In the middle of their rehearsal on stage at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, the four girls danced to their songs, performing the choreography that their muscles remembered better than riding bikes. They had performed the routines for their songs countless times, hundreds, if not thousands of times for their older songs, and dozens and dozens of times in the past few months of their world tour. The monotony of their tour, going from country to country, city to city, was taking its toll on the girls. They absolutely loved to perform for their fans all around the globe and were motivated by the atmosphere and electricity that buzzed through the air at every live concert, and it was no different in Bangkok. They couldn’t wait to get onto the stage that evening and perform for their Blinks. It’s what they needed to reinvigorate themselves from the lethargy of months of traveling and performing. 

The rehearsal was going routinely, as the girls danced to songs they’ve performed thousands of times, and sang words from songs that they know so well they appear in their dreams. They were really trying their best to make sure that their performance later that day was perfect, but their energy levels were low. They were at the end of their whirlwind tour of Asia and they had done five live concerts every week for the past eight weeks, and as much as they tried to focus on their steps and routines, they just couldn’t get them spot on. The ever-so-familiar and normally flawless dance moves were compromised by weakness and drowsiness, especially for Jennie. 

She looked at Rosie for support and the hope of an almost impossible power-surging touch. She felt her legs shake beneath her with every step, but Rosie only saw her lips that pouted slightly, as the brunette’s sunglasses veiled her glazed-over eyes. However, Rosie still kept her eyes on Jennie who barely made it through the choreography of As If It’s Your Last. With a look of concern, the blonde put a hand on the brunette’s back and leaned towards her ear, “Are you okay?”

Jennie just nodded, not as defiantly as Rosie was used to. Her head barely moved as she vibrated her head in affirmation. Rosie furrowed her brows as she worried about the shorter girl, “Come on, babe. We only have two more songs to do, then we can go home and have a nap.”

“No, we have that radio interview to do after this,” Jennie reminded the blonde while she pouted with defeat. 

Rosie lifted her head to the heavens, as if to ask ‘why?’ and exhaled a detesting sigh, and then returned her lips to the side of the brunette’s head. “You’re right. I forgot about that. Well, after tonight’s show, I’ll make sure we both sleep well tonight. I promise you’ll feel so much better tomorrow.”

“I hope so,” was all the brunette could say as she sulked. 

Then they dragged themselves into position to rehearse their next song. The music to How You Like That started playing and the girls got to work moving their bodies in sync to the song. Rosie kept her eyes on Jennie who was visibly struggling to find the energy to finish the routine.

At the end of the rehearsal, the girls went backstage and spoke with their stage manager and choreographer. They stood in a circle and all looked at their choreographer as she began expressing her concerns. “What was that out there? I’ve never seen you dance so poorly before. Even you Lisa, you were poor. I know it’s just a rehearsal, but you were all basically dragging your feet out there.”

“We’re just all tired from months of touring. We’ve barely had a break in-between countries and cities. We’re either traveling or performing. We’re just exhausted,” Jisoo spoke up for the girls, being the eldest. 

“I understand that you’re all tired, and I know you’re trying your best, but I’m a bit worried about tonight’s performance. I don’t want to see that…,” as she pointed towards the stage where the girls had just been dancing “…tonight.”

The four girls looked visibly disheartened as they walked to their minibus. 

While in the minibus, the girls collapsed into their seats. Jennie lent on Rosie using the blonde as a backrest as if the actual backrest to her seat wasn’t good enough. The taller girl had her left arm wrapped around the shorter girl and they both had their eyes closed as they tried to make the most of the precious free time on the road.

They arrived at the radio station thirty minutes later, which were all spent in silence and in the land of the nod. Jennie looked like she had woken up from a coma as she could barely keep her eyes open and whined as she held Rosie’s hand on their way to the radio station’s entrance. 

“So how do you feel now that your tour is coming to an end?” The radio DJ said as he interviewed the girls. 

