Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter! Sorry it took so long. Been so busy lately. Anyway, here is Chapter 21. Enjoy! BTW, Rated M for some cursing.

==================================================================================================================================================

Ever since Joy and BTOB’s Sungjae starred together in We Got Married, they had grown closer to each other. This had stopped GOT7’s Yugyeom from pursuing her. Joy had good feelings for Sungjae, but they were not even close to the romantic kind. They were more like platonic feelings. 

“Wait, did you say that Sungjae oppa asked you out?” Her friend, A-Pink’s Hayoung asked. Joy nodded. “Uh. Before you assume that it is a date, it’s not. We’re going out with Junhong, Yujin and Seungyeon. You wanna come?” The Red Velvet member asked. Hayoung nodded. 

“Cool! Do you think Yerin would want to join us?” Joy asked her friend.

“Well, if she has no schedule, then we can invite her. I’ll call her now.” Hayoung pulled her phone out and called up G-Friend’s Yerin.

“Yerin-ah, do you have schedule for today?” Hayoung asked her. Yerin shook her head from the other line. “Eobseoyo. Wae?” She asked. Hayoung smiled. “Well, are you up for some group hangout?” Hayoung offered. Yerin raised her eyebrows. “By group, you mean…?” She asked.

“Sooyoungie invited me into her group hangout with Sungjae oppa, Yujinie and Seungyeonie. What do you say?” Hayoung asked. 

“I don’t know. I have not met any of those girls before and neither have I met Sungjae-sshi.” Yerin said. 

“Junhong will be there. At least you know someone, right?” Hayoung asked.

“Ok. I’ll be there.” Yerin nodded. Hayoung smiled. “I knew you would say yes when I mention Junhong. Meet us at the place I am gonna message you tonight at 7pm. Ok? Thank you!” Hayoung said and hung up.

“So?” Joy asked. Hayoung smiled. “She said yes!” Joy smiled. “Cool.”

At 7pm, the gang met up at a local café around Apgujeong area. In one table, Joy, BTOB’s Sungjae, BAP’s Zelo, CLC’s Seungyeon and Yujin sat together. Zelo was still pretty awkward with Joy and they barely spoke to each other. The male idol also noticed how close Joy and Sungjae were really to each other. Seungyeon and Yujin were also Joy’s friends, meeting them through Hayoung.

A-Pink’s Hayoung and G-Friend’s Yerin walked into the café, greeting everyone at the table. Hayoung sat next to Yujin, while Yerin sat shyly across Zelo. All ’96 liners spent the next twenty minutes chatting with each other and sipping on their drinks. 

Ten minutes passed, a group of boys walked into the same café. They looked around, in search for a table and one of them spotted the group of idols on the far corner. 

“Oh, hyung! It's Joy!” A guy with a 5:5 hairstyle cried. The boys turned to where their fellow member pointed at and spotted Red Velvet’s former maknae, Joy. 

At the same time, Joy who was seated right beside Sungjae turned her head to the door and her eyes shot up. “Oh, annyeonghaseyo!” She greeted the boys who just walked in. The rest of the ’96 liner groups also bowed at the group who just walked in.

The Red Velvet member bolted up from her seat and pounced on one of the guys. “Oppa!” She cried. Surprised, the guy just awkwardly patted her back. “Sooyoungie, annyeong!” He cried. She pulled away and grinned widely. “What are you guys doing here? This is Apgujeong.” She asked. One of the guys chuckled and winked. “Yeah, Mino hyung, Taehyun and I visited our girlfriends.” The black-haired guy cried.

“Eh? Seungyoon oppa, Seulgi eonni and you aren’t secretly anymore?” She asked. Seungyoon giggled. “Aniya. We are still dating secretly. Mino hyung and Taehyun visited Irene noona and Wendy without hiding, but I had to secretly meet up with Bear.” Seungyoon explained. Joy nodded “I see” and smiled at Seunghoon. The older male idol wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a brotherly way and smiled at the gawking ’96 liner group. 

Joy giggled. “I know WINNER, guys. I’ve worked with them multiple times. Hmm, mostly with Seunghoon oppa though hehe.” She giggled. Sungjae’s eyes fixed on Seunghoon’s arm. He absolutely did not like the way he was acting around her. He cleared his throat, “Do you wanna join us?” He asked. Seungyoon shook his head. “No, we don’t want to intrude in your team reunion. We’ll just seat at the other booth over there, but thanks for the offer anyway. Guys, let’s go.” He answered. The boys walked away right after him. Joy sat back beside Sungjae and grinned. 

Throughout the meeting, Sungjae would casually steal glances at Seunghoon to check if he is gazing at Joy. Meanwhile, Seunghoon noticed how Sungjae was uncomfortable with his presence. “Yah. Did anybody else notice how Sungjae-sshi look at me? It looked like he was gonna cut my head off.” He asked his friends. 

Mino chuckled. “That was because you were flirting with Joy. You know the guy practically has off-screen feelings for her.” Seunghoon snorted. “I wasn’t flirting with Sooyoungie. She’s just like my little sister. Plus, she was the one who came onto me. I just returned the hug. Joy and I are really just cool friends. There is nothing beyond that.” He argued.

Seungyoon smirked. “Yeah, try explaining that to the green eyed monster over there. Look, I suggest you avoid touching her whatsoever. Just acknowledge her, period. The guy is misunderstanding your actions, hyung. So, clear it up by establishing your boundaries.” He explained.

Joy also sensed Sungjae’s indifference towards Seunghoon and this confused her. 

Could Sungjae oppa be jealous of Seunghoon oppa and I’s closeness? Isanghae. Why the hell would he be jealous? He even established that he and I were just friends. 

A week after, Joy’s conscience just didn’t stop her from thinking over Sungjae’s possible jealousy towards Seunghoon. 

“Aish! Nan michingeo aniya!” She huffed, startling Yeri, who was now her roommate. Yeri looked at her, full of concern. “Eonni, gwaenchanayo?” She asked. Joy awkwardly nodded her head. 

