~~~~~

"Lalisaa!!"

Her head turning swiftly, Lisa looked at the crowd in the studio that had been waiting for them to perform.

She had to admit, stand-by had never been this painful.

Then suddenly, a voice was loud enough to hear, "It's okay Lisa-yah! You did nothing wrong!"

Then another came, "Yes, we support you!"

"Be happy, we'll protect you Lisa-yah!"

"You snatched a real good one!"

"Teach me some tricks, will you?"

The last one made her members giggle and Lisa snort.

"You match well!"

"Everything will be okay!"

Her treacherous eyes stinging, Lisa felt an immense amount of gratitude towards her fans. She knew most of them supported her, but hearing their voices, hearing their encouraging words was another thing.

Then something white among the pink lights caught her attention.

"What's that?" Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes but it was heard since the microphones were on.

A fit of laughter came from the crowd as the white light came forward—it was an Army Bomb.

"Oh my god," Jennie giggled as Lisa felt her cheeks burn.

"Thank you so much guys," she murmured, her voice breaking a bit. "I can't express how much this means to me."

"Don't make her cry!" Jisoo scolded jokingly. "We have a performance, we worked hard for that!"

Another wave of laughter.

"Who's crying, not me!" Lisa glared at Jisoo and pressed onto her tear troughs.

Immediately, a chant could be heard, "Don't cry! Don't cry! Don't cry!"

Feeling miserable but happy nonetheless, Lisa weakly laughed.

"I love you guys so much."

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As everyone took their places on the stage, Yoongi fiddled with his in-ear one last time, making sure it was in place. Namjoon and the boys were doing all the talking in these situations. Their voices were somehow a white noise to Yoongi. Until Namjoon asked about the song.

"Did you like the song?"

A collective voice screamed, "Yeeeess!"

"Did you prepare amazing chants again?" Namjoon chuckled, making all the members excited suddenly.

"Of courseeee!"

"Can't you sing it just once?" Jimin asked in his sweetest voice which resulted in a lot of screams.

This was the custom. Just like how they put out teasers for fans, the fans would let them listen to a small bit of the fanchants. Yes, the chants were decided by the company but they never knew them completely since fans sometimes added things.

"Okay," Namjoon said. "On three then. One, two, three—"

"BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREAAAA!!!"

Yoongi's head snapped up in shock to see the fans laughing. For one second, all the members were in dead silence—mortified beyond reason. But then Taehyung snorted and then everyone bursted into laughter.

"Yah!" Jin jokingly scolded the fans. "That's the wrong group!"

"C'mon hyung," Jungkook defended the fans as always. "They just show support, don't you Army?"

"Yeeees!!"

"See," the youngest smiled smugly. "Aren't you thankful, Yoongi hyung?"

All eyes turned to Yoongi who was sitting on one of the props for the stage. Without changing his blank expression, he nodded. Then he smiled and the crowd gave a small round of scream.

"Thanks guys, I'm grateful to the ones who supported us," he carefully worded.

Then a voice raised from the crowd, "Yoongi-yah, are you happy?"

Yoongi chuckled, "Of course I am, it's been six years."

A collective 'awww' came with a couple of 'what is this, so cool's.

"You're going to be good to her, aren't you?" he arched a brow.

There was a short silence.

"She cried a lot," Yoongi looked at the crowd. "Almost every night because of the hate comments. I don't like seeing her cry."

Another short silence before someone broke it.

"Okay Yoongi-yah, we'll protect her!"

"We'll be good!"

"Don't be sad!"

"I'm not sad," Yoongi corrected. "I'm angry."

A whining sound filled the room.

"Sorry! We'll do better!"

"You just be happy, we'll take care of the rest!"

After looking at them for three seconds, Yoongi smiled.

"Thanks guys. She's the—" he stopped himself for a second before continuing. "I mean she has a very important place in my life."

Another collective whining sound but this time it sounded like they were whipped a bit.

