Blood Sweat & Tears: A BTS Story ✅

Chapter 25: The VMAs Part 2

The high from the boys winning Best Social Media Fan Base feels like floating on the cloud.

"Today we won best fan base, next up a music award!" Richard holds his glass up in a toast and we all raise ours to salute and cheers.

We're in the "winners room" in the back of the building before we head out to the press room to talk about the award. Geoffrey has a smile on his face which should feel good but instead, it feels a little ominous.

"A toast to your success," he lifts his glass, "May BTS continue to take over the western world."

We all raise our glasses again.

The boys are overcome with excitement. I pull out my phone and snap a few pictures to immortalize the moment. Tae and Jungkook jumping around, Yoongi and Namjoon laughing as they toast each other, and Hoseok and Jimin clapping each other on the back happily. The looks on their faces are so pure and full of unending happiness and I'm so glad I thought to take a picture.

Jin comes up behind me and hands me another glass of champagne, "This award is yours to celebrate too."

His hand lingers on mine as he gives me the flute. "I didn't do anything. This award is a culmination of all of your hard work, all seven of you."

His eyes bore into mine imploringly. "We couldn't have done this without you, Rose." He takes my phone out of my hand and before I can protest and props it in front of us and takes a selfie. The first one I look confused and the second one my face morphs into raw joy.

A selfie with my bias. I never thought this would happen, let alone happen like this.

"Let's all get a picture!" I say, and motion for one of the stagehands to take it.

The boys all huddle together and Richard takes up the left flank along with Geoffrey. I attach myself on the end at the right and right before the picture snaps, Yoongi reaches around and puts his arm around my waist. The flash of the camera clicks a few more times and then the photographer hands the phone back to me.

"BTS you're up next in the press room," one of the VMA coordinators says, and they are ushered away by Richard and Geoffrey.

I'm left standing there stunned. I truly cannot believe this is my life. I look through the group photos and I see the wideness of my eyes when Yoongi first put his arm around me. Thankfully I recovered quickly and in the rest of the photos I look dizzy with happiness.

My fingers itch to share this on my social page. The me from a year ago would be unable to contain her excitement from getting a group photo with BTS. But the me I am now knows that parading my closeness to the boys would just be a bad idea. It's not only a breach of contract, it's also just a terrible idea. The longer my job working for BTS is kept mostly unknown from the world the longer I can continue to have this job without and outside forces trying to ruin it for me. I remember the words Namjoon told the paparazzi at the Gala. They wanted the paps to be nice and take care of me, and part of that is not putting me in the press. Those photos didn't run because the paps knew that I wasn't a secret girlfriend, I was just someone on the payroll.

All in all, I'm lucky to have this job and I don't need the world to know I have it in order to be fulfilled by it.

I peak my head into the opening for the press room and watch as the boys' field questions about the rest of their tour and the possibility of new music any time soon.

Richard is beaming with pride and even Geoffrey's smile looks genuine now. It must be so satisfying to watch a group climb the charts and in fame. BTS is a BHE product and they sell really well, it would make any exec happy. I snap a few more photos in case Richard or the boys want them and then I click into social media to check if the news of BTS's win is posted on the VMA's socials as well. Sharing that in my stories wouldn't be out of place for me and no one would suspect anything was amiss.