Girl Talk

Haeun leaned back against the plush couch in their living room, the residual buzz of the stage still humming in her veins. The other two girls were sprawled out beside her, their face free of makeup and dressed in comfortable home clothes. The morning show had ended earlier than expected, and the boys were whisked off for a photoshoot, so the manager had given them the rest of the day off, a rare respite between their hectic schedule.

They sighed contentedly, enjoying the moment of quiet and relaxation, though Mina soon pulled out her phone, scrolling through it lazily.

“Hey, did you see the comments from the performance?” Mina's voice rang out sharply. "It seems Haeun's outfit is causing some controversy."

Haeun's eyes flew open, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she recalled her ordeal. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Mina turned her phone towards her, showing her the comment section of her newest fancam on Youtube, where her outfit had indeed sparked outrage among certain conservative netizens, and even some politicians.

Haeun read through the comments, her heart sinking with every cruel word and judgmental remark. They were calling her names like 'slut' and 'whore', accusing her of being indecent and immoral. Some even said that she was ruining the group's image and should be removed. She bit her lip hard to keep her emotions at bay.

"Do you guys think I'm a slut too?" she asked, feeling the weight of the words heavy on her chest.

Eunseo looked up frowning from where she lay sprawled on her stomach on the other end of the couch. "No, of course not. You're just doing what the company gave you. Besides," she smiled reassuringly, "they're just jealous because they can't pull off that outfit like you do."

Haeun couldn’t help but smile a little at that.

"But still, I hate how the company keeps dressing you up like this." Mina continued to scroll through the comments, her face growing more concerned. "They've really turned you into some sort of male fantasy."

"It’s not that bad,” Haeun tried to protest, but she couldn’t keep the tremor out of her voice.

"It is that bad," Eunseo chimed in, propping herself up on her elbows to look at Haeun. "You don't have to pretend it's not. They're just using you."

Haeun swallowed thickly, nodding. She knew they were right. The company was exploiting her, and she hated it, but she was stuck between her dreams and her own safety, her own pride and self worth.

Eunseo continued, picking up her own phone to scroll through the comments too. "Look at this! The ones that aren't complaining are just making even grosser comments about you. Ugh! And some of these people even claim they're our fans!"

Haeun winced, reaching out to look at the phone, but Eunseo snatched it back. "You really don't need to read them. It won't be nice."

Mina nodded in agreement. "She's right. They are horrible. Just ignore them, protect your own peace."

Haeun felt tears well up in her eyes, the injustice pressing down on her chest.

"Why do they hate me so much? What did I do to deserve this?" Haeun asked, her voice small and shaking.

"They don’t hate you," Mina reassured, setting down her phone. "They don't know you. They just see what they want to see, and they are terrible people.”

Eunseo reached over to squeeze Haeun's hand. "We are here for you," she said softly. "We're your sisters now, got it? We've got each other's backs."

Haeun sniffled, wiping away a stray tear that had fallen. "Thanks guys. You're the best."

They sat in silence for a moment, Haeun feeling the warmth of their sisterly bond.

Mina spoke up, her voice light, trying to diffuse the heavy atmosphere. "Anyways, how about that fall Jihoon took when he slipped on some water during last practice?" She let out a small giggle, breaking the tension in the room.

Haeun laughed, remembering how he stumbled during his solo dance break, his usual composed facade cracking as he tried to regain his balance and pretend nothing had happened. "I thought he was going to **** someone after that," she said, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

"Especially after they posted the clip online and we all got to watch it over and over again." Mina wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.

Eunseo joined in, laughing too. "And Hyuk, he almost called Mina babe on live TV! It's lucky he stopped himself just in time. If not it would be another scandal!"

Haeun giggled. "Did he really say that? I didn't notice!"

Mina shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, it could have been real bad. I'm a little scared he might be getting too comfortable, so I'm probably banning him from my room for a while." She shot Eunseo a look. The other girl nodded knowingly.

