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The dating rumors had quieted down. Kind of. Not really. Okay, no— they were just evolving.
The problem wasn’t that Rumi and Jinu were bad at keeping secrets. The problem was that the universe seemed determined to out them.
First, it was the Bukchon incident. Then, the livestream Derpy photobombed. Now? Rumi accidentally soft-launched their relationship in an interview.
They were filming a group segment on a variety talk show, the usual fare: tour memories, embarrassing stories, TMI time. The MCs, cheerful and perceptive, had clearly done their research.
"What’s one surprising thing you’ve been obsessed with lately?" one of them asked with a grin.
Rumi, seated center as the leader, smiled easily. Too easily. "Raising a cat."
There was a visible glitch in Zoey’s matrix as she froze mid-sip.
Mira’s neck snapped toward Rumi like she just heard a fire alarm. The MC perked up. "Wait, I thought none of you have cats?" Clearly, they caught on the slip-up and were about to milk the shit out of this error.
Bobby would definitely be dealing with this later, all stressed out and tired.
Rumi, realizing two seconds too late that she'd walked directly into a trap of her own making, stammered, "I mean, it’s not mine. I’m just… helping raise one. Occasionally. I—it’s Aunt Celine’s cat. She’s, um, a little chaotic. Really into trash cans and clay pots."
Mira, still in disbelief, recovered with terrifying speed. "Right. Her aunt’s cat. We’ve met her. Wild creature."
Zoey nodded along, robotic. "We visit sometimes. It's like... a group project now."
Rumi let out a short, too-loud laugh. "Yeah. Co-parenting from a distance."
The MCs looked amused. One even added, "Must be a special cat if three idols are helping raise it. What's her name again?"
Rumi froze.
Mira jumped in. "We—we do not want to share it. For, uh..." She side-eyed Zoey for assistance.
"To protect the cat’s privacy," Zoey offered, tone dry as sand.
"Right. This cat is special and values its peace," Rumi added faintly, praying the cameras couldn’t hear her pulse.
The show moved on, but barely. The MCs had That Look. The kind that said this will definitely trend on Twitter.
As soon as filming ended, Mira whispered through clenched teeth, "Did Derpy bribe you?"
Bobby was preoccupied answering calls, denying rumors, turning down wedding organizers, and pacifying the company executives.
Zoey sighed. "This is the third scandal caused by that cat."
Rumi sank into her chair. "I blacked out. We don’t even have clay pots."
Fortunately—or rather unfortunately—it wasn’t only Rumi who experienced an accidental slip-up despite all their extended plans and efforts to hide the relationship.
Across town, Jinu was filming a completely different program. A chaotic idol variety segment that involved relay games, makeup speed runs, and a bizarre wig-styling challenge.
The final mission? Style a wig on a mannequin head that resembles your ideal partner.
Jinu didn’t hesitate.
He braided it. Neatly. Precisely. With the exact same looped fishtail style Rumi wore during her latest comeback. He even clipped a small ribbon at the end. Then, without thinking, he adjusted the braid slightly to one side, exactly how Rumi preferred it during performances.
The staff paused. There were growing murmurs around the studio. The camera zoomed in as he twisted the last strands into place. His movements were careful, practiced. Too practiced. There was something almost tender about the way he tucked the ribbon in and smoothed the top of the wig’s synthetic hair like it was a real person.
Abby stopped styling his mannequin and squinted. "That braid looks familiar."
Jinu blinked, suddenly aware of his hand placement, the way he’d cradled the wig stand like something precious. "I... just really like symmetry."
Jumping into Abby’s innocent question, the MC said, "You’ve done this before," raising a brow.
Jinu paused mid-motion. "What? No. I just... watched a lot of styling tutorials."
Romance leaned closer and, none the wiser, uttered the series of words that would induce Jinu’s (and their managers’) worst nightmares in the upcoming weeks. "That’s Rumi’s braid. Isn’t that Rumi’s braid?"
The staff exchanged looks. The camera didn’t cut.
Jinu blinked and gave the mannequin a gentle spin on the stand. "I like balance. And pattern work."
No one bought his lie. Online, screenshots exploded.
Fans stitched the moment side by side with a screengrab of Rumi’s last stage. Same braid. Same ribbon. Same suspiciously fond expression.
Top comment: Bro braided his way into a scandal.
To make things worse, a staff member filmed Jinu adjusting the mannequin again between takes, humming softly to himself. That clip? 2 million views in under five hours. Someone edited the footage to include sparkles and soft filter hearts.
As heart-fluttering as the edit was, Jinu had to admit—he liked and bookmarked the post already.
However, the reality of the consequences daunted him as their names were in the top trends once again, glaring at his members who clearly set fire to the already extinguished rumors.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” Jinu calmly but angrily asked Romance the moment they entered the van after filming. Romance only smiled, scratching his head in defeat.
Abby defended their mishap and said, “Well, dude, it’s not like the people believed you were not dating anyway!”
Jinu’s ears perked up, elated. “Really?”
The grunt of disapproval from Mystery shook him back to reality once again. They are so bad at this.
jinu's slip-ups did not stop there.
Later that week, Jinu was spotted at a cooking variety show, where he accidentally let slip his favorite dish to make at home. “Kimchi jjigae—my girlfriend likes it extra spicy with anchovies.” He blinked, immediately realizing. “I mean—my mom. My mom likes it. I call her girlfriend. As a joke.”
It did not help.
The host, confused but entertained, gave him a thumbs-up. “We love a close family.”
Amidst the chaos, Mira was casting a curse on Jinu as Rumi scrolled through the clips at their dorm.
"That stupid boyfriend of yours had one job," Mira muttered, glaring at Jinu’s mumbling mess on the screen. The variety show did not spare him at all.
Zoey deadpanned, "I told you we should’ve given him your haircut chart. I knew it was bound to happen when he said they're going to that show."
Rumi groaned and sank into the couch. Derpy leapt onto her lap, triumphant.
Somewhere in the world, the chaos cat had won again.