Below find the guides to how each of the girls are named when appearing in the other stories, as well as links to each story's master list. As I add stories, I will update the names and their connection.
Terms of Endearment | Musings #1 | Playlist Announcement
Kim Namjoon | Wild Flower
Synopsis: What does it take to balance the overwhelming weight of fame and a desire for a peaceful life? To the world he is RM, leader of BTS. But to Y/N he is simply Kim Namjoon. Together they navigate the ever careful balance of what the world can and cannot see. From a first meeting to BTS 2.0 their
Master List
Min Yoongi | Save Me
Synopsis: What started as two producers who couldn't help but clashing at every chance later into something entirely unexpected. When Y/N first had to work with Suga from BTS she was counting down the days until they could be done with one another. Until everything shifted. Now they are navigating love and family life while trying to balance his group's grand comeback.
Master List
Kim Taehyung | Slow Dancing
Synopsis: A misunderstanding, two broken hearts, and the need for a second chance. Y/N had met and fallen for Tae as his group fought for the recognition they deserved. But as their fame exploded, a divide formed between them. Then the dating rumors started and she was not the subject of them. One final misunderstanding was the breaking point. But some feelings never go away. When those feelings simmer and boil over, a second chance is born.
Masterlist
Jeon Jung Kook | Just One Day
Synopsis: Being behind the lens was where Y/N loved to be. Fast cars, motorcycles, action. That was her passion and she had an eye for it. Enter Jungkook. Looking for someone with that passion, he makes a public post asking if someone wanted to be his personal photographer and videographer. The truth behind that post? Jeon Jungkook wanted Y/N. He'd been following her account for some time, then one drunken night he'd messaged her. Nothing could have prepared Y/N for what was to come.
Masterlist
Kim Seokjin | Make it Right
Synopsis: Y/N had known Kim Seokjin for years. Goofy, loveable, Jin. She'd started as an assistant and worked her way up as a manager, until they crossed a line. One that would change her life forever. She cut off contact, left her position, and disappeared. Nearly five years later Jin receives a message. A simple picture. But it turns his world upside down as he realizes why the woman he'd loved disappeared. All to protect him from scandal.
Masterlist
Jung Hoseok | Hold Me Tight
Synopsis: Working as an assistant to a fashion designer was not what Y/N wanted to be doing with her life. Fetching coffee, picking up dry cleaning, rotting away catering to an impossible boss. It was a step in the right direction, but she felt stuck. Enter Jung Hoseok. When the translator hired to work with him fell through, Y/N was told to find someone new. Instead, she stepped in. Suddenly her whole life was thrown onto a new trajectory. Was she ready for it?
Masterlist
Park Jimin | Closer Than This
Synopsis: Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat. When you're chasing a dream, sometimes other things take a backseat. That's how things were for Y/N. Then opportunity came knocking. All thanks to one member of the internationally known K-Pop group, BTS. She thought being brought in for a music video was a one off, until the second call came. Jimin had taken a liking to the shy dancer that had joined him for his music video. Which was why he had suggested her when they'd begun to hire dancers for their upcoming world tour. What neither of them expected that a shared love of dance as well as an unexpected arrangement, might lead to so much more.
Synopsis: Being behind the lens was where Y/N loved to be. Fast cars, motorcycles, action. That was her passion and she had an eye for it. Enter Jungkook. Looking for someone with that passion, he makes a public post asking if someone wanted to be his personal photographer and videographer. The truth behind that post? Jeon Jungkook wanted Y/N. He'd been following her account for some time, then one drunken night he'd messaged her. Nothing could have prepared Y/N for what was to come.
When that first notification had popped up I never imagined that this would be where I found myself. I was beginning to think that the job offer had been a ruse to get me here. It was something that should have upset me, but instead I was too caught up in everything else. We had spent months talking. There were plenty of nights when I could tell that he had been drinking. I had watched that now infamous live, the one with the lollipop. It was after the fact, but I could see why it had gone viral in their fan base. Watching it, I was still processing that this was the man that had slid into my DMs. None of our conversations had ever made me uncomfortable. Discussing bikes, photography, editing. He never once crossed a line. There were some moments where we dipped into more personal conversation topics, but again nothing like what some of the men on my dating apps would say. Despite the way things had come to a boiling point for us and we had ended up in bed together, it hadn't felt like that had been Jungkook's planned endgame. It still didn't feel that way.
The house was quiet, everyone had retreated to their own spaces. Jungkook and I were alone on the porch. I was hyper aware of his hands still at my hips. He leaned back looking up at me. How this man could have such a bad boy appearance but be the softest man I had ever met. His duality was unmatched.
âI think we have four options here,â I finally said.
âOne. We treat what we did as a one time thing, terminate our contract, and go our separate ways.â I felt the way his grip tightened again, the look that flashed in his eyes.
âFour, okay.â He nodded, not taking his eyes off me.
âěëěâ No. His response was immediate and direct.
âTwo,â I went on. âWe pretend it never happened. Continue on with the contract, but maintain a professional relationship.â This kept us in the same orbit but with boundaries. I honestly wasn't sure how this option could work.
âThree. No strings attached, friends with benefits at most. Maintain the business contract.â I hated this option because it felt wrong. Sex and business. These two shouldn't mix. But I had my reasons for even including it. I wanted to see how Jungkook reacted.
âěëě.â No. Again, he was set in his answer. âě ë ěëë¤.â Abolutely not. I didn't fully understand what he said, but the context was enough to see he was completely against option three. Not in the way he had denied the first two options. This one almost seemed to upset him. Which made me realize how right Nari was.
âJungkook, what if you don't like the fourth option either?â I sighed. We were still so close.
âWe find another.â He smirked. âTell me, Gongju-nim, what is your number four?â
I met his eyes, seeing the way they dared me to give him a third option to turn down. âFour.â I started. âWe terminate my contractââ
âěëě.â No. He didnât even let me finish.
âJungkook, I'm not done.â I reached out running my fingers through his hair again. His head tilted back and he closed his eyes as I did that. Not once let me go through this entire conversation. âWe terminate my contract, slow things down a bit, and see where this takes us.â
âěëě.â No. He smirked, eyes open and on me now. âContract stays.â
âI don't date my clients.â It was one boundary I always tried to maintain. âA contract with my boyfriendâŚâ I saw the way he smirked when I said that one word. âItâs not professional, Jungkook.â
âBut you'd fuck them?â That stung. His tone hadn't been mean, but the words stung.
âI deserve that.â I said quietly. âNo.â I shook my head. âI don't like that option, but I wanted to seeâŚâ I looked down, because I knew it had been low. But I needed to see that it wasnât just about the sex for him.
Jungkook nodded then shifted the subject back to the fourth optionâThe contract is with Jungkook of BTS. Your boyfriend is just Jungkook.â He said thinking he was being slick with that logic.
âThatâs not how it works.â
âë¤.â Yes. âI still take care of your travel costs, You need to be paid for the time and content you create. I respect your art, Gongju-nim.â He brought his hands up along my sides then back down to my hips. I felt the heat of his hands through the thin cotton of my shirt.
âJungkook,â I tried to keep my voice steady. âThis isnât why I came here. We shouldn'tâŚâ he did it again. It was such a simple movement and yet it made me a damn puddle.
âOption four. Except the contract stays.â He said. âCompromise.â
âCompromise?â
âYou want to slow it down, Gongju-nim.â He smirked.
I think we both know that to slow it down would take effort after the way our first encounter went. We had gone full throttle. âI don't want it to be just about sex and have things fizzle out because it was only physical.â
Jungkook played with that damn lip ring again, I knew he was thinking about what I said. âIt won't be just about sex. It was never just about sex.â He finally said. âThatâs not all I want.â
âI know, because if it was you would have chosen option three.â I pointed out. The way his expression darkened even at the mention of option three, I knew his words were genuine.
Jungkook moved to stand. I took a tiny step back to give him room to do so. As he rose, he pulled my hips to his. âNo more mention of number 3.â His voice was low and husky. Standing at his full height now it was me looking up at him. âI want all of you, Gongju-nim.â
With the uncertainty somewhat behind us, we made it through the final day in Stanford. Nari had convinced me to watch day three in the stands without my camera. It felt fitting after the conversation Jungkook and I had had the night before. I was coming to understand why the world seemed to love these seven men from Korea. Now I was sitting there among all these fans with the biggest secret of my life. I was the reason another of them was off the market.
Flying to Vegas, I traveled with some of the staff and dancers. Boarding the plane I was reading my texts.
Jungkook: Stay with me in Vegas.
Jungkook: Seokjin-hyung changed his reservation so I'm alone.
Jungkook: Youâll be over every night. Just stay.
I smirked, shaking my head at not only his enthusiasm but his logic. I decided to tease him a little.
Me: What about this is slow?
Jungkook: Gongju-nim.
I laughed softly because I could hear his voice, he was so done with me and I was just getting started.
Me: lol
Jungkook: I will assume that is a yes as that is the only logical answer here.
Me: I will see you in Vegas.
I found my seat, surprised to see that I recognized my seatmate. I had seen her around backstage. She was the dancer that I had noticed all the guys seemed to have a soft spot for. Even the guysâ wives kept an eye on her.
âHi,â I smiled, taking my seat next to her.
âOh, hi,â she looked up shyly.
âI'm Y/N,â I introduced myself.
âDon't bother, Sora doesn't talk much.â Another woman leaned over our seats with a smirk. Mean girl behavior. âYou're that new photographer right? I saw you backstage with Jungkook.â
I looked back at her, unimpressed. âRude much? I wasn't talking to you.â I made my thoughts about her quite clear. She rolled her eyes and me and sat back in her seat. I looked back over at Sora who looked at me with wide eyes. âIf you don't want to talk, that's okay.â I reassured her.
It wasnât a long flight, under 2 hours. I worked on my tablet editing some of the photos from Stanford. I had put on my headphones, listening to a playlist Jungkook had sent me. I was working on a picture of Jimin when I caught Sora peeking over. I smiled and held up the tablet to show her. I could have sworn she blushed a bit. Even in just the three days back stage I had noticed Jimin tended to be a bit more flirty and less brotherly with her. I wondered if she had a bit of a crush on him. Completely unaware of what was really going on.
When we got to Vegas we were met at the airport with a bus to take us to the hotel. I was amazed by the way everything seemed to work like a well oiled machine. I stuck close to Sora and just took the seat next to her on the bus, too. She looked up at me, but didn't say anything. Something told me she was used to sitting alone. My phone buzzed and I went to check it. I smirked because that man knew what he was doing. That question could mean two very different things, both of which I was sure he'd enjoy.
Synopsis: A misunderstanding, two broken hearts, and the need for a second chance. Y/N had met and fallen for Tae as his group fought for the recognition they deserved. But as their fame exploded, a divide formed between them. Then the dating rumors started and she was not the subject of them. One final misunderstanding was the breaking point. But some feelings never go away. When those feelings simmer and boil over, a second chance is born.
At dinner I sat between Tae and Namjoon. Aeri sat across the table. Having the two of them close helped when I got lost with the language barriers. I had been working with Mrs. Choi and sheâd helped me with being conversational. However, being there I wasnât confident in what I had learned at all. More or less, I got a bit shy about speaking. But I was at least picking up on different words. They all made me feel welcome, but I also felt like my presence served as some special interest.Â
âDid Taehyung give you the tiger?â One of them asked. I still wasnât entirely certain of everyoneâs names.Â
âOh! He was funny trying to find a tiger.â Another said.Â
They were trying their best to talk in English, but I could see they had the same barrier I was having with Korean.Â
Next to me Tae groaned and said something in Korean which had the guys all laughing. Even Aeri had a small smirk.Â
âI donât understand,â I said quietly.Â
âTaehyung-ie is the tiger.â Namjoon explained. âItâs what many people associate with him.âÂ
âOh,â I glanced over at him and saw he was flustered as the other guys kept teasing him. They were all arguing back and forth.Â
âIn Korean culture a tiger is also seen as a guardian spirit.â Namjoon smiled, adding a deeper meaning to Tae choosing what he had.Â
âWhat about the green ribbon?â I caught that part and looked up from my conversation with Namjoon.Â
âItâs my favorite color.â I answered before Taehyung.Â
After dinner we went back to the hotel. As soon as we were out of the public eye, Tae reached over and took my hand. When I looked up at him he smiled. When Jungkook went to say something, Jin elbowed him lightly. Through dinner I was able to really put names to faces. The others went up to their shared rooms while Tae walked me back to mine.Â
âDo you want to come in and hang out for a bit?â I asked. All of this was so new for the both of us. I realized how odd our relationship really was. We hadnât exactly spent much time together alone in person. The couple of dates back when we had first met, even then not all of them were just us. Then we jumped right into a relationship. Though my mother insisted that we couldnât even call it that. But I reminded myself there were more people meeting online and not even meeting face to face before they entered into exclusivity. So was this all that odd? Weâd spent the time apart getting to know one another, talking daily. A part of me was just unsure what either of us expected out of this trip.Â
âë¤.â yeah. He nodded, following me inside.Â
For a moment, neither of us seemed to really know what to do with ourselves. Then I spotted the tiger on my bed. âNamjoon explained the tiger, why the others were giving you a hard time. I think itâs cute.â I wanted him to know I did love and appreciate the gift.Â
We ended up sitting on the bed and trying to find something to watch. He finally put on an anime, saying he recognized it and it was a good one. Neither of us were really paying much attention to it. We talked a little bit about different things. My trip to get here, the tour, and places I wanted to check out in the couple of days I was in Japan. He spoke of places he wanted to show me in Korea, hoping that he would be able to have the time.Â
When there was a small pause in the conversation, I saw the way he fidgeted and looked back to the TV for a moment. It seemed like there was something on his mind, but I didnât push him. I found that sometimes he needed to sort his thoughts out before speaking.Â
âCan I kiss you again?â He asked after a moment.Â
âYou donât have to ask, Tae.â I smiled. I understood why he was asking and I respected it. But I wanted him to know that it was something that I was thoroughly okay with. âIf thereâs something Iâm not okay with, I will tell you.âÂ
He seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. âI donât want to upset you.â He explained.Â
âI know,â I nodded. âWeâre figuring all this out together, Tae.â
âOkay.â He nodded, looking back to the tv for a moment. âSo I can kiss you then.â He grinned looking back at me.Â
âYes,â I laughed, because this time it felt less like asking for permission and more like breaking the tension.Â
Tae shifted, leaning in to kiss me. This time it felt a bit more confident. I smiled against his lips. As I leaned back in the pillows, he instinctively followed me. I felt his hand move down along my side coming to rest on my hip. He was respectful though, not letting his hands wander too much. He pulled back for a moment, giving us both a chance to catch our breath. His dark eyes found mine with the silent question of whether or not what we were doing was okay. Both of us seemed shy and almost a little uncertain. For a moment I wondered how experienced he was. He had been 17 when he had debuted, but I donât know how long heâd been a trainee. Absently, I licked my lip and his eyes flickered down. He didnât ask this time as he kissed me again.
