Two figures hide against the walls of an unknown alley as a crowd runs past them. The man tries his best to blend into the wall while the woman crouches down next to him with her head buried in her knees and long lush hair covering her face. Even in that position both of them had their hands locked tightly together.

They freeze in that position for a few minutes before the man leans forward and checks if there is anyone still lingering around. After making sure that the coast was clear, he went back into the alley and nodded at the woman.

She lets out a deep sigh of relief and quickly takes the outstretched hand of the man. Before exiting the alley, the man takes out a bucket hat from his satchel and puts it on the woman. Sensing her questioning stare in the darkness, He softly said, "It's Yoongi's hat. I borrowed it from him."

"And he just gave it to you?", she asks, doubtful.

"Well...I did tell him. He just didn't reply on time." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

She lets out a small giggle and takes his arm as they both leave the alley. Jeju city is silent around them as their take a short walk along the beach.

"Mr.Kim SeokJin, You have to wait till one gives permission. This is basically theft, you know?" The woman says, slightly shivering when a cold blast of air brushes past them.

Noticing the little action, he opens up his padding jacket and pulls her closer to him. The woman lets go of his arm and wraps her arms around his waist, pleased with the heat she received from his body.

"One would think that after becoming public again, we would have some peace of mind when we are out." Kim SeokJin says, completely ignoring her claims.

"When has it ever been peaceful for celebrities. It's those who get used to this attention that deserves to be called legends." Bae JooHyun replies. Jin hummed in agreement and both of them fall silent as they watch the sea.

Two years ago, Jin and Irene had decided that hiding their relationship from the fans was hurting them and their relationship too. After a lot of thought and discussion with both the agencies, the couple decided to reveal their relationship to the public again. They chose to reveal it on their SNS pages through a letter to their fans, signed by both of them.

The results were what they expected, perhaps even more. While there was a huge influx of comments from fans and non-fans alike that disapproved of their union (like the first time) and did rallies and petitions to separate them or demand them to exit their group, there was an even huge part of the two fandoms who embraced the news with open arms. They heartfully congratulated them and even as far as setting up ads on trains announcing their approval and support.

When things got a little bit out of hand, many popular fan pages on social media platforms started a movement where they would try to disciple their fellow fans and try to make upset fans understand why Jin and Irene being in love will be a fabulous thing for their own sake. Because at the end all a fan hopes for is happiness for their idol and if a man/woman makes them happy, why is there a need to worry?

Since both of them were part of very popular idol groups, the news stayed trending on Naver for a whole month before it was very naturally taken over by another scandal. The following three or so months were quite stressful for both the couple and the two companies. The companies worked hard to protect their artists from both mental and physical harm as best as they could. Extreme cases were also handled through judicial means.

Slowly but gradually the craze died down and like the phrase 'After a dark night, comes a bright day, the time came when things were manageable to some extent. However, the biggest problem remained the paparazzi's who continued to disregard the couples' wished to keep their relationship silent. 

Now, two years later, both of them still managed to encounter such scares but both had managed to adapt to it.

The couple spent a couple more hours under the moonlight as they enjoyed the dark sea. They spoke a lot about what was in their mind these days and how they are coping with it. Both of them had realized that while sharing worries and happiness with their members where the best therapy one could get, discussing private matters with each other's was another type of bliss.

Their schedule is so packed that both Jin and Irene would sometimes go months without seeing each other. None of them had moved out from their dorm as fans had expected but whenever they had time for themselves they would meet up in Jin's new apartment. It has been four years since they first met and fell in love and looking back it is filled with unforgettable memories.

Since the temperature kept dropping and the winds became cruel, both of them decided its best to return to the small cottage they had rented for three days as their getaway.

The walk back to their living quarters was peaceful and silent. Earlier on their way to meet each other, they had their minds brimming with topics and gossip to share with each other but the moment they saw each other, everything just dissipated into the cold Jeju air. 

Life had been busy but due to the ongoing pandemic it was hard for both of them and their groups to be satisfied by the way comeback activities were being held. They missed their fans but they knew they had to be considerate of the situation and be careful. With Red Velvet members now having a lot of solo activities, Irene initially thought that she would feel lonely in the dorms but the girls were not easy to separate. No matter how late it was, all came home by night without fail.

