#kpop-zone

“I thought it wasn’t for me?”

She asked confused, while Lisa plopped down on her seat as far away from you as possible.

“I was just joking.”

She mumbled grumpily, causing Chaeyoung’s confusion to increase.

Gladly, however, she let Lisa’s strange behavior go and just sat down beside her, happy about her free drink. Teddy started the meeting, but Lisa could, quite frankly, not care less what her was saying despite usually trying to be attentive and diligent. A whirlwind of emotions was dashing through her and she didn’t know how to stop it. Disappointment, jealousy, anger. Everything was happening so fast and Lisa’s mind was racing at 300 miles per hour.

Nevertheless, she tried to behave as normal as possible. She couldn’t prevent herself, however, from glaring at you and Jennie from time to time. At one point in the meeting, she was pretty sure that Jennie had laid her hand on yours under the table and it took everything from Lisa to not slam her hand on the table and yell at Jennie. How could it have been so easy for her to wrap you around her finger?

It was incredible how fast you had managed to get under Lisa’s skin. She had never felt about someone this way and now she was a little overwhelmed with her feelings. What was she supposed to do about them? Even if Jennie didn’t claim you hers, you were still her coworker and, in some ways, even her boss. She couldn’t just ask you out. The humiliation would be too big if you rejected her and it would ruin the whole energy of the production process. No, she couldn’t let that happen.

But that was easier said then done. Feelings weren’t something that you just could turn off. They were something that even managed to grow in the dark. And in Lisa’s case, it felt like they were a bad tumor that was slowly eating her from the inside out.

Whenever your laughter was filling the room, she felt like getting drunk from the sound. Whenever you gestured with your hands while talking, she wondered how they would feel on her skin. But she knew that she would never get to know. You didn’t even seem to see her. At least not in the way you saw Jennie or Chaeyoung. Your eyes lit up whenever you saw them, and you greeted them with a wide smile as soon as they entered the studio. While she was only a supporting role in the production process.

Lisa hadn’t even started to get her hopes up when you announced that you were choosing the lead for the song that you had written on your own. Of course, you wouldn’t choose her. She wasn’t what you were looking for. In every way.

The weeks passed with that knowledge weighting down on her and she started slacking off. Every day she had to watch how Jennie and Chaeyoung grew closer to you. You had your own inside jokes and although Lisa didn’t want to envy her members, she couldn’t stop the bitterness that was rising inside of her. All the things that you made her feel turned into this violent storm that was raging inside of her and wanted to break free. It cost her everything to tame it, making her irritable and unconcentrated. Which brought her even further away from being noticed by you.

Why should you give the main rap of the song to the lead rapper that couldn’t even keep two sentences in her head because it was occupied by thoughts of you? How was the supposed to sing powerful and energetic songs when her heart was slowly crumbling? No matter what she did, it only seemed to speed up the vicious circle that she was caught in.

Lisa had been looking forward to this album for a long time. She wanted to give her blood, sweat and tears into it and give the fans what they deserved. But apparently it wasn’t meant to be. Her performance was abysmal, and she had already accepted the fact that she wouldn’t play a big role in this album.

But then the impossible became possible.

You finally noticed her. You gave her the killing part in the second song that you completely produced on your own. Lisa couldn’t have been happier. Finally, you recognized her talent. Maybe this could be the exit to the misery that she had been feeling the past months.

If she had only known that this was the beginning of the end.

---

No matter how much you were complaining about the situation you were in, you couldn’t deny its impact on your creativity. Since Blackpink had come into your life, you couldn’t stop picking up the pen. You came up with lyrics that you would have never imagined in your wildest dreams and sometimes you spend almost 48 hours in the studio without even noticing. The girls were your biggest inspiration.

You were at the top of your game and Teddy was very satisfied with your work. Satisfied enough to agree to include a second song that you had basically produced on your own in the album. This was an immense honor for you as a new producer in the game. But also, a challenge.

Once again you had to pick the parts for each girl and decide who would get the most lines. You knew that you should choose objectively. Give the killing part to the girl that fitted the concept the most. But you couldn’t do that. You couldn’t work with Chaeyoung or Jennie that closely again. They had twisted your sense of better judgement and you needed to stay clear of all hidden traps. So you needed to go with the safest, not the best option.

