Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

Mary Anne Radmacher

JENNIE

Lalisa leaves with Rosé after we finish eating. She has some commercial properties to look at and clients to meet, and I have packing and homework to do anyways.

The smug look on Rosé's face when she walks out of the penthouse with Lalisa annoys me. I'm not jealous that they're spending time together. I'm irritated that she has the power to ruin my future, and judging by how petty she was earlier and the faces she makes at me when Lalisa's not looking, she seems like the type to use it.

I am left with strict instructions to return to my dorms with one of Lalisa's guards and discretely clear my dorm room. I text Doyeon, informing her that I am on my way, and forward my ironclad leasing contract to Lalisa's email address before I leave. She promised that she'll get it nullified when she has the chance, and it will be like I never even signed it.

And my name is Aphrodite, and I invented the orgasm.

I can be delusional, too.

While Mino, the guard that scanned the VIP level for bugs two nights ago, drives me to Vaserley, I consider what I will tell Doyeon. As my best friend (well, my only friend), she needs answers and probably won't stop until she gets them.

I don't think she'll tell anyone that my relationship with Lalisa is fake, but I don't want to take the chance. As much as I like her, I've only known her for about a month, after all. Plus, I already signed an NDA, so I legally can't tell her anything anyway.

On the other hand, I know that Doyeon has a pretty good nose for bullshit. She'll recognize if I'm lying to her, and I have to tell her something. If it can't be a lie, the only alternative is the truth.

Plus, she's aware of the timeline of our relationship. She thinks that Lalisa and I have only really just met yesterday. She'll call bullshit on a one-day engagement, and so will anyone else if they know that Lalisa and I only just properly met.

But as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Lalisa and I have looked as cozy as a couple should each time we've been seen in public together. For instance, when she stalked me around campus, she always either had her arm around my shoulders or held my hand in one of her. When I was at her club two nights ago, the staff gave Doyeon and me the VIP treatment, immediately ushering us to Lalisa on the VIP level.

I also practically dry humped Lalisa on the dance floor in front of everyone, but I don't want to think about that. It's currently the Voldemort of my life right now, never to be named nor spoken about.

Anyway, the cherry on top is that we left the club together, we went to dinner with her family, and I just left Lalisa's place after staying with her the whole weekend, although I did so out of her private garage in a black town car with windows tinted pitch black…

Lalisa's favorite color, of course.

I go over our relationship cover story again: The first night I went to Rogue, we locked eyes and it was love at first sight. She followed me outside, where we talked and had our first kiss. When I left, I forgot my phone in the restroom due to the chaos.

Lalisa was so taken by me, she tracked me down, using my phone as an excuse when what she really wanted was a date. By the time she found me and gave it back, I already had a new phone, but I was still moved by the gesture. I agreed to the date, and we've been dating in secret ever since. She proposed to me last week outside of Rogue, where we had our first kiss.

It's like a modern day Cinderella story, only I lost a burner phone not a glass slipper.

And it's also a botched version of the truth, which just makes it easier to remember. Of course, we switched the timeline a little, so she supposedly found me three weeks ago, and we fell quickly in love. Even though it would be more realistic, we can't press the timeline back any further, since I only arrived in the country a month ago on the first night I went to Rogue.

We'll just have to work harder to sell how smitten we are.

Joy.

"We're here, Miss Kim," Mino says, as he pulls the car into one of the visitor's spots.

"Jennie," I correct, automatically.

I sigh, because I still haven't figured out what to do about Doyeon. I decide to just ask Lalisa. I text her on the number she programmed into my phone days ago in the top secret lab.

Jennie: What do I tell Doyeon?

Lalisa: Mino has an NDA for her to sign.

Jennie: K…

I frown. It took Lalisa less than a minute to reply, almost as if she had been waiting for the text. And Mino is already prepped with an NDA catered to Doyeon? This feels like a setup, my first test of loyalty.

