❛ TWENTY ONE ❜
───── ALWAYS WITH YOU. WE WILL GET THROUGH IT, TOGETHER

"Honestly, no. I am not okay, Mingyu"

Jaerim shook her head, tears threatening to spill. "I never wanted to bring this on you... on us. I didn't want people to look at us like this. Like we're some kind of scandal. I just wanted to love you, Mingyu."

The words felt like they were slipping from her mouth before she could stop them. All the fear, all the doubt, all the hurt poured out of her, as though she had been holding it back for far too long.

Mingyu's eyes softened, and he closed the distance between them in an instant, pulling her into his arms. It was a simple gesture, but to Jaerim, it meant everything. The warmth of his embrace surrounded her, and for a brief moment, the chaos outside disappeared.

"I don't care what anyone says," Mingyu whispered into her hair. "I don't care about the headlines. I don't care about any of that. I care about you. And I'll always care about you."

Jaerim clung to him, her breath shaky as she tried to steady herself. "But the comments, the messages... people are saying things I never thought would be said. It's like I don't even recognize myself anymore."

"I know," Mingyu said softly, his hand rubbing her back in soothing circles. "But that's not who you are, Jaerim. That's just noise. You're still the person I know. The person I love." He pulled back slightly, his hands resting gently on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "Don't listen to them. They don't know you like I do."

Her heart clenched at his words, and she nodded slowly, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to spill over. "I don't know how to handle this, Mingyu. How can I just pretend it's all okay?"

Mingyu reached up, gently wiping away the tear that had escaped her eye. "You don't have to pretend. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just be with me. Be yourself. And when you're ready, we'll face it together. One step at a time."

Jaerim let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. His words, his presence, were the only things grounding her in that moment. She was so tired of the weight of the world pressing down on her, but with Mingyu here, at least she didn't feel like she was drowning alone.

"You don't have to be alone in this," Mingyu repeated softly. "We're in this together."

The simple truth of it hit her all at once. The storm wasn't over. It wasn't even close to over. But with Mingyu by her side, she didn't have to face it alone.

Jaerim finally looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you, Mingyu. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this."

Mingyu smiled softly, his hand gently cupping her face. "You didn't drag me into anything. This is us. And I love you too. I'll always love you. Whatever comes next, we'll face it together. Always."

As the night deepened and the world outside continued its relentless hum, Jaerim felt a small spark of hope flicker inside her. The storm was far from over, but for the first time in a while, she believed they could weather it together.

The faint light of dawn crept through the curtains of Jaerim's dorm room, painting soft streaks of gold across the floor. The night had been long and restless, but somewhere between Mingyu's comforting words and the quiet moments they shared, Jaerim had finally drifted into a fragile sleep.

Mingyu sat near Jaerim's sleeping figure who was hugging him and nuzzling her face into his chest while he stared at the pale light seeping in.  His phone buzzed quietly on the nightstand — messages from managers, members, and agency staff flooding in one after another. He knew he couldn't stay here much longer without someone noticing, but the thought of leaving her alone made his chest tighten.

Jaerim stirred under the blanket, her brows furrowing slightly before her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she forgot about the chaos waiting for them outside — until she saw Mingyu there, exhaustion etched into his features despite the sleep

"Mingyu," she said softly, her voice still laced with sleep.

He turned to her, offering a tired but warm smile. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Um. With you in my arms, I got the best sleep"

She smiled and placed a small kiss on his lips "You should go back before someone notices you're gone."

Mingyu hesitated, his hand wrapping around hers as if letting go would make everything fall apart again. "I will... but are you okay now? Even just a little bit?"

Jaerim managed a faint smile. "I'm better because you were here. But... we can't hide forever, right?"

He sighed and nodded reluctantly. "No, we can't."

Jaerim looked at him for a long moment before whispering, "Thank you, Mingyu. For staying with me."

Mingyu gave her hand one last gentle squeeze before standing up. "I'll go now, but I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She nodded, watching as he quietly slipped out of her room, his figure disappearing into the early morning light.

The silence that followed Mingyu's departure felt heavier than Jaerim expected.

The days after the statement felt like walking through fog—thick, heavy, and endless. Every time Jaerim unlocked her phone, she braced herself for the flood of notifications. She avoided reading the harsh comments, but even so, their venom lingered in the back of her mind.

But then... something changed.

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, Jaerim hesitated before opening her social media again. Her thumb hovered over the icon before she finally tapped it.