As we kissed, we had shifted enough so that we were tangled together. Then I felt him freeze. He pulled away and buried his face into my shoulder with a groan. Right before he moved off me, I felt what I believed was the reason for his sudden change. He was quick to move away from me, sitting on the edge of the bed facing away. Both of us were breathing heavily, because the kisses had gone from tender and confident to more heated. He sat there a moment before excusing himself and disappearing in the bathroom.Â
âTae?â I said quietly, pushing myself up. I had a feeling what had just happened, but I wasnât sure. Then I was worried maybe I had done something wrong. Sitting back against the headboard, I pulled my knees to my chest. I knew I was feeling what we had been doing, so i wasnât surprised that he was, too.Â
A few minutes later he came out rubbing the back of his neck. He muttered something in Korean that I didnât understand before attempting it in English. âI donât want you uncomfortable.âÂ
âIâm not.â I reassured him. I was well aware of why he might think that, but I wasnât uncomfortable. âAre you?â Then I was worried that maybe Iâd made him uncomfortable in some way and it wasnât just about the other issue.Â
Tae shook his head, but he kept a little distance, not coming back to the bed. âI think maybe I should go back to my room.âÂ
âTae, please donât. Because now I feel like I did something wrong.â I looked up at him.
He was quick to shake his head, âěëě, ěëě.â No, no. âI want respect you.â he tried to explain. âNot rush.âÂ
Things suddenly felt awkward, but I think I understood what he was trying to say. âTae, have you everâŚâ I trailed off. I saw the way his cheeks flushed and he shook his head again.Â
âěëě,â No. âHave you?âÂ
It felt a little less embarrassing knowing his truth as I shook my head. âNo.âÂ
This seemed to help him relax just a bit, but he still didnât move to come back towards where I sat. Not yet, anyways. âDo you want toâŚâ His question trailed off.Â
Iâd be lying if I said the thought of it happening during this trip wasnât at the back of my mind. I think that was where some of my nerves had been because I didnât know what Taehyung expected. âAt some point,â I finally managed to say.Â
âSome point,â he nodded, as if in agreement.Â
There was a moment where neither of us talked or moved before I finally asked him a simple question. There were no expectations behind it. I just wanted the little bit of time we had together to be spent as intended. Together. My voice was soft, but he heard those two quiet words.
Synopsis: What does it take to balance the overwhelming weight of fame and a desire for a peaceful life? To the world he is RM, leader of BTS. But to Y/N he is simply Kim Namjoon. Together they navigate the ever careful balance of what the world can and cannot see. From a first meeting to BTS 2.0 their relationship blooms in unexpected ways.
The last day at Stanford went well. Initially I wasnât planning on going to the show but Namjoon convinced me that it might be a good distraction. Mina was also going, I convinced her to just come watch rather than be out there taking pictures. It was unclear what was going on between her and Jungkook, though Namjoon did tell me about Hobiâs misunderstanding. I knew he was trying to get my mind off the news of Mr. Romano.Â
Namjoon and I made the adjustments to go back to my old city where weâd first met while the others continued on to Vegas. I had made the appointment with the lawyer so he knew we were coming. When we arrived, Namjoon held the car door open for me as I stepped out. He had his hand on the small of my back as we walked in. I had already spoken with the lawyer and he was aware of who Joon was. I had been concerned about the level of privacy we would be afforded. He reassured me that his staff had worked with high profile clients before and understood the level of confidentiality needed. It still felt weird to be called a âhigh profileâ client. Though I knew it was Namjoon that set us there.Â
âYou must be the Kims.â A man in a smart suit came out to greet us as soon as weâd entered. He brought us straight back to his office. âIâm glad that you could make the trip here, though I am very sorry for your loss.â he expressed his condolences and motioned for us to take a seat.Â
I watched as he pulled out a file and started to go through it. I still couldnât quite figure out what Mr. Romano would have left to me, or why he would have done so. Namjoon and I had both speculated over the last couple of days.Â
âMr. Romano left you two things in his will.â He explained. âThe first, as documented here. âI, Georgio Romano leave my bookstore and all its assets to Y/N Kim.ââ He paused looking up at us. âI have all the paper work and what it entails here as well.â He said. âThe other thing that Mr. Romano left you was this letter.â He held out a yellowed envelope. âYou do not have to read that now, you can take it with you.âÂ
âI donât understand, why did he leave me the bookstore?â I asked.Â
âI spoke at great length with Mr. Romano when we rewrote his will. He very much believed that it was meant to go to you and your husband. I believe he may explain it a bit more in his letter.âÂ
There were papers that needed to be signed and other documents to be handed. When all was said and done, the keys to the bookstore were handed to me. Namjoon stayed quietly beside me the whole time, listening and taking it all in.Â
When we left the lawyerâs office, we didnât go back to the hotel. Instead we went to the bookstore. The sign was turned to closed and it was dark. Namjoon unlocked the front door and held it open for me to step in. It was strange being in there so dark and quiet. I found the lights flicking them on. I took in a shaky breath trying to hold back some of the tears. I had spent a lot of time in this bookstore. When Iâd made the decision to move to Korea, Mr. Romano was one of the first people I had told. Iâd built a friendship with the older gentleman. I felt guilt over not even knowing heâd passed.Â
I moved to sit in one of the comfy chairs he had for people to come read in. Namjoon stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder as I opened the letter.Â
âDo you want me to read it to you?â Namjoon asked.Â
I looked over the letter before nodding.Â
Namjoon took the letter and shifted to sit on the arm of the chair. I leaned into him as he started reading.Â
âDear Y/N,
If youâre reading this, then my time has passed and I am gone from this life. Mourn me if you must, but instead I hope that you remember me with happiness in your heart. I remember the first day you came into my store, a sweet young lady who loved her art. You were navigating being only our own and found a safe haven in my humble little store. I had the opportunity to watch you grow from a timid girl into a confident young woman. Then I got to see something else entirely unfold. You met your pink haired boy. I wonder as I write this what color his hair is now. I saw the way you two came together. I told him he was a fool for not going after you that day. You came in a few months later and told me that the two of you were together. Now youâre married to that pink haired boy and living a life rich with love and art. I realized that my humble little store is big part of your story and when Iâm gone, it should go to you. I have no children of my own, so I believe this is the right choice. What you and your husband choose to do with it, is your business. You made this old man happy and believe in love again. I wish you a long and happy life together. Never stop looking at life the way you do.
With love and gratitude, Georgio RomanoâÂ
Namjoonâs voice was soothing as he read the letter. I felt the hot tears as they fell down my cheeks. Namjoon rested his hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see that he had tears in his eyes as well. It was sad, but I had never realized what kind of impact our story had had on the lonely old shopkeeper.Â
âI started coming here as soon as I moved to the city for college. I was eighteen, on my own. I loved coming here.â I explained quietly. âI never really thought about how much this place played a role in those years of my life.â i admitted. The important part of the story had always been it was this place that had brought Namjoon and I together. It was here that we had met for the first time. I still thought back to those days. How adamant i was that I would be nothing more than his friend. And yet here we were five years later, married and hoping for a child. Nevermind how he was performing weekly to sold out stadiums with his group.Â
When we went back into his office to get a bit of an idea of things, I paused when I saw the picture tacked up at his desk. It was a picture of Namjoon and I at one of my early art events. Heâd attended it as a âguestâ and our posed picture was done as a PR picture. But I had still given it to Mr. Romano, because he knew that Namjoon and I were together. I was pretty sure the old man never knew that Namjoon was famous. If he did, he never let onto it.Â
âI think we should try to keep the store open. We can hire someone to take care of it and run it.â I said looking up at Namjoon.Â
âWhatever you want, Jagiya.â He smiled.Â
There would be things to discuss and figure out, but it was a project I wanted to take on. I looked back at that picture of Namjoon and I that was pinned up. I was in a long silvery dress and Namjoon was in a suit. His hair was not pink there. I always found it funny how over the years Mr. Romano had continued to call Namjoon the boy with the pink hair. Even through his military service and as he hit thirty. He had forever been the boy with the pink hair to the old man.Â
âI remember the day I told him that weâd married. I had come back to visit during the early weeks of your enlistment when we were no contact. I explained how we had registered to be legally married but promised him that when we held our ceremony that he would be invited. We would fly him to Korea so that he could be there.â I shook my head feeling the threat of new tears. âI feel like I broke that promise.âÂ
âA promise isnât broken if time merely runs out.â Namjoon said softly. âBut I can tell you, one very important promise was kept.âÂ
I looked up at him, confused.Â
âHe wrote me while I was in the military. I assume it was after you had told him weâd married. He told me I better treat you right and not break your heart.â Namjoon walked over to the desk and pointed to a letter I hadnât noticed before. It was pinned with the picture of us. I realized it was Namjoonâs handwriting. âIâve kept that promise, and I intend to never break it, Jagiya.âÂ
Sheâs my wild flower and I will do everything to make sure she keeps blooming.
Synopsis: What started as two producers who couldn't help but clashing at every chance later turned into something entirely unexpected. When Y/N first had to work with Suga from BTS she was counting down the days until they could be done with one another. Until everything shifted. Now they are navigating love and family life while trying to balance his group's grand comeback.
Yoongi stayed. There was a lot going on behind the scenes back in Korea, but he made the time to be able to stay with me. We spent a lot of time in the studio. It kept us both busy, giving us something to work on. Watching Yoongi in the sound booth served as a good distraction. Not only that, but to watch him transform and bring out that raw energy. The way he transformed. I saw how he used it to get his emotions out. We often talked about our need to heal. We both had things to work through. I had never thought I would find support like I did with Yoongi and I wanted to be the same for him.Â
I had heard back from the lawyer once he had collected what he needed. Half of the legal stuff he explained I didnât understand. All I knew was that he was proceeding with charges. Whether it was criminal or civil, I didnât quite understand it. My knowledge was in music, not all the legal jargon he kept throwing at me. All I knew was that it was officially out of our hands. What mattered was that my ex had been arrested. I wish I could say that I felt some relief on the matter. Yoongi sat through the phone calls with the lawyers. Occasionally I would pause to translate something. I had already explained to the lawyers that he was present and I might have to do that. But the whole time he remained at my side to offer comfort and support.Â
I got so used to having Yoongi around that it was hard to think about him not being there. He was working on his album, had a promotion going with a tech company, and there were plans for a solo tour underway. Yet despite all of that, he stayed. When things felt as though they were settled, that was when he started talking about the need to go back to Korea. I sensed that he didnât want to leave me, but we both knew that this was part of being together. We knew the distance was part of it.Â
What he had said that first day in the studio had stuck with me. The fact that he was so sure of himself and already knew what he wanted. Not only that, but to be looking to the future in the way he was. There were still a lot of uncertainties, but I felt as though Yoongi might be the one thing I could be sure about.Â
The day had come when Yoongi needed to go back. Namjoon had already left almost a full week prior. I couldnât go to the airport with him, there was too much risk in. I understood that.Â
âItâs going to be weird not having you here,â I sighed looking at him.Â
Yoongi smiled, âI will plan a trip back in a few weeks. Then we can plan for you to come to Korea, too.â he gently brushed his fingertips across my cheek.Â
It had taken time, but I no longer flinched at his touch. Others, yes. But not Yoongiâs. I think it was because I trusted him. He was showing me that I didnât need to fear him. I knew I didnât need to have fear of most of the men now in my life, but it was still hard. Poor Jungkook had been talking wildly with his hands one night when weâd all been together. Iâd flinched and he truly thought he had done something wrong, spending the rest of the night apologizing to both me and Yoongi.Â
Going back to long distance after having Yoongi there for a few weeks was hard, but we readjusted. It was back to the time differences, phone calls, and video chats. He had some promotions that he was working on and they had began the rehearsal for their show in Seoul. I knew he was also finishing up his album. .Â
Things were okay between Nari and I. We were able to move past my reaction to her bringing Yoongi in when my ex had started harrassing me. I understood that she was only trying to help me and she understood that I hadnât been thinking rationally. It was important to me that our friendship was okay, because she had quickly become such a good friend in the last several months.Â
Things were progressing with the case and I had received the notice that I was going to need to appear. I didnât immediately tell Yoongi, knowing heâd call me later. His morning, my evening. I was handling the news a bit better than I had thought I would. Because it was news I knew was coming.Â
Simply by the way I said hello, Yoongi had picked up on the fact that something was up. âWhatâs going on, Nae sarang?âÂ
âCanât get anything past you, can I?â I laughed softly, though it was half hearted.Â
âI can read your tone quite well. Talk to me.âÂ
âI have to postpone my trip to Korea,â I sighed. âI just got the notice that I need to appear at my exâs trial. The lawyer said if I donât go, it could make it a lot harder to prosecute.âÂ
âThen I will come to you.â he said without hesitation. âIâll go with you.âÂ
âYoongi, we both know thatâs not possible. Weâve already done everything to keep your name out of it as much as possible.â In the documents he was listed as a music producer that I had been working with.Â
âI donât like the idea of you going to New York to deal with this alone.â He sighed. I knew Yoongi to be quiet and thoughtful, I was sure that he was already trying to think of a way to make it work. âNae sarang.â he said quietly, when I donât respond.Â
âI want you there, Yoongi. I donât want to deal with this alone. You have been with me every step of the way. But I worry what it could mean if someone saw you there.âÂ
âWe were working together when he assaulted you, would it be so odd that I came back to offer support? No one needs to know weâre together.â he countered.Â
I sighed, running my hand through my hair. He made a point, it could explain why he was there. Outside of my strict inner circle, which had pretty much become Nari since my move, and his group members, no one really knew about us. âOkay,â I finally said.Â
âI love you, Y/N. This will all be done and over with soon enough. Then you can truly move on.âÂ
Synopsis: Y/N had known Kim Seokjin for years. Goofy, loveable, Jin. She'd started as an assistant and worked her way up as a manager, until they crossed a line. One that would change her life forever. She cut off contact, left her position, and disappeared. Nearly five years later Jin receives a message. A simple picture. But it turns his world upside down as he realizes why the woman he'd loved disappeared. All to protect him from scandal.
