The practice room was quiet. The afternoon sun streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow across the wooden floors. Jade, Lisa, Rosé, Jennie, and Jisoo sat in a circle on the floor, their legs crossed, their bodies slightly slouched from hours of rehearsals. They had been practicing, as they always did, but today felt different-there was a quiet weight hanging in the air.

Jade, always the one to break silences, leaned back on her hands and sighed. "Does anyone else feel like... we've been kind of stuck lately?"

The others glanced at her, their expressions soft but thoughtful. Jennie, who had been tracing circles on the floor with her finger, looked up first. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "I've been feeling that for a while now."

Rosé, sitting next to Jennie, nodded. "It's like... we're here, doing all this work, but we're not really doing anything. At least, not in the way that matters to our fans."

Lisa pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "Blinks are always asking when the next album is coming, when we're going to release new songs. I feel like we keep saying, 'Soon,' but it's been so long..."

The mention of their fans-Blinks-made the room feel even heavier. They all loved their fans deeply, but lately, it felt like they hadn't been able to give them what they deserved. Jade could feel the same frustration stirring in her chest, a frustration she'd been carrying for months.

Jisoo, always the calm and measured one, broke the momentary silence. "I think we all feel it. We've been doing this for years now, and I know we're still passionate about our music, but..." She paused, searching for the right words. "It's hard when we don't have control over when we can release things. I think Blinks understand, but it's still hard for them."

Jennie sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "I miss those days when we'd release a song and then immediately start preparing for the next one. Everything felt so fast-paced back then, and now, everything's so... slow."

Jade looked at her members, seeing the weariness in their faces, the weight of unspoken words that had been building for a while. She leaned forward, her voice softer than usual. "Do you think Blinks feel like we've forgotten them? Like... we're not doing enough?"

Rosé's eyes flickered with worry. "I think about that all the time. I see the comments online, the ones where they're asking when we'll be back, if we're still working on new music. It's hard because we are working, but there's only so much we can do. I hate feeling like we're disappointing them."

Lisa reached over and placed a hand on Rosé's knee, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think they feel forgotten. They love us, and we've given them so much already. But yeah, they're definitely waiting. And I think we're waiting too."

The room fell into another brief silence as they all processed the conversation. Jade, ever the optimist, didn't want the discussion to end on a somber note. She knew how much they all cared-about their music, their fans, and each other. She wanted to bring some light back into the conversation.

"I think," Jade began, her voice thoughtful, "it's important for us to remember that Blinks have been with us through everything. They've seen our highs, our lows, and everything in between. But maybe we should talk to them more, you know? Be more open about what's going on, even if we don't have new music out right away."

Jennie nodded slowly. "Yeah, maybe we should. I think we've been so focused on keeping things quiet because of the industry and how things are managed, but... maybe being more real with them would help."

Jisoo chimed in, her tone contemplative. "Like more lives, more behind-the-scenes stuff. Even if we don't have a comeback date yet, we can still show them that we're working hard."

Lisa perked up at the suggestion, her energy lifting a bit. "Yeah! We can do more dance practices, or even just hang out with them online. They love seeing us, even if we're just being silly."

Rosé smiled, the light returning to her face. "They really do. I see how excited they get when we do something spontaneous. Maybe that's what we've been missing-a little more spontaneity, a little more connection."

Jade felt a small spark of hope light up inside her. "We're still a group, no matter what. Even if we haven't put out new music in a while, Blinks still love us for who we are. Maybe we've just been focusing so much on when the music is coming that we forgot about the journey."

Jennie, who had been quiet for a moment, smiled softly at Jade's words. "I think you're right. The journey is what got us here, and it's what's going to carry us forward. We just need to make sure we're sharing that with them."

Jisoo nodded in agreement. "We can't control when the next album will come, but we can control how much we let our fans in on our lives. We can give them more of us, and that's just as valuable."

Lisa smiled, her usual playfulness returning. "Okay, so more lives, more silly moments, and definitely more food content. Blinks love it when we eat on camera."

