BTS 2030

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/17462774.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Character: Kim Seokjin | Jin, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim
Namjoon | RM, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook,
Original Characters
Additional Tags: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Suffering, a lot of suffering, Drama, Slow Burn,
Slow Build, RPF, like 1 cute btskid but there's more, picking up the
pieces, Hopeful Ending, Implied/Referenced Past Drug Use,
implied/referenced past car accident, implied/referenced past sexual
assault, Mystery, Suspense, hinted romance maybe
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2019-01-18 Completed: 2020-10-07 Chapters: 26/26 Words:
41950

BTS 2030
by Amwhimsical

Summary

The year is 2030. The lights have gone out. The stage is empty. BTS, who used to be the
most famous boyband in the world, is no more. Something has happened to make them part
ways. A loyal fan's wish to see them together again will lead her to uncover the truth
behind the most discussed disbandment of the past decade.

Notes

Hello everyone!
Short info before I start.
• This fanfiction was inspired by the premise of Horramata’s “EXO 2030”, which can be
found here.
• I’ve also posted it on Asianfanfics and Wattpad.
• English is not my first language. I apologize for any mistakes/weird wordings you will
find.
• This fanfiction is written like a sequence of scenes, jumping back and forth from present
to past. I intentionally left many things unsaid because I want the reader to fill in the blanks
and connect the dots.
• This fanfiction is meant for a mature audience.
• I want you to know that I love BTS, and I wish them a long and prosperous career, so
please, don’t blame me for anything that happens in this, because it is entirely fictional.
• If you are uncomfortable with sensitive subjects, I encourage you not to read this work.
That’s all.

• As of 03.17.19, this work has been getting a Russian translation.

 Burning || Lie

September 15, 2030

Han-Byul tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, nervously nibbling on her bottom lip. She was
minutes away from bolting out of the room, catching a cab and heading back home, but her
determination kept her from doing so.

She couldn’t back out. She had been waiting for that day for so long. Now, she finally had the
chance to get some answers and, hopefully, uncover the truth behind the most discussed
disbandment of the past decade.

She clutched her notepad to her chest and checked the time on her phone’s screen for the
umpteenth time.

«Lim Han-Byul?»

She almost dropped pen, notepad and everything else she had been holding when her name was
called. A young woman, with a voice as graceful as her features, bowed her head in greeting. Han-
Byul approached her, reciprocating the gesture.

«Yes, hello.»

«Chief Kim is waiting for you. Last door down the hallway.»

Han-Byul thanked her, then she followed her directions to the chief’s office. When she stopped in
front of the last door, she took a deep breath. Her whole body was shaking; she could barely hide
her trepidation at the idea of seeing him in person. After a few more seconds of hesitation, she
raised her clenched fist and knocked on the door.

«Come in.» A gruff voice replied.

Han-Byul gulped. His tone was unmistakable. In that moment, she was certain it was him. But
would he still be the same as nine years earlier? She was afraid of who she would find behind that
door. Perhaps, an entirely different man, with different ideas and different priorities. She was about
to find out how much he had changed.

She opened the door and walked in. She immediately laid her eyes on “Chief Kim”, as his secretary
had called him. His face had retained much of its youthful look; it was the solemn air about him to
convince her that time had passed. At least appearance-wise, Kim Namjoon had not changed.

«It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Kim.» She bowed her head, offering her hand with as much politeness
as she could put in the gesture.

«Nice to meet you too.» He stood up and shook it, his grip strong and warm. «Please, have a seat.»

They both sat down, facing each other. Han-Byul shyly gazed at him, a quiet, anxious laugh
escaping her lips. With her notepad in her lap and her pen in her hand, she cleared her throat, ready
to start the interview.

«I’m Lim Han-Byul. I’m working on an article about the most iconic groups of the past few
decades, and I would like to ask you some questions.»
He exhaled, and his lips curved into a grin. «And here I thought no one cared about us anymore.»

Whether he meant that ironically or not, she couldn’t tell. It was hard to believe that the press could
ever leave the former BTS leader alone. Her pause had been long enough for him to feel the need
to apologize.

«I’m sorry. Go on.»

«No, I’m sorry.» She corrected him with a tentative smile. «It’s just that I’m so grateful for this
chance to talk to you. You haven’t exactly been in the spotlight during the past few years.»

«I’ve had enough of that. One must know when to quit, and I am content with how much I have
achieved.»

She met his eyes, and she could see nothing but honesty in them. No traces of anger, resentment, or
regret. She was going to break through that mask.

«What about your current relationship with the other members? Is there anything you regret?»

Han-Byul saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. He drummed with his fingertips on his desk and averted
his gaze. She could see him measuring his words, and she knew she must have struck a nerve.

«Seeing that they’re doing well is enough for me.»

«How exactly are they “doing well”?»

She was intentionally pressing him, but not without feeling guilty about it. She wanted him to lose
his cool front, because she knew there was something more behind it.

He huffed, and she felt like she was getting closer to her goal. «You can see it yourself. Seokjin is a
television host, Hoseok has opened his own dancing studios and Jungkook is still a popular
singer.»

Everyone in and outside Korea knew that much. Of course, she wasn’t going to leave it at that.
«Doesn’t that leave someone out?» She taunted him in a snarky tone. «What about Min Yoongi,
Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung?»

He didn’t respond to that, and she took the chance to fan the flames.

«When I came into this building, I couldn’t help but notice the huge sign on it. It says “MK
Recordings”, but I’m sure you know that much.»

She held her notepad with both hands and looked down to read from it. What she actually did was
pretend to read – she was too nervous to even make out her own handwriting, and she had
memorized that information all too well anyway.

«“Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon have started their own record label together, which they named
MK Recordings”.» She paused, allowing her provoking statement to sink in. «The sign still bears
his name, but I don’t see him anywhere in here. So where is he? What is he doing right now?»

She gazed up at him and she noticed a deep frown on his face. Finally, a reaction. She wasn’t done
yet.

«Jung Hoseok and Park Jimin opened their first dance studio back in 2021, but I don’t see Jimin’s
name or even his face appear anywhere else besides on the inauguration pictures. His whereabouts
are currently unknown – isn’t that something you, as a leader, should worry about?» She
questioned, preparing to deal the last blow. «As for Kim Taehyung–»

She had seen it coming. Still, she couldn’t help but flinch when he violently slammed his palm on
the table.

«What is it to you?» He raised his tone, and she could see rage sparking in his eyes. «You talk as if
you know us, but actually, you know nothing.»

He didn’t need to shout to show his irritation; raising his tone was enough to intimidate her.
In fact, Han-Byul suddenly felt very small compared to the thirty-six-year-old man, despite being
only a few years younger. She stood up to gain some advantage over him, but she knew she looked
as menacing as a puppy.

«I want to know the truth.» She argued. «And I want to bring the seven of you back together.»

Namjoon stared at her, his expression softening unexpectedly. He let out a long sigh and slumped
back into his chair. He no longer looked angry, but his words froze her in her spot nonetheless.

«Forget it. It’s not going to happen.»

She was hurt by how fast he had been to determine that. She feared that he himself might have
given up on the idea of reconciling with the other members, and the thought was so maddening
that her fists began shaking.

«How can you say that?»

He glanced up at the ceiling. Only then she noticed how handling the subject seemed to tire him
out immensely. Maybe he, too, had tried to fix things. Maybe he, too, had tried to bring them
together again. Maybe without any success.

«I know them better than anyone else. What you’re trying to do is simply impossible.»

Han-Byul clenched her teeth. That had felt like a slap across her face, but she quickly recovered
from it. She had a plan to carry out. She couldn’t stop just because he had said it was a hopeless
one.

«I cannot deny that, but I cannot give up either.»

The fire in her eyes seemed to have surprised Namjoon in the slightest bit. He was studying her,
and she felt oddly exposed under his intense gaze.

«What newspaper did you say you worked for, again?»

When she heard that question, Han-Byul knew that her time was running out. She had to leave as
soon as possible, but not before telling him one last thing. She put a hand into her jacket’s pocket,
taking a tiny piece of paper out of it.

«One of the members has already given me his full support on this. He shares my same wish to see
the seven of you together again.» She announced, placing the paper on the desk. «This is my
contact information, if you need to find me.»

She took some steps backwards towards the door and she bowed deeply, her tone sincerely
apologetic. «I’m sorry, Mr. Kim! I promise I’ll be back with good news!»
She hurried out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

Kim Namjoon was left alone and puzzled. He stared at the business card she had left him, unable
to find a logical explanation to what had happened.

«That’s not a newspaper.» He read it aloud once again. «A bar?»

 Paradise || Clash

August 31, 2030

That had to be the hottest day of the whole season. The sound of cicadas and the blistering heat
made the orange countryside look like a swaying vision in her eyes.

Han-Byul fixed her straw hat and wiped the sweat off her face with a handkerchief. She had
walked a long distance, but it was all for a good cause. Following the dirt path through the fields,
she had finally reached the farm.

«Hello? Is someone there?» She called.

She had just walked past the entrance of the property when she heard the loud barking of a dog
approach. Judging by the noise, she expected it to be a big one. She was paralyzed with fear at the
thought of it attacking her; if it came to that, she was probably going to die there. In her fearful
state, she regretted not telling anyone where she had headed off to.

«H-huh?»

She had to do a double take when a small, cute, fluffy dog appeared in front of her. It sat by her
feet, and it looked up at her with shiny round eyes.

«You were making that ruckus all by yourself?»

She crouched down to pet it, feeling like she had narrowly escaped death. The dog proved not to be
hostile, and it seemed to enjoy her attentions. It began nudging her wrist with its snout.

«There, there. You’re so cute.»

As she continued petting its soft fur, she noticed that it had a collar with a tag. She leaned closer to
read the name engraved on it.

«Miss Bang? You’re a girl?»

«Hey, Bang!»

The dog scurried towards the voice, and she stood up to see who it belonged to.

«Hello there! I came here looking for–»

Her words died in her throat at the sight of the man in front of her. An unbuttoned plaid shirt with
rolled up sleeves. A pair of short faded blue jeans. Beautiful tan skin and toned muscles, certainly
honed by manual work. It wasn’t unfair to say that at the age of thirty-four, Kim Taehyung was at
the peak of his physical shape. She had lost all ability to speak.

«Are you alright? You shouldn’t be outside for too long in this heat.» He walked closer to her, with
Bang in tow.

«You’re Kim Taehyung, aren’t you?» She asked, her voice shaking.

«Who am I talking to?

«I’m Lim Han-Byul, and I’ve been looking for you.»

He crossed his arms, quietly watching her. His serious look melted when he broke into a grin and
gestured towards the large farmhouse behind him.

«I bet you’ve got something to tell me. Let’s go inside.»

September 17, 2030

It had gotten dark. Yeji had been waiting in the parking lot of the TV studios for hours. She was
languidly chewing her tenth fruit-flavoured gum, sitting on the curb with a bored expression.

The dark haired woman was there on a mission. A certain hyper co-worker of hers had insisted so
much on it, and saying no to her had to be her weak point – she simply couldn’t do it. Because of
that weakness of hers, she had gotten involved into something she didn’t really care about.

She needed to find a man. She looked at the picture she had been given in order to recognize him.

«Tch.»

She began stabbing the picture with her finger, since it was all his fault for making her wait. All of
sudden, she heard the noise of a car being unlocked. She stood up and peered around, hoping that it
was finally the one.

She saw a tall man. He was wearing a casual pastel pink suit and a white T-shirt underneath it. He
had a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose, so she couldn’t fully see his face, but she was positive
it was the man in the picture. She had been looking at it for hours, after all.

«Jin.» She called, stepping closer to his black Land Rover.

He didn’t show any signs of having heard her, and he continued doing what he was doing – failing
at putting his bags in the trunk.

«Hey, Kim Seokjin.»

This time, he faltered. She saw his hands shake, then fall limp by his sides. One of his bags hit the
ground, but he still didn’t look at her.

«Hey.» She was basically standing beside him. «Do you think that being a celebrity gives you the
right to ignore people? How pretentious.»

He turned to face her, taking his sunglasses off with an abrupt motion. «You’ve got exactly one
minute to tell me what do you want from me.»

She was slightly caught off guard. The dark circles under his eyes made it clear that he hadn’t
gotten enough sleep in days, maybe weeks. After seeing that, she could kinda sympathize.

«Fifty seconds.» He sharply reminded her of the passing time.

She looked down at her hands. In one, she held his wrinkled picture, and in the other, an envelope.

«Is it an autograph you want?» He asked, holding his hand out to her. «Give that to me, I’ll sign
it.»

That was not what Yeji wanted.

«Hurry up, I haven’t got all night.» He urged her.

«I don’t want your autograph.»

«Then why are you carrying my picture around?»

Because of her idiot co-worker, she thought. Because of a stupid bet.

He snorted, taking his phone out of his bag. «Right, how stupid of me. You must be another one of
those crazy fans. I’m calling the police.»

Yeji firmly grabbed onto his arm. She didn’t want him to make that call.

She saw his eyes turn alarmed, so she knew she had to make it quick. «I don’t want anything from
you, but please, accept this.» She offered him the envelope. He didn’t pay any attention to it, and
he tried to pull his arm free.

«Let go of me!» He yelled.

«Only after you take this.» She replied, sounding unaffected as usual.

«I said let go!» Seokjin yanked his arm harder than before, sending her tumbling to the ground as a
result. Despite how delicate he appeared, he was still much stronger than her.

Yeji stared at her freshly scraped palms, her face blank. He, however, reacted in the opposite
manner.

«Oh god, I–» He took a step back, mumbling under his breath. «I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt
you.»

She slowly stood up and dusted off her skinny leather pants. She stepped closer, offering him the
envelope once again. «Take this.»

He examined it for a few seconds, then he snatched it out of her hand with a grimace. «There. Are
you happy now?»

Yeji nodded. Seokjin pressed a hand to his face and took a deep breath, seemingly shaken. He
leaned against his car, taking a few moments to regain his composure.

«Why are you still here?» He asked, seeing how she still hadn’t left. «Is it money you want? Or are
you planning to sue me for assault? In that case, I have good news – we can settle things right
now.»

He took his wallet and he began counting bills. Her attention, however, was caught by how badly
his hands were shaking.

«Stop.» She thought better of touching him this time. «I don’t want any of that. I just have a
message for you.» She paused and waited to meet his eyes before continuing. «Someone wants to
bring the seven of you back together. Two out of seven have already agreed on it. What will you
do?»

He lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a line. He did not reply.

«You can call or drop by anytime. See ya.»

Yeji had completed her task. She left the parking lot, without turning back.
 Deal || Spiraling

September 15, 2030

Han-Byul was standing by the counter, staring at the old landline phone.

«He’s not going to call.»

Her friend’s tone was as dry as usual, but she could tell that there was a hint of annoyance to it.

«Yeji, you don’t understand! He has to call!» She whined, biting at her nails.

«Ah, I know.» Yeji’s dark irises lazily shifted to look at her. «What if his lawyer calls you? You
totally made a scene.»

Han-Byul had already considered the possibility, but hearing it from her friend made it sound even
more real. «Aw, come on!» She rolled her eyes. «I mean, he should want this more than me. I’m
telling you he will call.»

«Nope, he won’t.»

«Wanna bet?» She looked at Yeji, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

«I don’t want to play your silly games.»

«Okay, listen. If he calls, you owe me a favour. If he doesn’t, I owe you one.»

Yeji blew a bubble with her gum, and only the sound of it popping came as a reply.

«If you’re so sure he won’t call, why not bet?» Han-Byul insisted. «It’s a win-win situation for
you!»

«Fine, let’s make this dumb bet.» She huffed, scrubbing the counter with a rug. «You’re such a
kid.»

«Yay!» Han-Byul, cheered, too happy about successfully having convinced her to reply to her
tease. She had a plan, and she trusted she would get that call. While looking so carefree, she was
already planning ahead. She only had to wait.

«Go back to work now, will you?» Yeji advised. «If you won’t, I’ll cut your pay.»

«You can’t threaten me like this! You know how important this is to me!»

«More important than your job?»

Han-Byul bit her lip, her shoulders sagging in defeat. She really had to go back to work. «Alright.»

She held her tray under her arm and walked away from the counter. And then, the phone rang.

June 3, 2024

Readjusting to normal life after returning from the military was hard. For the first few months,
Yoongi had done nothing but taking it easy. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice, anyway.
BTS was no more. Namjoon, Hoseok and Taehyung were serving their time in the military.
Seokjin and Jungkook were too busy to meet up with him. He hadn’t heard anything from Jimin
ever since the group had disbanded, which was almost one year before his enlistment.

To tell the truth, Yoongi wasn’t surprised. Things always ended up like that. “We’ll still keep in
touch” and “nothing will change” were the sweetest lies one could ever tell. He had learned it the
hard way.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out to pick up the call. «Hello?»

«It’s me. Wanna go for a drink?»

«Ah, Minwoo-hyung. Sure. Same place?»

Yoongi never refused an invitation. He didn’t even need to change his clothes – he was ready to go.

Spending his nights out drinking had become a routine ever since he had returned from the
military. He had never been the outgoing type, and he wasn’t that good at making friends –
interacting with the same six people for eight years straight had done that to him. For that reason,
he was quite pleased when he found out that pretty much everyone back in his hometown was an
old friend of his and apparently wanted to prove it by buying him drinks. He only had to say yes; he
didn’t need to care about anything else.

He didn’t need to care about his fridge being empty and his apartment starting to look more like a
junkyard with each passing day. He didn’t need to care about the future, for it was too uncertain.
The only certain thing was the glass of liquor in his hand and the people around him who treated
him as a close friend.

Long nights, neon lights. As he laughed at an unfunny joke told by someone he didn’t even know,
his mind began doing the only thing it was good at. A tune. Lyrics. He could hear them slowly
come into existence in his intoxicated mind. They were not welcome.

Yoongi emptied his full glass in one go. The alcohol made his throat burn and set fire to his
stomach, but that was still not enough to drown his awakened creativity. Luckily, his friends
always made sure that his glass was full. As he waited for it to be refilled, he began feeling uneasy.
That was the usual moment of lucidity before getting wasted. Just like every night, he was
overcome by the crippling anguish of knowing that he was fucking his life up with his own hands.
Right on time, and as mercilessly as usual, a familiar sequence of realizations hit him.

Even if Namjoon, Hoseok and Taehyung weren’t in the military, they still would have lost contact.
Yoongi was too afraid to contact Seokjin and Jungkook. He didn’t want to feel like a burden to
them. He didn’t want to taint their celebrity lives with his filthiness. Jimin had done the smartest
thing by cutting ties before being cut out himself. Yoongi no longer wanted to be Suga. He hated
himself. He hated his past, and he hated his present. Drinking was his salvation. It was the only
way to put his suicidal thoughts to sleep.

«You alright?»

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Only then he realized that he had been crying and shaking. He
didn’t know how to answer.

«What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.»

«I think I should go home for tonight.» He stammered, brushing the older male off. He stood up
and stumbled towards the exit.
«Come on, Yoongi.» Minwoo had followed him outside. «We’re all friends here. We’re all having
a good time, so why can’t you try to fit in just once?»

A taste of bitter sincerity. Right what he needed.

«When have I ever been your friend?» He shouted, pulling at his own hair. «You only use me as
your bank account. Did you think I couldn’t tell? I only tolerated it because drinking is the only
way I can forget how fucking alone and miserable I am!»

Yoongi crouched down, panting. Angry tears trickled down his cheeks. To his surprise, Minwoo’s
feet were still in front of him.

«I know how you’re feeling, and I want to help you.» He spoke in a calm tone. «I’ve got something
that can make you forget all the shit you’ve been through.»

Yoongi heard a rustling noise and gazed up at him. Minwoo showed him what he was holding. He
choked back a sob.

«No.» He shook his head. «No, I can’t. I’ve never–»

Minwoo shushed him, an encouraging smile on his lips. «Try it and tell me if it works. How does
that sound?»

That was the point of no return.

 Different || Resolve

September 20, 2030

The man sitting in front of her looked oddly familiar. There weren’t many people she was
acquainted with who wore sunglasses at night, after all.

«What would you like to order?» She asked, not treating him any differently than a normal client.

«Something that can knock me out for at least two days.»

She was about to start working on it out of habit, but then she stopped and gave him a judging look.
«Ever heard of sleep?»

He let out a bark of laughter and crossed his arms. «Who’s she? I’ve never met her.»

Such a lame sense of humour, Yeji thought, as a wave of second-hand embarrassment washed over
her. She pitied him. «Are you going to order or not?»

«What, are you going to kick me out if I don’t?»

«Yes.»

She stared at him in silence. He was probably used to people treating him with high regard because
of his celebrity status.

«Just give me water, then.»

«How stingy.»

Yeji handed him a paper cup full of water, which he began sipping in a dignified manner. She took
another client’s order while she waited for him to tell her why he had come. Well, from what she
had heard from Han-Byul, she had a rough idea of why he was there. But she wanted to hear it
from him.

«I read the letter.»

Yeji didn’t know the full contents of it, but she knew that it had been written by Kim Namjoon.

«I still can’t believe it. Were you two really all we needed to put things into motion?»

«Don’t count me in this madness.» She specified.

He tilted his head to the side. She regretted not being able to see his eyes.

«You’re not in this madness?»

«Why should I care? It’s not like it’d change my life.»

He pursed his lips. After a few seconds, he nodded. «Fair enough. But now I’m a bit
disappointed.»

«Why?»
«It feels like I wasted my time coming here. My precious and incredibly rare free time.»

«You should have used it to take a nap.»

«See?» He grinned, pointing his finger at her. «You do care.»

Yeji had been caught red handed. She felt her cheeks heat up, but she was good at playing it off
with her sharp tongue. «You basically freaked out in front of me the other day.»

«I was stressed. I’m not always like that.»

«I’m…glad.»

Silence fell between them. Yeji had to admit that she was starting to grow curious about the
group’s history, but she would never tell that to Han-Byul. She would never hear the end of it.

«Where’s your friend?»

«She’s off tonight.»

«I’ll have to come back, then.» He stood up and casually placed a bill on the counter. «Since
you’re not in this madness.»

«Hey.» Yeji snapped. «Is throwing money at people a habit of yours? Take it back.»

Her tone seemed to have startled him, and he looked mildly offended. «I was just being kind.»

«Water is on the house. Just telling you for next time.»

«Fine, fine.»

He took his money back and bowed his head before heading to the exit. Yeji watched him go,
thinking that Kim Seokjin was without a doubt quite the peculiar individual.

May 10, 2021

Jungkook was catching his breath, slumped into a chair inside his changing room. Over the last
few days, he hadn’t been able to catch a break. Reporters had been following him pretty much
everywhere, along with a large group of people who definitely weren’t among his loyal supporters.
They were the exact opposite.

His personal make-up artist was pointlessly trying to wipe his face and clothes clean. He didn’t
know what they had thrown at him, but the smell was so acrid that he felt like throwing up.

«Things aren’t looking good, Jungkook.»

