It was two hours till boarding time, and the duo just finished dinner as they walked hand in hand around the airport. Glancing at the departure board, she decided that it would be a better idea to head in early since there was nothing much to do.

“Kim Jihyun!” She could hear voices shouting from behind, and Jihyun turned slowly to see the seven boys rushing towards her. She landed her eyes on her favourite in particular, her heart sinking when she saw his swollen eyes and runny nose.

“Appa!” Junghyun shouted excitedly as she let go of Jihyun’s hands and ran towards Jungkook, the boy squatting down to carry her into a hug before jogging over to Jihyun.

She was dumbfounded - didn’t he say that he was going to be late because of practice today? What were he and the rest of the members doing here?

“Were you really going to leave without a word?” Jungkook asked through his sniffles and she could feel the heartbreak as grief seeped through her veins and tears had escaped her eyes.

“I’m sorry Kook, I couldn’t tell you in person…” She sobbed softly as he pulled her into his chest while he passed Junghyun to Jin. “Please don’t go.” He pleaded softly and Jihyun shook her head, “I can’t stay.”

“Why not?” Taehyung asked this time, and she looked at him to find tears streaming down his face as well.

“Nari doesn’t only have pictures of Jihyun and I, but also you and her.” Jungkook explained and Jihyun could tell that Taehyung was livid as he clenched his fists tightly. “She threatened her with those.”

“We can fix this, Ji. Don’t leave us.” Taehyung said as he held onto her arms but she shook her head. “We can’t, Tae. The media outlets already have the pictures and are already going to publish them on her cue.”

“We can talk to Bang PD about this! He’ll stop the media.” Jimin said and Jihyun sighed. “I think this issue spans more than just Nari. Even if we solve this issue once, it’s going to keep coming up again. Nari’s not going to let it go, the media has already caught on and will continue to keep an eye on you guys. I don’t want everything that you guys have built over the years to crumble just like that.”

The group fell silent because they knew she was right.

This wasn’t something that was only going to happen once. With their popularity, it was just going to occur again and again, and they wouldn’t have any control over how the issue would play out.

“If I leave now, we can control the damage and there’ll be no more uncertainties.” She said firmly as she felt a stinging pain in her chest.

Breaking the silence, Jin spoke up. “We’ll give you some time together.” He said as he nudged the boys to separate and carried Junghyun away while Jungkook and Jihyun headed to a more secluded corner.

“I don’t want you to leave.” Jungkook said as he buried his head into her shoulders once they were out of sight, and Jihyun could feel her heart wrenching as she took in the smell of her favourite cologne.

“Let me work it out with the management! I’m sure the fans will understand. My fake relationship with Nari was well-accepted, wasn’t it? The fans will accept you too-”

“Jungkook, it’s not only the two of us now. There’s Junghyun too.” She said softly and the boy sighed, shuddering at the thought of Jihyun and Junghyun being harassed by paparazzi and fans. They both fell silent, clear of what the answer between the two was - but neither wanted to admit it. “I can’t let her be exposed to any form of harm.”

“I’ll talk to the management, I’ll stop Nari from releasing the photos. I’ll do anything to make it work.” He pleaded as he cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look into his eyes.

“Jungkook, please. Don’t be stubborn. You know that this is not just about Nari, it’s about Junghyun’s safety, our future and also the band’s future in the long-term.” She retorted as he fell silent.

“How about we announce the relationship? Or how about I give up my career for-”

“Stop it, Kook.” She said gently as she ran her hands down his arms, calming him down. “When I asked you that day if you wanted your career or this family, I knew your answer. Even though you loved us equally, I know that singing is your passion and I would never want to take it away from you.”

“Even if you did choose Junghyun and I, I would still leave. Because Jungkook, I know how much you love being a singer, and it would kill me if I had ever deprived you of having the chance to do so.” She whispered as tears continued falling from his eyes. At that moment, he hated that he was a celebrity.

“Don’t give up on us, Ji. please.” Jungkook begged and Jihyun could feel her heart wavering, but she remained firm.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay on to fight with you.” She said as another tear fell from her eyes while he shook his head, “No, I should be the one apologizing.”

“You’re already fighting for me because you’re leaving to protect me.” He said as he patted her hair gently.

“Just promise me you’ll be happy, okay?” Jungkook said before continuing, “Even if it means not being with you, promise me you’ll find someone who makes you happy so that you won’t suffer like you did for the last six years.” He said as he placed a strand of hair neatly behind her ear.

“I’ll try.” She croaked out softly, “Promise me that you’ll be happy too.” She said and he gave a small chuckle, “I’ll try.” Giving the same answer as she did while she ruffled his hair playfully.

Turning silent all of a sudden, he leaned in closer till their noses were touchin