Idols | LisRene (Revised Version)

21

I had expected Yang Hyun Suk to be replaced as YG's CEO, but I wasn't expecting the current one to be this calm.

"We'll take down every video that gets uploaded."

"That won't help," someone countered. "Thousands of fans recorded it live. It's impossible to erase everything."

"MAMA will cut the last part. I've made the necessary arrangements."

Lisa and I remained silent, our hands clasped tightly under the table as the discussion continued.

"I don't care what they upload or don't upload," I finally spoke.

A heavy silence filled the room.

"There's no point in trying to cover this up. It happened. There were too many witnesses. Instead of finding a way to hide, we should just release a statement."

Soo Man shot me a sharp glare—cold, piercing. He knew I was right. But I refused to back down. They had made me do things before—things that nearly destroyed me and Lisa. Not this time.

Thankfully, not everyone in the room was against us.

"We just received the latest reports—SM's stocks have surged since the incident at MAMA."

"YG's too."

A wave of relief washed over me. Like it or not, this was business. And as long as the company wasn't negatively affected, SM might just let us be.

Maybe... just maybe, we had a chance. If the companies could benefit from this, why wouldn't they? YG didn't seem too concerned. They were eager to wrap things up and release a statement.

"There's no way to deny it now. Trying to manipulate the situation will only damage both companies' reputations. Besides, the K-industry is evolving. Let Lisa and Irene be. From another perspective, this is an act of authenticity—something highly respected. They came forward on their own."

"SM and YG will support this. They need us, and this will shape both companies' public image. The issue is still trending and will continue to dominate the news in the coming days. I suggest giving them a break."

The discussion continued for a while before Lisa and I were excused. Throughout the entire meeting, we barely spoke. We just listened—until both sides needed confirmation.

"Are you really in a relationship?" The question itself was ridiculous, but we still answered.

I even made it clear that we had been together for a long time and that my last dating scandal had been nothing more than a cover-up. Their jaws dropped. Lisa snickered.

She was just too happy—unbothered by the situation, regardless of whether it was good or bad. And seeing her like this made me wonder why I hadn't done this sooner.

If I had, I wouldn't have had to fake a dating scandal. I wouldn't have had to swallow my jealousy when she was linked to another idol. We wouldn't have had to endure the pain of hiding.

But what is love without pain and sacrifice?

The moment we stepped out of that room, I didn't hesitate. I pulled Lisa into a tight hug, needing to feel her warmth, to reassure myself that this was real—that it had finally happened.

Tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them. For the first time, I felt the invisible chains around my neck break. I could finally breathe the same air as her without fear.

She held me just as tightly, her strong arms wrapped around me like a shield.

"You don't have to worry, Joohyun. I got you." Her voice was soothing, a lullaby in my ears as she stroked my back gently.