Therefore, you decided to give the killing part to Lisa. She had been the shyest and most low-key member till now. Maybe she had truly only been trying to be nice to you and she wouldn’t be dangerous for you. Of course, you would still treat her with suspicion, but you felt safest to work close with her.

When you told the girls the news, you could see the shock in Lisa’s eyes, and you felt bad for ignoring her these past months. She had been nothing but nice to you on the first encounter you had, but then all the drama with Jennie and Chaeyoung had started and you had no capacity to take care of her. So much for your intend of treating all the girls the same.

Therefore, you were glad to have made the decision to give Lisa the lead. Opposing, however, to the rest of the girls. The moment you had announced your decision, the atmosphere in the studio changed. You earned yourself piercing gazes from the rest of the members and it was hard to look them in the eyes. Apparently, this production process hadn’t only been a rollercoaster of emotions for you.

No matter what you did, it always seemed to contribute to the tension that had been forming between the five of you right from the start. You wanted it to finally disappear, so you could work in peace. But at the same time, you were afraid that it would unwind itself in a massive explosion that would lead to casualties. One of them would probably be your career.

But you wouldn’t think about that yet. You had just made the first rational decision in a while and it was supposed to calm the situation.

At least that's what you had thought. But then the disaster beyond all expectations happened.

---

You couldn’t explain why, but the second you opened your eyes in the morning, you could feel in your bones that today would be a bad day. You really didn’t want to leave the house and actually played with the thought of calling in sick. But then you remembered that today would be the first day of recording your self-produced song. It was a big day for you, and you didn’t want to let anyone down.

Therefore, you eventually made your way to the YG Entertainment headquarters, while you could feel a headache starting to form. Either you were starting to get paranoid or your body truly knew that you should have stayed at home. But it was too late to turn around now, so you were about to find out which case would occur.

When you entered Blackpink’s studio, it felt like stepping into the Antarctica, causing a cold shudder to run down your spine. The girls were sitting all over the room with large distances between them. No one was talking. No one was even looking at the other. Teddy was sitting in the middle and helplessly searched for your eyes when you entered the room.

“Good morning.”

You mumbled nervously before closing the door behind you, although you’d have preferred to go back to where you had just come from.

All eyes fell on you, making you gulp thickly. Judging by their expressions, something must have happened between them. And something was telling you that you had a major part in it. But you couldn’t let your insecurities show. You had to take control of the situation and do as much damage control as you could. Therefore, you straightened up and cleared your throat.

“Let’s get started right away. How about we start with Lisa?”

You asked with a fake smile, ignoring the eyeroll that you received from Jennie in response.

Lisa instantly leaped to her feet and walked towards you with her head held high. By the way she was clenching the sheets in her hands, however, you could tell that she was nervous. If you were right, this cold atmosphere was caused by your decision to give Lisa the killing part. So you couldn’t really blame her for being a little nervous. You were sure that you wouldn’t want to be the target of Jennie’s, Chaeyoung’s and Jisoo’s anger.

“Don’t worry. I know you’ll do great.”

You whispered silently once Lisa was standing next to you, while squeezing her arm encouragingly.

Like an ice statue, Lisa suddenly stopped in her movements and you looked at her perplexed.

“Are you ok?”

You asked concerned, while following Lisa’s gaze that was fixed on your hand that was still resting on her arm, causing you to let her go.

“Y-Yeah of course.”

She stuttered sheepishly before going into the secluded part of the studio to record her part.

Confused by the weird situation just now, you gazed back at her for a second before shaking off your trance and moving to your spot. Teddy and you took a seat in front of the mixer and waited till Lisa had put on her headphones and organized the sheets with the lyrics. Once she was ready, she gave you a nervous thumbs up and you started to play the song. Expectantly, all of you stared at the maknae who was insecurely fidgeting with her headphones. Her cue came and...

Nothing.

Lisa had opened her mouth, but no words were coming out. Teddy and you looked at each other in wonderment while you could hear a malicious scoff from behind you that you chose to ignore. Quickly you stopped the music and turned to Lisa.

“That’s ok, Lisa. Happens all the time.”

