The next day, while having lunch with my manager I receive a text message from Sung Joon.

From: Bang Sung Joon

I miss you. <3

I close the screen and continue eating. 

“Sung Joon?” my manager asks. 

“Yeah.” 

“You know you have WGM tomorrow right?”

“I know.” I’ve been trying not think about it actually. Things are still a bit awkward between Sung Joon and I, but I think I can pretend everything is okay tomorrow. The day’s been pretty much set - Sung Joon will come over to pick me up before we go shopping for furniture and things for the ‘newlywed house’ in the WGM village. That should be easy enough to get through - as long as I keep talking and don’t make it too awkward then no one will suspect a thing. 

“Oppa,” I say, looking up at my manager, “Would I be a horrible person if I told Sung Joon Oppa that we can be ‘normal’ while doing WGM and not go beyond that when WGM is finished?”

“What do you mean?” he says.

“Like, I’m willing to forget everything and be myself during WGM. If I continue to be bothered by him and our past it’s eventually gonna show on screen. I can give in to my emotions while filming WGM but once our virtual marriage ends I don’t think I can see him again. Not as girlfriend and boyfriend anyways.” 

“So you want to just be friends and nothing more?”

“I guess. I mean it’s not fair on Soo Hyuk Oppa and the others because I’m still friends with them and they were all friends before I came into the picture. I don’t want to come in between that.” 

“Okay. You should tell Sung Joon that.” 

“Yeah.” I say. “Ah, are the cameras going in my room tomorrow?”

“Not if you don’t want them to. Why?” I look at my manager, waiting for him to realise why. “Ah! Those pictures!” 

“Those pictures.” I say, nodding slowly. “I’ll just hide them for now. But what should we do about Soo Hyuk Oppa and the others?”

“What about them?” 

“I’m sure when we have a housewarming party Sung Joon Oppa will want to invite them - but we can’t pretend that it’s the first time I’m meeting all of them.” 

My manager sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “Call them all over tonight. We need to figure this out.” 

I pick up my phone and send a mass text message:

Hello hello! I have something I need to talk to you all about. Would you all be able to come around to my place tonight? Say around 7:30ish? I’ll feed you :) xo

I get ‘okay’ messages back from everyone except Sung Joon. I assume he’s busy and finish off my lunch. I’m sitting on the couch listening to music when my phone vibrates.

From: Bang Sung Joon

Is ‘you all’ the hyung’s? Not just me? What do you need to talk to all of us about?

I reply.

To: Bang Sung Joon

Yes it is your hyungs. I need to clear some things up with all of you. You’ll find out when you get here. 

At 7pm the doorbell rings. 

“Someone’s early” says my manager as he goes to open the door. I’m sitting on the couch memorising the lyrics for one of the songs I’ll be recording in a few days. I stand up when I hear the door open, waiting to welcome who ever it was. 

My manager walks in and raises his eyebrows at me before disappearing into the kitchen. I wonder why he gave me that look, when Sung Joon comes in. I had a feeling he would get here first. 

“Hey, come in.” I say, signaling to the couch. “Have a seat.” 

“How are you?” he says, sitting down. 

“I’m good.”

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“I am.” I say, sitting on the couch next to him, leaving space for 2 other people in between us. “That’s actually what I want to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” he says, turning to face me. 

“Actually, it’s probably a good thing you got here early. We can talk before the others get here.”

I see a smile form on his face. It’s what he expected. 

“Firstly. I don’t think we can get back together. Too much has happened in the last few years that I just can’t ignore. However, I will not hold it against you from now on. I’m willing to meet you halfway. Let’s be friends.” I say. 

“Just friends?” 

“Just friends. If you can accept that then filming WGM will be so much easier.”

He nods slowly. “You’re right. Plus I can always win you back while working together.” he says, smiling.

“Good luck with that.” I tell him. “Also, once WGM is over we won’t have any reason to see each other again. Maybe if we get together with Young Kwang Oppa and them then yeah, but I don’t think there will be any other reason to see you alone.” 

He didn’t expect that. “We can meet alone as friends can’t we?” 

“Sure. Then the media will catch us and everyone will misunderstand. Remember what happened with you and Suzy?”

“Right.” He looks down at his hands. “So why did you call the hyungs here?”

As if on cue, the doorbell rings. I get up to answer it and find all the guys at the door, except Woo Bin.

“What did you do, carpool or something?” I say, surprised to see them all together. 

“You know it.” says Young Kwang, ruffling my hair as he comes in.

