(Dinner Night, Yesterday)

Pissed.

Jennie was pissed, you could put it.

Who the hell does he think he is?

She was fuming.

Angry.

'Jen,' Jisoo called, gently placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. 'You okay?'

'I'm fine.'

'No, you're not.'

Jennie stopped on her tracks, and shrugged. 'Dinner tonight was a disaster,' she stated, matter-of-factly. She could pretend all she want that none of it affected her. But it did.

It did.

'For what it's worth, I think Jin likes you.'

Jennie moved the conversation from her with ease, Jisoo turning bright red, looking down to hide her face.

'Oh my god....' Rose voiced from behind two. 'You like him, don't you?'

Lisa giggled, forgetting a while about her contract. She'd gone eerily quiet after the 'dinner' had ended, choosing to stay with her thoughts the whole ride home. The rest of the girls had left her be, giving her the time and space she needed to process everything.

And she has to meet him tomorrow again. For the dance practice.

Jennie snapped back to reality.

'No, I do not,' Jisoo rushed defensively, shaking her head.

'Are you saying you didn't even get his number? Our Jisoo?' Jennie's eyes slowly trailed to the phone, vision on target. Jisoo quickly realised what was about to happen and gripping her phone tightly, ran into the kitchen.

'You're not checking my phone!'

Jennie cackled evilly chasing after the older girl into the next room. Rose and Lisa continued after her, eager to see.

'You can't get away from us that quickly!' Rose warned, a mischievous smirk on her face, standing on the opposite side of the marble counter from Jisoo.

With a silent plan in mind, Lisa and Jennie sneaked from both sides, trapping her. Jisoo squealed, trying to keep the phone safe, as the other three tackle her to the ground. In the chaos, Rose quickly snatched the phone from Jisoo's hand.

Jennie stood up, dusting invisible dust off her sleeves, leaving Jisoo on the ground, tied down by Lisa, laying across her body.

'Found anything?'

Rose smiled devilishly. 'Who could 'SeokJin (heart) (heart)' be ? HAHA!'

She showed the display of Jisoo's phone and the girls, except Jisoo who was a bright red colour on the floor, burst out laughing.

'Two hearts? She DEFINITELY likes him!' Lisa squealed, jumping up from tackling Jisoo. 'New ship! I can picture it: Jinsoo..' She fantasized jokingly, spreading her fingers in a gesture.

'I need to tell Namjoon,' Jennie joked, starting to pull her phone out teasingly.

'Don't you dare, Jennie!'

Rose was still scrolling through the phone. 'Oh my god, you guys have already texted! Ahhh, you're so cute, my poor heart can't handle!' She squeezed Jisoo's cheeks, who snatched her hands off, rubbing her pink cheeks.

'It's not like we could even date anyways, not when the contract...' She trailed off with a look at Lisa and realised her mistake.

Jennie gave her a look.

Lisa, being reminded of her contract, back to her quiet self, her previous smile faded into a small frown.

'I'm sorry,' Jisoo apologized, rubbing Lisa's shoulder. 'I shouldn't have mentioned it.'

Lisa shook her head, looking down.

'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine,' she said quietly. 'I'm going to go change, guys.'

The girls nodded, eyes on her back as she left.

Watching the slumped, defeated shoulder of the youngest of their group, Jennie allowed a single sad thought to come forth in her mind.

Why do people say they're fine, when it's so clear they're not?

***

(Morning of the rehearsal)

'Guys, I'm leaving for rehearsal!' Lisa yelled just as the door closed behind her.

'See ya!'

Rose, happily pouring the milk onto the cereal, munched on her food, earning weird looks from her elders.

'How are you this cheerful, this early in the morning?' Jisoo questioned, looking truly in wonder.

'It's 10:30, sister,' Rose chirped.

'Exactly.'

Rose chuckled, shaking her head.

'I hope Lisa does well,' Jennie piped up from behind the fridge door. 'I heard her say there were a few people that didn't treat her exactly well.'

'Maybe that stool is one of them,' Jisoo added, sneering at the thought.

Rose choked on her milk. 'Jimin?! Come on, he can't be that bad!'

'Yes, he is.' Jisoo stated blandly. 'If he was nice to you- that really doesn't count.'

Jennie nodded in agreement. 'You treat everyone nicely, so obviously, everyone treats you nicely.'

