Jiyong was over the moon.

He'd never felt this way about a girl before. Believe it or not, his only real relationship had been with Kiko back when he was a freshman. Everything after that were arraigned publicity stunts with the other stars and the occasional model. In fact, he was pretty sure that if he just showed his father the kind of girl Dara was, he'd immediately find her just as perfect as Jiyong did and this whole thing could have a happy ending.

But, of course, the rational part of his brain crushed that fantasy. There was only one way to get his father to be okay with Dara. He liked girls with talent and connections? Well, he was going to give Dara just that.

"You want me to what?" She exclaimed.

They were currently in theater, the day after she'd officially told him she was his real mystery girl.

"Baby, I thought I was being clear." Jiyong tilted his head in confusion.

"Yah! You can't be serious. I can't do that at the Kwon Records Music Festival. I'll never win." Dara sighed in frustration.

Yes, you heard right. At the end of the year, which was only a couple weeks away by now, his father wanted Jiyong to sponsor a music contest. The contest was to get a new face signed onto the record label, hopefully a pretty young one with a good voice.

Jiyong was also absolutely certain that the contest would be rigged. He had no doubt in his mind that after the merger with Kiko's parent's record company, they were planning on Kiko herself becoming their next big artist. It would explain why she was so confident that she could leach her fame off of him and launch her own career, even without her lies spreading about him. Their parents were already planning it. 

But Jiyong had something else on his mind. Somehow, he needed to find a way to make Dara perform, expose Kiko for the monster she is, and have everything go back to the way it should've gone after the dance.

"Sure you'll win, your voice is amazing, Dara-yah." Jiyong hold her hand.

"Ji, I only want to perform, not win. Besides, you've only heard me once, and that was a couple months ago." She scoffed.

"And so did everyone else, they all heard your voice." He pushed.

Dara looked confused, so he tried again. "Babe, they know what my mystery girl sounds like. You sound like my mystery girl, Kiko doesn't." He pouted.

turned into a big O as she slowly understood. "So, if you get the public on your side, maybe they can discredit Kiko before she even tires to discredit you." She exclaimed.

"Yep, I'm genius, aren't I?" He smiled seductively as he leaned his body towards her.

"Aigoo baby Ji, sure you are." Dara laughed and punched his arm playfully.

"But we still need proof of what she did. I'm the only witness, besides my family of course, but why would they help me? They're the ones who told Kiko about me in the first place." Dara pointed out after a long silence.

"Baby, why did your unnies do that anyway?" Jiyong asked.

Dara almost laughed. "They aren't my unnies. They're my step-unnies. My step-omma hates me, so they hate me. Sung Ryung-nim thinks her daughter are golden, and I stood in the way of them getting their big break with you." She smiled.

"She thought that I would've chosen them if you hadn't gone to the dance?" Jiyong gave her a shocked look.

"Yep, they can do no wrong her eyes." She winked.

"Aigoo, babe, I wouldn't have chosen them; not even close. I was specifically looking for a girl who I had actual things in common with. I don't think the twins and I share any similarities." Jiyong laughed.

Dara thought for a moment. "Ji, you guys kind of have Kiko in common." Dara shrugged.

Jiyong gave her an are-you-kidding-me-Dara stare. They both laughed again at the awkwardness of the situation.

"Keep working on your new assignments. I just need to make a run to the copy room really quick. If there is any horseplay when I get back, you will get a detention." Ji Woo sonsaengnim addressed the class.

But, as soon as she left, the whole class just took out their phones and started to get lost in their screens. This is what will always happen if you leave students on their own in school with a strict no phone policy. Jiyong and Dara didn't pull out their phones, though. They stayed in their conversation, not even reaching in their pockets.

"Annyeong, superstar." Dae Sung greeted as he pulled up a chair and sat in between them at the table.

"Oh annyeong?" Jiyong said uncertainly.

"I happened to have ease dropped on your conversation earlier, and I think I have something that might help." Dae Sung said shyly, sliding his phone across the table.