BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 70: a turn for the better

<OST: Sleepless Night - Crush ft. Punch>

"Hey, you wanna know something?"

Jieun looked up, clearly surprised that Jungkook was still awake. "You weren't sleeping yet?"

"No, I wasn't-" Jungkook pursed his lips as he wriggled his way up. "I have too much going on in my head. Care to listen?"

Jieun sat up straight and nodded. "Go ahead."

"Me and Jennie..." Jungkook began. "We met each other for the first time the day before the news of us was released."

"Oh, really-" Jieun bit her lower lip nervously, wondering why he was telling her all this. She felt guilty, she felt guilty that she was gaining his trust little by little - she didn't deserve it at all. But even in that guilt... there was a little happiness. "Wow."

"For the longest period of time, I was really mean to her," Jungkook carried on. "I hated the fact that her name had to be constantly brought up every time something good happened to me. I hated it so, so much... and I took it out on her."

Jieun nodded slowly.

"But I guess overtime I saw that she was in the same plight as I was..." Jungkook said after a short pause. "My name was brought up every time she accomplished anything too. I kept putting the blame on her, but she was struggling just as I was. We were both just pieces in our sajang-nim's masterplan."

"What was he trying to do, anyway?"

"He camouflaged it as doing it for our own good-" Jungkook scoffed. "He assured us that a dating scandal would damage the reputation of top-tier celebrities, but for us... people barely knew us. He told us that he would never do something that would damage our reputation... I mean, why would he, am I right? We're just money-making machines to him, after all. It was like... his last shot at making us hit big, before he probably intended to fire me."

Jieun pursed her lips. "And it really succeeded."

"It did-" Jungkook admitted with a little nod. "I wasn't expecting it, to be quite honest. And even though I deny it with my entire existence, I do owe most of of my popularity to my dating scandal with Jennie... even when it's fake."

"But you're really talented," Jieun said with a frown. "If your music wasn't good, even if your dating scandal made you gain attention, you wouldn't gain favour in the public's eyes."

Jungkook raised his eyebrows. "You listen to my music?"

"Duh-" Jieun laughed. "I need inspiration for your makeup looks, okay."

Jungkook chuckled softly. "Oh, right."

"But there's one thing I don't understand-" Jieun frowned. "If you didn't like it at all, why did you agree to becoming a fake couple with Jennie-ssi?"

"Do you think I have a choice?" Jungkook scoffed. "My company is horrible - whether I like it or not, I have no choice but to agree with whatever they want me to do."

"Why?" Jieun frowned. "Will they do something to you if you don't...?"

"Ha..." Jungkook sniffed. "What do you think?"