An ever professional Rosie took this question. She wore a diplomatic smile, unnoticeably forced, in an effort to mask her tiredness. “We’re all so sad because we really love performing for our Blinks because without our fans we wouldn’t be successful, but we’re also so excited because it’s been such a long tour and I know we’re all looking forward to relaxing and recovering from six months on tour.”

“Yeah, six months on tour sounds draining. So how are you going to relax after the tour? Jennie, are you gonna go anywhere nice? Maybe some much-needed massages, or cocktails on the beach?”

Jennie’s partly opened eyes barely widened at the sound of the interviewer saying her name, and her head, which she was propping up with all her willpower, was threatening to droop. Rosie looked at Jennie and saw that the brunette was trying with all her might to stay awake. The sofa that they all squeezed on was only inviting her to lay back and nestle in its seductively cushioned comfort. The blonde knew she had to keep her awake as the interview was also being recorded for YouTube, and she didn’t want her girlfriend to be scrutinised by lowlife haters and trolls. 

She had an idea but she wondered for a second if she should do it or not as she didn’t want to feed the Chaennie rumours that they had done so well to starve by keeping their relationship off-camera, but she knew the brunette needed her if she was to make it through the interview.  So, bravely, without more hesitation, Rosie lowered her left hand and took ahold of Jennie’s right, and squeezed it to tell the brunette that she was there for her. Jennie’s eyes shot open at the sensation of Rosie’s hand in hers and her heartbeat quickened at the excitement of physical contact with her lover in public. 

“Erm...well…to be honest,” Jennie began, as Rosie released a subtle smirk of pride from awakening her girlfriend and saving her from humiliation, “we’re not gonna have much time to relax because we’re gonna start recording our new album next week. So we’re only gonna have a week to relax. I think we’ll just go to see our families as we haven’t seen them in so long,” Jennie explained ever so professionally as she tried to convince the listeners that she was okay with only having a one-week break after a six-month world tour. 

“A WEEK!” Exclaimed the DJ in protest. “That’s such a short holiday after you’ve been touring for six months!”

The girls couldn’t help but nod in agreement, and Rosie regained the lead position as she continued, “Yeah, it’s a short break but we love doing what we do. We love creating new music for our fans and we love touring and performing live too. So yeah…,” Rosie, whose smile had been replaced by a look of surrender, looked at Jennie as she pushed her way through the lie, “…we can’t wait to get back into the studio next week.”

Jennie and Rosie were stood together with their elevating platforms in front of them, about to be lifted up to the stage to begin their first of three concerts in Thailand. Wearing a black Chanel top with white denim shorts, Jennie looked like a revived person compared to the shattered girl at the radio interview. She looked like the shining star everyone had come to expect at a concert, but beneath the makeup and y attire, she struggled to find the energy to cast her rays. Rosie, dressed in a sequenced black two-piece, with her blonde hair down, was comforting the brunette and encouraging her, in a feeble attempt to give her power through her words. 

“You can do this, love! I know you’re tired, we all are, but you can do this! Only 3 more shows! Just think about that! Just three more shows and then you’ll be able to relax with your feet up and have me tend to your every desire.”

“I like the sound of that,” Jennie said with an enigmatic smirk poking through. 

“And I’ll give you a hot bath, and I’ll wash you all over your body,” Rosie continued with her finger slowly up Jennie’s side, “and I’ll feed you strawberries, with my hands, and maybe even with my mouth,” Rosie made eye contact and smirked at her lover, who trembled at the blonde’s touch along with the seductive image that the blonde had embedded in her head.

“Rosie, you can’t say that here. People will hear you,” Jennie quietly protested in adorable fashion. 

Looking around to see that the nearest person to them was the stage manager standing roughly four metres away, “Don’t worry, no one heard me. And I just need to give you something to look forward to, to get you through these next three days.”

“Well, what will you give me tonight?” Jennie asked with a sly smirk. 

