Idols | LisRene (Revised Version)

IRENE

MAMA 202* – A Moment That Changed Everything

The crowd went wild.

Live streams were abruptly cut off.

Staff members ran around in panic, their voices blending into the chaos. Some stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. Other idols whispered frantically, their faces reflecting pure shock—an understatement for what they were witnessing.

Because for a brief moment, that stage belonged to us.

A swarm of staff members rushed toward us, their voices a blur of frustration and confusion. I knew they were mad—angry, bewildered, desperately trying to contain the situation. Their faces displayed every possible negative emotion I had anticipated.

But I didn't care.

All that mattered was the hand gripping mine, holding on tightly despite multiple attempts to separate us. Some tried to pull me away from her, to pry our hands apart.

To keep us apart.

Blackpink and Red Velvet—our groups—stepped in, doing their best to ease the commotion. A few other groups also helped, forming an unspoken barrier around us.

Through it all, Lisa just smiled. Wide, unapologetic, fearless.

She didn't care about the backlash. She didn't care about the storm that was already brewing on the internet, the scandal that would explode within seconds.

She only cared about me. About us. And I felt the same.

I didn't care about the scandal. I didn't care about the consequences. Because this was necessary. Because the world had to know. We wanted them to know.

Despite the chaos surrounding us, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

We were ushered into a small, vacant dressing room—more like dragged. Our managers arrived moments later, their faces a mix of anxiety and frustration.

"Both CEOs are waiting for you at the SM building."

The words hit hard.

"We're expected to head over once the fans outside calm down."

Security was already struggling. Media outlets were swarming. A statement was urgently needed, and I doubted our companies could suppress this. Not that I wanted them to.

"Joohyun... Joohyun... I love you..." Lisa mumbled beside me, her voice a soft hum.

She repeated my name over and over, giggling like an excited child on Christmas Eve. She was happy.

Despite everything—despite the chaos, the uncertainty, the possible career-ending scandal—she was happy.

Our managers, however, were drowning in stress, answering endless calls, trying to control the damage. The media wouldn't back down. The fans outside were growing restless.

"The van is waiting at Exit D. Fans are gathering, so we need to leave now." my manager informed me.

"What about our members?" I asked, worried since we had been separated.

"They left with the YG team. You'll meet them at SM."

I swallowed hard. Lee Soo Man must be furious. I could already imagine the storm waiting for me at the SM building. But despite the weight of the situation, my fears eased—because Lisa was beside me.

And that's all that mattered.

***