I couldn't wait for our girls' night out. It had been a tough week, and I needed a break from the competition drama.

As we stepped into the bustling streets of Itaewon, the neon lights and lively music filled the air. We were all dressed to the nines, ready for a night out. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about being in such a lively atmosphere with so many people around. But I pushed the feeling down and focused on having a good time with my fellow trainees.

We made our way into a trendy cocktail bar, and the place was packed. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and the chatter of people. I could see everyone's excitement for the night ahead.

We took a seat at a booth near the back, and I ordered a cocktail. I could feel the tension in the air between Gio and Allison. It was like watching a tennis match, but with passive-aggressive comments instead of balls.

I took a seat next to Allison and tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, have you guys tried the cocktail with the cute little umbrella in it? It's the perfect accessory for our Instagram photos."

Allison rolled her eyes, but I could see a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'll stick to my whiskey sour, thanks."

The fact that Gio and Allison were still at each other's throats after all these weeks, was becoming a running joke amongst us. "Can't you two just kiss and make up?" Briar teased, earning a glare from Gio.

Nina was sitting on my side of the round table and was full of energy as she told us stories about her American high school days. "You guys wouldn't believe the drama that went down in the cheerleading squad. It was like Mean Girls, but with pom-poms."

Briar and Ara were deep in conversation about their early trainee days together, while Billie still looked a little down about the leaked news article about her heritage. I reached over and squeezed her hand, silently telling her that we had her back.

We all laughed, yet Billie just gave the room a soft barely there smile.

We tried to lift her spirits with jokes and funny stories. But the talk eventually shifted to the competition, and we couldn't help but discuss the boys.

Choonhae kept mentioning Yujin, and I could tell she was smitten. "Oh my gosh, Choonhae, just ask him out already! You're practically glowing every time you talk about him," Billie teased her.

As we chatted and laughed, I couldn't help but let my mind drift to Kooyoung. We had been getting closer over the past few weeks, and I couldn't help but feel a little giddy whenever I thought about him. I tried to keep my cool and not let anyone notice, but of course, Ara had to call me out.

"Lux, you're being awfully quiet. What's on your mind?" she asked with a smirk.

I felt myself blushing. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about...stuff."

Allison raised an eyebrow. "Is it Hui? We all know you two were secretly dating."

I nearly spit out my drink. "What?! No way! We're just friends, guys."

Gio chimed in, "Yeah, and Bongcha is just a harmless kitten."

We all groaned, knowing that Bongcha was far from harmless. She was like a snake, always ready to strike.

We continued to chat and gossip about the other boys in the competition, but my mind kept drifting back to Kooyoung. I knew I had to be careful and not let anyone catch on, especially since he was in a different agency. But as the night went on and the drinks flowed, I couldn't help but feel a little daring.

As we continued to chat, the conversation shifted to Hanbin and Allison. The girls all started whispering and giggling about it, except for me. I knew the truth about their relationship, but it was hard to keep it a secret. I just smiled and took a sip of my drink, not wanting to stir the pot.

I couldn't help but notice that Gio was acting a bit off. She kept fidgeting with her phone and seemed to be lost in thought. I nudged her and asked, "You okay, Gio?"

She looked up at me, surprised, and then gave me a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind, you know?" she replied, her eyes darting around the table.

I knew better than to press her on it, but Jisoo couldn't take any hints. She asked Gio of all people. "So, Giovanna, what do you think of Gunwook and Bongcha?" She asked and the entire table became silent as if Jisoo had dropped a bomb.

Gio looked up from her drink and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked. I could tell by the ticking vein on top of her forehead, that she was getting angry, but if you didn't know her well, you couldn't tell.

"Well, there have been rumors that they're together," Jisoo said, hoping to get a reaction from the others.

Briar scoffed. "Please, like anyone would want to be with Bongcha," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Nina giggled. "I don't know about Bongcha, but we all have eyes. Gunwook is kind of cute in a bad boy sort of way," she said, winking at us.

Gio snorted. "More like a douchebag in a bad boy sort of way," she muttered, her eyes fixed on her phone.

I could tell she was still preoccupied, so I decided to change the subject. "So, Billie, what about you and Keita?" I asked, a mischievous glint in my eye.

Billie blushed and looked down at her drink. "What about us?" she asked, trying to play it cool.

"Oh, come on, we all know you have a crush on him," Allison said, grinning.

Billie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile on her face. "We are just friends!" she said, shrugging.

We all laughed and continued chatting, but I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt about my own situation. Kooyoung, our trainer, was also a part of this competition, and I couldn't tell the girls about our secret relationship. It was starting to weigh on me, and I wondered how long we could keep it up before someone found out.