Playing with Fire: A BLACKPINK Story

Chapter 7: Say Goodbye

2018.

The second show went off without a hitch. There were no intruders and nothing even resembling a problem. I was on high alert the entire time, hovering near the stage, running checks with the staff every couple of minutes. After what had happened last night, I didn't want to take any chances.

Thankfully, there were no surprises. No one trying to trespass or attack the girls, no surprise guests after the show. Even better, there wasn't much of an afterparty this time. Just a small get-together in the green room before we all headed back to the Blackpink house.

I got to watch the show a little more this time, and I was more impressed than ever with how the girls managed to perform so flawlessly. Jisoo's vocals were stunning and powerful, raw and emotional. Rosé somehow managed to pull off an innocent and sexy vibe at the same time, all while remaining a vocal powerhouse. Lisa had the stage presence of an absolute goddess, and Jennie, well, she could just do it all.

It was strange though, because after this show, there was going to be a break—for about two months. It was because of the holidays, I assumed, and the girls were in fact going to be going home to their families. I had asked Hyun-suk if he thought this would be a problem, if it would make them vulnerable. But he assured me that all would be taken care of and that there was no chance of anything happening. I took his word for it. I couldn't do much else, of course. It simply wasn't possible for me to be in four places at once, and I couldn't play favorites.

Trusting Hyun-suk didn't sit well with me, but it was the only option. I supposed it made sense. The girls would be far less public and far better hidden while they were abroad. That would bring them at least a modicum of safety.

As for me, well, I planned on staying right here. I didn't have anyone to spend the holidays with. This didn't bother me, as it was no different than any other year. To me, the holiday season had stopped meaning something a long time ago. I didn't see this as a bad thing. It just was.

I said goodbye to Lisa and Jennie first, as they left at almost the same time.

"Be safe," I said to Jennie, giving her a hug. "I won't be there to keep you out of trouble."

She smiled, and I knew that despite the strain that our previous fight had put on our relationship, things were going to be okay. I might have to work to regain her trust, but it would happen eventually.

Lisa, on the other hand, had nothing to hold back from me. She threw her arms around me in a tight hug. "I'll see you soon!" she said. "It'll be weird not having you around!"

"You'll get used to it," I said with a crooked grin. "It'll be nice not having someone following your every move."

She pouted. "But I like when you follow me around!"

"Makes you feel important?"

She laughed. "Something like that. Enjoy your time off!"

It wasn't that simple though. I wouldn't be working to protect the girls, true, but Hyun-suk had already informed me that there might be... another task for me to complete. This had been part of our original deal, so I informed him that I would await the details before choosing to accept or not.

That meant it was now just Rosé, Jisoo, and myself in the house. Jisoo was packing slowly and Rosé reported that every time she went to check on Jisoo, she was spending more time playing games on her computer than getting anything done. I had to laugh. I wasn't surprised by that in the least.