A/N: Surprise!
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"Jihee! It's starting!" Yoona yelled as she settled into the couch, eyes glued to the television screen.
"This is for his new drama right?" Jihee asked as she sat on the couch.
"Yeah! Now shush, I can't hear them!" Yoona leaned forward as the camera focused on Jin. Her heart did a little somersault when he broke into a smile as the camera focused on him, almost as if he knew that she was watching him.
"I am still a little surprised that this is actually happening. I didn't expect you to agree to do this one-on-one interview." The interviewer said, giving Jin a knowing smile.
"He seems quite comfortable with Jin. Do they know each other?" Jihee asked.
"Yeah, they actually went to university together and are close," Yoona said.
"It's an honour to be interviewed by you! There was nothing to consider when you proposed this to me!" Jin smiled, while silently cursing his friend for blackmailing him into doing this.
"He's being sarcastic, isn't he?" Yoona nodded to Jihee's question. "Something to do with losing a bet," Yoona explained.
"Well, I am glad that we could work something out! So let's begin with discussing your tour and congratulating you for its success."
"Oh, thank you! We are so happy that we could meet so many of our fans and the love we received from them is unbelievable."
Yoona smiled at the sincerity with which Jin looked directly at the camera expressed his gratitude towards their fans.
"Thank you so much for always supporting us and we will continue to work and show you a better BTS."
"I am sure everyone is eagerly waiting for your next comeback and while they wait, they get to see you on a platform not explored by you. This is your first project in the field of acting."
"Yes. It's actually the first time for Cho Jiyeon and me. You would think after being in front of cameras for so long, it would have been easier but it was a completely different experience."
"Cho Jiyeon plays the female protagonist. How was your experience working with her? Both of you come from the same stream of work so it must have been nice to have someone you know on set."
"The industry we work in is quite big and knowing everyone is quite difficult. Jiyeon and I had met on a couple of music shows when we were promoting our albums but we hadn't really gotten a chance to interact beyond that, so we were acquaintances at best. However, after working together, I can say we have become really good friends. So working with her was an enjoyable experience."
"Oh, right! Cho Jiyeon! She's pretty! Is he explaining so much because of the rumours?" Jihee asked.
"Yeah. People were speculating that Jiyeon got the role only because of her 'relationship' with Jin when they barely even knew each other. She's a really nice person too and to see that she got so much negative attention for it even after their respective companies had issued statements clearing it all."
Jin and Yoona had done their best to support Jiyeon when she was going through all the backlash. Jin by convincing the creators of the drama not to replace Jiyeon and Yoona by supporting her as a friend. Both of them had grown really fond of her.
"That's horrible!" Jihee exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was. But I am glad it all blew over and everyone is looking forward to the drama."
"Well, it didn't exactly blow over. People just found something else to focus on, courtesy Ms. Min Yoona," Jihee teased while wiggling her eyebrows at Yoona.
Yoona blushed recalling the kiss that had taken all of South Korea by storm. "In my defence, I didn't know we were being followed! Jin assured me that we were safe from cameras!"
The interview continued in the background. Jin answered questions regarding the plot of the drama, the actors he worked with, his overall experience, his future plans and all other generic questions that Yoona had heard him answer in all the previous interviews.
"So let's get to the main point of the interview." The interviewer said, keeping away his cue cards.
"Took you long enough," Jin laughed at his friend while his stomach churned with nervousness.
"I was just warming you up. Let's talk about the kiss that everyone woke up to a couple of months back."
This question instantly caught Yoona and Jihee's drifting attention.
"Wait, did he actually ask that? Is he allowed to ask that?"Jihee sat up in shock.
"I don't know! It's a live interview, they can't even edit it out!" Yoona was instantly on her feet, scared about where this interview was going.
Almost instantly Yoona and Jihee's phones started ringing. Yoona ignored her phone but Jihee went to her room to answer the calls.
"Neither you nor your company has come forward and addressed the situation which seemed quite odd considering how the picture spread like wildfire. How about you give your fans and everyone else what they have been waiting for all this while?" The interviewer gave Jin an encouraging nod and smile.
Seeing that Yoona finally understood that it wasn't just a bet that had gotten Jin to do this interview. He had chosen to do it with a person he trusted. She sat down on the couch, unsure of what was going to happen.
Jin let out a deep breath and a smile immediately played on his lips, like it did every time he thought of Yoona.
"We decided not the address it because I didn't want to put forward a statement denying that the person in the photo was me or that the person with me is a person I love. It wouldn't have been fair, neither to her, nor to the fans."
Yoona's heart raced hearing Jin say those words. Jin saying it to just her and Jin saying it to her on national television were two completely different things.
"I think I just heard millions of hearts break. I think everyone would be curious to hear about the person who holds the heart of 'ARMY's Heartman'."