They all go in as I shut the door. “No wonder you didn’t want to come with us.” I hear Soo Hyuk say. 

“Where’s Woo Bin hyung?” says Sung Joon, ignoring Soo Hyuk’s comment. 

“Coming.” says Jong Hyun. They all take a seat and I join them, sitting beside Soo Hyuk. 

“It feels like London all over again.” says Jong Hyun. I frown a bit at that and Young Kwang swings his hand, hitting Jong Hyun in the back of the head. “Ah! What was that for?” 

“Are you an idiot?” says Young Kwang. I see him look at Sung Joon and then me and Jong Hyun’s jaw drops. 

“Oh. Sorry.” he says.

I laugh it off. “It’s fine. It’s not like you said something wrong.” 

The doorbell rings again and Jong Hyun springs up. “I’ll get it.”

He opens the door and in comes Woo Bin. He sits on the floor beside Sung Joon after saying Hi to everyone. 

“So, kiddo. What did you call us here for?” says Young Kwang, once everyone has settled down.

“Well, as you all know Sung Joon Oppa and I are doing WGM together.” They all nod. “As to what happened between us in the past, we’ve decided to put it all behind us.”

“Really?” says Soo Hyuk, “But the other night-” He’s cut off by Sung Joon clearing his throat. I send him a look and he purses his lips and signals for me to continue. 

“The issue now is we’re going to have to hold a ‘housewarming’ party eventually for WGM and I wanted to know where we,” I say signaling everyone but Sung Joon, “are supposed to stand.”

“I don’t get it.” says Jong Hyun. We all sigh. 

“I want to know whether we should be meeting for the first time on camera with you guys as Sung Joon’s friends, or is it okay for everyone to know we are all friends.”

“But if we are all friends, then what happens to your first meeting?” says Woo Bin, pointing at me and Sung Joon. “If Jae-ssi is friends with all of us and we’re friends with you,” pointing at Sung Joon, “then shouldn’t she know you through us already? Does that make sense?” 

“What if only I’m friends with Jae and then when we go over there we can pretend we didn’t know that I was friends with both of them?” says Soo Hyuk. 

“That’s an idea.” I say. 

“Then you’d be meeting all of us for the first time?” asks Jong Hyun. 

“Not me.” says Woo Bin. We all turn to look at him. “We saw each other at M-Countdown.”

“Ah, that’s right” I say. “So I’ll be meeting Young Kwang Oppa and Jong Hyun Oppa for the ‘first’ time?” 

“How do you know Soo Hyuk hyung?” says Sung Joon. We all turn to look at him. “You said you already know Soo Hyuk hyung, how? They might ask you in the back room interview.”

“He’s right.” says Soo Hyuk. “We can just say we met at a fashion event.” 

“Don’t you have any other friends besides us, Jae?” asks Young Kwang. 

I tilt my head slightly, thinking. “Not really. Just John Park Sunbae.” 

“You don’t hang out with girls?” asks Woo Bin. 

“Not really. I tend to keep to myself and I never really got a chance to meet anyone when I moved here.” 

At this time my manager came out from the kitchen with a tray filled with food. 

I quickly got up to help him set the table. There was still more in the kitchen so I gave him a hand. We all sat down to eat and had a bit of small talk. 

“Jae-ya, why does hyung always cook for you? Don’t you know how to cook?” asks Soo Hyuk. 

“He’s better at cooking Korean food. Whenever he feels like Western food, I cook. Right Oppa?” I say turning to my manager. 

“Whatever you say, Jae.” he says, smirking. Everyone laughs. “Ah. Don’t forget you have to clean your room for tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah!” I say, remembering.

“Why do you have to clean it? Are we filming in your room?” asks Sung Joon. 

“Just in case. If we do end up going in there they can’t see the pictures of us from London, now can they? That would make everything pointless.”

“Oh.” says Sung Joon, looking down. 

After dinner the boys leave and I help my manager clean up. 

“I’ve got this. You go clean your room.” 

“Yes sir!” I say saluting and laughing before going to my room. 

I look at all the pictures on my wall and reminisce about our time in London. I even have the photos that Sung Joon sent me while we were together. I can’t deny that I still love him, I probably always will. But things just aren’t that simple anymore. 

I start taking the photos down one by one leaving the ones of me by myself and one of me and Soo Hyuk, thinking it would make for some good drama when we film tomorrow. I wonder if Soo Hyuk is okay with it so I send him a message telling him I’m leaving it there and I’ll say it’s from the ‘fashion event’ we met at. He replies with an okay and I go to bed.