It was quite the monumental day.

Kim Jinsol gawked at herself in the body mirror before her. She twirled around to get a better look. Did she overdo it? She wasn't sure.

She could barely focus throughout the day. After her classes earlier, she always hurried home so she could work on the edits for her videos. However, that past hour or so was occupied with Jinsol scrounging about her closet to find the perfect outfit to wear.

Yes, she was probably overthinking everything.

However, it was different.

This wasn't just a normal hangout.

This was a hangout after Kunhang had confessed to her, and she took the initiative to make plans. It was a date.

Right?

Kunhang had already sent her a message that they could meet at this one cafe that he recommends around 3:30 pm. It was already 3, so she needed to hurry up and go if she didn't want to be late. But this preparation process was making her go crazy.

A chill ran down her spine when she heard the front door to her dorm open. Coming in through the door was the only other person who could unlock it, and their eyes awkwardly meet.

Haneul gaped at the sight of her.

"What is this?!" The younger girl proclaimed as she hurried over to Jinsol's side. "You look absolutely adorable, Jinny! What even is the occasion?"

Jinsol pouted. "W-What do you mean? Why does there have to be an occasion?"

A scoff left Haneul's lips. "Oh please. As someone who's majoring behind the scenes for media, you don't usually put much care into your appearance. You're naturally cute but you're extra cute today!" Her fingers fiddled through Jinsol's wavy hair, which were loose around her shoulders. "I don't remember the last time you had your hair like this! There's definitely something, so what is it?"

The dressed-up lass could feel her cheeks flare. She was shy all of a sudden. "I'm just going to hangout with Kunhang—"

Jinsol realized in that moment that maybe, she shouldn't have admitted it. The high-pitch screech that left the other's lips got her ears ringing. Jinsol turned to her and smacked a hand over her lips, she was met with Haneul's wide, yet joyous eyes. "Is this a date?! It is, isn't it!" Another scream and Haneul began shaking her shoulders. "Kim Jinsol!"

"It's— I..." What could she even say? Haneul had hit right at the bullseye. It would be lame to back out from her answer now.

Jinsol pressed her lips tightly together as she watched in horror as her best friend shuffle towards her desk where all her makeup were. Haneul was zooming around the room, now in her own world. She grasped things here and there before she returned back to Jinsol's side. "First of all, lemme take a gooooood look at you!"

Haneul stepped back and reviewed her outfit.

Jinsol wore one of the dresses she rarely wears; a lilac-colored plaid dress that was given as a new school year gift from her own sister. She had a white t-shirt underneath and tan-strap sandals to go with it. It was definitely a step further from her normal appearance.

"Okay, add this to your hair!" Haneul gave Jinsol a clip. As she looked down into her hands, she saw it was the beagle clip that Kunhang picked out for her at Myeongdong. Jinsol turned back to her reflection and she carefully placed the clip just by her right ear. With pursed lips, she stared. It was a nice touch, and Kunhang would like it.

Just imagining his possible reaction made Jinsol's stomach flip.

"Now, add this strawberry lipgloss. It'll finish up your girly look perfectly!" Haneul chimed, giving her one of her favorite lipglosses. Jinsol pouted, feeling bad for using her makeup, but she still applied the pink gloss onto her lips. "Perfect! Seriously perfect! You're truly a visual that Kunhang would appreciate!" She clapped her hands together, like she just watched a grand performance. Jinsol grimaced at the overreaction. "How did this happen, hmm? He confessed to you? And you actually accepted his feelings? Do you like him too now?"

"Han, you really should slow down and ask one thing at a time," Jinsol mumbled out. Her eyes drifted over to the clock hanging on their wall. So much time had passed since she last noticed, and her heart dropped. "A-Ah! I need to go!"

The 99-liner rushed over to the door, she could feel Haneul following close behind her. "Yah! You need to tell me how all this happened!"

Jinsol turned and gave Haneul a smack on the arm. "Sometimes you forget that I'm older than you, hmm! I'll... tell you later, okay? I'm late."

"Okay, okay, go! Have fun on your date with Kunhang!" She brightly beamed as she basically shoved Jinsol the rest of the way out of their dorm room. As annoyed as she was being pushed, Jinsol knew she had to go.