At first, the hurtful words still screamed at her, sharp and cruel, but then she began to notice the softer ones—the ones written with love and care.

"Jaerim-eonnie, please don't cry. We love you!"
"You're so brave. Thank you for being honest with us."
"No matter what others say, real fans will stand by you."

Her breath caught in her throat as tears blurred her vision. She scrolled further and saw hashtags trending worldwide: #JaerimYouDeserveLove and #MingyuJaerimForever.

Her lip trembled as she set her phone down on her lap, staring at the floor. After everything—the endless noise, the accusations, the fear—there was kindness. There was love.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Mingyu.

Mi Amor ❤️ : "Are you home? Come meet me at the studio if you can. Please."

She hesitated for only a second before grabbing her hoodie and mask.

When Jaerim pushed open the door to the practice studio, Mingyu was already there, sitting on the wooden floor with his head leaned back against the mirror. His eyes met hers immediately, and he stood up, his face softening with relief.

"Jaerim-ah."

She tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "You called me here. What's going on?"

Mingyu crossed the space between them in three steps and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She froze at first, but then the warmth of his embrace melted her defenses, and her arms found their way around his waist.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They just stood there, holding each other, breathing in each other's presence.

Finally, Mingyu pulled back slightly, his hands still on her shoulders. "You've been carrying too much by yourself, haven't you?"

Jaerim bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm scared, Mingyu. I thought... I thought maybe I was strong enough to handle this, but it feels like too much sometimes."

Mingyu cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped. "You don't have to handle this alone. I'm here, Jaerim. I'm right here."

Her chest tightened at his words, and before she could stop herself, she whispered, "What if this ruins everything? What if loving you costs me everything I've worked for? And everything you've worked for?"

Mingyu's eyes softened with something unspoken—something heavy and filled with love. "Then we'll face it together. If we have to start over, if we have to fight tooth and nail just to keep going—I'll be there. I promise."

Jaerim let out a shaky breath as her tears finally spilled over. Mingyu pulled her close again, holding her as tightly as he could without breaking her.

The sound of their breathing filled the quiet studio, and somewhere between the silence and the warmth of Mingyu's arms, Jaerim felt something shift inside her—a small crack of light piercing through the weight of her fear.

The ramen shop Mingyu brought her to afterward was quiet, tucked away in a narrow alley. They sat side by side in a corner booth, their hoods pulled low over their faces.

"Eat," Mingyu said gently, placing a bowl of steaming ramen in front of her. "You probably haven't been eating properly."

Jaerim stared at the bowl for a moment before picking up her chopsticks. The warm broth soothed her as she took her first bite, and she felt some of the tension in her chest unravel.

Mingyu watched her carefully, his eyes full of quiet concern.

"Did you see the hashtags?" she asked softly, breaking the silence.

Mingyu smiled faintly. "I did. Our fans are incredible, aren't they?"

Jaerim nodded slowly, her chopsticks still in her hand. "I was so sure they'd hate me forever. That they'd hate us."

"They don't," Mingyu said firmly. "Not all of them. And those who love us—the ones who support us—they're the ones who matter. They're the ones we hold on to."

She looked at him, really looked at him, and felt her chest tighten with gratitude. "You always know what to say, don't you?"

Mingyu chuckled softly. "Only because it's you. Only because I care so much about you, Jaerim."

Her eyes stung with tears again, but this time, they were warm tears—the kind that come from feeling loved, not broken.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Mingyu reached across the table and took her hand in his. "We'll get through this, Jaerim. I promise."

That night, Jaerim returned to her dorm room feeling lighter, but still fragile—like glass that had been carefully glued back together. She sat on her bed, her phone in her hand, before she opened Instagram.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she started typing:

"Thank you to everyone who has shown me kindness and love during this time. Your words have carried me through some of my darkest days, and I'm endlessly grateful for your support. I promise to keep doing my best—for myself, for Mingyu, and for all of you. 💖"

She hit Post.

The response was almost instant—comments of love, encouragement, and warmth flooded in.

Her phone buzzed with a new message from Mingyu.

"I'm so proud of you. Sleep well tonight, my love. You deserve peace. I'll be here when you wake up."

Jaerim clutched her phone to her chest, her heart swelling with a mixture of relief, love, and gratitude.

The storm wasn't over—it would come and go in waves. But for the first time in weeks, Jaerim felt like she could breathe again.

With Mingyu's love, her members' support, and the warmth of their fans, she knew she could face whatever came next.

And she would.

Together with him.