His lips tasted different today. Even though he held you in his arms as tightly as if you were everything he had, your world was just one big chaos. Despite having your eyelids tightly shut, flashes of cameras pierced through them, confirming that all the attention is now solely focused on the two of you.

And that's precisely how it was. Your duo instantly caught the eyes of all the reporters. Hungry for sensational news, they competed to capture better photos, better shots, to get closer, already planning some interviews, even just a short word from either of you would be satisfying for them. To them, you were a stranger who had just become the front page of the newspapers, the sensation of the night, the biggest star of the evening. Suddenly, all the awards ceremony and the rows of celebrities present here and now meant nothing anymore.
After all - finally - the youngest member of the globally renowned band publicly confirmed his relationship, leaving everyone in awe. Including the rest of the band members. Everyone knew, that this is what people would want to read about, and this is what everyone would want to see in the upcoming articles.

When Jungkook finally allowed you to catch your breath, you were trembling all over. This wasn't how you had imagined it at all. Caught completely off guard, you hadn't even had time to prepare yourself properly, unable to bear the weight of the sudden attention on you. You shielded your face with your hand, trying to at least partially protect yourself from these vultures.
Kook quickly realized that you weren't accustomed to the flashes or the overwhelming focus on your person like he was. He cursed himself under his breath for not thinking about it earlier. Intertwining your hands, he pulled you towards the backstage area.
You followed him in an instant; escaping was something you had been thinking about since the moment he mentioned you on stage.

Jungkook was well aware that the media would be waiting at their usual exit, so he quickly came up with a plan. The remaining six members of the group diverted the reporters' attention by leaving through the main exit as usual. Camera flashes went wild, but in vain. Everyone was there, everyone except the two of you.
Using the group as a distraction, he took your hand, and both of you slipped away through the staff exit.

You both ran to his car, but it seemed that as soon as you left the building, Kookie stopped being cautious. He couldn't contain his emotions. Perhaps it was the adrenaline from the escape that had pumped through your veins, or maybe he was just so overjoyed to have shed the burden of hiding your relationship. As soon as you stood by the car door, he immediately cupped your face in his hands and kissed you passionately.
Finally, he felt free. For the first time. And you were the reason for it.

While you didn't have anything against a make-out session with Jungkook, feeling his gentle lips brushing against yours, you decided to think rationally.

"I think we should get out of here. It's too dangerous to hang around in the area right now."

He reluctantly pulled away from you. In that moment, he didn't give a damn about what was happening or what might still happen. He wanted to fully savor the happiness with you, to celebrate what might have been just the revelation of the truth about the two of you for you, but for him, it was the first step towards complete freedom. So, no matter what you wanted to say, what you were afraid of, or how stressed you were, he wasn't about to just move on like nothing happened.
He agreed with you, of course, muttering something under his breath, to which you chuckled. He was sweet, but it was better if he was sweet when you both were in a safe place.

"Yeah, baby... Let's go home," was the last thing you heard before he disappeared behind the wheel.

Your ride didn't last long, but it didn't end the way you had expected, at least not for you, as you were still somewhat naive and not fully aware of the realities of being famous. Jungkook let out a quiet sigh, knowing from the start that this would be the case.
In front of your private estate, the place was swarming with journalists. Without waiting for them to notice you, Jungkook made a quick U-turn. You couldn't stay here tonight.

"Let's go to a hotel."

Normally, you'd probably make a joke about such a statement. You might have teased him a bit or even gotten a little excited at the thought. But right now, stress was eating you up. You just wanted to retreat to a safe place, away from everything, and preferably completely disconnected from the outside world, including the internet. Oh yes, you had just decided that today you would simply turn off your phone. One night of silence had never hurt anyone.

"Koo..." you began softly as the car parked outside the hotel on the city outskirts. Jungkook immediately focused all his attention on you.
"Can we just sit outside for a while? I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight, maybe some fresh air will help me a bit. I feel... a little restless," you admitted.

And even though Jungkook yearned to secure the two of you in a room, order some room service, and bask in each other's company in safety, he couldn't deny your request now. He extended his hand, and you eagerly intertwined your fingers with his.
The stroll he led you on became one of the most enchanting experiences you'd ever shared. It was the first time, just the two of you, in a modest suburban park, like any ordinary couple deeply in love. You walked close to each other, and besides your footsteps, there was nothing else to be heard. It was very late, and you wanted to take this opportunity to taste freedom just this once, as if fame didn't exist, as if he were an ordinary guy you had once randomly met in the city. You wished this night could last forever.

The stress had engulfed you so completely that you lost all sense of time and events. You couldn't even recall how you transitioned from that serene park to the cozy hotel room, where you found yourself on a plush bed in the blink of an eye. As you awoke the next morning, fragmented memories began to trickle back in. His enchanting smile and those lips that silenced your every complaint. His hands tenderly embracing your waist as your clothes fell to the floor in a hurried frenzy. You remembered how he worked his magic to make you forget about everything for those precious hours.
Afterward, he guided you into the shower, where the cool water had an almost therapeutic effect, melting away the last remnants of tension. But then... you drew a blank. Had someone knocked on the door at some point? Perhaps room service? The trays of untouched food sitting there served as a cryptic clue, reminding you that you had skipped dinner in the whirlwind of the night. You blinked, slowly piecing together the events of the evening before.