Jinsol took the bus to a stop that would be nearest to their meeting place.

Just as she stepped out, she just had to take a short walk over and she reached the coffee Kunhang told her about, Queen Kona's. She was impressed by the look of the building, as it had two floors for the cafe. Although pretty, Jinsol doesn't think there would ever be a shop that could replace Azalea's in her heart.

There he was, standing just outside its doors.

Kunhang must've felt her presence, as he picked up his gaze from his phone towards her. His mouth popped agape at the sight of her. Suddenly, she felt conscious of her appearance. It was quite the change from what she usually wore... Jinsol was used to Kunhang wearing certain items of clothing for her film project as he had to play the role of the perfect boyfriend, but perhaps, it was different for him.

"Hello, Kunhang, I'm sorry I'm late," Jinsol merely mumbled out as she reached his side.

"No, it's okay... you look beautiful."

The way Kunhang could just easily say that, it made Jinsol's heart flutter. "A-Ah, thank you." She turned to look at the cafe. She felt too shy to look at him now. "So, Queen Kona's? I heard about this place a couple times."

"You did? From who?"

"From Haneul and some other classmates," Jinsol replied with a hum. "I heard that some famous people have visited here. Soon enough, you'll be on that list of people, hmm?"

"I guess so."

The two walked into the cafe. It all felt familiar and no so familiar all at once. Jinsol and Kunhang visited cafes before, Azalea's specifically, for the project. This could be like any other hang out, but it wasn't. Everything about it was different.

Her feelings were different.

Jinsol peered around the interior of the cafe in awe. It brought both a somewhat mythical and homey vibe to it, it was everything any young adult would love spending time in. There were plenty of wooden tables and chairs that people could enjoy the cafe's drinks and sweets. Some were studying, others were chatting with friends. In one corner of the cafe were shelves filled with books and comics that customers could actually pick and read. And there, at the opposite side, was the stairway that lead to the second floor. Seeing how much people flocked inside, it must truly be a hot spot.

"Hello! How may I help you?" The employee at the counter asked the two 99-liners. Jinsol peered at the variety of drinks written on the menu. There was so much she would want to try.

"Just pick out whichever you lean more towards. We can visit here more in the future to try the others," Kunhang told the girl.

Jinsol beamed. "Then I'll have the iced caramel latte!"

"And I'll have a mango smoothie," Kunhang told the barista. Before Jinsol could notice, the boy already took out money to pay for their drinks.

As he handed the barista the money, Jinsol pouted at him. "I asked you to hangout today, I should've paid..."

"Then, you can do it next time." He nodded his head towards the stairs. "Go ahead and find a table, I'll wait for our orders."

"Sure."

Jinsol walked over and trotted up the wooden steps. The second floor of the cafe was just as pretty as the first floor. Even better, there were less people occupying the sShe marveled at the whole wall that was made of chalkboard. Stepping closer, she could see the small messages and doodles customers must have left before.

She decided to get a table just by the chalkboard so she could add her own little sketch. With a purple chalk, she drew a small dog that resembled her hair-clip. Thinking it looked lonely, she grabbed the blue chalk and drew a second dog to accompany it. Jinsol smiled at her small creation. It was cute.

Feeling satisfied with her drawing, she took a second glance around the cafe. Even though it wasn't as busy upstairs, a good chunk of sitting space were taken. The windows perfectly looked over the busy street outside. With the way large crowds of people zoomed by on the sidewalks, it makes the cafe seem more comfortable and safe.

Jinsol's eyes drifted over to some of the customers that took refuge upstairs just like her. There were a bunch of high schoolers at one corner, a single man at one table busy on his laptop, and more to the right of the room were two ladies... wait. Why does one of them seem so familiar to her? Jinsol stared longer, as she tried to shuffle through the files in her memories. This one particular woman was quite pretty, and don't look to be that much older than her. Her dark hair was thrown up in a high-top bun, she wore an oversized-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. A simple look, but she looked absolutely chic.

Where had she seen her? Jinsol wasn't sure.

The sound of steps caught Jinsol's attention away. Coming up from the stairs was Kunhang with both their drinks. Once meeting his gaze, she beamed brightly.

It was then his eyes shifted over, his once giddy expression was replaced by despair.

Hold up.