They chatted away, though the conversation soon returned to the boys.

"So Haeun, since Jihoon still won't talk to you, how have you been getting off? I know for a fact you haven't gone for the others." Mina asked, her eyebrow raised.

Haeun blushed, unsure how much she wanted to reveal about her secret relationship.

"I... I have my ways," she mumbled, averting her eyes.

Eunseo perked up, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? Do tell!"

Haeun sighed, knowing there was no way out of this without spilling some beans. "Well, there is someone... I have been talking to at night."

"Ooh, a boyfriend!" Mina squealed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And here we thought you were exclusive with Jihoon all this time!”

Eunseo was less enthusiastic. "You remember our talk right? There's not many people we can trust outside of this apartment, and all it takes is one small mistake for everything to fall apart. You need to be very careful with whoever this guy is. And what you send him."

Haeun nodded. "I'm aware of that. But... he has been supportive of my career and he loves me, I really believe that he wouldn’t do anything to betray my trust." She felt a stab of guilt at the memory of the videos and pictures she sent him, after her promise to the Eunseo, but she pushed it aside. He would never betray her like that, she was sure of it.

Eunseo still looked doubtful, but Mina was practically vibrating with curiosity.

"What's he like?" Mina asked, leaning in closer, her eyes bright with interest.

Haeun couldn't help but smile at the mention of her boyfriend. "He's sweet, supportive, and he doesn't judge me for anything. He's even okay with the outfits you know. He really cares for me and my happiness."

Mina let out a dreamy sigh. "He sounds perfect! But does he know about.. you know who."

Haeun hesitated, feeling Eunseo's stern gaze. "Well, he did, but it's not like Jihoon and I are doing anything now. But I did promise to let him know before I do anything with anyone else in the future."

Mina squealed. "WHAT! So he lets you do whatever with other guys? No fair! Where do you find guys like that?! Does he have a brother?"

Eunseo frowned. "I don't want to alarm you, Haeun, but I've been around enough men to know that they are jealous liars more often than not. I mean, you are an amazing woman, and a guy would be willing to say anything to get you to be with him. But what if further down, he gets jealous and threaten to leak everything if you don't want to stay with him anymore? You have to think long term here, sister."

Haeun shook her head doggedly. "I grew up with him, Eunseo. We have been together forever, and I trust him more than anyone else in my life. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I won't give him up. If he wants me to stay with him, or stop giving me permission with other guys, I will be willing to do it for him."

"And I'm happy for you, Haeun, truly. But this industry will not be, and you might have to choose between this man and your dream. And if he truly loves you, he wouldn't **** you to do that," Eunso replied, her face softening. "Just remember that."

Mina sighed. "Yeah, yeah, but you still haven't answered my question. Does he have a brother, or a friend? I need to know! Hyuk's okay with sharing with Taemin sometimes, but even he gets jealous afterwards. He won't even let me talk to any other guys outside the company at the studios!"

Haeun giggled and shook her head. "Sorry Mina, he's an only child."

Mina flopped back dramatically on the couch, pouting. "Then I demand you share your boyfriend with me. That's the least you can do."

The girls laughed at her antics as Haeun blushed. "I...I don't know. We never discussed it before."

"Well, ask him! If you're not getting any action from Jihoon anyway, I'm sure he will be fine with us girls having fun together and giving him a show." Mina winked playfully, but Eunseo shot her another warning look.

"What did I literally just say?"

"Relax, we aren't going to show our faces. What, you scared he will leak pictures of our pussies online? Who's even going to recognise them anyway?" Mina laughed.

"You're crazy," Eunseo shook her head, rolling her eyes in exasperation, but Haeun couldn't help but smile, thinking about what it might be like to share something like that with him. It felt kind of sexy, and she could feel a tingle of excitement at the idea. She could already imagine how excited it would make him, how much it would turn him on, and how he would want her even more afterwards.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask," she finally said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks at the thought. She picked up her phone, and opened the messenger app.