————————Flashback————————

"Shuhua, Soojin, please come to the CEO's Office." said the Manager.

The girls stared at the two, "Omo, what did you two do?" Yuqi said curious as to why only the selected two were going to the office. Soojin shrugged, Shuhua just looked at Soyeon, hoping she would know the answer— but she didn't.

The manager guided them to the elevator so that they could head up to the office. As soon as they got off they greeted the staff and the CEO.

"As you all know, Soojin and Shuhua's friendship has been talked about by Neverlands. They started 'shipping' because of you two's unusual behavior."

Shuhua pouted, 'Do I have to stop?' Soojin looked at Shuhua and raised her eyebrows. "Actually, we can use this to our advantage. We saw that MAMAMOO has gained a lot of international fans too, because of their own ships. They think that Solar and Moonbyul are dating, they gained attention and I think that's what we need." the CEO added.

"What?" Soojin objected, "A PR?" Shuhua asked.

"Yes, both of you will act like a couple. You don't have to announce anything, you just have to act more affectionate, touchy, just as usual but give the fans more."

Both their eyebrows furrowed, but they couldn't help but think the advantages of the pr. They could finally repay Soyeon's hardwork for their group. They might go Top 1 on charts, all it took was their signature. They both sighed and looked at each other.

"Nothing will change about you two," the CEO reassured.

Shuhua nodded softly, Soojin just hummed. "Okay, just sign here." They both signed the contract and headed back to the rest of the members.

—————————End of Flashback—————————

"Yuqi, I swear if you don't move I'll smack you"

Yuqi looked at Shuhua and rolled her eyes while groaning, "Don't you have anything to do but annoy me and take the couch space?"

"No" Shuhua giggled at the other girl, Soyeon walked in the living room and called up everyone. Miyeon and Minnie exited the kitchen and entered the room, but laughing their asses off. "Where's Soojin?" asked Shuhua, "Probably sleeping" Yuqi answered.

"Can somebody wake her up?" Soyeon asked, while locking her eyes with Shuhua. Shuhua nodded enthusiastically. She hopped off the couch and knocked on Soojin's room, entering.

"Jinjja, this girl must be taking the contract to heart" Yuqi joked, earning a giggle from the other girls.

Soojin and Shuhua walked in the room, the smaller girl clinging onto her the latter's arm. Soojin's hands rubbed her sleepy eyes awake. "So.. We're going to have an interview with Seventeen today," Soyeon started.

————————Seventeen Studio———————-

"Hi, I'm Soojin

I'm Miyeon!

Shuhua!

I'm Yuqi!

I'm Soyeon

I'm Minnie :D

and we're here with Seventeen to play Superlatives!"

The girls are interviewed by Seventeen, asking several questions, "Who has the most aegyo?"

1.2.3. All the girls pointed at Minnie and Yuqi laughed. "She likes aegyo!" added Soyeon.

"I do not!!" Minnie defended while smiling, she knew it was true deep inside and the girls didn't believe her one bit. "She enjoys it too!"

"She had always wanted to be the baby!"

"It's not that I wanted to! I was the baby!" they all laughed, having a good time. Several questions were thrown at them again until one in particular made Shuhua nervous.

"Who's the best at keeping secrets?"

Soyeon and Miyeon looked at Shuhua and pointed at her, while Soojin said "I don't know."

"The thing is there are no secrets between us" Yuqi clarified, "T-There" Shuhua stuttered, making the girls look at her. "Well, she has some," Yuqi made eye contact with Shuhua and smirked.

"Omo omo omo!!!!" Yuqi yelled at the camera, teasing Shuhua. "I meant we share secrets!" Shuhua yelled, trying to save herself.

"Oh among us" Minnie said, "that others don't know."

"Yeah, no secrets from each other" Yuqi said to the camera, though she's thinking of teasing Shuhua, now's not the time. "But with Shuhua..." Soyeon stared, "She barely speaks, so she seems tight-lipped."

"True, true" Shuhua bowed her head in embarrassment while nervously laughing.

The interview ended 15 minutes after and while in the waiting room, Yuqi decided to tease Shuhua since the other girls are far from them. "Yah Shuhua~yah, you're really good at keeping secrets!" she said sarcastically. Shuhua sighed, she knew she was just covering up her feelings for Soojin. That contract was a bad idea, she knew she would fall deeper in love with the older girl, yet she didn't reject the contract. She lied to herself by telling herself that it would just be for the public, but she knows deep inside, she loves it. She loves having skinship with Soojin, and not just for the camera. She wishes Soojin would feel the same, but that wouldn't be a high chance, no?

Yuqi looked at Shuhua, who is in deep thought. "Yah!" waving her hands in front of the maknae. "Hello? Shuhua?" Shuhua groaned, "shut up."

Yuqi giggled, she knows Shuhua likes Soojin, and loves teasing her for it.

What are best friends for, am I right?

Shuhua rolled her eyes at Yuqi, annoyed. Yuqi was the only one who knew of her small crush on the older girl, Yuqi wasn't surprised when the latter told her, she probably even knew before Shuhua told her.

"What secret?" Miyeon popped in on the conversation, making Shuhua jump. "Y-Yah! Unnie! Did you teleport? You scared me!"

