in the same group after having that sort of relationship. It might have caused some issues within the group," she explained further.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Maybe I had the same reason as Mina. We both didn't know how you would react if you knew," Chaeyoung said, her voice tinged with regret. "We were afraid you might choose the relationship over the career you've always dreamed of since you were a child."

"I see," Momo finally said, her voice soft.

"I also think she wanted to be considerate of what you really wanted, Momo. She didn't want to be the reason why you would have to let go of your dream."

Momo looked up at her friend, a mix of sadness and confusion evident on her face. "I just wish she had talked to me about it, instead of leaving me clueless and making such a huge decision for us," she said.

"I understand how you feel, unnie," Chaeyoung said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "But it's not too late for the two of you yet. The dating ban has been lifted, and maybe because of this drama, you'll find your second chance in love," she suggested optimistically.

"You're being absurd," Momo said, but deep down inside, she felt a glimmer of hope. Could it really be possible for her and Mina to find their way back to each other?

"I know it sounds crazy, but who knows? A lot of stranger things have happened."

The day before the shooting for the drama, the entire cast and crew went out to celebrate. The atmosphere was lively as everyone enjoyed the free drinks, courtesy of the director. However, Mina and Momo sat beside each other, looking tense and awkward. Although they were in the same group, they had not spoken much since their breakup. They were trying to blend in, hoping no one would notice the tension between them.

As they clinked glasses, the director raised his voice and said, "Tonight, everything is on me. Let's celebrate the beginning of what I know will be an amazing project."

Momo and Mina accidentally bumped elbows as they reached for their glasses. They both looked at each other sharply, the tension between them almost palpable. For a moment, it seemed like they were about to start arguing about something trivial again, but they both stopped themselves before any words could escape their lips.

Mina took a deep breath and looked away, her gaze fixed on her glass. "Sorry," she muttered quietly, her voice barely audible over the loud chatter in the bar.

"It's fine," the other woman replied, trying her best to keep her tone neutral.

As the two women tried to maintain their composure, one of their co-stars, Jihyo, playfully elbowed Momo. "Hey, you two lovebirds," she teased, grinning mischievously. "How does it feel to be starring in a GL drama?"

"It feels exciting...I guess," Momo responded.

"Hey, didn't you read the whole script? There are kissing scenes."

Mina almost choked on her drink, coughing as she tried to compose herself. "K-kissing scenes?!" she exclaimed, feeling her face flush with embarrassment.

The director chuckled at Mina's reaction and leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "We added those scenes to make it more romantic," he explained.

On the other hand, Momo sat frozen in her seat, still trying to process what she had just heard. She had never imagined herself doing such scenes with someone, especially Mina, but now it seemed inevitable.

"I-I mean, i-is that scene really necessary?" the latter woman asked.

"Of course, it is. It's a crucial moment for the characters and the story."

Jihyo chimed in with a sly smile on her face. "Yeah, I bet the fans are gonna love that," she said, nodding in agreement. "Especially those who ship you two together."

Momo couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her as well. She had always known that some fans shipped them, but the idea of it becoming more intense now that they were playing romantic interests on-screen made her feel uneasy.

"I've watched some clips of you two on stage," Jihyo said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And I have to say, there's definitely chemistry there."

Mina's face reddened at the woman's words, but before she could say anything, the other woman continued, "I mean, there must have been something between you two in the past. That's why you guys act so awkward around each other, right?"

The two women exchanged a quick glance before responding in unison, their voices overly defensive. "No, there's nothing between us," they said.

"Yeah, we're just colleagues, nothing more," Mina breathed, chuckling nervously.

Thankfully, the director interjected, "Okay, okay, let's not tease them too much. Maybe they're just feeling a bit shy about the whole thing."

The night went on, and Mina wasn't really into drinking, so she was only nibbling on her food. Meanwhile, Momo was drinking heavily next to her, and it made her worry.

"Hey, don't you think you've had enough?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Momo replied, her words slightly slurred. But then, she accidentally side-swiped the bottle of soju, causing it to spill all over the table. It was clear that she was drunk. The other woman quickly grabbed the bottle, trying to clean up the mess before it spread any further.

"Momo, I think you've had too much to drink," Mina said softly, her voice laced with concern.

The woman giggled drunkenly, clearly not aware of her surroundings. "What are you talking about? I'm not even drunk," she slurred. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she blurted out, "You know, Mina," she began, her voice taking on a slightly sentimental tone. "I never really got over you."

Mina's heart skipped a beat at Momo's confession, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She glanced nervously around the table, wondering if anyone had overheard them. "Oh, I...I see, you're already getting into your character," she said quickly, trying to cover up the awkward moment.

The director chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Hey, Momo-ssi, save those emotions for the camera," he said, grinning mischievously.

Momo suddenly leaned on Mina's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist. "Can you hold me? I miss it," she slurred, her voice full of longing.

"Uh, sure, Momo. But we don't want to make the others feel left out, right?" she said, trying to defuse the situation by giving the woman a friendly pat on the back.

The other actors at the table noticed Momo's behavior and started to about being a lightweight when it came to alcohol. "Wow, Momo-ssi, I didn't know you were such a lightweight! Maybe we need to cut you off," one of them said teasingly. "You need to work on your tolerance, girl!"

Mina felt relieved as the focus shifted away from her and Momo. However, she remained cautious, not wanting to draw any more attention to their past relationship. She took a small sip of her drink and continued to nibble on her food, trying to blend in with the rest of the group.