“Tonight?” Rosie’s face glistened with a devilishly sultry look. “Well…,” the blonde leaned in to whisper in the brunette’s ear. She couldn’t risk anyone hearing what she was about to say. As the blonde whispered her provocative intentions the shorter girl responded by biting her lip and breathing deeply in an effort to calm herself. 

“Okay girls. It’s time!” The stage manager shouted at all four of them. They all stepped on to their platforms, and Rosie reached out to offer Jennie her hand, who gladly took it. Jennie took a deep breath in and out to calm her nerves, then widened her eyes and shook her head in an attempt to shake the tiredness away. Rosie saw the brunette’s movements and looked in concern.

“You’re gonna be okay. Just breathe,” the blonde instructed the brunette, who nodded her head in compliance. 

As their platform rose to the stage, Rosie didn’t take her eyes of Jennie as she observed the shorter girl trying her best to breathe calmly. As soon as they were hit by the wall of cheer from the crowd, Jennie flinched a little and instantly dropped Rosie’s hand from hers. Rosie looked at her girlfriend with a pout and furrowed eyes, as she felt something like fear or shame ripple through the air from the release of her hand.  Once their platforms had fully risen they began their show as normal. All four of them walked forward and began singing Boombayah to the tidal wave of screams coming from the twenty-thousand strong crowd. 

Thirty minutes into the concert, the girls were doing well. Although their energy levels were low the fans didn’t have a clue as they put all their remaining effort into the performance. As in rehearsal, Rosie kept checking on Jennie who was the weakest member that night, physically and emotionally. Even with eyes on Jennie whenever she could, the blonde danced and sang as if it was her very first night of their world tour. But towards the end of their seventh song, the blonde could see her girlfriend struggling. She had seen the brunette progressively struggle more and moreover the last two tracks and half-heartedly do some of the more complex dance moves, and her legs seemed shaky. Rosie was worried. 

At the end of their seventh song of the night, Kick It, the girls got into position for their next song. But there was something wrong with Jennie. She was struggling to catch her breath. She was hyperventilating. Her legs were shaking. Her knees were weak. Rosie had seen Jennie like this before and feared the worst. She shouted to Jennie, across Jisoo who was standing between them, “Jennie breathe! Remember to breathe!” The brunette heard the concerned call of her lover and nodded her head which was lowered to her chest as she tried to concentrate on her breathing. But each breath felt shallower and shallower. Her body felt heavier and heavier. Her legs became weaker and weaker. 

The music to the next song started and they all got ready to dance. All looked okay. It looked like Jennie had regained her composure as she raised her head and stepped forward to start the routine. But as soon as her foot returned to the surface of the stage, the worst thing that Rosie feared for Jennie came true. Her head fell. Her balance failed. Her legs crumbled. She dropped to the floor. 

Luckily, she was conscious enough to put her hands out as she hit the stage. Rosie, seeing everything as she had her eyes locked on her, sprinted to her girl’s aid. She knelt down behind the semi-conscious brunette, pulled the hair away from her face, held her hand, and gently patted her face to try and wake her up. 

“Jennie!” She shouted at the brunette for the third time who wasn’t verbally responding. The music had continued to play. Jisoo and Lisa had continued dancing as they were instructed to do so if one of them made a mistake. But they soon stopped as they realised a mistake wasn’t made and joined Rosie in kneeling beside Jennie, who was finally responding to her girlfriend’s worried wails. The seconds that it took for the brunette to reply felt like hours for the blonde. Tears were b and ready to fall as she witnessed her lover in such a fragile state. A medic ran on to the stage and helped Jennie stumble to her feet. He put Jennie’s arm around his neck and began assisting her off the stage, as the whole arena full of fans fell silent, all terrified for Jennie’s wellbeing.

“I’m going with you,” Rosie demanded, without giving the medic an option, as she threw her lover’s other arm around her neck, and helped walk her off stage.