✨

"It's not like we'll actually date. It's just for a press release so those rabid fans would stop. Relax, you're not exactly my type. And that kid already thinks I'm your girlfriend so, it's too late to back down. The PR team will release a couple of my pictures and being the temporary CEO of JHS Entertainment would justify the reason why the company decided not to reveal images beforehand. I think this would be enough to pacify the fans."

Jungkook sighed. It wasn't a bad idea but, it's a bit uncomfortable fake dating your boss. Even if it was clearly for his sake.

He directed his attention to his computer's screen where he's currently editing IU's airport pictures. He needed to blur out the people in the background and post the pictures within the night.

"Huh?"

A picture caught his attention. Amongst the crowd behind IU, a certain brunette in aviator sunglasses caught his attention. He squinted his eyes to check whether he's right or wrong.

"Miss Manoban..." he mumbled.

Right. She was there that day and... well we all know what happened that day with her.

Curiosity grew and he opened a web browser typing 'Lalisa Manoban' on the search bar.

"Wow."

Why didn't he thought about this before?

Various articles talking about a dance prodigy named Lalisa Manoban was fed to him with a couple of videos linked.

The youngest member of New York Ballet company lands leading role on broadway show, The Glass Slipper.

Prima ballerina Lalisa Manoban astounds audience and critics for her stellar performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy on this year's Nutcracker.

Thai-Korean ballerina stuns the crowd with her excellent portrayal of Giselle in the annual NYBC Charity Gala.

He couldn't stop himself from reading more and more about her. He also watched her performances online which made him question, did she really not like dancing? She was incredible! But what made her performances more like-able was her expressions. The emotions she showed dug deep inside him. It's like her eyes hypnotize you to pay attention. To hear her story through the movement of her body. To feel what she feels too.

His mind suddenly transported him back to that night practice room. He remembered vividly how he felt that night. It was like his heavy heart suddenly grew lighter. The raw emotion she gave had trapped him in a trance that almost made him feel light-headed. For some unknown reason, he felt captivated—no, enchanted with her.

Lalisa Manoban...

A few videos and two articles later, she found himself wandering through the comment section of a certain Swan Lake rehearsal video.

user00977: why can't i find her actual performance video of this? It's not on the NYBC page. i love her! ❤️
  ↪️ kweendomse: @user00977 i think she retired or something.
  ↪️ simplyballet: @kweendomse @user00977 nooo. she's just on a hiatus. they said she'll be back after she recovers from her accident.
  ↪️ xxnewyorkie: @user00977 the nybc said she's on an indefinite leave but she's been creative director in a few shows at vegas. i've seen one of the shows she directed and it was amazing! she actually discovered Annie Kim.
  ↪️ user00977: @xxnewyorkie why'd she take a leave tho? Thanks guys for answering! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
  ↪️ xxnewyorkie: @user00977 accident. she had to get leg surgery.

Wait. What?

His eyes grew wide as soon as he read the word "accident". It all adds up now. Why she threw that thing towards the mirror when she fell. She was frustrated.

He opened another tab and searched "lalisa manoban accident". Unfortunately, there was no article detailing it except maybe one or two saying that it was a car accident and that she's indeed taking an indefinite leave from the Ballet Company.

He skimmed through a total of seven pages on google before landing on an article with the title "Fall of the Prodigy: What Happened to New York Ballet Company's Brightest Star?" and immediately clicking it.

The article starts off with a backstory of Miss Manoban—how she graduated as Juilliard's top students and immediately offered a spot at the New York Ballet Company. Then it recalled all her roles in various productions applauding every one of it not forgetting to mention she's the youngest and blah blah blah. He already read and watched those.

Three and a half paragraphs later, the article started to throw questions like: "What made the talented ballerina leave the scene?" and "What really happened Lalisa Manoban after that gruesome accident?"

It says in the article that Miss Manoban fractured both her legs and tore her ACL during an accident. It did not give details as to where, how and why the accident happened. Only that it was some sort of a vehicular accident. It even said that the injuries she suffered may cause her to permanently retire from performing.