Jin and I had been sneaking around for months. It became easier. Nothing changed when we were working or around everyone else. Jin was careful not to pull away from spending time with the guys in their personal time. However I spent quite a few nights at his place, or him at mine. We did have a few close calls much like the day Iâd hurt my arm. Which had healed just fine, despite Jinâs fussing.Â
The most memorable of our close calls had probably been Jungkook almost walking in on us in wardrobe. Typically we refrained from getting too flirty or physical anywhere near the workspace. However, that day had been a particularly frustrating one and weâd slipped away to talk. Jungkook had gone looking for us. What he didnât know, was he had found us, but we had hid among the clothes. Weâd stood there front to front with our hands over each otherâs mouths. Anything to keep quiet. It had been too close, and we agreed we couldnât take that sort of risk again.Â
It was the end of November and we were in the states for the guysâ short concert series. The series would mark their first live performances with an audience since the pandemic. Everyone was excited, the guys as much as Army. We had flown in a few days early so that they had a chance to rehearse on the stage. Theyâd been rehearsing non-stop, but to actually be up on the stage to get the proper blocking was important.Â
I had been sick for the last fifteen minutes and was sitting on the floor of my hotel bathroom. Sitting against the tub I heard my phone buzzing again. Jin had been trying to call me and I hadnât been answering. When I reached up for my phone, which was sitting on the sink, I saw I had several missed calls and a handful of texts.Â
I sighed, texting him back. I understood his concern. We had a schedule and I was usually the one keeping all of them on it. I wasnât surprised to see a few texts from some of the others. I decided to just send one text to all of them.Â
Jin: Where are you?
Jin: Why arenât you answeirng your phone?
Jin: Weâre supposed to be leaving soon.
Jin: Youâre scaring me, Y/N-ah.Â
Me: Iâm fine. Overslept. Iâll meet you at So-fi.
Whatever had made me sick seemed to have passed. At least for now. I took a shower and got myself cleaned up. I took an uber to the stadium and someone from security met with me to get me in.Â
The guys were all getting micâd up for an equipment test. As soon as I walked up, Jin pulled away from the tech that was working on him. âAre you okay?âÂ
âIâm fine, Seokjin,â I reassured him.Â
âItâs not like you to oversleep.â his brow was furrowed in concern.Â
âI wasnât feeling well, but it passed.â I explained. âYou need to go back and let that tech finish his job. Stop worrying about me.â I needed him to focus on their rehearsal.Â
While they went through their rehearsal, making any of the adjustments that needed to be done, I checked the schedule for the next week. It was going to be crazy busy, but I knew they were excited to get back on stage. In the middle of it all I knew Namjoon was hoping to make time for his girlfriend, too. Iâd helped with her travel arrangements, which had been a bit of a nightmare with the thanksgiving holiday thrown in there. Sheâd be arriving the morning of the first show. Things were falling into place, but it took a lot of planning and I was just one piece of the well oiled machine that was BTSâ team. My job was to keep the boys on track with their schedules.Â
By the time the rehearsal is done, whatever had me feeling sick that morning is far from my mind. Iâm focused on making sure everything is going smoothly. They guys are all talking about getting food before going back to the hotel. As we walk back to the green room Jin falls into step beside me.Â
âHow are you feeling?â He asked.Â
âBetter, Iâm fine Jin. Really. I think it was just dinner last night, it didnât sit well.â I tried to brush it off.Â
âWant to hang out tonight, watch a movie or something?âÂ
âOh, Movie in Noonaâs room?â Jungkook came up alongside us. âCan I come?âÂ
I smirked seeing the way Jinâs expression flashed. We both knew that turning Jungkook away might cause some suspicion.Â
âSure, Kookie.â I smiled at him, hearing Jin let out a small huff.Â
Later after dinner and the other guys had all gone their own way, Jin and Jungkook both arrived at my door. Jungkook immediately sat on the end of my bed scrolling through movie options.Â
Jin walked over and made himself comfortable on the bed and padded the spot next to him. It was nothing that would raise any suspicion from Jungkook, not when he moved to settle in on my other side in the bed. It was all innocent cuddling and movie watching among friends. At this point in our relationships, outside of my role as manager, we were all close. Jin and I were just closest.Â
We watched one movie before I kicked both of them out. Jin glanced back raising a brow silently asking if he should come back. I shook my head. I was exhausted.Â
The next morning, it happened again. Except this time I was beginning to think it wasnât food related. I had woken up and felt the sudden nausea. Iâd made it to the bathroom in time. I sat there like I had the morning before, a realization hit me. Pushed myself up and brushed my teeth to try and get the rancid taste out of my mouth. Grabbing my phone off the night stand I checked my calendar. As I did the math, I felt my stomach flip again.Â
âNo, no, no.â I shook my head. âShit.â I ran my hand through my hair.Â
I knew I should have texted Jin to warn him I wasnât going to be there, but instead I went through Namjoon.Â
I knew Jin would likely be worried, but I wasnât ready for twenty questions. My mind was already all over the place. I managed to run to the corner store where I picked up a couple over the counter tests. I went back to the hotel to take it. While I was trying not to freak out, it was pretty damn hard. I had a few missed texts from Jin, likely because Namjoon had delivered the news that i wasnât going to be around. When the timer went off, I got up and went to look at it.Â
Me: I wonât be at around today, can you guys try to stay on schedule and listen to the other staff?
Namjoon: Whatâs going on?Â
Me: Personal matter.Â
Namjoon: Okay, if you need anything let me know.
Me: Thanks, Joonie.
âFuck.â I sank down to the floor, my head in my hands. My whole world had just been turned upside down by two little pink lines.Â
~2017~
âUhm, okay. Hello to you too.â I said, surprised. In the two years I had been working with the guys, weâd all gotten close. Not as close as Jin and I, though. As silly as he could be, we had just connected and become good friends. Sometimes heâd find me to talk about things he wasnât comfortable talking with the boys about. Like apparently whatever this was.Â
âI need to talk. I just need someone to talk to.â Jin caught me off guard as I came out of the office.Â
âSomewhere private?â he asked.Â
We ended up in the stairwell. It was surprisingly one of the more private places to sit and talk. Once we sat down, I looked over at him, âSeokjin, whatâs going on?âÂ
âYou canât tell anyone.â He warned me. âIf this got out⌠the scandal it could cause.â I had been in the industry now almost as long as they had. Just not as a performer. I knew there were a lot of things that could cause a scandal for a k-pop idol. Some as minor as wearing the wrong type of shirt, other much bigger issues.Â
âOkay, I promise.â I nodded, I could tell he just needed someone to talk to.Â
âTaehyung thinks Hana might be pregnant.âÂ
âShit.â I said, my eyes going wide.Â
âIf this got outâŚâ He shook his head. âWhether or not she is. Just the possibility of it.âÂ
âScandal.â I said quietly.Â
âTae is freaking out, he wants me to help them. But I donât even know what to do.âÂ
âHas she taken a test?â I asked carefully.Â
He turned red but shook his head. Clearly the whole thing was making him uncomfortable. However, I understood why Tae had gone to him. He was the oldest and they all looked up to him, even Namjoon. Tae probably saw him as knowledgeable. âHe said she was late.âÂ
âOkay, this is what youâre going to tell themâŚâ I said then I walked through what he needed to have the young couple do. Hana was going to have to do some of it on her own, because Tae couldnât be seen anywhere near any of it publicly.Â
Jin had been appreciative, taking the information and going back to do his best in guiding the young couple. They never knew heâd come to me.
~2021~
Hana hadnât been pregnant, but I remembered the concern about a potential scandal. I was pretty sure to this day only Jin and Tae knew, keeping it from the others. Even now, with Jin being nearly 29 this could cause a major scandal. We were unwed, he was an idol. Idols were expected to be single as if they belonged to the fans. It was why relationships were kept so private.Â
I didnât know what I was going to do. I was still trying to process the fact that I was pregnant with Kim Seokjinâs child.Â
Synopsis: Working as an assistant to a fashion designer was not what Y/N wanted to be doing with her life. Fetching coffee, picking up dry cleaning, rotting away catering to an impossible boss. It was a step in the right direction, but she felt stuck. Enter Jung Hoseok. When the translator hired to work with him fell through, Y/N was told to find someone new. Instead, she stepped in. Suddenly her whole life was thrown onto a new trajectory. Was she ready for it?
It had been a month since that night in Paris. Iâd returned home to try and pick up the pieces after losing my job. I also wasnât sure how to go about the fact that my designs had been stolen. It wasnât as if I was in a position to go up against her legally.Â
In that month, I stayed in touch with Hobi. I had worried that after what we had done things might be awkward, but they werenât. Neither of us talked about it, actually. Iâm not sure if itâs because it was easier to pretend that it hadnât happened, or we just werenât sure how to approach it. He was the one to reach out first after weâd each returned home. At first the messages were small pleasantries. As if we needed to get up and over the awkwardness of what had happened on our last night. The first morning when heâd expressed concern I might be upset by what we had done, Iâd meant it when I reassured him that I wasnât. Honestly, it was a good night. I was prepared to leave it at that. A week unlike any other, ending quite unexpectedly. Hoseok seemed to have a different idea.Â
I had forgotten his suggestion about us celebrating our birthdays until heâd texted me about it. We had figured out that while there were a couple of years between us, his birthday was the 18th and mine was the 21st.Â
I had sent some pictures of the work in progress to him over the past several days.Â
Hobi: Birthday plans?
Me: Working on that dress.
That was how I found myself in New York for my birthday. I was nervous about seeing Hoseok again after the last time we had been together. Did I feel bad about sneaking out in the morning while he slept? A little. After a week of spending most of our time together, all to come to that point, then no proper goodbye⌠I knew it was cowardly.Â
Hobi: How about meeting me in New York?
Hobi: There is a charity show I have been invited to. Come be my interpreter. Then we can go out and celebrate after.Â
Me: Iâm trying to decide if this is a job offer or a friendly get together.
Hobi: Why canât it be both?Â
Hobi: What do you say, Y/N? Come to New York with me.
There was a car already waiting for me, Hobi had asked his manager to take care of my travel arrangements. All I had to do was show up. I had flown in the morning of the charity show, it was meant to be a quick trip. We had the show, plans for the only full day, then we would both be flying home.
I was still trying to figure out how I had gotten myself here. Well, I knew what the events were, but it still didnât quite feel real. I found myself looking forward to Hobiâs messages. Not just for his positive attitude as he pushed me to work on my designs and rise above what had happened in Paris. But his little check ins as well. Despite only ever really conversing through text there were times when he picked up on those minor moments where I might be a little off. It was a friendship I needed right now. I knew though that there was one thing that complicated our friendship, because there was no taking back the line weâd already crossed. Which I think was why I was so nervous to see him.Â
Hobi: Can I see you before the show tonight?
Me: On my way to the hotel, now.Â
Hobi: Perfect. See you soon.