You tried to calm her, but her eyes skipped you and wandered to her members in the back of the studio who were probably wondering whether you were regretting your decision yet.

“Ok, one more time. 1,2,3.”

You counted in before starting the music again.

This time, Lisa didn’t miss her cue, but the outcome wasn’t much better than in the first try. Teddy immediately stopped the music and Lisa looked at you with fear in her eyes. Her voice had been shaky and not at all powerful like it was supposed to be. You tried to muster a smile to soothe her, but slowly you were beginning to get nervous yourself. After all, Teddy, who was the leading producer of the album, was sitting right beside you. What if he cut your song off the list if this didn’t work out?

Despite your own nervousness, you encouraged Lisa once again to not let herself be thrown off by her mistakes, but you knew that your words weren’t much of a help. One take followed the other and Lisa either missed her cue completely or messed it up by not being able to capture the energy of the song. You could feel the girls behind you getting more and more agitated and slowly you were losing your patience too.

“Let’s take a break guys.”

You eventually sighed and Lisa shakily took her headphones off to join you.

“I’m really sorry.”

She apologized silently and you wondered whether those were tears in her eyes.

“It’s o-“

“You have to sing more like you mean it.”

You had wanted to cheer Lisa up, but you were cut short by Chaeyoung.

“Yeah your last notes aren’t clear. You need to hold them longer.”

Jisoo agreed causing Lisa to look at them angrily.

“You sounded breathless. You have to control your breath better.”

Jennie joined the other two members and you looked at the scene in front of you in terror.

You could see how Lisa was starting to clench her fists more with every word her members said and how her expression slowly turned to ice. Her eyes were almost black and the air around her seemed to be electrified. You slowly began ducking as if you knew that an eruption of emotions was about to come.

“Seriously Lisa. Our vocal coach has told you that a million times already.”

Jennie huffed, causing Lisa to finally break her silence and groan in response.

“You know what. Fine. Here take it. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Lisa suddenly exclaimed angrily while holding out the sheet with the lyrics, catching her members off guard.

“Just take it from me! That’s what you do best, Jennie!”

Her voice cracked and tears suddenly spilled from her eyes, making you look at her in shock.

When she realized that all eyes were on her, Lisa hid her face behind her hands, making her members immediately reach out to comfort her.

“Get off me!”

She yelled in response though before suddenly storming out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

All of you jumped in surprise before complete silence fell around you. No one knew how to handle this situation, because none of you had ever experienced something like this before.

“What was that about? I’ve never seen her like this.”

Teddy finally broke the silence with wide eyes while looking at the other members for an explanation.

“Me neither...”

Chaeyoung mumbled perplexed while staring at the door as if Lisa would return any second and declare everything a joke.

But the door didn’t open, leaving everyone in shock.

“I think, I should check up on her.”

Jennie eventually said although it sounded more like a question.

She was about to walk to the door when you held out your arm and stopped her from moving.

“No, I think that’s a bad idea. Let me check up on her. I think, I’m the one that’s least involved in your fight.”

You proposed, earning yourself sheepish nods from the other girls.

After taking a deep breath, you left the room to search for Lisa. The headquarters were huge though and several rooms were on the same floor as the studio, so it took you a while to find her. Eventually you peaked into the right room and saw Lisa huddled up in a chair while silent sobs left her mouth. Your heart broke immediately, and you quickly rushed to her side.

“Hey it’s ok. Don’t cry.”

You whispered before lowering yourself to her height and pulling her into your arms.

Her sobs immediately increased, and you felt her clinging to your body in search for comfort.

“It’s ok. We all have our bad days.”

You tried to calm her, but suddenly Lisa pushed you away.

“It’s not just a bad day! I’m not the right one for the part!”

She sobbed heartbreakingly, causing you to cup her face.

“Don’t say that. I know you can do better.”

“Really? Do you want to ask the other girls what they think about that?”

Lisa responded with a bitter laugh, but you weren’t letting her talk badly about herself.

“They are just jealous because I haven’t given them the lead in the song. I’m sure if they were honest with themselves, they’d know that I have made the right decision.”

You smiled encouragingly while wiping away the tears that streamed down Lisa’s cheeks.