Jungkook stared blankly outside the window. Now he understands. He might not know the details but he understood why Miss Manoban seemed a bit... cold. Or why she acted that way in the practice room. She's been through a lot and quite frankly, knowing you can't do what love the most... is terrifying. And frustrating.

"I don't really like dancing..."

"He's a kid. A criminal record can ruin his future..."

"I think I killed someone..."

Funny how one incident can change your entire life completely.

✨

As Jungkook walked inside the JHS Ent. building, he still can't take Miss Manoban's past off his mind. It's been haunting him all night—even in his dreams, he couldn't take her performance off his brain.

He sighed. Is he starting to fanboy on his new boss? He shook his head violently.

Nope. That'll be inappropriate.

"Ya, Jungkook. Take it easy or your head might fall off."

Miss Manoban folded her arms as she watched him slowly turn to face her. She gracefully took her sunglasses off and raised an eyebrow at him. Her flowy dress followed the movement her body and her long straight hair in a half bun caught him on a mesmerized trance. He couldn't stop saying 'wow' inside his head.

He managed to snap back to reality when he felt someone push his chin up to close his agape mouth.

"I didn't think I had that effect on you, Secretary Jeon," she said as a playful smirk started to form on her face. "Couldn't sleep straight after last night?"

Her smirk grew wider as they heard some bystander's—more like eavesdroppers, gasp. He was caught off guard once again turning him into a panicked mess.

"M-Miss Manoban!"

"What?" she feigned innocence. Then she took a couple of steps closer to him and fiddled with his tie—straightening it out. "Stop looking like a nervous wreck, love. Everyone would think you're a guilty virgin."

He felt his face burn at her statement and sudden action. The woman looked fairly contented with what she's done so she proceeded to walk away with a huge grin plastered on her face. Well, not forgetting to pat his cheek, of course.

"Well, aren't you gonna follow me to my office, Secretary Jeon?" Miss Manoban called from a few meters away.

And like a robot, he immediately snapped out of his trance and followed. With the gazes of almost every employee present at the lobby following his retreating form.

The burning sensation on his face and ears did not stop even if he was left sitting alone by his cubicle. It did not help that he had actually started to harbor a small crush towards her with all the research he had done. And that certain hint of genuine-ness in her smile him smile as well.

"Aish..." he mentally scolded himself. Having a crush on your boss is inappropriate in all levels.

"You two look comfortable."

Jungkook jumped at the sudden voice. He turned to his side and saw his former boss, Jung Hoseok grinning.

"C-CEO Jung!" he exclaimed then bowed immediately. The older guy waved his hand signaling him to stop what he was doing. "You... Have... uh... are your treatments done?"

"I'm not CEO anymore, Jungkook," he states then pats him lightly on his shoulder. "And to answer your question, no. My treatment's not done yet. Anyways, I need you to talk to you about something. Care for some coffee?"

He gave his former boss a curt nod before heading towards the nearest café.

✨

"I just arrived last night after Jennie called days ago informing me about the sudden plummet of our stocks," Mr. Jung answered after Jungkook asked why he came by. "Thought I'd come back to help out but it seems like my sister has everything under control. I was worried she would burn down Dispatch or something."

"She almost thought of that but fortunately we were able to come up with a more practical solution," he explains.

"Yes, I've heard," Hoseok smiled. "I was actually shocked to see the article as Ji Eun don't usually go out with the public eye prying on her every move. Imagine my surprise when I got the call."

"She just wanted to thank me for what I did for her last time..."

The guy pouted.

"So where's my 'thank you' dinner?"

"I uh—"

The ex-CEO sported a wide grin.

"I'm not one to pry on my artists' love life but are you sure it wasn't a date, Jungkook?" he questioned. "I've always thought that you're extra attentive with Ji Eun. If you two are really dating, I wouldn't really mind. And stocks would just go back up."

