<OST: Start - Gaho>
"Hello...?"
"Jungkook-ah, it's me-" Jieun fiddled with her fingernails as she sat down on the couch in her living room, speaking to Jungkook on the phone. "You busy...?"
"No, I just finished recording for today and was about to rest..." Jungkook explained. "Why?"
"Ah, you must be tired then-" Jieun inhaled sharply. "It's alright, it's not important. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright? Rest well, Jungkook-ah."
"Huh? No, it's fine-" Jungkook let out a small chuckle. "I was just about to call you after I was done packing up, anyway. I wanted to hear your voice... and also ask you how your day was."
"Ah, alright then-" Jieun continued uneasily, not sure if this was the appropriate time to broach the subject, considering the fact that Jungkook's concert was barely a month away. "My day was fine, what about you? Did recording go well today...?"
"Yes, it went really well..." Jungkook's voice trailed off. "But you don't sound fine at all, though."
Damn it, dating her for a few months had given him a way of figuring out her moods just on her voice alone. It was a good thing, mostly - since he always knew when to apologise or clarify things with her. But it was also annoying sometimes, especially during the times when she wanted to hide her emotions from him so as to not pressurise him during stressful times in his life.
"I'm really fine!" Jieun forced a little laugh, to assure Jungkook. "Why, do I not sound fine? Maybe I'm just tired... I was busy trying out some new makeup products at Etude House's prelaunch today."
Silence.
"Well, that's definitely not your tired voice-" Jungkook pointed out sharply. "Hey, you know you can tell me anything, right? What's up...?"
Jieun sighed loudly. He had really changed to become such an observant and sweet guy.
"Hm-"
"Go on, I'm listening."
"I, well-" Jieun struggled to find a nice way to put it, but eventually decided that the best way was just to be honest. "I'm not gonna lie to you, these few months have been really difficult for me, trying to keep up our relationship mostly via calls and only being able to go visit you once in a while in secret... I'm really, really tired."
A long, long pause.
"Wait-" Jungkook's voice broke. "Lee Jieun, are you breaking up with me...?"
Jieun couldn't speak for a while, unable to understand how that thought could even cross Jungkook's mind. She burst into laughter because of how absurd the question seemed.
"Wait, what?"
"Oh my goodness, thank God-" Jieun could literally imagine Jungkook holding his chest and heaving a sigh of relief on the couch in his recording room. "Thank God you're laughing, I thought you sounded so serious because you were about to break up with me for not spending enough time with you."
"JK, what on earth?" Jieun burst into laughter. "How does saying that things have been tough for me equate to me wanting to break up with you...? No, never! I'm not breaking up with you... ever - not after all that we've been through together. Why would you even think of that?"
"Well, I guess it just stems from my own worries and insecurities-" Jungkook admitted with a loud sigh. "I know that me having this concert was going to put pressure on you as well, and I guess I just thought the worst when you called. But... I'm glad I'm wrong."
"Of course you're wrong, you silly-" Jieun pouted. "I just wanted to talk about how I felt... since I met Kim Taehyung today and he gave me some ideas."
"Urgh, that hyung-" Jungkook scoffed. "What ideas did he put in your head this time...?"
"I was just thinking..." Jieun hesitated. "Perhaps we could go public with our relationship."
There was a long pause on Jungkook's end.
"You wanna go public?" Jungkook hesitated. "I thought we talked about this before."
"But things have changed since then, hasn't it?" Jieun pursed her lips, fiddling with her fingers once more. "I used to be a nobody, but now I'm someone the public knows. Firstly, it makes it even harder for us to date outside without getting caught. Secondly, perhaps people will be more accepting of us, now that I'm more compatible with you."
Jungkook didn't speak for a quite a while.
"You don't remember how badly Jennie was cussed out for 'dating' me back then, do you?"
"I do, of course I remember-" Jieun sighed. "But I just thought that maybe that still wouldn't be as bad as when they came to my company to make a huge fuss for me supposedly dating you and all that back then-"
"You really wanna go public with our relationship?"
"I-" Jieun pursed her lips. "No, I was just thinking about it. Like... if we dated openly, do you think things would be better than the way they are now? If so, that's what I want. Either way, the general public will have to find out eventually. It's just a matter of sooner or later."
"I suppose you're prepared for what's to come when you say that then-" Jungkook inhaled sharply. "You know it won't be easy for neither you nor me, right?"
"I know-" Jieun swallowed. "I didn't really want to talk to you about this right now, since you're still busy with concert prep and stuff. But after talking to Taehyung, it was just something that popped into my mind - like, perhaps we could date openly after you're done with the concert. So... yeah, that's where my headspace is at right now. I also wanna know what you think."
Jungkook thought for a while.