“That’s not true! You know very well that I’m not as talented as them. Why else have you been ignoring me these past months?”

Lisa’s accusation caught you off guard and you almost tumbled back in surprise. Quickly you shook your head though and put your hand on her cheek to make her look at you.

“What are you talking about? I haven’t ignored you! You are incredibly talented. That’s why I gave you the part. Don’t ever think like that again, ok?”

You answered somewhat confidently after forcing your heart to beat normally again.

Lisa looked at you searchingly and you tried to seem calmer than you actually were. Apparently, she believed your words because she slowly nodded although tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Therefore, you gently grabbed her head and pushed it against your body again. She immediately began trembling, so you held her as tightly as possible to give her the comfort that she needed. It seemed like she was letting go of all the emotions that she had held back way too long, because your arms were already falling asleep once she finally stopped crying.

“Your voice is perfect for this song. It’s all I have been looking for.”

You said softly when you noticed that it had been quiet for a while, causing Lisa to lean back.

Her face was dangerously close to yours, causing your breath to hitch in your throat. Your eyes were lost in hers that had an inexplainable look in them.

Was that...desire?

You hadn’t found an answer yet, when Lisa suddenly lunged forward and captured your lips with hers. Your brain couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but your feelings made your lips move against hers in a passionate kiss that ended as abruptly as it had started. Panting for air Lisa pulled away and stared at you with wide eyes.

“Oh my god.”

She mumbled before slamming her hand over her mouth.

“Lisa...”

You breathed, still in disbelief and lacking any clear thoughts in your head.

But you weren’t given the chance to say anything else, because Lisa suddenly leaped to her feet, causing you to fall backwards. Hastily she left the room while you gazed back at her with an open mouth. One part of you wanted to chase behind her. The part that had allowed her to kiss you. But another part was forcing you to stay. It was the part that knew that any wrong action would be like pouring gasoline in the fire that had just struck down on your life. Your heart was beating faster than every before, making you hold your head in frustration because the drumming was too loud to concentrate.

You smiled at her, hoping that you were convincing. Jennie’s gaze stayed a little while longer on you and she looked like she was about to talk back, but then the three other girls entered the room, filling it with laughter and loud chatter. Using the distraction, you leaped to your feet to avoid Jennie’s gaze and to greet the others.

After you had exchanged the pleasantries, you went straight to business. Teddy and you presented your ideas for the album and were glad when the members agreed to stick with the girl crush concept. Having talked about the basics, the two of you took turns in presenting your ideas in order to get more into detail.

Although you were busy, making sure that you gave a flawless presentation, you could feel Jennie’s eyes burning on you several times throughout the meeting. You tried your best to ignore it, but every time her feline eyes were on you, you forgot what you were talking about for a second. Much to the dismay of Teddy, who of course thought that you were unprepared or a really terrible public speaker.

You cursed yourself under your breath, when you were finished with your part. You had hoped to impress Teddy right from the beginning, but you hadn’t made a great job till now. Feeling disappointed in yourself, you broodily stared ahead, not even realizing that Jennie had inched closer to you until you could feel her hand on yours under the table. You jumped in surprise, attracting the attention of the others at the table, but you tried to play it off by pretending to be oblivious. When everyone continued to listen to Teddy again, you dared to look to your side and saw that Jennie was looking at you with a smile on her face.

“You did great.”

She whispered before removing her hand, but the damage was already done.

Your head was completely empty, and you couldn’t concentrate on a single word Teddy was saying. Therefore, the rest of the meeting was a blur and you only came back to your senses, when your older colleague closed his laptop and allowed each of you to go back to their other obligations. But although everyone was rushing off, you kept sitting on your chair, deep in thought. What was it with those girls and being touchy? Were they trying to sabotage you on purpose?

Slowly, however, you managed to defreeze. You realized that your tensed relationship with the girls might seem to be your biggest problem right now, but it wasn’t. You had an album to produce and deadlines to meet. Therefore, you pulled yourself to your feet and started to pack your stuff, ready to get to work again. But suddenly an unexpected voice in the room made you jump in surprise.

“You shouldn’t be so harsh on yourself.”

