And now, this week's top news!
BTS member Park Jimin is reportedly dating Choi InSuk, the daughter of chairman Choi Yoon Suk. Rumors began circulating after the couple was spotted kissing in the Gangnam area.
While the information has not yet been confirmed, fans are already furious. A war has broken out on social media between ARMY's defending Park Jimin and people hating InSuk, some of whom have even threatened to kill her.
Neither party has commented yet, but we hope to get answers to our questions soon.
All the news was about the new romance. Only a few days had passed since the incident, but the scandal was gaining momentum. The day after it happened, Park Jimin got the full treatment. Director Bang kept him in his office for about an hour. Screams and silence could be heard coming from the office. Then, Park came out. He looked tired and kept his eyes down. He didn't want to talk to anyone and didn't even look at the members who had gathered around him to find out what punishment he would receive for what he had done. He was silent.
~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~
It was a rainy and cold morning.
Subin could barely bring herself to crawl out from under her warm blanket.
It was seven in the morning, and she was already finishing her coffee and rushing to work.
As she stepped out of the elevator, she read the news on her phone. Once again, there were photos of Jimin and InSuk everywhere. Something inside her flinched with pain, echoing painfully in her temples. She turned off her phone, clenched her fists, and walked confidently toward the exit, trying not to think about him. The guy who made her head spin with his kiss, only to kiss someone else.
Rain. It was pouring. And the umbrella was left on the table by the front door again. Lowering her head, she decided to go back for it. After all, she didn't want to get wet. Suddenly, she saw an umbrella in a puddle above her head. A spark lit up in her heart and a smile appeared on her face. She looked up, but it wasn't Jimin she saw, as her heart had hoped. Tae was standing next to her, holding the umbrella over her head and smiling broadly.
"It's raining today," he said, coming closer. Subin just blinked in response. "Shall we go?" the boy asked, offering his hand to his friend.
"Yes..." she whispered. As she grabbed Tae's hand, she felt its pleasant warmth. She smiled and hid her eyes because her cheeks had suddenly flushed from the unexpected touch. "Oh, Subin-a, your hands are freezing." he remarked, wrapping his large, warm hands around her tiny ones and pleasantly burning her skin. How wonderful that she has Taehyung! He's a sweet, sometimes silly, but very caring oppa. He's a friend you can trust with all your secrets, knowing he'll keep them safe. You can text him all day long and bombard him with photos; he'll send you thousands of selfies in return. You can always eat ramen with him at the diner next to the agency where everyone knows him and brings him a larger portion of rice, saying, "Eat, my little one. You're so skinny. You're so pale. Eat more." He makes everything easy and fun. After all, he knows how to cheer people up. It's in his blood. He's always ready to share his positivity with others.
Subin is now grateful to him for being there for her. Without him, she surely would have sunk into a gray routine, haunted by thoughts of Jimin. For the past few days, Tae has come to see her every day after work, bringing hot soup made by his mother. They sit on her bed and watch their favorite dramas together because JungKook won't let Tae get a word in edgewise while he's playing shooting games at home. He felt at home with Subin, walking around the apartment in sweatpants and a stretched-out T-shirt. It was good to feel someone close by.
Tae got off the bus without opening his umbrella and ran toward the agency, pulling Subin behind him. Their feet and hair were wet, and their clothes were soaked, the cold seeping through to their skin. Tae laughed and shook his wet hair while Subin tried to fix her morning hairstyle, but to no avail. Her hair was completely wet. She started laughing along with him. In the lobby, everyone looked at them as if they were crazy. But they didn't care. The main thing was that it was fun. However, after a few seconds, Subin's face clouded over again. Her smile turned to surprise, then hurt and pain.
Jimin had just arrived at the agency with the other members. He walked confidently and was the first to burst into the building. He turned his head toward the source of the laughter and stopped. Subin and Tae were laughing. They were rejoicing in life, but his heart was heavy. Everything inside was torn to pieces. He no longer knew where to go to avoid seeing, hearing, or thinking about Subin.
"Are you laughing?" he said angrily. Then, his chest tightened. Subin looked at him, but he pretended not to notice and raised his chin high. He strode forward again without turning around, although he desperately wanted to see her gaze again.
"Aishh..." she whispered, lowering her head.
"What is it?" He asked in surprise and then saw Jim. "You still haven't talked?"
"No. Why should we?"
"What do you mean, 'why'?" I'm sure those photos are a bad joke. Or someone did a very good job with Photoshop."