He recognizes them too.

Kunhang froze stiff. Jinsol could only watch as the two ladies stood up from their tables and reached the boy's side. They were talking to him in whispers and that look of horror didn't leave his face as he listened to their every word. The other lady that was there spoke in Chinese. These weren't just any random people, they must all know each other. Jinsol stood up from her seat abruptly the moment she saw one of them grasp onto Kunhang's arm. Scrounging up her confidence, she strode over meeting at Kunhang's side.

"I'm sorry, but what's the problem here?" Jinsol managed to ask the two ladies.

The one that seemed so oddly familiar to her glanced at the other with a worried expression. She bit down on her lip before she replied, "There's no problem at all. Mm, how about we all sit down together and talk this out then? Quietly and not making a scene?" She ushered the rest of them to go sit down to the table that was farthest from everyone else. Jinsol wasn't sure what to expect from this interaction, but it wasn't this.

The four of them went ahead and settled down at the table. Finally, Kunhang handed Jinsol her drink, but he couldn't bare to look over at her.

"I don't want to seem rude but Kunhang, who are they?" Jinsol questioned him with a pout.

The Chinese boy was jittery, wasn't sure what to say within this predicament. "I would like to ask the same of you, though?" The other woman with slicked back, black hair asked in broken Korean. She must be Chinese too with the way she spoke so naturally earlier with Kunhang. Her brows furrowed together as if something connected for her. She suddenly asked Kunhang something in Chinese. The way she pointed over, Jinsol knew that the question must be about her.

Jinsol peeked over at Kunhang, hoping for an explanation. But he looked way too flustered at the moment.

"I see," The Chinese woman uttered out. Her intense gaze were on Jinsol. The cold exterior she conveyed was broken with a smile. "Hello, my name is Yue, Zhao Yue, and the one next to me is Shim Jiwoo. We work in the same company as Kunhang."

"S-Same company?" Jinsol murmured out. She stole another glance over at Kunhang. "Like, the music company he's training under?"

"Correct. I actually am in fact supposed to help manage him," Yue told her, giving a small nod.

The one that was introduced as Jiwoo, held up her hand to stop their conversation. "Hold on, if I am assuming right, are you two on a date right now?"

This struck Jinsol. She didn't want Kunhang to get in trouble, that was the last thing she wanted to do. What was she supposed to reply with? She was too afraid that anything she'll say would cause something.

"Yes, this is a date... technically."

The confused girl's eyes widened. Kunhang was really going to admit that? Jinsol hung her head low, horrified of what's to come after the confession.

"I-I see," Jiwoo sputtered out, clearly taken aback by his honest answer. She had an unsure expression as she looked back and forth between the two teenagers. Kunhang could only stay quiet, waiting for a response from either of the older women. "I don't know what to say. You have anything since you know the Chinese trainees better than I do, Yue-sshi?"

"Am I in trouble?" Kunhang mumbled out, his voice softer than before. Jinsol's heart ached for him. Her mind was filled with prayers that he wouldn't be punished for this.

"Not really," Jiwoo replied with a small frown. The tone in her voice didn't convince Jinsol. "You're still a trainee, Kunhang, but you know the precautions."

"Let's not be too tough on him, Jiwoo-sshi," Yue cut in, bringing hope to both of the teens. Jinsol dared to look up. Yue had a hand on Jiwoo's arm. "He should be able to date when he could, right? Plus... I'm sure you had to deal with this kind of thing before."

The other woman seemed stunned and absolutely guilty from Yue's statement. Jinsol had to wonder what could be behind that look as a spectator. "Yes. And, I'm saying things out of concern because I know well. But for now, there's not much to do here. Yue-sshi, should we go ahead and return back? I can continue giving you pointers on the way there."

"I already learned quite a bit because of your guidance, Jiwoo-sshi," Yue replied with a grin. She turned her attention towards the boy again. "We'll have to talk about this later, but please, do enjoy yourselves. Sorry for intruding the date."

Jinsol meekly cut in, "Are you sure he isn't in trouble? I mean, we're just out getting drinks here."

"You're fine. Seriously, don't worry too much about it and have fun, you two," Jiwoo chimed. Her and Yue stood up from the table. "We'll be out of your hair."