He looked up when he heard his manager’s breathy voice. He had just come back from speaking
with the director, and judging by his expression, it seemed like it hadn’t gone well at all.

«They said it’s better if you don’t perform today.»

Jungkook knew what that really meant. Not on that day or not anytime soon.

«Fuck.» He cursed, pushing the woman away to stand up. «Leave it, I’ll go wash it myself. We’re
leaving, anyway.»
He went to the bathroom, and the first thing he did was looking at himself in the mirror. Ugly and
dirty. But that was nothing compared to how he felt on the inside. He bent over the sink and turned
the water on. He splashed it on his face and neck, trying to wash the stench off his skin.

Ever since Seokjin’s enlistment and the group subsequently going on hiatus, he had decided to
pursue a solo career. The members, the CEO and everyone else had supported his decision. His
future looked promising. He was the whole industry’s golden boy, and both the media and the fans
were anticipating his solo debut. For months, he had known nothing but practice.

Deals had been signed. Money had been spent. A date had been set for his first album to come out.
Everything had been planned to the last detail. Then the accident happened, and their lives were
plunged into chaos. Jungkook wanted to call everything off, but that would have resulted in a huge
loss for the company. In the end, he could only get his debut to be delayed by a couple of months.
But this time, things had changed, and the fans weren’t on his side anymore.

He gazed up at his own reflection. They probably hated him now, and they were right. In a fit of
rage, he punched the mirror, sending a rain of shards to the floor. He screamed at the top of his
lungs, hitting and destroying everything that came into his sight. He tore his filthy clothes off. He
dropped on his knees after a while, panting and bleeding.

He vaguely registered his manager trying to talk to him from behind the door. «What do you
want?!» He bellowed.

«A taxi is waiting for us outside. We need to leave before anyone notices.» He continued knocking
on the door. «What are you doing, Jungkook? This is no time to throw a tantrum. We must hurry!»

Right. What the hell was he doing? He stood up and unlocked the door. His manager’s eyes almost
fell out of their sockets.

«Leaving? To hell with that.» He growled. «I came here to perform, and that’s what I’ll do.»

«Looking like that?» He asked, his tone halfway between concerned and afraid. «Are you out of
your mind?»

«Move aside.»

The man didn’t dare contradict him. Jungkook strode past him, each of his steps radiating
confidence. He had made up his mind. The press was certainly going to love it.
 Ruins || Light

February 28, 2025

Namjoon’s heart dropped as soon as he set foot into the run-down flat. He kept checking the
address on his phone, wanting to make sure that he hadn’t gotten the wrong one. Hoping until the
end that some sort of mistake had been made. But there was no mistake: he was sure of it when he
stepped into that room.

A suffocating smell filled his nose, and he had to bury his face in the crook of his elbow to be able
to endure it. He had never seen a room looking like that – he wasn’t even sure he could call it a
“room”. He could barely see the floor because of all the junk and piled up garbage scattered all
over it. There was nothing that could be considered furniture, except for a dirty mattress in the
corner. Someone was curled up on it, with his back turned to him. Yet, he could tell it was him
right away.

«Hyung.» He managed to utter in a strangled voice.

That was the missing piece. All of those missed calls and his nonsensical last-minute excuses not to
meet were finally starting to make sense.

«So this is what you were hiding…?» He asked, sounding utterly lost. «Is this why you didn’t want
to tell me where you lived?»

He didn’t move. However, Namjoon could see his shoulders shake. He cautiously stepped closer.

It all happened in a flash. Yoongi threw himself at him with a low snarl, and Namjoon was so
surprised that he stumbled and fell to the floor. He felt the older male’s nails scratch his skin as he
wildly tugged at his clothes.

When he started hitting him, Namjoon didn’t fight back. He simply tried to dodge, and he let him
do as he pleased. First, because he couldn’t imagine ever hurting one of his brothers. Second,
because it hurt too much to see him like that. Third, because his shock was slowly turning into
anger, and he was scared of making things worse.

Yoongi eventually calmed down. His fingers were firmly clasped around his jacket’s collar, and
from that position, Namjoon could see him up-close. With his dilated pupils and ground teeth,
Yoongi looked more like a wild beast. His hair was longer, and he looked much skinnier than he
remembered.

«Why did you come?» He yelled. «I told you it wasn’t good – I told you I was busy!»

«Busy doing what?» Namjoon questioned. His tone wasn’t accusatory or harsh. If anything, he
sounded disappointed. «Drugs?»

That seemed to have triggered Yoongi, because the next thing he knew, his knuckles collided hard
against his jaw.

Namjoon tasted blood in his mouth. He couldn’t contain his anger anymore. He grabbed Yoongi’s
wrists and shook him, never breaking eye contact with him.

«How could you do this to yourself, hyung?» As he shouted at him, he felt a knot forming in his
throat. «We promised to continue working on our project after my discharge – did you forget about
it? Or did you not care anymore?»

Yoongi bit his lip and hunched over. He began rocking back and forth, letting out quiet whines.
«It’s all your fault.»

«That’s bullshit, and you know it.»

He tried to pull away, but he didn’t let him. The truth was obviously hard from him to handle, but
he wanted to get to the bottom of the situation. Avoiding it was no use.

«What do you want me to say?» Yoongi growled. «That I was lonely? That I felt useless? That I
wanted to fucking disappear?»

Hearing him speak like that was infuriating. «You’re not useless, hyung. And you’re not alone,
either. I know there’s more to this, because I’ve known you for years. We’ve been through a lot,
but you always stood strong and didn’t let yourself go.»

Yoongi kept his gaze low. Namjoon suspected something. «Who’s giving you the stuff?»

At his question, Yoongi recoiled. He frantically shook his head as broken sobs spilled from his lips.
«Y-you…you don’t know how I felt!»

Namjoon sighed. He let go of the older man’s wrists, and he did the first thing that he had wanted
to do upon meeting him after so long – giving him a tight hug. His body felt tense under his arms,
but he gradually relaxed into his hold.

«It was horrible.»

«I know.»

«Having no plans, nothing left. I couldn’t…»

«I know.»

Namjoon had felt like that too after the group had disbanded, but it had only been a phase; a
perfectly normal moment of confusion after such a drastic change in his lifestyle. He had gotten
back up on his feet pretty fast, because he knew what he wanted to do. He had something new he
wanted to live for.

«I haven’t changed my mind, hyung.» He whispered. «I still want you to work with me.»

He felt him tense up again. However, no matter what he would say, he was not going to let him
continue living that kind of life. Namjoon was going to stick by his side. He was going to help him
overcome his addiction and, ideally, recover his interest for life and music.

March 7, 2021

«So, as I was telling you, she’s the hottest chick I’ve ever met. Like, by far!»

Hoseok’s cheerful tone was all Jimin needed to feel better after a long day at work.

«And that’s saying something.» He commented, trying to keep a grin off his lips.

«I swear! I should introduce her to you sometime.» Hoseok briefly glanced at him before focusing
back on driving. «But you need to be patient. We’re not up to that point yet.»
«And at what point are you?»

«Well…she knows my name.»

Jimin burst into laughter, which earned him a resounding slap on his thigh. «Ouch! Hey, that’s too
much!»

«You shouldn’t make fun of me.» Even without looking, he could hear Hoseok’s pout in his voice.
«I’m one hundred percent serious about her.»

«And we all know how that turned out last time.» Jimin teased.

«Do you want another slap?» Hoseok raised his arm to show his intention to hit him again.
However, he soon lowered it with a sigh. «For real, though. I didn’t think getting a girlfriend would
be this hard.»

«Maybe you’re the problem.»

«What the hell, Jimin! That’s uncalled for!» Hoseok scoffed, sounding upset. «I know girls are all
over you, but you shouldn’t get so cocky. Have respect for your elders!»

«Sorry, hyung. Let me buy you dinner tonight.»

Hoseok opened his mouth, seemingly ready to continue with his rant, but the dinner idea must have
made him change his mind. «…alright. But I’m picking the place.»

«You’re probably going to pick the most expensive restaurant in the area.»

Hoseok gasped, feigning surprise. «Oh gosh, you’re so smart, Minnie! Do girls fall for that?»

«You’re back to the subject.» Jimin chuckled, throwing his head back.

«Because you still haven’t told me how it’s going with Hyosun.»

«Ah, not again, please.» Jimin tried to hide his embarrassment, pressing his mouth to the back of
his hand.

«Yup, I want to know.»

«Knowing about my love life is not going to change your situation.»

«The nerve!» Hoseok huffed, lightly hitting the steering wheel. «I’m gonna eat until your bank
account runs dry.»

«Fine, I’ll show you. But only a little bit.»

Jimin quickly gave in, feeling guilty for having teased him so much. He took his phone out and
began looking for a piece of conversation he wanted to show him – or better, that he could show
him without the risk of being teased all night long.

«Perfect timing!» Hoseok chirped.

They stopped at a red light, and Hoseok leaned in to look at his phone.

«Don’t peek!» He tried to hide it from him.

«Hurry up, Minnie! I want to read it myself, ‘cause you always leave out the juicy details.»

He checked that there were no compromising texts before beckoning him to come closer. «Just
don’t make fun of me, hyung.»

Hoseok solemnly shook his head, with a hand raised and the other pressed to his chest. «You have
my word.»

He handed his phone to Hoseok and he quickly began reading, looking completely absorbed. He
was too shy to read with him, so he peered out of the window, keeping an eye on the traffic light to
distract himself.

«Damn, boy. Where did you learn all this from?»

Jimin blushed as he heard that, and he snatched his phone back. «I said no teasing!»

«I wasn’t teasing! I’m truly amazed!»

Jimin lightly punched his arm, not wanting to discuss that any further. «The light’s about to
change.»

Hoseok put his hands on the wheel, still taken aback. «Maybe you can afford to be cocky.»

He was too flustered to reply to that, so he simply hummed and kept his eyes on his phone. When
the light turned green, Hoseok started the car. Perhaps, he had sensed that something was wrong.

«Wait, hyung.» As he said that, he grabbed his arm, causing him to jump and turn to look at him,
visibly alarmed.

«You scared me half to death.» Hoseok took a few deep breaths. «What’s wrong?»

He didn’t say anything. He leaned forward and looked left and right before relaxing into his seat
again. «No, it’s nothing. You can go.»

Hoseok sighed in relief. Some of the cars behind them were honking at them, so he had to hurry
and restart the engine. «Yeah, yeah, we’re leaving. Jeez, calm down.»

Jimin had an amused smile on his lips as he watched him start to drive again. Then, his field of
vision slowly turned brighter. Light was streaming into the car, but he was unable to determine its
source.

«Hyung?»

Hoseok’s terrified face was the last thing he saw.

 Friend || Real

September 21, 2030

«Three down, four more to go.»

«I sure hope you’re talking about the tables you still have to serve.»

Han-Byul’s beam didn’t get any less bright at Yeji’s comment. «Come on, you know what I’m
talking about.»

Han-Byul had gotten used to her friend’s attitude, and it didn’t bother her anymore. Four months
earlier, though, when she had first started working at the bar, she remembered losing sleep over it.
The thought of having inadvertently upset her often kept her awake, but then she realized that Yeji
acted distant with pretty much everyone.

However, one of Han-Byul’s best qualities was her blind luck. She had happened to stumble upon
Yeji at the right time, and she had caught a glimpse of her real self. Yeji was not cold-hearted or
anything of the kind; she was just timid and easily flustered, and her attitude was her way to hide
those she considered her vulnerabilities. After that, they had become much closer. Or at least, that
was how she saw it.

«Aren’t you even a tiny bit curious about what will our next move be?» She asked.

«You mean your next move.»

«Nope! That won’t work anymore.»

Han-Byul stared at her intently. There was something different about her. Yeji’s account of
Seokjin’s visit had sounded off – she hadn’t given her all the details, while she had given her a full
report of their first meeting. Han-Byul had gotten the feeling that she was doing that in order to
hide her true thoughts.

Yeji didn’t hold her gaze for long, and that was the proof she needed.

«You’re hiding something.»

«I’m not.» By the looks of it, she definitely was. Han-Byul needed to think of another strategy to
make her talk. «Anyway, now things are getting serious, because we’ve got the hardest ones left.»
She murmured. «Two of them are celebrities, and the other two are under the radar.»

«If asking for my help is what you’re trying to do, then I politely refuse.»

«Do you really not want to be part of this? I mean, you convinced Jin on your first try. That was an
amazing job!»

Yeji looked her dead in the eye. «I waited in that parking lot for five hours.»

Han-Byul coughed. Of course, she felt bad for putting her through that, but on the other hand, she
had to view it from another perspective. Yeji could have left whenever she wanted, but she hadn’t.

«But it went well in the end!»

Yeji looked down, letting out a soft sigh. Han-Byul felt like she was witnessing a rare event, and
she braced herself for whatever would come next. «Who are you going to meet next?»

«Jungkook, I think.»

«The singer?»

Han-Byul was surprised by her response. Considering how Yeji didn’t even know their names at
the beginning, that was a huge step forward. Maybe that was what she had been trying to hide.

«That’s right. I’ve heard he’s going to perform at an event nearby.»

«Which leaves only Jung Hoseok out, given how the other two are basically M.I.A.»

Her mouth fell open. «…have you been doing some research?»

«What do you mean?»

«You seem to know them now. Have you looked them up? Or have you been watching their old
videos?»

«I...»

«Who’s your bias?» She cut her off.

Yeji replied with a grimace. «Certainly not Kim Seokjin. His sense of humour has only worsened
with the years.»

Han-Byul shrieked in triumph. She had managed to find out what she had been trying to hide, and
she had also made her become interested in them. She had never been more proud of herself.

«When you have time, let’s have a fangirling session together!»

«Please, you’re almost thirty. When will you quit acting like a teenage girl?»

«That hurts. Ow, ow, owie…» Han-Byul clutched her chest.

«That’s exactly what I mean.»

Han-Byul froze. She exhaled and gathered herself, putting on a serious face. «Okay then. You go
get J-Hope, I’ll take care of Jungkook.»

«You wish you could.»

«Ah, stop it!» She covered her cheeks. «I've created a monster.»

Despite that, she could not hide her happiness for finally having an official partner in crime. That
gave her hope, and she felt like she could take on the challenges ahead of her. Because, no matter
how she looked at it, reuniting them was only the easy part.

May 16, 2029

Jungkook opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a splitting headache. The second thing he felt
was a pleasant warmth against his naked chest. He peered down to see a mess of dark chocolate
locks. Soft, steady breaths were tickling his skin. He shivered.

«You came to, hun?»

Another woman was sitting on the edge of the bed. She had nothing on, and she seemed to be busy
fixing her make-up.

Jungkook propped himself on his elbows in the attempt to sit up. The simple motion caused a
shockwave of pain to shoot through his head. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut.

The woman who had been cuddled up to him didn’t wake up. She rolled on her other side, and
without her warmth, his body felt even colder.

«Oh heavens, are you still feeling sick?» The one who had previously spoken moved closer to him
and pressed a hand to his forehead, a concerned look on her face.

He leaned into her soothing, cool touch, and he looked up into her eyes. He wanted to believe that
what he saw in them was real, for his own selfish comfort. «I’m sorry.» He rasped out.

«No need to feel sorry, sweetheart.» She cupped his cheeks and planted a kiss on his lips. «You
should take care of yourself. You’re a singer, aren’t you?»

Jungkook gave a small nod.

«Aw, now I feel a bit sad that I didn’t get to have fun with you. You passed out right after the
second round with Azalea. We all got so worried…Magnolia even suggested calling an ambulance,
but you told her not to.»

He only remembered half of what had happened before he had blacked out. Not like it mattered,
anyway – that situation had become all too familiar to him. Nonetheless, he was thankful to his
own self for not letting them make that call. He didn’t want to attract the media’s attention for the
wrong reasons.

«It looks like your fever hasn't gone down. You should call someone and get them to take you to
the hospital. I can do that for you, so if there’s a number you’d like to give me…»

She made to retract her hands, but he held one of them and didn’t let her pull away. «Please, can
you stay a little longer?»

Her red lips curled into a smile, and she nodded. «Of course. Is there anything you’d want me to
do?»

«Just stay.»

Jungkook made room for her, and she laid down beside him without hesitation. He draped an arm
around her waist and pulled her against his feverish body, burying his face into the crook of her
neck. She had such a lovely scent.

«What’s your name?»

«I’m Hyacinth.»

«Your real one.»

She giggled and wrapped her arms around him, holding him precisely the way he wanted. «I’m not
allowed to say it, but for you I’ll make an exception. I’m Bora.»

«Bora…» He feebly whispered. «You’re real.»

He felt her hand massage his scalp. «I’m not sure what you mean, but it’s the first time someone
tells me that.»

«It’s a good thing.» He hummed. «I won’t forget you.»

Jungkook had been desperately looking for something real. He felt like he was trapped in a fake
world, where only money and looks mattered. He often ended up looking for something real in an
unknown woman’s arms. Perhaps, he was only fooling himself. Perhaps, nothing could fill the
gaping hole inside his heart. Perhaps, it was better that way. Because there was currently nothing
about himself that he deemed worthy of being loved.

«Hush, don’t cry. I’m here for you.»

As he faded into unconsciousness, he thought that he hadn’t felt that good in a long time.
 Nightmare || Proposal
Chapter Notes

Guys, from now on you can catch me on twitter @amwhimsical. I'd really like to talk
to y'all.

March 8, 2021

It was a few minutes past midnight. Taehyung had been the first one to arrive at the hospital. He
didn’t exactly know what had happened, since he hadn’t been given much information over the
phone. However, the fact that it had been a stranger to call him with Hoseok’s phone was enough to
throw him into a state of sheer panic. He had assumed the worst.

With fear gripping his chest, he walked past the reception and took off down the hallway. As soon
as he did, he caught a glimpse of Hoseok’s red hair. He was surrounded by a small crowd of
people, but at least, he was standing on his feet.

«Hyung!» He called, rushing to him.

His relief, however, was short-lived. Hoseok looked as pale as a ghost. Blood was dripping down
the side of his face and on his light blue shirt, which was dirty and torn. He could see cuts and
bruises all over his exposed skin. He was screaming and crying as two nurses tried to restrain him.
Another one was talking to him, but he didn’t seem to acknowledge her presence.

It was difficult for him to make his way through the bystanders, but he eventually made it.

«Hyung, please, calm down.» He held onto his arm, trying to get his attention.

Hoseok didn’t look at him and continued resisting the nurses’ attempts to calm him down. He
couldn’t make out much of what he was saying, and he wanted to know what had happened.

One of the nurses had noticed him. «Are you his family?»

«Yes.» He promptly answered.

«Maybe you can try to make him reason – we can’t treat him if he’s this agitated.»

Taehyung nodded. «I think there’s too many people here.»

«We’ll handle that.»

Taehyung let the staff do its work, and he moved to stand in front of Hoseok. He held him by his
shoulders, and he tried to meet his eyes. «Hyung, it’s me. Calm down. Talk to me.»

Hoseok shifted his gaze on him. A few seconds went by before he saw a spark of recognition shine
in his eyes.

«Tae…!» He wailed, leaning into him.

Taehyung gently hugged his trembling body, as he was afraid of hurting him. He felt his hands
grab fistfuls of his shirt, and he began rubbing between his shoulders to reassure him. «I’m here,
I’m not going to leave you. The others will arrive soon, so…»

«It’s all my fault.» He mumbled between sobs.

Taehyung loosened his hold enough to look at his face. «What happened?»

«Jimin’s…Jimin is…»

He felt his blood run cold. He was afraid of knowing what came next. Tears filled his eyes, but he
knew he had to hold them back no matter what. Seeing Hoseok like that was devastating enough –
he had never thought he would see him in that state – and he felt that if he broke down in tears, the
other would have straight up crumbled into pieces. He had to be strong for him.

«I’ll ask if they’ve got news about him. You should let them treat you now.»

«I can’t, I can’t. I need to stay here for him.»

Taehyung didn’t need to be a doctor to tell that he was in no condition, both mental and physical, to
stay there and wait for news about their friend.

«No, you need to rest.»

«How can I rest? I was there – I saw him–»

«Do you think he’d be happy to see you like this? You’d only make him worry.» He tried to
persuade him, his voice cracking halfway through. «You’re bleeding, hyung. Let them at least
patch you up. You can come back after that, okay?»

Hoseok sniffled, slowly letting go of him. He looked completely drained. The nurses were at his
sides in a matter of seconds, and he didn’t fight them when they guided him into a nearby room.

Taehyung was left alone. He ran a hand through his hair, and he silently wept.

«Why did this happen?» He whispered to himself. «Jimin…»

He wanted the others to arrive fast. He wanted them to tell him that everything was going to be
fine.
But above all, he wanted to wake up from that nightmare.

December 21, 2022

«As things are now, it’s impossible for you to work in this field.»

It took Seokjin all he had in order not to lose his temper. Once again, his job application had been
rejected. That was the fourth time that week.

«Sorry, what?»

«I know your situation. Haven’t you been wondering why they won’t hire you?»

Seokjin started feeling uneasy. But he was quite skilled at pretending that nothing was wrong.

«Rumours sure do spread fast, don’t they?» He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
«I’ll be very clear with you.» The man locked gazes with him, his fingers steepled. «Your
reputation isn’t the same as it was two years ago. That’s why no one’s willing to risk having you in
their programs.»

«But that’s absurd.» Seokjin smiled confidently. «I’ve got experience, I’ve got the skills, I’ve even
got the looks–»

«I think you should start fresh. That’s the best choice.»

He fell silent. At the age of thirty-one, he didn’t think he could “start fresh” that easily. He had
been in the entertainment industry half his life, and he couldn’t think of anything else he wanted to
do for a living.

«I’m–» He cut himself off with an exasperated huff. «I’m sure I’ll find someone who will hire me.
I just need to look harder.» He stood up, ready to leave.

«What I said is true. You can look all you want, but the result will be the same.»

Seokjin’s face fell. He could no longer hide his dismay. What he had said could have been very
much true, given how many times he had recently had the door slammed in his face.

«What are you trying to tell me, Mr. Kang?»

The man looked at the documents on top of his desk, seemingly searching for something. He
looked up at him after a while. «If you do what I say, I’m willing to invest my money on you.»

His eyes widened. «Mr. Kang, Why didn’t you say so from the beginning?» He sighed in relief,
letting out a nervous laugh. «Let’s discuss this in detail, shall we?»

Seokjin sat down again, and he listened to the man’s plans with both interest and enthusiasm. He
was going to become a co-host for an existing variety program, and that sounded like a very good
start.

«I’m going to make sure the press doesn’t say anything negative about you.» The older man
explained.

«I’ll pay for their cooperation, if necessary.»

«Really, there’s no need to go that far. I’ve got nothing to hide – I can show people my own
worth.»

«Better safe than sorry.»

He was a bit hesitant about accepting that much help, especially because he wasn’t sure of what
the other would gain out of it.

«Well, in that case, thank you. I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m causing you a lot of trouble,
though. You’re being too kind to me...I’m sure you must want something in return.»