The girls laughed, and the mood in the room lifted, the weight that had been hanging over them dissipating a little. They weren't out of the woods yet-there were still challenges ahead, and they still had to wait for the go-ahead on their music. But in that moment, they felt lighter, knowing that they could give their fans more of what they wanted-more of them.

Jade looked around the circle of her members, feeling grateful for their honesty and their bond. "We've got this," she said, smiling. "We'll figure it out, together."

As the conversation wound down, the girls knew one thing for sure: even if the road ahead was uncertain, they had each other, and they had their fans. That was all they needed to keep moving forward.

After their heartfelt conversation in the practice room, Jade looked at her members, an idea forming in her mind. "You know what we should do?" she said, her voice picking up energy. "We should just go live right now and talk to Blinks."

Lisa's eyes widened, excited. "Like right now, right now?"

"Yeah!" Jade responded, a grin spreading across her face. "We've been talking about connecting more with them, so why not do it right away? We can just chat and hang out-no rehearsed stuff, just us being us."

Jennie nodded in agreement, her usual calm demeanor softening. "That actually sounds like a great idea. It's been a while since we all went live together."

Jisoo stretched her arms above her head, already on board. "I'm in. It'll be fun to just talk with them, especially after everything we just talked about."

Rosé smiled, her energy returning. "Okay, let's do it. I think they'll appreciate hearing from all of us at once."

Without hesitation, Jade pulled out her phone, and the others gathered around. She opened the live streaming app and hit the button to go live. Within seconds, comments from Blinks started pouring in, hearts flying across the screen as fans realized what was happening.

"Hey, Blinks! We're live!" Jade said into the camera, her face lighting up with excitement. She turned the camera toward her members, each of them waving and greeting their fans.

"Surprise!" Lisa shouted with her trademark enthusiasm, throwing up a peace sign.

Rosé giggled and leaned into the shot. "We missed you all, so we decided to hang out with you for a bit!"

Jisoo, always cheeky, waved slowly and said, "Hello, I'm Jisoo, your unnie. Did you miss me?"

Jennie smiled softly, waving to the camera. "It's been a while, right? We've been wanting to catch up with you guys."

The comments were already flooding in. Fans from all over the world were saying how much they missed the group and how excited they were to see all of them together. Some were asking about upcoming projects, while others simply shared their love for the girls.

Jade read one of the comments aloud. "'You all look so pretty!' Thank you, Blinks! We're just hanging out today. No makeup or fancy outfits, just us."

Lisa glanced at the comments, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, someone's asking about my solo debut." She grinned, sitting up straighter. "Yes, it's coming! I've been working really hard on it, and I can't wait for you guys to see what I've been preparing."

Rosé smiled proudly at Lisa. "I'm so excited for your debut. It's going to be amazing! I remember how nervous I was before my solo debut, but you're going to kill it, Lisa."

Jade nodded, chiming in. "We're all super excited for Lisa's debut. The songs are fire, trust me."

Lisa blushed at the compliments, waving them off. "Stop hyping me up! But really, I'm excited to share it with you all. It's been a long time coming."

Jisoo, scrolling through the comments, found one that made her smile. "Someone just asked about my drama. Yes, I'm still filming it! It's been a lot of fun, and I can't wait for you all to watch. I've been working really hard, so I hope you guys will like it."

Jennie leaned over, smirking playfully. "Our actress Jisoo is going to win all the awards. Just wait."

Jisoo laughed, shaking her head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but I'm really excited for you all to see a different side of me."

The conversation flowed naturally, with each member taking turns reading fan comments and answering questions. The atmosphere was light and fun, with all of them feeling more relaxed now that they were engaging directly with their fans.

Rosé, always thoughtful, turned to the camera and smiled softly. "I saw a lot of comments about my solo debut earlier. I just want to thank all of you again for supporting On The Ground and Gone. It was such a personal project for me, and the love I received was incredible. I couldn't have done it without your support."

Jennie nodded, her expression warm. "Rosie worked so hard on that album. Seeing her put her heart into it was really inspiring."