"No!" he immediately answered. "I mean, we're not involved with each other or anything. I uh... I do my best for all artists comebacks, Mr. Jung. And Miss Lee wouldn't go out with someone like—"

"Jungkook," the guy cut him off. "Why wouldn't she—if it was true, go out with someone like you? You're a handsome man with a stable career. You're driven, hard-working and the nicest cinnamon roll I know. Ji Eun would be lucky to be with someone like you. I just want to know the real deal since an article was published saying that my sister's your girlfriend. I don't want her getting involved with the media."

"I swear, Mr. Jung. There's nothing going on between me and Miss Lee," he replied with conviction. "Miss Manoban just thought that the showing a tangible face to the public would stop the rumors once and for all. We initially wanted to stick with the privacy thing but..."

He trailed off as he remembered what happened the other night. This made Hoseok raise an eyebrow.

"Did something happen, Jungkook?"

On impulse, his right hand went straight to the back of his own head.

"Uhm... Some fans attacked me from outside the company with eggs and flour..." he explained. He had hoped his former boss would be convinced enough.

But alas, he's wrong.

"I know my sister. She wouldn't agree to something that drastic if it was just eggs and flour," he stated while folding his arms. "I think a new suit would've sufficed given the case."

He couldn't help but be amaze at how accurate Mr. Jung's words were. Indeed, Miss Manoban bought him a new suit and relieved him from secretarial duties for the rest of the day. Even though the shopping for a new suit did take them the whole day.

"There was a sasaeng..." he mumbled. But judging by how the guy sitting in front of him suddenly sat upright, he knew he'd heard him clearly.

"Ji Eun's sasaeng? Say, a high schooler with a height close to 6 feet?"

He nodded. A kid with that height would be hard to spot especially among high schoolers.

"Do you know him, Mr. Jung?" he asked.

Jung Hoseok's face was grim. Jungkook can tell that he indeed knows the kid.

"Song Jireon. He assaulted Manager Choi a couple of times and he's been seen around Miss Lee's neighborhood," he explained with a furious expression. "We didn't press any charges because of the kid's condition. His grandparents begged to just pay for the damages instead."

"I've met them," he stated. "They wanted to pay for damages too but I just let it slide. I didn't think he was this... uh... passionate."

"He's an obsessed stalker, Jungkook," he corrected. "We've filled a couple of restraining orders but that kid just won't stop. And I see now why my sister agreed to play the part of your estranged girlfriend."

"I didn't know about the sasaeng," he defended. "If only I knew I would have pressed charges—"

"Ji Eun did not want to cause a sudden stir in the media," Hoseok spoke. "You know how delicate she is. I also did not think that there'd be a problem like this since Ji Eun only has his manager around. And the kid did not lay a hand on Ji Eun."

"I guess the rumors of us dating triggered him," he said. "I just happen to the the unlucky guy to suffer an obsessed fan's undying love."

"You're not entirely unlucky," Hoseok said before taking a sip off his coffee. "Thankfully, my sister was there to save you by claiming to be your girlfriend. And before you ask, someone already told me what happened. I just wanted to confirm things from you."

His mouth went agape as his eyes grew wide. The former CEO just smiled.

"What do you think of my sister, Jungkook?" he suddenly asked.

"Um..." Be tried to think of the right adjective. If he says that she's pretty or beautiful, he'd thing that he likes her. If he says she's talented, it would come off as if he's stalking her. "...she's good at what she does. She fits well as CEO and executive producer."

Hoseok raised an eyebrow. He suddenly felt his throat dry up.

"Good at what she does?" his former boss repeated then chuckled. "Clearly you can do better than that, Jungkook."

He felt beads of sweat form on his temple.

"From what I saw earlier, you two seem quite close," he teased. "You sure you two are just pretending?"

Again, he started to sweat profusely. Hoseok laughed.

"I'm just kidding. And I know how my sister can be quite playful. Remember what she did to Jennie?"

Right. Who could forget that one?

"You just have to play along and she'd stop on her own," Mr. Jung explained as he took another sip from his coffee. "And stop being a nervous wreck. She'd eat you alive. Where's the brave Secretary Jeon I know?"

He scratched the back of his nape. How can he evade this topic smoothly?

"Um... she's competent. She has good judgement and makes smart decisions. Though some are rather abrupt, I can't help but agree with them."

