Eunjung walked across the dressing room towards her chair oblivious to the weird stares of her members, and when she stood in front of her chair Hyomin voice startled her.

“Eunjung.” Her voice ringed through her ears.

She turned her body to her and raised an eyebrow. “What? You scared me.”

“Why? Are you paranoid?” Boram discerned with a skeptical look. “Who wouldn’t with Dispatch now guarding your steps?”

Eunjung frowned at her and shook her head. “Something is wrong today, everybody is weird.”

“No, the only weird here is you.” Hyomin declared.

“The rumor is not true, right?” Qri suddenly asked tilting her head behind Jiyeon. “Right?”

Oh, God. “You know about the rumor?” Eunjung raised her eyebrows.

“I just read the article and told the others,” Hyomin said and Eunjung started to feel uncomfortable by the attention the girls were directing towards her.

“Enough.” Eunjung blurted out. “Let me read that.” She stepped forward to grab Hyomin’s cellphone but the girl stepped back and turn around.

“Sit,” Soyeon demanded pressing her palms against Eunjung’s shoulders forcing her to sit in the chair. Briefly, after she found herself surrounded by the members who stared at her waiting for a response.

“What do you want?” Eunjung asked traveling her eyes frantically from Hyomin to Qri to Jiyeon to Boram landing in Soyeon, who ordered her to sit.

“Are you seriously asking?” Soyeon started shaking her head.

“You date T.O.P and pretend like it means nothing.” Boram pressed. “I said he was hot when we made our comeback stage a week ago, but since he is yours I can look elsewhere.”

“Yah, he is not mine and I’m not dating him.”  Eunjung blurted out.

“You are only permitted to answer the questions, so don’t argue,” Jiyeon said.

“You are the maknae.” Eunjung frowned.

“Not today,” Jiyeon smirked. “I will be the prosecutor. I made the questions and you respond.”

Eunjung could only gasp in disbelief. She couldn’t process the situation and nobody was willing to believe or at least understand how lost and confused she was, not even T.O.P.

“I will take your silence as a yes,” Jiyeon said and lean closer to her before pressing her lips into a thin line trying to utter a question.

“Wait can I at least read the article?” Eunjung asked Jiyeon, but the younger just refused and shook her head. Great, more questions and she was still confused.

“Oh.” Hyomin suddenly hummed. “I have a question.” She declared lifting her hand.

What is this? A classroom? Eunjung sighed frustrated and prepared herself for any sort of ridiculous questions. What was the point in saying the true if they wouldn't believe her?

“How do you met?” Hyomin asked with a teasing smile lifting the corner of her lips.

Not only her but everybody was enjoying the moment, except for Eunjung who found the situation stupid.

Eunjung stared at her. “I will tell you the true.”

“Thank you.” Qri cut through.

The girls were interested and remained silent waiting for Eunjung to start. They were expecting to hear about a romantic, breath-taking meeting, but their fantasies crumbled down the moment Eunjung blurted her response.

“We meet a week ago when I deliver the gifts to him.”

Hyomin chuckled sarcastically while she shook her head. “Really?”

Eunjung nodded her head. Were they believing her words? No.

Jiyeon smirked and raised her eyebrows.

Eunjung didn’t like the expression that fell across her face, so she frowned. “What?”

“I remember about that night in the hospital. You said you met a week ago?”

Eunjung nodded her head. Oh, no Sherlock Park was about to make her appearance.

“So if you met a week ago, you started dating that day.”

“What?” Eunjung blurted out.

“Shut up.” Jiyeon said. “The photo in the article was taken by a fan that happened to be at the hospital the day we visit our coordinator. You said Seungri was hospitalized when we were at the restaurant, and it happens to be the same hospital.”

“What are you trying to say?” Boram asked slightly confused.

Jiyeon hummed. “So if  Seungri was at the same hospital and the photo was taken at the hospital, you two met up when you say you needed to buy a can of soda, that’s why -”

A shock gasp was heard from Hyomin before Qri cut Jiyeon off. “So that’s why you were missing for about an hour. You met up with T.O.P at the hospital.” She nearly yelled her last words when the realization hit her like a truck.

“Right,” Jiyeon affirmed.

“The photo was taken at the vending machine.” Hyomin discerned.