At the hotel I set my bag down on the bed and sighed running my hand through my hair. It was not just a nice hotel, but a really nice room. I shouldnât be surprised considering he had said heâd take care of everything.Â
I had let him know that Iâd made it to the hotel and was in my room. It wasnât long before there was a light knock at my door. I found myself pausing in front of the mirror to quickly check my hair before going to the door.Â
I was greeted with his bright smile, âI wasnât allowing myself to believe you actually came until I saw you.âÂ
âI told you Iâd come,â I shook my head, âI try to keep my word.âÂ
âI wanted to see you privately before tonight,â He smiled. âTo give you your birthday gift.âÂ
Stepping back, I let him in. For a moment I questioned if it was wise as my mind wandered back to our last night. I quickly pushed those thoughts from my head.Â
âYou didnât need to get me anything,â I shook my head, heâd already paid for the trip. However I knew heâd call that a business expense considering he was also paying me to interpret at the event.
âI wanted to,â He held up the box.Â
âHobi, really.â I said quietly taking the box.Â
âI like that youâre calling me Hobi now.â He grinned, watching as I set the box down and slowly untied the ribbon.Â
Carefully I opened the box, moving aside the tissue paper. There were two things in the box. One was an absolutely gorgeous silk scarf. The other was a beautiful leather portfolio.Â
âI noticed that you seem to prefer physical media for your sketches and designs. I thought that you could use a proper portfolio.â He explained. âAnd the scarf is hand painted.â he motioned to it, âI had both commissioned specifically for you.âÂ
âThese are stunning,â I ran my fingers over the carved leather. There were flowers along with my name. The same type of flowers were painted on the silk scarf. âThank you, Hobi.â I said, in absolute awe of the gift. I donât think I have ever felt so seen before. âOh, uhm⌠I have a gift for you, too.â I said looking up.Â
I went over to my luggage and pulled out the box. It was something I had been working on, but after we had planned this trip I had shifted my focus on it to ensure that it was done. It had always been intended for him. âPart birthday present, part thank you,â I explained handing it to him. It was a jacket that I had been working on over the last month, designing it from looking back at his style through different media. It was specifically tailored to him. I may have gotten the measurements from one of the stylists during fashion week. I watched as he opened it up, pulling it up out of the box.Â
âDid you design this?â he smiled brightly looking at me.Â
âDesigned and I did every detail by hand.â I nodded. I had been worried it might be too much, but he loved it. My own eyes wandered to the gift he had given me and I couldnât help but think that weâd both done something a bit extravagant considering the nature of our relationship. Whatever that was. He immediately tried it on and I was relieved to see how well it fit. It was meant for more casual wear, but it did suit him. âIf itâs not your style, I totally understand.âÂ
âThis is amazing, Y/N-ya.â He said, checking the mirror.Â
We spent a little while catching up before he went back to his room so that we could both get ready for the event. I picked up the gift heâd given me, going over to sit on the bed and pulled it out of the box. It truly was stunning. Because not only was it the portfolio, but I realized heâd also made sure there was a fresh sketchbook within the cover. On the first page of the sketchbook there was a note from him. Simple, to the point, telling me to make my dreams a reality. I didnât realize how important this gift would become.Â
After a shower I dried my hair and did a simple make up look. Iâd purposely packed neutrals so that Iâd be able to blend in but still look professional. Hobi and I may be friends, but I would be beside him as his interpreter. I had a pair of high waisted, wide legged pants with heels my blouse opened enough at the collar that I turned and looked at the silk scarf heâd gifted me. It would give the perfect pop of color without overdoing it. I tied it loosely around my neck.Â
We met back up in the lobby, our car already waiting. Hobiâs eyes were immediately drawn to the scarf heâd given me.Â
âěëŚë¤ě°ěë¤ě.â You look beautiful.Â
âę°ěŹíŠëë¤.â Thank you. I blushed, but I was sure it was a simple compliment with nothing else behind it.Â
Most of the time we conversed in Korean, but occasionally a bit of English.Â
Things werenât awkward between us. I had been so nervous about coming back together. After a month of talking and falling into a rhythm, it did feel like there was a friendship there. However, coming back together brought back whatever that was the night in the elevator. It was like an undercurrent. Not too strong, but it was there. Enough that I was aware of it. Hobi seemed to stand a little closer, or heâd put his hand on my back to redirect me in the crowd. We worked well together, and while I was there as his interpreter, I know what I felt. But I also knew that what had happened in Paris needed to stay in Paris.Â
The charity event had been an overall success. A long night, but an enjoyable one. It was late by the time we had made it back to the hotel. Hobi walked me to my hotel room.Â
âThank you for coming, you made it so much more enjoyable.â He smiled as we paused outside my room.Â
âIâm glad I could be of help.âÂ
âWe have dinner reservations tomorrow night. But I was thinking, if youâd like, we could explore the city a bit?â He asked. âIâd like to spend the day with you. Our time together this week is so limited already. Unless youâd already made plans for the day?âÂ
I felt like we were dancing along this strange line of uncertainty. Which made me realize that maybe our night in Paris wasnât so much forgotten, but we were both stuck on how it had made us feel. I wanted to chalk it up as a one night stand, it was easier that way. The best way to protect myself. He was famous, millions knew him. I couldnât quite see how Iâd really fit into his life. Slowly I nodded, my decision made. I didnât know what path we were on, but I did want to spend my time in New York with him.Â
Synopsis: Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat. When you're chasing a dream, sometimes other things take a backseat. That's how things we @re for Y/N. Then opportunity came knocking. All thanks to one member of the internationally known K-Pop group, BTS. She thought being brought in for a music video was a one off, until the second call came. Jimin had taken a liking to the shy dancer that had joined him for his music video. Which was why he had suggested her when they'd begun to hire dancers for their upcoming world tour. What neither of them expected that a shared love of dance as well as an unexpected arrangement, might lead to so much more..
The whole thing seemed absurd. I understood what Jimin had proposed. He was offering to help me figure things out in a space where I could be comfortable. But I wondered if he considered the fact that he was an insanely attractive idol that millions of women (and Iâm sure some men) would kill to be with. There was also the fact that I still felt some embarrassment over the fact that I was in my mid-twenties and even in that predicament. He was thirty, by the way he spoke he had plenty of experience. I didnât doubt that, it just wasnât exactly public knowledge.Â
âY/N, are you sure?â Jiminâs voice was soft. I nodded shyly, but that wasnât good enough for him. He stepped closer and reached out gently lifting my chin so that Iâd look at him. âI need to hear you say it. If weâre going to do this⌠there needs to be open communication. I need you to tell me that youâre sure about this.âÂ
I knew I was blushing, I felt like I had no control over my own damn body. âYes. Iâm sure.âÂ
âIâm going to kiss you, is that okay?â The corner of his mouth twitched with a smirk when I nodded. âWords,â he reminded me.Â
âYes.â I managed to get out. It wasnât much above a whisper, but it was enough for him.Â
Jimin leaned in and pressed his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. I was so unsure of myself, but I was glad some instinct seemed to kick in. I shivered as I felt his hand move from my chin along my jaw and down the side of my neck. I gasped softly as he broke the kiss and smiled as his fingers danced lightly along my collarbone. He had a playful smirk, but his fingers wandered no further.Â
âI promised you this would be at your pace. Iâm never going to push you.â He reassured me.Â
âOkayâŚâ I nodded.Â
âYou will be in control in the bedroom, but I canât promise anything about how I flirt with you,â he teased. âBecause I think youâre cute when you get all flustered.âÂ
âJimin, no one will know about this⌠right?â I asked quietly.Â
âNo one will know,â he promised.Â
âOkay,â I nodded, still quite aware of the way heâs absently tracing along my collarbone back to my shoulder before pushing some hair from my face. In some way it felt like he was trying to help me get used to his touch. But maybe I was imagining that.Â
âIf it helps, just think of this as a friends with benefits arrangement.â He smiled, finally dropping his hand. âAnd thereâs no rush to get there, remember that.â
âI just have one question,â I said softly. âWhy are you doing this, Jimin?âÂ
Jimin smiled, âBecause I like you, Y/N.Â
It was such a simple answer, but a part of me wondered if it was deeper than it seemed. If there was more to it.Â
That was just the start of whatever this was. I didnât really know what to expect. Jimin had made one point clear and that was the fact that I was in control.Â
In that week leading up to the El Paso shows, I found myself hanging out most nights with him. Partially out of getting more comfortable being around the man, but also because my roommate was being a bit insufferable with her current fling. Nothing happened, we watched movies or talked. It was almost easy to forget about the arrangement that weâd created.Â
The afternoon we had the technical rehearsal I was sitting off to the side. There had been a shift in the weather and I had one hell of a headache, borderline migraine. Jin had picked up on it and walked over holding out a bottle of water to me.Â
âDrink,â he shook the bottle, enticing me to take it. He sat next to me, making sure that I drank some of it. âYou donât look good.âÂ
âJust a headache,â I explained simply.Â
Jimin came out and spotted us, immediately coming over. âWhatâs wrong?âÂ
âShe said itâs a headache.â Jin told him.Â
JImin has moved to stand on my opposite side. I tensed at first when I felt his warm hand on the back of my neck. Then his thumb applied a bit of pressure, massaging up along the back of my neck and jaw. It was somewhat discrete. I let my head fall forward. âMaybe you shouldnât dance today.âÂ
While the guys interacted with all the dancers, joking around with them, I knew they all gave me a different type of attention. It felt more like theyâd taken me in as a little sister. Well, except for Jimin, it had never felt like that with him. Now especially with our arrangement. Jungkook could also be a flirt but it had always been a little different with Jimin. The problem was, it did spark a little jealousy among some of the other dancers. Simply adding to b their already skewed view of me.Â
Whatever he was doing, massaging the back of my neck and the base of my skull, I could feel some relief.Â
âI'm okay,â I argued, finally sitting back to look up at him.
All through rehearsal I felt like the guys were keeping an eye on me. As if Jin and Jimin had told the others that I wasn't feeling 100%. At the end, Jungkook fell into step beside me, he nudged me lightly and winked as we walked. It was enough to get a small reaction, which made him grin.Â
Everyone was starting to disperse, I leaned against the wall drinking a gatorade. Jimin came over and leaned against the wall next to me. He leaned in enough so that anything he had to say would be for my ears only. Of course, just the close proximity was enough to make me blush. He seemed to enjoy those little reactions though.Â
âDo you still want to come to my room tonight?â as innocent as things had been, his tone was still flirtatious.Â
âYes,â I nodded. I was to the point where I could look up to him and make eye contact.Â
âGood, because I think I can help a bit more with that headache if itâs still bothering you.â He smirked, likely reading my reaction. âJust trust me.â he winked.Â
I went back to my room and managed to squeeze in a shower before my roommate. I was beginning to wonder if I couldnât try to figure out a different arrangement for some of the stops going forward. Not considering it was likely I might end up in Jiminâs room more.Â
Making sure no one saw me, I knocked lightly. When he opened the door, my eyes went wide. His hair was pulled back and he wore a pair of gray sweats and was in the process of pulling on a white tank top. But that meant I had gotten a clear glimpse of skin before heâd fully pulled the shirt down.Â
âHow are you feeling?â he asked, closing the door.Â
âHot shower helped a little.âÂ
âCome here,â he went over and sat on the bed all the way back against the headboard.Â
I had followed him but hesitated at the edge of the bed. He held his hand out to me, motioning for me to come sit down. He sat with his legs out. Finally I moved and he pulled me back so that I was sitting back against him, between his legs.Â
âIâm just going to push your sweatshirt off your shouldersâŚâ He warned me. I was wearing a zip hoodie over a tanktop.Â
âOkay,â I nodded.Â
Carefully, I felt him start to massage my shoulders and carefully work his way up my neck to the back of my head. His movements were slow and deliberate, applying gentle pressure. He was careful, but like I had earlier when heâd done just a bit back at the stadium, I was feeling some relief.Â
âIf itâs too much, let me know,â he said quietly.Â
In a way, this was just another step in getting comfortable with him. Having his hands on my like this. After a little while, he shifted from the pressure to rubbing gently before stopping. I leaned back against him as he moved to bring his arms around my waist. I rested my head back against his shoulder, my eyes closed.Â
âBetter?â He asked.Â
âYes, thank you.â I nodded. I brought my hands down to rest on his. It felt as though he might pull away as if he thought I was pushing him away. âPlease donât⌠I like this.â I said. âCan we just⌠Can we stayâŚâÂ
I felt his chest rumble with a low chuckle as he squeezed me gently and leaned in his breath warm against my ear.Â
âI was curious when youâd be comfortable enough to let me hold you.âÂ
Synopsis: Being behind the lens was where Y/N loved to be. Fast cars, motorcycles, action. That was her passion and she had an eye for it. Enter Jungkook. Looking for someone with that passion, he makes a public post asking if someone wanted to be his personal photographer and videographer. The truth behind that post? Jeon Jungkook wanted Y/N. He'd been following her account for some time, then one drunken night he'd messaged her. Nothing could have prepared Y/N for what was to come.