I would bet my life that Lalisa wanted to know whether or not I'll break my NDA to tell Doyeon about us. I didn't. I passed this first test, but what about the next? And what would have happened if I hadn't passed?

Mino follows me into the building. We pass one of the students manning the front desk. Her eyes widen when she sees Mino. I understand her reaction. He's tall, handsome and well-built, even under the fabric of his suit.

But he isn't as handsome as Lalisa. Because of Lalisa, I'm quickly becoming immune to attractive men. My heart doesn't even quicken when I enter my hall and catch sight of Kai, my hall's program coordinator and Vaserley Hall's very own heartthrob.

Kai is a senior. Not only is he brainy, but he's also tall and super attractive in the all-American, Abercrombie and Fitch kind of way. Doyeon and the other girls in the hall were obsessed with him as soon as they laid eyes on him. Even I thought he was hot when I first met him the day after the whole Rogue incident that left me walking around with my tail tucked between my legs for a month.

I still think he's attractive, and this is post-Lalisa engagement… but I resent him, nevertheless. He's actually the original source of the Krystal vs. Doyeon rivalry. Both of the girls think they saw him first, and both of them want him, never mind the fact that R.A.s and P.C.s are not allowed to hook up with their residents.

"Hey, Jen," Kai greets me. "Whoa." His eyes widen when he sees Mino.

Vaserley is a co-ed dorm, and bringing people of the opposite gender into our rooms is allowed, but I think Kai is dazed because I'm one of the few who have yet to do it. Up until now, that is.

It's not that I'm opposed to the idea. It's just that I've been too focused on staying alive after calling the cops at Rogue to even consider meeting boys. Now, I'm fake engaged to one and bringing another into my room. It's crazy how much has changed in just one weekend.

"Kai, this is Mino," I say. And because he'll probably find out soon enough, I add, "He's helping me move out."

"You're moving out?" Kai looks blindsided.

"Yep," I confirm, but I don't add anything else. It's none of his business. That was just a courtesy notice.

I step past him, while Kai and Mino do some weird head nod greeting that I always see guys do. When I walk into my room, Doyeon is already laying on my bed, patiently waiting for me. She sits up as soon as she sees me.

Before she can talk, I hand her the NDA I got from Mino in the car and say, "You have to sign this before I can tell you anything."

Doyeon's eyes widen as she scans the NDA. "Oh, my Gosh! This is so exciting. It's like you're dating a real life Christian Grey. Is she into BDSM? Does she want you to be her submissive?" She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "Does she have a red room at her place?"

I flush at the idea of Lalisa using me as her submissive. Then, I rub at my temples, trying to fight the burgeoning headache Doyeon's bringing on with her fire round of questions. "Sign first. Then, I'll talk."

She nods and signs, just like that. I don't even think she fully read the NDA. Before I can say anything, Mino enters the room behind me, bumping the door into my body, which was in its trajectory. I fall to the ground, landing on one of Doyeon's spiky heels and scraping my palms against the sharp point. It draws blood, and I glare at Doyeon for leaving her shit all over the place, but she's too busy looking at Mino.

"Fuck. Sorry, Miss Kim," Mino says. The curse sounds funny juxtaposed beside the formal use of my last name.

"Jennie," I correct.

Again.

After all, Mino works for Lalisa not me.

He helps me up, and I'm amazed when Doyeon remains silent. She's studying Mino with the scrutiny of a FBI profiler.

"Doyeon, this is Mino. Mino, this is my roommate, Doyeon."

Mino nods at Doyeon. "Hello."

He holds his hand out for her to shake, but she leaves him hanging. There's another minute of silence before a look of understanding spreads across her face.

She whips her gaze from Mino to me and says, "You kinky bitch! You had a threesome, didn't you?" She waves the NDA that is still in her hands. "That's what this is about, isn't it?! You didn't even think to invite me?! That hurts! Do you guys need a fourth?" Her eyes rake over Mino's form as she licks her lips. "I volunteer as tribute!" She stands up and lifts a leg and an arm in a buzz light year pose.

