Ryujin was pissed.

 

She had no idea whether Lia was doing this to purposely irritate her or just for the fans. Throughout the day Lia was literally glued to Yeji’s side and had barely even spared Ryujin a glance. She had fixed Yeji’s hair, did some self-cams together…hell she had even fed Yeji her favourite snacks.

 

It didn’t sit well with Ryujin.

 

While Ryujin wouldn’t admit it, she was jealous. Lia and she were girlfriends and this knowledge was known to the members and their managers. Ryujin knew Yeji well enough to know that Yeji would never make any advances on her girlfriend, she was a good leader in that sense, knowing the boundaries. But nonetheless, a part of her still expected Lia to pay her some attention, instead of ignoring her completely.

 

Of course, Ryujin knew they were under a microscope and she didn’t want to make her relationship with Lia seem too obvious. And, in this case, she didn’t want to flare up – the last thing Itzy needed was bad press about how the members were fighting.

 

The scowl was perpetually on Ryujin’s face for half a day, after Lia had proceeded to ignore her the entire morning and subsequently, the entire afternoon. But Ryujin was a professional – she managed to put on a smile when needed and laugh at things she was told to laugh at. Part of her had hoped that Lia had realised that she was in a bad mood and her girlfriend would come over to ask her what was wrong.

 

But that never happened, and Ryujin couldn’t comprehend why. It was usual for the two of them to have at least some skinship and interactions throughout the day (Lia especially loved holding her hand and intertwining their fingers) but today, Lia seemed as totally out of it, and it bothered Ryujin to no end.

 

Ryujin was bad with dates so she had tried very hard to figure out if she had missed something. Checking her phone calendar, she noted that there were no important dates coming up; the nearest important date was her anniversary with Lia next month.

 

So why was Lia acting so cold towards her?

 

The group finally headed back to their dorm, with Yuna and Chaeryeong tossing their tired bodies onto the couch and Yeji immediately heading to look for snacks in the fridge.

 

“I’mma take a shower,” Ryujin called out to no one in particular, figuring that a cold shower would be a good way to cool her down, especially since her anger had been building up in waves. Making her way to the shower, she stretched out her tired body, yawning as she did so.

 

“Ryu.”

 

Silence.

 

“Ryu.”

 

No response.

 

“Ryujin.”

 

“What?” Ryujin hissed as Lia reached out to touch her shoulder.

 

“I need to talk to you.”

 

“Why don’t you go talk to Yeji? You two seemed like yall had a lot of fun today.”

 

“Ryujin,” Lia held onto her girlfriend’s shoulder tightly. “Don’t be childish. Please, I just want to talk to you.”

 

“You’ve been ignoring me the entire day, and now you want me to pay attention to you. I have feelings too, Lia, I’m not simply at your beck and call.”

 

“Look, I’m sorry,” Lia hugged onto Ryujin’s waist tightly, burying her head into Ryujin’s back. “I’m really sorry.”

 

“Jisu?” Ryujin called out softly the moment she felt her girlfriend trembling against her back, breath coming out in soft sobs. She turned around in Lia’s arms to face her girlfriend, heart breaking seeing the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Jisu, I’m not that mad for you to be crying.”

 

“It’s-it’s not that,” Lia sobbed. Ryujin looked up at the living room and noted how the three other members seemed engrossed with the drama that was on tv. With that, she quickly pulled Lia to the bathroom, where she knew they would have some privacy. Ryujin made sure to lock the bathroom door before she addressed her girlfriend.

 

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Ryujin pulled Jisu into her arms.

 

“I’m sorry that-that I ignored you today,” Jisu whimpered. “I-I just…”

 

Ryujin simply held Jisu close as her girlfriend sobbed, wanting to give Jisu as much time as she needed to get the words out.

 

“It’s just, I’ve been feeling down lately and-and today it just felt really bad. I knew the moment you hugged me that I would just break down and cry because I can’t hold myself back when I’m with you, Ryu,” Jisu looked up into Ryujin’s eyes, her own eyes glassy. “That’s why I stuck to Yeji, because I didn’t want to end up in your arms crying all of a sudden.”

 

“Talk to me,” Ryujin whispered, leaning her forehead against Lia’s, pulling her ever closer to her body.

 

“It’s-it’s just the comments, and the radio host today…asking us about all those personal questions and saying all those insensitive things…everything from the past week has all accumulated and I feel so lost. I don’t have confidence in who I am anymore,” Jisu buried her head into the crook of Ryujin’s neck and Ryujin’s hand automatically went up to run through her girlfriend’s long locks. Ryujin placed a long kiss on Jisu’s temple, knowing exactly what her girlfriend needed.

 

“Let’s take a bath together, okay? We’ll freshen up and I’ll talk to Yuna about rooming with you today.”

 

Jisu looked up into Ryujin’s eyes, seeing the familiar love flitting in them before moving to press a kiss against her girlfriend’s lips, a kiss that Ryujin immediately reciprocated.

