Maybe?

Chapter 3

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Joy POV

I had to go over the contract in the meeting and I was told very sternly what I can and can't do and it seems as if their is absolutely no way out of it. I've accepted that my private life is being affected but what I'm not okay with is the fact that it involves my members and family. I have to essentially lie to everyone I am closest to and that's what hurts me the most.

I've been told that Sungjae and I will have to go on 'secret' outings in order to be caught by photographers. That means I have to essentially date him and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. After being told to cut all ties with him by the company, I've avoided him like the plague. Anytime I was near him on stage or passed by him I would look the other direction in order to protect myself and my feelings. I know that if I even gave a him a one second glance, I'd been drawn to him and I can't do that again. Not after how I felt when I stopped contacting him. The worst thing is that I want to tell Sungjae what really happened and that it was the company's fault and not mine that we had to stop but II can't bring myself to do it. But now it seems I may get the chance to explain after all these years and I just hope he understands. Perhaps this fake dating could make us close again or even closer?

I quickly throw the thought out of my head as I remember the most important rule that I cannot break in the contract: the relationship must not become real.

I arrive back at my dorm and I am instantly greeted with all 4 members stood waiting for me as soon as I enter. I open the door and meet their eyes and quickly turn around to take my shoes off. Without giving them a second glance I make my way to my room. "Yah, Park Sooyoung! Come tell us what that was all about." Irene eonni calls me back first.

"I'm not allowed to say." I continue to walk to my bedroom with my head down.

"I don't care if you're not allowed to say, you will sit here and tell us." Irene eonni has now began to follow me and grabs my arm to bring me back to sit at the sofa. All members gather around me on the floor. I look at every single one of their faces for any little expression but all I see is confusion. How am I meant to pretend I'm in a relationship when they know I hardly go out to see anyone. They'll see right through my lies and my cover will be blown. I don't think I've been out the dorm by myself in years except to see my family. This isn't going to work!

After a long pause and a great debate in my mind.

"It was about my relationship with Sungjae" I play with the bag in my hand and avoid all of their gazes.

"What do you mean your relationship with Sungjae?" Wendy eonni takes the lead in questioning. Again, I begin to feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and I hope they don't notice it's from the fact that I'm lying to them. Yeri cuts in before I answer Wendy's question.

"Come on, she doesn't have a relationship with Sungjae oppa unless she's been keeping it from us!" Yeri looks at Wendy eonni whilst chuckling. I don't answer and that's when Yeri's smile slowly drops from her face. "I'm right, aren't I eonni?"

"I'm really sorry that I kept it from you guys for so long." I say with as much sincerity as I can, I again look at all the members faces to check for their reactions.

"Kept what from us?" Seulgi eonni now joins the questioning.

"Sungjae and I are in a relationship."

"You're joking with us right? Please eonni, tell me your lieing." Yeri's voice contains a hint of sadness and it breaks my heart a little.

"I'm not joking." I try to say convincingly but it comes out as nothing more than a mumble. Irene eonni now takes the lead in the conversation.

"Let me get this straight, you want us to believe that you're in a relationship with the very person SM prevented you from seeing? I spent many nights with you crying on my shoulder talking about how you and Sungjae could never be together and yet you were with him the whole time?." This is what I was most afraid of, hurting the member's feelings. Before I can answer her question, they all begin to interrogate me. I don't know who's asking which question.

"When do you have time to see him?"

"How long have you been together?"

"How could you not tell us when we're like family?"

"I thought the company wouldn't let you be together so why now?"

"You literally never have time off and you only hang out with us?"

All the questions begin to blur together and finally I'd had enough. "Stop! If you all ask questions at once then I won't have a chance to answer them will I!" My outburst shuts them all right up and they sink back down onto the floor with shocked expressions. "This was the reason I didn't tell you guys because I knew you'd all ask so many questions and I couldn't and still can't handle it!" Wendy eonni then comes to sit next to me on the sofa and grabs one of my hands.

"We're sorry," she looks around at the other members. "Aren't we!" They all nod in unison. "You've got to understand though that this is some rather big news for all of us especially when we thought you were forbidden from having a relationship with him." Seulgi eonni now sits the other side of me and moves my hair that is partially covering my face.

"Is that what the meeting was about? They found out you guys were in a secret relationship and they want you two to break up?" She asks me whilst stroking my hair and it hurts me that I'm having to lie to my friends who are trying to help me. I quickly panic because I hadn't come up with a reason to tell my members as to what the meeting was about.

"Um, I...I think Cube found out quite some time ago about the relationship and contacted SM about it. After the rumour about Sungjae oppa came out, they decided that to dispel all rumours it would be best to reveal our relationship." That was the first time I'd called Sungjae 'Oppa' in years and yet it came so easily to me. "They also finally saw how much the public supported us together."

"I mean, I could have told them that." Yeri mutters under her breath. This makes me chuckle but Irene eonni giver Yeri a side glance and turns her attention to me again.

"How do you feel about them revealing your relationship to the public?"

"I'm not to happy about it to be honest eonni but they said that it was in my contract that I basically can't go against it or I'm out the group." This makes them all gasp in horror.

"You'd really put your private life on the line for your group?" Seulgi eonni starts stroking my hair again.

"You're my family, why wouldn't I? Family always comes first." In some ways I guess I really am putting my private life on the line for the group. I tried to reassure myself that I was doing the right thing but I wasn't so sure. Whilst debating with myself Yeri cuts in.

"Although I'd like to really hate you at this moment for keeping it from us, I'm so happy that you and Sungjae oppa are actually together! I've secretly been rooting for you guys for so long!." Yeri claps her hands together and her smile is now firmly back on her face.

"Kim Yerim, please control yourself!" Irene eonni jumps at her but bursts into laughter straight after. Then Seulgi eonni starts and before I know it we're all laughing. Hopefully, this whole 'secret' relationship thing won't be too bad.

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I promise Sungjae and Joy will meet next chapter, sorry it's all going pretty slow!