Annoying Goth Kid
2nd March 19:20 PM

Yo

Hey Lisa

I'm still waiting for that story...

Lol sorry i've been a little busy

Everything okay?

Just a packed schedule, the usual...

Oh kind of wish our roles were reversed
Feels like we're going to be stuffed back into the YG building basement at this rate

Excuse me?! Basement???

It's where we used to practice everyday as trainees. Debuted idols get to take the upper floors

Dang. I thought we had it bad when Big Hit first started up. I didn't think big companies would treat their trainees like shit

Nah I'm just being over-dramatic, it really wasn't so bad
We get an awesome canteen on the plus-side

I've heard about this infamous YG canteen actually
Almost convinced me to join

Heh?! You must be glad you joined Big Hit though right?

Without a doubt the best decision I've ever made
Not even stressful times like these could make me change my mind

Stressful times? What's going on?

Don't worry about it, I don't want to burden you with my complaints

No please, I know we joke a lot but I am actually a nice person as hard as that may be for you to believe

It's not hard for me to believe lol, I know Bambam would vouch for your character in a second

I mean... that's not incredibly reassuring, given that Bambam is a known trickster...

Haha maybe you're right...

But anyways, I am a good person! And I can't not try to help when someone is feeling down

Ah... it's just... it's kinda hard to talk about

I feel you - and I have an idea

Okkk?

This is going to sound a bit forward, but can you meet me?

Now?!

Yea there's this place I want to show you

Hmm alright, I think I can get away for a few hours

Good. I'll text you the address. Meet in 30 minutes.

