"good, change the pose!"

"she's so beautiful."

"her figure's amazing. does she do gym or pilates to look that good?"

the studio was bustling as always. camera flashes went off constantly, capturing every moment of jungeun in front of the lens.

"alright, jungeun, that's a wrap for today. you did great."

jungeun bowed politely, a quiet thank-you to the photographers and crew. she let her shoulders drop, finally relaxing after the long hours in the studio.

leaving the studio, jungeun climbed into the familiar car. leaning her head back against the seat, she closed her eyes, savoring a rare moment of peace.

"how about an iced americano?"

jungeun opened her eyes slightly to see jiyoon already sitting next to her, holding out her favorite iced americano.

"thanks."

"you really nailed it today! everyone was singing your praises. honestly, your shots are so good-it's like you were a model."

jungeun chuckled, taking a sip of the americano. she stared at the car ceiling and replied casually.

"well, i am a model."

"oh... right."

jiyoon laughed awkwardly, realizing how silly her comment sounded.

"anyway, about your schedule-this afternoon, you're attending the dior pop-up store. tonight, though, you're free, so you can rest."

jungeun nodded. as she glanced at the iced americano in her hand, something came to mind.

"when will you return my shirt? the one with the coffee stain?"

"oh, right. i'll bring it tomorrow. by the way, jungeun, do you always do that with strangers?"

"do what?"

"take your shirt off in front of other people."

jungeun nearly choked on her drink, caught off guard.

"huh? you make it sound like i'm some kind of creep! you're a woman too, it's okay. and you were the one who spilled coffee on me! i couldn't meet the press looking like that."

"you're so lucky it was me. if it had been someone else, they'd have posted it all over social media with the headline: choi jungeun takes her shirt off in front of a stranger."

jungeun pursed her lips, realizing how fortunate she was that it had been jiyoon.

"still, thanks for helping me. honestly, i don't even know what i was thinking."

resting her head against the car window, jungeun gazed at the scenery outside. she loved strolling through the city, simply enjoying the view. seoul, with its dazzling lights and endless activity, was as vibrant as ever. yet, amidst the glamour, jungeun couldn't shake the emptiness in her heart.

* * *

after a tiring day, jungeun finally arrived home. with her hands full of items from the studio, she asked jiyoon to help carry a few bags upstairs.

"choi! jung! eunnnnnn!!!!!!"

as soon as she opened the door, a loud scream startled her. standing inside were sarang and saebi, her two closest friends.

"sarang!!! saebi!!!"

she dropped her bags and ran to hug them tightly.

jiyoon smiled at the scene from the doorway. it reminded her of her own friends, jeemin and koko, and how their reunions were always noisy but full of joy.

"who dat girl iz?" sarang asked, eyeing jiyoon curiously.

"my new manager, replacing mai."

before jungeun could finish, sarang sprinted over to jiyoon, her gaze filled with curiosity.

"wow, so pretty! what's your name? how old are you? do you have a boyfriend?"

"sarang?!!"

"what? i'm just curious!"

jiyoon, though a bit caught off guard, quickly laughed. sarang's nosiness reminded her of jeemin, so she wasn't too fazed.

"i'm yoon jiyoon, jungeun's new manager. i'm two years older than her and currently single. nice to meet you both."

"i'm sarang, jungeun's best friend, same age as her, also single."

"i'm saebi, a year younger than jungeun, and i'm also single... wait, hold on! why does this feel like singles inferno or something?"

jungeun burst out laughing at saebi's comment, already bracing herself for a noisy evening with her playful friends.

"jiyoon unnie, why don't you stay for dinner? it's a farewell party for mai-she'll be here soon too. it's a good chance for everyone to get to know each other!" sarang said enthusiastically.

"what?!" jungeun's eyes widened. "sarang, this is my house! why are you acting like it's yours? and jiyoon probably has things to do, right?"

jungeun turned to jiyoon, frantically signaling for her to say she was busy. she didn't want her manager staying, fearing it might be awkward, especially with sarang and saebi's tendency to overshare.

"actually, i'm pretty free tonight, so i'd love to join!" jiyoon smiled, deliberately ignoring jungeun's frantic signals.

jungeun froze, staring at jiyoon in disbelief, her face full of silent protest. she couldn't understand why jiyoon agreed.

of course, jiyoon had caught on to jungeun's hints but decided to tease her a little. she only planned to stay until mai arrived, then leave so jungeun could enjoy the night with her friends.

a lively, warm evening was just getting started.