With wide eyes you turned around and saw Jennie standing in the doorway.

“I think you did great today. I really liked your ideas for the album.”

Her features were soft, and you felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of you.

Hearing her say those words, probably meant more to you than they should, and a faint blush started to spread on your cheeks.

“You think so? I think, I sounded like a complete idiot.”

Remembering how you couldn’t even finish one sentence without twisting at least half of the words, the feeling of being disappointed in yourself returned again. But Jennie quickly walked closer to you.

“Don’t say that. You are really talented, Y/N. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be standing next to me right now. Or do you think YG would have given just anyone this job?”

Jennie’s words sounded determined and felt like balm for your soul. She was right. You should stop overthinking everything and criticizing your work non-stop. You were a great producer and you had earned your spot in this team.

When you looked at Jennie, a smile played on your lips and you couldn’t believe that she had managed to find the words that you needed to hear after only knowing you for one day.

“Thanks, Jennie. I really needed that.”

Seeing that she had managed to raise your mood, her face lit up and her eyes formed little crescent moons.

“I’m glad, I could help. I know that this industry can be a lot to handle.”

Jennie sighted silently and you remembered that her path also hadn’t been easy.

Maybe you could be there for each other. Be each other’s moral support, even if the world around you went crazy. Therefore, you decided to find some encouraging words for her as well.

“But there are also people that make all the trouble worth it in this industry.”

You said with a grin, but as soon as the words left your lips, you wanted to take them back. Those weren’t the words, you told a person after knowing them for just one day. But Jennie didn’t seem to be bothered. Instead, a soft smile decorated her lips.

“Indeed.”

She stated, lingering her gaze on you before turning around and heading to the door.

Your heart felt like it was jumping out of your chest, but Jennie didn’t seem to be done with you yet.

“Are you coming?”

She suddenly asked over her shoulder and your body automatically followed her like a puppy.

You accompanied Jennie to the room where she had her next meeting in silence. When you arrived at the destination, you stood in front of the door awkwardly.

“Thank you for bringing me.”

Jennie broke the silence eventually and you nodded your head in response. Where was this tension coming from again? You fixed your gaze on your fidgeting fingers, but when you looked up, you saw that Jennie was already looking at you. Your eyes met and Jennie didn’t seem to be embarrassed by the fact that she had been staring at you. Instead, she held your gaze and your mouth went dry.

Her eyes were the prettiest things you had ever seen. They were so dark that you felt like losing yourself in them.

You were about to be hypnotized when you suddenly realized where your mind was going, causing you to quickly shake your head.

This wasn’t something that you should think about your co-worker.

“I...I gotta go.”

You stammered after clearing your throat and already walking backwards.

“Alright. I hope to see you soon.”

Jennie responded calmly and you wondered how you could reach her level of confidence.

Not once had she been awkward when approaching you. She had always simply spoken her mind. Nevertheless, she had never appeared indelicate. Behind that cool demeanor, you were sure to see a soft core. You were granted a glance on it, just a few minutes ago. Someone selfish wouldn’t have sensed your bad mood.

After still staring at her while walking backwards, you eventually turned your back to Jennie aprubtly, rushing off with big steps. You needed some air.

Like you had been under water, you gasped once you stepped outside, trying to clear your head by pumping oxygen into your lungs. But the sight of Jennie’s eyes didn’t leave your brain. And the feeling of her hand on yours was tattooed under your skin.

She was dangerous. And you needed to stay away from danger.

But this was easier said than done. After all, Jennie was your co-worker. Therefore, you had to see her every single day. And she didn’t make your job easy either. Whenever you met her, she smiled brightly and walked up to you, asking you how you were doing. And no matter how hard you tried to fob her off with standard answers, she always wanted to know the truth.

Soon you felt yourself getting closer and closer to her against your will. You shared things with her that you had left unspoken in the past and often caught yourself, asking her for advice.

But you knew it was wrong.

You were supposed to work solely on a professional level. Catching feelings, no matter which kind, would only complicate things.

Therefore, you decided to give the two of you a break. At one point you started to avoid Jennie as best as possible and if you had to meet her, you made sure not to be alone. To facilitate going through with your decision, you chose to increasingly work with Rosé instead of Jennie. You had written a song almost completely alone and you needed a lead singer. You could have chosen Jennie, because you knew that she was capable to take the lead in a song, but you chose to go with Rosé.

