smiles out

“he’s got a long-term serious girlfriend, now, so the cloth can’t be that bad,” he insisted. “i don’t want anything to come of it, hayi. i just really need you to know how pretty your smile is.”

“listen, i’m happy for him and all and glad he found someone, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t creepy before,” hayi said, shaking her head. she sighed, rolling her eyes and suppressing a smile. “minsuk....” she began, but she stopped herself. “thank you. that’s kind of you to say.”

“or maybe it means we’ve unlocked some sort of secret back muscle that will make us gods among men.”

“oh, are we going to start looking like those bodybuilders with the shredded backs now because of this?” hayi asked with a giggle.

“thank you. i wish it would have gotten a little more love… and i wish now or never had been more visible but….. we go up. lot of work left to do,” soyi said with a definitive nod.”

“hey, you’ll get your break,” hayi assured her sister. “i know it’s hard, but try not to compare to jewel. some groups just blow up faster than others. look at rewind-- they took a few years, but now they’re a huge boy group.”

“i don’t think you’re stupid– i meant it,” minsuk insisted. “i don’t know what you’re talking about– you must have be confused with hyunjoo. but… does that mean i have permission to actually hit on you, then?”

“you’re both cut from the same cloth, even if he’s a little worse,” hayi answered him, smiling slightly. “you can do what you want. doesn’t mean anything will come of it.”

shinhye fixed her with an unimpressed stare, grabbing one of hayi’s arms and poking her bicep. “you’re yoked, hayi. it’s not up for debate,” she answered with a laugh. “i can only hope that this movement is going to feel more natural eventually.”

“should it feel natural, though? i feel like once it feels natural, something is very wrong,” she laughed

“see? i just insulted you and you figured out how to make it positive,” soyi sighed, smiling back. “congrats on wannabe. i guess i’m proud of you. i guess.”

“and i’m proud of you for lalalilala. it’s such a good song. probably my favorite song of the year,” hayi retorted

“Yeah that’s really shitty, we’re more than sex objects and it sucks that they all treat us like that.. But i’m sure you guys have it worse…”

“i think my group is pretty lucky, since our target demographic is mainly teenaged girls, what with the.....girl power vibes we give off. i don’t even want to think about what delight and merci have to deal with. or even rejectz recently-- i’m sure their comment sections are really weird.”

“I took some after debuting in Creed, but i’ve been off them for a minute because my body started to adjust to them and i kept having to take more and more to fall asleep. I’m usually like really tired through out the day and then right when i lie down to sleep ig et a boost of energy and i’m up all night.. Maybe I should talk to a doctor?”

“that’s probably a good idea. because...in our line of work, long long days for short periods of time are frequent. being able to have strategies to take that on is super important.”

A gentle pout pushes it’s way onto her lips as she admits defeat, trying the food for herself. A mix of salt, tangy orange and… vinegar combines  and dances on her taste buds in a way that doesn’t sit well with her stomach; Yeah, she should’ve never tried that. Joohye tries to hide the disgust on her face before turning her and the other around and walking away, “It’s a good thing you didn’t try it… it was gross..”

hayi smiled sympathetically, biting back a laugh and covering her mouth. “well....at least now you know? and now if someone offers you some on a show, you can say no...or be adequately prepared...”

“you say that like you’re not already yoked,” shinhye laughed, rolling her eyes. “i genuinely didn’t think i could move my body like this until i tried it. it looks cool but it feels so fucking unnatural.”

“i don’t know if yoked is the word i’d use,” hayi laughed, taken aback. “i am probably one of the more muscular members of jewel though, i guess....” she paused. “you’re right. necks and shoulders weren’t invented to move like this.”

“even working at the same company is too much for me,” soyi answered, deadpan. “you’re too upbeat. it’s a headache.”

“and you’re too serious! but it’s okay. we balance each other out. twins and all that jazz,” she laughed