"Doyeon," I groan. "That's Buzz Lightyear. You're trying to do Katniss Everdeen."

But she isn't done. She sits back down with a dramatic humph. "Tell me, Loosey Goosey." She rolls her eyes at my cringe. She knows how much I hate the nickname. "I signed the damn thing." She waves the NDA again. It flaps wildly in her hands. "Was it MMF? MFM? You have to at least tell me that."

Before she rips it with all of her waving, I pluck the nondisclosure agreement from her fingers and place it safely in a folder from my desk. I hand it to Mino, who slips it into the front of his suit.

I turn back to Doyeon. "What are you talking about? What do those letters even mean?"

I look to Mino for help, but he has an amused expression on his face that hasn't left his chiseled features since he met Doyeon. He quirks an eyebrow at me.

That's helpful.

"Gosh, Jennie," Doyeon says. "You need to read more." Under her breath, she mutters, "And to think I thought she's the smart one…"

"I—"

She starts to cut me off. Before she can say anything else, I cover Doyeon's mouth with my palm. It's my bloody one.

Oops.

"Ew!" she shrieks.

Mino passes her a handkerchief, and I swear she swoons. I groan. We're getting nowhere at this rate.

I grab a new tube of Starbursts from my secret stash in my dresser and hold it up. "This is the Holy Stick," I wince at my dirty choice of words, "and whoever is holding it gets to speak. Everyone else has to stay quiet."

I look pointedly at Doyeon, because, really, Mino hasn't even said five words since he entered the room. The stick is to shut Doyeon up and no one else. She leaps for the stick, but Mino cuts in front of me, quicker than lightning, preventing Doyeon's body from reaching mine. It's then that I realize that he isn't just here to help me move out. He's my bodyguard.

Holy Hell.

I have a personal bodyguard.

This is a crazy reminder of the kind of life Lalisa lives, the kind of life I've gotten myself into.

I clear my throat. And then I clear it again, because I can feel a panic attack coming on. I take a deep breath and answer Doyeon's questions one by one. "As far as I can tell, the only similarities between Lalisa Manoban and Christian Grey are their wealth, reclusiveness, and attractiveness.

"I'm not sure if Lalisa's into BDSM. I wouldn't know. No, she doesn't want me to be her submissive. I don't think she has a red room. No, we didn't have a threesome. We didn't even have a twosome," though we almost did. "That isn't what this is about.

"We're not going to have a foursome either, and," I take a much needed breath, "if I were to have a foursome, you would not be in it, you weirdo!" I pause, wondering if I covered all of her questions. "Oh, and I also don't know what MMM and FM or whatever you said means, so I can't answer that."

Doyeon backs away from Mino and returns to her perch on my bed. "Okay," she drags out the word. "So, if you guys didn't have sex and she didn't ask you to be her submissive, what did she want?"

I steal a glance at Mino, wondering if he knows that my engagement with Lalisa is fake. He was there when Lalisa announced our engagement, but I'm not sure if he heard Lalisa and me talking afterward or if Lalisa told him that it's not real. This might be another test. I can ask Lalisa if he has an NDA, but even if he says yes, he can easily be lying.

I turn back to Doyeon and say, "Hold that thought."

I pull out my phone and text Lalisa.

Jennie: Does Mino know about our deal?

I wait a few minutes, but she doesn't reply. Doyeon is looking antsy, her mouth already opened. I wave the Starburst tube, aka the Holy Stick of permission granting powers. She closes her mouth. Another minute passes, and I lose my patience.

"Be right back," I say and dart into the hall.

I run into the bathroom and slam the door in front of Mino's face. No way am I letting him follow me into the bathroom. I have boundaries. I dial Lalisa's number, tapping my toes on the tile as I wait for her to pick up.

"Hello?" It's Rosé.

"Hey, Rosé. Can you put Lalisa on the phone?" I ask sweetly, mindful that she knows the truth and can burn me and Lalisa in a snap.

"Sorry." She doesn't sound sorry at all. "She's in a meeting right now."