Gosh! I need to seek help, but who? Hayoungie is pretty close with Sungjae oppa, maybe she can help me. Then again, she may tell him. Aniya! She wouldn’t do that. Aish! I’ll talk to Seunghoon oppa then. He is a guy and he understands guy stuff. Gotta meet up with him sometime.

Unknowingly, Seunghoon had a similar subject in mind. He decided to talk to Joy about it. Without putting much thought of everything, he grabbed his phone, jacket and slipped onto his shoes. “Eodigayo?” Jinwoo asked. 

“I’m sick of sitting here not doing anything. I’m gonna talk to Sooyoungie and tell her about that guy’s feelings for her myself. I don’t want to be stuck in this situation, hyung.” Seunghoon cried. Before Jinwoo could open his mouth, Seunghoon had already stepped out of the dorm.

“What just happened?” Jinwoo asked himself and shrugged the thought off. 

Wait a minute. He is gonna do WHAT??!!! Aish! He is gonna get us in trouble. Gotta tell Seungyoon now. 

Jinwoo knocked on Seungyoon’s room and opened the door, popping his head out. “Yah! Seunghoonie just left.” He informed the leader. Seungyoon’s eyes shot. “What? Where is hyung going?” He asked.

“I think he is going to Red Velvet’s dorm right now. I have no idea why, but he said that he did not want to be put in this situation. What situation was he talking about? Is this about the whole Sungjae thing?” Jinwoo explained.

Seungyoon nodded, trying to take in what Jinwoo said. “I think so. Let him go. He is not gonna do anything stupid like kiss her, right? He is just gonna discuss some things with Dungdung-ie.” Seungyoon responded.

Fifteen minutes later, Seunghoon arrived at Red Velvet’s dorm building. He paid the cab driver and walked into the said building. He greeted the doorman, walked pass him and took the lift to the girls’ floor. 

He rung the bell and waited for someone to answer. A girl from the other side of the door checked the surveillance monitor and unlocked the door. “Oppa? Yeogiseo mwohaneungeoyeyo?” She asked. Seunghoon smiled. “Can I come in?” He asked. Confused, the girl let him in. 

“The rest aren’t here, right?” Seunghoon asked as he looked around. 

“Ne. Irene eonni is out on a date with Mino oppa. Seulgi and Wendy have schedules and Yeri is in school. So, what are you doing here, oppa?” She asked. Seunghoon collapsed on the couch, folded his leg together. “I need to talk to you about something.” He said. The girl looked at him weirdly. “About what, oppa?”

“It’s about Sungjae-sshi. I think he is mad at me or something.” Seunghoon said. 

“You felt that too?” The girl cried.

“Yeah! Wait, what?” Seunghoon responded.

“Sungjae oppa is acting all weird after last week. I sensed that he isn’t really fond of you. I don’t know why though. I mean, you are like an older brother to me. Why would he be mad or something?” The girl said. Seunghoon nodded. “Sooyoung-ah, I think he likes you.” He said.

“I don’t know, oppa. He acts all weird around me and it is making me all confused.” Joy shyly looked down. Seunghoon chuckled. “Aigoo, my dongsaeng is in love. Fine. I’ll help you out, ok?” He smiled.

Joy blushed bright red. “No, I am not in love! I’m just confused with his actions. Is he being friendly or something more?” She cried.

“Trust me, he likes you. Now, come over here and sit beside me.” Seunghoon ordered the younger idol to sit beside him. Confused, Joy awkwardly sat beside the male idol and faced him. “Do you like him?” He asked. Joy shyly nodded.

“I am gonna be acting like Sungjae-sshi, ok? Start!” Seunghoon cried. He grabbed both of her hands and gazed at her ‘lovingly’ “Sooyoung-ah, nan neol joh-a-hae.” He smiled. Joy couldn’t help but crack up from his ‘confession’. “Ah, mwoya!” She cried.

“What? I told you, I’m acting like Sungjae-sshi when he confesses. This is to prepare you for the actual thing. Now, it up and let’s continue.” He ordered. Joy just burst out into laughter. “Sungjae oppa doesn’t act like that. He acts all cutesy.” Joy argued. Seunghoon rolled his eyes. “Fine! I’ll do more aegyo! Now, c’mon! And cue!” He cried.

“Sooyoung-ah, nan neol joh-a-hae.” He repeated. Joy in her laughter. “M-me too, oppa. I l-like you too.” She awkwardly smiled. Seunghoon smiled. “Jeongmallo?” He asked. Joy cutely nodded. He flashed a cute smile and lunged in for a hug. “Gomawo.” He smiled.

DING DONG! Joy pulled away from Seunghoon. 

“Who’s that?” Seunghoon asked. Joy shrugged her shoulder. 

“Well, get it. It maybe important.” Seunghoon ordered. Joy nodded and rushed to the door, only to find out that Sungjae was right outside and he was holding onto a box of chicken and some juice. The female idol walked back to the living room where Seunghoon was and panicked. “Oppa, you gotta hide, now.” Joy stammered. Seunghoon eyed her suspiciously. “Why?”

Joy gulped. “Sungjae oppa is right outside. If he sees you here, things will not be good.” She said. Seunghoon nodded. He grabbed his shoes from the doorway and rushed into Joy’s room and hid himself. “I’ll check on you once he is gone, okay. You can do whatever you want, just don’t make any noise.” Joy warned and Seunghoon nodded. 

She took a deep breath and opened the door. “What brings you here, oppa?” Joy smiled awkwardly. The boy before her flashed a really big smile. “I came here to surprise you. I will not be here for a while, since my group’s Japanese promotions are up and we’ll be super busy with it in Japan, so I brought us chicken and drinks to spend an afternoon together.” He smiled. Joy nodded. “W-well, come on in.” She smiled.

Joy spent the next two hours with Sungjae, while her ‘older brother’ Seunghoon was dying of boredom in her room. She decided to check up on Seunghoon and excused herself from the male idol. 