I couldnât get what Nari had said out of my head. About the way Jungkook looked at me, or the fact that sheâd heard him calling me princess. It was easier to think that what had happened as a one time deal. Because otherwise it felt like a dangerous game. He was famous, he could have anyone. I couldnât wrap my head around the idea that heâd actually be interested in me like that.Â
Being at the house and thrown into their full chaos. No one seemed to mind my being there, acting almost as if I belonged. Namjoon had given up on his argument with Jungkook about his lack of shirt. The strangest part of it all was just how domestic it all was. Everyone went about their business. Two of the members came in, it looked as if they were coming back from the gym. Yoongi came out, carrying his daughter and went rummaging for a snack. My brain was having troubles separating them from their stage presence.Â
Jungkook and I set up at the table to go through some of the pictures I had taken at the show the night before. He scooted his chair close enough that his leg was pressed against mine and he was very much in my bubble as he leaned over to look at the images on my computer. Occasionally he pointed out one that he really liked.Â
âCan you show me how you edit?â He asked at one point. His curiosity felt genuine.Â
I nodded, it helped serve as somewhat of a distraction at how close he was. It was hard to ignore completely, though. Especially after what Nari had said. I looked over at him, seeing just how close he was. He smiled at me, then went back to looking at the computer as he played with his lip ring.Â
âSure,â I nodded as I picked out one of the photos that heâd expressed an interest in. I brought it up into my editor and started making the adjustments to build on the raw image. Occasionally he asked a question, sometimes we needed a little back and forth because it was lost in translation.Â
Weâd been messing around with the pictures for a bit when the other guys started to trickle out looking as if they were getting ready to head out.Â
âJungkook, we need to get down to the stadium.â Taehyung had come over to look at what we were doing. âYou should ah⌠maybe find a shirt.â He smirked.Â
Jungkook nodded, pushing his chair back. He went back down towards his bedroom passing Namjoon on the way. I heard the two have a short exchange before Jungkook disappeared into his room.Â
âAre you planning to photograph tonightâs show as well?â Namjoon asked spotting me at the table. By now each of the guys either had or were taking a peek over my shoulder.Â
âJungkook said I had clearance for all three nights.â I nodded.Â
âWhen is your flight home?â He asked curiously.Â
âSheâs coming to Vegas,â Jungkook announced with a grin as he came back into the kitchen, now sporting a shirt and had his bag hanging off his shoulder.Â
I felt the way they all looked at me, a few of them looking between us. I nodded, âWe were working it out based on our contract. Iâm going to Vegas, then home for a bit.â I explained.Â
âThen sheâs coming to Korea.â Jungkook looked quite pleased with himself.Â
âWait, who has a contract with their girlfriend?â Hobi asked.Â
âWhere did you get that she was his girlfriend?â Jimin laughed.Â
âSheâs the photographer he wanted to collaborate with for his bike content.â Tae smirked. âAt least, thatâs what heâs told us.âÂ
âI thought⌠Didnât you stayâŚâ Hobi looked between us. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Even Jungkook shifted his weight nervously.Â
âThis is great,â Taehyung laughed.Â
âWe need to leave.â It was Yoongiâs steady quiet voice that broke through it all.Â
âWe do,â Namjoon agreed. With that all of the guys started towards the door.Â
Jungkook lingered watching as they went out the door, watching to see when they had all made it outside. Namjoon did turn and give a look that appeared to be a soft warning about time.Â
âIâll see you at the show, right Gongju-nim?â He looked hopeful.Â
âYeah, Iâll still be there.â If I hadnât been confused before, after that whole exchange with the guys, I definitely was now. Despite the awkward interaction, he still called me princess and kissed my cheek before darting towards the door.Â
âJungkook, thatâsâŚâ He was already out the door though, I groaned running my hand through my hair.Â
âYou know, if youâre not interested in him, you better end it before it really gets going.â I looked up to see Taehyungâs girlfriend, Hana. âI can guess what happened between you two.âÂ
âDo i have a sign above my head or something that says I fucked Jungkook?â I asked, frustrated. I did manage to keep my voice down a bit knowing there was a toddler somewhere in the house. Oh, well aware after sheâd come into his bedroom.Â
Hana smirked, âNo, but neither of you are exactly subtle.âÂ
âI shouldnât be interested.â I sighed, shaking my head. âIt should have never happened.â It was a bit easier to talk now without all the guys right there.Â
âBut you are. That makes me feel a little better.â Hana walked past me to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water. âAs for whether or not it should have happened? Youâre two consenting adults.â she shrugged.Â
I wasnât even sure what to say to any of that. I looked back at my equipment on the table. That was the reason I was here. Did I agree to the initial meeting with Jungkook because I was curious? Yes. We had spent the last few months talking. Iâd become curious and followed his instagram. Iâd be lying if I said I hadnât formed some sort of attraction to him. What I couldnât explain was just how magnetic he was, or the way just the slightest touch felt like it sent a jolt through me. The way I completely lost myself to him not just last night but this morning.Â
Hana smirked, âOh, youâre already gone.â She teased in a sing-song voice. âWeâre leaving in an hour for the stadium.â she said before heading back down the hall.Â
When we got to the stadium the guys were just finishing up with soundcheck. I made my way over to the corner to get my gear set up. Everything was pretty much charged and ready to go. As soon as the guys came in, Jungkook found his way to me.Â
âEveryone knows what we did,â I said quietly looking up at him.Â
He looked at me then over to where the other were all doing their own thing. âWhat?â He actually sounded surprised by this. When he looked back at me he must have caught my mood. âYouâre upset.âÂ
âMore embarrassed,â I told him.Â
âDo you wish we didnâtâŚ?â Jungkook seemed to be trying to make sense of what I was thinking and feeling.Â
âThis really isnât the place to be talking about this. I just wanted you to realize that they knew.â I said, but as soon as I did I saw the look that flashed in his eyes. Because I hadnât actually answered his question. âNo Jungkook, I donât. I just donât know what to make of it.â I kept my voice low.Â
The stylist called out for him, he looked conflicted for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. I had a feeling something was getting lost in translation.Â
Jungkook and I didnât have a chance to talk again before the concert. I went out to set up to take pictures. Thankfully he didnât seem to let our conversation affect his performance. After the show there wasnât much time either, their security team was quick at getting them out of there once theyâd left the stage. Iâd saw that the night before. Before he left though he did catch me.Â
âCome back to the house, Iâll bring you back to the hotel.âÂ
âWe saw how that went last night, Jungkook.âÂ
He winked at me before jogging off after the others.Â
Hana and Yuna came around and we headed out. We got a bit stuck in traffic. By the time we got back to the house Jungkook and Taehyung were sitting outside on the porch.Â
âWhere is everybody?â Hana asked.Â
âNamjoon and Nari are in their room, talking. Jin and Jimin both went to bed I think. Hobi is talking to Jia, and Yoongi was checking on Ara.â Jungkook ticked each of them off one by one.Â
Yuna wished everyone a good night and slipped inside past us.Â
Taehyung stood, âAnd weâre now going to bed.â He said, reaching for Hanaâs hand.Â
Hana smirked, calling over her shoulder to us, âGood night.â Watching them I wanted to comment to Hana that they werenât that subtle either. Because it was pretty obvious what was on their minds. I felt that it might be a bit petty to say anything.Â
Jungkook leaned back watching them disappear into the house before looking back to me. We were alone, I saw that twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he smirked. Not standing up, he leaned forward and caught me by the waist pulling me forward. I let him. Standing right in front of him as he looked up at me, I realized how right both Nari and Hana were.Â
Nari had made it clear that I needed to wake up if I thought last night was just a one night stand and Jungkook and I were going to walk away from that. But Hana was right, too. I was already gone. I think I was gone that first moment heâd put his hand on my hip to look at my camera. Months of talking boiling over in that one minor little touch.Â
âI think we have some shit to sort out, Jungkook,â I said reaching out and running my hand through his hair. I felt him shiver at the touch, his grip on my hips tightening.Â
âAbout what, Gongju-nim?âÂ
âUs. Whatever this is, that's happening here.âÂ
Synopsis: A misunderstanding, two broken hearts, and the need for a second chance. Y/N had met and fallen for Tae as his group fought for the recognition they deserved. But as their fame exploded, a divide formed between them. Then the dating rumors started and she was not the subject of them. One final misunderstanding was the breaking point. But some feelings never go away. When those feelings simmer and boil over, a second chance is born.
My timing was a little off. Iâd told Tae I was going to head back to my place the next day, but Yuna didnât want to go to the concert alone since Nari was babysitting for her. So I stuck around for day two of Stanford. Of course Taehyung didnât argue, happy to have an extra night together.Â
Tae had convinced Hobi to go to the gym with him, the offer was there for me to join them but Iâd bowed out. Considering how things were going back at the house, I was glad I had stayed back. Jungkook and his little photographer friend were causing quite the stir. First I saw Yuna coming out of Jungkookâs room carrying Ara and shaking her head. I wasnât quite sure what that might have been about until a minute later the photographer came out with her gear bag. The girl looked a bit flustered herself, nodding politely to me before quickly making her way to the main part of the house. Jungkook wasnât far behind her, carrying his toiletries and some fresh clothes. He smiled saying good morning before disappearing into the bathroom humming to himself. If either of them thought they were being slick, they werenât. I just shook my head going back to our room to get my phone. I did a quick check in with my team back in the office letting them know Iâd be coming in in the next couple of days and weâd be having a meeting. I also wanted updates on an event we were running that weekend. By the time I was doing doing that and went out to the kitchen I found Namjoon and Jungkook arguing about his state of dress, and Mina looked like sheâd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar after whatever Nari had just said to her. Being part of this family, this was the normal and I honestly wouldnât trade it for the world.Â
When Tae got back, I was filling him in as he got dressed after his own shower. âYou missed all the fun while you were at the gym.â I teased.Â
âHm? And what was that?â He pulled his shirt on.Â
âJungkookâ and Mina. Something definitely happened between them last night. Iâm sure of it.â I sat back on the bed. âHopefully heâs smarter than we were the first time around.âÂ
Tae turned and just blinked at me, I tried to hold back my smirk as I looked up at him. âJungkook isnât that innocent..â he reminded me, his tone holding a bit of amusement.Â
âOh, I know.â I shrugged, âJust saying.â
âThinking about that mess still gives me anxiety.â Tae commented, shaking his head.Â
âItâs been ten years, Tae. We were both young, stupid, and inexperienced. Itâs no surprise we had a scare.â As far as I knew only Jin knew about it. Being the oldest, Tae had opted to go to him. Heâs supported us as we figured things out. Both of us had been pretty freaked out, yet somehow Jin had remained calm through the whole mess.Â
âWeâre in a much better place now, if it were to happen.â He stated.
âMm⌠One step at a time, Mister.â I laughed. âYouâre on tour. Not sure if thatâs a better place.âÂ
Tae moved to crawl on the bed coming over to kiss me, âYou know what I mean, Jagiya.âÂ
I did. We werenât two kids trying to figure out how to navigate the world. They had been fighting to make a name for themselves and I was trying to get through school. Now we were well established in all aspects of our lives. His hyung were all proving that those adult relationships were possible.Â
âI have to go, but tonightâŚâ He smirked, kissing me again before pulling away.Â
The guys headed to the stadium, Yuna and I planned to get there around Sound Check. It was just easier to get into the stadium earlier, even if we were going in through a staff entrance. Mina stayed back and rode with Yuna and I to the stadium while Nari stayed back to babysit. I wasnât sure what Aeri was doing, but I doubted she was doing two late nights with her little one.Â
We got there shortly after the guys had come off stage from doing the VIP sound check. They were all in a good mood. Mina had gone off to her corner to pull out her gear to start getting ready. I wasnât surprised to see Jungkook immediately drawn to her. While waiting to get changed and for Make-up Yoongi took the opportunity to have a moment with his wife. Tae came over eating something, I swear, that man was always finding food.Â
âGood sound check?â I asked then motioned to whatever it was he was eating. âWhat is that?âÂ
âA donut I think,â he held it up, it looked like a cruller. Sweet and airy. âI think itâs going to be a warm one tonight.â he commented.Â
âMake sure you drink plenty while youâre out there.âÂ
He grinned, âAh, youâre worrying about me.â He turned as his stylist called for him. âGotta go,â he stole a quick kiss then stuffed the rest of his pastry into his mouth before going to get ready.Â
âSora, eat.â I turned to see Jin directing one of the dancers to the food. I recognized her, sheâd been around since the tour prep had started. Quiet and shy, the guys had all taken to her. I think because they saw that the other dancers didnât quite accept her. Iâd heard some rumblings that they thought she was stuck up. By now, the guys had all seemed to adopt her as a little sister. For the most part. I watched as she went over and was picking at some fruit. Jimin walked up behind her, rubbing her shoulders then leaning in to say something to her. I was curious, I mean Jimin could always be a bit more touchy in his affection. Iâm not sure what he might have said to her, but she shook her head with a shy smile.Â
One by one the guys traded out with the stylists and got ready. When Tae came back we were sitting on the couch just hanging out. âHey, you know that dancer⌠the shy one?âÂ
âMm, Sora?â Tae asked looking up from his phone.Â
âYeah, she still having troubles with the other dancers?âÂ
âShe keeps to herself mostly. We try to make sure she feels like she fits in, though.â he explained. âWhy do you ask?âÂ
I shrugged, âNo reason. I just saw Jin trying to get her to go get some food and Jimin was teasing her, while you were with the stylist.â
âThatâs normal.â He nodded.Â
It was almost time for the show to start, so Yuna and I headed out to find our seats. The guys had their pre-show rituals and routines, so we got out of their hair.Â
âWhat time are you leaving tomorrow?â Yuna asked as we navigated our way to our seats.Â
âIn the morning most likely. Itâs a few hoursâ drive plus traffic.â I was not looking forward to the drive. âNot too early though.â I knew it was going to be a late night.Â
We didnât have to go to every show, but we all enjoyed showing support for the guys. To see what they had built and what they had come back to. It wasnât just about that, it was to see them happy on stage, enjoying themselves. It made me think back to how beat up the guys were when they got off the stage at the first two shows I went to. Watching how Tae could be himself and have fun, I loved it. It was healing in a lot of ways.