When you announced your decision, the disappointment was visible in Jennie’s face and you had to avoid her gaze, because your heart felt heavy, seeing her this way. You knew that it was unfair. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t been anything but nice to you. And now you ditched her like she was some worn out toy.

You hoped that she would move on quickly. After all, you were only her producer and there were several other talented people working on this album.

But apparently, you were the only producer that she wanted.

One day, you came into the company earlier than everyone else to get a kickstart. You were just about to enter one of the studios, when you could see a shadow in the corner of your eye. You turned your head, expecting one of the cleaning ladies, but it was Jennie instead who sheepishly made her way over to you. You lost your tongue, simply hoping for her to pass you, but of course she came to a halt only a few steps away from you.

But this time, Jennie didn’t greet you with on of her gummy smiles. This time, her face stayed stern and pensive. Your roles seemed to be switched, because this time it was her who avoided your gaze. Only when you made a move to enter the studio, she grabbed your arm to hold you back.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Jennie looked at you with desperation in her eyes and guilt washed over you. It was you that had made her voice sound so silent and broken.

“No of course not. Why would you think that?”

You asked, although you already knew the answer.

“I feel like you’re avoiding me.”

Jackpot. It had always been just a matter of time till she figured it out, but you still couldn’t let her know the truth.

“I’m not avoiding you, Jennie. Why should I?”

You smiled at her, trying to take away her sadness, but Jennie didn’t seem to be satisfied with your answer yet.

“I don’t know. But we’re not talking anymore like we used to.”

Jennie opted to avoid your eyes and you were suddenly granted a glance on her weak side again. Her confidence seemed to be washed away and all that was left was a girl that felt left alone. All you wanted to do was to hug her and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. But you couldn’t.

Nevertheless, you weren’t cruel enough to let her carry the weight of having messed up your relationship any longer. Therefore, you reached out to grab her hand, causing her to look at you.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve just had a lot of stress lately. And my decision to work with Rosé instead of you, was just based on the fact that I have more experience working with singers than with rappers. My decision was purely professional, not personal.”

This time Jennie seemed to believe you, because her face brightened up a bit.

“So everything’s good between us?”

She asked, giving you puppy dog eyes and your eyes softened.

“Of course.”

Finally, you were allowed to see her gummy smile and you felt your own lips forming a smile in response as well.

“I’m really glad to hear that. I have been worried the past weeks.”

Jennie admitted while nervously looking at her hands that were tightly clasped together.

Avoiding Jennie had been a plan in need for improvement from the start. But now, it was a plan that was no longer executable. You couldn’t make Jennie worry that much ever again. No matter whether it was the right thing to do or not, you cared too much about her to let that happen.

“Don’t worry anymore. You need your energy to focus on the comeback.”

You assured her and Jennie nodded in response.

“I know.”

Silence was surrounding you suddenly, so you gave her a last smile before wanting to enter the studio, thinking that you had talked about everything that needed to be said.

“Do you want to grab something to eat with me this evening?”

Jennie suddenly blurted out and you whipped your head around in shock.

“I...I need some advice because of a song. I know you’re working with Rosé, but I hoped that you could give me some tips too.”

She added nervously and you searched for the right answer in your head, but you were completely baffled.

Was she really only searching for professional advice?

How could you say no then? You weren’t trying to make favorites in the group. Everyone deserved the same amount of attention. Only because you had worked hard on the song that Rosé was taking the lead in, didn’t mean that you could neglect the other girls.

And it wasn’t like she asked you for a date. Therefore, you cleared your throat to make your voice sound more or less steady despite the huge amount of adrenaline that was rushing through your veins right now.

“Yes sure. You can always ask me for advice.”

You smiled and Jennie looked like she was seconds away from jumping into your arms in excitement. But she held herself back and only bowed to you slightly.

“Thank you. I’m going to pick you up here then. Around seven?”

Jennie asked and you gave her an awkward thumps up before finally opening the door to the studio. Flashing you another gummy smile, she waved at you before skipping away. You looked after her until she rounded a corner. Your heart was pounding like crazy again, so you slipped into the studio where you leaned against the door and closed your eyes.