She walked right into her room, closed the door and found Seunghoon, lying on her bed. “Oppa.” She called him. Seunghoon slowly opened his eyes, “Hmm? Is he gone?” He asked. 

Joy sat on the foot of the bed. “Aniyo. Are you okay?” She asked. Seunghoon nodded. “Uh, you don’t mind me napping on your bed, right?” He asked. Joy shook her head. 

“Well, go back outside or he’ll get suspicious. Now, go.” Seunghoon ordered. Joy grabbed her sweat shirt from the desk and walked right out of her room.

Sungjae stayed in the girls’ dorm for another hour before leaving. By the time he was gone, Joy locked the front door and rushed to her room. Seunghoon was still fast asleep on her bed. 

Joy sat beside Seunghoon, leaned in and shook the older idol’s body to wake him up. Surprised, Seunghoon bolted up from the bed, only for his lips to accidentally crash on Joy’s. Shocked, both of them sat there, completely frozen and with their lips connected.

 Realizing what he had done, Seunghoon turned away and crawled out of Joy’s bed. “Ah, Sooyoung-ah, mianhae. Jeongmal mianhae. I did not mean to, I swear.” Seunghoon cried in panic.

Although in shock, Joy managed to reply “Aniyo, g-gwaenchana, oppa. It was an accident.” She said. Seunghoon grabbed his shoes from the floor and excused himself out of the room, regretful of what had happened. 

Joy stepped out of the room after him. “Uh, s-so, what did you and lover boy talk about? Did he confess yet?” He abruptly asked. Joy shook her head. “No, he did not confess. He came here to spend his last day here before flying out to Japan tomorrow for his group’s Japanese promotions.” Joy explained. Seunghoon nodded “I see. Well, just hold on, okay? I’m pretty sure he’ll come around, but if he doesn’t, then I guess I am wrong and that you deserve someone else. I, uh, I gotta go. I’ll see you around. Bye dongsaeng!” Seunghoon flashed one last smile and stepped out of the girls’ dorm. 

Joy collapsed on the couch, stared at the ceiling and brought her fingers to her lips.

Seunghoon oppa and I just kissed.

She smiled.

On the other hand, Seunghoon was cursing at himself along the hallway. 

Why the hell did you do that, Lee Seunghoon? What’s wrong with you? You could’ve pulled away the second your lips touched, but why prolong it? Argh! She’s like your sister! GAH! This is so messed up!

The older male idol went back to his dorm in daze. Jinwoo who welcomed him in, eyed him weirdly. 

Damn! What is up with him?

Seunghoon collapsed on his bed and dazed at the ceiling. Mino, whom he shares a room with stared at him weirdly. “What’s up with you, man?” The older male idol remained dazed, until the latter threw a pillow at him. 

“Dude! What the hell is up with you?” Mino asked. The former glanced at Mino and then back at the ceiling. The latter shook his head and went back to his business. “Hey, babe. What? Oh no, that was just Seunghoon hyung. He came into the room, dazed.” He said.

Seunghoon ignored his friend’s conversation with his girlfriend and continued pondering over what happened at the girls’ dorm. 

For heaven’s sake she’s like my sister and kissed her! God! What am I gonna do now? I need to talk to her to straighten things out.

Mino exited the room and consulted Seungyoon about Seunghoon’s actions. “Dude, he is acting really weird and I don’t know why. Talk to him.” Seungyoon nodded and walked into the room. He sat on the floor and faced Seunghoon.

“Hyung, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting really weird.” Seungyoon begun. Seunghoon glanced at the leader. “What’s wrong is I kissed her.” He replied. Seungyoon eyed him “Kissed who?” 

“I kissed Joy, that’s what happened. It was accident, yes, but I kissed her. I kissed my favorite dongsaeng, man. That is just so messed up.” Seunghoon snapped. Seungyoon sat there, confused. “You kissed Joy?” He cried. Seunghoon nodded.

“Wow. That is…really bad.” Seungyoon responded. “Thanks for making me so much better, man.” Seunghoon snap sarcastically. Seungyoon rolled his eyes “So what are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna talk to her and sort things out?” He asked. Seunghoon nodded. “Uh. Although, I apologized about it, I just wanna clarify everything, so things will not be awkward between us, you know.” Seunghoon cried. Seungyoon nodded. “That’s good. You don’t want to put a strain on your friendship, right?” Seunghoon nodded.

Meanwhile, Irene walked into her dorm and found Joy staring blankly on the ceiling with her fingers on her lips. Weird, she thought and brushed the bubble off and walked over to her friend. “Sooyoung-ah, are you ok?” She asked. Joy glanced at her and nodded. “I think so, eonni.” She answered.

Irene eyed her friend weirdly “Ok, what the hell is going on? Why do you looked like you’ve just snapped out of a daydream?” She asked. Joy shook his head. “Seunghoon oppa came over to talk to me about the weird tension he feels around Sungjae oppa, but before he could leave, Sungjae swung by. I told him to hide in my room until oppa leaves and when he did, I rushed into my room and found him dozed off on my bed. I woke him up and by the time he sat up, our lips accidentally connected.” She explained as Irene nodded, but the latter stopped as soon as she heard the last line. “Y-You what?” She snapped.

“Our lips accidentally connected, eonni. I knew that he did not mean it and he was sorry, but why can’t I let it go?” She asked. Irene blinked a few times, trying to take what Joy said in and took a deep breath. “Were there sparks, electric jolts or something?” She asked. Joy crooked her eyebrow, before giving her a nod. “I guess. It was short, yet it gave off a little tingling sensation after our lips touched.” Joy responded.

Irene turned around, sighed and stood up. “Wow, this is one tough case. I suggest you two sort things out. You two are like siblings and it’ll get awkward if you don’t speak.” Irene advised. Joy nodded.

When Irene walked out of Joy’s room, she stared blankly on air. 

I know what you’re feeling right now, Sooyoung. When Mino and I kissed for the first time, I couldn’t get over it and neither did he. Just please, don’t do anything stupid. You’ll regret it big time!