"I'm fine with that."
"You are?" Jieun furrowed her eyebrows as she sat up straight on the couch. "You really are?"
"You know what my qualms are-" Jungkook sighed. "I've told you how I felt before. I don't care what people say about me on the Internet - all I care about is that you, Lee Jieun, are safe. That's all that matters to me."
Jieun's heart swelled.
"There has been dating rumours between us circulating the Internet for a long time now," Jungkook continued. "I've seen really nasty things being said about me... but I literally do not care. As long as you can take it, there's nothing I'm afraid of. Let's do it, Lee Jieun. Let's hold on tight to each other and take the leap of faith."
"You'll really do that with me?"
"Mm, of course-" Jungkook's smile was evident in his voice. "Who else could I possibly do this with?"
-•-•-
<ONE MONTH LATER>
"Ya! Ahn Hyejin-ssi!" Hoseok yelled as he fiddled with his camera, trying to rush. "Can you hurry up? Kim Chungha is already waiting outside for us!"
"I'm hurrying!" Hyejin yelled back as she tied her hair in a bun while waiting for the printer to finish with the documents. "Chill, we still have time!"
"Urgh, I can stand you for real-" Hoseok turned to Namjoon with a complaining frown. "Bujang-nim, look at Hyejin-ssi! She's holding us back!"
"She's right though, you still have time-" Namjoon chuckled as he leaned against Hoseok's desk, sipping his coffee calmly. "You need to chill, Hoseok-ssi."
"Bujang!" Hoseok glared at him. "You're just siding with her because you like her."
Silence.
"Mmhmm, it's true-" Namjoon shrugged. "But also because she's right. Calm down, son."
"Urgh, I can't stand you both-" Hoseok meddled with his camera hastily. "I cannot imagine the day Hyejin-ssi agrees to dating you - you're gonna show her so much favouritism I'm gonna have to quit the company."
"Well, that won't happen-" Namjoon shrugged.
"What won't happen?" Hoseok raised his eyebrows. "Hyejin-ssi agreeing to dating you?"
"No, I meant... you leaving-" Namjoon said nonchalantly, while sipping on his coffee. "That's not gonna happen because I don't show favouritism."
"Well, we'll never know-" Hoseok scoffed. "I can't imagine how you're gonna be like when you two actually start dating... yikes."
Namjoon grinned knowingly at Hyejin, who let out a little scoff.
"Finally, we're done here-" Hyejin grabbed the papers and strutted over to where Namjoon and Hoseok were. "Let's go now."
"Okay, let's go, Hyej-" Hoseok packed his camera into his bag and looked up, his sentence being cut off halfway. "Why on earth are you two grinning at me like that...?"
"It's nothing-" Hyejin grinned. "Pack your bag, oppa."
"This is really suspicious..."
"Actually-" Namjoon grabbed onto Hyejin's hand suddenly and raised it up for Hoseok to see. "Actually, Hyejin-ssi and I are dating."
Hoseok almost dropped his camera bag on his foot.
"No, you aren't."
"No, like-" Namjoon glanced at Hyejin for backup. "We actually are."
Hoseok froze. "Since when?"
Hyejin smiled shyly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Maybe... since a month ago?"
"Liars-" Hoseok scoffed. "If you guys were dating, I would have been the first one to know."
Namjoon looked amused. "Oh, really?"
Chungha came walking in at the perfect moment.
"Ya, Chungha-ya, good that you're here-" Hoseok pulled her over and pointed at the pair. "You won't believe this. Listen to me carefully - the two of them... they're dating."
Chungha paused for a whole minute.
"Isn't it ridiculous...?" Hoseok laughed. "I can't believe they think I'm gullible enough to pull a fast one on me-"
"You didn't know?" Chungha looked at Hoseok funny, shoving her bag into his hands before picking up the camera bag. "Stop wasting time right now and quickly follow me."
"W-Wha...?" Hoseok gasped dramatically as Chungha dragged him away. "The two of you... how on earth... since when... why did I not... huh...?"
Namjoon and Hyejin exchanged giggles as Chungha and Hoseok left the office.
"I'm pretty sure he's the last one in the office to know," Hyejin commented as she nudged Namjoon in the ribcage.
"Well..." Namjoon shrugged. "I thought it was pretty obvious... but knowing how clueless he is, I'm not surprised that he still didn't get it up till this point."
"No wonder he always kept insisting on joining us at our after-work dinner dates-" Hyejin sighed, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "Even after Chungha sunbae-nim kept telling him to read the room on several occasions, he still insisted on coming. It's pretty funny, actually."
"He changed a lot," Namjoon admitted. "I mean, I guess he was always kinda clueless, but always serious about his work. But I used to be really, really uneasy around him."
