Lost and Found (Jirose)

The Ring

"...and you could have waited to put a ring on your girl until this vacation was over!" Hobi complained.

Chaeyoung wondered how he was still speaking clearly when his head was nodding at a particularly alarming rate.

"Yeah instead of upstaging us," Lisa chimed in, her head resting listlessly on her boyfriend's shoulder. She jabbed a finger in Chaeyoung's face. "You steal the thunder another day, Min Yoongi!"

Jisoo pointedly turned Lisa's finger 180 degrees to face Yoongi, little gusts of air escaping her mouth. The others snickered as well but Lisa was too drunk to notice.

"This was supposed to be a vacation celebrating me and Hobi getting together!" she droned on, "we're the reason you old muffins even budged out of your beds!"

"Can't help it," Jennie retorted. She was smirking, her cheeks flushed. "You don't always have to be the centre of attention, you know, and I'm your elder so have some respect."

"That's on a whole other level of rude unnie!" Lisa yelled. She struggled to her feet, swaying dangerously and waving her long arms like a windmill. "Of course I'm always the centre of attention! It's my rightful place to be there! I'm practically royalty! A royal maknae! And I'll PROVE it to you peasants! EY YO DEEJAY! SPOTLIGHT ON ME !"

Chaeyoung quickly caught her before she keeled back, knees buckling beneath the dead weight of her friend. The others were rolling in their seats with Jin barely hanging on to his camcorder. Hoseok was sleeping on the table.

"Lisa please sshh, they're gonna kick us out!" Chaeyoung hissed as she staggered, shooting apologetic glances at the other people in the bar. Jimin came to her rescue as he helped her sit with the passed out tall girl in her lap.

They had caused enough of a ruckus already with Yoongi's surprise proposal which Jennie by the way obviously accepted.

(Jisoo said it was the first time she saw Jennie kiss her boyfriend-now-fiance in public but maybe it was the alcohol's effect.) 

When Chaeyoung and Jimin had finally made it back, they found a party in full swing: celebratory music blasted from the speakers and strangers surrounded the newly engaged couple to congratulate them. 

Jennie seemed to be handling the attention well, despite both her and Yoongi being a reserved couple, especially after the demise of her parents put her in the public eye for some time.

Yoongi looked especially smug, and Chaeyoung knew he had good reason to: he had often confessed to being hesitant to propose, in case Jennie was not ready.

"She'll always be ready for you oppa," she remembered comforting him each time, "Jennie loves you just as much as you do."  

And now he had finally stepped up. Chaeyoung raised her teary face from the wet patch on Jennie's shoulder and moved to hug Yoongi.

"You did it," she whispered when he embraced her.

"Your turn now," he replied with a knowing wink before moving to bump fists with Jimin.

Chaeyoung was momentarily reminded of her almost-confession back on the beach and her fists balled in frustration.

She thought she had been ready. She thought she was past her fears and trust issues.

Seems though it was the opposite: she still hadn't let go of the ghosts of her past yet.

"Hyung, couldn't you have waited a while longer till we were back?" Jimin complained. Yoongi rubbed his nape sheepishly.

"Ah, got a little bit too bold...I was actually gonna propose back at the villa with just you guys around but...this works."

Jimin thumped his back cheerily. "Don't sweat it, hyung, I'm happy for you! Now, who wants what? Drinks on me!"