With their busy schedules, the two idols were not able to sort things out. 

Meanwhile, Red Velvet’s maknae Yeri had a bring problem of her own. Lately, she observed that one of her male friends from SR15B, Mark was acting oddly. He was strangely being sweet to her and it crept her out. She and Mark were pretty close friends, along with the others and this was the first time that he was acting this way.

“Maknae-ah, gwaenchana?” Red Velvet’s Canadian beauty Wendy asked. Yeri shook her head. “Eonni, I think Mark is flirting with me.” She said. The older female chuckled “And you just noticed that? Yerim-ah, the girls and I knew about your closeness way back and we see how you two look at each other. Now, tell me why aren’t you okay with this?” Wendy asked. Yeri sighed. “Ok. So, I like him. He is sweet, funny and thoughtful, but I don’t think I can continue liking him, you know.” She argued. Wendy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms “Hmm and why not?”

“Koeun likes him too, eonni. She had liked him way before I did. She is my best friend and I don’t want any guy to come between us. I’ve been avoiding Mark for the sake of my friendship with Koeun, but he is too persistent. What should I do, eonni?” Yeri asked. Wendy placed both her hands on Yeri’s shoulders and smiled “Maknae, Koeun can’t stop you from liking Mark. She does not have the right to stop you just because she liked him first. It is for Mark to decide, but seeing how he looks at you, I can say that he likes you back. She can’t dictate what he should feel about you. Remember that, okay? If Mark confesses, tell him to talk to Koeun about it, so she will hear it straight from him and so nobody gets hurt.” She explained. Yeri nodded.

Meanwhile, Koeun was aware of Yeri and Mark’s closeness and she was actually jealous of them, but she tried to keep cool as much as possible for she does not want to ruin her friendship with Red Velvet’s maknae. Whenever she spots Mark flirt with her best friend, she would look away to avoid getting hurt. At some point, she even cried in her sleep, as the heartbreak was really painful.

Why can’t it be me? Why must you choose my best friend? I know that I don’t have the right to be mad about it, but why not me? Do you know how much it hurts seeing you with my best friend? I don’t wanna blame Yeri for all of these. She is innocent, but with everything going on, I am tempted to. This is selfish, I know but I just can’t help it, Mark. This is unfair.

The next day, Yeri, her former teammates and some of their male friends coincidentally met up in SM headquarters. In the midst of a conversation with best friend, Koeun, the boys cleared their throats. Leader, Mark stepped in. “Uh, Koeun-ah, I would like to talk to Yeri in private.” He smiled. Koeun was hesitant at first. Judging by the way the boys were acting, she was up for quite a surprise and she had a gut-feel as to what this surprise may be. Heaving out an inward sigh, Koeun let Yeri go. With that, Mark led the young female idol a few meters away from the rest. 

Jeno secretly handed Mark a rose to which the latter gave to Yeri. “Yeri-ah, joh-a-hae!” Surprised, the female idol stood frozen on her spot as Mark was smiling at her with hopeful eyes. She could sense that the boys, Herin, Hina and Lami were waiting for her answer happily. She turned her head to Koeun who was obviously faking a smile. Yeri glanced back at the flower and unto Mark’s face. 

Her conscience was eating her alive, but she decided to follow what her heart says. She flashed a smile at Mark and accepted his rose. She knew that Koeun would not be happy about it and had expected for her friend to walk away. To which, she was actually correct. 

Koeun walked out the second Yeri grabbed the rose from Mark’s hand. “Eonni!” Herin tried stopping her, but the leader had already fled. Hina stopped her group mate from chasing after their leader. “No. Let her cool off. She’s really heartbroken, you know.”

“Uh, Mark-sshi, I, er, like you too. It’s just that Koeun is my best friend and she likes you a lot. I don’t think that it’s the right time for me to accept you whole-heartedly. I’m sorry.” Yeri sighed. 

“Do you want me to talk her?” Mark asked.

“She’s gonna hate me for this.” Yeri said. Mark grabbed both of Yeri’s hand “I’ve liked you for a long time already, Yeri. I’ve liked you way before we’ve all met Koeun, so she shouldn’t be feeling about this. I chose you from the start.” Mark argued. Yeri smiled “I don’t know. She’s my best friend and what I did hurt her. I can’t bare seeing her like this. I’m sorry.” Yeri insisted. “I’ll talk to her. Excuse me.” Mark excused himself from everyone and searched for Koeun.

The male idol spotted Koeun at one corner, crying her heart out. “Koeun-ah!” He cried. Koeun glanced up, her face wet with tears. “M-Mark.” She stammered. Mark took a deep breath. “Yeri told me that you like me. I’m sorry, but I can’t reciprocate your feelings. I’ve really like her for a long time way before we’ve met. I know she likes me too, but she’s scared that she’s hurting you in the process. I know that it hurts, but please do understand that I only like you as a friend.” He said. Koeun nodded “I know that, Mark and I don’t blame Yeri for this. I almost did, but I can’t. I know that you two met way before I’ve met you and that I don’t have the right to be jealous. I just wished you gave me the heads up before you dropped the bomb. It hurts.” She cried. Mark nodded.

“I hope she says yes. You two are perfect for each other.” Koeun said. Mark just nodded. He was surprised that the girl took the rejection pretty easy. 

Soon, Koeun stood up from the floor and walked back to the gang with Mark. Koeun approached her best friend and gave her a knowing nod, signaling that she’s okay. Yeri returned a nod and turned to Mark who was eyeing her. Koeun motioned the girls to go with her, to give her friend a moment with the male idol. Soon of after the girls left, the boys, on Jeno’s cue, walked out of the room, leaving the pair standing right next to each other.

“So?” Mark begun. Yeri heaved out a breath “So…” She responded. Mark rubbed his neck in nervousness. “Will you give me a chance? Us?” He asked in hopeful eyes. “I don’t know, oppa. I’m not sure if I’m ready for this. You and I have just started with our careers and I don’t want our feelings to get in the way of our dreams.” Yeri sighed. Mark nodded. “Ok. if that’s what you want, let’s stay as friends, but you can’t stop me from liking you.” He stated. Yeri nodded and giggled “I am not telling you to stop, oppa. I just want us to gradually get there, you know. Take things slow, for now.” She cried. Mark smiled. “Your wish is my command, my lady.” He said.