-&-

"You're not here to kill me, are you?" Jungkook asked sceptically as he followed Lisa up the narrow flights of stairs in a vacant building.
He had met her as agreed, outside this multi-storeyed building in Gangnam. It housed multiple businesses on each floor and if you didn't know exactly what you were looking for, you would miss half of them that operated here. From outside, the names of each company were only visible if you looked up, at the protruding signs or the stickers in the windows. Jungkook couldn't tell which one they were here for though and Lisa had been tight-lipped about it too, insisting it was a 'surprise'. 
Lisa had taken the lead as soon as he had arrived and started marching up the building stairwell - she had definitely been here before by her familiar steps. It was after business hours and there was no one around. The lights in the stairway were being triggered by motion sensors that otherwise had seemed to be off for a while. 
"What will I have to do to convince you I'm a nice person?" she asked, looking back with a twitch of her mouth. She was dressed similar to him in an oversized grey sweatshirt and joggers with a cap on her head. The baggy, boyfriend-fit clothes suited her long, trim form and most importantly, she wore them with a self-confidence that would make any piece of clothing look good. He had opted for his signature all-black, a hood thrown over his head and his baggy sleeves falling down past his hands. Even his sneakers were black.
They arrived on the third floor and exited the stairwell. There were two businesses located on this floor, one on each side, both fenced off by glass panes and glass doors. One was a solicitor's office, so that was ruled out right away. The other had a proud signage on its windows that said 'HERO GYM' with boxer's glovers behind the text looking like they were punching through the glass. 
"So you're not here to kill me but to beat me up?" Jungkook asked sceptically when they stopped in front of the door. The lights were all off inside, but Lisa pulled out a key from her tracksuit pocket and unlocked the door. 
"Exactly yeah," she smirked back at him. She entered confidently and switched on the lights, even deactivating the alarm system. 
"Is this your business?" he asked surprised, the fluidity and familiarity of her actions making him easily forget her threatening taunt. 
"No, it's not mine. It's a friend's but they trust me to give me a key to lock up when I stay late or whatever. Don't worry, I texted him to ask if it's alright to come here now."
"Ah..." He gazed around at the small-ish studio. There was a large boxing ring in the middle, commandeering most of the space. Around it, there were punching bags and other equipment he couldn't yet identify, with benches for resting and some rooms leading off to lockers, changing rooms and showers. 
His eyes snapped back to Lisa quickly as she tossed him something. He managed to catch them with his fast reflexes and stopped them from colliding straight into his face. 
"Nice catch," she grinned. 
"Boxing gloves?" he asked dumbly, turning the bright red equipment that he had never touched before in his life over in his hands. 
"Observant," she said with a mocking thoughtful hand to her chin as if she was deliberating how deep and meaningful his prior statement was. "Yeah, I find that boxing is not only a good source of exercise. It's also really therapeutic and great stress-relief."
"I've never tried boxing before."
"Don't worry, I can teach you some punches. We can start with the punching bag."
She helped him wrap his hands and get his gloves on. They were a surprisingly tight fit, and he felt like a professional already with just this bit of equipment on. He assumed a wide-legged squatting pose and started to jab out his hands while simultaneously covering his face with his free hand, just like he had seen in movies. 
"Alright, Rocky, let's get you to a punching bag," Lisa laughed, tugging on his sleeve to drag him over. 
For the next thirty minutes, she taught him a couple of basic punches in boxing and told him to hit the bag with everything he had in him. She told him to put all his stress into his fist and aim it at the punching bag as if the bag itself was an embodiment of all his problems and the obstacles in his life. Once she said that, Jungkook lost himself in his single-minded focus, eyes narrowing and sweat starting to bead on his forehead. 
He was panting for breath when he finally paused.
"You're a quick learner."
The sound of Lisa's voice after being stuck in his own head all that time made him flush a little guiltily. He had forgotten about everything else in the room for those minutes of concentrating on hitting his target and then realised just how effective Lisa's treatment had been.
"You were completely right. This is great stress relief."
She pulled off her sweatshirt in a swift, sudden move that had him looking away to the side instinctively. She was thankfully wearing a tank top underneath, tucked into her sweatpants. She wrapped her own hands expertly and donned her gloves, moving to the punching bag a few feet from his own to get in a little stress relief herself. He watched her for a few moments before continuing, admiring her powerful and taut fighting form that was somehow enviously at ease too - she was in her element here.
They carried on for fifteen more minutes, only the echoing sounds of their punches to the leather bags breaking through the silence.
"Let's take a break," Lisa suggested, moving to sit on a bench. She handed him a water bottle, to which he nodded his thanks.
"I've always wanted to try boxing. I'm really glad you brought me here."
"You're welcome."
"I really did think you were going to beat me up at first though," he joked.
"Don't rest too easy just yet," she threatened, although it was accompanied by a teasing smirk.
"Well I think I would put up a fair fight," he said suggestively, leading off with a smug, secretive grin.
"What, do you have a black belt or something?" she asked with a disbelieving laugh. However it was quickly cut off at the sight of his grin only getting wider like a Cheshire cat. "Shut up, do you really?"
"I do, in taekwondo."
"Eugh, you really are Mr. Perfect aren't you?"
He laughed at her compliment and her accompanying exasperation.
"Could you teach me some moves?"
He was pleasantly surprised at the request and readily accepted, thinking it would be a great opportunity to pay her back for teaching him boxing.
They removed their gloves and wraps and decided to move to the center of the boxing ring, after laying out a few crash mats for an easier fall.
"Okay, Sonseang-nim, what's first?" she asked eagerly.
"I can't teach you all the basics in one evening so I'll go straight to teaching you how to off-balance your opponent and throw them to the ground."
Lisa 'ooh'd' like a good student.
"Excuse me," Jungkook muttered quietly as he demonstrated the attack on her. He grabbed a bit of the loose material of her sweatpants at her hips, hooked his leg behind hers and flipped her so she was on her back before she could even blink.