After the show we had to reconnect with Mina backstage. Traffic was a bit rough, so we got back to the house a bit after the guys. Things were quiet, Tae and Jungkook were sitting out on the front porch.Â
âWhere is everybody?â I asked.Â
âNamjoon and Nari are in their room, talking. Jin and Jimin both went to bed I think. Hobi is talking to Jia, and Yoongi was checking on Ara.â Jungkook ticked each of them off one by one.Â
Yuna wished everyone a good night and slipped inside past us.Â
Tae stood, âAnd weâre now going to bed.â He said, reaching for my hand.Â
I smirked, recalling what heâd said before leaving for the concert. âGood night.âÂ
Leading me back to our room, Tae pushed the door shut. âYouâre not very subtle,â I teased him.Â
Tae smiled, catching me and pulling be into him, resting his forehead to mine. Itâd only be a few nights until weâd be back together. But we always tried to make the most of those nights before we had to part ways for any bit of time.Â
âMaybe not, but Iâve been thinking about this all night.âÂ
âWeâre going to have to be quiet,â I reminded him.Â
I just went through and updated the tag lists on all the playlists. I also fixed the fact that it said Stray Kids and not BTS (No one caught this? lol) since I had copied the main format from my Skz series.
Some of the older playlists I updated, adding songs. I have posted Hobi and Jimin's now. Which means all seven stories have a running playlist!
If you have any songs that strike you as relating to any of these stories, please feel free to share them! But let me know the song name and artist. Trying to find it to link just based off song name is near impossible at times.
I've linked the playlists below, but they are always accessible in the Master Lists as well!
Wild Flower
Save Me
Slow Dancing
Just One Day
Make it Right
Hold Me Tight
Closer Than This
Side note: Names have also been updated/fixed. (Name change for Mina is not reflected in old posts, because I can't sift through where they are. So for reference Minji=Mina)
Synopsis: What does it take to balance the overwhelming weight of fame and a desire for a peaceful life? To the world he is RM, leader of BTS. But to Y/N he is simply Kim Namjoon. Together they navigate the ever careful balance of what the world can and cannot see. From a first meeting to BTS 2.0 their relationship blooms in unexpected ways.
Author's Note: Sorry.... this one is long and a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
While we waited for Mina, I saw that Yoongi was on the phone. I assumed he was checking in with Yuna. However, he surprised me with a very particular question.Â
âNari, when you let Ara watch our old content, what was it?âÂ
âUh, Run BTS, one of the older episodes.âÂ
âYear?â
âThatâs an oddly specific question⌠Uh⌠I think you had mint hair.âÂ
âThat would have been 2015,â Namjoon confirmed.Â
That was when I heard Yoongi tell Yuna I was banned from watching Ara, âWait, what did I do?â I asked confused.Â
âMy daughter is now convinced that Baby Saja is me.â he muttered. This of course had all the guys laughing.Â
Once Mina was ready, I was glad to escape that. Because the guys were having a field day with it.Â
Wandering around the venue before a show was always fun, it truly was one of my favorite things to do. As we walked out, Mina had fallen in between Hana and I.Â
âWe have to be very careful in any talk about the guys,â I explained. âIt gets easier to engage with their fans with time. But know their fanbase is loyal.âÂ
âTry not to let some of the more unhinged stuff get to you.â Hana added.Â
âUnhinged?â Mina asked, clearly not following.Â
I laughed, thinking about some of the things that we had all crossed paths with. Sometimes it was hard to read, and harder to ignore. But the important thing was to remember that for the ones acting that way it was nothing but a fantasy. For us, it was a reality. But some of the more delusional ones was part of the reason the guys chose to keep our relationships out of the public eye.Â
âYeah, usually itâs on the more sexual side.â Hana went on to explain. âSometimes people just talk a bit too freely.âÂ
âThereâs also the generic delusion, too.â I said. âDonât get us wrong, we love the guys' fans as much as they do. Theyâre also very aware of some of the crazy stuff people say. At the end of the day, itâs just words. You learn to ignore it.âÂ
âOr you can have fun and feed into it,â Hana laughed. âWithin reason of course,â she said putting her hands up when I shot her an unserious glare.
âAlso, donât be surprised if someone comes up and hands you something, theyâre freebies. Itâs a whole thing in K-pop and people work hard on them.â I smiled as we got outside. I knew it was a lot, but if Mina was going to be here, she needed to have some warning.Â
At one point a couple of girls had come up to hand us freebies. They commented on the jerseys that Mina and I wore. I was quick to thank them however Mina froze. Hana, familiar with this song and dance quickly stepped in and said that Mina was just good with her attention to detail.Â
Shortly after that I wandered off, I knew Iâd find the girls again before we had to go back. I made my typical rounds before circling back to find Hana and Mina.Â
âSo, how much merch did you buy this time?â Hana teased.Â
âWhat makes youâŚâ I looked over and saw her smirk. âJust some lightsticks,â I rolled my eyes with a laugh. âNothing like what I did in El Paso.âÂ
âMmm, Tae told me.â She laughed. Mina quietly looked between us, taking in the interaction.Â
We went to check in back stage with the guys before we needed to head to our seats. Namjoon smiled, wrapping his arms around my waist, âYou didnât scare her, did you?âÂ
âNo, I donât think so.â I smiled. âI like her, I think she suits, Kookie.â Namjoon hummed softly, not fully agreeing with me yet. He trusted my judgement, but he hadnât had much opportunity to get to know her yet. âAre you ready for tonight?â I asked, shifting the subject.Â
âYes, things seem to be running smoothly.â He sighed. I knew he was trying to ground himself. âI like having you here before shows,â he admitted with a small smile.Â
The way they had built this tour was different. It gave them time to explore and enjoy themselves. But as we each slowly joined, it also gave them time to be with their family.Â
âIâll see you after the show.â I smiled giving him a quick kiss.Â
Hana and I went over to where Jin was with Aeri and his daughter. The little girl wore headphones and had a lightstick. I knew Jin had done that, I assumed heâd also gotten both of them the shirts they wore as well. The four of us went out to find our seats. Jinae was holding her motherâs hand tightly, but her little eyes were wide as she took in all the people.Â
As always, they put on an amazing show. I had to laugh when Jinae began to insist that her Appa was a Saja Boy, thinking about what Yuna was dealing with at home with Ara. By the end of the night Jinae was fighting to stay awake. At one point Aeri had said they would leave but Jinae wanted to stay. I could see that Aeri seemed conflicted about it before giving in. But I think she was glad she stayed when it got to Jinâs final ment for the night. I looked over and saw she was crying as the guys sang Into the Sun. I imagined that she must be dealing with a lot of emotions around coming back. Â
After the show we went back stage, Jungkook catching me before they left. âCan you bring Mina back to the house? Iâll drive her back to the hotel. I want to see her.âÂ
âSure, Kookie.â I nodded.Â
I saw Aeri as I headed back to the green room. âOh, I thought you were Mina. Iâm supposed to give her a ride.â She looked a little confused, âSheâs a friend of Jungkookâs.â I said simply.Â
I found Mina in the back packing up her camera. The guys were already gone. âThey try to be out before the fans start to clear out. Less likely they get followed back to wherever theyâre staying.â I explained while I waited for her . âTheyâll all go back to the house and eat. I think a couple of them are planning to do a live.â She finished packing away her things,âKookie asked if Iâd bring you back by the house, he said then heâd give you a ride back to your hotel.âÂ
âIs that a good idea?â Mina asked, cautiously.
âJungkook knows what heâs doing, Mina. You can trust his judgement.â I wasnât sure what she was getting at, because i was still trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them.Â
When we got to the house Jungkook was already outside waiting. It looked like heâd already showered, liking making sure to get in before any of the other guys. I saw Namjoon in the door waiting for me. I smiled and wished Mina a good night before going inside.Â
âI was wondering when youâd get back. Was traffic bad?âÂ
âA little, but we managed.â I smiled. âArenât you doing a live?âÂ
âYes, but I wanted to see you first. Because with my luck, youâll be asleep by the time weâre done.â he teased.Â
âI can wait up if youâd like,â I tilting my head back to look up at him with a small smirk.Â
âOnly if you want to, Jagiya.â He said stealing a quick kiss as Hobi poked his head out to let him know they were ready to go.Â
I may have wanted to, but while I tried to stay awake, I fell asleep with my book in hand. When Namjoon came to bed, he took the book and slipped my bookmark in place before setting it aside on the night stand. Then he settled in next to me, I stirred just enough to curl up to him.Â
In the morning we were both up a bit before nine. Joon took our books outside while I made some coffee for us. It was nice out and the house was still relatively quiet. I set the mugs down on the table between us, moving it closer to him as he reached for his. This was our normal. Quiet, comfortable, small moments. I glanced over at him, even now five years later I am amazed by this man. The way he holds such a presence on stage or when heâs working. But also this side of him. Sometimes I still wondered how lucky I was to be where we were now. I think about those days when I had been insisting I wanted nothing more than friendship with that pink haired idol.Â
The sound of a motorcycle broke the quiet of the morning. I glanced over at Namjoon as he looked up from his book.Â
âWas he out all night?â Joon asked.Â
I shrugged, âHe could have gone out early.â I knew that likely wasnât the case, but it was possible. Setting my book down, I stood and took our two empty mugs. âStop acting like dad, start acting like a brother.â I teased him, kissing his cheek.Â
When I got inside I found Mina in the kitchen with Jimin.Â
âOh, hi Mina.â I said as I walked over to set two empty mugs in the sink. âI didnât see you last night, I figured you and Jungkook would come in and get some food before he took you back.âÂ
âWe went for a ride.â She said a little too quick. I smirked, giving her a little nod..Â
âY/N, have you seen Jungkook, I see the bikeâŚâ Namjoon said as he came into the kitchen behind me. âUh⌠Hello.âÂ
I hadnât seen Jungkook yet, but I also knew Namjoon was playing it as if he didnât know that Mina and Jungkook had just gotten in.
âHiâŚâ The poor girl seemed uncomfortable.Â
A few minutes later Jungkook came strolling down the hall. He wore dark sweatpants, no shirt, and damp hair, sans shirt.
âJungkook, what have we said about wearing clothes when weâre all staying in the same house?â Namjoon asked. âFor the sake of the girls.â he added.
I laughed listening to the two of them. Namjoon just was giving him a hard time, walking around without a shirt on was nothing. The two of them started bickering back and forth. I did catch the way Minaâs eyes followed Jungkookâs hands.Â
I went over and leaned against the counter next to where Mina stood. âDid he stay over last night?â I asked quietly, with a little smirk. Seeing how both of them were acting, I had a feeling something had happened between the two of them.
The way she glanced up, it confirmed what I already assumed. Of course, the missing bike was likely the biggest giveaway that he hadnât come back. âDid I fuck up?â she asked me.Â
âYou donât need to tell me what happened. I hate to say it, I can already figure it out. Between how awkward you seem to be feeling and how pleased with himself Kookie is acting. Itâs not that hard.âÂ
She let out a long sigh shaking her head..Â
âDonât worry about it, Mina. If thereâs something going on between you two⌠itâs no big deal.â I smiled, trying to reassure her. âWeâve all been where you are.âÂ
âWhat, having a one night stand with a popstar that youâre supposed to be working with?â she raised a brow. I knew she wasnât trying to be rude, it seemed to be a genuine question.Â
I laughed softly.âOnly Jia, who you havenât met yet. But, if you think last night was a one night stand when that man is calling you princess and looking at you like you hung the moon⌠Sweetie, I think you need to wake up.âÂ
As the two men bickered about state of dress or undress and I was talking with Mina, I noticed the way Jimin lingered. While it wasnât all that uncommon, something seemed a bit different. I just couldnât quite figure it out.Â
Later, the house had pretty much cleared out. The guys needed to be at the stadium. Yuna, Hana and Mina were getting ready to head out for the show and I was on Ara duty. Yoongiâs threats of banning me from watching his daughter seemed to have been nothing more than empty threats.Â
Ara and I were outside in the backyard when my phone rang. I didnât recognize the number, but that didnât mean anything. Keeping an eye on my niece, I took the call.Â
âHello?âÂ
âHello, Iâm looking for a Mrs. Kim.â The man on the line said.Â
âSpeaking,â I wasnât sure what this might be about, but it sounded like it was a business call.Â
âMrs. Kim, My name is Lloyd Saunders. I am calling on behalf of Mr. Georgio Romanoâs estate. Do you have some time to talk?âÂ
âIâm sorry, what?â I recognized that name and I felt my chest tighten.
