Idols | LisRene (Revised Version)

8

A tear fell from her eye, and that was all it took for me to pull her into a hug.

I held her tightly, the same way I did when it was announced I was the second member of BlackPink. The same tight embrace we shared when our debut was confirmed.

"I'm sorry that I let my panic take over and say all those things. I didn't even stop to think about how you'd feel. I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry, Lisa."

"Unnie, please. I understand," I whispered, but she shook her head, insisting.

"No, Lisa. I said hurtful things. You didn't deserve any of it. I don't... I didn't..." She broke off, and I whispered, "It's okay. Can we just forget about that? Just let it go?"

"Lili, I said too much," she said again, but I reassured her.

"And you're sorry for it. That's what matters. That means a lot to me. You and I—we're okay now."

"We're okay?" She looked at me, her eyes searching mine.

"We are," I repeated, offering her a smile.

"You don't hate me?"

"Nini, why would I?" I smiled again, feeling relief wash over me. Fun fact: I could never hate her.

"We're okay," Jennie said with a sense of finality. "So, this means you're not sneaking out at 4 a.m. anymore?"

I froze, my soul almost slipping from my body at her words. I had no idea Jennie had noticed.

"W-w-what..."

She took my hands in hers, concern evident in her eyes as she looked at me.

"Lisa, I know what happened between us is hurting you a lot. That's why you're doing this, right? You're sneaking out because you think it's the only way to clear your mind." Jennie scoffed slightly, her grip on my hand tightening. "But please, if you're going through something, talk to us. Don't go out at those hours. It's dangerous."

"J-jen..."

"I've seen you three times already," she said, her voice softening. "Well, I've been checking on you, to be honest." She gave a faint smile. "For some reason, that 4 a.m. thing has become your routine, and it worries me."

"I'm sorry for making you worry," I said quickly.

"It's okay. Just promise me you won't do it again."

What?

I... can't... promise that.

I fell silent because the words Jennie wanted to hear were stuck in my throat.

Of course, I knew I needed to stop sneaking out for my own good, but not seeing Joohyun... that would be unbearable.

"Lisa?" Jennie's eyes searched mine, but I couldn't meet her gaze. I couldn't promise her something that I knew I'd break.

Then, just in time, Jisoo's voice filled the room, and I couldn't have been more grateful for her perfect timing.

"See?! See?! They're okay now!" Jisoo cheered as she spread her arms wide. "Group hug!!!" she yelled, running toward us. Chaeyoung rolled her eyes at Jisoo's antics but followed along anyway.

It was a perfect save for me.

The four of us bundled into a group hug, bursting into laughter as we realized how long it had been since we'd done this.

***

"Red Velvet wants to have dinner together," Jennie muttered as she continued swiping on her phone. We had already finished practicing, and it was 7 p.m., the perfect time to grab dinner. But it wasn't exactly what I had expected.