Her body hit the mats with a hard thud, loud enough to reverberate through the empty gym. Jungkook immediately let go of her as if he had been stung and backed away.
"I'm so sorry, Lisa!"
Lisa had been completely caught off-guard by the tackle and had barely processed that she was now laid out flat on her back. Her eyes had been wide with stun, until she saw Jungkook's guilty face and she grinned. That quickly turned into full-out laughter, enough for tears to spring to her eyes.
Jungkook hadn't felt more flustered in years.
"Daebak!" Lisa gasped out. She miraculously didn't seem hurt or angry at all. "I did not expect that."
"Sorry! I shouldn't have thrown you that hard." He scratched the back of his head, still feeling incredibly guilty at the loud smack when her back had hit the mats.
"No, I'm fine really!" she insisted. However she did reach out an arm for him to help her up. She sprang back up like an energiser bunny and demanded that he teach her the move in the next moment, his rough handling of her forgotten about instantly.
When she attempted the move on him the first time, she had grabbed at the material of his sweatpants, much as he had done, a fierce, determined look lighting up her eyes.
Jungkook hadn't been so close to her and from this distance he could make out faint gold flecks in her large brown eyes. Her hand was also burning through the material at his hips and he almost wanted to wretch himself free and away to a safer distance. Before he could give it more thought, she had her leg wrapped around his and even breathing was suddenly difficult.
However, as a first try, Lisa's legs got tangled in his and instead of flipping and slamming him down, she instead fell ungraciously into his chest and they tumbled to the floor in a heap of limbs.
'Oh god, she's so close,' Jungkook thought, as her body pressed into his.
She lifted her face up from where it had been buried in his chest. "Ouch, sorry," she said, not meeting his eye.
Jungkook didn't let any of his true thoughts slip and instead grinned at her cheekily. "That was graceful," he teased.
She smacked him lightly but a little red dusted her cheeks in embarrassment.
"Again," he said firmly, much like his old taekwondo instructor when any of the students had made a mistake.
They pushed themselves up again and Jungkook gave her a few more tips before she tried again.
On her second attempt her footing was a lot more stable and she had a good idea of how to distribute her weight to flip someone almost twice her size and strength over.
Even Jungkook couldn't quite prepare for just how quickly she managed to get him on his back though. She was strong.
He was stunned on the floor, winded and looking up into a smirking face.
"You're not the only quick study," she teased, brushing off her hands.
"That was much better," he said weakly between wheezing breaths. She grinned and offered her hand to help him up. Just as they were both back to standing, a loud grumble rang around the studio, coming from one Jeon Jungkook's stomach. He quickly covered it with an arm and an abashed chuckle.
Lisa laughed. "Have you eaten dinner?"
He shook his head in the negative.
"Me neither. We should order something, I'm starving too."
They ordered cheeseburgers and fries and had them delivered to the gym, where they sat on the floor in the center of the ring, their food and drink spread out around them like a picnic.
"So... want to tell me why you were so stressed?" Lisa asked tentatively, popping a fry into her mouth.
"Ah it's silly," Jungkook quickly dismissed.
"Come on, it'll make you feel so much better talking about it."
"No need, I already feel a lot better just having it out with the punching bag," he said with a disarming grin.
Lisa gave him a deadpan, no-nonsense stare.
"Ahh, fine," he finally relented. "But it's going to sound like a trifle compared to, I don't know, other people's problems."
Lisa smiled and shook her head, reassuring him. "Don't be silly, I know it just helps to have someone listening."
"Alright here goes," he said with a deep breath. "I'm just feeling pretty like, overwhelmed with work right now. Preparing for tour mostly and some other American appearances that we have planned. But it's not just that... I have this crazy and probably self-sabotaging fear that it's all going to be for nothing , you know? I'm sometimes still surprised we made it this far but I don't know how much longer we'll be able to go on for. What if the fans don't like our new stuff, or they just get bored, or drop us for a newer, younger, hotter model," he chuckled self-deprecatingly and couldn't seem to look up from staring at the dark grey flooring beneath him. "It's stupid, right? Why dwell on things that haven't even happened yet..."
Lisa shook her head quickly. "No, it's not stupid at all. I think this anxiety is something everyone in this industry feels at one point or another. Maybe you have it worse because you know what it feels like to have nothing - you guys started without the backing of a big company and managed to grow into who you are today from your hard-work and talents."
He nodded solemnly in agreement. It scared him that he was finally experiencing a little recognition from industry peers and the general public and he felt like he was finally succeeding - he didn't want the rug to be pulled out from under him and to be back at  the very bottom.
"I don't know if it'll help to hear it from me... But I honestly mean this from the bottom of my heart. I think you guys are only going to keep climbing from here on. As a fan myself,  you don't know how much you touch people with your music and just being your authentic selves."
"Really?" he asked a little shyly. 
"Definitely! I haven't fangirled this hard for anyone since Big Bang sunbae-nim!"
He laughed and pointed out her good taste. "It's always nice to hear things like that. Thanks, Lisa."
"No worries, I'm in your corner. I hope talking about it got it out of your system. It's normal to get into a funk but don't keep it locked away inside of you."
"Roger that," he said with a small grin and a military salute. She pushed him lightly for his cheek. Truthfully, he did feel a lot lighter after talking about it. Coupled with his boxing therapy, he was starting to feel like himself again, with his drive to succeed renewed. 
They continued eating their burgers, steering clear of any deep topics. They joked and made light-hearted conversation well into the night. He even finally divulged the pants incident to her, which in a condensed form involved not only Jungkook splitting his pants in public trying out a viral dance challenge but also accidentally spilling his drink on him to make it look like he had wet himself. To make matters infinitely worse, Bambam had it all captured on camera and held it over him like blackmail. 
It wasn't until around 11 at night that they finally left the gym and made their own separate ways back to their dorms. And on the journey back, Jungkook couldn't stop smiling. He wondered what he could do to repay Lisa for this.