âMr. Romano has you listed as a benefactor in his will. I have a letter here for you, as well as all the details. I understand that you live out of the country, but is there any chance that you might be able toâŚâ
âIâm currently in California for a few more days. I might be able to extend my trip, but my husband and I will need to coordinate it.â I was doing my best to hold in my emotions. Not only because i was on the phone but because I was also watching Ara. âAre you able to send me any of the details? Or evenâŚâ I shook my head as I felt my voice crack, âI didnât know Mr. Romano had passed.â
We exchanged contact info before hanging up. I watched Ara for a few more minutes as she played in the grass before deciding we should go in.Â
Ara was in bed when everyone started trickling in from the show. I was sitting on the couch waiting for Namjoon. As soon as he came in, he picked up on my mood.Â
âWhatâs wrong, Jagiya?âÂ
Yoongi perked up, but I shook my head. âAraâs fine, sheâs been in bed for a few hours.â I reassured him. I looked up at Joon, âThereâs something I need to tell you.âÂ
He nodded, we moved to the bedroom for more privacy. âWhatâs going on, Y/N. Is something wrong? Are you sick? Are youâŚâÂ
âItâs not me, Joon.â I shook my head. âI got a call from a lawyer this afternoon. Mr. Romano passed away and heâs listed me in his will.âÂ
âMr. Romano, the gentleman that owns the bookstore?âÂ
âYeah,â I nodded. Over the years weâd built a bit of a friendship with the old man, going back to visit him. It was a store I had frequented before moving to Korea to be with Namjoon. He was part of our story. âThe lawyer has asked if I am able to meet. Iâm thinking maybe between here and going to Vegas I can take a detour.âÂ
âWeâll both go.â Namjoon said, as he moved to pull me into a hug.Â
âJoon, I didnât even know heâd died.âÂ
âI know, Jagiya.â He said gently, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. âWe will go see what the lawyer has to say. Maybe we can take care of some of the expenses.âÂ
Synopsis: Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat. When you're chasing a dream, sometimes other things take a backseat. That's how things were for Y/N. Then opportunity came knocking. All thanks to one member of the internationally known K-Pop group, BTS. She thought being brought in for a music video was a one off, until the second call came. Jimin had taken a liking to the shy dancer that had joined him for his music video. Which was why he had suggested her when they'd begun to hire dancers for their upcoming world tour. What neither of them expected that a shared love of dance as well as an unexpected arrangement, might lead to so much more..
âWhy do you get so flustered when someone tries to flirt with you?âÂ
I looked up at Jimin, who had an easy smile as he sipped his beer. It was a casual question, one that should have a simple answer. But I was embarrassed. I shook my head before taking a bite of pizza in an attempt to stall answering.Â
âI know youâre shy, Y/N. But how flustered you getâŚâ Jimin smirked, his tone teasing. âMakes me wonder.âÂ
âItâs embarrassing.â I finally said, knowing that my cheeks were likely bright red.Â
âSomeone flirting with you?â Jimin asked, his tone shifting. It was softer now, less teasing.Â
âNo, the reason I get so flustered.â I think this is probably the most Iâve talked, since joining the tour. Or even since knowing Jimin. Iâm not sure if itâs the alcohol or the one on one relaxed setting.Â
Suddenly it seemed to click for him, I saw his expression shift to surprise. âHave you neverâŚâÂ
âI was too focused on dance for boys during school. I had goals, I didnât want distractions.â But I realized I had missed out on some things, Now I felt woefully unprepared. I was shy, so I already got flustered by the flirting. But I didnât know how to reciprocate, nor did I feel prepared for what a guy might expect in the long run. I didnât think that was how Jungkook or Jimin were, I thought they were just teasing me. The tech guy, I knew what he was hoping for. What I didnât know was that Jimin knew and he was part of the reason that the tech guy was not with us in Tampa. âNow Iâm twenty six, I have no experience. None.â I donât look at Jimin, too embarrassed. I was sitting here admitting to a thirty year old man one of my biggest insecurities. I assumed most men would find it weird and off putting and others would try to take advantage of it all.Â
âPutting your dreams first isnât a reason to be embarrassed about missing out on other parts of life, Y/N.â the teasing undertone is gone. âDo you know how much we missed out on because of our dream?â He asked curiously.Â
I didnât know what to say to that, so I simply took another half bite of pizza.Â
Jimin shifted, setting his beer down and leaned back casually as he watched me. Neither of us talked for a moment. I felt like an idiot and was considering whether or not I should excuse myself for the night. Then I would have to figure out how to avoid Jimin for the rest of this tour. It wouldnât be easy but I could figure it out.Â
âI could help you,â Jiminâs quiet voice cut through the silence thatâd fallen between us.Â
âWhat?â I felt the bubble of a nervous laugh, because where my mind went I had to be misunderstanding him.Â
âHelp you.â Jimin repeated.Â
I looked up, our eyes met. I bit my lip and his eyes flickered down for just a moment before coming back up.Â
âI promise you I am not trying to take advantage of you, Y/N. I see how uncomfortable your inexperience makes you. My offer is to help.â He explained carefully. âWe can go at your pace, you would be in control.âÂ
âI hate to assume what youâre implying and be wrong.âÂ
His easy smile returns, âI want to help you. Give you space to figure it out without feeling like itâs because itâs expected.â He paused and his smile shifted to a playful smirk. âI bet Iâm a good teacher.âÂ
âI wouldnât want to risk my place on tour.â My heart was racing. He saw that I wasnât outright saying no.Â
âIt wouldnât, I promise.â he reassured me. âYouâre not saying no.âÂ
âIâm not saying yes.â I countered.Â
âI donât want you to say yes tonight,â He said, surprising me. Before I could ask, he smiled. âIt should be a sober decision.â He motioned towards the beer next to me.Â
By the time I made it back to my room, my roommate still wasnât back. Sheâd probably be feeling pretty hung over when we had to head to the airport later. Looking at the clock it was well past midnight. I had completely lost track of time while with Jimin. I couldnât get our conversation out of my head. It was crazy to even be considering it.Â
*~*~*~*~*
Jimin cleaned up after Y/N had gone back to her room. He was wondering if maybe heâd messed up. Realizing why she reacted the way she did, it was such an unexpected reason. She was beautiful and had such a sweet heart. Despite their own dreams even they had all found ways to figure out that part of their own human nature. For her though, she hadnât.
Early in their career they all saw how hard it was for actual relationships. Watching what Tae had gone through with Hana had been hard. It had put most of them off from actually dating, maybe not messing around, but anything serious. Even what had happened with Jin and Aeri had been a turn off, though they didnât know about it until after sheâd left. Then Namjoon had met Nari, that seemed to be where the shift was. Theyâd all watched as their leader built a meaningful relationship, and she was outside of the industry. One by one Jimin had watched his brothers find someone. Yoongi and Yuna had a tumultuous start, but it only made them stronger. Hobi and Jia⌠Now three of them were married, Tae and Hana should be and likely would be soon. He knew this probably wasnât the way to go about things, so all he could do was hope he hadnât scared her.Â
*~*~*~*~*
Traveling to El Paso I had my headphones on, fully sober I was weighing the pros and cons of Jiminâs offer. I couldnât actually be considering this. Just because I was inexperienced and shy didnât mean I was human. His flirting may have left me flustered, but I did like the attention from him. I may have even developed a small crush on him that started back during the video shoot. He was sweet and generous, he picked up on things others didnât.Â
There was time between our arrival in El Paso and any real start to show prep. There was an issue with people camping out outside the hotel where everyone was staying. One thing about traveling with the group was having the opportunity to see all these different places. I had taken to collecting an enamel pin from each of the cities we visited. Something that reflected that space.Â
âY/N-ah, not out with the others?â Jungkook smiled. âWhat you got there?â he pointed at the pin in my hands.Â
Coming back from a bit of exploring some of the shops nearby, I was admiring my newest pin. I had a piece of felt in my bag that I was attaching them to. I looked up as someone called out to hold the elevator. I reached out stopping the door from closing as Jungkook and Tae bebopped their way into the elevator, staff trailing behind them.Â
âA pin,â I said quietly as Tae came to my other side to check it out.Â
âCute,â he grinned. âI saw you looking at Pins in Tokyo.âÂ
I nodded, âUhm.. yeah. Iâm getting one in every city.â I curled my hand around the pin.Â
Jungkook put his arm around my shoulder, âWait, donât hide it. I want to see.â I blushed but opened my hand back up. âThatâs a fun idea. You got one at all our stops so far?âÂ
I shook my head, âI missed out on Goyang.â I hadnât thought of it until I was in Tokyo.Â
âOh, maybe Nari or Yuna could get one.â Jungkook said, looking over at Tae. âBet they wouldnât mind. Especially if we said it was for Y/N-ah.âÂ
âThatâs okay⌠I donâtâŚâ I shook my head. I recognized the names of Namjoon and Yoongiâs wives. âI wouldnât want to put anyone out.â None of us knew that Nari was actually on her way to join the guys. The elevator chimed, âThis is my floor.â I said quietly and moving to escape the small space. What had thrown me was that they spoke like the women knew who I was.Â
I got back to my room, but as I opened the door I heard something that quickly had me turning around. It wasnât the first time and probably wouldnât be the last Iâd walked in on my roommate messing around. But it was in the middle of the day, I thought she was out. Frustrated, I decided to go down and sit in the lobby. Not sure where else to go.Â
The elevator brought be back down to the lobby level. As the door opened I went to step out just as someone stepped in. I ran head first into Jimin. He was quick to catch me, his hands at my sides.Â
âAh, I was wondering when I might run into you. Didnât expect it to be so literal.â He teased, not moving to let me go.Â
âIâm sorry,â I said quickly.Â
âDonât apologize, Y/N. You did nothing wrong.â He smiled. âWhere are you going?âÂ
âThe lobby⌠My room is a bit crowded at the moment.âÂ
âWant to come hang out in mine?â Jimin offered. âNo string, just a friendly offer.âÂ
His original offer was still driving me crazy. I hadnât seen him since that night. But I found myself nodding. He grinned and coaxed me back into the elevator, turning back to hit the button for their floor. The guys all had a block on a different floor from the rest of the staff.Â
When we got to his room, he offered me some water. I looked around, it seemed he was already getting settled for the week long stay. I felt a small burst of courage as I looked up at him.Â
âJimin?âÂ
âYes?â
âAbout your offer⌠Were you⌠did you mean it?â I asked quietly, unable to meet his gaze. I needed to ask before that little bubble of courage popped.Â
âMm, yes.â Jimin nodded, his attention fully on me now.Â
Synopsis: Working as an assistant to a fashion designer was not what Y/N wanted to be doing with her life. Fetching coffee, picking up dry cleaning, rotting away catering to an impossible boss. It was a step in the right direction, but she felt stuck. Enter Jung Hoseok. When the translator hired to work with him fell through, Y/N was told to find someone new. Instead, she stepped in. Suddenly her whole life was thrown onto a new trajectory. Was she ready for it?
Working with Hoseok I was seeing sides of fashion week I never got to see trailing behind my boss as her assistant. When it was time for the actual show, I was sitting right next to him on the edge of the runway. Because my job was to help him communicate. If this was the reason I had no job at the end of the week, maybe it was worth it. At least I got this experience.Â
Hoseok leaned over smiling, âYou look like youâre enjoying yourself.â he said in Korean.Â
âIâve been to three fashion weeks and this is the closest Iâve gotten to the runway.â I nodded, âThank you for this opportunity.â I smiled at him.