Before either of the ladies could leave, Jinsol stood up once again. Just as she gotten both of their focus, she folded her hands in front of her and gave a bow. She wanted to show them the utmost respect if it could elevate whatever punishment Kunhang might get in the future. "Thank you for allowing us then! We truly appreciate it."

"What's your name then?" Yue asked her.

"Kim Jinsol."

"Kim Jinsol?" Jiwoo uttered with a raised brow.

"Yes, ma'am..."

All of a sudden, Jiwoo reached over and patted her shoulders. It surprised Jinsol, but she kept her mouth clamped shut. "It was nice meeting you then, Jinsol. We'll probably meet again."

Before Jinsol could ask what she had meant by that, her and Yue walked off and disappeared down the stairs of the cafe. She still stood there, shocked by this whole predicament. If Kunhang didn't grab her wrist and pulled her back into her seat, she didn't know how long she would still be standing. "Jinsol, I'm so sorry... this was the last thing I wanted to happen."

The lass finally snapped out of her daze, and she peered over at the frantic Kunhang. "This wasn't your fault. You wouldn't have known that people you work with would be here. Who exactly are they? They're your superiors, right?"

"In a way. Like what Yue said, she basically is a manager to me, Dejun, and Yangyang. She'll be working closely with us once we debut too," Kunhang responded in a low tone. "Jiwoo also is like a manager and was someone who had been in the company since way before I got scouted, so she knows every nook and cranny. Despite how young she is, she has a lot of wisdom."

"She had that kind of vibe..."

That Jiwoo still felt familiar to Jinsol, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen her before. Perhaps, she was mistaken.

"Jinsol, I don't even know what to say right now. I feel bad..."

"Then, why don't you just tell me some childhood memories?"

She could see the pure terror in Kunhang's eyes after the whole ordeal. It must've shaken him so much to be caught by people from his company, but all he cared about was her well-being. She doesn't know what the dating policy would be for trainees, but all she could hope for was that Kunhang would be off the hook for this. All she could do for now is to calm him down and to divert his attention. "Or that moment you realized you wanted to be an idol?"

Kunhang stared back at her, a softness in his eyes. He was truly thankful that she was approaching this in such a calm manner when he knew that this shook her as much as he was. Kunhang finally grinned at her. There was no need to think over something that already happened. He shouldn't ruin what was happening now in the moment.

They were on a date.

"The moment I realized I was an idol, hmm?"

Jinsol and Kunhang didn't realize how much time was spent in that cafe together, as they talked about everything and anything about themselves that wasn't already said. Laughter healed their worries from earlier, and all too soon, it was forgotten. The two 99-liners were only engulfed into what the other had to say.

Jinsol knew the longer the two of them sat together sharing memories and stories, the more she felt how special Kunhang had become to her. In that moment with Yue and Jiwoo, she didn't want anything more than to just help Kunhang in any way. To protect him. The way her cheeks flushed, the way her stomach churned at the thought of him. Her confused feelings and wandering thoughts of him. She may have had her own dilemma with Taewoon, but she could already feel herself moving on.

In fact, maybe she already was the moment Kunhang came into her life. She was just foolish to not notice it happening. Her crush on Taewoon was something familiar and comforting, while these growing feelings were unexpected and kind of frightening.

However, she knew now.

Jinsol liked Kunhang too.

She really did.

A/n:
So, a familiar character to those who read my previous works (notably Nodus Tollens). I swear, I need to stop reusing Jiwoo so much but she's my precious baby and I can't help it. So lemme go ahead and introduce the two because they will be returning in this story~

Name: Shim Jiwoo
Age: 22
Portrayed by BlackPink's Jisoo

Name: Zhou Yue
Age: 29
Portrayed by Liu Yifei

I really want to believe that I have this whole story planned out at this point, I just gotta figure out the details and such. But, there's definitely a turning point that happened in this chapter!

If you enjoyed this chapter, please do give it a vote and leave a comment! Comments really help in my writing process and such. It would be nice motivation ^^

Question of the chapter; thoughts on SuperM? I'm honestly very excited for their debut as a massive SM stan, although, I am worried about how overworked each of those boys would be because of this.

That's it for this update~ I hope you all have a good night/day!

Until the next one~
—Bianca