Vietnam was so lit, the girls were totally blown away by the massive crowds that greeted them at the airport. They're used to seeing Blinks everywhere, but this was on another level.
Today was their last concert in Hanoi, so after they finished up, they all decided to grab some dinner together. Rosé had the inside scoop on the best Pho joint in town, and she couldn't wait to chow down on her fave dish.
Rosé was removing her makeup when she suddenly exclaimed, "I wish Suzy were here."
Jisoo, who was sitting beside her, replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, sure." she rolled her eyes.
But Rosé was not one to let things go so easily. She nudged Jisoo, "You always seem to get annoyed whenever I mention Suzy's name. Is there something you want to tell me?"
Jisoo didn't respond immediately. Instead, she walked away and said, "Lalisa, let's go. You're riding with me this time."
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Rosé shouted after Jisoo, feeling hurt and ignored.
Jennie, who was supposed to ride with Lalisa, noticed the tension between the two and decided to intervene. She walked up to Rosé and said, "Come on, hubby, let's ride together. It's been a while since we had a chance to catch up."
As they headed to the restaurant, Rosé couldn't help but think about Jisoo's weird attitude. She knew that Jisoo wasn't happy with her decision to reconnect with Suzy, but she never thought that her best friend would react so harshly.
Rosé looked at Jennie with a sense of despair and said, "We used to be so close, unnie."
Jennie responded by placing Rosé's head on her shoulder and said, "I think Jisoo is just disappointed. It takes time, you know? Even I was surprised when I found out you were back with Suzy. We still remember how hurt you were when she left. It's normal for Jisoo to be protective and not want you to get hurt again."
"But it was a misunderstanding. I've told Jisoo so many times. Suzy left me because she had to. It's not like she had a choice not to." Rosé exclaimed, desperation evident in her voice.
Jennie nodded in understanding. Having been in a similar situation with Lisa, she knew all too well the pain and heartache that Rosé was going through. She knew that Suzy had to leave for Rosé's own protection and that it was a decision that must have been incredibly difficult for her.
As Jennie was lost in thought, Rosé suddenly said, "I know I should have told Jisoo about my relationship with Suzy. She had every right to know. But I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. Jisoo was always there for me, you know? Whenever I missed Suzy, she was the one who would come over and cheer me up. She's so introverted, but she never refused my invitation to hang out. And somehow, she always managed to make me forget about Suzy. I felt so comfortable around her." Rosé smiled, reminiscing about the times when Jisoo had helped her through the heartbreak era.
"I even almost re-crush on her again, you know?" Rosé added, chuckling at the thought.
Jennie laughed at Rosé's statement, it'd be hilarious if all Blackpink members were dating each other.
Right?
"Lisa told me you were crushing hard on Jisoo when we were a trainee," Jennie said amidst her chuckles
Rosé blushed but couldn't help smiling at the memory of her innocence. "So hard," she admitted, "I'd do anything just to stay close with her. I even practiced the D4 choreography like crazy, hoping to impress her."
Jennie's eyes widened in amusement. "You even dyed your hair red because Jisoo missed her red hair, right?" she asked.
Rosé couldn't contain her laughter. "OMG, I was so whipped!" she confessed.
"I don't understand, it was so obvious you like her, but how on earth did she not notice?" Jennie asked million dollar question
Rosé sighed. "She's straight, unnie," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Well, I'm not sure about that," Jennie replied with a sly smile.
Rosé raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Jennie said, leaning in conspiratorially, "that sometimes people don't realize things about themselves until someone else points them out."
Rosé looked at her skeptically. "You really think Jisoo might be...?"
Jennie nodded in excitement.
"Nope, nuh uh!" Rosé exclaimed, "Not gonna ruin her image on my head. Trust me, she's straighter than Lisa's fake bangs." She scoffed.
Chaennie's ride was full of giggles and jokes, making the vibe fun and light. In contrast, Lisoo's car was tense and awkward because Lisa and Jisoo had a little spat.
"Yah, why are you getting so defensive? I was just curious," Lisa said, her tone annoyed.
"I'm not being defensive!" Jisoo snapped back, irritation clear in her voice.
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're... jealous?" Lisa teased.
"NO! I'm not jealous!" Jisoo protested, her voice rising.
"Fine, whatever. Let's drop it," Lisa huffed, rolling her eyes.
Jisoo fell silent for a moment, then spoke up again. "It's not that I'm jealous, okay? I just...never mind."
