My Idol

35

But...

Someone has been following them all this time.

"I will kill you!" the person shouts when they're in an apartment. The individual grabs a knife and stabs JM's photo.

"I will kill you! I will kill you!!" the person continues shouting as the stabbing of the picture persists.

"Why? Why Irene!!" the person shouts at Irene's photo.

"If you will never be mine, then I'll better kill this man!" he shouts, revealing his half face. He is a sasaeng of Irene since her debut. He follows her everywhere secretly when she's in South Korea, unable to do so outside South Korea. His room is filled with pictures of Irene, and he even has a photo album dedicated to her.

"I will surely kill you," he declares, staring at JM's photo. He uses his knife to draw an X on JM's face, even though he has already stabbed it multiple times. He then takes out his lighter and burns JM's photo, destroying all of it.

"Really!? Really!?" Joy asks, still shocked by Irene's love news, while the others are equally surprised. Irene nods shyly, and the group of friends starts fangirling, screaming like devoted fans. Yeri hugs them, displaying her support as a member, leader, motherly figure, and family member. They all stand by Irene no matter what.

"Does Pdnim know about this already?" Seulgi asks.

"No. I want to keep it low-key for now. I mean, we—JM has a lot of fans and..." Irene trails off, looking down. Wendy pats her back.

"Irene unnie, don't think about the big problem. Right now, think about the present. Thinking about the future all the time is one of our weaknesses. So what's important right now is that you and JM are officially in a relationship!~" Wendy cheers up the mood.

"She is right. Besides, we are getting old. It's time for ourselves to focus on our own lives. We are in our 30s now," Seulgi adds.

"Except us," Yeri remarks, making everyone chuckle.

"You will be in your 30s soon, Son Seung Wan," Irene says, smirking.

Wendy responds with an 'aish.' "I know, I know. So I will enjoy my 29-year-old body these remaining days," she says.

"Unnie..." Joy says, capturing their attention.

"Why don't you talk with Pdnim and BigHit's PD with JM? And announce it worldwide? Not Dispatch will reveal it. Look at Senior Heechul and Momo; they are still strong and in an unbreakable relationship, even though there are challenges ahead but that's how you make your love each other, grow firm." Joy suggests.

"Joy is right, Irene unnie," Yeri agrees, with the others nodding in agreement. Irene contemplates the idea.

While JM is ecstatic about being in a relationship, he can't help but have some concerns. 'Is this not a dream? If it is, then don't wake me up!' he thinks.

"But..." He contemplates the possibility of someone following them. 'What if someone is, or worse, multiple people are following us?' he wonders. Despite these thoughts, what matters most is that JM and Irene are officially a couple.

As days pass, it's now Son Wendy's birthday event on Feb. 21, 2024, marking her 30th birthday. On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, JM had given Irene a special drawing of herself and a couple's necklace, exchanging thoughtful gifts. However, they couldn't meet in person due to their busy schedules.

Now, at Wendy's birthday celebration, JM surprises everyone with a homemade cake. Irene sends JM a text thanking him for the cake, and the event continues with performances, speeches, and interactions with fans.