BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 18: traces left behind

<OST: It's You - Chungha>

"Jieun-unnie!" Minnie exclaimed with a bright grin. "The more I think about it, the more I think you're a genius."

"Huh?" Jieun laughed absurdly. "Me?"

"Yeah, how did you think of a makeup look that fits the stage so much?" Minnie showed Jieun Jungkook's rehearsal playback video she had been watching, which was paused at the timestamp that showed his front profile. "Look at the eye shadow here, and the shape of the brows... you really seem like you've been in the industry for a few years, at least! Not just one day!"

Jieun laughed, getting slightly flustered by Minnie's overwhelming comments. "Ah... if you put it that way..."

"How did you even think of this?" Minnie flashed her a bewildered yet amazed frown. "I don't remember you being there for the MV shoot..."

"I was there for his Weekly Idol filming last week, remember?" Jieun chuckled softly. "I watched a snippet of his performance and figured out that with the jazzy nature of his song, it'd probably go better with a more mature sexy look than one that is cute and pure. That's how I went with it. Also, I spotted some girls on the way in, carrying a rack of clothes that were mostly dark blue and made of silk, so I matched the colour of the eye makeup with that as well and just hoped that it'd work out."

"It didn't just work out, you practically killed it!" Minnie shook her head in disbelief. "Jieun-unnie, you really have a good eye for makeup. Your ideas are so unique... yet they work somehow. You have to teach me some of your skills, okay?"

"I don't know if it's really that worth teaching..." Jieun chuckled. "But if you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach. On one condition - you need to teach me how to do such neat strokes and reduce mess when you're applying makeup. I always seem to make a big mess with powder falling all over the face..."

"Ah, I was like that when I first began too..." Minnie smiled as she turned back to the screen. "Don't worry about that, we'll all help you with that. We're all here to learn anyway."

Jieun smiled gratefully as she turned away, scanning her surroundings mindlessly. Her eyes eventually fell on Jennie and Jungkook, who were sitting next to each other at the corner of the waiting room, using their phones and not saying a single word to each other.

"Minnie-ya-" Jieun nudged Minnie in the shoulder, subtly gesturing at the couple. "By the way, the two of them over there... are they always like that or...?"

"Who?" Minnie looked up from her phone. "Ah- Jennie-ssi and JK-ssi? Well... I must say, Jennie-ssi rarely comes by. Only once or twice since their dating news was announced at the start of the year. But every time she comes, they don't seem to talk much. I guess they're shy in front of us, or maybe trying to keep a low profile."

"Mm..." Jieun nodded slowly, eyeing them suspiciously. "But they really aren't talking at all, huh."

"Yeah, they're especially quiet today-" Minnie shrugged. "Maybe they got into a fight or something."

"Oh-" Jieun raised her eyebrows, recalling what she had seen that day. "Yeah, that's possible."

"Everyone!" Jennie put down her phone and got to her feet suddenly, clapping her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Thank you so much for working hard for our Jungkook-ie today! I bought some bentos, please help yourselves!"

"Thank you, Jennie-ssi!"

"Thanks, Jennie-ssi! We'll eat well!"

"Thank you!"

Minnie got to her feet, but Jieun stopped her and got to her feet instead, wanting to take a closer look at Jennie and Jungkook's relationship. "I'll go help you get one."