"If those photos weren't real, Jim would've explained everything right away. But if that hasn't happened yet, then they're real," she said. Pulling herself together, she went to the elevator.
"Aigoo! Why is life so complicated?" She asked herself, then hurried to the meeting.
"So..." began Director Bang. "The situation is getting out of control. Because of these two," he said, pointing at Jim and InSuk, who were sitting next to him. "We've forgotten about normal sleep and weekends. But we still need to resolve this scandal somehow and come out of it unscathed."
"What if we do a joint photoshoot with them? Then we can tell everyone that they were just getting into character," suggested one of the employees.
"No, that's a bad idea," the director replied immediately. "That will only add fuel to the fire," he explained. "No one will believe it anyway."
"What if we tell everyone that they just work together?" someone else suggested.
"Yeah, and kiss each other, too?" Namjoon interjected. "No one believes those fairy tales anymore."
"We just need to confirm this information..." Subin's faint voice suddenly broke the silence.
"What?!" All eyes turned to her.
"Shh," the manager hissed at the girl, but she ignored him.
"Hold a press conference and tell everyone that they're really dating," she said, a painful lump in her throat preventing her from pronouncing each word clearly.
"Subin, shut up," the nasty manager continued, trying to silence her.
"I'm not finished yet," she growled at the man.
"Let her continue..." Director Bang said thoughtfully, leaning on the table and propping his chin on his fist. Everyone was surprised, especially the manager, because this was the first time the director had listened to someone other than himself—some intern.
"They should both appear in the studio and give an interview. Let them announce their relationship themselves. Then, people will lose interest in them because no one is interested in the truth."
"Yes, she's right," Tae exclaimed, seeing that Subin was holding on by a thread. "She's right." We need to prepare for the press conference and give an interview. Then, reporters will no longer be interested in Jimin because society wants intrigue, not revealed romances.
"I think..." Director Bang muttered. "That's a good idea." He made everyone look at him. "Tomorrow, we will agree with SBS TV on the conference and give interviews. Yes..." He stood up from the table. "Let's start preparing. You..." He pointed to several employees from the public relations department. "Get ready to wow everyone with your advertising skills. You..." He pointed at a few more people. "You write the script. And you two... —he turned to Jim and InSuk—sit quietly for now and recharge your batteries. We need to hush up this scandal, so don't show yourselves in public." He left the room.
"Are you okay?" Tae asked. Subin sighed heavily and sat down in a chair. Her knees were shaking and her heart was pounding wildly.
Jimin listened indifferently to those around him, letting everything wash over him. Not even Subin's voice brought him to his senses. He stared intently at the table and felt someone sit next to him and hold his hand. InSuk smiled happily, holding his plump fingers in her palm. When Subin shared her idea for resolving the situation, InSuk's eyes lit up. Could it be true? Did Jimin now belong to her and her alone? As soon as the meeting ended, Jimin rushed out of the hall after the director. The door slammed shut, shaking the floor beneath their feet.
"Yes, I'm fine," Subin replied immediately after Jimin left. It became easier to breathe, but her mind was still in turmoil.
"Have you eaten?" Tae suddenly asked, staring at her pale face. "Let's go. You need to take your mind off things," he said, forcing her to stand up and pulling her into the dining room. Only then did the girl come to her senses. Tae made her eat and distracted her with conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Subin, those few days of preparing for the conference passed unnoticed. She worked until midnight every day that week and sometimes stayed until morning, losing track of time. At least Tae didn't forget about her, bringing her tasty treats. He made her tea and stayed with her in the office. He was genuinely concerned about his friend. He helped her get through the difficult times, which made her forget about Jim. But not for long...
Sunday. At 10 a.m., the studio bustles with activity. Employees ran around like ants in an anthill, each doing their job. The Bantans gathered behind the scenes. Jimin and In-Suk are preparing for the broadcast. Park sits quietly while they do his makeup. InSuk can't take her eyes off him. Opening his eyes for a second, he notices Subin near one of the video cameras. She's so beautiful, wearing glasses and holding papers. She stands and checks something, looking anxiously at her watch. He spins around next to the girl, making her smile. How annoying they are! This sweet couple is already haunting Jimin's dreams at night. They're sickening. Enough of this cuteness! It's infuriating! Infuriating! Infuriating!
There are five minutes until the live broadcast. For some reason, Jimin is nervous. Giving an interview seems like a normal thing to do. But today is different.
He's not the same as before. Subin is not the same either. She is a stranger. She no longer belongs to him.