With that, Mark and Yeri poured out their feelings for each other and established the status of their relationship. For now, they are in the ‘more than friends’ stage.

Jaeyeon’s first two weeks of debut promotions was a blast. She had fun working with her boyfriend, Chen. She had shows lined up for her. She appeared in Weekly Idol, Cultwo and Radio Star with Chen. People were beginning to appreciate her work, despite of the inevitable bashers, yet she’s having the time of her life. At the end of her second week of promotions, her manager had consulted her about her activities the following week. 

“Jaeyeon-sshi, I am afraid that your promotions with Chen-sshi will be cut short. He and the rest of EXO are set to fly out to the Philippines for a fan meeting event tomorrow and in Indonesia on Saturday. I’m in the process of looking for someone who can do the duet with you. I will let you know as soon as I get in touch with an idol group manager.” The man said. Jaeyeon nodded. “It’s okay, oppa. I totally understand. I hope you can find an artist. I don’t think I can stand alone on stage without a partner, as it will defeat the essence of the song.” Jaeyeon said.

“No problem, Jaeyeon-ah. I’ll find one in no time.” The manager said. Jaeyeon nodded.

Soon, the female idol’s manager oppa found an idol who was willing to take Chen’s place. 

“Whatcha doing, man?” Infinite’s dancing machine Dongwoo asked his friend, main vocalist Woohyun, who was busy rehearsing for his special stage in M Countdown the next day. The younger male idol hit the pause button on his phone, pulled his earphones off and faced his friend. “Practicing. Manager hyung told me that I’ll be filling in for Chen-sshi in Jaelee-sshi’s stage tomorrow. I need to memorize the lyrics of her song, hyung.” Woohyun responded. Dongwoo’s mouth curved into a sly grin. “You are one lucky dude. She is really pretty and has one of the most beautiful and powerful voices in this industry. Oh and she’s SM Entertainment’s newest monster rookie.” He remarked. Woohyun turned to his buddy and rolled his eyes “Hyung, I’m working with her because she seems nice and the offer is pretty good. I don’t plan to woo her at all. Not gonna be the greasy Nam Woohyun this time.” He cried.

Dongwoo chuckled “Who says that I was teasing you? I was just congratulating you on your special stage with her in advance. I’ve listened to her song and it’s amazing. It will be a great honor for you to sing it with her. You’ll never know maybe on her comeback, SM Entertainment will ask you to promote with her.” Dongwoo argued. Woohyun nodded “Yeah, I agree. The song is amazing and the story just says a lot. It’ll be a good opportunity if I get to work with her again.” He said. Dongwoo grinned. “See. So, when are you meeting her for your joint rehearsals?” He asked.

Woohyun set his phone down and turned his body to face Dongwoo. “Tomorrow.” The male idol responded.

The next day, Woohyun officially met Jaeyeon and they immediately clicked. It was as if they were long-time friends by the time the week ended. 

Another week came and the boys of EXO were still busy with their back-to-back solo concerts across Asia, so Chen would not be able to work with Jaeyeon. On the fourth Friday that she had to perform in Music Bank, she was collaborating with Monsta X’s Kihyun and was nominated for the number one spot in the charts that week. 

The male idol member was not feeling very well, yet he still pushed himself to perform on stage with her. The boys of Monsta X have been continuously teasing him on his obvious crush on the rookie and he was gonna prove to them that he can work with her without chickening out. 

At the end of the day, he managed to conquer his nerves and perform with Jaelee well and proved his friends wrong. Unfortunately, he was sick as . On their way back to their dorm, he passed out. Quickly, they rushed him to the nearest hospital for IV to rehydrate him. The doctor told the boys and their manager to let Kihyun rest and stay away from stress for a while.

That night, Jaeyeon’s camp was informed about Kihyun’s fainting and was saddened. Knowing that the male idol would not be able to perform with her the next day, Jaeyeon’s manager was panicking. He had to find a replacement soon or they would be all screwed. 

Meanwhile, Jaeyeon was playing around with her phone in the car. They were on their way back to the dorm and her manager was still fussing over Kihyun’s replacement for tomorrow and for the next two days. “Oppa, have you found one yet?” She asked. The man shook his head in disappointment and slumped back on his seat. 

Meanwhile, the boys of WINNER were preparing for their comeback stage in Music Core the next day. While having dinner, Mino spoke up. “So, we’re making a comeback in Music Core tomorrow. You’ll be seeing Jaeyeon-sshi. You ready, man?” He asked. Seungyoon crooked his eyebrows. “Why the hell wouldn’t I be, hyung? She and I are okay.” He spat. Mino chuckled “Yeah, well the last time we saw you talk to her, you two were awkward.” He said.

Seungyoon chuckled “She and I are not awkward, hyung. I’m actually looking forward to meeting her backstage tomorrow. It’s been a while since I last seen her.” He smiled. Mino nodded.

It was Saturday and Jaeyeon’s manager still hadn’t found a replacement for Kihyun. Everyone was panicking. They stepped into MBC studios unprepared. If all else fails, she would be singing solo. 

While walking around the backstage, Seungyoon overheard Jaeyeon’s manager and her staff panicking over the non-replacement situation. “Aish! I’ve called SR15B’s manager already. Doyoung-sshi and Taeil-sshi were really willing to help but they are in a middle of a schedule right now, so they can’t do it, hyung. I’ve searched around for someone who could help, but they can’t accommodate us. I haven’t asked WINNER though. Do you want me to ask them, hyung?” One of the staff asked.