"I wouldn't want to cut in," Taehyung intervened.

"Then don't," Yoongi eyed him and earned a fit of laughter. Taehyung glared at him.

"We'll be performing now. Let's do this talk at the meeting, hm? There will be a fanmeeting soon!"

That hyped up the crowd even more and then they saw the stage director signaling them to get into the positions.

Yoongi stood up, stretched a bit, and his heart feeling a bit lighter, he took his place in the choreo.

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"And this week's winning group is—"

Lisa looked down nervously, but not because of the results since they weren't nominees yet. And it's not like they could ever win, BTS had their comeback with the same time as theirs.

No, the reason she was nervous was Yoongi who had been standing two steps to her right and one step back from her. She could feel his eyes on herself, she knew how his stare felt by now. And she was aware that the people behind them were whispering about the two amongst themselves. She just knew this would happen.

She applauded the winning group just like everyone else and bowed down to everyone who started to walk down the stage. Since Jisoo was one of the MCs, they usually waited for her.

Just when they were about to leave with Jisoo, she felt a soft touch from warm fingertips on her skin. Startled, she almost broke her neck from the force of how hard she turned around.

"Look ahead," Yoongi smiled as he murmured.

"People are watching," Lisa hissed out with a matching smile.

"That's why I told you to look ahead," he raised his eyebrows. With a groan, Lisa turned ahead.

"I monitored it, you did great," he talked quietly. "You didn't show the nervousness."

She scoffed, "Of course I didn't, I'm a professional."

"And a bit arrogant," a teasing reply came.

Grinning, Lisa looked down to watch the steps as she was about to go down. The light touch on her skin became a warm palm that held her waist. Her shoulders jerked involuntarily upon the surprise but she held herself back.

"Be careful," Yoongi whispered.

"I've walked down these five steps a hundred times," Lisa complained quietly. And then shied away from his touch when they were all down. Yoongi hummed and she knew he had one brow arched in contemplation.

"You're gathering even more attention like this," he whispered as his group walked past hers and he squeezed her waist gently. "Just relax a bit. I'll see you later?"

Gnawing on her lower lip, Lisa subtly nodded as the boys walked past them, leaving the girls to watch them get away. Taking a deep breath before fixing her expression, Lisa smiled wide and bright to the people around her despite the whispers, bowing continuously until they reached their room.

When she closed the door after her, Lisa leaned against it, exhaling long and her fingers grabbing the knob so hard that her knuckles went white.

"I think it went pretty okay," Chaeyoung looked at her, her voice soothing.

"Yeah, it could've been much worse," Jennie nodded. "No snarky comments, no bitches coming at you — I was so sure those JYNL girls would cause a scene. I had even prepared so many good lines for them," the brunette added, the disappointment so crystal clear on her face that Lisa laughed involuntarily. It was such a Jennie thing to do.

"I don't think they can dare to do that," Jisoo crinkled her nose. "We're the sunbaes by what, 5 years?"

"Kids these days," Jennie shrugged. "You never know with them."

"Also we know that they've at least talked shit behind Lisa three times, dragging her left and right," Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes in fury. "Especially that Venus girl, like, Venus my ass, she's not even mediocre looking compared to Lisa! And I'm ready to end her to be honest. Mentally, emotionally, and physically."

"Yaaasss Rosie, show 'em who's the boss bitch!" Jennie hollered and Jisoo rolled her eyes as Lisa laughed again.

She was so grateful for them, all of them. She didn't know where she would be now if she had never met these three, had never befriended them.

Jennie was a nice and kind person most of the time, but here she was, ready to rip some girls apart if they talked shit about Lisa.

Chaeyoung was the gentlest soul Lisa had ever met but right now, she was narrowing eyes at the possibility of Lisa being dragged and was determined to get her hands dirty in that case—literally.

And she hadn't talked but Lisa knew that Jisoo was probably the most hardcore one when it came to the members' wellbeing. So she most likely already had plans in her head in case of 'an emergency'.

As long as she had them getting her back, Lisa knew she'd be okay.