Our attention went back to the runway. Occasionally he might lean over and comment on a design or ask my opinion. It was about midway through the show when a particular design caught my attention. Hoseok looked over at me, his brow furrowing in confusion and concern at my expression.Â
âY/N?â He whispered, âWhatâs wrong?âÂ
âThatâs my design.â I said quietly. Then my eyes darted to the next model coming up the runway. âAnd thatâŚâ All I could do was sit there and watch as two of my visions, come to life, walked down the runway and circled back. There were changes yes, but those were my designs.Â
Hoseok looked from me to the models and back. I was fumbling with my phone, pulling up the pictures I had of the sketches. He peered over my shoulder seeing the sketches.Â
âIâm sorry, I need some air.â I apologized to him before getting up. We were just about to intermission and I knew it was unfair to him to leave. But I felt like I might suffocate staying in that room. I quickly got up, excusing myself as I crossed in front of those around us.Â
Once I got outside the main hall, I felt the wave of anger crash over me. The shock, disbelief, and denial all washed away right into anger. How long had this been going on? How had I not seen it happening when I followed her everywhere. There were so many questions. I ran my hand through my hair, my mind racing as I tried to piece it all together. Yet, I was coming up with nothing.Â
âY/N,â I turned to see that Hoseok had followed me.Â
âYou should go back inside,â I said, âI donât want you riskingâŚâÂ
âIntermission.â He stated simply as he walked towards me. I looked up to see that a few other people had come out as well. Most would stay in the hall and mingle there. âTalk to me, please?âÂ
âThose were my designs, but itâs her name on them.âÂ
âYour boss.â He clarified.Â
âEx-boss. She fired me,â I told him. âWhen I tried to talk to her about stepping in as your interpreter she had one of her temper tantrums and fired me.â In no way did I blame him, nor did I want him to feel like any of this was his fault. âItâs better this way anyways. She was a horrible boss and now I understand why Iâve been stuck as her assistant for as long as I have.â There was this new level of clarity that came with this whole mess. The bigger problem was, I didnât even know how to go about dealing with this. âIâve been such an idiot.â I was so frustrated and angry. I didnât even realize I had started to cry.Â
Hoseok surprised me, he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. The sudden embrace was enough to ground me. I sighed, knowing that this was unprofessional, but I didnât pull away. We stood like that for a few moments before he pulled back, his hands on my shoulders as he looked down at me.Â
âStarting at the bottom, falling down, being knocked down, none of that means you have to stay there.â He smiled, âI should know. We fought hard to climb to the top. I know you can do it, too.âÂ
With intermission ending we had to go back. I did step into the bathroom to freshen up and he waited for me. I noticed that Hoseok lingered a little closer than he had before as we made our way back to our seats. I had to sit there and pretend that there was nothing wrong.Â
At the end of the week there was another dinner to attend. Outside of the firing and theft, I had truly enjoyed my time working with the idol. When we arrived for dinner, Hoseok and I found the table that we had been assigned to. As we approached though, I shook my head. I had managed to work through the realization but I didnât think I could sit at the same table as her. Hoseok looked up, recognizing my ex-boss from that first day.Â
âDo you want to go?â he asked quietly.Â
âItâs okay,â I replied, noting her smug look when she spotted me. âI canât leave you without an interpreter.âÂ
âI never said I would be staying. We can go elsewhere. Have our own dinner.âÂ
I looked up at him, surprised by this, âIf this is part of your scheduleâŚâÂ
He was already waving over his staff. He spoke quietly with them before coming back to me. âAll clear, letâs go enjoy our last night before we part ways.âÂ
I saw what he was doing. I also saw no harm in it, we had spent the last week together. It had been an interesting week. I found the idol to be charismatic, he managed to make everyone smile. His own smile was absolutely infectious. Working so closely, we had had the opportunity to get to know one another, too. I spoke of studying fashion and languages. He talked about being part of his group and how hard it was to be going solo for now. It wasnât just about work, he also spoke of his upcoming military service, explaining that it was a requirement for all able men in South Korea. It had almost felt as though despite being brought together for professional and business purposes, a bit of a friendship had been forming.Â
We ended up at a nice restaurant where we had dinner and a glass of wine. I noticed that Hoseok took his time with his single glass. After only a few sips his cheeks were pink. After such a crazy week, it was lowkey and an enjoyable night.Â
âI do hope youâll consider staying in touch,â Hoseok said as we were leaving. He had insisted on paying for the dinner and hadnât even given me the chance to see the bill. Granted, it probably would have given me anxiety seeing whatever number was on it.Â
âI doubt you have much space in your life for a lowly fashion assistant,â I joked.Â
âYou mean, an up and coming fashion designer.â He corrected me with a smile.Â
We were staying in the same hotel, so we took the same car back. I couldnât explain it, but the air felt charged. When we got back, the hotel lobby was deserted. We stepped into the elevator, each pressing the number for our floor. Reaching my floor first, the elevator chimed.Â
âThis is me,â I said looking up at him. It felt so final, a goodbye after the whole week. Because tomorrow we were going our separate ways, back to our lives.Â
âY/N, wait.â Hoseok caught my arm gently. He stepped forward, closing the space between us. Then he kissed me. It was unexpected, but that charged air between us ignited. I didnât even notice as the elevator door slid closed again and started up to his floor.Â
Nothing about this week had gone the way I had expected. Losing my job, interpreting for a k-pop idol, or ending up in his bed.Â
One night stand with a famous guy was never anything on my bucket list. Yet somehow, Iâd ticked it off. I woke up in Hoseokâs bed. The realization of what we had done hit me hard. I sat up, looking down at him as he slept. He was attractive and last night was probably one of the best nights Iâd had. But I knew it was a one time thing. After today it was likely we would never cross paths again, despite his request that I stay in touch. I knew maybe it was wrong, but I panicked. Quickly getting dressed, I grabbed my phone and heels before slipping out the door.Â
Thankfully no one saw me, I made it back to my room unseen. I took a hot shower to try and clear my head. One night stands werenât typically my thing, but if one was going to happen having it be with a guy like Hoseok made it worth it. Right? I was supposed to be working with him, not sleeping with him. After my shower, I checked my phone.Â
I felt his genuine concern in those texts. With the towel wrapped around me, I sunk down on the edge of the bed. I typed a response, deleted it, then typed something else.Â
Hoseok: Woke up and you were gone.Â
Hoseok: Are you okay? Iâm sorry if what we did upset you.
It was the first time I'd called him by his requested nickname.Â
Me: Iâm sorry. Early flight. Iâm not good with goodbyes, itâs easier this way.
Me: Iâm not upset, Hobi.
One night, thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Or so I thought.
Hoseok: Maybe we will get to work together again someday. If I need an interpreter can I keep you in mind?
Me: Sure, maybe I should get certified.
Hoseok: Then I would have to share.Â
~2026~
Hobi: Your new collection is perfection. I'm proud of you, Jagiya.
Synopsis: Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat. When you're chasing a dream, sometimes other things take a backseat. That's how things were for Y/N. Then opportunity came knocking. All thanks to one member of the internationally known K-Pop group, BTS. She thought being brought in for a music video was a one off, until the second call came. Jimin had taken a liking to the shy dancer that had joined him for his music video. Which was why he had suggested her when they'd begun to hire dancers for their upcoming world tour. What neither of them expected that a shared love of dance as well as an unexpected arrangement, might lead to so much more.
Author's Note: Finding my footing here, thank you to @nammies-girl for letting me bounce some ideas around this afternoon to bust through that writer's block! Without them, the foundation of this idea wouldn't be here.
I stood off to the side watching as the other dancers congregated and chatted before we headed out for the stage rehearsal. Despite being several weeks into the tour and having spent a few months with them before the tour started, I still kept to myself. It wasnât that I didnât want to be friendly, it was simply the fact that I was shy. Going up, starting a conversation, that was the last thing I wanted to do. Of course, it hadnât helped me in any way. Instead of considering it was because I might be timid, because when I was dancing I was anything but, I was labeled as a snob or standoffish. This was something that I had just accepted. If that was how they wanted to see me, then so be it. As far as I was concerned, I wasnât there to make friends. I was there living part of a dream I had worked hard for. There were, however, some who saw it for what it was. Some being seven.Â
BTS. They were all like brothers the way they acted. But outside of that, they treated their staff and dancers like part of an extended family. What I hadnât anticipated was the way they saw that I was not only shy but tended to keep to myself. That seemed to attract all of them. Not in a weird way, most of them treated it as if I was a little sister. Some light teasing or playful banter. I knew it wasnât flirtatious, at least with most of them. While it wasnât known to the public, being part of their team behind the scenes meant you had information the world didnât. Like the fact that Three out of the seven were married, a fourth was in a serious relationship. As far as I knew Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook were all single. But the other four women I had seen throughout rehearsals before the tour had started or backstage at the Goyang show.Â
Iâm too lost in my thoughts to realize that someone had approached me. It was one of the tech guys, heâd been trying to flirt with me the past couple of stops. I usually just blushed and completely clammed up. I wasnât quite sure how to handle it. Because despite being in my mid-twenties, I was woefully inexperienced. My focus had always been on school and dance. I didnât have time for big friend groups or dating. That had carried over through high school and into college.Â
âSome of us are going out for drinks after the rehearsal. Thought maybe this time I could convince you to go?â He smiled as he leaned against the wall looking down at me.Â
âOh uhâŚâ I stammered looking up at him. He was cute, but I just didnât know how to handle this attention.Â
I looked up when I heard the first golf cart roll up. With the arrival of the guys it meant we would get the rehearsal underway. I saw that it was Jin and Jimin, with V Jungkook sitting on the back swinging their feet.Â
âSo, drinks?â Tech guy repeated, pulling my attention back to him.Â
âNo thank you,â I managed quietly.Â
I looked up as Jimin walked by, my eye catching his. He smiled bowing his head in a small greeting before continuing on.Â
âWhat is it going to take to convince youâŚâ I hadnât been paying attention to the tech guy as he went on. Not once Jimin had walked by.Â
Jimin was the whole reason I was even here. Iâd met him when Iâd gotten a call back to dance in his music video. A piece from some of his solo work before the group had come back together as Seven. After working together I had apparently made an impression on him, because Iâd gotten the call about joining their world tour a few months later.Â
When the other carts pulled up with RM, Suga, and Jhope, I was relieved I could escape this conversation. Because now it meant that it was time to dance. This was the whole reason I was here. I managed to slip away to go find my spot as the other dancers started to get into place for the entrance.Â
*~*~*~*~*
Jimin sat in the front of the golf cart as Jin drove it towards the entrance to the field. The dancers were all ready and waiting to go out on stage for the dress rehearsal. It was the same routine for each stop. His eyes scanned the dancers knowing full well that he wasnât going to find her in any of the groups. Usually he found her alone. Today, however, when he finally spotted her she wasnât alone.  Â
âLooks like that new tech guy is shooting his shot again.â Jin commented.Â
âIs he still new if heâs been with us since Goyang?â Jimin questioned. It was enough to have Jin looking at him with a raised brow.
The cart hadnât even come to a full stop as Jimin stood, swinging himself off it. He tried to hide his slight annoyance at seeing the tech guy flirting with Y/N. As he walked by, sheâd looked up and their eyes locked for a moment. His annoyance wasnât with her, so he offered her a small smile. Truth was, he had a thing for her. The problem was, he wasnât sure how to act on it. He saw how flustered she got when he or Jungkook flirted with her. Nevermind how uncomfortable she looked when the tech guy did it. Jimin knew that Jungkook flirted to get a rise out of her, not because he was interested in anything. He flirted with her because not only did he have a thing for her, he was the reason she was there. After working with her on one of his solo music videos last year he knew sheâd be a good fit for the tour and had recommended her.Â
As soon as the other cart pulled up, everyone started to get into place. This was just a rehearsal. Something theyâd done plenty, but it always proved worth it when coming to a new venue. It gave them the feel for each stadium. Jimin noticed that Y/N had escaped the Tech guy to find her place among the other dancers now that everyone was getting into place.Â
Everyone was in place, ready to move. Except right before he put his ear piece in, Jimin heard something that caused him to freeze.Â
âYouâve been at this for weeks, just admit youâve lost and pay up.âÂ
âNah, Iâll crack her. Once I do, youâre gonna be the one paying up.â Tech guy smirked as he grabbed the headset from his buddy.Â
âWell, I think youâre both idiots.â the third and oldest of the trio said. âConsidering the way BTS treats her, I wouldnât be surprised if one of them isnât already fucking her.âÂ
Jimin, always calm and empathetic, felt like he was seeing red. Tae came up beside him, nudging him forward. They were moving. Jimin put his ear piece in. It was all a game to them. It was hard not to let this information affect him during the rehearsal. Enough so that Jin and Namjoon approached him after.Â
*~*~*~*~*
Something was off during the rehearsal. I wasnât sure what was going on, but Jimin wasnât himself. He was focused, but tense. Afterwards when everyone was dispersing, I went back to get my things. That was when I heard him talking with RM and Jin. I caught bits and pieces of it, but not enough to know the extent of it. Plus, my Korean was still a bit rough. One on one I could hold a conversation, but the three men in a back and forth was a no-go. Jimin seemed frustrated as he ran his hand through his hair.Â
That had been Tokyo.Â
When weâd gotten to Tampa I noticed the Tech Guy was MIA. It was a bit of a relief for me, because it meant I didnât have to deal with him flirting with me or trying to get me to go out after the shows.Â
We were getting ready to go out on stage for night two of Tampa when I noticed my boot was untied. I knelt down to tie it just as Jin and V came by. Jin ruffled my hair as he walked by and V turned around and made a silly face at me as I looked up. This was completely normal coming from them.Â
I loved being on stage. It didnât matter to me that it was as a backup dancer. Being out there, hearing all those people. It was an insane experience. Overwhelming the first time. One might think itâd be too much when youâre as shy as I am. But being out there is different, when youâre performing. At least, for me.Â
At the end of the night I hung back as a group of the other dancers were talking about going out. There were supposedly some good late night spots and they were still ramped up from the show. I felt like an outsider. I didnât get invited. Unlike with the tech guy, the other dancers had never even tried. It stung a little, but I tried not to let it bother me. Mostly because I knew if I did go, Iâd probably be uncomfortable. Plus, I was there to dance, not make friends. But it did get a little lonely.
Everyone was clearing out, I knew the fans were starting to empty out into the parking lots surrounding the stadium.Â
âHey you, what are you still doing here?â I turned to see Jimin coming towards me. His sweatshirt hung off his shoulder and heâd pulled a beanie on.Â
âHi Jimin,â I said quietly. âEveryone else decided to go out.â I left it unsaid that I hadnât been invited. âIâm just going to go back to the hotel.âÂ
âAre you tired?â He asked as we started to walk together.Â
I shook my head, actually I was still riding on the adrenaline.Â
âWant to hang out with me?â He asked. It was like he knew what I had left unsaid.Â
âOh, uhm⌠â
âYou seemed a bit sad, figured you didnât want to be alone.â He smiled.Â
I looked back up at him, thinking about his offer. I bit my lip before nodding, âWhat did you have in mind?âÂ
That was how I found myself sitting on the floor of his hotel room across from Jimin with a pizza between us. Weâd also had a few drinks, which had me relaxing a little more. Until he asked one simple question.Â
âWhy do you get so flustered when someone tries to flirt with you?âÂ