Before Jaeyeon’s manager could open his mouth, Seungyoon cut him. “Annyeonghaseyo!” He greeted the two men. The two guys bowed at him. “What can we do for you, Seungyoon-sshi?” The manager asked. The idol smiled. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard your conversation. You said that you needed help. Is there something wrong?” He asked. The manager looked at his companion and to the idol “Well, we are in bad situation right now and if we don’t fix it, Jaeyeon may have to back out in today’s show.” He said.

“Back out? What’s wrong, manager-nim?” He asked curiously. The manager heaved out a sigh. “Well, Chen-sshi is really busy with his group activities and Kihyun-sshi, who’s supposed to be performing with Jaelee-sshi today fell sick, so we don’t have her duet partner today. If we don’t find one, she’ll have to bail on today’s show.” He explained. Seungyoon nodded and as if in one strike, an imaginary bulb lit up on his head. The male idol smiled. “I-I’ll do it!” He cried.

The manager and the staff looked at each other in surprise. “Y-You will? Will your manager be okay about this? No, will Yang Hyunseok sajangnim be okay about this?” He asked. Seungyoon pulled his phone out. “I can call manager hyung now to talk to you.” He said.

After explaining his side, Seungyoon passed his phone to Jaeyeon’s manager. The two manager then discussed about Seungyoon’s request. 

“Ye, ye. Oh kamsahamnida! Ye.” The manager hung up on the phone and returned the device back to the idol. He smiled. “Your manager said yes. Now, Jaelee-sshi performs last, which gives you time to change and I hope you have an extra outfit that will match her concept.” He said. Seungyoon smiled and nodded. “I’ll have to ask our stylist though. I sure hope I do or we will have to run back to the dorm to get them.” Seungyoon smiled brightly. 

“Great! Now, let’s get you familiar with the song. Kyungjoon-ah, I need you to get the lyric sheets in my backpack.” The manager ordered. Before the staff member could reply, Seungyoon stopped him. “Aniyo. Gwaenchanayo. I know the song.” He argued. The manager nodded and then led Seungyoon to Jaelee’s dressing room.

She was in the middle of make-up, when the idol and her manager walked in. Her eyes shot when she saw Seungyoon standing along the doorway. She asked her make-up artist to pause and turned her head to Seungyoon’s direction. 

“Yoon? W-what are you doing here?” She asked. The idol just smiled at her. “What do you think?” He asked. Her eyebrows crooked for a moment before her eyes shot and her jaw dropped. She grinned “Manager oppa dragged you to be my duet partner, huh?” The male idol pulled a close mouth smile and nodded “You can say that. I overheard your team’s dilemma, so I came to your aid. Besides, I’m pretty familiar with your song.” He replied and winked. Jaeyeon giggled “Thanks, Yoon!”

After rehearsing with Jaeyeon, Seungyoon walked back to his group’s dressing room. The boys were just lounging around the room as they wait for their rehearsal time. The leader sat next Mino, who was lying down on the couch. “So, where were you?” The older idol asked.

“Just walking around and I might’ve gotten myself into another stage after ours.” Seungyoon grinned. Mino’s eyebrow rose. “Another stage? Who is this artist you’re collaborating with?” Mino asked. Seungyoon grinned “Well, I’m collaborating with Jaeyeon today. Kihyun-sshi of Monsta X fell ill and couldn’t make it today, so I had to fill in for him until tomorrow.” Taehyun, who was playing around with his phone dropped the device and gaped at his friend. “You’re singing with her? Dude, do you know her song?” He cried.

Seungyoon grinned. “Maknae, I introduced her song to you. Why wouldn’t I know it?” He said. The boys nodded.

WINNER finally made their much awaited comeback in Music Core with two new songs from their full album. Fans roared when the boys stepped onto the stage. As expected, the boys pre-recorded their non-title song and performed their title song live. 

After their performance, Seungyoon rushed to the dressing room to change into a different set of clothing for his special stage with Jaelee. After getting his stage make-up retouched, he rushed back to the waiting area and joined his friend. “We’re going in a minute. Fighting!” He cried. Jaeyeon smiled at him.

The lights dimmed on Music Core’s stage. Jaeyeon and Seungyoon stepped on stage, their faces still blurry. When the lights flashed and keys began playing, the audience roared. Inner Circles who were still at the crowd were utterly shocked when their precious leader Seungyoon stepped on stage with SM Entertainment’s monster rookie.

Jaeyeon begun singing the first few lines of her song ‘New Beginnings’. Seungyoon lifted his arm, bringing the microphone jaw level and sang the next few lines. The pair sang the song with ease and full of feelings, to the point that Jaeyeon’s eyes were tearing up. Some fans even sobbed after listening to the performance. At the end of the song, the audience applauded. 

Jaelee and Seungyoon stood on stage along with MCs SHINee’s Onew, Red Velvet’s Yeri and VIXX’s Ken the other artists and of course, their competition G-Friend and Dynamic Duo.

“Now, let us tally the votes!” Onew cried. Ken nodded “And the winner is…” The screen flashed the winner for the week. “Jaelee-sshi, congratulations!” Everyone cried. The confetti tube exploded, sending thousands of colorful confetti pieces flying on air. 

Jaeyeon accepted her third trophy for the week and thanked everyone for her successful promotion.

At the backstage, Seungyoon gave Jaeyeon a quick side hug. “There there. Shh, why are you crying?” He asked. She shook her head. “Aniyo. I’m not. I just teared up a bit when we were singing. I was so much into character that I almost forgot that we’re performing. I’m fine, Yoon.” She cried.

Seungyoon pulled away from her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Do you wanna talk about this? I mean, you wouldn’t have teared up if you felt something.” His eyes shot. “For one last time, I need you to be honest with me. Did you have any feelings for me even for one bit?” Seungyoon asked. Jaeyeon closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly bobbed her head. “I felt it when I moved to LA. I couldn’t stop thinking about you and what you were supposed to say that afternoon. Seri told me that maybe you wanted to confess. I thought it was hilarious at first but it had me thinking for months. Eventually, I felt something. I was kinda longing for you to come back, but the feeling eventually passed. I forgot that longing and heartbreak and then when we met at NONA9ON launch party, everything just came back. All the pain flowed back into my system and it just made me hate you. But, things just slowed down and we made peace. I’m really glad that we settled our differences and became friends again.” She explained.