 

“Thank you, baby.”

 

Ryujin knew that Lia was touchy by nature and the most intimate way for them to be together now was to bathe together. No, they had not gone past second base yet – Ryujin respected Lia and she would never do anything Lia didn’t want to – so bath time was essentially the time when they got to be with one another with no inhibitions.

 

Lia sighed as Ryujin soaped her back down, her strong fingers giving her a quick message as well, pressing onto spots that Ryujin knew at the back of her hand. The two of them were seated in the bathtub, Ryujin’s legs spread open to accommodate Lia who had settled nicely in between, back leaning against Ryujin’s front. Ryujin moved Lia’s hair to one side, pressing kisses to the smooth expanse of the older girl’s neck, an action which calmed Lia down immensely.

 

It was a quiet bath time, with Ryujin simply holding Lia and Lia trying to encase herself in more of Ryujin’s warmth. Kisses were exchanged, both trying to show how much they loved the other. Hands ran over bodies, not thinking of anything other than cleaning their partner so they could head to the bed soon.

 

“Hey, Yuna,” Ryujin tapped the youngest member who was currently splayed all over the couch. “Mind if I sleep with Jisu-unnie tonight?”

 

Yuna raised an eyebrow. Ryujin rarely asked to sleep with Lia. The couple always elected to have their private time outside the dorm, be it having picnics at the Han River or just strolling in the park nearby…they never wanted the members to feel awkward around them. For Ryujin to ask Yuna this question meant that Lia was probably in a bad place, and Ryujin needed to be there with her throughout the night.

 

All in all, when Ryujin asked Yuna such a question, the answer had to be yes.

 

“Sure,” Yuna agreed. “Is everything okay?”

 

“Jisu’s not feeling very well,” Ryujin admitted, not wanting to keep secrets from her members. Besides, she figured that Yuna would know something was wrong the moment she asked her to switch rooms. The other members would probably realise something was off too when Yuna slept with them tonight.

 

“Oh, I hope she gets better then,” Yuna smiled. “Make sure you take good care of her unnie.”

 

“She’s my girlfriend,” Ryujin replied, drying her hair and not hesitating to spray some droplets onto Yuna, who shrieked at the sudden shower. “Of course I’ll take good care of her.”

 

“She’s so whipped for Jisu-unnie,” Yuna whispered as she watched Ryujin retreat to her and Lia’s room, two hot chocolates in her hand.

 

“Hey,” Ryujin held the cup out to Lia. “Hot chocolate. It’ll make you feel better.”

 

“Thanks,” Lia accepted the cup gratefully, bringing the rim to her lips. She always loved drinking the hot chocolate that Ryujin made – it was the perfect blend of richness and sweetness and topped with what Ryujin would call ‘her love’. It was cheesy, but Lia loved it.

 

Ryujin piled onto Lia’s bed, careful not to spill her own drink. The two of them had their backs pressed against the wall, bodies flushed side by side.

 

“Better?” Ryujin asked concernedly once Lia had finished taking the first sip, her hand coming up to move some stray strands of hair out of her girlfriend’s face.

 

“Yea,” Lia nodded, placing her cup on the bedside table.

 

“Good,” Ryujin leaned in and Lia automatically closed her eyes, relishing in the feel of Ryujin’s lips on her. When Ryujin was with her, kissing her like that, she felt they could face the world together. Ryujin took Lia’s upper lip between hers and on it, her tongue coming out at the end to the remnants of hot chocolate that had found their way onto her girlfriend’s lip.

 

“Jisu and hot chocolate, my favourite combination,” Ryujin grinned as she pulled away. Lia punched her weakly in the shoulder, a small smile making its way to her lips as well.

 

“Cheesy.”

 

“You look so much prettier when you smile.”

 

Lia blushed and look away, feeling her heart thud at how Ryujin never ceased to find silly ways to put a smile on her face. Ryujin set her own cup down and came back to cup Lia’s cheek, loving how the blush on her girlfriend’s face made her look more endearing. Her thumb ran over Lia’s cheek and she simply enjoyed feeling the softness and warmness of Lia’s face in her hands – it was as though she was holding the whole world in her hands. Lia was so beautiful and delicate, that Ryujin would never want to hurt her or let her go.

 

“You really do look so much prettier with you smile, Jisu,” Ryujin called out softly, leaning in for another kiss, a longer one this time. She wanted to erase those doubts in Lia’s mind by showing her she was the most perfect human being in the world.

 

“The-The host today,” Jisu started, knowing that Ryujin was waiting for her to touch on what had happened today. This was how Ryujin was – never pushing her to do something she didn’t want to, always waiting patiently for Jisu to take the first step. Ryujin simply listened, one hand resting on Lia’s neck while the other held onto her waist. “He kept on poking fun at my dancing skills…like I know how talented the four of you guys are in dancing and how a lot of shows make us do a lot of dancing activities…but today do you think he went too far?”