I don't believe her. The sound of honking in the background confirms my suspicions.

I roll my eyes, my tolerance for Rosé already gone. "No, she's not. Put her on the phone."

"I said she's in a meeting. Are you deaf?"

In the background, I hear Lalisa say, "Who is that?"

"No one," Rosé says at the same time I shout "MEEEEE!!!!!" into the microphone.

I feel like I'm five. Mino peeks his head into the restroom, eyeing me in confusion. I push his head back out with my free hand and close the door again, locking it this time.

There's a shuffle on the line.

"Jennie?" It's Lalisa this time.

"Hey," I say. And because I already shouted like a five year old, I decide to go all in and tattle on Rosé. "Is this a bad time? Rosé said you were in a meeting."

She sucks in her breath. "I wasn't in a meeting. I'll have to talk to Rosé about always putting your calls directly through to me." She pauses. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…" I lower my voice, "I was just wondering if Mino knows about our deal. I already asked you through text, but Doyeon is really itching for me to tell her everything. And Mino is there with us, so I can't say anything if he doesn't know anything."

"Oh. Yeah, he knows. Go ahead and say whatever you want in front of him."

"Okay," I say.

"Okay," she says back.

We stay on the line, not saying anything. It's surprisingly not awkward. I like the sound of her breathing.

Wait… what?!

I like the sound of her breathing?!

Who thinks shit like that?

I don't even recognize myself.

Finally, she says, "See you later? Feel free to help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen. I won't be home until late."

I thank her and hang up the phone, but I'm distracted by what she said.

Home.

It still hasn't sunk in that I'm living with Lalisa, but after hearing her call it that, I'm beginning to realize the gravity of our situation.

I'm about to move in with Lalisa Manoban.

And suddenly, I'm glad Doyeon signed the NDA and I have someone to talk to… Even though she'll inevitably give me some piss poor advice about having sex with Lalisa before she changes her mind about this.

When I enter the hall again, Mino is leaning against the wall beside the bathroom door. Some of the girls are in the hallway chatting with one another, but I can see their eyes darting to Mino. These are the neutrals in the hall, neither ascribing to Doyeon's side nor Krystal's.

Like Switzerland.

I wonder which team Switzerland would be on—#TeamDoyeon or #TeamKrystal? Probably Team Krystal, because Doyeon's really messy. And aren't Swiss people obsessed with cleanliness? I know they like cheese and chocolate, and they vote a bajillion times a year, and they keep to themselves, and they're used to the cold and mountains, and something about Swiss knives, and I wonder if Lalisa has a Swiss knife or likes Swiss girls, and…

Okay, I'm mentally rambling. Again.

Being in the hallway makes me nervous. I'm always on alert, worried that Krystal might round a corner and pounce on me. I'm also trying really hard not to think about how I like Lalisa's breathing, and I'm moving in with her, and—

Nope.

Not thinking about any of it.

The girls eye me curiously but not unkindly when Mino straightens up at the sight of me. I ignore them, because even though they haven't added to Team Krystal's torment of me, they haven't been helping either. Plus, soon they won't be my neighbors anyway. Hopefully, this is the end of my time dealing with Krystal Co., too.

"Sorry," I say to Mino. "I had to ask Lalisa if you know about my deal with him."

"You could have just asked me," he murmurs, keeping his voice appropriately low.

I whisper, too. "No, I couldn't."

He could have lied. We both know it. When I see the look of approval in his eyes, I know I just passed another test. This one may not be from Lalisa, but it's from one of her guards, and that means something. It's flattering, even.

The first words out of my mouth when I enter the dorm room are, "I'm fake engaged to Lalisa Manoban." I grab the Holy Stick from my desk and toss it Doyeon's way.

She's so shocked, she lets it drop to the floor. She recovers, picking it up quickly. "No way."

I hold my handout for the stick and catch it when she throws it my way. "Yep."

She takes the stick. "Who? What? When? Where? And Why?"