«You’ll pay me back with your success. But you have to promise that you won’t forget about the
help you’ve gotten from me.»

«Of course! I could never do that. If this works out, I’ll be forever in your debt.»

Seokjin felt like he had signed the deal of the century. He could not see any downsides to that. He
was excited to start working again after the group’s disbandment ad his return from the military.
Even if his popularity wasn’t as high as before, he trusted he could raise it again with his skills and
hard work. He was going to take back what he had lost.
 Youngest || News

September 25, 2030

Han-Byul had managed to sneak backstage, and she had found her way to Jungkook’s changing
room. She had been lucky enough to find it empty. However, she still needed to hide, in case
someone other than Jungkook were to enter. She didn’t want to risk being thrown out by the
security after going through so much trouble to get in. She only needed to meet him and hand him
Namjoon’s letter.

She began looking around for a hiding spot. Sooner than she expected, though, she heard the door
open. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw it was none other than Jungkook himself.
He looked incredibly attractive, dressed up in his stage outfit. She knew he was supposed to be
performing around that time, which didn’t explain why he was there.

She locked gazes with him and, little by little, she backed against the wall. «Hi. I, uh–»

«You’re already here?» He asked, seemingly unsurprised.

Han-Byul’s eyebrows dipped towards each other. He had probably mistaken her for someone else
and, to her horror, he was walking towards her. She was not prepared, and she froze in her spot.

«I told them to send you after my performance, but oh well.» He continued. «Since you’re here.»

Jungkook quickly closed the distance between them. He leaned with a hand against the wall and
brought his face close to hers. With their bodies almost touching, Han-Byul felt heat rise to her
face.

He gazed into her eyes, speaking in a low, husky tone. «I could use a good luck kiss.»

Han-Byul snapped. Her expression turned angry, and she pinched both of his cheeks, hard. So the
rumours about him were true.

«What the fuck–» He grunted, taking a step back in the attempt to pull away. «What’s gotten into
you?»

«I should be asking that!» She didn’t let him go, and she fiercely glared at him. «Weren’t you
supposed to be shy around girls?»

She saw a look of amusement cross his face, as if she had just said the stupidest thing ever. «That
was a long time ago.» Seeing how he couldn’t pry her hands off his face, he pinched her cheeks
too. «Hey, let go!»

«I’m not letting go until you apologize!»

«I’m not going to apologize to someone I caught snooping in my changing room!»

«I wasn’t snooping!» She yanked at his cheeks, eliciting a pained groan in reaction. «Apologize!»

His lips drew back in a snarl, but he slowly loosened his grip. «Fine, I’m sorry!»

Han-Byul let go of him, and he did the same. He glowered at her suspiciously as he massaged his
face.
«That doesn’t sound like a honest apology, but I’m gonna let it slide.» She chided, crossing her
arms.

«Who are you?» He sputtered. «How did you get in here?»

«I’m Lim Han-Byul, and I’m here to deliver a message.»

A few seconds went by before he pointed at the door with a frown. «Get out.»

«It’s important!» She pulled the folded letter out of her pocket and held it out to him. «It’s from
Namjoon.»

His confused expression betrayed him. «And you expect me to believe that?»

«No. That’s why I want to make sure you read it.»

He glanced at her cautiously before taking it. He ripped it open, and he began reading its contents.
Han-Byul watched him intently while hoping that he, too, would be convinced, just like the other
members up until then.

«I...» Jungkook started, not lifting his eyes from the letter. «This is so sudden.» It didn’t sound like
he was refusing, but still, that was too much of an uncertain reply.

«Are you with us or not?» She questioned. «Don’t you want to see them again?»

«Of course I do.» He clenched his fists, the letter shaking in his hands. «But not all of them will
want to see me.»

She noticed that he seemed to be afraid of confronting them, rather than reluctant.

«You don’t have to worry. I think the other members are just like you – they want to meet up again
more than anything else, but they’re scared of not being able to go back to how things were.» She
paused. «In fact, what you need to do first is accept that things can never go back to the way they
used to be.»

He met her eyes, and she saw nothing but apprehension in them.

«But it’s never too late to fix things.» She smiled. «If you don’t do it now, you’ll definitely regret
it.»

Jungkook held her gaze for a few seconds, then he averted his eyes with a sigh. «You have a point,
but...» He breathed out, sounding frustrated.

«Then you’re with us!» She clapped her hands together, her grin widening.

He didn’t seem to feel more relaxed about it. «When is this gonna happen? And where – how do I
find you?»

«Here you go.» She slipped her business card into his hand, and he examined it carefully.

«Huh?» He looked perplexed, but he just nodded in the end. «Okay.»

«And…I need a favour from you.»

January 3, 2026
«That’s got to be the best track I’ve heard in years.»

Yoongi pulled his sleeves over his hands and lowered his gaze, not sure how to respond to the
praise.

Inside the recording studio, where he had been holed up for weeks, he had finally found his inner
sanctum. He had been hit by inspiration, and he had composed two full tracks in three days.
However, his biggest joy was the proud look in Namjoon’s eyes. He hadn't seen it in a long time.

«I already have someone in mind who could sing it well.» The younger male patted his back. «But
of course, you get the final word. It’s your creation, after all.»

«Who is it?» He inquired, rubbing the nape of his neck.

«Yong-sik. His vocal range suits this song the best, I’d say.»

«But have you thought of someone rapping to this beat? Because that was my idea.»

Namjoon seemed to consider it thoroughly. He played the track once again, bobbing his head to the
rhythm. «You’re right. Now that I think about it, maybe we should have a mix of both styles.»

«What about that new trainee? He specializes in rapping, right?»

«Jihoon, you mean?» He nodded with a grin. «That kid’s brilliant. He showed me something he
wrote, and I was honestly surprised.»

«Yeah, him.»

Yoongi had noticed the boy’s talent too. He had met the new trainees and he had given them a few
tips, and in that occasion, a few people in particular had caught his interest. Intentionally or not, he
had begun composing songs that would fit them.

«He kinda reminds me of you. But I guess I see a bit of my old self in him as well.»

«Hmm?» He turned to look at him.

Namjoon leaned back into his chair and looked up in thought. «You know, for how we started.»

«Ah…true.»

Yoongi reflected upon that for a while. Whenever he thought back to his teenage years, he
remembered how hungry for music he was. He didn’t need anything else as long as he had his
laptop with his tracks and his lyrics in it. He chose music above all things, because that was his
calling.

Despite that, there had been some points in his life when he had wished to quit making music. He
had neglected his own self, he had tried to kill his talent, and yet, despite how much he had tried,
he still had it. He had chosen music, and music had chosen him. It was a blessing. Or a curse?

«–right?»

Lost in his thoughts, he had missed part of what Namjoon had said. He nodded and showed him a
faint smile, then he focused his attention back to his workstation. He began making some little
fixes to the track, sharing thoughts and advice with Namjoon.

«Hey, hyung.»
They had been quiet for a while before he spoke up. Yoongi turned to him with a slight sense of
worry rising in his chest. Yet, he could tell at first glance that whatever Namjoon was going to talk
about wasn’t him. He couldn’t see the usual look of concern he had in his eyes whenever he asked
him if he was still sticking to his rehabilitation plan.

«Yes?»

«There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.»

Namjoon almost looked sheepish, and it was quite the rare sight. Yoongi felt like they had gone
back in time, and he couldn’t keep a cheeky grin off his lips.

«What is it?»

«I’m getting married.»

 Humble || Visit

September 30, 2030

When Yeji had been told to go find Jung Hoseok, she didn’t think it would be easy. But now, as
she stared at him from behind a mug of hot chocolate, she thought that Han-Byul’s luck must have
rubbed off on her.

«So, this is what you’re trying to do.»

Yeji nodded her head.

Jung Hoseok was a nice guy to be around. He didn’t seem to mind doing all the talking, and that
was quite a relief for her. In addition, he was way humbler than she expected. When she had
entered his dance studio, all she had needed to do was ask where he was. She expected to find him
seated behind a desk, perhaps flaunting his designer clothes and jewellery. Instead, she had been
showed to one of the training rooms. He was there, dressed only in a simple undershirt and a pair
of loose shorts, and he was personally giving lessons to his students.

«What’s your progress?»

«Only two are left. But Han-Byul says that Kim Namjoon knows where Min Yoongi is, so she’s
putting all her effort in finding Park Jimin.»

«Just as predicted.» Hoseok set his mug down and leaned with an elbow on the table.

Yeji thought that if he had predicted that, then he must have known something about the remaining
members.

«I’m sorry to ask, but…do you know anything about them? It would help us a lot.»

He pressed his lips together, clearly conflicted. «This is serious, isn’t it?» He asked. «We’re
seriously going to meet up after so long.»

«Yes.»

He exhaled, nervously scratching the side of his head. Yeji could see the fight in him. It looked
like he wasn’t sure whether he should share the information in his possession with her. She
wondered about what would Han-Byul have done in that situation.

«I am aware that some of you may have willingly cut off all contacts with the other members and
are not interested in meeting again.» She drummed her nails on the mug, feeling her face on fire.
That was the longest sentence she had said in a while. «But it will have no meaning if it’s not the
seven of you.»

Hoseok gazed at her in silence. Right before Yeji could start worrying about being out of line, she
saw his face brighten. «Yeah, you’re right. It won’t mean anything if one of us doesn’t show up.»

Yeji lightly fanned her cheeks with a hand as she gave a small nod. It had worked. She had Han-
Byul to thank for that.

«To tell the truth, I’m in contact with one of the members you’re looking for. As far as I know, I
may be the only one who still is.»
Yeji grew interested, and she unconsciously leaned a closer.

«He asked me to keep it a secret. You know, where he is, what he’s doing...everything. I’m not
even supposed to mention his name.»

Yeji was amazed at how loyal the man in front of her had been during all those years and how
loyal he still was. He had gone to such lengths to keep his friend’s secret, and he had mixed
feelings about revealing it, even if it was for such an important reason.

«Is he still in the country?»

«Yes, he is. But he’s hiding well.»

«Can you tell me about him?»

Yeji could tell that something serious had happened for him to hide from his friends and from the
spotlight. If she had to be honest, at the beginning she didn’t care about reuniting the group. But
they had come so far, and she could not give up without trying.

«Ah, also.» She began. «I want you to know that we won’t force him to come. We just want to
inform him. In the end, the choice will be his own.»

Hoseok seemed comforted by her words, and definitely more inclined to tell her. Yeji was ready to
listen.

«Back in 2021, I was involved in a car crash.»

September 30, 2030

Han-Byul turned to look at the person walking by her side. Even with a baseball cap pressed on his
head, sunglasses, and a mask covering the remaining half of his face, Jeon Jungkook still managed
to attract the passers-by’s attention as they strolled through the streets.

She had to admit, though, that despite his tough exterior he had been so kind as to accept her
request, and he had found time in his schedule to accompany her. They had travelled to Busan with
the intention of paying Jimin’s parents a visit, in the hope to find some clues about his
whereabouts. Given how the two former idols shared a common hometown, Han-Byul had felt free
to assume that they must have hung out there together. Surely, Jungkook was no stranger to Jimin’s
family. They were more likely to give answers to a familiar face, rather than to her, so she had
asked for his cooperation.

«Is this the neighbourhood where he used to live?»

«Yeah.»

«Are we there yet?»

«Yeah.»

Han-Byul stopped in her tracks, noticing that he hadn’t been listening to her. She grabbed onto his
arm, giving it a light shake. «Okay, now you tell me what’s wrong.»

She couldn’t see his face, but she could tell that the question had made him feel uneasy. The long
sigh that followed was the confirmation to her theory. For a good thirty seconds, he seemed to be
pondering upon what to say.
«Listen.» He began, his tone low and with a hint of irritation in it. «We came here for answers, but
I’m not sure we’ll find any.»

«Yeah, I know.» She answered, not getting a better understanding of what was troubling him.
«And it’s fine like that. We’ll keep looking elsewhere.»

He huffed and pulled his mask down. «It’s not as easy as you’re making it sound. For me, at least.»

«Why?»

«You know it, don’t you?» He slightly tilted his head back in an exasperated manner. «Our
disbandment – it’s all because of me.»

«What are you saying?» Her brows furrowed, and she shook her head. «I don’t believe so.»

He ground his jaw tightly. «Never mind. You’ll see soon enough.»

He strode past her, tucking his hands into his pockets. Han-Byul took those signals as him being
closed to conversation, and she didn’t ask any more questions – she didn’t want to get on his nerves
when he already looked so stressed.

He eventually stopped in front of a door, and Han-Byul saw him take his cap and sunglasses off.
She pointed at the house, wordlessly asking if that was the right place. He gave a slight, jerky nod,
and she rung the doorbell. Before long, a middle-aged woman appeared in the doorway.

«Who is it?»

She smiled, bowing her head. «Hello! Are you Mrs. Park?»

«Yes, that would be me.»

«Nice to meet you! I’m Lim Han-Byul, and this is–»

«Hello, ma’am.» Jungkook greeted her with a deep bow.

However, as soon as the woman laid her eyes on him, her face twisted. She pushed past Han-Byul,
and she slapped him across the face.

«How dare you show yourself in front of me?» She yelled.

Jungkook stood completely frozen, facing the other way due to the force of the slap.

«You monster! How could you do that to my son?» The woman started hitting her clenched fists
against his chest. «You have no respect!»

She was crying. The sight made Han-Byul snap out of her daze. She got between them, and she
tried to calm the older woman down.

«Mrs. Park, I’m sorry, we only came to talk – we’ll leave right away if we’re bothering you.»

«I’m sorry, Mrs. Park.» Jungkook whispered behind her, his voice barely audible. «I’m sorry I’m a
coward. I’ve been running away from it, but I didn’t forget I owed you an apology. I’m so sorry.»

Han-Byul heard the sound of his rushed steps, which gradually grew distant. She knew that trying
to get some information at that point would be inappropriate. She could only apologize and leave.
Not seeing Jungkook anywhere nearby, she began walking back the same way they had come
from. It didn’t take long for her to spot a familiar darkly dressed figure. He was sitting on a bench,
hunched over, leaning with his forearms on his knees.

Han-Byul approached him. He was crying. She sat next to him without a word.

«I told you.» He said, trying and failing at keeping his voice stable.

«You knew it. But you still came to apologize.» She gazed at him in all seriousness. «And you
didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.»

Her attempt to comfort him seemed to have caused a fresh wave of tears to trickle down his
cheeks. «No, she’s right about me – I’m a monster. It’s all because of me. Everything went to shit
because of me.» He gripped his upper arms with his hands, and he kept clenching and unclenching
them, obviously in a state of distress.

It was then that she decided she didn’t care. She wrapped an arm around his back and pulled him to
lean against her. His body felt stiff, but he didn’t resist her. She began rubbing his arm up and
down, and she gradually felt him relax against her.

«You’re not a monster.» She protested. «You just got caught in a bad situation. It’s not your fault.»

She didn’t take her eyes off him as she whispered comforting words, anything she could think of.
Once he had calmed down, he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes.

«Feeling better?» Han-Byul asked, not looking away. He simply stared at her, but something told
her that he was actually deeply absorbed in his own thoughts.

Then her phone went off. She had no way to get her phone without breaking their half-armed hug,
and she muttered a quick apology before answering.

«Yeji?»

She listened to what she had to say, and after she hung up, she met Jungkook’s eyes.

«It was my friend.» She announced. «She knows where Jimin is.»
 Sunny || Sanctuary
Chapter Notes

As of this update, I've edited some dates because I got them mixed up/wrong. I've got a
timeline written down,, but even I get lost, oof. Sorry for the inconvenience!

April 9, 2030

He had come to love warm, sunny days. He had come to love the simplest things. Being able to
take a leisurely stroll with his dog by his side had become one of his greatest joys.

«Come here, boy.»

He sat down on a bench and he leaned down to cuddle the large, white dog.

«Who’s a good boy? Rice Cake!» He chuckled, planting a little kiss on his head. He then
unclasped the leash from his collar in order to allow him to roam around the park. «You can go
play for a bit.»

The dog sprinted to a nearby tree, under which a group of birds had gathered. He playfully began
chasing them, and he watched over him with a fond gaze. He slightly bent down to rub up and
down his legs, and a silent wince spilled from his lips.

«We sure walked a lot today.» He whispered to himself.

A set of white paws stopped in front of him, causing him to smile and look up. «Don’t worry,
Ricie! Papa is fine.» He gestured to him to go back to play. «Go.»

But the dog showed no intention of leaving. He sat down by his feet, and he rested his snout on his
thigh.

«You’re such a worrywart.» He stroked the dog’s head, letting out a sigh. That kind of behaviour
reminded him of a certain someone.

It was at times like those that he would recall the days when he used to be part of a big, happy
family, and when he could still do what he loved the most.

Jimin missed his members so much it hurt. Many years had passed since he had last seen them.
Back then, he had thought that he could have continued living on without them, and for a while, he
had lived under that illusion.

First, he had been too busy trying to process his anger and grief. He had been blinded by his pain
and frustration, and every attempt to connect with other people unavoidably turned out to be
destructive. He had found it hard to adapt to his new life, but more or less anyone in his shoes
would have felt the same. He couldn’t see the bright side of his existence – he didn’t believe there
was one. All he could do was curse his fate and resent those who lived better lives than him.

Then, he had been too busy trying to drown his thoughts with physiotherapy and exercise. He had
convinced himself that if he kept his mind and body focused on other matters, regret would find no
place in his heart. But, surprisingly, his desire to reunite with his friends had survived all that.

He knew that the group’s disbandment was partially his fault, and though he wanted to go back, he
felt like he couldn’t, out of respect towards their sacrifice. He couldn’t simply go back to them and
ask them to pretend nothing had happened. Especially since he had been the one to push them all
away, and not in the kindest manner. He had only planned to keep in touch with one of them, but
after someone had begged him not to cut ties with him, he had caved in and made an exception.

«That’s who you remind me of.» He cupped the dog’s face. «Hoseok-hyung.»

He smiled, thinking of what the man’s reaction would be if he heard him say that. He had talked to
him a few days prior, but he already felt like chatting again. He had come so far, in every possible
way.

«We should get going, Ricie.» Feeling that he had reminisced enough, he decided to return home.

Work awaited him, along with his medication. In that small, remote village, everything seemed to
always be waiting.

May 30, 2021

Keeping away from the press was the wisest idea. Taehyung had come to understand that early on.

After the accident and the talks of disbandment, his emotions had been a train wreck. He, who was
quite prone to tears, couldn’t deal with being asked questions about it without breaking down.

He couldn’t help it. Whenever he thought of his friends, he would be reminded of all the memories
they had shared. Their first meeting, their debut, their rise to fame, and the last few years – they
were such solid moments in his memory, as though as if they had been finely preserved in wooden
boxes inside his mind. Whenever he would open one of the boxes, though, just like in a clockwork
mechanism, the others would pop open too. And it hurt.

He had gradually come to believe those words people usually said to make them feel better. They
had been lucky, even in their misfortune, because everything could have gone so much worse.
Looking back, he had a lot of things to be thankful for.

Jimin had woken up – he would never stop thanking god for that – and despite not being well, both
physically and mentally, he had a chance to recover. Seeing him push the members away had been
a blow, but he knew him well enough to see that they just needed to have patience and give him
time to deal with the changes in his life.

Jungkook had ended up not being able to cancel his solo debut as he had wanted, and he was still
paying the price for it. His heart hurt whenever he saw him being targeted by anti-fans or
mistreated by the press, and he could tell how close he was to giving up. He only needed a glance
to know that he was about to crack under all the pressure that was put on him, and he could see
how much it drained him to still smile for his loyal fans. But Taehyung also knew that if someone
could pull through, that was Jungkook. All he could do was show him his continued support.

Hoseok had been left devastated by the accident. In a few months’ time, he had become a
completely different person. He was constantly gripped by fear, to the point where he no longer
wanted to leave his home. He had become afraid of cars and of the streets themselves, along with
everything that could remind him of his traumatic experience. He would only make exceptions to
visit Jimin, and despite how hard it was for him, the younger male refused to see him. Taehyung
had been the one who had accompanied him on multiple occasions, and he had noticed how he had
not let that discourage him.

Seokjin had only been given a week off of his military service immediately after the accident,
which felt like way too little. He always worried about the younger members, and he tried to make
them feel better whenever a difficulty arose. However, that had been a first for him too. Even if he
had tried to hide it, Taehyung could see that he was trying – perhaps too hard – to be their guide.
He wanted to tell him that he, too, could cry; he wanted to tell him that it was fine to seek comfort
in other people. But that week had gone by before he could even notice it, and Seokjin’s departure
had left them all feeling emptier than before.

Namjoon and Yoongi had held down the fort. Taehyung had never seen the stoic Yoongi openly
let out his feelings to that extent. He had always chosen to take care of them quietly, but for once,
he hadn’t bothered hiding his deep affection for them. When they had taken turns staying at the
hospital, he had always made sure that everyone had gotten enough sleep and enough to eat. In
order to allow them to rest, he had filled in for them, even when he himself looked minutes away
from passing out.

Namjoon, with tremendous effort, had been protecting them from the press. As the leader of the
group, he had handled most of the interviews and questions. Even if he was exhausted, even if he
was the one who had the most people relying on him, he had become their shield. Taehyung had
not seen him cry in their presence or in public, but he knew he was hanging on for their sake. He
was the one holding them together, and he didn’t deserve the criticism he had gotten for it.

And then, there was him. Reporters and fans would follow him everywhere. Perhaps, they thought
they could pry answers out of him more easily because of his sensibility, but their insistence caused
him to become riddled with anxiety. He was scared of hearing questions he himself didn’t know
the answers to; he was afraid of being followed everywhere, to the point where he wouldn’t feel
safe even in his home.

Because of that weakness of his, he had once again relied on his members. And because of that, he
felt like he had done little to nothing for them. He had been there for them physically, but he hadn’t
done anything to effectively provide some emotional support. He felt like he had only received
from them, without having anything to give back, and for that reason, he had made up his mind.
Before that world could destroy them – before they could lose what mattered the most, he had to
do something.

He wanted to become the one they could always rely on. He wanted to be their eternal helper. He
wanted to build a sanctuary for them, where they could always take shelter from hardship. With
those thoughts in mind, he had returned to his hometown.
 Plan || Wish

October 1, 2030

Han-Byul had her head in the clouds. There were tons of words floating inside her brain, and most
of them were in Jungkook’s voice.

Her idea to visit Jimin’s parents had proved to be a complete disaster. On the ride back to Seoul,
she had apologized to Jungkook. He had assured her that he was not mad at her, because what had
happened wasn’t her fault. Then, in stark contrast with how he had behaved all morning, he had
opened up to her. Perhaps, he had thought she had seen him at his lowest, and he had no reason to
try to save face anymore; or maybe, he had felt the need to let out what he had kept bottled up for
too long.