***

"Good morning, my love." His groggy morning voice instantly painted a smile across your face. You sensually stretched out on the bed, slowly turning towards the source of the sound.

"Hey, Koo," you greeted him, your brow furrowing as you noticed he was already up and about, dressed and bustling around the room. "Heading out somewhere? I was thinking that..." You trailed off, not wanting to steal his time. He likely had a lot on his plate to attend to. However, he caught your disappointment in the blink of an eye.

"Y/N, if you want, you can stay in bed. Really. I'll try to be back soon. You don't even have to leave this place. I'll order everything, and then I'll join you," he said warmly.

But you immediately jumped out of bed, grabbed a glass of water, and downed it in one gulp, in a hurry. You scrambled out of the warm bed and, feeling a bit embarrassed, reached for your scattered clothes at the edge. He must have picked them up, you thought, feeling your cheeks flush. His chuckle didn't make things any easier, but at least he didn't comment.

"No, I don't want to stay here. I'll go to Sang-hee's. I'll be safe there too. I'll wait out the day, and we'll stay in touch. Just...give me a ride part of the way,"

As you both got into the car together, neither of you was fully aware of the immense chaos his confession from yesterday had created. But you would both find out, and not in a pleasant way.

***

It was a night of relentless activity for the publishing world. Journalists worked tirelessly, churning out hundreds of articles, while printing presses ran at full tilt.
The morning was entirely consumed by your presence. Your duo, locked in each other's embrace at this year's gala, dominated the front pages of the most popular magazines.
But that was just the beginning.

News channels, particularly those in the entertainment sector, went into overdrive, endlessly repeating the same stories, as if the entire music industry revolved around you. With limited real news to report, they simply kept displaying your photos, accompanied by an incredible amount of baseless rumors. It was just pure madness.

It took just a few more hours for those vultures to dig up even more information. Digging into every possible detail, they knew far more about you than they should have. Where you were from, how long you had been abroad, when you returned, and who you worked for. It didn't even deter them when they discovered you held a government position. They didn't hesitate to pry into your life like a relentless X-ray machine, without a shred of scruples.

You found out about it suddenly when your direct superior called you. To say that he was displeased with the turn of events would be an understatement. He raged through the phone, spewing words of reprimand, making it clear that someone in your position shouldn't get entangled in such scandals and that you needed to extricate yourself from this situation as quickly as possible if you genuinely cared about your job.

And did it matter? This job was your everything!
Since your return from Germany, you'd been able to make it in Seoul solely because of this job. The company not only provided you with a generous salary but also a place to live. In reality, they had given you an entirely new start, and if you were to lose it now, your world would simply crumble. Yet, you wondered if it hadn't already crumbled when everything took an unexpected turn following Jungkook's public confession.
You humbly explained yourself to your boss, promising to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. You didn't want to blame your boyfriend either. After all, it was an even greater chaos for him. But he could have asked, he could have prepared you even just a little in advance.

Can we ever be ready for love? Does love follow any rules? A lovesick heart is impulsive and wild. You couldn't be angry with him.

And Jungkook? He stood before you, carefully observing as your once joyful expression gradually shifted towards a more somber one. You didn't need to be a psychic to realize that something had gone awry.

"No matter what's happening, we'll get through it together," he assured you as soon as you disconnected the call.

You sent him a faint smile. You weren't entirely sure of it yourself, but you didn't want him to stress out now. His smiling face and the slight wrinkle of his nose were sights you didn't want to tarnish at the moment. He pulled you closer, gently planting a soft kiss on your cheek.

"I love you, Kook."

He smiled broadly. "That's the only thing that matters to me."

But whatever Jungkook was thinking and the feelings you had for each other didn't make the consequences any easier.
Before you hopped out of his car at Sang-hee's place, your phone went wild with calls. Your parents. They must have seen the mess in the news too. You weren't in the mood to explain. You bluntly switched to airplane mode and shoved your phone into your pocket.
You looked at Jungkook again. "Are they blowing up your phone too? I don't know if I can deal with this."

"You've got me now, sweetheart. Of course, you'll handle it. Just meet up with your friend for now, and I'll come over later," he reassured you. His phone was buzzing non-stop too.

"You're not going to answer?" you asked, feeling resigned.

Jungkook finally glanced at his phone. Ignoring the incoming calls wasn't the best idea. And as soon as he unlocked the screen, his eyes widened.

Big Hit - 47 missed calls
13 - from the band members
8 calls from the manager.
He laughed nervously.

"I'm sorry, kitten, but I have something to take care of. Have a good time today."

"Have a good time?" you repeated in disbelief as the car sped away with screeching tires. "I think he's gone mad."