Never Give Up

Chapter 36

POV: Y/N

For the two days before the first concert, your men brought you along while they prepared for the concert. You'd tried to convince them to leave you at the apartment, but they were having none of that. Thankfully, you were able to hang out with Jeny as they discussed outfits, make-up and hair changes throughout the concert. You found the entire thing fascinating.

During their sound check, you and Jeny were their audience of two... if you didn't count the staff that were running around to make sure the sound was clear through both their hand mikes and their headsets. Their energy levels even during a basic sound check were amazing. How did they keep going? No wonder ARMY often paid extra to come to sound check the day of the concert. That the boys were going to be even more energetic at the performance blew your mind.

You found yourself blushing throughout the day as they would come to check in with you, providing small touch and whispered conversation. You had to be careful as BigHit had their camera crews around to capture footage for the tour. Sejin had said you didn't have to worry, but you refused to let anyone talk negatively about them. One of your biggest fears was that you would be the reason people would look down on your men.

At lunch, you sat between Namjoon and Jin. The adrenaline in the room was palpable and the boys chattered like magpies. You just smiled at the atmosphere around you, but you slowly developed an underlying concern. After lunch, you chatted with Sejin. "Sejin, how can they keep this pace? Do they ever take breaks?"

He looked over at the group fondly. "They'll go for another hour and then you'll see them nap around the area. This is completely normal for them."

"Is there a safe area for them to do that or will it be just in the general area?" You would love to take naps with them, but you wouldn't if they were where everyone could see. Plus, you wanted them to be safe without having to worry about any sasaengs. You were still feeling a little shy, so you tried to control your expression.

Jeny laughed knowingly, but Sejin looked at you with a tolerant smile. "You know, you really need to think about telling the management about your soul bond. This is not only for them but also for your protection. It really won't be as bad as you think it would be."

You sighed. Intellectually, you knew that. When it came to others' impressions of you, you could be a bit of a catastrophizer. However, you've seen some of the hate that has come the way of their friends or even those that were rumored to be in a relationship with them. Am I strong enough? You looked along the first level of the stadium where workers were making sure the area was clean and could have sworn you saw someone familiar. You sat up to try and get a closer look. Unfortunately, they were really far away, so you couldn't get a super clear image. But your eyes clashed with theirs for a hot minute and you couldn't believe the animosity you felt. They ducked away backstage and the feeling disappeared.

"Y/N?" Jeny was looking at you in concern and you wondered if she'd been calling your name for a bit. "Is everything okay?"

You looked at her and nodded. You were certain it was just your imagination or the paranoia of how you thought ARMY would react to news of you that was causing you to feel this way. "Sejin, I know we need to let the news out. I would like you to help us come up with a communication plan so this news won't hurt their careers. That is the most important thing. I can take the abuse." You were very firm on this point.

He smiled at you, throwing his arm around Jeny. "You were right," he murmured down to his soulmate.

"Of course I was!" she said with a smirk and a kiss. "I've known her forever. She cares more about her soulmates than herself. It's just..."