"Mianhae, but what are you guys talking about?" the oldest asked curiously, "c'moooonn, there are no secrets between us, right?" Miyeon said sweetly. Yuqi laughed, "Miyeon~unnie, this girl is in lo—"

Before Yuqi could finish her sentence, Shuhua jumped on her feet and covered Yuqi's mouth, just in time before Soojin could hear. Soojin looked at them weirdly, while shaking her head, "aish these kids." she muttered and left. Shuhua sighed in relief, while hitting Yuqi.

"I swear! You're going to get me caught!" Shuhua whisper-yelled at Yuqi, while Miyeon just stared at the two kids quarrel. Soyeon raises her eyebrows as she heard what Shuhua had said. She calls her over to talk about it. "S-Soyeon unnie, that was nothing, don't worry about it okay?" Shuhua tried to reassure the leader.

But Soyeon was stubborn, she'd like to make the members feel comfortable in the group. She wanted everyone to be close to one another. "Shuhua yah, I know you. Is this about girl-who-she-must-not-be-named?" Soyeon asked, making Shuhua widen her eyes at the straightforward question. She stuttered, "W-What? How do you know???"

"I mean besides all the gay staring, the panicking, the..-"

"Okay, I got the point."

"You should tell her." Soyeon said firmly, no stuttering, no regretting when she let out those words. "Uhm- No? I'll ruin our friendship and I don't want to lose her. She's my bestfriend and I'm scared I'll make it we—"

"Trust me." said Soyeon, cutting her off. "You don't want the chance to slip." she winked at Shuhua, nudging an idea— But alas she's just way too oblivious.

——————————————————

Soojin sat in her room, mindlessly scrolling through social media, when Shuhua sat on the couch in the dorm's living room. She could see the younger girl from her spot so she looked at her subconsciously for a couple seconds and got back to her phone.

Shuhua pulled up some chocolate from the container she's holding, she also got some chips. She's watching a drama. Soojin found this scenario cute and couldn't help herself, she changed the app to switch to the camera. She snapped a pic, she didn't notice her ringer was on its highest so it had made quite a noise. Shuhua furrowed her eyebrows and sighed in relief when she noticed it was just Soojin. "Jinjin~ah, what are you doing?" she smiled sweetly at the girl. "Huh? Nothing, Shuhua~yah." she said, failing to contain her giggle when she looks at the pictures she took of Shuhua.

"Unnie~" Shuhua went over to Soojin to check what was she giggling about. The small girl pouted as she realized the latter took her photos when she didn't notice. "You should've just asked for selfies, unnie, I would've given them to you~" Shuhua didn't realize her tone was flirty, but Soojin did. She blushed at the manner that the girl was speaking.

The thing is about their dorm, they hear everything due to the thin walls of the rooms. Yuqi, Soyeon, and Miyeon coughed as they heard the two girls' conversation. Yuqi and Soyeon exited their rooms to check on the two, while Miyeon and Minnie just continued making sandwiches in the kitchen.

"Uhm, excuse me, what did I just hear?" Yuqi asked, Shuhua ran out the room in embarrassment, hugging the couch pillows, while going back to watching her dramas. She was trying to get her thoughts off of Soojin, but the older girl just had to sit beside her and watch the drama too.

Minnie and Miyeon exited the kitchen and made their way to the living room, too. They sat at the floor because they felt like they would invade the two's space. They also didn't want to third wheel.

Yuqi and Soyeon joined them too, but decided on sitting on their jelly bean chairs. Unbeknownst to the two, the 3 girls kept checking on them on who's going to make the first move. But, again, nothing happened.

Minnie just wanted to enjoy the drama, she hadn't realized the tension forming in the room with all the staring. When she realized the other 3 girls were staring at Shuhua and Soojin's awkward atmosphere, she let out an "Ohhhh."

"OHHhhh. Shit." Minnie accidentally said. "Well, then.."

Yuqi just decided to go for it, she didn't want her friend to end up old and alone with 9 different dogs. So she stood up abruptly and apologized to Shuhua with her eyes, yelling "Shuhua has a crush!" and bolted out the living room to lock herself in her own room. The other 3 girls stayed still in shock, while Shuhua's jaw dropped. Soojin raised one of her eyebrows in confusion, 'that was so sudden?' she thought.

Soojin felt confused and a little disappointed. She felt her heart crack a little, because no matter how many times she says she hates Shuhua's affection, deep down she knows it's the thing she always looks out for.

Her frown didn't go unnoticed by Miyeon, "Sometimes, I think I'm stupid, but right now, I think you deserve the title." she said to Soojin, who squinted her eyes, trying to understand what the latter meant.

"Huh? What are you sayi—"

"Fuck you, Yuqi! Now she's going to be weirded out by me!"

Soojin looked at Shuhua banging on Yuqi's room door, "She?" she said curiously. 'A crush? On a girl?'

Minnie found the whole scenario amusing, "Oh please, like she doesn't return the feelings," she said sarcastically.

Shuhua objected the statement, "No! She will never like me like that. Soojin wouldn't—" she quickly stopped herself from finishing her sentence, covering her mouth as she realized she accidentally slipped up her crush's name. And worse, her crush is exactly in the same four walls as her, hearing her clear as day.

"Uhm. What?"