The director tells the man what to do, but he seems to be lost in thought and not hearing anyone. Noise fills his ears, and dark spots in front of his eyes prevent him from seeing his surroundings clearly. He stares, trying to understand what is happening. But it's useless.
Ten seconds to air. Everyone falls silent. The hostess straightens up, puts on a smile, and looks confidently into the camera.
"Good morning!" It began. "Today, we have a guest: BTS member Park Jimin." She spoke at length in a monotonous tone. But Jimin was still wandering through the corners of his consciousness. There was complete chaos there. It was as if someone had thrown all the books from the shelves onto the floor in one big pile, mixing up all the genres. Meanwhile, InSuk smiled as he skillfully played his role in this chaos called life. The guys were waving their arms behind the scenes, pointing at something. But Jimin didn't understand anything. What was going on? How would they return to reality? Home. Quickly, home. They needed to burrow under a warm blanket and forget. Forget everything. But suddenly...
"Jimin... Jimin-shi..." Subin's voice echoed in his head.
"Subin-ah?" he asked, barely moving his lips. "No, Jimin. You imagined it. Forget about her. Forget about her already."
"Jimin-shi, can you hear me?" That sweet voice again.
"Yes," he replied.
"Speak..."
"What?" the boy asked in surprise.
Subin stood near one of the cameras and spoke into the microphone. She tried to bring Jimin to his senses because all the cameras were pointed at him and he remained silent. Everyone was waiting for his answer, but he seemed deaf and was staring into space.
"Park Jimin, is it true that you are dating Choi InSuk?" The host repeated her question for the third time, looking closely at the boy. InSuk suddenly grabbed his hand. Park jumped in surprise.
"Jimin-shi, speak," Subin's voice repeated in his head. "Answer the question. Say it, Jimin-shi. Please..."
She has such a sweet and gentle voice. She begs him to answer. She asks for an answer. She wants to know the truth.
All right. I'll tell you. The truth is... I love you, silly Subin. Jimin shouted silently.
His head finally cleared. The noise disappeared. He could see the members' faces, filled with concern for their friend. And Subin's gaze. It gave him goosebumps.
"Yes," he replied after five minutes of thought. The whole studio sighed with relief. He spoke. They were already about to air the commercial. "Yes, it's true. We are dating."
"How long have you been hiding your relationship?" the host asked.
"Not very long. Maybe a month or two. It's surprising that we were exposed so quickly," Jim joked.
"That's the work of professionals," the woman replied, covering her face with her hand. "What about the photos? Are they real? And your kiss..." Silence fell over the studio again. "Yes, that kiss was real," the boy replied confidently, looking lovingly at InSuk. "That evening was unforgettable. We walked under the stars for a long time. We joked around a lot. We laughed. Then I kissed her..." The whole studio fell silent at these words. "It was my first kiss. The most tender and sweet. With the person I love. With the girl I had liked from the moment we met. I watched her for a long time..." Images from the past with Subin flashed through Jim's mind: There he was, holding her unconscious in his arms. She was too beautiful, and he was afraid to talk to her. He remembered the incident with the towel and smiled. "I always wanted to be there for her when she needed help..." He remembered the moment with the umbrella. He bit his lip when he saw him put a Band-Aid on her finger. He remembered how he asked her out. It was silly, but so romantic. "I was the first to ask her out, and I waited a long time for her answer. When I got her answer, I was the happiest person on earth. She is the best thing in my life. She's special. I LOVE HER!"
"Oh, how romantic..." The hostess wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek. InSuk looked at Jimin with eyes full of hope and love. But no one knew that he wasn't saying those words to the woman sitting opposite him, but rather to the one watching from afar.
Subin heard every word he said. She saw every glance he directed at InSuk. Every touch. He held her hand so tenderly. What an idiot. Why is he hurting her? Why is he saying these things? Her heart refused to beat normally. Tears filled her eyes. Without listening to his confession, she ran out of the studio. A long corridor. Doors. Lots of gray doors. A dressing room. The floor. Tears.
She sat on the cold floor and cried. She cried from the pain tearing her apart inside. Everything Jimin said was a lie.
It hurts. It hurts too much. He broke her heart so beautifully. Too many words. And there was too little of him. I love him!
~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~
After the successful interview, Director Bang headed to his office. He was preparing to congratulate everyone on their victory. He planned to promote several people, especially the intern. Her idea had really worked. Just a few hours after the broadcast, the news died down. Jimin's name was hardly mentioned anymore, let alone the scandal. However, when he entered his office, he was surprised to find a resignation letter on his desk.
"Please release me from my position..."
Subin had written these words slowly with a pen on white paper.