Besides, the public seemed pretty cooled down now, there had been only a bunch of malicious comments under their articles, which the fans quickly buried. So Lisa had hopes of the relationship itself being forgotten soon, becoming a trivia.

With this thought, she smiled quietly and started to gather her things to leave for the practise room. The public was going to forget about them soon and it was all going to be okay.

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But frankly, the universe had different ideas.

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"You're kidding," Lisa stared at her manager, praying that her ears were deceiving her. The man looked at her and sighed again.

"No, Lisa. I'm not kidding. I wish I was, but I am not."

"Wait a minute," she raised her hand before he could speak again. "Just asking to be clear but. You really are telling me that people want me on a couple show? A show that guests couples? Me?"

"Not you alone, I hope," her manager frowned. "Min Yoongi better be there, too. Or I might kill him for real this time. Who knows."

Her manager was very protective of her. And by very, I mean he had called Yoongi back when Yoongi and Lisa fought for the first time, resulting in Lisa crying for hours, and he was so furious that he had yelled at Yoongi almost for ten minutes on the phone and then hung up on him.

Lisa laughed, "I very much prefer the love of my life in one piece and alive, oppa."

"'Love of your life'?" his voice had a hint of teasing now. The distaste was still there, too.

"Oppa!" Lisa whined, blushing a bit. "You know I'm scared, it's not the time!"

"Relax," he smiled. "It's Yoo Jae Suk's show. You know CEO Yang only sends artists if he's the host. You're safe."

Falling silent, Lisa looked down, worrying about anything and everything before she heard her manager speak again.

"Though I can't tell how safe you will be, it's a trip-survival programme and the shooting will last a week."

Her head whipping up, she stared at him wide-eyed, shock visible. And he had the audacity to laugh.

"Oppa!!!"

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"Oh my god," Lisa let out weakly, looking out from the car's window.

She had just arrived at the first shooting place where they'd travel to where the actual programme was going to take place. It was some traditional house in a very small village where the people living there were mostly elderly and the crew was supposed to earn their dinner.

It was a survival show.

"Well," her manager turned around to look at her. "Are you ready?"

Lisa nodded after taking a deep breath and grabbed her little duffle bag – her real suitcase was going to be brought off camera by her manager.

When they jumped out of the car, the cameras instantly focused on them and she smiled in hopes of looking excited. Her eyes scanned the little crowd – Yoo Jae Suk and his co-hosts, fellow guests, cameramen, a lot of staff and – there he was.

Her eyes instantly fixated on him, the smile on her face became bigger and more sincere and she walked confidently. Because Min Yoongi was looking at her with a small smile and he was obviously waiting for her.

"Hello," she greeted everyone back when she was close enough and they were all beaming at her; some excitedly, some teasingly, some starstruck and some in awe.

"Well yes, hello Lisa-ssi, welcome," Yoo Jae Suk grinned at her. There was something in this man that made Lisa feel at ease. And she was really comfortable and optimistic now because Yoongi's eyes were still on her.

"Hello," she bowed again to everyone and the cameras. "I'm Lisa of Blackpink."

There were some applauding and then Yoo Jae Suk glanced at Yoongi before turning to her with a grin again.

"We have been waiting for you, but the most impatient one was probably Suga-ssi."

Some cooing and Lisa felt her cheeks go pink. And she blushed even harder when Jae Suk motioned and told her to stand next to Yoongi. She shyly walked towards him and when she stood next to the boy, she felt an unmistakable relief and comfort wash over her.

"Look at them," one of the other guests – a middle aged actress named Im Joohyun – sighed. "Look how good they look together. Idols are idols after all."

Yoongi gave a shy smile and Lisa looked down in embarrassment. Five minutes in and she already wished to be swallowed by earth.

"This is your first appearance together, isn't it?" Yoo Jae Suk asked.

Both of them nodded.

"We're a bit nervous, please take good care of us," Yoongi asked jokingly but not so jokingly either.