I take a deep breath and begin, "Who? Lalisa Manoban in front of Black Enterprise's board of directors.

"What? It was a fake proposal to make her look stable in front of the board. One of the douchenozzles," Mino snorts, "is trying to get Lalisa voted off the island.

"When? Lalisa announced our engagement to the board a couple nights ago, as soon as we headed upstairs after we danced. It caught me the Hell off guard, but I played along.

"Where? It was at the part of the VIP floor that overlooks the rest of the club. That balcony area.

"Why? Like I said, she needs to appear stable in front of the board. They all have wives and families, so marriage is how they judge stability." I toss the Holy Stick her way.

She impresses me by catching it midair. "Wow. You're engaged to Lalisa Manoban."

"Fake engaged," I butt in.

She tuts at me and waves the Holy Stick in my face. "When are you guys having sex?"

I knew it.

I roll my eyes, expecting nothing less of Doyeon. I tug the stick out of her hands. "We aren't. We're fake engaged, I repeat. Fake. Fake. Fake."

She takes the stick. "You don't have to be engaged to someone to have sex. You just have to be near them."

Because Doyeon is on her best behavior, I snatch the stick and toss it in my desk, so we can talk freely without the tedious back and forth. "Fair point."

"I say you use your access to her home to show up in her bed in tiny lingerie. Seduce the Hell out of her."

I roll my eyes. "That would make the rest of this engagement so awkward."

"Sex is only awkward if the two consenting parties are immature or not ready to have it." She looks me up and down. "What you're experiencing right now isn't a dry spell. Hell, it isn't even a drought. It's a dust bowl. Tell me, do you find cobwebs in there every time you get yourself off?"

Mino snorts beside me.

I glare at him. "I'm not having sex with Lalisa. Drop it."

"Fine." She sighs like she's thinking it's not fine at all. "So, how is this going to work?"

I hesitate. "That's the thing. I'm moving into her place."

She sits up straighter. "But…" A pout crosses her red lips. "What about the dorms? You're my roommate! You can't leave me!"

"I have to! It won't make any sense if I don't live with her."

"But what about me? What about our friendship?"

"We'll be fine! You'll still be my best friend, and I'll be walking distance from you. Lalisa's home is right next to campus."

"Your home," she corrects.

"What?"

"It's your home now, too." Her eyes roam over my tense form. "If you're going to move in together, at least call it your place, too."

I sigh and sit beside her on my bed. "This feels unreal."

She wraps an arm around me. "Please, tell me you'll be sharing the same bed."

I cover my face with my hands. "I don't know. I think we actually will be. Hell, we almost did the first night until she got up and slept on the floor. I think she did that for me. We haven't slept together since."

She stands up, rummages through her closet, and then hands me something. "Here. Keep it. She won't know what hit her."

I glance down at what she gave me. It's a slinky negligee, cute and sexy all at once. No way am I wearing this anywhere near Lalisa.

"Thanks," I say, because I know she'll fight back if I decline her gift.

She narrows her eyes in suspicion, but she doesn't call me out on my bullshit. "I guess you're here to pack up your stuff, huh?"

I nod. "She wants me out of here by the end of the day."

She stands up. "Come on. I'll help you."

I astound us both when I stand up and wrap my arms around her in a hug. One she honestly deserves. She really is a great friend.

We spend the next half hour packing with Mino's help. It doesn't take long, because as an orphan, I don't have much. It takes Mino only two trips to carry all of my possessions to the car. While he's making his last trip, I change out of the LBD from two nights ago, which I threw on again before I left Lalisa's. I didn't want to wear her shirt down the hall while I did my walk of shame. And the evening gown would have drawn way too much attention.

I pull on a romper I put aside while packing earlier and throw my dress into my backpack with the rest of my schoolwork. Then, I'm hugging Doyeon goodbye like it's the last time we'll ever see each other. I don't know why this feels so final. I mean, we already agreed to meet at an off-campus restaurant for lunch later next week.

But my gut is telling me that this is the end of something.

I just don't know what.