"Decisions? Does this have something to do with Ro5e's delayed debut?"

He nodded and explained the current situation of Saerin and the other Ro5e's members.

"Well, Saerin is extremely talented so I guess it's a risk that might be beneficial to the company one day," he stated whilst rubbing his chin. "What does she plan to do with her exposure? Just the collab with Ji Eun and Royal?"

He nodded. "But Miss Manoban's thinking of sending her to that survival group competition."

"If she wins, that means she's to postpone her debut."

"She won't," he replied. "Miss Manoban talked with the show's producers that even if the public votes for her, she would be dropped from the ranking."

"So you're meaning to say, that even if she wins, they'll manipulate the votes to make it look like she actually lost?"

He nodded. "That would make the public feel sympathetic since Saerin would be a shoe-in for first place."

"Woah. My sister is really a sly, cunning woman," Hoseok commented utterly impressed. "That would make her debut something the public would look forward to."

"And her song's actually a bop. Producer Min sent a rough cut and it's really something new. It's a mix of EDM, Pop and some Hiphop."

"I see. So who'll choreograph for her?"

"Royal's choreographer, DK. He also said that his friend would help him out as well," he shared. "But Miss Manoban haven't finalized that one yet and we're still waiting for her go signal. I personally think that with Miss Manoban's help she could be as good of a dancer as she is—"

It was too late for him to realize what he just spat out. Hoseok's forehead creased as their gazes locked.

"I uh—"

"You've seen Lisa dance? When?"

"Um... the day when Miss Ji Eun's MV leaked, I happen to pass by the practice rooms and heard music," he started—fidgeting with the piece of paper towel in front of him. "Since it was already late, I thought checking and saw her dancing. And..."

"You saw?" He nodded making Hoseok sigh. Then he locked gazes with him. "I agree with you. I think with Lisa's guidance, Saerin would be able to dance with a better technique. But that would be impossible."

"Er... If you don't mind me asking, why can't she? I saw her dance beautifully that day—"

"If you did and stayed 'til the end, I'm sure you saw what happened after."

He recalled how she suddenly fell off-balance and how she threw something on the mirror that caused it to instantly shatter. He sighed.

"All dancers lose their balance. I think she just needs to stand back up again."

Now it was Hoseok's turn to heave a heavy sigh.

"I really wish for that to happen too, Jungkook. After everything... I do hope she's recover. I know how much she misses performing. She was born for the stage and seeing her away from it also hurts me," he said making him feel a bit sympathetic.

He could clearly feel how much Hoseok cares for his sister. He understood. Because even though he and Tzuyu always bicker, he'd do everything in his power just to make her happy or see her smile.

"Jungkook, I'm not certain how things might pan out between you and my sister but please promise me that no matter how difficult she can get, please stay by her side," he said—almost pleading.

He looked straight into his former boss' eyes and smiled. He too wanted to see Miss Manoban back in action.

"That won't be a problem."

✨

Half passed midnight and she's still inside the damned practice room. They finished installing the new mirror weeks ago yet it was only 'til now she'd gathered up enough courage to go back.

So far, the company's been doing good. Secretary Jeon has proven to be more competent than he's given credit for.

Her thoughts drifted her back to her days in New York. She missed it. That euphoric feeling she gets when the lights on the stage suddenly opens. Blinding as it usually is, it didn't really matter. Hearing the applause of the audience makes up for all of it.

But it was taken away from her. A single night took everything from her. Everything she'd worked hard for.

"It's okay, love. We'll be home before ten. I promise we won't take long..."

"Miss Manoban?"

Lisa's head immediately snapped towards the door. Secretary Jeon. What's he doing here? Last time she checked, all employees except for Yoongi, had already left. She blinked as he walked towards her with a bottle of water at one hand and a small towel on another.

"Here," he crouched down to meet her level and gave the two items with this polite smile.

Her eyebrows furrowed. How did he know she was here?

Since she didn't take the towel and water yet, Secretary Jeon went ahead and used the towel to to wipe off her sweat. Her eyes grew wide at the sudden gesture. And the guy just smiled at her as if it wasn't such a big deal.