Eunjung sighed deeply, she also realized what Jiyeon was trying to say. Suddenly memories of the night in the hospital cut through and she remembered the crazy fans that were chasing T.O.P and the flash from the camera when they took a picture. It all made sense now. The puzzle that was troubling her mind was finally solved, and she could just ruffle her hair in embarrassment. She buried her face in her palms and let out a long sigh.

“So, Eunjung, are you going to explain to us how all of this dating stuff happened?” Boram asked, but Eunjung had a mental breakdown seconds ago leaving her speechless. “Yah, don’t ignore me.”

“I’m actually really curious how he got interested in you,” Soyeon said not realizing the insult she bluntly blurted out.

Eunjung lifted her gaze and stared at her slightly offended. “What are you trying to say? That I’m not attractive?”

Soyeon shook her head. “No, no. I didn’t mean it in that way.”

Eunjung chuckled sarcastically. “I know.” She started. “But, don’t worry he is not interested in me.”

“Why?” Jiyeon asked frowning.

“Oh, come on, Eunjung.” Hyomin rolled her eyes playfully.

“Yeah, you guys are dating, what charms he likes about you?” Boram asked grinning.

None. Eunjung thought to herself. What charms would T.O.P like? Is not like he was interested in her after all, it was just a rumor.

“Come on, Eunjung. What charms he likes?” Qri pressed.

“None.” Eunjung started. “None, because he is not interested in me, and we are not dating. We met at the hospital by coincidence, and before I knew it a fan took a photo. The girl was more like a psychopath.”

“You know, Eunjung, there is a thin line between fate and coincidence.” Hyomin expressed with a smirk.

Oh, please, now what? It was fate? The whole idea seem ridiculous to Eunjung, who just leaned back in her chair and sighed at the situation. They were not accepting her denial as an excuse, so what they wanted to hear? That they were dating?  “It was a coincidence.”

Hyomin parted her lips to argue, but before a word could be utter knocks were heard at the door.

“I go,” Jiyeon announced and walk out of the circle surrounding Eunjung to direct towards the door.

“Saved by the bell,” Hyomin mumbled smirking at Eunjung.

Jiyeon opened the door and in front of her stood a boy from the staff.

“Hello?” Jiyeon started holding the door.

The boy bowed at her. “T-ARA will perform after Teen Top and other performance, so may I you to backstage?”

Jiyeon nodded her head and stared back at her members before signaling them to move.

_______________

After the stage ended, the members walked back to their dressing room. The walk was annoying to Eunjung as the teasing from other members started to kick in again.

“So, Eunjung, how does it feels to work at the same place as your boyfriend?” Hyomin started teasing Eunjung.

“It must be amusing.” Boram followed. “Do you think he monitored our performance?”

“Of course” Jiyeon reasoned. “He would not miss his lovely girlfriend on stage.”

Eunjung could only roll her eyes, but she also started to wonder if he did saw their performance. The thought alone was beginning to be awkward itself.

“Hey, but I am still curious about you two. How did you...I don't know, end up with him?” Qri started. “I am not questioning your looks, Eunjung, but really...how do you manage to meet and date.”

“Yeah, Qri is right. Manager opera is really sharp with those things. He wouldn't let the slightest escape his eye sight.” Soyeon asserted staring at Eunjung, who decided to remain silent at all the absurd questions.

“More like his eagle eye sight.” Eunjung chuckled at her own comment. “That's why I'm not on his good side today. I seriously don't want to face him.”

“Yah, Eunjung, be brave for your relationship.” Jiyeon cheered sweetly.

Eunjung made a disgusted face at her words and just decided to ignore the comment. If they wanted to believe they were dating it was better to waste her time trying to convince them about the true. They weren´t accepting her denial, so she was letting the situation slip by now.

Soyeon came to a stop in front of the door of the dressing room and twisted the knob, but she was surprised to face the killer stare of her manager at the doorway.

Soyeon stared at him, and he stepped away from the door for her to come inside. Eunjung let out a sigh and swallowed before trailing behind her. She glanced at her manager and regretted her action the second later when their eyes met.

The rest of the group entered the silent dressing room, and as expected, the manager called Eunjung separately.

Eunjung took cautious steps towards her manager and smiled at him, but she didn’t know whether it look offensive or appropriated due to the current situation. And it was far from being appropriated judging from the poker face of the manager who did not bother to smile back at her.

She reminded herself that she needed to get his number for T.O.P, but she will rather abort the mission t