Since the first time you had seen the girls, you knew that they were trouble.

And now you already seemed to be too caught up in it to free yourself.

You needed to brace yourself for tonight. It could either tangle you up further into this mess or loosen the ties that were choking you up. It all depended on how professional Jennie would keep this night. Exhaling a shaky breath, you pushed yourself off the door to go to your desk. Right when you sat down, however, you could hear knocks on the door.

A second later, Rosé stuck her head in the door, and you remembered that you had arranged a meeting to discuss the further steps regarding the song that she was taking the lead in.

With a smile you stood up to greet her. She reciprocated the gesture while entering the room, giving you the chance to let your eyes wander up and down her body.

Teddy introduced you and you stayed glued to the spot, but luckily the girls came closer to greet you.

“Hi, Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.”

Chaeyoung was the first one to greet you, bowing to you with a soft smile playing on her lips.

You were glad that you had to bow, too, otherwise you probably would have stared at her cute dimples way too long.

Jennie was the next one to greet you, followed by Lisa and finally Jisoo.

“We’re looking forward to working with you.”

The latter stated and you knew that it was pleasantry, but you wondered if you had just imagined her gaze lingering longer on you than necessary.

Quickly banishing that thought from your head, you smiled politely.

“So am I. It’s a true honor to be allowed to work with you.”

All of you took a last bow before turning your attention to Teddy that started to introduce the rest of the team consisting of several songwriters and composers.

You scooted a little closer to be able to hear his instructions and ended up standing directly behind Jennie. You could smell the scent of her perfume and you couldn’t help to check out her petite figure. Suddenly, however, she turned her head, directly looking at you and you snapped your gaze up, hoping that she hadn’t caught you staring. Your heart beat like crazy. But Jennie smiled at you softly before fixing her eyes to the front again, making you exhale the breath that had been caught in your throat.

“This album is going to be big. It’s going to be the first full album, so we’re going to work on it for one whole year.”

Finally being able to ignore the rapid beating of your heart, you were actually able to listen to Teddy.

You definitely had to pull yourself together. One year was way too long to get violent heart palpitations every time the girls were around you. You had to focus. This could be the start of a new life. If you managed to make this album succeed, you could be the most sought-after producer in the Kpop industry. Not to mention that you would also be the youngest. It was time to turn off your heart and to delve your whole head into this instead.

The clapping of the whole team pulled you out of your world of thought. Politely you joined in, pretending like you had listened to every word of your colleague. It was showtime. No more distractions. You had to fight hard to get here, you wouldn’t temper with this chance recklessly.

“Hey Y/N.”

You were about to talk with Teddy, when Lisa’s voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere from directly beside you and you jumped in surprise.

When you looked at her, she nervously fidgeted with her fingers, shyly searching for your eyes.

“We’re going out for lunch later. Do you want to join us?”

She vaguely pointed at her group members and you gulped.

You weren’t here for fun, you told yourself in your head. You were here to make your leap into the world of the rich and famous. There was no way that you could accept this offer.

“I’d love to.”

You heard yourself say instead, making you curse yourself inwardly. Your impulse control was definitely zero, which could become a serious problem in the next year. You had to find a way to stay focused.

A wide grin appeared on Lisa’s face and you almost sighted at the view. How could a simple smile light up a whole room?

“Great! We’re going to get to work then and get you later.”

Lisa said cheerily, gifting you with her smile a little longer before turning around and leaving.

This year was going to be fun if you kept being a mess whenever they talked to you.

You were supposed to guide them through the process of producing this album, not the other way around. There were a lot of people that expected a great deal from you. You had to satisfy them, otherwise, your career could be over. Therefore, you started to get to work, like Lisa had suggested.

Teddy and you sat together, to discuss your ideas and wishes for the album with the rest of the composers and song writers. After two hours of intense brainstorming, everyone was in desperate need for a break, right in time with Lisa sticking her head in the door. She smiled at you cheekily and you cleared your throat to grab the attention of your colleagues.

“I think, it’s time for lunch. How about we meet here in an hour again?”