On the other hand, Bangtan was busier than ever. With Dynamite being a big hit last year and BE dropping soon after they thought they could rest for a while but with the album preparations for the next year and countless performances for different shows and platforms, the boys took a well-deserved week break before they will jump back right in.

Jin spent two days with his parents before coordinating with Joohyun and whisking them both to Jeju. They arrived two days earlier and could already feel the positive effects of the vacation.

Joo-Hyun goes to take a bath will Jin throws himself on the couch and lets it take him in. He loved couches like these. It feels like someone is hugging you. He fishes out his phone and orders them some food, goes through the messages he received today, and checks out the schedule he received for the next month, and feels happy to see some days empty in between.

He hears the bathroom door clicking behind him and struggles to crane his next to look at her. She changed into a white shirt and beige cotton shorts that we bought as a couple item last fall. A smile stretches on my face as I see her quietly yawn and drop the towel on the back of a chair. She sees me craning to look at her and makes a beeline for me, smiling. She drops next to me and cuddles into me as I pull her closer by her waist. 

She lets out a content sigh before lets her head let at the crook of my neck. Her shampoo scent assaults my nose and I close my eyes enjoying it. This was by far my most favorite shampoo among her collection and she was made aware of the fact too many times for her to always use it when she is with him. He buries his face in her hair and tightens his hold on her waist.

"You smell like heaven." He mutters, sounding drugged. His chest feels the vibration when she lets out a giggle and traces patterns on it.

"You talk as if you know what heaven smells like." She quietly replies, her tone teasing.

He takes one strand of her hair and distractedly plays with it. "Well that place won't be my heaven if you are not there, so yes, you are my heaven." Had they been facing each other, he would have even winked for good measure.

She laughs and slightly hits his chest. "I swear, in my entire life I have never seen anyone pass off such cringy comments so confidently. You got talent right there, Mr. Kim."

He playfully shrugs his shoulders and says with a smug tone, "But you love me for it." She nods, accepting the truth.

They both grow silent for a while looking at the small fire built in front of them in the fireplace. After a while, Joohyun cranes her neck to look at him. 

"What do you think we will be in our late thirties?" She asks him curiously.

His hand on her waist comes up to support her head while the other hand comes to rest on her knees between his legs. He takes his time answering the question.

"um....maybe we will have a small family of four? At least that is what I would like to have." He says softly. Joohyun physically feels color rush to her face. 

"I want one girl and one boy." She shyly admits. His movements stop momentarily which tells he was not expecting this answer. He resumes soon after and kisses my forehead. "Done."

They were times like these where they would talk about their future. While they had collectively agreed that one can never predict their own future, they could make efforts to the future they wanted. And both of them refused to even imagine a future without each other in it.

"How are your members? It's been a while since I spoke to any of them." She asks, genuinely curious.

"All of them are good. Probably enjoying the vacation to the fullest. Yoongi went back to Daegu after his surgery and is doing rehabilitation there itself. Namjoonie went home to visit his parents too but I heard he is back in the dorms already. Hobi got into trouble with his girlfriend and I am on Areum's side this time. Taehyung went back home too and took Jimin with him. I think Jimin is in Busan now. He should be back tomorrow too. And lastly Jungkookie, I have no clue what that kid is up to now. We are all suspecting that Namjoon is seeing someone but he hasn't been leaving any solid clues so it's still a suspicion." He says and she smiles at the thought of another budding relationship among Bangtan.

(A/N: Hobi and Areum's story is already up as 'Awake'. Do check it out!)

There had been times where they had openly admitted that they were jealous of their Hyung. Seeing him so happy made them want to experience love too. Joohyun just told them that when the time comes, someone for them will come and sweep them off their feet. She remembers Jin laughing at their expressions at that time for a long while.

"I hope Yoongi gets well soon," She says, a little worried. " I had heard that it is a long painful process."

"He's good now. Last night he sent us a picture of lifting a bowl with his injured hand. That boy is tough." Jin says and Joohyun smiles at the affection reflecting in his tone.

The food arrives soon after and they shift to the dining table and eat their dinner while sharing funny situations of their members and friends. 