Han-Byul had listened to his thoughts about the group’s disbandment and all that came after, and
she had started seeing him under a different light. She wanted to do something for him. She wanted
to help him reconcile with the other members, because she thought that was what he needed. For
his sake, too, she didn’t want to make any more mistakes.

«We need to put some serious thought into this.» She said, as that was the only thing she was
certain of.

Yeji was sitting opposite of her. They had told each other how their previous day had gone, and
they were planning what to do next.

«How rare of you not to act on impulse.»

«Even I can tell when I make a mess. And now, I want to fix things!» Han-Byul squirmed in her
seat.

«Jungkook wasn’t upset at me, but things could easily turn awkward, and that’s the last thing I
want.»

«You don’t need to worry.»

«What makes you say that?» She gazed at her with curious eyes.

«He cares about his friends. He won’t back out, if that’s what you’re afraid of.» Yeji shrugged.
«They all seem so concerned with each other that I’m surprised they grew apart. Jung Hoseok was
in contact with most of them.»

«You don’t know him.» She mumbled. «He’s literally a ray of sunshine.»

«After we talked, he asked for my number, and he even texted me earlier to ask if we’ve got any
news.»

«Woah, really?» Han-Byul hurriedly sat up. «Efficient Yeji strikes again!»

Yeji rolled her eyes, a soft huff leaving her lips. «I didn’t do anything.»

«Ah, speaking of which, you should ask Seokjin to give you his number.»

«Why?»
«Because it’s the only one we still don’t have, not counting Jimin’s and Yoongi’s. We need to be
able to contact them at any given time.»

«I mean, why me.»

Han-Byul was perplexed at her question, since the reason was quite evident to her. «Because
you’re the one who met him, duh! I haven’t even seen him in person yet.»

Yeji seemed to be deeply considering her reply.

«Don’t tell me…» She started, a smirk creeping to her lips. «…you’ve never asked for a guy’s
number before?»

«I – what does that have to do with this?» She stammered.

Seeing Yeji’s cheeks turn rosy and her eyes widen was not an everyday thing. «Aw, how cute, Jiji!
Lemme give you some tips.»

«Call me that another time and you won’t live to see another day.»

Han-Byul broke into a fit of laughter. Despite her menacing warning, she couldn’t help but find
Yeji’s personality adorable. She could see right through her attempt to hide her shy nature, and that
was what pushed her to try and make her loosen up in every possible way.

«Quit laughing.»

She slowly regained her composure, and she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. «Alright
then, you’re definitely gonna have to do it.»

«I won’t promise anything.»

«I trust you.» She smiled at her. «You’re so kind, Yeji.»

Yeji cleared her throat. «Back to the topic. What’s the plan?»

Han-Byul folded her hands together, giving a quick nod. «My idea is that one of us should visit
Jimin. But not alone, and not without asking him first.»

«You mean, one of the members should inform him in advance and then go meet him with one of
us, in case he were to agree?»

«Exactly.» She held a finger up. «The obvious choice would be Hoseok, since he’s still in contact
with him. But then again, he could be busy, so we need to ask him when he’s free.»

«That, or either…» Yeji reasoned. «Hoseok makes the call, and whoever is available goes in his
place.»

«Right, that could work too.» She approved. «Do you want to go?»

«I’ll leave it to you. You should finish what you started.»

«All right! Then, you know what to do.»

Yeji nodded, pursing her lips.

Han-Byul knew she could trust her with the task of finding Yoongi. She, on the other hand,
couldn’t help but feel nervous about what she was going to do.

The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, and she hoped that the seven former idols
would soon do the same.

November 18, 2027

Namjoon had gotten married in summer. The wedding had been a chance for Yoongi to meet up
with Seokjin, Hoseok and Taehyung after a long time. Him getting emotional over that was a given,
so he hadn’t bothered trying to hide it. It felt like a century had passed since the days when they
used to share a dorm. They were all grown men now, but there was one thing that had not changed,
and that was the bond between them.

He loved that kind of people; those with whom he could continue from where he had left off, no
matter what had happened during the time they had been apart from each other. However, the
actual reason why he couldn’t forget that day was an entirely different one.

On the day of Namjoon’s wedding, the biggest realization of his life had dawned on him. Up until
that moment, he had been living with the conviction that loving someone and getting married were
not his kind of thing. But on that day, and because of that day, he had changed his mind.

A dreamy venue, filled with white flowers. The salty smell of the sea; the comforting, rhythmical
sound of waves. A beautiful bride, clad in a long, pure white dress. The beauty of love; the joy of
becoming one with another person. Suddenly, his dreams had a shape. Maybe he had
unconsciously longed for such a thing for a long time.

Once he had become conscious of that, he had started feeling incomplete, as if a piece of him was
missing. He was too embarrassed to voice that thought of his, but he, too, wished to settle down.
He had so much going on that he didn’t even have time to meet someone in general, let alone
someone of the opposite sex. He was the only one to blame for that, though; it wasn’t because he
had too much work, but rather because when he was inspired, nothing could make him leave the
recording studio, and he ended up neglecting his social life completely. People didn’t appreciate
that.

He had been sharing a house with Namjoon, but after the wedding, he had started feeling out of
place. Reasonably so, because it was only fair for Namjoon to have some privacy with his wife.
Namjoon was still the same towards him, and nothing made him assume that he didn’t like having
him around. His wife was the kindest, sweetest person he had ever met. They always made him
feel welcome and they cared for him as much as they would for a family member. It wasn’t them.
It was his mind, telling him that he should not be imposing any longer.

His artistic inspiration was heavily influenced by his emotions. He could have said that the two
things were one and the same. Because of his inner struggle, he had lost his motivation to write.
The only thought occupying his mind was that of finding a nice place somewhere and moving out.

Namjoon hadn’t noticed that he had hit a slump. Yoongi was smarter than that. He had composed
many songs that he had stashed away, and he only needed to reveal one at a time to give him the
impression that everything was going as smoothly as usual. He had always been good at hiding his
real self. His heart was a heavily guarded fortress. He used to take pride in that, but ever since the
wedding, he had understood that it also was the reason why he had never had a serious
relationship.

He simply had to get out. It was an overwhelming need; one he could no longer suppress. Maybe
he could tell Namjoon that he was going to visit his parents for a while. He knew that he was going
to worry, because his hometown was the place where he had seen him hit rock bottom two years
earlier. But Yoongi was clean, he had been like that for longer than a year, and he was positive he
would not fall back into the spiral of addiction ever again. Leaving Namjoon’s house was, without
a doubt, a good choice. It was time for him to pick up his life.
 Protecting || Hurting

March 13, 2025

Namjoon had always been smart, or rather, that was what people said. Because to him, what he did
felt like nothing out of the ordinary. He didn’t feel like he was better than the others, or that he
worked harder than anyone else; he simply had a job to do, and he did it to the best of his abilities.
What people called “staying humble” was natural for him.

Of course, he was no stranger to pressure. Much too often, he felt like he was lacking or that he
could have done better. He had always been told that he, being the leader of the group, had to take
responsibility for his members’ actions. If their performance was lacking, it was his fault for not
noticing earlier. If they said something controversial, it was up to him to apologize on their behalf
and make sure such things never happened again. He himself had to be careful of everything he
said and did, because he was their representative. And mistakes, no matter how careful they were,
always happened. But the hardships they had faced had fortified them,

He had learned to always rely on his members. Through trial and error and thanks to mutual
collaboration, they had adapted to life under the spotlight. It was only thanks to their help that he
had been able to lead the group to success. That was why, whenever people congratulated him for
his good job as a leader, he made sure to give credit to every single member.

All he wanted was to see them happy and healthy. No matter where life would take them, he only
wished for them to succeed. He didn’t think he could ever stop looking out for them. Even after
they went on hiatus. Even after they disbanded. No matter how far apart, he still cared. Even if
they lost contact, he was still going to watch over them. He had hoped they would always remain
on good terms, but he had learned that protecting someone could also mean hurting them.

Yoongi had agreed to receive treatment in a rehabilitation facility; however, a week had been
enough for Namjoon to tell that he hadn’t fully taken into consideration how hard it was going to
be. He made sure to visit him as often as he could while still being careful not to let the press catch
wind of his situation. He knew that a drug scandal could mean the end of his musical career, and
the last thing he wanted was taking that away from him.

Yoongi had told him that he was eager to recover. He appreciated his positive attitude, and even
though he was starting to see the effects that withdrawal had on his body, he felt like he was going
to get better in no time. A week into the rehabilitation plan, however, he had started getting calls
from him in the middle of the night, and each of them felt like a stab to his heart.

Yoongi was not taking it well. And, between the lines, he could tell that he blamed him for the
pain he was in. His choked voice, shaken by sobs, haunted him. Even after he hung up, he could
not go back to sleep. Namjoon told himself that it wasn’t him talking – it was the meds’ fault, but
that didn’t lessen the weight that had on his conscience. Seeing one of the people he looked up the
most like that had shaken him to the core.

For a few days, he had not been able to find it in himself to visit him. It didn’t last long, because he
was aware of how much of a burden loneliness was for his friend. Every time he visited, Yoongi
asked him to take him away, and he had to say no. Every time he saw him suffer, he had to look the
other way, because he knew he had to get through that for his own sake. The beginning was the
worst part in the path of recovery, but it was going to be over soon. The only thing he could do was
stick by his side, because Yoongi needed someone beside him, and Namjoon had promised he
would be that person. He didn’t mind being hated if it was for his sake. He knew he was going to
pull through.

While waiting for him, he had started working on their project – starting a record label – by
himself. It was the first time he attempted to take such a demanding role and, unsurprisingly, he
had a lot to learn.He was simply going to pave the way; nothing different from what he had always
done.

March 28, 2021

«Don’t you dare.»

Jimin’s voice was low and hoarse because of how much he had screamed and cried. Yet, that
didn’t keep him from straining it further. Hearing it was almost as painful as seeing him in that
state.

Despite his clear warning, Hoseok took a tiny step closer to the hospital bed.

«I said, don’t you dare come close!» His whole body jerked as another inhuman scream left his
lips.

Hoseok yelped. He tightly shut his eyes and held his hands up in front of his face.

The investigation following the accident had determined that the man in the truck that had hit them
had been driving while drunk. Still, Hoseok kept irrationally blaming himself for it. He simply
could not stop feeling responsible, even after the members’ attempts to make him reason.

He slowly lowered his hands to look at Jimin. He was sitting up in his bed, and Hoseok could see
how much effort it took him. His hands were gripping the bed’s supports so hard that his knuckles
had turned white. He was breathing sharply, and he could see his eyes gleaming with fury behind
his unkempt bangs. Faint scars and cuts were still visible on his face.

«Jimin, please, let me help you.» He pleaded.

The doctors had told him that he wasn’t supposed to try getting up for another few weeks at least,
and he wasn’t sure if sitting up was even allowed for the time being.

«If you want to help me, get out of here.» He angrily seethed.

«You need to give your body some time to recover. Pushing yourself won’t help...»

«What do you want me to do? Lay down and wait?»

«No, but–»

«How could I do that?» His tone grew louder. «When I know I could never fully recover again?»

Hoseok turned pale upon hearing that. «That’s not true, Jimin. I can assure you.»

«Do you think I’m dumb? Do you think I don’t know?» He growled, his voice cracking as he burst
into tears. «I can feel it. I can feel it in these damn legs–!»

Hoseok’s eyes filled with horror as he saw him hit his own thigh in a fit of rage. In less than a
second, he had closed the distance between them, and he had taken hold of both his wrists to
prevent him from hurting himself.

«Let go!» He wailed, trying to push him away. «Let go, hyung, let go…»
«If you want to hit someone, hit me.» He mumbled, fighting back tears. «I’m not going to let you
hurt yourself.»

Jimin kept fighting back for a while, but he eventually gave up and fell back on the bed. Hoseok
didn’t feel safe enough to leave him yet, and he kept talking to him while gazing into his eyes.

«You’re going to get better, Jimin. Just have patience. The doctors are going to help you, and we’re
all right here for you.»

The younger male gradually calmed down, and his anger and grief had left room to exhaustion.
Hoseok was not forcefully holding his wrists anymore, but instead, he was holding his hand and
soothingly stroking his hair.

«Hyung.» He called, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

«Yes?» Hoseok gave him his full attention, expecting to hear some kind of request.

«Don’t show up in front of me ever again.»

It was not his words that hurt the most, but the candid way in which he spoke them.

«If you do, I’ll kill myself.»

 Human || Doll
Chapter Notes

The second part of this fanfiction begins with chapter 13, and it will last until chapter
19. I think you'll understand what these seven chapters have in common soon enough.
Thanks for the attention!

October 7, 2030

Hoseok had told Han-Byul that while he couldn’t go see Jimin, he could definitely call him to
explain the situation. And since he didn’t feel like that was enough help, he had also offered to
help Yeji “make Namjoon spill his beans” about Yoongi. For that reason, she was sitting on a
bench outside the cafe where Hoseok had asked her to meet.

However, the first person to show up was not Hoseok at all.

«Hi.»

«Hello.»

«Hoseok called you here, didn’t he.» Seokjin, with his hands tucked in his coat’s pockets, was
standing before her.

She scooted to the side to make room for him. «You too?»

«Yeah. He said he had a job only us older members could do.» He sat down next to her, leaving
some space between them. «He sounded pretty serious, which is uncommon for him, so I had to
ditch my manager.»

Yeji covered her mouth, letting out a quiet snort of laughter. It was unusual for her to laugh, but
she was not out of her mind. She was only trying to seem friendlier to Seokjin because there was
something she wanted from him. Encountering him so unexpectedly was a great chance to obtain it.

«Right, you’re…» Seokjin gazed at her from behind his sunglasses. «Didn’t you say you were not
in this madness?»

This time, her cheeks spontaneously became tinted with red. She wasn’t pretending. «Han-Byul
kept badgering me for help. In the end, I gave up.»

«This Han-Byul girl must be quite something.»

«She is.»

He nodded, then he fell silent. That was her chance.

«Speaking of which–»

«Since we’re here–»

Their eyes met as soon as they realized they had talked at the same time. They bickered on who
should have talked first for a while, but in the end, Yeji’s sealed lips left him no choice.

«I wanted to apologize. I don’t think I showed you a good side of me up until now, so…»

Yeji tuned his next words out. Ever since their last meeting, she had watched Seokjin’s TV show a
couple of times. She had seen how good he was at his job, and she had also noticed how much his
comedy skills and bright personality were appreciated by the viewers. Yet, she couldn’t help
feeling that something was off. She had been under the impression that he was pushing himself;
she was convinced that the real him was more similar to the man she had met in the parking lot.
And his apology bothered her.

«I don’t care.» She bluntly stated, cutting him off. «Right now, you’re not on TV. You don’t need
to push yourself to fit a character.»

Seokjin stared at her. For a second, he seemed shocked, but he was quick to recover. «That’s not
it.» He replied with a strained smile. «I’m not trying to do anything like that, I–»

«Then there’s no reason to apologize. You’re a celebrity, but you’re also human, and people can’t
expect you to be picture perfect. You’re neither a doll nor an object.»

Yeji didn’t know why she always ended up losing her composure and speaking too much – or at
least, more than she normally did – in front of him. She was feeling embarrassed, but also nervous,
and maybe excited too. That mix of emotions was like a magic fuel that made her feel like she
could do anything, so she swiftly took her phone out of her bag and poked his arm with it.

«Give me your number.» She had said it.

«…sure.» He gingerly took it from her hand and began typing in his number. «There you go.» He
said, handing it back to her.

«Thanks.»

Yeji held her phone with both her hands, somehow feeling like she was holding the most valuable
thing she had. She hated herself for feeling such a childish joy.

«Yeji, hyung! Sorry for being late!»

Luckily, Hoseok’s arrival saved her from having to make up an explanation to justify her request.
She was ready to take her next step.

December 31, 2023

A year had passed ever since Seokjin had started working as a television host, and during that time,
he felt like he had accomplished a lot. A year earlier, he had spent New Year’s Eve by himself,
eating cup noodles in a barely furnished apartment. He had been too ashamed to return to his
family. He hadn’t been able to tell them that he still hadn’t found a job after his discharge. He had
also been too proud to seek his friends out, since he didn’t want them to pity him because of his
situation.

But that night, he truly felt satisfied with himself. He was at an exclusive, high-class party, to
which only the most influential personalities of the entertainment industry had been invited.
Beyond the joy of receiving the invitation in itself, feeling like he fit in perfectly among all of those
people was the best part. He had climbed up from the abyss he had fallen in, and he felt like he
could do so much more. His fame had increased, and he had received various offers from other
companies to host his own show. He had not given any clear answers yet, and he had asked for
some time to think about it instead.

Had it been up to him, he obviously would have accepted. But there was that weird sense of
obligation that he felt towards his boss, of which he couldn’t get rid of. He had been the only one to
take him in after his group’s disbandment and his loss of popularity, and he was sure he wouldn’t
have let him switch agency so easily. In the end, he was just delaying his decision, but he couldn’t
bring himself to talk to him about it yet. He didn’t want to make it seem like he had used the
company as a stepping stone. Perhaps, he was going to have to stick with them for a while longer.

It was almost midnight. He peered around the large venue, and he could see that some of the guests
were getting ready to toast the New Year. Some other ones were already too drunk to do so, and his
boss and co-host, a few tables away, fell into that category.

He stood up and excused himself from the group of celebrities he had been sitting with. He needed
to use the restroom, and he wanted to do so before the partying intensified after midnight. He went
in and did his business, then he proceeded to wash his hands. He heard someone enter and he
glanced at the door’s reflection in the mirror.

«Hello, president Kang.» He bowed his head, and he saw the man return his greeting with a
gesture of his hand.

«Enjoying yourself, Seokjin?»

«Yes, very much so.» He briefly smiled as he began scrubbing soap all over his hands. «I owe this
all to you, sir.»

The man hummed in response. He was leaning against the wall, and Seokjin thought he really must
have had too much to drink. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, since he didn’t like having to
deal with drunk people.

«Hey, Seokjin.»

«Yes, Mr. President?» He rinsed his hands and grabbed a paper towel to wipe them dry.

«Don’t you think it’s about time you started paying me back?»

«What do you mean?» He questioned. «I don’t understand. I thought I ha–»

The rest of his words were cut off when he felt a hand tightly grasp his wrist and another one
wander down to his thigh. In less than a second, he felt the man’s body heat pressed against his
back. He couldn’t react. He didn’t know how to. He stood still, his eyes wide. He should have
never looked up. In the mirror, he saw the reflection of a monster. He tried to speak, but his voice
wouldn’t come out. While that filthy, slimy hand touched places it shouldn’t have been allowed to,
he could only hear his own sharp breaths. He was paralyzed with fear.

«I’ve always loved your body. You look like a pretty doll.»

Seokjin heard a strangled cry, not even realizing that he himself had been the one to make that
sound. He tried to pry his wrist free, breaking out in a cold sweat when the man didn’t seem to
budge. He wondered if he had always been that weak, or if the other was just too strong for him.

«That’s why I wanted to own you.» The man grunted. «You are mine.»

Seokjin’s eyes desperately darted around the room. Not far from him, there were some beautifully
arranged flowers. He used all the strength he could muster up in that moment. He dove towards
them, grabbing the vase with his free hand and blindly swinging it back at the man’s head.

Alcohol must have played in his favour, because he fell to the floor with a pained yell. Seokjin let
go of the vase, and the sound of it shattering broke the spell he had been put under.

«A-ah.» He cried, covering his mouth. «I’m – I’m–»

The man’s eyes were blazing with rage. They were as red as the blood dripping from his head.

«You useless bitch! Is this how you thank me?»

He saw him attempt to move, and even though his legs were shaking, he knew he had to get out of
there. He stumbled to the door in a state of sheer panic.

«You’re done for! I’m going to sue you for assault!» He heard his dreadful, hoarse scream. «Get
back here!»

But he no longer wanted to be there. He didn’t want to be anywhere at all. He ran out of the
bathroom, his vision blurred by tears, and he stormed out of the venue.

Not even fresh air could make him feel better. He felt dirty. He felt violated. The deafening
banging of the fireworks drowned his screams out.
 Nostalgic || Reunion

August 11, 2023

«This place is really nice.» Jungkook paused to down another cup of soju. «Cheers to you, Tae.»

Taehyung smiled as he fondly gazed at his friend, who he hadn’t been able to meet in a while.
Seeing his former members on rare occasions had sadly become commonplace ever since they had
split up, and the fact that he had left the entertainment world certainly didn’t help.

«Thanks. You’re the first one to come over.»

«Really? That’s an honour.» He chuckled, flopping down on the porch’s wooden floor.

The night breeze ruffled Jungkook’s raven hair, and Taehyung was surprised to see how familiar
and yet nostalgic that sight felt. He reached a hand down and pinched his cheek, causing the
younger male to prop himself up on an elbow and look at him with a frown.

«Hey, what was that for?»

«You’re still cute.»

Jungkook’s expression softened, and he lowered his head, looking away. Taehyung could tell from
the shape of his cheeks that he was grinning.

«And you’re still an idiot.»

Taehyung had been worried about him. He had seen how much he had struggled after his solo
debut, and he was relieved to see that, a year later, he seemed to be doing better. He had followed
the previous year’s events through the news, since approaching Jungkook or even trying to talk to
him on the phone after his solo debut had been announced had become pretty much impossible.

While Taehyung acknowledged that the timing of his debut had been wrong, he also knew that the
decision hadn’t been up to Jungkook, and he shouldn’t have been blamed for it. He also believed
that the public and the press had been especially harsh towards him. They had mercilessly judged
him, ignoring everything that was behind his situation. Even if he had hidden it well, he had
obviously been affected by that.

He could never forget the day when he had watched Jungkook go up on the stage of a popular
music show looking like a complete mess – dirty, torn, and bleeding. On that occasion, he had
earnestly addressed his fans, and Taehyung could tell that his speech had left his antis speechless,
too. Honesty always paid.

«How have you been doing lately, Kookie?»

He stretched his neck, tilting his head from one side to another and, perhaps, pondering upon his
reply. «Compared to what I’ve been through, I’m doing better now.»

«Are you still being harassed?» Taehyung asked, concerned by how he seemed to be downplaying
it.

«It’s not as bad as it used to be.» He shrugged. «That’s just how it is. Good deeds are easily
forgotten, but once you make a mistake, people will always remember it.»
«This shouldn’t be the norm.» He added, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

«Don’t worry, Tae. I’m fine.»

Taehyung was painfully aware of the fact that he couldn’t do much for his friend. All he had to
offer was his affection and support, and also his place, the sanctuary, which he had built while
thinking of all the members. He hoped that, one day, they would all gather there, to reminisce and
make up for lost time.

«If you ever need anything, I’m here.»

Jungkook turned to face him. A soft smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded. «Thank you,
hyung.»

«No need to thank me.» Taehyung waved a hand in dismissal, and he grabbed the bottle of soju to
refill their cups. «Let’s drink.»

The younger male sat up and scooted closer to the table. «Wait, don’t you have anything to tell me,
Tae?»

«What?»

«I feel like you’re hiding something.»