Rosé blushed a little at the praise. "Thank you. And just wait, Lisa's debut is going to blow everyone away too."

The fans were buzzing with excitement, spamming comments about their anticipation for Lisa's debut and how much they loved Rosé's solo.

Jade, feeling the momentum, decided it was time to tease something of her own. "And speaking of upcoming projects... I have something exciting to share with you guys too!" She grinned, watching the comments explode with curiosity.

Lisa gasped dramatically. "Ooooh, what is it? Spill the tea, Jade!"

Jade laughed, leaning closer to the camera. "Well, I've been working on my own project for a while now, and I'm excited to announce that I'll be launching a podcast soon!"

The members all cheered, clapping their hands in excitement. Jennie patted Jade's back. "Finally! We've been waiting for you to announce that."

Jade laughed, her excitement contagious. "Yeah, it's called Jaded Talks, and it's going to be all about having real conversations, not just about music but life in general. And guess what? My first guest is going to be Jennie!"

Jennie smiled, pretending to flip her hair. "I feel so honored to be the first guest. We're going to talk about everything, right?"

Jade nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! We're going to cover so much-our careers, some fun behind-the-scenes stories, and even things we don't usually get to talk about."

The comments exploded with excitement, fans thrilled about the idea of a podcast and asking when it would be available. Jade read some of them out loud. "'When does it launch?' Soon, I promise! We're recording the first episode next week, so keep an eye out!"

Lisa leaned in, grinning mischievously. "Can I be a guest too? I have so many stories to tell."

Jade laughed. "You're definitely going to be a guest, Lisa. I'm going to get all the tea from you about your solo debut and all the fun stuff happening in your life."

Rosé tilted her head, raising her hand. "Don't forget about me! I want to come on and sing a little, maybe even spill some secrets."

"Everyone's welcome," Jade said, smiling at her members. "I'm so excited to do this. I feel like we don't get to talk about certain things often, and this podcast will be the perfect space to share more with Blinks."

Jennie nodded thoughtfully. "I think it's such a good idea. Our fans have always wanted to know more about our lives outside of just being idols, and this will give them a chance to see that."

As they continued chatting about the podcast, Lisa noticed a flood of comments asking for spoilers about her solo debut. "Okay, okay," Lisa said, glancing at the screen. "I see a lot of you asking for spoilers... should I give them a little something?"

Rosé gasped dramatically. "Yes! Come on, Lisa, give them a taste!"

Jade and Jennie both leaned in, encouraging Lisa to share. "Just a little hint!" Jade teased.

Lisa looked at the camera, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Okay, okay! I'll give you one tiny spoiler... One of the songs on my debut is going to be very different from what you've heard from me before. Let's just say... it's going to surprise you."

The fans went wild in the comments, spamming hearts and begging for more details. Jisoo, laughing, added, "That's all you're getting for now! No more spoilers, or she'll get in trouble."

Lisa grinned. "Yeah, that's all you're getting today, Blinks. But trust me, it'll be worth the wait."

As the live continued, they answered more fan questions, from their favorite snacks to how they were feeling lately. The conversation naturally turned to Jisoo's upcoming drama.

"Unnie," Jennie said, reading a fan comment, "a lot of people are asking about your drama. How's that going?"

Jisoo smiled, her eyes lighting up. "It's going really well! Filming has been intense, but I'm having so much fun. The role is challenging, but it's also helped me grow a lot as an actress. I can't wait for you all to see it."

Lisa nodded proudly. "We've seen her working so hard. Jisoo-unnie is going to blow everyone away with her acting."

Jisoo blushed, waving off the praise. "You guys are too kind. But seriously, I'm really excited for it to come out. It's a different kind of project for me, and I hope you'll all enjoy watching it."

The conversation flowed smoothly, each of them taking turns sharing updates and answering fan questions. Jade, glancing at the clock, realized they had been live for nearly an hour.

"I think we've kept you all for long enough," Jade said, smiling at the camera