Best Kept Secret

Let's Eat Our Words

Her hand brushes Sana's. She's trying to incite a reaction. Anything but a serious Sana. Because a serious Sana is a scary Sana.

Meanwhile, Chaeyoung eases on the sofa and starts getting social media updated. Her eyes widen, brows curve, jaws drop like never before. "WOAaahh! Omo omo, unnie yah. Yah yah yah~ JIHYO-UNNIE YAH!!"

Jihyo just side glances her as she's still on to Sana.

"Wae, wae, wae?!" Jeongyeon closes in. Nayeon follows, "what's up? Everything's alright, right?"

Sana carrying a mess passes by in an obvious worried look. "Okay. Everything's NOT alright", Nayeon concludes.

"You", Chaeyoung points at Nayeon and Jeongyeon "and you... Who among you drove Jihyo unnie to her date? T-to a man's house?"

"WE WHAT?!" NaJeong exclaims.

"WHAT?! Unnies got involved?!" Jihyo syncs in. She snatches Chaeng's phone to read how Dispatch writes her good image.

Good image my ass. You had one job Dispatch. Sigh. At least this fic author-nim attempts to remind everyone how indecisive I am.

That I barely finished a handcrafted notebook because there's a lot of covers and kinds of pages to choose from. Good thing, Jeongyeon-ie hurried me up.

Let alone choosing to chase a guy in his exclusive villa on this terrible schedule and even manages to take an unnie to drive for me!

"What's with another issue by the way? Similar to Jennie chingu", Nayeon ponders.

Making sense of their responses, Chaeng apologizes. "Oh sorry. Both companies confirmed it. So, I thought~".

"Jihyo could never!" NaJeong repeats. "She's fickle!" Jeongyeon attests.

"Yeah, Jihyo unnie can't even make up her mind on whether to buy a teddy bear or not. Remember that, hyung?" Chaeng recalls.

"Ugh, I jumped a lot to reach it only to be asked to return it." Jeongyeon shakes her head.

"Thanks everyone for knowing me so well. But I'm already ruined", Jihyo's eyes on Sana who has gone to the bedroom. She gets up to follow.

"You'll survive though", Chaeng raises. "Anything is possible with us together. Right, unnies?"

Jihyo beams with a bit of hope, "Twice Twice jjalja!" She marches on.

Sana flops on bed. She senses Jihyo next to her. "I have to get used to you as being someone else's now. I will look after you from afar", Sana says faintly.

"Annyeong, Sana's Jihyo imnida~" Please don't. Don't get used to it. Instead, look at me more closely. I am Sana's Jihyo. She squeezes in for a hug. Sana adjusts enclosing Jihyo to her arms. Their fingers entwine, thumbs rubbing one another.

"From now on, the world knows otherwise. And that~" Sana meets Jihyo's eyes, "That's okay."

Jihyo buries her face unto Sana's neck. "I'm scared", she says.

In Singapore, I've promised so many people that I will become better. To be more responsible and mature than how my parents raised me. I'm in no way near that promise. What kind of a leader am I?

"I felt that months ago", Sana recalls her Instagram post. "Mitang did too recently." She reaches for Jihyo's face, "But as long as we understand each other, it will get better."

"Jihyo-yah, you're not alone. There's nine of us." Sana moves closest. She goes in tongue first for Jihyo's and plants a quick yet resounding kiss.

"I'm hungry." Sana declares.

Asdfghjkl!@#$%. Jihyo's mind goes blank and the only thing she utters is, "S-Sana ssi." Flushed, she folds her lower lip in shock. Yet, she braces in anticipation.

Sana takes more of her space. Leaning in then, suddenly~

"Let's have breakfast." Sana says as she passes above her and gets out of bed, "I dropped it. What a waste. Damn Dispatch!"

Jihyo breathes out.

W-what was that? She actually kissed me this time. I've been asking her. But s-she grants it when I'm sober? But it isn't as soft as I've imagined it to be. It's rather- unforgiving.

Jihyo gets a grip of herself and catches up on Sana who's already seated. Everyone is now gathered in the dining.

As much as she wanted to ask Sana about what just happened, she delays it when she notices the rest of the girls on to something.

"Jihyo unnie are you alright? I just heard about it", Dahyun taps her.

"Honestly, I- don't know how I'd face the public especially Once", Jihyo worries. "I feel like I've eaten my own words. Embarrassing."

"Me too, Jihyo. Me too. Ugh, my beautiful speech~" Nayeon laments.

"Don't be. We're planning something", Momo retorts.

"Hmm, seems we have time 'til the next sched. Rest unnie. Inhale, exhale, meditate until you can smile more brightly to the camera", Tzuyu advices.

Jihyo doesn't seem to catch a break when later that day, she receives another call from the manager. "Another dating issue has spread. This time it's Momo."

"MOMO?!" Jihyo is close to breaking down. Not for long, she hangs up.

"Eh? What about me?" Momo has no idea.

"Another issue within 24 hours", Jihyo massages the bridge of her nose.

"I-I have issue?" Momo is puzzled.

"Yeah, with Heechul sunbaenim. The company has immediately denied it at first. Later retracted it. Then finally, denied it." Jihyo lets a sigh of relief.

"Yah! These people are mean!" Momo is upset.

Dahyun appeases her while her worries intensify for the rest of them, "What's going on? It's as if the company is cornered and we're being pawned. What are we supposed to do?"

"I have an idea!" Chaeyoung slams the table and shows everyone. "So, what do you guys think? Hyung, I'm not the only one who's good at rebelling now."

"Chaeng Chaeng this is beyond brilliant!" Mina holds her.

"Woah, my dongsaeng!" Jeongyeon grabs them initiating the chant. "Whatever's going on, we will not put up without a fight."

The rest comes in and together, "TWICE TWICE JJALJA!!"