He could clearly see curiosity sparkle in Jungkook’s eyes. That kind of look suited him well, he
thought; he had always liked that mischievous, playful air about him. He had missed it.

«Nope, nothing. I’ve already told you everything.» He raised his cup with a toothy beam. «Cheers
to your career! May you always be healthy and successful.»

«Now I’m sure of it!» Jungkook laughed, and he made his cup clink against his friend’s one.
«Don’t worry, I’ll get you to talk next time.»

The promise of another visit filled him with anticipation; however, in that moment, Taehyung was
satisfied with what he had. He could hardly wish for more.

October 7, 2030

«Is my baby getting tired?» Taehyung cooed. «Don’t worry, we’re almost there.»

Han-Byul sighed as she rubbed her palms together. After a long train ride, they had reached the
village where Jimin lived. It was close to the mountains, so the temperature was a bit lower that in
the city, and to add to that, she was starting to feel tired from the journey. She was in awe at
Taehyung, who, unlike her, never seemed to lose his enthusiasm nor his energy. Not even carrying
a four-year-old kid for hours had managed to dampen his spirits.

«Want me to hold him, Taehyung?»

He flashed her a smile and shook his head. «There’s no need. I’m used to this.»

«Is that so?»

«Yes. Back at home, Miyeon and I always have to keep him apart from his brother. They’re like
dynamite.»

Han-Byul chuckled, gazing up at the little boy, who was all absorbed into studying his new
surroundings.

«Are you having fun riding on your papa’s shoulders, Taesoo?»

«Yes, noona!»

«Aww, such a good boy.»

Han-Byul hadn’t expected him to bring his youngest son along, but of course, she didn’t mind. She
remembered hardly being able to contain her shock when she had found out that Taehyung had
become a father. Yet, after seeing him looking after his kids, she had become convinced that he
was a natural at it. He was still as bright and funny as he was during his idol days, but he
undoubtedly had matured into a responsible and reliable adult.

«Is it your first time here?»

«No, I’ve visited him a few times.» He glanced at her. «Having to keep everything a secret made it
difficult for me to come, though.»

Han-Byul could only imagine how hard it had been for him to keep the secret, but still, he had
made it. She had only learned that he had been in contact with Jimin all along after asking him if he
was willing to accompany her.

«It’s this one.»

Han-Byul observed the house Taehyung had pointed at. She didn’t know what to expect, and she
was somewhat afraid of Jimin’s reaction after her meeting with his mother. She would have
probably mulled over it for longer if it wasn’t for Taehyung, who had bent on his knees to allow
Taesoo to ring the bell.

«Press the button, little one.»

«Yay!»

There was no delaying it anymore. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists, her eyes fixed on
the door. After much searching, he was right there, in front of her. Dark, messy bangs fell on his
forehead, just above a pair of deep, expressive eyes. The handsome smile she had not seen in a long
time greeted her, although with a hint of shyness to it.

«Hello. I’ve been waiting for you.»

Taehyung watched his friend with his arms open. «It’s been a while, Jimin.»

The two men hugged, and Han-Byul could feel how much they had missed each other.

«Who’s this cute little boy?» Jimin reached a hand up to stroke the boy’s cheek.

«I’m Taesoo! Hi, papa’s friend.» He chirped, waving his little hands.

«Taesoo is hungry. I’m gonna make myself at home.» Taehyung announced, not waiting for a
reply before making his way inside the house.

Without him between them, Jimin’s gaze naturally found her, and she bowed her head. «Hi, I’m
Lim Han-Byul. It’s nice to meet you.»

«Nice to meet you, Han-Byul.» He tilted his head to the side. «You’re the one who–»
She didn’t let him finish, and she bowed deeper than before. «Yes, I’m sorry, I’m the one who had
the brilliant idea to visit your family. I should have never, ever done that.»

He let out a quiet laugh. «That’s not what I was going to say. Please, don’t be so formal.»

She peered up at him as she straightened up. «I thought you’d be mad at me.»

«I’m not.» He shook his head and gestured for her to enter. «Mothers will always be mothers.
Come in, you must be tired.»

Han-Byul followed him inside, feeling relief wash over her. From what she had heard, she had
expected to find a totally different person. She had imagined him as a bitter, unhappy man, who
lived a lonely existence. But Jimin was still kind and warm, and so was his house. And, after so
long, she was finally going to hear his side of the story.
 Secret || Chance

October 7, 2030

«It’s not that I don’t want to tell you where he is.» Namjoon clarified. «It’s that I’m not sure he’s
ready for this.»

«What do you mean, you’re not sure?» Hoseok’s eyes gleamed fiercely. «Whether he’s ready or
not is up to him to decide.»

He sighed. «Hoseok, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been with him during the last
few years, and you should believe me when I say he’s been through a lot.»

«Namjoon, we’re all adults.» Seokjin intervened. «Stop treating him like a child.»

«The letters.» Yeji said, wanting to voice her opinions too. «You’ve written those letters for the
members, so you obviously supported the “reunion” project. Why the sudden change?»

Namjoon’s expression slowly changed into a guilty one. He lowered his head, tapping with his pen
on his desk. That was enough for them to figure the answer out.

«You underestimated Han-Byul, didn’t you.» Yeji murmured. «You didn’t think she’d actually
make it.»

«And you underestimated our friendship!» Hoseok crossed his arms, looking displeased. «You
thought we wouldn’t agree to meet again, right?»

Namjoon sighed, holding a hand up in defeat. «Okay, fine. I’ll tell you where he is, but there’s
something you need to know first.»

«Go on, tell us.»

«He’s at my other house, and I’m having him watched.»

Hoseok audibly gasped, while Seokjin leaned with both hands on the desk, coldly eyeing the
younger male.

«Write the address down and we’ll be off.»

Namjoon scribbled it on a scrap of paper, then he handed it to him. «I’m sorry.»

«You better put your heart into this reunion thing to make up for it.» Hoseok scoffed, walking out
of the office.

Yeji bowed her head, then she followed after him. Seokjin left the office last. He caught up to
them, and he showed them the address.

«It’s a bit far.» Hoseok observed.

«It’s fine. We can go there right now.» Seokjin locked gazes with him. «You came with your car,
didn’t you?»

«Yeah. We better get going, then.»

Hoseok jogged ahead, leading the way out of the building. He did not slow down even once they
were outside, and that bothered Yeji. She wasn’t really the sporty type, and she was embarrassed to
run in public for no reason.

«Wait–»

«Will you slow down, Hoseok?» Seokjin – not the TV host, but the real one – complained. «Not
everyone is a freaking athlete, you know.»

Yeji tried to hide her proud grin. Hoseok slowed almost to a stop and turned to them, looking
dazed. He brought a hand to his forehead, then he ran it through his hair.

«I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t even realize it.» He huffed, and Yeji could tell that he was nervous. «I
haven’t seen him in so long, and now that we know where he is, I feel like he’ll just vanish into
thin air if we don’t hurry.»

«Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know we’re gonna visit.
Namjoon said–» Seokjin trailed off. Yeji wondered what he was about to say, but for no longer
than a few seconds.

«What did he mean by “having him watched”, anyway?» Perhaps, Hoseok’s concern was the same
as his own.

«To be honest, I have no clue.»

Yeji furrowed her brows. No matter how she looked at it, Yoongi’s situation seemed way too odd
to her. He hadn’t kept in touch with any of the other members apart from Namjoon, but his words
had made it sound as like he was being kept in his house against his will.

«What kind of person is he?» She questioned.

«Yoongi-hyung?» Hoseok glanced at her. «He was shy to show it, but he always looked out for all
of us. He was truly caring and selfless. When it was about music, he was the most passionate–»

«Why are you using the past tense? It’s giving me the chills.» Seokjin grimaced, lightly rubbing
his neck.

«Because I don’t know if he’s still gonna be like that! Maybe he changed.» Hoseok fretted, clearly
panicked at the idea. «It’s been years, anything could have happened…»

«Don’t you think it’s strange?»

The two men, each walking on one of her sides, looked at her.

«I mean.» Yeji continued. «This man is basically Mr. Sweetheart, and yet, he didn’t contact you
for years. How can it logically be possible?»

«It does seem strange.» Hoseok conceded. «Now that I think about it, the last time we saw him was
at Namjoon’s wedding. He used to text us until a while ago, though. He always said he was too
busy to meet, or stuff like that.»

«Even when we didn’t hear anything from him, Namjoon assured us he was fine. Artists normally
go through phases when they don’t want to see anyone and focus on work, and knowing him...»

«Most of the MK Recordings songs have his name on them. That means he’s been working.»
Yeji could see why they had not doubted their friends’ words. They had no reason to do so, and
they had enough proof to believe Yoongi was just taking a break from his social life to focus on
work. But she wasn’t buying it. She didn’t want to cause them further concerns, but the way she
saw it, Namjoon had kept something from them. And whatever it was, they were just about to find
out.

March 4, 2028

Yoongi laughed, even though there was nothing to laugh about. He wiped the blood trickling down
his lip, then he stupidly stared at his thumb, smeared with red.

«For how long were you planning on hiding it?»

It had been a while since he had last heard Namjoon shout. He had not missed it.

Yoongi was aware of having made a mistake and he didn’t need him to point it out. He could
usually tell whenever he did something that would end up only damaging his own self, and yet, he
still let himself stray from the right path. It was as though as if his life had acquired the same
consistency as quicksand: it slipped through his fingers without anything he could do about it.

He used to feel bad about it. He used to hate himself more with each fresh mistake, but he had
recently found out that he had become numb to that sense of self-hatred that inhabited his
conscience. He didn’t know if that was a positive or a negative thing yet; but one thing he knew for
sure. His life had become nothing but a collection of mistakes, which could all be traced back to
the summer of 2024. His mistakes all shared the same cursed, wretched root.

«Am I not allowed to take my eyes off of you for a fucking second?»

Yoongi laughed, even though he felt a knot build up in his throat. He didn’t have the courage to
look at Namjoon in the eyes, because that would have truly broken him. He didn’t care about
himself, but seeing what he had turned Namjoon into was the one thing he feared the most.
Because the one in front of him wasn’t the real Namjoon.

The real Namjoon wasn’t the type of person who could yell at his friends, let alone hit them. He
knew him well. Namjoon had been next to him from the start, he had supported him through his
hardest times, and he had treated him with patience and respect, even when he didn’t deserve any.
He had never ever lashed out at him. But everybody has a breaking point. Yoongi had caused him
to reach it, and that was what he regretted the most. He didn’t blame him.

«Right when I thought things were going well. I should have known it.» Namjoon angrily spat. «A
relapse.»

Yoongi had a smile on his face, but it was starting to look more like a grimace. Maybe it did hurt a
tiny bit. He had tried, and he had failed. He had betrayed Namjoon’s trust. But, on the other hand,
he was relieved that he had noticed. The mere thought of that made him redden in shame. Had he
been subconsciously trying to catch his attention all along?

«I want to move forward, hyung. I want to take care of my family, and I want to do more for the
company. All I need is your help and guidance, but you don’t seem to understand that. God –
what’s wrong with you?»

Yoongi was no longer laughing or smiling. He bent over, taking his head in his hands. In that
moment, he wouldn’t have minded disappearing. Like an ugly chrysalis, he only wanted to curl up
and be alone, far from the world, far from people, and far from his addiction. But, deep in his
conscience, he felt that couldn’t do that, because running away was the easy way. Ending it all was
the easy way. Just once, he wanted to do something good for Namjoon, and not cause him even
more trouble.

«Please.» He mumbled. «One last chance.»

 Unexpected || Choices

January 2, 2025

For years after the accident, Jimin had only lived to find a way to get better. His life had lost any
other purposes. But, after three years, he was starting to lose that too. He had grown tired. He had
seen the best doctors in the world, and he had tried various kinds of treatments. Ever since the
beginning, he had known he was never going to make a full recovery. He knew he could never be
able to dance again; he knew he could never be deemed worthy of the stage again. Four years were
enough to get over it. And yet, it still hurt as much as the moment when he had first learned that.

He had been improving, little by little, but seeing how long it took and how much he had suffered
just to be able to take a few steps on his own was discouraging. It was becoming apparent to him
that there was no point in continuing to take his meds and do physiotherapy. Slow, minimal
improvement wasn’t worth all that trouble. For that reason, he had decided to stop.

He had left his house, ill-dressed for the cold. He had no idea of where he was going or what he
wanted to do, but he didn’t really care. Perhaps, he wanted to test his own will. The biting cold was
nothing compared to the constant, throbbing pain in his legs once he had reached his limit.

«How useless.» He muttered to himself. He was surprised at how easily he still cried – even when
he thought he had no tears left to shed.

His legs gave out, but the jolt of pain he felt as soon as he hit the ground was almost comforting.
That feeling had become familiar to him. He looked around, his vision clouded by tears. No one
seemed to have noticed him, but he was sure that even if someone had, they still wouldn’t have
cared. Because he was no longer shining. He had lost everything people liked him for. He had also
lost what he treasured the most – the love of his members, who he himself had pushed away. He
had told them horrible things, which had scared him too. Until that moment, he had been convinced
of being a good person, but the furious hate that had bloomed in his conscience had made him
change his mind. He had turned into a disgusting excuse for human being, or perhaps, he had been
like that in the first place.

«Excuse me?»

He heard a voice, but he did not turn towards it. He covered his face with a hand, wishing he could
at least stop crying so pitifully.

«Sorry. I think I’m just going to pass on asking for your permission.»

His body was suddenly lifted from the ground. He stiffened. That was the normal reaction to being
held by a stranger, but there was more to it. It made him painfully aware of how long he had been
alone for.

He was too weak to push the stranger away, and he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself.
Hopefully, his glaring skills were going to do the trick.

«Who the hell do you think you are?» He cringed at the sound of his own voice, for he didn’t
sound nearly as threatening as he had intended. «When have I asked for your help?»

But his harsh words were met with a smile. «Ah, you don’t recognize me. I kinda expected that.»

His glare softened as he focused on trying to give a name to that face. Nothing came to his mind.
«I live in the house opposite of yours, but we’ve never had a chance to introduce each other.»

Jimin knew that was his fault. He never went to open the door unless he was expecting someone,
and the rare times he went out, he kept his eyes fixed on the ground. He didn’t want to interact with
anyone because he had not yet come to terms with his disability. Using crutches or a cane to walk
was utterly humiliating to him, and – god forbid – he had sworn he would never sit in a wheelchair
as long as he breathed.

«I’m taking you home.»

Jimin made a sound of protest, his irritation making it hard for him to formulate coherent
sentences. He grabbed onto the man’s jacket, warily, as if he was afraid of getting burned.

He didn’t need his help. He didn’t need anyone’s help. If his neighbour expected a “thank you”
from him, he was sorely mistaken. There was no room for kindness in his blackened heart.

October 7, 2030

«I want to see the members again. I am the one who owes them an apology.»

Over dinner, Han-Byul had listened to Jimin’s account of the events surrounding the group’s
disbandment. Hearing it from a different perspective had given her the chance to understand the
members’ current relationships a little better.

«You’re fine, Jimin.» Taehyung reassured him. «We all missed you, and no one blames you for
what happened.»

«Still, I was horrible to you. And Jungkook went through all that because of me…» Jimin met her
eyes with an apologetic smile. «I’m also sorry for what you’ve witnessed. I’m sure it must have
been unpleasant.»

Han-Byul shook her head. «It was pretty intense, yes, but it’s been hard for your family too. I can
see why your mother would think that way.»

«I told her a hundred times that Jungkook’s debut had been planned long before the accident and it
couldn’t be cancelled just like that.»

«It wasn’t a happy time for him, either.» Taehyung commented. «The backlash he got from it was
a nightmare. The fans turned their backs on him, he was kicked out of most music shows, and he
was constantly harassed.»

«Poor Jungkook…I know I could never make up for all that, but I wish I could do something for
him.»

«Even your words would be enough.» She suggested. «To be honest, I’m not quite sure he’s doing
much better now.»

«What do you mean?» Taehyung eyed her with a raised eyebrow. «I read his last concert sold out
in a matter of hours. He’s also very popular abroad.»

«I don’t know how to put it. There’s something that…» Han-Byul didn’t continue because she
didn’t think it was her place to judge him.

Perhaps it was just her reading too much into it, but from their talks, she had gotten the impression
that Jungkook lacked enthusiasm towards his job and his life in general. He was still trying to live
his life to the fullest, and he did his job with the utmost dedication, but there was something self-
destructive about that lifestyle. It was as though as if he was on fire, and he was going to keep
going until he burnt out. Another thing that had given her reasons to worry, even before that, had
been the changing room accident. She had heard rumours about his womanizing habits, but she
hadn’t believed any of them until she had seen it for herself.

«I think he’s made some questionable life choices.» She concluded.

Jimin’s curious gaze seemed to be asking her for a further explanation, but she didn’t think it was
right for her to continue. «You’ll see soon enough, Jimin.»

«Yeah. You’re coming back with us, aren’t you?»

At Taehyung’s question, Jimin’s eyes widened. «I really hadn’t thought about that.»

«Don’t worry, I got you. You can stay at my place.» Taehyung’s bright smile could easily convince
anyone, but Han-Byul could tell that Jimin was still uncertain.

«I’ll need to take some time off work, and I’ll need to prepare Rice’s stuff…»

«Rice?» She asked.

«Oh yeah – my dog, Rice Cake.»

«Dog?» Taesoo, who had been completely absorbed into the cartoons he had been watching,
jumped off the couch and skipped over to them. «Where’s your dog?»

Jimin gazed at the boy, and he reached a hand out to gently stroke his hair. «I’m sorry little one,
he’s at my neighbour’s right now. I thought you’d be afraid of him – he’s really big.»

«I’m not scared, I like big dogs! I have a small one, though.»

«Ah, is that so?» Jimin chuckled, then he looked at Taehyung.

The latter winked at him and gave him the thumbs up. «Seriously, you don’t need to worry.»

«Alright…» Jimin nodded. «Of course, you two can stay here for the night.»

Han-Byul felt the urge to slap herself, because she hadn’t come prepared for that. It had gotten late,
though, and the idea of another long journey wasn’t that appealing.

The day was almost over. As the reunion drew near, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. And
surely, the members were all more nervous than her. She was going to do everything in her power
to make it all go well.
 Tortured || Soul

October 7, 2030

«It appears that he is not home at the moment, sir. I must find him immediately.» The man in the
suit, who looked like a bodyguard of sorts, rushed to the street, not giving them a second glance.

«He’s not doing a very good job at watching him.» Yeji commented, her gaze shifting between
Seokjin and Hoseok. «I wonder if Namjoon knows.»

«Wait, does that mean he sneaked out?»

She shrugged. In a matter of seconds, she saw the concern in Hoseok’s eyes change into
determination.

«Guys, we need to find him first!» He half-shouted as he sprinted after the guard.

Yeji addressed Seokjin. «Shall we go too?»

«Yeah, let’s go.»

They headed towards the house’s front gate, and she turned back to take in the view of the large
building one last time before catching up to the former idol.

When she had heard that Namjoon was having Yoongi watched, her imagination had made her
assume that he was being kept in a dungeon or something of that kind. That place, on the other
hand, seemed to perfectly fit the definition of “golden cage”.

«Do you even have an idea of where we’re going?»

«No.» Seokjin bluntly replied. «But we can’t just stay still, or else Hoseok is gonna get all the
credit.»

She held back a chuckle, giving him a sidelong glance. «I didn’t think you’d be this competitive.»

«Are you kidding?» The corners of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. «I don’t like losing, especially
if it’s to someone younger.»

Yeji found endearing how the oldest member of the group had a childish side. But, above all, she
appreciated him showing a little more of his true personality.

«We’re on the same side, though.»

«True. And because it’s Hoseok we’re talking about, I wouldn’t mind it as much.» He lowered his
gaze, seemingly pensive. «Hell, we’ve been a team for so long. It’s like they were all my kids, you
know what I mean?»

«Yes, I get it. Han-Byul is younger than me, so I kinda feel responsible for her. I find it hard to
refuse whenever she asks me a favour…»

«I know. It’s tough being the oldest.»

As they approached an intersection, Yeji slowed down to wait for their turn to cross the road.
Seokjin, however, didn’t seem to have noticed it, and she grabbed onto his arm to stop him.
«Careful.»

«Ah–» He sharply raised his head, quickly scanning his surroundings. «I’m sorry. Thank you.»

She gave him a slight nod as she too looked around. She had been keeping her eyes on Hoseok
from afar until that moment, but the crowd of people gathered around them had made her lose sight
of him.

«Could you please let go of me?»

She brought her attention back to Seokjin. She noticed that he had his eyes squeezed shut, and his
muscles felt tense under her touch.

«Sure.»

She let go of him, and as soon as she did, he dropped down into a crouched position with a sigh.
She bent her torso forward, stooping low enough to see his face. He was holding his head with a
hand, while his other arm was resting on his knee.

«Are you okay?»

«Yes. It’ll pass soon, don’t worry.» He took a few slow, deep breaths. «I just have a hard time
when people suddenly grab me like that.»

Knowing that she had been the cause of his discomfort made her face burn in shame. She crouched
down next to him, seizing him in a concerned gaze. She recalled having already seen him react in a
similar manner.

«I’m sorry, I didn’t know.»

«It’s not your fault. I’ve been like this for a while.»

«How did it start?» She inquired, leaning her chin on her crossed arms.

«It’s a long story.» He paused, his voice threatening to break. «I actually haven’t told this to
anyone. I know I should have sought help, but I could never bring myself to do it.»

«It’s not too late for that.»

«I know. I know, but still…»

Yeji watched the tall man curl up tighter and hang his head. She was no expert, but it seemed like
he had experienced some kind of trauma that had caused him to become that way. By the sound of
it, he had been living with it for a long time. He had tried to make it appear like something minor,
but she could not consider it as such after witnessing how deeply it affected him. She had not
missed the tiny droplets of sweat beading his face, nor could she pretend not to see that his body
had yet to stop trembling. She wanted to do something to comfort him, but at the same time she
was afraid of upsetting him further.

«Can I put my hand on your back?»

He flinched at the question, slightly lifting his head. «I wouldn’t mind, but why–»

She promptly did so, trying to be as gentle as possible. «Can I rub your back?»

«…I guess.»
She began moving her hand up and down, hoping it to have a soothing effect on him. It took some
time, but eventually, his knees hit the ground. He let out a soft, frustrated whine.

She hesitated. «Does it feel bad?»

«No, it’s not that.» He shook his head, looking down to hide his tears. She could still hear them in
his tone. «I just realized that I’ve been an idiot to keep this to myself for so long. I’m pathetic.»

«I’m sure you must have a reason for that.» She observed. «You’ve been so strong to endure it by
yourself, but promise you will no longer neglect your own wellbeing.»

«I promise.» He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then he huffed his breath out. «I’m sorry about…
this. Maybe we can still catch up to them.»

«You don’t need to apologize. And yes, we can.»