When she was able to regain composure, she held his wrist and looked straight at him who was just a couple inches away from her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she spat. Secretary Jeon just smiled—which was some sort of grin if she's being particular.

"Returning the favor," he simply said before leaning back. He then unceremoniously sat beside her. "I haven't thanked you properly last time. Being you're my boss and all, you didn't need to do that but you still did. So, thank you."

She scoffed. "I didn't do that for you. It was for the company."

Jungkook's smile grew wider. This made her roll her eyes at him.

"Whatever."

The young secretary then took the fresh bottled water and opened it before placing it beside her.

"If you need anything else, I'll just be by my station finalizing Ro5e's debut proposal."

Now it was her turn to get all flustered.

✨

Lisa pursed her lips as she directed her attention on to the projected image in front of her. They're currently in talks of Saerin's upcoming debut and with it being in just a few months, they would need to cash in a miracle to pull this one off.

"I don't like it," she said straightforwardly which made the prod team jump a bit. "The song's EDM with a hint of Pop. Why does this scream BDSM? Color. You need variations of color here. And we're not pimping her, for God's sake! I said make her look sexy, not a freakin' slag!"

"Slag...?"

She rolled her eyes.

"A hoe."

She heard Yoongi chuckle before shifting from his seat. Secretary Jeon cleared his throat.

"The clothes look great, Ms. Eun," the secretary said with a smile. Ugh. This guy's too nice for his own good! "But Miss Manoban is correct. The song has a bit of Pop in it so we should incorporate a few pops of color here and there. Also, I agree that the outfit choices are a bit too... provocative. We'd have trouble with broadcasting stations because of it."

"I understand," Ms. Eun said. "We'll provide a new set of clothes—"

"No. Bring the clothes here tomorrow and we'll come up with a plan regarding her wardrobe," she instructed then turned to Secretary Jeon. "Did you call the MV Director? I need him to be here tomorrow as well so we could discuss the set design. And, I need to see the choreography before she learns it. It should fit well with her song."

"The choreographer sent us the video early this morning, Miss Manoban," Jungkook informed her. "I was gonna show you but decided to wait 'til the meeting so that we could all watch it together. It'll also help the styling team with regards to the comfortability of the clothes Saerin would wear."

"Show it to us then," she demanded. "I don't have all day."

"Yes, Miss Manoban." The secretary bowed and handed the tablet to the tech guy.

The video started to play with a group of female dancers—all wearing black with the exception of the center girl wearing a white crop top, in position where the center sits on the leg of two back-ups like she was sitting on a throne. The other back-up had her hands positioned the center's head like she was putting on an invisible crown.

Then as the music started, the center raised her chin with her hand supporting it then proceeded to raise the said hand to frame her face as she elegantly glided it away.

The moves were in-sync not only to the beat but also to the lyrics of the song. She can't help but nod in appreciation to the complexity and precision of the routine.

But then, the chorus started. She felt her insides churn as she felt a sudden familiarity to the moves. Her heart started to pound loudly inside her chest.

"Li? You okay?" she heard Yoongi whisper beside her.

She didn't respond. Her eyes were glued on the screen.

"You're a pompous arsehole!"

"But I'm your pompous arsehole, love. And you can't get enough of this."

"Ugh! I don't know why I even hang out with you. You're such a bad influence on me."

"It's 'coz you love me."

"Don't flatter yourself, Kim."

"The choreographer for Saerin's dance had collaborated with a friend of his who's currently based in London," Secretary Jeon suddenly said. "But lucky for us, he's currently in Seoul and he's willing to come and personally prepare Saerin for her debut. He's actually coming over to meet with—"

A knock on the door took the secretary's attention. Lisa's chest felt heavier by the minute as her eyes watched the dance movements closely. No. It can't be—

"Sorry I'm late. I got lost finding the loo."

Her head snapped towards the door. She felt a colossal lump on her throat. Her surroundings starting to grow hazy.

"Oh! It's alright. Everyone, this is Saerin's choreographer, Mr.—"

"Kim Hanbin."

✨