**Boys and girls compete in the first co-ed competition to become an idol in a coveted new K-pop Group.**
Beom Giovanna, with her two million Instagram followers, is ready for another reality competition and crown. Yet, a well-kept secret might be t...
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I put the last pizza slice down, halfway through the thing, but I just couldn't anymore. My stomach was about to explode. Billie was vast asleep next to me between a bunch of blankets on our dorm room floor.
Six of us were having dinner in here, lounge style.
"You have some sauce dangling," Ricky said as he reached for my mouth with a napkin. I felt the air sizzle with danger as Yujin sat up straighter and eyed Ricky's hand closely. He was staring at it like it was a viper coming for my life.
"There, all good now, trouble."
Oh yeah, Ricky had a nickname for me which he liked to use instead of my name.
And Yujin had a hatred for the guy I had never seen before.
"Thanks... I guess," I replied as I quickly turned my eyes back toward the pizza slice.
Matthew and Keita were discussing another Taehyung article. I had zoned out a while ago.
"So, my dearest trouble...." Ricky continued with his teasing and I had to suppress my eye-roll, "A little birdie told me something."
I gave him my meanest scowl as he continued anyway. He bit from a tiny piece of pepperoni as he pointed the slice at me.
"Rumor has it that you and a Treasure member are having an affair."
All eyes on the dorm room floor turned to me, except for my sleeping bestie. She was laying down with her head on Matthew's lap, who kept on stroking her back with one hand while scoffing down a pizza slice with the other.
I froze because this was ridiculous. Why would I risk this competition by sneaking around?
"Oh really," I replied. "And who would that be exactly?"
"Mister Haruto himself," the gossiper said, and I laughed. Yeah, right. I wish.
"And who says this? And why?" I asked as I felt the others listening in carefully.
He showed me an article from a gossip site, showing Haruto and a girl that looked like me but wasn't me, drinking beer at some scruffy-looking café last night. I must admit, I could be mistaken for whoever this was, yet the timestamp said it was taken last night.
I had been elsewhere occupied.
"That's not me. I was not there last night."
"With no witnesses, I'm not sure I believe you, trouble," He winked at me and continued with the banter. "But good for you. He's a great catch, I guess. If it isn't me, I suppose."
"It wasn't me, Ricky. I was here last night." He still didn't believe me. I saw his gears turning, and that sly smile stretched over his handsome face.
"It wasn't her," Yujin said with an ice-cold voice. "She was with me last night."
All eyes turned to him. I gave him a stark look. We hadn't discussed this, and I wouldn't be outed in front of my friends like this.
Our little arrangement was a little weird, and I wanted no judgment. His roommates were cool with it, considering he slept. So that was enough leverage for them to keep this quiet.
Matthew laughed, trying to diffuse the tension. "Like, come on now, Ricky! Our little Choonhae would never do this. Look how innocent and cute she is!" Matthew reached for my cheeks and scrunched them together. I slapped him away with a grunt. I shuffled closer to Yujin.
Keita was catching on to me, though. He was seeing my anger rising.
"Now, now, little trouble," Ricky patted my head, resting his hand there for a second too long. "That doesn't mean you didn't leave this place for a few hours, now, did it?"
"Get your hands off her before I break them off," Yujin snapped. "And yes, it did, since she slept next to me last night."
I gasped, Matthew choked on a piece of pizza, Keita balled his fists, and Ricky's mouth dropped open in complete shock. Yujin sprung to his feet, walked my way, and pulled me upwards.
"Let's fucking go, jjingi."
I wriggled out of his grip, angry with the bastard. He shouldn't have told them like this. My friends were my protectors, and right now, with this little outing, he was in the doghouse. I felt it in the disappointed look Matthew was shooting his way. He felt betrayed by Yujin. Keita was fuming, not liking the tone of how he had addressed this.
And all of them thought we were having sex.
Why Yujin?
Why would you say it like that?
Was this all an act in front of Ricky?
"You shouldn't have told them like this!" I hissed and addressed the room. "We were just sleeping together!"
Yujin rolled his eyes.
Oh no, he didn't.
"Sleeping as in sleeping sleeping!" I squealed.
Matthew rose, and so did Keita. Squaring up against Yujin.
Yujin glanced from me to them and sighed.
"I'm not sorry," he said, and of course, he wasn't.
"You need to leave now," Matthew whispered in a low voice.
Yujin let out a soft laugh in disbelief, glancing my way with a gentle plea. I was almost giving in, but then I remembered I should be angry for a short while. This wasn't okay. We hadn't discussed anything, and I wasn't ready to be outed into the world like this. Now I had some things to explain to my friends.
"Really?" he said to me and then turned to Matthew. Hurt crept over his features as he realized I wasn't joining him.
He didn't glance at me again as he stalked out of the room and slammed our door shut, waking Billie.
I guess I wouldn't be having a sleepover at his place tonight, and two people would feel some very different emotions.
Bongcha will be elated and planning her next move since she couldn't handle my new ranking at all.
And I will be hearing it from Zhang Hao tomorrow since Yujin will be up all night again. Interrupting his sleep.