“Would you have given me a chance if you weren’t dating Hanbin back then?” Seungyoon asked. Jaeyeon awkwardly grinned. “Honestly, I don’t think so. I hated you so much, I didn’t wanna be involve with you. But now, I could care less. You and I are okay and that’s what matters.” She smiled. Seungyoon nodded. 

The female rookie poked on Seungyoon’s chest. “So, who’s the lucky girl?” She asked. The male idol crooked his eyebrow. “What do you mean?” He nervously responded. Jaeyeon glared at him and lightly slapped his chest. “Yah! You said that you’re dating someone. So, who is she? Hmm, let me guess, it’s Seulgi isn’t it?” She said. Seungyoon panicked.

“What? No. Seulgi is just a really close friend.” He lied. Jaeyeon gave him a ‘don’t give me bull ’ look. He gave up. “Ok! We may have something going on, but you better keep your mouth shut. It’s just you, me, the guys and the girls who knew about this. We can’t go out in public yet, you know.” He said and Jaeyeon nodded. She zipped an imaginary zipper on her lips and smiled. “You’re secret is safe with me.”

The male idol pulled his phone out of his pocket. Jaeyeon raised her eyebrows. “What are you doing?” She asked him. He smiled “I’m taking a photo of us here and post it on Instagram.” He said. She nodded.

The two friends posted together on camera. Seungyoon’s arm was hanging on her shoulder and she had her hand on her cheek, with a V sign.

@w_n_roo: Backstage with this amazing girl @jaelee thank you for that wonderful stage! I had so much fun working with you. #sm #yg #jaeyoon

Hours after his post, Seungyoon’s photo gained thousands of likes and comments.

[ALLKPOP] WINNER’s Kang Seungyoon shows off his friendship with rookie idol Jaelee

Just hours after his first official post on the photo sharing app Instagram, fans quickly gained so much interest in it. The idol’s captioned the photo: 

@w_n_roo: Backstage with this amazing girl @jaelee thank you for that wonderful stage! I had so much fun working with you. #sm #yg #jaeyoon

…says something about his friendship with rookie Jaelee. Fans quickly commented on his feed, saying:

@inclehana: Aigoo! they are so cute. I’ve watched their performance in Mucore earlier and it was amazing! Looking forward to another collab stage.

@kimmy728: aww! I ship them already. Jaeyoon<3

@yoongi: nooo!!! yoongi all the way! :)

@kimhana: are they good friends? I’ve never seen them together though.

@hanbins_wife: She's friends with IKON so I think they’ve met and are good friends.

@mrkkang: are they dating? they look so cute together! I ship them!

@jaelee_baby: he must be the guy behind the song. I watched her performance live and saw her eyes tearing up.

What do you think of this photo? Do you think they are just friends?

[BREAKING] WINNER’s Kang Seungyoon and Jaelee dating?

After the male idol posted a photo of him and rookie idol, Jaelee at the backstage of MBC Music Core yesterday, fans quickly took into the social media their comments on the two idols’ surprising close friendship. Many speculate that Seungyoon maybe behind Jaelee’s successful debut song, after some fans claimed that the female rookie teared up while performing her duet with the male idol.

Reports also say that the male idol was not originally part of the line-up of idols the rookie would be collaborating with on her debut promotions. He volunteered the last minute and surprisingly familiarize the song in just an hour. Netizens are suspicious as to how the male idol managed to familiarize the song in just a short of time, considering that they have not been seen together often.

SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment will have yet to comment about this issue, but in the mean time, do you think they look good together? Comments!

“Seungyoon-sshi and I aren’t dating, sajangnim. We’ve been friends for a long time and we’ve recently just seen each other after months of no contact.” Jaeyeon explained. The CEO nodded and let her go. 

“Ani imnida, sajangnim. Jaelee-sshi and I are really good friends. We go way back from Busan and things became rocky between us for a long time. We just recently patched things up and we’re good. Hmm and I volunteered to fill in for Kihyun-sshi after overhearing their dilemma. I did not want a friend to suffer, so I decided to help out. About that photo…I was just happy that I had gotten to see her again after a long time.” Seungyoon explained.

[UPDATE] SM and YG Entertainment respond to the issue.

This is SM Entertainment and we are here to announce that our artist, Jaelee-sshi is not dating WINNER’s Seungyoon-sshi. They are good friends from way back and had recently met up in a music program for a collaboration stage. Ms. Lee specifically told us that Seungyoon-sshi volunteered to fill in the duet partner spot after her idol partner backed out from falling sick in the middle of the week.

This is YG Entertainment. Our artist Kang Seungyoon-sshi is not dating rookie idol Jaelee-sshi. We talked to Seungyoon-sshi himself and he said that they are just friends. They have been friends for a long time, even going way back in Busan. They have recently met up in Music Core after he filled in for Monsta X’s Kihyun, who backed out. 

Jaeyeon also took the matter into social media. She posted an old photo of her and Seungyoon from way back in Busan on Instagram.

@jaelee: This is me and @w_n_roo. He and I go way back in Busan. He is my childhood friend. For some unforeseen circumstance, our friendship became distant. I’ll be lying if I wasn’t hurt. I was. We grew apart and spent the last five to six years away from each other. Eventually, we saw each other one day here in Seoul. We didn’t make up right away, but we did, eventually. We’re friends really. So, if you are wondering who’s the guy behind my song, I can safely say that, yes! It is none other that Yoon. But please stop spreading false rumors because we are just friends. I’ve written the song years ago. For my fans, thank you for supporting me all the way. You guys are the best! I love y’all! xoxo #jaeyoon #busanbuddies #friends4ever #nohate 

@xoxosheena: OMG! She calls him Yoon! That’s so cute! I really envy their friendship!

@incle4eva: #friendshipgoals

@imhanaxoxo: Aigoo! They go way back from Busan. That’s cool!