They stood up, and before they could start walking again, she brushed her fingers against his to
gauge his reaction. He turned to her, his face still softly flushed. He didn’t look annoyed or uneasy
at the contact; his deep brown irises were simply staring at her. She gingerly took his hand.

«If I’m already holding your hand, I won’t have to grab it all of sudden.»

Yeji began walking ahead, too nervous to stay still. The feeling of his fingers curling around hers
seconds later was enough to make her worries fade.

July 6, 2028

There was no room left for weakness. Failure was not an option. Yoongi wanted to prove himself.
During the past years, he felt like he had done nothing but take, and his time to give had finally
come. Maybe he was being a bit overdramatic, but he saw that as the last chance to save his soul.
Previously, he had found it hard to pick himself up after spiralling down to rock bottom. It had hurt,
and it had been hard for him to get on his feet again. And quite frankly, it still was.

But this time he was in no place to whine about it. He simply had no other choice if he wanted to
keep living as a human being. He still had a shred of dignity left, and he didn’t want to lose that
too. He had gotten used to living with a complete stranger who was charged with watching him. He
had gotten used to not being allowed to have any secrets. He had gotten used to going out with an
unwanted presence tailing behind him. But he had also learned to take it well. At that point, he
could only see the bright side – there was hardly anything worse than what he had already been
through.

«Hey, big guy.» He crossed his arms behind his head, quirking an eyebrow at the bodyguard. «I’m
trying to work, but you’re kinda spoiling the mood.»

«I do not understand what you are trying to say, sir.»

«It’s not you, really. It’s me.» He flicked his fingers at him. «I’d like to be alone for a while.»

He had never tried that. He had done nothing but silently follow the rules until that moment,
without ever objecting. So, his request was new for the guard as much as it was for him.

«I’m not asking you to leave. Just, maybe, stay out of this room?»

«Thirty minutes.»
At least that wasn’t a flat-out “no”.

«D’ya think you could write a song in thirty minutes? You must be a prodigy.»

«How much time do you need, sir?»

«I’ll tell you when I’m done.» The man’s blank eyes met his own, and he threw his hands up.
«Come on, man. It’s not like I can go anywhere without stepping out of that door.»

«I will have to report to Chief Kim about this.»

«Yeah, go ahead.»

He wasn’t afraid of that, because he believed that Namjoon wouldn’t be against the idea. He
needed some alone time to be productive – that was objectively understandable – and that was
going to benefit him and the company too, so he had no reasons to object. For Yoongi, though, that
was only the first step towards freedom.

At night, with moonlight peeking in from his windows, he would step out of his bed and look at the
distant outline of the city. He wanted to go to there by himself. Seoul was lively, bustling, and it
never slept. It inspired him, but he needed to feel all those lights and colours on his skin to be able
to do something with them. He wanted to do what he was born to do – turn feelings into music. He
was going to think of a plan to get out of there. That was purely for work purposes; he had no
intention to succumb to temptation once again.

He had never felt so motivated in his life. He was going to become a better person, so that he could
finally make it up to Namjoon for all the trouble he had caused him. He was older than him, and
yet, their roles had been reversed over the last few years. He was fully aware of that, and he could
not keep acting oblivious. He wanted to show him that he could still be a person he could depend
on, and he wanted to be worthy of standing by his side. Only then, maybe, he could feel good
enough to meet his friends again.
 Mistake || Impossible
Chapter Notes

I took a little break from posting because I banned all angst during comeback week,
but well...here I am, back with your weekly dose of angst.

February 8, 2025

Jimin saw Kang-Dae, his neighbour, out of the corner of his eye. He was in his kitchen, and he was
in the process of trying to put together a lunch. He wondered how he had ended up allowing an
unwanted visitor into his house. Repeatedly.

Because during the last few weeks, he had happened to wonder about that quite frequently. Kang-
Dae had often come to visit from the day when he had – literally – picked him up off the street,
and there had been nothing he could do about it.

«Do you have a thing for instant noodles or should I start getting worried?»

His frown deepened as he detected a hint of irony in his voice. «That’s none of your business.»

«But it is. Who else can make sure you’re eating well if not your neighbour?»

«Right now, eating is the last of my problems.» He lowered his head, grabbing fistfuls of the
blanket that was laid on his legs.

«…instant noodles it is. But I’ll cook you something tastier tomorrow.»

Jimin could not understand what Kang-Dae’s motive was. He had made it clear that he wasn’t
welcome in his house and that he didn’t need a nanny, and yet he kept coming back. He didn’t like
it. Or rather, he didn’t like the state of anxiety it put him in.

He was afraid of being around others. He was afraid of becoming used to another person’s
presence. He was afraid of them realizing that he was nothing special – since he wasn’t an idol
anymore – and leaving him. And he had a way to prevent that from happening.

«I don’t want you to come tomorrow.»

Kang-Dae turned towards him. He was holding a pot in his hands, and he seemed unaffected.
«Then maybe the day after.»

«Don’t you get it?» He growled. «I don’t want you to come here at all!»

The moment Jimin uttered those words, he felt a twinge in his chest. He was doing the same thing
he had done years earlier. Back then, when he had pushed all of his closest friends away, he had
hurt one of them the most. What he had told him haunted him to that very day, especially since he
had received – and he was still receiving – nothing but kindness from him. Whenever he got a text
from him, he could never muster up the courage to reply, because he didn’t feel worthy of his
sweet and encouraging messages.
«Why?»

He lifted his gaze to find Kang-Dae standing in front of him. Intentionally or not, he seemed to be
set on trying to breach the walls he had built around his heart. He shouldn’t have let him in.

«Please, just leave me alone.» Because of his growing nervousness, he couldn’t stop himself from
rambling. «Why do you keep coming back, anyway? I told you I don’t need your help. I’ve got
nothing to give you. If you’re hoping to gain something from me, then I’ll tell you in advance:
you’re wasting your time.»

«There’s nothing I want from you, Jimin.»

Jimin felt as though as ice water had been splashed on him. Ever since he had moved to that small,
remote town, he had been living under a false name to avoid being recognized. He rarely went out,
and whenever he did, he made sure to conceal his features in any possible way. He had stopped
taking care of his appearance, and he doubted anyone would recognize his current self, who was
far from his glory days. Apparently, he had made a mistake, but suddenly, everything made sense.

«So that’s it.» He muttered. «You know who I am and that’s why you’re trying to get close to
me.» He couldn’t explain it, but he felt betrayed. He shouldn’t have been feeling that way, since
they weren’t even acquaintances, but for some unknown reason, it hurt.

«You’re mistaken.»

«My mistake was letting you inside my house.» He threw the blanket aside and stood up, his fists
tightly clenched by his sides. «Get out.»

«Will you let me explain?»

«Get the fuck out!»

Kang-Dae was looking right into his eyes, and Jimin didn’t like what he saw in them, nor his
relaxed smile.

«Everyone here knows who you are, Jimin. But we respect your decision. We just wish you
wouldn’t be so hard on yourself.»

«What–?»

«Your physical condition doesn’t define who you are. You’re still you.»

Jimin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His confused silence gave Kang-Dae the chance to
continue.

«You’re not exactly the best neighbour, I’ll give you that, but from what I’ve seen over the last few
weeks, you’re not a bad person. What you’ve been putting yourself through is too much.»

Jimin didn’t remember since when he had started thinking that whoever approached him wanted
something from him. He had gotten so used to the idea that he hadn’t even considered the
possibility of someone sincerely wanting to help, and he didn’t know how to take it.

«Let us help you. Let me help you.»

Jimin wasn’t going to change his mind overnight, but maybe, just maybe, he could regain some of
the hope he had lost.
 October 7, 2030

The bed in the guestroom was comfortable as much as the clothes she had been lent, but despite her
tiredness, Han-Byul couldn’t sleep. She took her phone and sent a text to Yeji while she wandered
out of the room. She wanted to check if Taehyung and Jimin were still awake. As she got closer to
the living room, she heard quiet voices coming from the TV. The sight in front of her as soon as
she walked in made her heart melt.

Taesoo was curled up against Taehyung, his little head resting on his chest. They were both laying
on the couch, and judging by the state the room was in, a long play session must have taken place.
She grabbed a blanket and draped it over their sleeping forms, a smile naturally appearing on her
lips.

Just then, she heard her ringtone go off. Since she didn’t want to risk waking them up, she picked
up without even looking at the caller ID. «Hello?»

She expected it to be Yeji, who had probably received her text, but the voice on the other end of
the line was someone else’s.

«Did I wake you up?»

She rapidly glanced at her phone’s screen, then she walked away from the couch before replying.
«No, you didn’t. Actually, I couldn’t sleep.»

«It’s getting late, though. You should sleep.»

She rolled her eyes. «You’re the one to talk, Jungkook.»

Days before, Han-Byul had feared that things would turn awkward with the singer. Her plan to
avoid that had been texting him daily to tell him about how things were progressing, or even just to
chat. She had to admit that she had not expected him to reply, given how busy he was; to her
surprise, though, he had texted her back on multiple occasions, usually late at night. Because of
that, she felt like the gap between them had shrunk. She – as a fan – had always had a deep
admiration for him, and despite knowing that he, too, was human, she unconsciously put him on a
pedestal. While talking to him, she had found out instead that he was more similar to her than she
had thought, and she couldn’t help talking to him as if he were to one of her friends.

A brief, light chuckle caressed her ear. «How is it over there?»

«It’s nice. A little bit cold, but nice.»

«Right, you said it was in the mountains.»

«Yup.»

«Is there snow?»

«It’s not that cold.»

«Ah, yeah?»

She pursed her lips. There could only be one reason for him calling her, and hearing him playing
dumb was, although almost amusing, threatening to turn their conversation into an unproductive
mess.
«Are you going to beat around the bush for much longer before asking about Jimin?»

Of course, she had hit the mark, and his short silence was proof of that. «How is he?»

«He’s doing well.» She answered, leaning against the windowsill. «He wants to see you all again.»

Again, a few seconds went by before he continued. «Did he say anything about me?»

She had predicted that kind of question, because she had learned how much Jimin’s opinion of him
mattered to Jungkook. She wanted to reassure him, even though she knew the only one who could
truly do that was Jimin himself.

«He said he wants to apologize to you. And also that you know that he knows – or something like
that. That part wasn’t very clear.»

«What a dummy.» His tone was teasing, but she welcomed it, as it was a good sign.

«Hey, it’s not my fault. You’re supposed to know what he meant.»

«I do.» He sighed. «Now that you told me, I feel better.»

«That’s good. Hopefully, you’ll welcome him with a light heart. We’re leaving tomorrow
morning.»

«I’ll be waiting for news.»

«Alright then. I’ll talk to you soon.»

«Han-Byul?»

She was about to hang up, but his voice stopped her. «Yes?»

«Thank you.»

And Han-Byul thought that, maybe, her wish to stay friends after that was over wasn’t all that
impossible.
 Ready || Bachelors
Chapter Notes

Chapter 19 marks the end of this narrative arc; the chapters that will come next will be
mainly focused on present events. I also will be updating less frequently because I
have not written the final chapter yet, and I want to take some time to see the end of
this story as a whole. BTS 2030 is the first of my projects I decided to publish, and it
holds a special place in my heart - I'd hate not to be satisfied with its ending.
Thanks to everyone who's showed this story support, I love you. ♡

October 7, 2030

Hoseok had no trouble keeping up with the bodyguard’s long and swift strides. However, he was
growing more puzzled by the second, because something didn’t make sense.

«So, do you know where he is?»

The man didn’t answer, seemingly absorbed in whatever he was doing on his phone. Hoseok went
closer to take a peek, and his eyebrows went up a notch when he saw they were moving towards a
tiny red dot on a map.

«Is that–» He gulped, feeling his mouth going dry. «Did you microchip him?»

The guard threw him a dirty look, muttering through his teeth. «…I am tracking his phone.»

«Does Namjoon know about this?» He questioned. «Actually, does Yoongi know?»

«This is just an emergency measure.»

Hoseok frowned. He still had a lot of questions, but he didn’t want to waste any more time. He
peered at the man’s phone again, and he noticed that they were much closer to the red dot, which
didn’t seem to be moving at all. He split ways with him and sprinted ahead, hoping to find his
friend first.

In just a few minutes, he had reached the park where the red dot had stopped. He scanned his
surroundings, his only certainty being that his friend was there, somewhere. He began running
around, looking at all the faces that he passed by. The sun was setting, and he knew that the darker
it got, the lesser were his chances to spot him among the crowds.

Right when he was about to let the anxiety of failure overwhelm him, faint music reached his ears.
As if in a trance, he followed the sound. It was a guitar, and each rhythmical strum created a rich,
clear harmony that pulled him to it. Soon, a melodious, silky voice began singing to the music.

He made his way through a circle of bystanders, and right in the middle of it, he saw the girl to
whom the voice belonged to. He lowered his gaze to find the person who was playing the guitar.
He could not fully see his face, as the visor of his cap covered part of it, but something about the
way he moved his slender fingers to skilfully pluck the strings caused him to step forward and call
out to him.
«Yoongi-hyung?»

A pair of sharp eyes met his, and the harmony of those warm, colourful notes was brusquely
broken.
Hoseok took another step forth, unable to speak because of his astonishment.

The man with the guitar looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He hurriedly stood up, slung
his guitar over his shoulder, and dashed into the crowd after muttering a hushed apology.

«Hey, wait!»

Hoseok didn’t care about having ruined the show, nor about bumping against people as he ran after
him. In that moment, all he wanted was to catch up to the brother he had missed so much. One
thing he couldn’t figure, though, was the reason why his first reaction had been running away from
him.

«Hyung!»

Hoseok sped up, then he leaped at Yoongi. He tightly fastened his arms around his chest, not
wanting to let him escape when he had finally found him.

«Why are you doing this?» He asked, upset by his actions.

Yoongi was not fighting back, and Hoseok could not see his face, but from the way he had his
fingers clasped around his arms he could tell that he didn’t like the position he was in. Hoseok
wanted to hear his answer so desperately, and the thought of it being painful to accept made his
eyes well up with tears. Maybe Yoongi didn’t want to see them again, maybe he no longer
considered them his friends, maybe he had decided to start over and let go of his past. But there
was a part of him that wasn’t convinced of that, and that part of him believed he would never make
such a choice.

«I’m not ready.» His low, raspy voice had a defeated sound to it.

To Hoseok, that was an opening, and he was going to make use of it to understand what was going
through his mind. «Not ready for what?»

Yoongi sighed heavily, lifting his gaze up to the sky. «I don’t think I’m ready to face you or the
others, Hoseok.»

«So you’re not ready, huh…?» A bitter laugh spilled from his lips at the absurdity of that. «When
have we ever been ready for something, hyung? Back when we debuted, or when we became so
famous that we thought things couldn’t possibly get better, or when everything fell apart – do you
think we were ready for any of that?»

Yoongi let go of him, his hands falling by his sides.

«So don’t give me that bullshit.» Hoseok continued. «You’re as ready as you’ll ever be.»

He released him from his hold, and he was relieved to see that Yoongi stayed.

«I’ve lied to you. I’ve kept so many things hidden that I’m afraid they would damage you too, if
they were to come out.»

«And so? We fall together, we get back up together.» He stared at his back, clenching his fists. «I
don’t care about anything else. I want – I need my friend back.»
Perhaps Hoseok hadn’t been ready to debut, to handle the fame that came at them like a crushing
tide, or to say goodbye to the stage, but one thing he knew for sure: he would always be ready to
help his friends. At that point in his life, he had come to value bonds over everything else, and the
bonds between him and all six of his former members were ones he was not willing to sacrifice.

When Yoongi turned around, Hoseok forgot about how many years had passed. He wrapped him
into a strong, affectionate hug, and he rambled about how much he had missed him, the same way
as a kid named J-Hope would have done.

August 21, 2027

Hoseok had an arm around Yoongi’s neck, and he was leaning against the railing with the other.
He was watching the spectacle of sea waves, kissed by the moonlight, which were crashing against
the rocks a mere few feet beneath them.

«Who would have thought he’d be the one to go first.» He lamented in a gloomy tone, but that had
been a very happy day.

«Cheer up, hyung.» Taehyung patted his back. «Our time will come too. We need to be patient.»

«That’s easy for you to say!»

«Why? I still haven’t gotten married, either.»

«So what? That’s not what’s important in a relationship.»

«Actually…» He began, hanging his head. «Sometimes I wonder if she’s really in love with me or
if she only sees me as a friend...»

«Why would she have not one, but two children with a man she doesn’t love? Please, tell me
you’re joking!»

«I’m serious.»

Right when he felt close to exasperation, Hoseok saw Seokjin approach and his frown smoothened,
leaving room to a happy grin. He leaned up to meet his eyes and walked up to him.

«Hyung, I feel like you can understand me better than Mr. Family Man over there. We’re on the
same boat, aren’t we? We’re, like, the country’s most eligible bachelors.»

The older male let out a chuckle, shaking his head. «Speak for yourself.»

Hoseok pointed his finger at him, his face taken over by astonishment. «You’re leaving the
bachelors’ club? Without notice?»

«As if.» He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, the corners of his mouth quirking up.
«I’m not interested in such a silly title, is all.»

«“As if”?» Taehyung echoed in disbelief. «Could it be that our smoothest, most charming hyung
has lost his touch?»

«Hush.» Seokjin let Taehyung wrap an arm around his shoulders. «I’m too busy with work to have
a serious relationship.»

«Sounds like an excuse.» Taehyung teased, poking his cheek.

«Ah, stop it.» He laughed, turning the other way.

Hoseok noticed something flash in Seokjin’s eyes, but he couldn’t tell what it was. If it wasn’t that
he knew him better than that, he’d think that the subject was making him uncomfortable. He
slightly narrowed his eyes, studying his expression carefully.

«You shouldn’t think that way, hyung.»

Since he had been so focused on the task, it took him a few seconds to realize that it had been
Yoongi who had spoken those words. They sounded a tiny bit out of character, but not because of
what he was suggesting. Rather, it was because he didn’t expect that kind of advice coming from
him.

«Excuse me?» Hoseok scampered back to his side, hugging him from behind. «Are these words of
wisdom from a fellow member of the bachelors’ club?»

He quietly snorted in amusement. «Something like that.»

«So our hyung is thinking of settling down too!» He chirped, holding him closer. «Or are you just
getting emotional because of today?»

«…that might be. All this happiness at once is making my heart hurt.»

Hoseok was about to affectionately poke fun at him again – saying something like that was just
like him – but he froze when he heard him sniffle. All of sudden, it felt like a switch had been
turned off.

«What’s wrong?» He softly asked, leaning closer to look at his face.

The other raised a hand as if to tell him not to worry, but it was far too late. They all gathered
around Yoongi, trying to comfort him any way they could.

«I’m fine.» He assured them. «I’m just so happy to be with you today.»

Hoseok wondered if those were really happy tears.

«You know you can drop by my place anytime, right?» Taehyung offered.

«Yeah…»

«We should meet up, too. It doesn’t matter when – I’ll make time for you.»

Yoongi nodded at Seokjin’s offer, wiping his tears away.

«When Jungkookie returns, let’s go out and have fun together.» Hoseok whispered, gazing up at
the moon. «It’d be even more awesome if all of us could meet.»

Those words hung heavily in the air. They all knew what he meant. There were two missing pieces
for them to be complete, that night. But Hoseok had not given up hope. One day it would be the
seven of them once again. They only had to wait.
 Catharsis || Reflections
Chapter Notes

After a month's hiatus from this story, I'm finally back!

This arc will be three chapters long, and it will lead to the final one.
I'm so looking forward to the end of this story.
Thank you for all your support, always. ♡

October 8, 2030

In the middle of the night, sitting by the fireplace, Yoongi had poured his heart out to his friend
Hoseok, and he had been surprised to find out that it had been easier than expected.

He had always been unsure about opening up; it was part of his personality – he felt more than he
said. He remembered that, back in the day, not needing to speak in order to communicate with
Hoseok had been the reason why he liked his company so much. This time, though, words had
been a necessity – and he had been dreading that, but thankfully, he had been proved wrong.
Meeting Hoseok again had made him feel like he had returned home after a long journey. He had
felt at ease, and one after another, words had come out of his mouth, honest and unstoppable.

Maybe he had been unconsciously yearning for something like that; someone to whom he could
confess all his sins, someone who knew him perhaps better than he did himself – and someone
who, despite everything, still thought of him as a friend. It was a nice feeling.

«I don’t know what to say, hyung.» Murmured Hoseok, his voice hoarse with sorrow. «You’ve
gone through all that by yourself, and I didn’t notice anything. What kind of friend–»

«Don’t say that.» Yoongi cut him off, shaking his head. «You didn’t notice because I didn’t want
you to notice. I didn’t want to involve any of you in something I could only solve by myself.»

The younger man huffed in frustration, lowering his gaze. «You know I wouldn’t have minded.»

«And you know I can be stubborn.»

A short, quiet bark of laughter left his lips. «True.»

Silence fell between them – but it was a silence full of thoughts. He could almost hear the other
think, and he himself had a lot going on inside his head.

Just a few hours earlier, he had reunited with two of his former group members and he had met a
stranger who had brought him big news. The seven of them, meeting again. Why did that feel so
surreal?

And yet, he had to admit that the most surreal thing was how he had been handling such news.
Whenever he had thought of a possible reunion, in the past, he had felt nothing but anxiety, and he
had been plagued by the fear of letting all of his members down – or worse, of having done that
already. But now, he was oddly calm about it. It was true, his heart had started racing upon
learning about the reunion project, but he hadn’t subsequently started sweating and panic hadn’t
settled in his chest. No, that wasn’t the beginning of a nervous breakdown. He was excited.
Naturally, he was a little nervous, too, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

«Are you nervous?» Despite having reached that conclusion, Yoongi heard himself ask that to his
friend. Listening to someone else’s troubles was far less complicated than analysing his own
mental state, after all. «About seeing each other again, I mean.»

Hoseok peered up at him. He could swear he looked almost as if he had been taken off-guard for a
second, but he promptly shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips.

«Honestly, I’ve been through worse. A get-together with my brothers isn’t gonna kill me.» He gave
a brief chuckle, then he paused, fidgeting with his hands. «And that’d be insensitive of me. Some
of you have had it a lot worse. I can’t complain.»

That way of thinking had a very familiar ring to it. He had had the same reasoning for the longest
time, too. He hadn’t fully gotten rid of it – nor did he think he could ever do that – but now that he
was doing better, he knew it wasn’t good. He had used to keep his struggles to himself because he
thought they weren’t worthy of attention compared to what the others were feeling, and he had seen
where that had led him.

«You’re wrong. You can complain.»

His words clearly had an impact on the younger man. He ran a hand through his hair, his mouth
opening a few times as if to speak – but each time, he hesitated, covering his bewilderment up with
his blinding smiles.

And Yoongi gave him time. That night, in that place, it seemed like they had all the time in the
world.

«It’s really nothing. It’s just that sometimes think I could have done a lot more for them.»

Yoongi nodded. Of course, he knew. He felt the same.

