Hard to love : A haesoo love story

Chapter 3: The concert part 3

After the concert came to a close, Haein stared eagerly as the crowd slowly began to thin out, his mind already racing as he quickly jotted down a message to the star of the evening in the brief window of opportunity.

Chuperman 💖: Jisooya, you were amazing. I am so proud of you! I am very lucky you let me be a part of your life! I'll wait for you at home. Enjoy you diner.

Haein purposefully omitted to mention her tears. That as a subject he wanted to bring up face-to-face. As they left the concert hall, the Jung brothers tried to make a quick escape, with Haein particularly keen to avoid any unwanted attention. He held onto his phone with a death grip, impatiently awaiting her response.

He had just begun to walk away from the exit when he felt someone tugging at his left shoulder, prompting him to turn around. There, standing before him, was his girlfriend's manager, an all-too familiar face.

"What are you doing here?" Haein asked

"I was ordered to bring you backstage" Saerom replied

He checked his phone for the last time, but he still hadn't gotten a response from Jisoo. He quickly glanced at Haejoon to see if he was willing to accompany him backstage.

"Are you kidding? Miss a chance to see the girls again! Hell yeah, lead the way" Haejoon replied enthusiastically.

Turning to Saerom, Haein said: "Let's go"

Following Saerom, they crossed many hallways until they reached a door with two bodyguards and a sign on it that reads "Backstage Area - No Entry". Passing the door, Haein was instantly hit with the hustle and bustle of people on a mission. As they made their way further through the backstage area, the production crew were busily packing away their equipment and putting wraps on the last stage of the performance. Despite its frenzied nature, there was a sense of accomplishment in the air. A few people seemed to recognize him and the surprise was evident on their faces.

As they walked past what was presumably the platform the girls had used to access the stage, Haein took note of the racks of clothes that were being put away, the makeup being sorted, and the hairstyling equipment being packed away.

Saerom halted in front of a room that had Jisoo's name on it, and he turned his head around to face him.

"Hyung, you can go in," Saerom began, his face relaxing as he looked to Haejoon. "Haejoon Si, would you like something to drink or to eat? I'll show you the way."

"Sure!" Haejoon agreed.

Haein's heart skipped a beat as he pulled open the door and stepped inside. She was seated on a couch, her face lit up with delight when she saw him. For what felt like the hundredth time tonight, their eyes met. But there was nothing that could keep them away from each other any more. No one was there, no one was watching them, no obstacles were present. With just two steps, Haein closed the space between them and hugged her. Jisoo embraced him with a fierce grip, finding refuge in his familiar arms. She nuzzled in close, comforted by the steady thump of his heart and the soothing rhythm of his breath. Time seemed to stand still in that moment, and she remained there for a few blissful minutes.

Haein found himself lightly caressing Jisoo's hair and whispering in her ear, full of admiration and affection "You did so well! I was blown away!"

With a slight push, Haein created enough space between them to be able to look into her eyes. "Don't you have other fans to attend to?" Haein asked as he lightly pecked her lips.

"I do but I wanted to see my number 1 fan first!" Jisoo answered before returning his kiss.

Haein couldn't help himself from leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead, then her nose, and finally connecting his lips to hers. He was just about to deepen the kiss when he heard a chuckle. Jisoo and Haein simultaneously directed their attention towards its source. Lisa was standing at the door.