@yehet12: HAHA! Busan buddies. I ship them so much!

Even if she and YG denied the accusations already, some fans still couldn’t help ship the two. 

After two weeks of collaboration with other artists, Jaeyeon was back to intra-company collaboration stages, starting off with EXO’s Baekhyun, as Chen was busy with his musical activities. For a whole week, the rookie performed with Baekhyun and they make quite a team. 

Up next was D.O and EXO-Ls were equally ecstatic to see their idol up on stage with the monster rookie. D.O had received quite a lot of good feedbacks after his performances with the rookie idol, but no one could match up with main vocal, Chen. 

A week later, Chen’s activities were cleared up, paving way for him to perform with Jaeyeon on her final week of promotions. Yes! After two months of promoting, her debut was coming to an end, much to fans’ dismay. Yet, the idol really had to take a break from music shows as a lot of activities were lined up for her.

While having her make-up done, the EXO member walked into her dressing room. As soon as she caught a glimpse of her boyfriend, Jaeyeon’s face brightened up. Just in time, her stylist had finished up the idol’s make-up session and excused herself, dragging the rest of the staff out of the room.

“Hey…” The male idol begun. Jaeyeon smiled. “Hi.” 

“I, uh, miss you.” The male idol smiled shyly. Jaeyeon giggled. “Me too. I’m glad you’re back. I’m on my last week of promotions and you performing with me on music shows makes me happy.” She said. Chen chuckled at her. “Well, I can’t miss this week. Plus, I really want to see my girlfriend. It’s been weeks.” He smiled.

The pair spent the next couple of minutes catching up. Meanwhile, the boys of WINNER were preparing for their stage. They were up against Jaelee in this week’s M Countdown and they were anxious. They knew that they have their fans’ support, but with the monster rookie up against them, there’s no way they would win in this week’s episode. 

“We’re up against Jaeyeon-sshi this week. Man! This is so not cool. If she wins, our fans would bash her and if we win, her fans would have a say on it too.” Mino sighed. The rest of the boys nodded. 

Seungyoon chuckled. “Whoever wins this week does not matter for as long as we do our best. If she wins, then good for her. If we win, perfect. with all bashers have to say.” He spat and the boys just gaped at him. That was until Seunghoon clapped at his speech.

Later that night, Jaeyeon and WINNER both took their stages in M Countdown and were equally praised for their wonderful performances. The female rookie just had a little edge because Chen performed with her. Nevertheless, Inner Circles were fazed by an EXO member’s presence. They were determined to win the fight for the boys. At the same time, Jaelee’s fans weren’t backing down either. 

After tallying all the scores, the show presented the winner for this week and it was none other than the rookie—Jaelee. The boys of WINNER accepted their defeat and congratulated the female soloist for her fourth straight win in the show. Seungyoon quickly give the said rookie a big hug. “You were amazing. Congratulations on your win.” Jaeyeon smiled, returning the hug back to him. 

The male idol joined his group and the others as they were dispersing to give way for her encore stage.

She spent her last promotion week slaying the charts and winning in music shows. Backstage at Inkigayo, WINNER’s leader made a surprise visit in her dressing room, only to catch her hugging EXO’s Chen. “I, uh, I think I walked in the wrong time. I’ll just come back.” The idol stammered with a horrified look on his face. In panic, Jaeyeon shoved Chen away from her and faced her friend.

“Uh, please don’t tell me you saw that.” She asked. Seungyoon awkwardly nodded at her. All the blood drained on Jaeyeon’s face. “W-We were just, um…” Before she could explain herself, Chen had answered. “I-I just gave my dongsaeng a quick hug before I leave. See you around, Jaeyeonie.” Chen smiled at her before excusing himself out of the room.

Seungyoon eyed Jaeyeon was still nervous. “Ok? W-what was that?” He chuckled. She smiled. “N-Nothing. We just said our goodbyes, since my promotion had official ended. I’ll be focusing on guess appearances, fan meetings and the like now.” She explained. The male idol nodded. “So, what brought you here, Mr. Kang?” She asked.

Seungyoon chuckled. “Well, I came here to congratulate you for an amazing start. You are a great artist and I’m sure you have a really bright future ahead. Keep up the good work, buddy.” He smiled. Jaeyeon nodded.

Later that night, Jaeyeon and her staff celebrated the end of their successful promotions.  

=================================================================================================

There you have it guys! 

A/N:

Were you all surprised with what I did with Seunghoon and Joy's story. Well, I decided to put them in a love line to spice things up hehe. HAHA! Sungjae is jealous. 

For those who don't know who Yujin and Seungyeon are, they are members of Cube's new girl group CLC. 

To clarify, Jaeyeon or Jaelee's spent her two months of promotions collaborating with different artists. Chen on the first two weeks, followed by Infinite's Woohyun on the third week, Monsta X's Kihyun (only in SBS MTV The Show, MBC Show Champion, M-net M Countdown and KBS Music Bank) and WINNER's Seungyoon (MBC Music Core- YG artists don't usually perform in MBC but for the sake of a storyline, I decided to make YG Family perform and SBS Inkigayo) on the fourth week, EXO's Baekhyun on the fifth, EXO's D.O on the sixth and Chen on her last week. A total of 7 weeks of promotions. 

AND YES! She spent three weeks at the no.1 spot in music shows, thereby calling her a monster rookie.

Since SM Entertainment has not announced the official group name/s of SR15B boys, I just collectively name them as their temporary name. 

And I added the four members of SR15G namely Koeun, Hina, Herin and Lami. For fans of Koeun out there, please don't hate me. I just gotta spice up Yeri's love line with Mark, so I had to put her in the picture. 

Seungyoon has an official IG account now and I finally changed my fictional version to the real deal. It is @w_n_roo

Next chapter will be uploaded as soon as I finish it. But I warn you, it'll take me a whole lot of time to finish it. I'm so busy with school and wouldn't be able to upload for a while. All I ask is patience, my beloved readers and subscribers.