«And I still feel guilty about what happened that night. You know, if I could, I’d give anything to
turn back time and take Jimin’s seat. I’d do that without a second thought. And when we split up, I
wish I had tried harder to keep us together. It didn’t have to go like this.» His voice thickened until
it cracked, his raw emotion slipping through. «Namjoon, Jungkook – they were still so young, and
they were all on their own. And you – I shouldn’t have listened to what I was told. I should have
looked for you. I should have paid more attention…»

Despite being faced with the pain of Hoseok’s deepest, most heart-breaking regrets – some old,
some fresh – Yoongi couldn’t help but feel relieved, because he was letting them all out and he was
there to listen and support him. Like that, he would become a brother who deserved such title once
again. Through Hoseok’s catharsis, Yoongi experienced his own one.

«It’s okay, Hoseok. It’s wasn’t your fault. You did that for years, but you can’t always make
everyone happy. That’s how life is.» A low hum came as a reply, and he continued. «We’re all
adults. You don’t have to keep protecting us – you don’t have to keep smiling for us.»

And when the other covered his face with both hands, his head sinking between his shoulders, he
wrapped an arm around him and held him close.

«So, feel free to complain, even if you think it’s nothing. I’ll listen, and I’m sure the others would
do the same.»
Yoongi often marvelled about how he could come up with the most meaningful lyrics while
having a hard time putting his thoughts into speech. With some people, however, he didn’t have to
try that hard.

«Thank you, hyung.»

And for that, he was grateful. «Thank you, Hoseok.»

October 8, 2030

Jungkook was laying still in his bed, under the mess of crumpled sheets, staring at the ceiling. He
was lost in thought, and he himself couldn’t understand what he was feeling. After all, how could
he? His life, along with his restless soul, had been turned upside down ever since a certain woman
had sneaked into his changing room, awakening in him a flurry of emotions he thought he had long
buried deep in his heart.

The seven of them were going to meet again. It wasn’t a distant idea anymore; it had become a
solid reality, an event that was definitely going to take place. He was terrified at the idea, but he
was also anticipating it. He was going to face his old friends, but this time, as the new him. The one
who had parted ways with them, the one who had not listened to any advice because he thought he
could handle everything by himself, and the one who had a dubious reputation and hadn’t bothered
trying to fix his life despite being well aware of it.

Jimin was probably the one he was the most afraid of facing, and that was because of how things
had gone nine years prior, which was also around the time he had last seen him. Despite having
been reassured by Han-Byul, there still was the cold fear of being blamed, tugging at the back of
his mind. But Jimin wasn’t the only one he had wronged. Seokjin, Namjoon, and Hoseok came
immediately after him, and he was nervous about seeing them too.

The beeping of his phone interrupted his reflections. He stretched his arm to get it from the
nightstand, and he pressed his lips together at the sight of the text he had received. A woman
whose face he could barely remember – another one of his one-night-stands – was asking him if he
wanted to go to some party in a few hours.

Despite the spontaneous annoyance he felt upon reading her text, Jungkook knew that he couldn’t
blame her, nor of any of those women who contacted him daily, asking if he was free to hook up.
He had gotten himself in that vicious circle, and he was the one to blame. He had been the one to
look for them first, believing that occasional sex and sweet nothings whispered in his intoxicated
ears were what he needed to heal a broken heart.

He had known that wasn’t going to fix things from the start, and yet, he still led that kind of life to
that very day. He let women be his comfort, and he wasn’t proud of himself for doing that, but the
only way he could feel content anymore was through physical pleasure, and it was like a drug. It
was a bit like the feeling he got when he went up on stage, but on a deeper, carnal level. It made
him feel loved and wanted, even if for a limited time, and he had become addicted to it.

But that lifestyle of his was also a double-edged sword. As long as he kept indulging in those
pleasures and loathing himself for who he had become, he was never going to feel good enough to
be worthy of having another person by his side.

And maybe that was what he deserved. Maybe he was simply too far gone to even hope for
something such as a serious relationship. Maybe one-night-stands and nocturnal farewells were
written in his fate, and he could not escape from it. Maybe going to that party was the best
someone like him could hope for. He had to accept that.
Just as he pondered upon his reply, another text popped up on the screen. Over the previous days,
he had gotten used to those texts. Han-Byul addressed him in a way that made him feel normal. It
was as though as if she were the friend he hadn’t contacted in a long time, but who had never
stopped caring for him. That feeling of familiarity was pleasant, and he had found himself enjoying
exchanging texts with her whenever he could. She had seen his real self, so he didn’t have to put
effort into pretending to be someone he wasn’t. He never felt pressured to respond to her like he did
with those women; he didn’t owe her anything, and neither did she expect something of him.

From the time they had exchanged numbers, she had started texting him to tell him about her
progress with the reunion project, but then their exchanges had slowly transitioned into something
more natural and light-hearted. It wasn’t rare for her to ask him about his day or tell him something
about hers in a friendly, goofy way that was just hers. Perhaps, her relatively excessive use of
emojis was a little childish – but endearingly so, as it never failed to make him smile. This time, her
message carried some very important information.

«It’s…in a few days.»

The date for their meeting had been set. Sooner than he expected, he was going to reunite with his
former members. The notion made his whole body tense up and, in a moment, the thought of going
to the party was chased out of his mind, as if it had never been there in the first place. As useless as
it was – it surely wasn’t going to change him – taking a break from his routine before the reunion
felt right. What he needed now was time to prepare himself, away from everything and everyone
else. And he could only see himself making an exception for a certain person’s texts.
 Glowing || Forward

October 9, 2030

Back when they were still a group, Taehyung liked to think that he knew Jimin well enough to call
him his best friend. Despite the time they had spent apart from each other, that hadn’t changed. If
anything, they were the ones who had changed, but that was understandable, for nothing could
ever stay the same – starting from him. He was a father now; he was leading the kind of life he had
always wished for, and he was overall satisfied with it. Jimin had changed too, he could sense that,
but he couldn’t quite point what about him was different. However, he acknowledged that having
him there – so close to him, in his home, the place he loved the most – was in itself a huge deal,
and it made him think of how far he had come. That he had changed for the better.

Because that definitely wasn’t something he would have expected from the Jimin who a few years
earlier, after the accident, had cut off all contact with all of the members, him included. He had
been left unable to do anything about it, and it had hurt him. He had taken it as a personal defeat.
For a while, he hadn’t been able to deal with how he had let one of the people he loved the most
walk out of his life. But then, sometime in mid-2025, Jimin had been the one to reach out to him, to
his great surprise. And Taehyung hadn’t wasted a minute – on the next morning, he had showed up
behind his door, eager to see him again. Since then, he had been visiting him a few times every
year, but it was only for a short time – he never stayed for longer than a day. He was convinced
that that was the reason why he hadn’t noticed how much he had actually changed.

«Why are you smiling like that?» Jimin, who had been sitting next to him, smacked his thigh and
brought him back to reality. «You’ve been quiet for a while.»

Taehyung’s smile only brightened at the remark. He was trying to buy time or smile his way out of
the question altogether, because he didn’t know how to put into words how happy he was about
him being by his side.

«Uh-uh, that won’t work.» Jimin tilted his head, his vivid eyes pinning him in his spot.

Jimin had always been like that; he had always been able to read him. He did that with the other
members too, but with him, he felt like there was some sort of special bond. Jimin could always tell
when he was upset, he never missed the tears he tried to hide, and he didn’t need to be told when
he needed some cheering up. People often thought that he was the most sensitive one, and he
definitely was on the sensitive side, but there was also something fierce to him, and so much
strength – which people often didn’t see. And Taehyung was secretly content with that, because
that made it more special for him.

«I’m glad you decided to come.» He murmured, locking gazes with him. «It’s the first time we’re
all gathering together ever since we split up. It’d have no meaning without you, so I appreciate you
wanting to be part of this.»

Jimin’s grin softened, almost fading completely, and he took a deep breath, pondering upon his
answer. «You’re making it sound like it’s the end of the world.» Amusement quickly returned to
grace his features, and he shook his head. «I don’t want this to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I don’t
want to pop by and then poof! – disappear again. This time, I want to stay.»

Taehyung was at loss for words. Jimin had said all he had wanted to hear, and it felt like a dream.
It was more than he expected. He looked at his friend as if he had been seeing him for the first
time, and he felt something stir up inside his chest. There it was again, that sense of finding
something different about him. And he couldn’t help but voice his wonder, because he thought that
was the right time to do it.

«You’ve changed, Jimin.»

The other lowered his eyes, rubbing his nape sheepishly. «I know. Actually, I’m not sure this is the
final version of me, but for now, I like it.»

«Not the “final version”, huh?» Taehyung couldn’t hold back a laugh at that, and he loosely looped
an arm around his friend’s neck. «And, tell me: what’s new in the current version?»

As funny as it sounded, he understood that perfectly. Back when they were idols, there had been a
constant effort on their part to improve themselves. That polished image they had built for
themselves, however, had come with a price. After the group had disbanded, he had found himself
struggling to find his real self again, beneath the shiny surface. He could only imagine how hard
that had been for Jimin, who had probably experienced the most drastic change. Where Taehyung
had gone back to a rougher, simpler version of himself, Jimin had crumbled down as a whole, and
he had found refuge in an entirely new persona, stricken by anger and grief. After they had gotten
back in touch, Taehyung had watched him slowly piece himself together, seeing him doing better
on each of his visits. Perhaps, that process had reached its end.

«Well, for starters, I’m more relaxed now. And brighter, too.» He tilted his head back, peering up
thoughtfully. «I’ve wasted so much time being angry and hating everything and everyone. From
now on, I want to do good and appreciate what I have.»

Taehyung blinked the astonishment out of his eyes and nodded approvingly. «I’m so proud of you.
I really am, but – what’s with this kind of talk? You didn’t join a cult, did you?»

«How dare you? Get off.» Jimin playfully pushed him away, his silvery chuckle resonating, then
he let out a soft sigh. «I just…I’ve gotten help. I opened up, and I realized that while I was busy
being a walking ball of resentment, I was missing out on all the good stuff.»

Taehyung stared at him in silence, suddenly taken by the sight of him. Jimin felt better, and he
looked better too. He was glowing, and not in the flashy way an idol would. He radiated a fervent
positivity that captured him, and he asked himself how he hadn’t noticed it before.

«I’m no longer afraid of seeing you all again. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m ready to make
up for them. I won’t run away.»

Taehyung couldn’t wait for their reunion to happen, because now he was sure it would go well.

«Hey, you know what? This new version of you…I like it too.»

And upon hearing his friend’s laughter he felt like everything that had led them to that point in life,
good and bad, had been worth it.

October 10, 2030

Seokjin jolted awake. He was covered in sweat, and he felt as though as if he were out of breath.
Ever since he had brought up his trauma to Yeji, he had found no peace. Every time he closed his
eyes, behind the darkness of his eyelids, he would see that man’s face as he had seen it reflected in
the mirror on that day, and he would unavoidably relive those moments. He had made an
appointment with a therapist, but he didn’t think he could hold onto his sanity until then.

He sat up and, not even sure of what had gotten into him, he sent a text to Yeji on the spur of the
moment, asking if they could meet up. Minutes passed, and he started wondering why she hadn’t
answered. He grabbed his phone again and, almost by chance, he read the time. It was almost two
in the morning.

«Shit.»

He began hurriedly typing an apology with trembling fingers, but he stopped when her reply came.
A single word, curt and dry. “Where?”

He had two options. Apologize and tell her to forget it, or go talk to her as he had wanted. The
latter was certainly the best choice for the sake of his mental health, and since she seemed to have
been awake, maybe there was no reason to feel so guilty about it. Maybe talking for a little bit
outside her house wouldn’t cause her too much trouble.

He asked her to send him her address, and he went to get dressed and make himself look
presentable, despite that being a lost cause. He threw his coat on and headed out to the address he
had been sent.

Because of how quiet her neighbourhood was at that time of the night, she must have heard him
arrive. He had just pulled up in front of her house when he saw her come out, clad in an oversized
parka, with a little frown drawn on her sleep-soaked face. He got out of the car, bowing his head in
apology.

«I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was this late until I sent that text.»

«It’s fine.» She said, tucking her hands in her pockets. «Do you want to come in?»

As much as the thought of being alone with someone in a closed space put him on edge, he was
willing to accept her offer, because she didn’t deserve to stay out there in the cold.

A puff of warm air hit his face as soon as he stepped inside her house. He left his shoes at the door,
then he followed her to the living room. She gestured for him to sit down at the tiny coffee table,
then she disappeared from his sight. She came back holding two steaming mugs.

«It’s tea.» She explained, setting one down in front of him before sitting down too

«Thank you.» He took the mug and held it with both hands, mostly because he wanted to warm
them up.

There was no way of telling her what had brought him there without directly addressing it. He
needed to put aside his self-consciousness and be honest, both with her and with himself.

«It’s about last time.»

He had been haunted by those horrible memories, and he had thought that talking about it would
make him feel better. A few days earlier, her words had given him comfort, and because of that he
had chosen her to hear him out. Talking to someone unrelated, with no connections to the
entertainment world, gave him freedom – he didn’t need to be careful with his words as he would
have needed to with someone in his same field. She was nothing more than an acquaintance,
though, and only then, he realized how selfish of him that was. What was he doing there in the
middle of the night? Who did he think he was?

He felt his eyes sting, and he turned back to the door. «Actually, I should–»

«Do you want to talk about it?»

He had decided to be honest. «Yes, but…»

«Then please, go ahead. I’ll listen.»

He wondered if she knew that she was making things easier for him, telling him just what he hoped
to hear.

«What you saw...» He exhaled, his eyes glued to the floor. He didn’t think he could look at her
while talking about his experience. «The reason why I became that way is because I was sexually
assaulted by my former boss.»

Perhaps, that was the first time he admitted it out loud. Her silence was like a blank space for him
to fill.

«I wanted to report him, of course, so a few days later I went back to the place where it happened
and asked the staff for the CCTV recordings.»

He had skipped the whole part that came immediately after, the part where he had spent sleepless
nights hidden in his closet, feeling uncomfortable in his own body which had been sullied by those
filthy hands.

«Then I confronted him. I told him what I intended to do, and I showed him my proof, but he
somehow convinced me not to go through with it.»

Maybe it was all his fault for listening to him, but back then, he had felt fragile, and completely
alone.

«The camera angle was weird, the recording also showed me hitting him when I tried to get him
off me and all that crap, you know?» A broken smile twisted his lips. «And he said he would not
go down without me. If I reported him, he was going to tell the press about the reporters he had
paid not to write bad rumours about me when I started working for him. In other words, my career
would have been over.»

In hindsight, had he known how hard bearing that secret by himself had proved, he would have
chosen his own wellbeing over his career.

«So I agreed to his terms in exchange of the termination of my contract. I wasn’t going to have
anything to do with him ever again, and in that moment, that was enough.» He felt a knot build up
in his throat, and he shook his head. «But as time went by, I realized that was just hopeful thinking.
And the worst part is this guilt that eats away at me, knowing that he could be doing the same
thing to other people and that I could have stopped him.»

He fell silent. He felt like he had emptied his conscience – he felt like an empty shell.

«He must pay for what he’s done.»

Her voice was firm and clear. He looked up to meet her eyes, and he saw resolve blazing inside
them. «That’s what I think too, but–»

«Are you willing to risk your job?»

He was taken aback by that question, but he already had an answer he was sure of. «Yes, definitely.
I don’t think I can go on like this. I’ve been thinking of quitting for a while, so if I could do
something useful before that, I’d be glad.»
«Then…» She started, planting her elbows on the table and leaning closer. «You must expose him
on live broadcast.»

«What?»

What she was implying was something his young, bold self would have done. His current self, the
man who was constantly wrecked by anxiety, probably lacked the courage to pull a stunt like that.

«He doesn’t expect you to strike him now, which gives you an advantage. Besides, you’d get to tell
the whole story before he even gets a say.»

He lowered his gaze. She made it sound like his best option, which left him little to no reasonable
arguments against it. In the worst-case scenario, he would be fired, which for him wasn’t bad at all.
He had nothing to lose.

«We need to plan this carefully. Hang on.» He watched Yeji search around the room and return
with pen and paper.

They spent the next couple of hours preparing his speech. Seokjin didn’t realize when it happened,
but at some point he had started feeling at ease, and that feeling persisted even after he went back
to his home. For the first time in a while, he felt like he had taken a step forward.
 Desert || Star
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

October 11, 2030

First, there had been the desert. They had seen it as a place of despair, trials and struggles, and in
fact, plenty of those had come their way. They had started with nothing – a small company, limited
resources, scarce popularity – and very few people had bet on their survival. It hadn’t been an
encouraging environment to take their first steps in.

In such a situation, it was natural to become riddled with anxiety and fear. Still, that hadn’t
destroyed their hopes and dreams. Even if all odds had been against them, even if the world itself
seemed to have been against them, they had kept working hard, relying on each other and praying
to reach the end of that endless desert.

Along the way, little by little, they had learned to survive in the harsh desert, and they had
discovered that there was a bright side to it, too. The vast nothingness surrounding them had
become the place for them to grow freely. From there onwards, it could only get better – and that
had encouraged them not to stop chasing after their dreams.

But it had not been easy at all. They had had to endure a lot of hardships before achieving their
first, real success; they had shed countless tears – enough to fill the desert – and even after all that,
when they had thought the worst was over, their efforts had been belittled by the same people who
had not believed in them.

So they had finally seen the ocean, but even then, the trials had not ended, the pressure to do better
had increased, and so had their fear of messing up and letting people down. The ocean was not so
different from the desert, after all.

At that point in their lives, though, they had been strengthened by their struggles. They had walked
down a tortuous path until then, so they just had to keep going at the same pace. They couldn’t
stop, they couldn’t rest – but in order for their dream to continue, they were prepared to do
anything.

After they had learned to live with that, they had started appreciating more what they had. Every
day felt like a dream, and every day they had new dreams – along with an ocean of love
surrounding them and keeping them going.

Namjoon had always known that, someday, that would have been over too, but he had not expected
it to happen that way. He had pictured their disbandment as a peaceful process, decided by mutual
agreement, after many more years of career. Sadly, things hadn’t gone as he had wished, and deep
down he regretted that. Nine years later, he still did.

Because being remembered as the group that had fallen apart by its own hands didn’t feel good – it
discredited all of their efforts and all the years they had spent building their career and searching
for the ocean. And it stung. It hurt.

He had wanted to do something about it, and he probably could have, but he had been afraid – he
had been a coward. He had thought it was too late; he had wasted too much time, and he was never
going to get another chance. But then…
Then, a stranger had showed up in his office, sharp and fidgety at the same time, and he had sensed
that she had set off some kind of mechanism the moment she had started talking. She had been
looking for answers to questions he had been asking himself for years but had never had the
courage to answer. Her appearance had put him face to face with his regrets – she had unknowingly
rubbed them in his face, striking right where it hurt – and he had felt personally attacked by her
words. He had felt the need to protect himself from that woman, and he had not wanted to listen to
her weird, daring, beautiful ideas.

He had scared her off, but he had been the one to go back to her immediately after. What she had in
mind was ambitious, perhaps even crazy, but he had interpreted it as a sign of life giving him
another chance to fix things. It was absurd – he knew his former members, and he knew that
reuniting them would have been hard, but that was not all. She intended to take it a step further, and
he had been utterly shocked to realize that he wanted the same thing. He had the means to help,
and nothing could stop him.

So, he had given her his support, and he had written two letters for her to give to two of his past
group members. He had not told them the full extent of what they had planned; that was a bigger
deal, and both he and Han-Byul had decided to save it for the reunion, which was going to take
place on the following day. Finally, they could break their silence.

The actual purpose of the reunion project was going to cause different reactions in his former
members – he could easily predict it, and yet, he trusted that together, they could make the right
choice.

He wondered if there could be another ocean ahead of them. No – in truth, he would have been
more than content even with a calm, quiet sea. He hoped and waited.

September 15, 2030

«Hello?»

It was a woman’s voice.

«Hello. Is this Lim Han-Byul?» A long pause followed his question, and he started considering the
possibility of having been tricked. He folded the business card between his fingers, judging himself
for having been so naïve. But a part of him was hopeful. «Hello?»

«She’s coming.»

He heard some noise as the phone was passed from a hand to another, and then a shaky, nervous
voice. «Hi, Lim Han-Byul speaking! How can I help?»

There was no doubt – it was her, the fake journalist. The fake journalist who had allegedly gotten
the support of one of his former members already. He hadn’t trusted her words, but checking
wasn’t going to hurt him. He hadn’t believed her, but…

«It’s Kim Namjoon. Can you tell me more about what we discussed?»

But, he had wanted what she had said to be true.

He heard some hushed, confused mumbling, then she cleared her throat. «Sure! What would you
like to know, sir?»

«You said that someone has agreed with what you’re trying to do.»
That was what had affected him the most – the one thing he hadn’t been able to ignore even after
she had left, when he had tried to go back to work.

«Yes, it was Taehyung. I’ve talked with Taehyung, and he said–»

He had thought it might have been him. He was one of the kindest, purest souls he had ever met –
and apparently, he hadn’t lost that old innocent habit of always giving people a chance, even if they
were strangers. That was surely what had happened with that woman too; the familiar way in
which she mentioned him was a reason for him to think so.

«–and he thinks it’s possible. He wants you to reunite. He has actually kept in touch with most of
you – I think he said he still talks to you too, sir. Is that right?» She cut herself off, her panicked
tone returning. «Ah, I didn’t mean to pry! I just wanted to–»

«Yes, that’s right.» He replied, trying to save her from worrying too much, «It’s fine. You can
speak comfortably.»

She hummed in response. He pictured her nodding. «In that case, there’s something else I need to
tell you.»

He was curious about what else she had in store for him. «Go on.»

«I was a big fan of yours back in the day. I still am! And, and…there’s something I don’t like.
Nowadays, people only talk about you because of what happened nine years ago, and I don’t think
it’s fair.»

She didn’t need to further elaborate on that. He was painfully aware of what she had just described,
and he, too, hated it.

«What I want is for the seven of you to show yourself to the public again. Even just once! It
doesn’t have to be like, a big thing–»

«Sorry?» He interrupted her. «I don’t think I follow.»

But in truth, something had sparked inside him. Fear. Excitement. The implications of what she
was saying were all too familiar – he had thought of that too, more than a couple times, but each
time he had given up, deeming it too far of a stretch.

«I want you to perform in front of your fans, just one time. Well, it can be the first of many, or it
can be the last one – you decide. But I think it’s what you need. Because it’s not fair.»

He was stunned and almost afraid to speak, because he didn’t want to show how deeply that had
touched him.

«You’ve worked hard, too hard for people to simply forget about it.» She continued. «I know it
might be difficult – I know you’ve all moved on with your lives, but for the sake of your legacy…»
She left that sentence hanging, swiftly changing the subject. «Taehyung said you would
understand. He said you’re the one who would want this the most.»

And he was right.

«Let’s meet again soon.» He cut it short. «Tomorrow, next week – when are you free?»