"Because of Chungha sunbae-nim...?"
"Well, there's that-" Namjoon sighed. "But also, maybe I was always a little jealous of him in other areas as well. I always wondered how he had this aura about him that made people like him."
"You have that aura too, bujang-" Hyejin frowned. "Why don't you see it?"
"Well, I do now-" Namjoon grinned as he patted Hyejin on the head. "And a lot of it is thanks to you, Hyejin-ah. Thank you for always standing by me and supporting me. I have grown so much over the past year - both as a boss and overall, as a person. Thank you for being by my side especially at times when I needed you the most."
Hyejin smiled from ear to ear as she grabbed Namjoon's hand and squeezed it tightly. "You did the same for me too - you always provided me with the support and encouragement when I needed it most. I wouldn't be this confident and capable today if not for you, so thank you."
Namjoon smiled as he gave Hyejin a quick hug. "Anyway, you better go before you're really late. Hoseok-ssi and Chungha-ssi are waiting outside for you."
Hyejin let out a little sigh as she let go of Namjoon and waved goodbye to him. "Alright then, I'll go now. See you tonight?"
"See you tonight-" Namjoon nodded with a smile as he leaned against Hoseok's desk and waved back at Hyejin. "Go get it, my little champ."
-•-•-
"Do I look okay?"
"Do you look okay-" Yoongi stifled a little chuckle as he scanned Jennie from head to toe across the car. "Other than the fact that you look like you're allergic to sunlight... yeah, I guess - you look good."
"Really?"
Jennie momentarily pulled her sunglasses down so that she could see Yoongi. She had dressed up completely from head to toe in black baggy clothing and covered her face with a cap, a mask, a scarf and sunglasses... but was still acting like a prisoner who had just escaped from jail. Of course she didn't look okay.
"To be honest...?" Yoongi hesitated. "No, you look like a runaway fugitive, Kim Jennie."
"Damn it-" Jennie sighed as she ripped her sunglasses off and threw it at a side. "I give up, I'm not gonna disguise myself anymore. You hardly even put in any effort in hiding yourself - you're just wearing your regular clothes and a cap... why should I dress up so conservatively?"
"I'm not the one who said you had to disguise yourself-" Yoongi shrugged. "You're the one who insisted that we couldn't be seen together."
Jennie stared at Yoongi.
"Why can't we just hang out?" Yoongi shrugged. "I don't care about what the media says at this point."
"You know what..." Jennie sighed as she pulled off her mask and scarf. "You make sense."
"Of course I do."
"Who cares what the world thinks anymore-" Jennie smiled a little as she glanced at Yoongi. "Who cares what the media says. We're just friends? So be it. We're a couple? So what? The world will never be able to define who we are. The world will never to define how much you mean to me. As long as you know, and I know, that's good enough."
The corners of Yoongi's lips curled up a little. "Exactly, I've always wanted to hear this from you."
"You always make me feel brave, oppa-" Jennie smiled brightly. "I may still be on the path to full recovery now, but with you by my side, I just know I'm gonna make it one day."
"Same for me-" Yoongi smiled. "You make me feel brave, Jennie."
Jennie beamed as she stared at Yoongi for a while.
"Now, let's be serious though-" Jennie changed the subject as she fixed her hair a little. "Do I look okay?"
"Mm-" Yoongi grinned as he pushed a strand of hair out of Jennie's face. "You look perfect."
Jennie blushed. "Well, thank you. I'm so excited... this is the first concert I've ever attended."
Yoongi frowned. "Seriously?"
"Mmhmm-" Jennie sighed. "I started preparing to become an actress at a young age so before that I never really got to experience the way usual teenagers got to live - make new friends, hang out at parties, go to concerts... all that jazz. And ever since I debuted, it was hard I guess - firstly, the company would never allow me to go to a concert; secondly, the crowd would probably engulf me and I'd get a massive panic attack. So... I never got to go. This is my first and I'm nervous and actually a little scared... but also really excited."
"Well, there's always a first to everything-" Yoongi said with an assuring smile. "Finally telling you about my whole life story was scary... My first time eating out with you was really scary too. And well... my first time riding a car with you was terrifying. The only thing that kept me grounded was because you were by my side... and I hope my presence can bring you that kind of assurance too."
"Of course it does," Jennie said with a smile. "You know that, oppa - I tell you that all the time. Knowing that you're next to me always brings me a sense of security and calmness... because I know you'll always have my back. I'm looking forward to facing this concert with you tonight... and everything else then on from here."
Yoongi smiled, and Jennie beamed back. Then he slowly reached out a hand across the drinks holder between them.
"You ready?"
Jennie nodded as she reached out and took hold of Yoongi's hand, smiling at him from ear to ear.
"I'm ready."