Unsurprisingly, members of both groups gelled with each other well. At first, there were some awkward interactions but those dissolved as soon as they got comfortable and started being themselves. Among his members the first person Joohyun could say she got close to was Yoongi. She found out that he was actually a very kind-hearted person but also feisty when defending his close ones. He was especially very protective of his members, a trait he shared with Jin and she respected him for it.

Both groups were very supportive of both of them and when the couple had silly fights or arguments they would either stay out of it completely or gather everyone to discuss the problem. Joohyun and Jin secretly hated those meetings, it felt like a family meeting back in childhood where your faults were bought out and you felt like scolded like little kids. They never said no to them because they are doing it for the good of both the teams and not simply for interfering.

(A/N: Does this happen in your families? It used to happen in mine before it slowly stopped. I used to genuinely hate such meetings. It literally felt like I am standing in court with two unreasonable lawyers.)

Least to say, both of them felt really blessed to have such supportive members.

The next morning came faster than they were ready for. It was the day they go back to Seoul. Jin had a talk show shoot while Joohyun had her drama shoot. They were being extra slow in packing up, trying to drag out their time together more.

Times like these were particularly more upsetting for them. Their managers arrived to escort them back home and seeing them at the doorstep was enough to give them both a reality check. Jin armed both the managers with mugs of hot chocolate and made them sit on the couch as the couple went into the bedroom to collect their bags and do the last check-up.

 They do that in silence for a while and when they couldn't bear the silence anymore, they gravitated towards each other naturally.  Both stood in the middle of the room in each other's arms. They were being more affectionate towards each other since they woke up but the impending separation did not want them away from each other for the remaining time they had.

Jin held her close to himself. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other came up to caress her hair and press her more into him. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, hands on the back clutching to his shirt tightly. He felt his shirt dampening and upon realizing he lets out a shaky breath.

"Hey, look at me." He softly says, pulling back slightly to lift her face to look at him. Her eyes are filled to the brim and her nose a tomato red. Under other circumstances, He would tease her endlessly about her adorable nose but now he couldn't help but feel the pang in his heart. He slowly wipes away her tears and shakes his head when he notices more forming.

"Don't cry." He says, cupping her cheek. "We will be seeing each other next week too. I have a half-day free on Wednesday, I'll come to you then. okay?"

She says nothing but nods. He bends down to lightly kiss her on the cheek and rests his forehead against hers. "I will miss you. I love you"

She whispers, "I love you too."

She closes her eyes and stands there clutching onto him before pulling him into a deep kiss.

--

The couple parted ways at Gimpo Airport as Joohyun had to go for a script reading in Namyangju while Jin headed back to his dorms. 

In the car, Jin's manager finally gets the timing to ask the question that he wanted to ask for a while. "You both were such a mess only to see each other next week." He doesn't really pose it as a question but Jin understands his question.

"One day away is hard too, Hyung. One week is too long!" He says and his manager just shakes his head in disbelief. 

In the other car, Joohyun's manager has a question for her too. "If you can't be away from him for a week, how will you be when he enlists?"

Joohyun smiles when she hears the question and then states in a tone as if the question had a very obvious answer. She knew the answer for it for a long time now and not a day comes by where she finds her answer changing.

"I will of course wait for him. What else?"

____***____

FIN-FU*K-ALLY!!

I know I am very late and I have no excuses, tbh. I just wasn't satisfied with what I wrote before so I kept deleting it and writing it again and again. Not kidding there are 6 drafts that are titled 'Bonus d1 (scrap)' 'Bonus d2(scrap)' and so on.

I don't know how this one turned out but I felt like leaving the judgment on you guys. Do let me know what you think of it!

Also....

STIGMA HAS 100K READS!!! 

I couldn't believe it when I saw the count two days ago. I usually don't keep a track of the views or votes but that day I happened to see it and was floored. I cried like a baby that day and wanted to gift you guys something then I remembered that I haven't uploaded this one yet. So here ya go.

A HUGE hUgE THANK YOU for the 100k! 

I could never imagine that any book of mine would ever hit a number like this. This feels like a blessing, thank you so much.

Hope everyone is doing well in this pandemic. Please wear a mask and keep a good distance from people when you are out. This virus had taken the lives of many of my close ones and millions around the world but there are still people who treat it like a joke.

Have a happy day!

Bye!