"Her presence in my life will not change my love for our fans. I will continue to be their 'Heartman' and love them as always, if not more. The picture which was circulated was an invasion of privacy, hers more than mine because she isn't from the industry and didn't expect to be put on the spot in that manner. So I will refrain from discussing things that would put her privacy at risk and put her in a similar position again."
"Point well made. Being public figures shouldn't mean that every single aspect of your life is meant for dissection by the public just for mere entertainment."
Jin grinned at his friend. His friend had always been good at getting his point across fearlessly. Jin knew he owed his friend for supporting him in doing this.
"Anything else you would like to address to your fans or say to the person you love?"
The interviewer winked at Jin making him laugh. He wasn't sure about the feedback he would be receiving but he knew that his friend would be hearing a lot from his seniors for this informal interview.
"To our fans, I would like to apologize for waiting until now to let you all know. There will come a time when I would like to introduce her to all of you but when it will be done is her decision entirely and I hope you would respect that. She is a person I have loved for a long time and known for a longer time. She has been with me through some challenging times and all I can hope and wish for is that you would understand and accept her just as you did with the seven of us. I love you all and please take care of yourselves."
"Well that was for your fans, how about something for 'her'?"
"Thank you for letting me use your 'unbeliebubble' joke and I am sorry for not giving you credit until now."
Yoona burst out laughing along with the interviewer. She couldn't believe he had actually done it.
Yoona had come across some clips of Jin using her joke and had everyone believing that it was his joke. In order to make up for this gross breach of trust, Yoona had playfully demanded a public apology. But she didn't think that he would actually go through with it.
"Why do I sense that you were forced into doing that?" The interviewer asked, still laughing at what Jin had said.
"Of course not! She deserves to get due credit for her work!" Jin said, smiling like the angel he wasn't.
"Is there anything else you want to apologize for, doing it on national television will guarantee more brownie points?"
"No, I think I am good. For now."
"How about something nice?" The interviewer continued to tease Jin.
"I am not going to fall for that." Jin laughed
"Well, then that's it for today's interview with Kim Seokjin....."
"I can definitely think of a thing or two he could have said," Yoona scoffed as she lowered the volume and finally checked her phone for all the notifications she had ignored.
"And here I thought it would be better to tell you in person. I guess I should go back then." Jin said, dramatically sighing.
Yoona got off the couch to see Jin stroll towards her, his jacket slung over his shoulder and hooked on his thumb. A year together and her heart still raced at the sight of him.
She ran to him, leaping into his arms, straddling her legs at his waist and locking her arms around his neck. Jin laughed at her unexpected excitement as he tried his best to balance both of them and not fall back.
"I missed you too!" Jin murmured into her hair as he felt her tighten her grip. They hadn't seen each other for almost two months due to his overseas shooting schedules.
He walked to the couch, carrying her all the way as she refused to let go of him. He sat down on the couch and Yoona adjusted herself but refused to let go of him. Jin was surprised to see Yoona like this. She hadn't reacted like this even when he came back from being on tour for months together. But then again, there hadn't been any rumours about his relationships with other idols at the time. Yoona hadn't said a word to him but the constant speculation by the media over his relationship with Jiyeon must have bothered her to some extent.
After satisfying the little koala in her, Yoona finally let go of Jin and sat up, still straddling him. "What are you doing here? You told me it was a live interview!"
"Initially it was but I managed to convince them to pre-record so I could come meet you. But I come here to find you complaining, maybe I shouldn't have come." Jin pouted like a whiny little kid. Yoona leaned forward and placed a peck on his pouty lips.
"You had the opportunity to declare your love for me on national television and you didn't do it! I have the right to complain!" Yoona playfully whacked him on the chest.
"You are saying that now. If I had done something like that, you would have been the first one to disown me, followed by the boys. All of you die of embarrassment when I send flying kisses to fans and you are telling me that you wanted to hear a love confession from me on national television?! The double standards, I tell you!"
"Now that I think of it, you are right. Good job on not getting disowned," Yoona patted him on the head which earned her a quick flick on the head.
"I thought as much. I missed you, Yoona. I am sorry the schedule took longer than planned." Jin said as he cupped her face and his thumb stroked her cheek.
Yoona leaned forward until their lips met. She tried to pour everything into that kiss. Hoping it would tell him just how much she had missed him; how much she had yearned for his touch, his warm bear hugs, his passionate kisses. She felt his hands grip her waist, pulling her closer.
"I should stay away more often," Jin smirked, as he broke the kiss.
"Sure. Do that and I'll just find myself someone who isn't afraid to pour his heart out on national television!" Yoona said, her eyebrow cocked in challenge.
"Both of us know that's not happening," Jin said confidently, pulling her towards him.
"True." Yoona conceded as their lips met in confirmation that they belonged only to each other.
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A/N: The end. For real.
I am not even going to mention the number of words this chapter has. Phew.
[25th March, 2018]
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