Lisa could sense Jisoo's unease and tried to comfort her. "I get it, Chu. You care about her and you don't want to see her get hurt again. But you have to trust Chaeng. She's not a kid anymore."
Jisoo sighed. "It's just hard, you know... When Suzy left, it took a long time for Chaeng to be happy again. I was there for her every step of the way, and it was exhausting."
Lisa nodded sympathetically. "I know it was hard, but you did a great job. And now it's time to let Chaeng make her own decisions."
When Suzy broke Rosé's heart, Jisoo stepped up to help her. She was always rushing out of the house to be there for Rosé. It was like she was on a mission to help her friend heal. You could tell that Jisoo was going above and beyond because the number of times she left the house during that time was way more than the number of times she left the house the entire year before.
Jisoo was fuming as she spoke, "You know what? I should have asked the board to increase my salary every time we go on a world tour!"
Lisa looked at Jisoo with a frown, "Why though?" she asked. Suddenly, realization dawned on her and she burst out laughing, "Oh, I get it now, hahaha!"
Jisoo's eyes lit up mischievously, "Wanna hear fun fact?" she asked with a grin, "When Jennie decided to call it quits, the board approached me to replace the fan service sub with Chaeng. Can you believe it?" Lisa seemed intrigued and urged Jisoo to continue.
"I was half-tempted to accept," Jisoo continued, "I mean, our bond was stronger than ever, and I thought I could help Chaeng get over Suzy."
Lisa leaned in closer, "So why did you turn it down?" she asked.
Jisoo hesitated for a moment before replying, "I could see that Chaeng wasn't too keen on the idea. Maybe it was because she was still hung up on Suzy, and the offers happened while they were getting back together." Lisa nodded in understanding, impressed by Jisoo's insight.
Jisoo's memory jogged, "Hey Lisa, did you ever tell me what Sajangnim wanted to talk to you about the other day?"
Lisa was caught off guard, surprised that Jisoo remembered, "Oh, that. Well, he wanted to know if Fred and I would resume our contract."
Jisoo raised an eyebrow, "And what did you tell him?"
"That we were going to continue, but I had some conditions that needed to be met first."
Jisoo leaned in, curious, "What conditions?"
Lisa leaned back, grinning mischievously, "The board needs to allow me and Jennie to have a relationship."
Jisoo's face showed a mixture of shock and amusement, "You're kidding, right?"
Lisa shook her head, "Nope, but obviously he didn't agree. Yet."
Jisoo looked skeptical, "That's it?"
Lisa shrugged, "I'm working on it."
Jisoo rolled her eyes, "You're such a tease, Lis. We promised each other we wouldn't keep secrets anymore."
Lisa chuckled, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. But it's not like you've been completely honest with us either."
Jisoo's eyes widened in surprise, "What are you talking about?"
Lisa smirked, "Oh, come on. You can't fool me. I know you're hiding something."
Jisoo frowned, feeling defensive, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Lisa leaned forward, her tone solemn, "Who's your boyfriend, unnie? Do you really have a boyfriend, though? I sense that the board asked you to keep something from us. Don't tell me you're the X-Man."
Jisoo stared at Lisa, taken aback. How did she know?
Jisoo had been keeping a secret from Lisa for some time now, and she couldn't hold it any longer. After going back and forth, she finally decided to spill the tea to Lisa. Jisoo told her everything, from her ongoing issues with Rosé to why she couldn't stand hearing Suzy's name. She even revealed the mysterious boyfriend that Lisa had mentioned earlier.
Lisa was surprised and shocked as Jisoo conveyed the tales. Her reaction was hilarious, too. Sometimes, she gasped in shock. The other time, she shook her head in disbelief, and it was the nth time she exclaimed, "I knew it!" out loud.
Lisa and Jisoo were so lost in their conversation that they didn't even notice they had reached the restaurant until Lisa's phone rang. It was Jennie, and she was asking where they were.
"I think it's time we bring Chaeng and Nini in on our little secret," Lisa suggested after hanging up with Jennie.
Jisoo hesitated. "I know, but I'm not sure. We need to have a solid plan."
Lisa had a glint in her eye. "I have an idea, Chu. Let's just go in and meet the girls first."
"But can we not talk about—"
"I promise I won't bring it up. But you know we have to tell them eventually, right?" Lisa interrupted.
Jisoo sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just need more time before I come clean."