 

Ryujin sighed. The talkshow host today had been quite mean when he had ranked them in terms of their dancing skills. Her girlfriend wasn’t a bad dancer – it was just that the other four of them had more experience; they had been dancing since they were kids. On the other hand, Jisu had been singing since she was a kid and her singing skills were definitely much more developed than the rest of the group.

 

“He did,” Ryujin agreed. “But he’s not an idol, and he’s not qualified to judge your dancing skills. Don’t take his words to heart.”

 

“He’s not wrong though…” Lia trailed off.

 

“Hey, look at me,” Ryujin gripped Lia’s shoulders and forced her girlfriend to look up at her. “He is wrong. You probably can dance a lot better than a lot of other idols out there. Plus, our dances are not easy – even great dancers like Yeji and Chaeryeong have difficulty with them. Yuna and I struggle with them too. The fact that you’re able to keep up just shows how amazing of a dancer you are okay? Don’t doubt yourself, baby.”

 

“Ryu…” Lia felt tears trickle down her cheeks at how sure Ryujin sounded of herself. Lia had always doubted her dancing skills: she knew she wasn’t as sharp as the other four, or as technically gifted, but she did her best and here was her girlfriend acknowledging her effort. Ryujin immediately reached up to wipe those tears away.

 

“If you don’t feel confident in your skills, I will stay back every single time to help you, you know that,” Ryujin continued. “I will stay and practise with you, teach you, film you if you want me to, till you regain that confidence. Because I don’t think you want our fans to see an unconfident Choi Jisu on stage, and it breaks my heart to see you lose faith in yourself when I know how amazing you are.

 

“And screw all those comments about your singing. Like I said, our dances are tough. For you to be able to belt out your high notes and be stable and carry the chorus…do you have any idea how in awe I am of you to be able to do that? And how you do so with such consistency? You’re so amazing, baby, why can’t you see that?

 

“Drown out the noise, baby. It’s just you, me, Yeji, Chae and Yuna. The five of us are so powerful together, we’ve accomplished to much together. There would be no awards without Choi Jisu, no amazing performances, no great songs. We would be nothing without you, so don’t ever look down on yourself okay?”

 

Lia threw herself into Ryujin’s arms at her words. Her girlfriend always knew what to say to make her feel better. Ryujin wrapped her arms around Lia and let Lia burrow her head into the crook of her neck.

 

“I will always be here,” Ryujin whispered softly into Lia’s ear. “Whenever you need me, I will be here.”

 

“Thank you,” Lia gripped onto Ryujin’s biceps tightly. “I’m sorry for this morning.”

 

“Drop me a text next time, baby,” Ryujin replied, rubbing Lia’s back as she continued to sob. “Tell me, so at least I’m aware.”

 

“I don’t want you to worry.”

 

“I will always worry about you. I nearly got angry and hurt you today too, baby,” Ryujin pulled away, wanting to look Lia in the eye. “You need to tell me next time, because I want to make sure I don’t hurt you too.”

 

“Okay,” Lia agreed, settling into Ryujin’s arms once more. If there was ever a safest place on the earth for her, it would always be in the arms of her beloved.

 

“Good,” Ryujin kissed the crown of Lia’s head. “Finish up your hot chocolate. I think it’s become cold by now.”

 

“You make the best hot chocolate,” Lia praised her girlfriend as she brought the cup to her lips once more.

 

“I know.”

 

“Cocky aren’t we, Shin Ryujin?”

 

“Well, you love this,” Ryujin gestured to herself, glad to see her girlfriend smiling again.

 

“I do,” Lia admitted, before pressing her lips to Ryujin’s in a hard kiss, tasting the hot chocolate on Ryujin’s tongue. She felt so lucky to have such an understanding and supportive girlfriend who took such good care of her.

 

“I love you,” Ryujin breathed against Lia’s lips when they broke apart.

 

“I love you too,” Lia replied. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

 

“I should be the one saying that,” Ryujin chuckled, standing up to gather the two mugs. “I’ll wash up. You get ready for bed. We’re gonna sleep the crapiness of today off and wake up tomorrow fresh, okay?”

 

Lia simply smiled at how domestic Ryujin could get. When it was just the two of them in the dorm, Ryujin took care of her meals and did the laundry, as though it was just the two of them living together. With that, Ryujin left the room and Lia headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

 

When Ryujin returned she had brushed her own teeth and Lia quickly moved to a side on the small twin bed to make some space for her girlfriend. While the twin bed was small, it forced the two of them to be close to one another and that was how they settled in for bed: Ryujin spooning Lia against her, holding her tightly as she meant the world to her, and she wanted to show that to Lia.

 

“Rest well, baby.”

 

“You too,” Lia replied, head turning around for a quick kiss.

 

And if there was anything Lia loved more, it was waking up in the arms of Shin Ryujin and seeing her lover’s face the first thing in the morning.