You asked everybody around and were instantly met with grateful nodding from everyone. Therefore, you ended the meeting at this point before grabbing your jacket and slipping out the door.

Outside, all four members of Blackpink were waiting for you.

“Should we invite the rest of the staff as well?”

You asked sheepishly because you felt weird to be the only one going out with the girls.

“No, it’s fine. After all you are the one, we’ll spend most time with alongside Teddy. And we know Teddy already, but there is so much to figure out about you.”

Jisoo explained confidently and you felt your heartbeat fasten up at her remark.

It sounded like you were awaiting an interrogation that you were definitely not prepared for. What kind of meetup was this? Was it a business lunch to test your abilities as a producer? Was it a casual lunch between some acquaintances? Or did they want to take this relationship to a level beyond work?

Therefore, you didn’t know how to behave on the short way to the restaurant by foot. Should you walk next to them to demonstrate that you were easy-going? Or should you walk behind them to show your respect? Inwardly, you cringed at your own behavior. You definitely had to stop overthinking everything.

Chaeyoung apparently sensed your discomfort, casually linking arms with you. You looked down at your interlinked arms with wide eyes. Was this a normal thing to do for colleagues? For Chaeyoung, apparently it was. Her facial features were relaxed, and it didn’t seem to be a big deal for her. Opposing to you. Your heart immediately began to flutter, and your mouth was drier than the Sahara.

“So, Y/N. Have you been working in the industry for long?”

Chaeyoung asked nonchalantly after a while, glancing at you from the side.

You shook your head lowkey to get your brain to work again.

“Um... yeah. I started working at YG entertainment right after graduation.”

You answered a little constrained, catching the attention of Jennie.

“For so long already? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

She questioned you with a furrowed brow.

“Oh I guess, I was too unimportant to catch somebody’s eye.”

You explained honestly, because you had worked in the shadow of others for the longest time.

“Hm I don’t think so. You would have caught my eye, if I had seen you.”

Jennie instantly responded with a wink and you almost stumbled over your own feet.

What did she mean by that?

“Yeah Jennie has a really good memory for faces.”

Lisa added while grabbing your arm that wasn’t occupied by Chaeyoung to link arms with you as well.

They wouldn’t give you a break, would they?

As soon as one heated situation was solved, another popped up out of nowhere.

You definitely had to stop your brain from making mountains out of molehills.

This was nothing more than a friendly meetup to get to know each other better. After all you would probably be spending more time with each other the next year than with anyone else. Producing an album was a long and exhausting process that required a ridiculous amount of work hours and night shifts.

Therefore, you took a deep breath to get a clear head again. Now was not the time to panic. It was time to secure your spot as a permanent producer for Blackpink next to Teddy. You smiled at Lisa and the rest of the way the girls were engrossed in light conversation, giving you the chance to focus again.

When you finally reached the restaurant, you managed to keep your composure. Although you were on edge throughout the whole lunch, it passed without any further incidents. Most of the time, the five of you spent on small talk or on topics that were actually related to work. Nevertheless, you were glad when you went back to the company again. You knew that you wouldn’t see the girls the rest of the day. While you had to start working with Teddy on the details of the concept of the album, the girls had other obligations in the company.

Therefore, the rest of the day flew by and it was already dark when you looked out the window the next time. Stretching your sore limbs after sitting the whole time, you called it a day and said goodbye to Teddy eventually.

When you came home, you changed into comfortable clothes and threw yourself on your couch to watch the new episode of your TV show. But your mind couldn’t focus on the pictures on the screen. Over and over again, it drifted back to the weird occurrences of the day.

Jisoo’s gaze lingering on you. Lisa nervously fidgeting with her fingers when she was around you. Jennie’s wink. And Chaeyoung linking arms with you.

What did this all mean?

You tried to tell yourself that there was nothing to worry about. They were simply touchy people that wanted to create a good working atmosphere. But your gut feeling violently fought that assumption. Therefore, you restlessly tossed in your bed that night, haunted by the faces of four angels that could mean your downfall. You had to keep a clear head, otherwise this chance could turn into your biggest nightmare.

But it was too early to panic, you told yourself. Everyone had their weird days and tomorrow was a new dawn.