'How does that make sense?' Rose argued. 'I did not treat him nicely.'

'What, you roasted him with your lame insults?' Jisoo asked, smirking.

Rose raised her hand to her heart, in mock offense. 'I am offended.'

The three girls laughed at that. Suddenly, the door bell rang.

'That's can't be Lisa, can it?' Jennie commented.

'I doubt it. I'll go see,' Rose volunteered, standing up.

She fixed her hair, brushing it back, then opened the door wide, to see-

'Jimin?'

Rose gave him a curious look. He smiled sheepishly, his chubby cheeks rising on his face.

'Hi.'

'What are you doing here?' Rose asked in shock. Behind her, she felt Jennie and Jisoo scramble about, struggling to hide themselves behind a wall, while poking their heads out to watch. Rose tried to keep her eyeroll in.

'I was told to pick 'your little member' up? To the rehearsal?' She noticed his face grow a bit darker, his voice colder, at the mention of Lisa.

'The little member, has a name.' Rose said defensively, her voice a bit sharper. 'Also- she left half an hour ago, so good luck!'

She meant to close the door in his face, but his hand snapped up to keep it open.

'Seriously? I've been out here for an hour!' He said angrily.

'Your problem, not mine,' Rose shrugged.

'Are you kidding me?!'

Rose rolled her eyes at his volume. 'Honestly, I liked you and your chubby cheeks better a few minutes ago.'

Rose, You did not just say that out loud.

Jimin opened his mouth to retort and she prayed silently he ignore what she said, keeping her face calm.

'You- wait what?' He turned a bright pink, his hold on the door loosening.

Rose slammed the door in his face.

Real smooth, Rose, real smooth.

Turning back, she let out a shriek, coming face to face with Jennie and Jisoo, staring with their hands on their hips.

'What, just happened?'

'Nothing.' Roee said quickly. 'He came to pick Lisa up and I told him she left and then he got angry and I-' She smiled sheepishly. 'I slammed the door in his face.'

'We heard what you said Rose,' Jisoo said. 'We know exactly why you're face is tomato red, right now.'

'Okay.'

'Tell us the truth, Chaeyoung.'

She made a weird face. 'So what, if I think he's cute?' She lifted her hands in the air and dropped it. They give her a blank look and she quickly came to her own defense. 'It doesn't mean I like him, though. I don't. Really.'

'Sure,' Jennie nodded.

'Really,' Rose repeated, not quite sure they believed her yet. 'I don't.'

Jennie let out a small hmm and took a seat on the couch.

'Guys, we have to talk about the contract sooner or later,' she sighed, patting the spots beside her. Rose took a seat next to her. 'Lisa has a lot of pressure on her shoulders right now. She has to lie to all her friends and family about a boyfriend she isn't dating. Yes, we have to do that too but we're not the ones pretending here.'

The other two nod and Rose felt sad at everything her close friend was handling.

'And yes, I know that even if I like Jin or not, because you know, I've met him once, I don't think we can ever be together. If I liked him. Not when there are members of our groups who were forced together, and didn't have a choice. I feel like that would be unfair to Lisa.' Jisoo added with a nod.

'Plus, I doubt we will see them that often anyways..'

Jisoo's phone rang, making her jump at the sudden noise. Rose and Jennie share a look.

'Hello?' Jisoo answered. 'What? Tomorrow? Why? Okay, I'll tell her.'

Rose glanced at Jennie again.

This was not good.

'Girls, I have news,' Jisoo informed, sighing. 'Lisa's going on a date tomorrow. With him. Her first date. Ever. A pretend one.'

Rose's mouth fell open. This did not come to her at all. Lisa's very first date, a fake one.

Poor Lisa.

Rose knew their CEO didn't mean any harm but none of the girls had ever dated or anything. Even if they hadn't been prohibited, they simply didn't have the time. She shook her head in shock and sympathy for her member.

'They're leaking the 'news' tomorrow, to the press.'

'But how? Lisa and Jimin have never been seen together.'

'They will be.'

'It's starting,' Rose suddenly said.

'What is?' Jennie asked for confirmation.

'The acting,' Rose replied, a quiet whisper, fiddling with her fingers.

'The lies.'

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hello, thanks for reading, have a good day! or night! or evening! or afternoon?

PS. exams next week pray for me ;((((

all love <3