Shadows Of Stardom

Chapter 39 (Taehyung's POV)

I stood at my kitchen waiting for the noddles to cook, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. I didn’t know how to put it into words, but the truth was, I missed Jennie. Its been almost two weeks and I hadn't been able to see her..

Jennie had been busy—like, really busy. The kind of busy that felt like we were living in two different worlds. Yeah we were she was travelling to cities most everyday. BLACKPINK’s collaboration with EXO was shaking up the music charts, and everyone was buzzing. And then there was her solo single with Kai. Just mentioning his name made me upset. I hated how comfortable they were around each other after everything that had happened between them. Fans shipped them hard, and the rumors just wouldn’t die down.

But the truth was, every time I saw their photos together, I felt that familiar sting of jealousy, and no amount of logic could drown it out. Truth was Jennie had moved on but Kai hadn't.. and I hated that reality he was still her first love

I for one couldn't deny how proud I was of Jennie. Watching her come alive in the studio, seeing her pen lyrics that captured her spirit—it made my heart swell. I imagined how it would be when she released her album, how the world would finally witness her talent that I, and only a few others, had been lucky enough to see up close.

But then there was that first song of hers. The one that had dropped like a bombshell. It was all about Kai. I felt my heart sink at the memory. I should have been much more excited for her, I was but fuck it was difficult to do that.. It was a hit—no doubt. The song had everyone vibing, dancing, and pouring over the lyrics, but for me? It was torture.

I’d try to tell myself it was just a song, something she had made as her memory. It didn’t belong to me, but hearing her pour her heart into lyrics that were about him? It twisted something inside me, a bitter nostalgia that I was struggling to shake off.

Now she was with him almost every day because of work, and though I trusted Jennie completely, I couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort. The way he looked at her, with those charming eyes and that disarming smile—there was a fire there, a warmth that made my insides boil.

I felt ridiculous. Kai was all charm and flair, and I hated that he was good at it. I didn’t want to be that guy, the possessive boyfriend who felt he had to stake his claim, but it was hard when every day brought more chatter and screenshots of them together.

I could picture the comments buzzing everywhere—how perfect they looked, how much chemistry they had. It ate away at me, but I tried to pretend like it didn’t matter. I wanted to be happy for her, to support her every step of the way. And I was proud of how she was shining, happier than I had ever seen her before. I felt like an idiot for how insecure I was, yet I couldn’t shake it off.

But it was complicated. She refused to let me hear any of the songs in her album, not even a single note or a hint of what she was creating. I knew it was payback for the times I had kept my own songs from her in the past.

But I understood. She wanted to surprise me, and I respected that. I could only spin wild fantasies of how incredible they would be, how they would resonate with the world. I could already picture her performances, her undeniable stage presence lighting up every venue she stepped into.

She was becoming the artist she always meant to be. I just wished that I could be part of the process, to share that thrill with her as she embraced her dreams.

I didn’t even realize I left the stove on until Jimin’s voice cut through my thoughts

“Fuck, bro! Turn off the stove!” he yelled, and reality rushed back. Oh hell, the noodles. My heart sank as I spin around, the scent of boiling water assaulting my senses.