* * *

jiyoon, sarang, and saebi were busy in the kitchen, preparing for the party. with her skillful hands, jiyoon easily turned simple ingredients into mouthwatering dishes.

"wow, unnie, you're really good at cooking," sarang said in awe, sneaking a piece of freshly fried potato into her mouth.

"stop sneaking food, sarang. if jiyoon unnie wasn't here to stop you, you'd probably eat the whole party spread," saebi teased, giving her friend a playful glare.

"it's okay," jiyoon laughed, her hands deftly working. "if you all enjoy it, that's what matters to me."

after a while, saebi with her curiosity piqued asked:"unnie, is managing jungeun unnie tough? have you thought about quitting yet?"

"saebi, what kind of question is that?" sarang pretended to scold, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

jiyoon smiled. it was only her first day on the job, and she was already being asked if she wanted to quit.

"it's only my first day, so nothing's been too hard yet. but i'll keep this question in mind-just in case i need someone to blame later."

sarang laughed, but her expression turned serious.

"jiyoon unnie, i have a favor to ask. jungeun might seem cold and quiet on the outside, but she's actually really sensitive and caring. she acts tough, but she's easily hurt. all of us are so busy with work, so we can't always be there for her. please, take care of her for us." - she said sincerely.

"she's like a baby cheetah," saebi added softly, her eyes full of affection. "strong and independent, but she still needs someone to look after her."

jiyoon felt touched by their sincerity. though sarang and saebi could be loud and mischievous at times, their love for jungeun was unmistakable.

"don't worry," she said with a reassuring smile. "i'll make sure jungeun's well taken care of."

just then, saebi checked her phone and exclaimed:"mai unnie's almost here! let's finish up!"

"okay! jiyoon unnie, could you go call jungeun? she's probably out on the balcony, staring at the view again," sarang suggested.

nodding, jiyoon headed toward the balcony.

when she opened the door, jiyoon stopped in her tracks.

jungeun was standing there, a lit cigarette in her hand. startled by jiyoon's presence, jungeun quickly stubbed it out and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

"surprised?" jungeun asked with a bitter laugh, her gaze fixed on the distant skyline. "a famous young model, caught smoking."

jiyoon didn't say anything at first. instead of judgment or disdain, her eyes were warm and understanding.

"smoking isn't good for your health," she finally said, her tone gentle.

"i know. but life gets overwhelming sometimes, jiyoon unnie. i don't know how else to cope." jungeun let out a hollow laugh, though it was laced with sadness.

stepping closer, jiyoon spoke softly:

"i understand. but there are other ways to handle stress-ways that won't harm you. you could listen to music, watch a movie, or even talk to someone you trust. you don't have to deal with it all alone."

"i don't want to burden anyone. i don't want to be a bother," jungeun murmured, her voice barely audible as she looked down.

those words made jiyoon pause. she could see how much weight jungeun was carrying on her own.

"but you're not a burden. look at sarang and saebi-they care so much about you. and now, you've got me too. i might not know you well yet, but if you ever need someone to talk to, i'll be here to listen. you're not alone, jungeun."

jungeun turned to face jiyoon, her eyes filled with surprise and a hint of doubt. she hadn't expected someone she just met to care so much. but deep down, the scars from past betrayals held her back from fully trusting those words.

jiyoon gazed at jungeun, her heart aching at the sorrow hidden in her eyes. before she could say more, sarang's voice called out from inside:

"jungeunie! jiyoon unnie! what are you two doing? mai unnie's here!"

" okay! we'll be there soon."

jungeun quickly turned away, but before heading inside, she spoke quietly:

"unnie, please don't tell sarang or saebi about this, okay? i don't want them to worry."

"i promise," jiyoon replied with a soft smile.

just as jungeun was about to leave, jiyoon stopped her.

"wait a second. make sure you rinse your mouth first. they'll smell the smoke otherwise."

jungeun froze for a moment, then chuckled-a rare, genuine laugh-and nodded.

after rinsing her mouth, jungeun walked back out to the living room. sarang, saebi, and mai were chatting happily, but jiyoon was nowhere to be seen.

"where's jiyoon unnie?" she asked.

"she left," saebi replied. "she said she had something urgent to take care of."

jungeun frowned slightly. earlier, she had wished for jiyoon to leave. but now, with her absence, a strange emptiness settled in her chest. she couldn't help but feel a small pang of regret.

* * *

note: guys, which one do you like more: koeminz - saerangz or kobiz - jeerangz?