"Just do something, hug or hold hands, I don't know, I've waited long enough," Im Joohyun whined this time. "I've been cheering for you since December, I need to see some real deal!"

There were supporting cheers. Lisa glanced in panic at Yoongi but he looked so relaxed. A bit too relaxed, if you asked Lisa.

"Yeah, show us how you normally act around," one of the co-hosts grinned.

Quietly, Yoongi held her hand and Lisa laced their fingers automatically. When she realised that, she looked down in shock, a bit mortified. But Yoongi reached and tilted her head up from her chin amidst the loud cooing around them.

"Relax, we'll be okay," he smiled softly. "I'm here."

Exhaling the suffocating breath she was holding. Lisa nodded and smiled back weakly. She was trying so hard to tune out the people around them. And knowing that, Yoongi levelled her gaze and just looked at her eyes until she felt relaxed again. He squeezed her hand in his, the smooth, soft and always cool skin of his was like silk against her burning and shaking one.

After a couple seconds, Lisa bit her lip and slowly nodded twice, smiling as she felt better and safer now. She was going to be fine as long as Yoongi was with her.

"Okay that's enough, I'm gonna throw up," someone protested and she turned her head with a small laugh to the cameras.

His gaze was still on her face.

"Suga-ssi, take a picture, it'll last longer."

To that, Yoongi turned around, smiling with a tint of pink on his cheeks and Lisa's stomach clenched, he was going to say something extremely bold and corny and embarrassing any second now–

"It's been six years and no matter how much I look at her, it's still not enough."

"Oh my god."

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They were in the small bus that was to take them to the village when Lisa finally felt at ease. She was more familiar to the other guests even though the awkwardness was still present, the hosts were careful with their words and teasing and they didn't focus on Yoongi and Lisa too much like she feared. The two were seated towards the back of the car and left to enjoy the conversations and jokes flying around.

After a while, Lisa felt like dozing off so she carefully rubbed her eyes. It didn't go unnoticed by her boyfriend. He leaned forward a bit to see her face.

"Are you sleepy?"

"A bit," Lisa murmured. "I couldn't sleep well last night because of the nerves."

"Come," he patted his shoulder as she leaned back at his seat. Lisa took a quick glance from the others. No one seemed to be watching them.

"Five minutes," she looked at Yoongi and didn't move until he nodded. Then settling down comfortably, she rested her head on the flat of his shoulder, right above his chest where she fit like it was made for her. Curling up and turning her body towards his, Lisa closed her eyes when he wrapped his arm around her. Despite the situation, she immediately fell into a comfortable sleep.

Yoongi was there after all.

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"Look at them, my god!"

Yoongi's head whipped to the voice from the window and found everyone staring at them with grins on their faces.

"Young love," a woman sighed deeply.

"Were we so boring that Lisa fell asleep?" Yoo Jae Suk joked.

Yoongi waved his free hand quickly, "No, of course not. She just hasn't been getting sleep recently. We're both promoting nowadays. Sleep is a luxury we're willing to give up on. This is just a power nap, not sleeping. Besides–"

Just then Lisa fidgeted, focusing Yoongi's attention on herself immediately and he waited to make sure she was still asleep before turning back to the crew.

"The way he looks at her..." one of the women sighed, making the tips of Yoongi's ears burn a little. Before he could say something, her boyfriend raised his eyebrows.

"I look at you like that too, what do you mean?"

The attention quickly shifted away from Yoongi and Lisa to that couple and Yoongi took a subtle breath of relief. He was usually good with interviews and variety shows but he usually did them with his members, not with Lisa. In that scenario, even if he would fuck up (he never would but anyway, not the point) there would be other people that he could rely on. But in this scenario, Lisa would have a major panic attack if something was accidentally misunderstood about them. So he had to be the one to take control and act quickly if things didn't go the way they wanted. Separately, he could do both in his sleep – handling a disaster during an interview or show, and handling Lisa. But both of them at the same time, he had never done that before. It was going to be a challenge for him, so he had to make sure it didn't happen.

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