«Tomorrow…» She spoke gently, and he could tell she was smiling. «Tomorrow is fine.»
 «Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Come whenever you have time.»

«Yes, sir! Thank you and see you tomorrow!»

He put his phone down and let out a deep sigh, leaning back against his chair and staring at the
ceiling. For a while, he let silence and his thoughts be his only company. What had just happened
felt unreal – it was as though as if he had seen a shooting star, passing right before his eyes.

A full reunion, after such a long time. He had thought of reuniting his members himself, but then
the fear of showing up in front of those he had lost contact with and making things awkward with
those he still talked to had paralyzed him. That woman, though, was a new face, and such fears
were not going to be an issue for her. She clearly had a plan, and if she had had the nerve to show
up in his office, pretend to be a journalist and even give him the third degree, she certainly didn’t
lack the audacity.

Maybe she was the right person. Maybe she could do it. So, Namjoon had caught that shooting
star, and he had started thinking ahead in order to make it shine brighter. If he did everything right,
and if he could secretly help her from behind the scenes, things were going to fall into place
without fail. For the first time in years, he wasn’t going to lead. He was going to follow, and to his
surprise, he found himself eager to do it.

Chapter End Notes

Okjnksdfks, it's finally about to happen!!

It's the first time we look into Namjoon's mind and see how he feels about the reunion.
How many of you had predicted Han-Byul's purpose? I'm curious!
I'd like to say two things:
- the ocean and desert talk was of course based on the song "Sea" and the BTS movie
voiceover.
- as I was writing the last part, the shooting star metaphor came to my mind, and how
weird it is? Byul means star! Woah...it's a sign. Lololol~
See you next chapter for the long-awaited reunion! (M a y b e?)
Thank you for reading, bless you. ♡
 Comfort || Request
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

October 12, 2030

At the bar, Yeji was busying herself with her usual tasks as a way to forget about how nervous she
was. Because that was no average day. That was the day of the long-awaited reunion, but before
that, something else was going to happen, which was the source of her distress.

She glanced up at the closest TV screen in the room. She usually tuned in on a random music
channel; having some nice background music was greatly appreciated by her clients, and she didn’t
mind it either. However, that morning, she had switched to a very popular channel, where a very
popular talk show was about to be broadcasted.

Seokjin had called her first thing in the morning to tell her that he had made up his mind. He was
really going to do it, and she found it strange how, despite having been the one to suggest the idea,
she had been feeling terribly anxious ever since she had been told that.

She had been experiencing such intense emotions to the point of feeling self-conscious about it. It
wasn’t like her – she had never been the emotional type, and even when she felt, she was usually in
control of her emotions. She decided what to show and what not to show, but for the first time in a
while, she was having a hard time with that.

The opening tune of the show resonated in the room, and she nearly jumped in her spot.

«Yeji?»

Han-Byul – her friend – always noticed even the smallest changes about her; Yeji still hadn’t
decided if she hated her or liked her for that. She had approached the counter and she had set down
a paper with an order, but her attention was on her.

«Are you okay?»

Han-Byul could read her in a way that was almost maddening, but maybe that was also the reason
why she needed her. Yes – Yeji needed her. She was the only one who could make her question
herself and her thoughts, which she, otherwise, had the unhealthy tendency to keep bottled in.

«Yes.»

Han-Byul clearly didn’t believe her words, but on the other hand, neither did she. She gazed up at
the TV again. She saw Seokjin, and she faintly registered his words – the usual, cheery greetings to
his viewers. Everything seemed normal – but it wasn’t, and she could tell. Perhaps she was the
only one who was aware of what he was harbouring and of how fragile that smile of his actually
was. She was the only one who could understand and the only one who could do something for
him in that moment.

«Actually, no. I’m not okay.»

Han-Byul turned to her, a tentative smile on her lips. «Is there anything I can–»

«Yes.» She hurriedly took her apron off and threw it to the counter in a careless manner. «I need
you to cover up for me, Han-Byul. There’s somewhere I need to go.»

She had never asked anything of her during the years she had known her, so Han-Byul’s shocked
expression was entirely plausible. She grabbed her jacket and ran to the exit, not worried about
anything else.

«Alright, just don’t be late!» Han-Byul’s loud voice reached her ears seconds before she shut the
door.

They had planned to go to Taehyung’s place later that day; the boys had all wanted them to be
there for the reunion as well. Yeji trusted that, one way or another, she was going to be there too,
but for the time being that was the last of her problems. She had something more important to do.

She hopped in her car and drove to the TV studios. The traffic unnerved her immensely – she
wanted to get there as soon as possible, and every smallest interruption seemed to put her on edge.

She eventually reached her destination. When she walked inside the building, she began looking
left and right, her eyes wild. She knew it was going to be hard to get backstage – that was
something Han-Byul would have been good at, but not her. She hoped that some of her friend’s
blind luck had stuck to her so that she could get in without too many difficulties.

She followed the written indications to the studio from where Seokjin’s program was being
broadcasted. She tried to blend into a group of staff members who were heading down the dark
hallway that led to it, managing to go unnoticed – apart from some suspicious glances. As the
noises from the set became louder, she recognized Seokjin’s voice, which sounded exactly the
same as a few nights prior, when he had come to her house in the middle of the night, sleepless and
shaken. Everyone around her seemed to be either frozen in place or hectically working – there was
no in-between, and in that moment, it hit her. They all had learned the truth. His speech was almost
over.

«Who are you?»

A man, surely a crew member, had noticed her, and she instinctively backed away.

«I’m talking to you. How did you get here?»

She stayed quiet, trying to buy time. She only needed to hold on a couple of minutes longer. She
had to avoid being thrown out at all costs.

«I’m, uh, here for him.» She gestured towards the set, barely able to form a full sentence. «Kim
Seokjin. I know him.» She could hear her heartbeat drumming in her ears.

«I’m gonna ask you to leave right now.»

«I’m serious.» She quietly huffed, growing frustrated at herself for being so weak. «I – I really
need to see him.»

The man obviously wasn’t buying it. «What’s wrong with you all today? First this unscripted mess,
then we get an intruder – I wonder what’s next?»

She barely noticed him calling for the security, because she had directed her focus to the set.
Seokjin had finished talking, and understandably, the next thing he wanted to do was leave the
studio. She desperately tried to meet his eyes, and when she felt that there was a low chance of that
happening, she called his name. She yelled his name.
Amidst the confusion, he peered up. He wasn’t expecting her, of course, but his face, ashen and
clouded by his feelings – sadness, pain, anger, fear – softened in the slightest bit. His posture was
slouched, as if he was about to fold under the weight of it all. He slowly walked closer, seemingly
unsure of what to do.

«Yeji.» His eyes timidly wandered upon her, his tone doubtful. «You’re here.»

There were many things she had thought of saying, but in that moment, nothing felt adequate.

«Sir, she’s an intruder–»

«No, I know her.»

And that, for her, was enough reassurance. She went to stand in front of him and she gently lifted
her hands, allowing him to see them and anticipate her intentions.

She cupped his face. She simply stared up into his dark irises for a few seconds, and she gave a
slight nod. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a hug, loose
enough for him to pull away if he so wished.

He was stiff at first, but she soon heard him take a deep breath and exhale warmly against her
shoulder. He pressed his palm in the space between her shoulder blades and leaned into her, his
body starting to tremble under her soothing caresses.

«You did it.» Her voice wavered with relief. «You did so well.»

She couldn’t explain it. She was far from being the right person to comfort someone, and yet, that
wasn’t the first time she had tried – she had wanted – to play such role for him. She was neither
strong, nor naturally sweet or openly caring – not to mention her pessimistic view of life. She
wondered what triggered such abrupt, mysterious changes in her when it came to him.

«Can we leave this place?» He moved his hand down to hold onto her wrist as he feebly whispered
in her ear. «Please.»

She didn’t need to be told twice. She released him from her hold – but he didn’t let go of her – and
she led the way out, not without addressing a glare to the staff member.

She figured that it was a matter of minutes before Seokjin became the most wanted man by the
press, and she didn’t want him to go through that when he was so overwhelmed by the events. She
emptied her mind, leaving room for a single thought – taking him away, and that was what she did.

October 12, 2030

When Han-Byul had walked into the large living room, she had found five familiar faces, two of
which she had not seen in person in years. She had exchanged greetings with Taehyung, Jimin and
Namjoon, and she had introduced herself to Hoseok and Yoongi, though she hadn’t been able to be
her usual, cheery self. The news about Seokjin had spread, and judging by the mood in the room,
they were all feeling the same way as she was.

«Don’t worry.» She had tried to reassure them, offering a soft smile. «My friend is with him. She
said they’ll be here soon.»

Immediately, she gave Namjoon a questioning look. She wasn’t sure if she could still tell them
about her purpose for reuniting them after what had happened, but she got a firm, unwavering gaze
in response. It was clear: to him, nothing had changed, and she understood how he felt. She was
going to tell them, but she needed to be more tactful about it.

They all turned towards the door upon hearing a few quick, lively knocks. The door opened a little,
and Taesoo’s cute, round cheeks made an appearance.

«Hi, papa. Hi, papa’s friends.»

«Hi baby.» Taehyung grinned, his whole face lighting up, and gestured for him to come in.

The small boy pushed the door and walked in, revealing that he had brought a guest. In fact,
Jungkook was behind him, holding his tiny hand, and sure enough, it looked like Taesoo had been
the one pulling him along. From his expression, Han-Byul could tell that Jungkook was nervous;
he was standing still, his eyes downcast, and he only seemed to snap out of it when Taesoo
brusquely let go of his hand.

«Bye-bye now!» He said, hurrying out of the room.

A few seconds went by before he spoke. «Hi.» He was slightly hunched forward, and he didn’t
dare looking at them directly. «It’s been a while–»

«Hush. Just come here, Jungkookie.»

Hoseok was the first one to stand up and walk up to him. He hugged him, reaching a hand up to
fondly ruffle his hair, and Han-Byul could tell that the simple gesture had rattled Jungkook to the
core. On the outside, he almost hadn’t shown any reaction, but it was all in his eyes, wide and
glistening with tears.

The others crowded around him too, showing him how much they had missed him – each in his
own way. What made him fully break down, though, was Jimin’s hug and whispered words.

«It wasn’t your fault, Jungkook. It’s about time you stopped blaming yourself, hm?»

Han-Byul knew how much that meant to him, especially coming from Jimin. She wanted to leave
that moment to them only, so she simply stood by and watched, marvelling at how much harmony
there was in that room. Despite their scars, their hardships, the distance that had grown between
them and all the time they had spent apart, the boys were each other’s remedy – they were the only
ones who could truly pick up each other’s pieces and put them back together. And that was what
they were doing, right before her eyes.

Not even half an hour later, the door opened again. Han-Byul was shocked to see Seokjin in person
after what she had learned a few hours prior, but what shocked her the most was seeing Yeji,
standing by his side, with a totally different aura to her – she could sense the change.

Each of the former idols offered their oldest member words and gestures of comfort with the
utmost gentleness, and while they were busy doing that, she took the chance to approach Yeji and
speak to her.

«How did it go?»

«He slept in my car. The whole time.»

Han-Byul almost laughed at her friend’s dry tone, because contrary to that, she could see a deep
warmth in her eyes – and her concern was evident in the way she didn’t take her eyes off him even
for a second.
 «Did you tell them?» She asked, to which Han-Byul shook her head.

«I wanted Seokjin to be here too – but to tell the truth, I’m also a little scared.»

«Scared of what?»

«You know.» As Han-Byul tried to put it into words, she thrusted her hand towards the group of
former idols. «This. I’m afraid I’ll ruin it and they’ll resent me. They’re meeting at long last, and
I’m gonna spoil the mood with a selfish request–»

«Han-Byul.» Yeji called, facing her for the first time since she had stepped in that room. «Do you
really think that something could ruin this moment? I mean – yes, some may not be happy about
what you’re going to say, but they’re adults, they’ve matured, and they won’t be throwing
tantrums. Worst-case scenario, they will decline. That’s fine – life goes on. At least you tried. It’s
because of your “selfish request” that they’re together now, and they could never resent you for
that.»

Han-Byul wondered since when Yeji had become such a good talker, but nonetheless, her words
had helped.

«You’re right.»

She took a deep breath, taking in the sight of the seven men in front of her one last time. No matter
the outcome of that talk, she promised herself she would have no regrets.

When she spoke up, her tone was loud and unwavering. «I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s
something I need to tell you.»

The journey that had led her there had finally reached its end.

Chapter End Notes

No cliffhangers = no fun for me, lolol.

Just like Han-Byul's journey, this story arc has reached its end! I'm going to show you
how the boys took the news in the upcoming chapters.
A tiny pile of lil' details I had a mental breakdown on:
- the character development in this.
Yeji basically wrote herself starting from chapter 2, I had not planned to give her such
a large part when I came up with this story. And now,, she's calling Han-Byul her
friend and being so honest with herself omg - my gurl grew up well. //ugly crying
- holding the wrist.
"The person holding a wrist, on the other hand, is somehow symbolizing an unnatural
fear of losing the person they are with." [Cit.]
Just..................dropping this here to avoid misunderstandings. :^)))

As always, thanks to all of you dear readers for being with me during this journey
(since we're on the subject, lolol). See ya next chapter. ♡
 Guess || Sing
Chapter Notes

Hello, my dear readers!

It'll soon be a year since I started writing this story, so I've been a lil' bit in my feelings
about it lately.
It took me a long time, but now I think I'm ready to give you the ending you all
deserve!!
There's just two more chapters left, and then I'll say goodbye to my first proper work
(the feels are hitting me!!).
Thanks for your patience, here comes chapter 24.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

October 15, 2030

A few days had gone by since Han-Byul had revealed the actual reason behind the reunion, and
Namjoon hadn’t heard from his former group members ever since.

He had expected that. It was natural for them to take some time to decide, as performing together
as a group once again was not something they could take lightly. For some of them, it would have
been the first time showing themselves to the public in years, and he knew it wasn’t an easy choice.
It wasn’t easy for him either, but at the same time, he wanted to do it more than anything else, and
that prevailed. He didn’t like trying to guess what the others would do, but he hadn’t been able to
help it during the wait.

Jungkook was the one he was the most certain about, because he, much like him, still cared about
their reputation as a group. Besides, he was an active member of the music industry to that day;
performing was his job, which raised the chances of him accepting. Or rather, that was what he
hoped.

On the other hand, he knew that the decision would be particularly hard for Jimin. His inability to
perform after the accident was what had led him to leave the group and isolate himself from the
world in the first place. Although he was doing better, the idea of going back on stage in itself was
probably going to affect him on a deeper level than the others. Despite all that, Namjoon was
comforted by the fact that Jimin was staying with Taehyung. With him, the person who had always
understood him better than anyone in the world, he was definitely in good hands.

Taehyung had known about the entire reunion project from the beginning, so he was obviously
going to participate. He wondered if he was having similar thoughts as him in that moment.

Yoongi had told him that he was going to stay at Hoseok’s place, and Namjoon had to admit that
the exchange had felt a little awkward. Yoongi, his hyung, asking him permission to do something.
That was what they had come to – and it could have been amusing if it wasn’t that guilt was there,
eternally gnawing away at him. However, he knew that Yoongi was stronger that he appeared to
be. Namjoon had watched him, trapped him, kept him from ruining himself – not in the gentlest
way – and Yoongi had suffered, but he had pulled through. Yoongi and his beautiful mind. Yoongi,
the embodiment of a true artist. Namjoon wished that all he had done for his friend’s career not to
be ruined would pay off in that occasion, because it could turn into a new start for him.
And, as for Seokjin…

«Sir?»

A knock at the door and his secretary’s muffled voice on the other end of it yanked him back to
reality.

«Yes, come in.»

But the one who came in wasn’t her. It was the very person he had been thinking about.

«Hyung.» He called, standing up from his seat. It was odd seeing him there, in the flesh, when he
had seen his face all over the news during the previous days.

«Ah, Namjoon.» He showed one of his gentle smiles, but he had yet to meet his eyes. «I’m sorry I
didn’t tell you in advance, but I had to see you.»

«It’s fine. You know you can drop by anytime – there’s no need for appointments.»

A shaky laugh left Seokjin’s lips, and he sat down opposite him. Namjoon wanted to ask him how
he was, but he stopped himself, realizing how stupid it would have sounded. Especially when the
answer was blatant. Seokjin looked stressed, but it was a given after what had happened. He
thought that giving him space was the best thing he could do for him.

«I was thinking.» He began, fidgeting with his hands. «About the performance. I’m not sure it’s
right for me to do it.»

Namjoon chewed the inside of his cheek. He was prepared to the possibility of him refusing to take
part to the performance, and the worst part was that he couldn’t say anything to that. He wanted
him to be part of it, of course, but not if that meant that he would do it against his will, at the
expense of his mental health. He hadn’t missed a tiny little detail, though. Seokjin had said that he
wasn’t sure it was right, not that he didn’t want to do it.

«Why do you think that?»

«It’s – you know.» He paused, taking a deep breath, and managing a faint grin. «It’s been years
since the last time I’ve sung properly. I haven’t been keeping up with voice training and all that
stuff. I wouldn’t want to ruin the performance when it’s so important to you – to us.»

«That’s not a problem. We’ve got as much time to prepare as we want.»

Namjoon himself had kept working on his own music, but it had been a while since he had last
performed in front of an audience. He had gotten used to letting his music speak for itself, and he
had found comfort in staying in the shadows and making others shine.

«There’s no rush. We’ve all gotten rusty – well, I think, with some exceptions.»

«How about my current situation, then? It’s – it’s all over the news.» He ran a hand through his
hair, frustration seeping through his tone. «It’s gonna give us negative publicity. I wouldn’t want it
to overshadow our reunion.»

Namjoon cringed at how he was trivializing the whole issue, reducing it to “negative publicity”
when it had caused him to live in agony for so long. He knew he didn’t actually mean that. He was
doing what he had always done – putting on a brave front for them.
«That is the last thing you should be worrying about, hyung. Please, for once, put yourself first.»

At that, Seokjin finally peered up, repeating his words in a whisper. «Put myself first…?»

«Yes.» That was the heart of the matter. «You’ve been telling me the reasons why you think you
shouldn’t do it, but what about what you want to do?»

For a moment, Namjoon feared that he had said too much and that he had come off as harsh. But
when the older male’s expression softened, he felt relief fill his chest.

«I want to do it.» Seokjin said, and his voice wavered – but there was fire burning behind his irises.
«I want to do it, but I don’t want to be a burden.»

«You’re not a burden. Never were and never will be.»

Seokjin chuckled, shaking his head and dragging a hand across his face. Namjoon was silent, only
then processing that he had in fact accepted to perform with them, right when he thought he was
going to refuse.

«Hyung.» He called, reaching his hand out across his desk. «We got you. It’s gonna be alright.»

And when Seokjin took his hand and held it tightly, Namjoon suddenly found himself feeling
optimistic about the reunion project, more than he had ever felt.

October 17, 2030

«Do you still sing?»

Jimin had figured that anyone would have wanted to know that upon meeting him, so the question
didn’t come as a surprise. That didn’t mean he had his answer ready, though.

Singing. For years, he had avoided everything that could have even remotely reminded him of his
life as an idol. He had been angry; he had been hurt, to the point that he couldn’t bear to listen to
music – let alone sing. But then, thanks to a certain stubborn neighbour of his, he had slowly
started to change his mind about that. “Slowly” was the keyword, because – thinking about it now
made him flush with shame – he had really been stubborn with his irrational and absolute hatred
for what he had used to live for. It had been a touchy subject. Perhaps it still was.

«Just as often as an average person does.» He admitted, addressing Yoongi a tentative smile. The
latter studied him in silence, as if weighing each of his words, and Jimin had the impression that he
hadn’t changed – that he hadn’t lost his ability to read through people.

«It was the same for me.» Yoongi murmured, hanging his head. «I didn’t want to be me anymore.
But then…»

He hadn’t seen him in so long, and learning that their struggles had been similar was such a cruel
twist of fate. He could perfectly understand what he had felt. It started with pain, which brought to
life that strong desire to destroy everything, and it ultimately led to self-destruction – because that
was what, deep down, they had hated the most. Not the others, but themselves.

«I couldn’t. I couldn’t.» Yoongi sounded resigned, but sure enough, his mouth was curved into a
grin. «I tried so hard to run away from it, but music took me back. Music was all I had, and it still
is. Isn’t it funny?»

Jimin bit his lip. There lied the difference between them. Yoongi had been able to go back to what
he could do best – to what made him happy, but in his case, that simply wasn’t possible.

He could always sing, but he could never dance. He had lived and breathed dance for the better
part of his life, and when that had been taken away from him, something had shattered inside him,
and sadly, it couldn’t be mended. So, with great effort and following a long, difficult process of
recovery, he had moved on. It hadn’t been easy, but he had managed to do it. He had made peace
with the fact that he could no longer be a performer. And it was fine, really. He had gotten another
job, a normal job, he was living his life, a normal life, and he was no longer going to set foot on
stage. And that was fine. He had healed, he had found his little, humble harmony, he had even
reconnected with his friends – his most precious life companions. He was fine.

But the dam he had built to suppress all of his painful memories was threatening to break. As it
turned out, there was the idea of performing again. It was strange how he had believed that he had
been doing fine until that moment. Had that been an illusion? He wasn’t sure if Yoongi intended to
take part to their possibly upcoming performance, but nonetheless, an ice cold feeling seized his
stomach. He was afraid that he would try to convince him; he was afraid that he would be forced to
face his fears.

«I’ve moved on.» He stated, almost like a chant – the same thing he told himself when he felt like
his resolve was weakening. «There’s nothing else I need. I’m fine living like this.»

Saying that hadn’t been the wisest choice, given that it was Yoongi he was talking to. He was
going to pick that apart, he was going to uncover what he was hiding and he would be exposed,
right there, in front of him, naked – with his old wounds in plain sight. He could tell that Yoongi
was pondering upon what he had said, and he watched him as nervousness crawled up his chest.

«Okay, but. Is this it? Isn’t there anything else you’d like to say?»

Jimin was confused by his question, which seemed to come out of the blue. «Something I’d like to
say?»

«To us. To someone you care about. To anyone who’ll listen.» He explained, tilting his head and
locking gazes with him. «Apologizing, saying that you’re thankful, telling someone how much you
miss them – or how much you care about them. Doing it with words can be hard, but music can
make it easier.»

Yoongi had not even finished talking when Jimin had felt tears spring up to his eyes. He had
understood what he had been trying to get at, and he had struck a nerve.

There was a lot he had left unsaid, buried deep inside his heart, a lot of things he felt sorry about,
and a lot of love he was eager to give. It was true, it was hard conveying all those things with
words. If he ended up never letting all of that out, undoubtedly, he would have regretted it.

«Sing, Jimin. You’ll feel better.»

His laugh sounded more like a sob – and he looked away, his mind reeling from what he had just
realized. He wanted to apologize to everyone he had let down, and he wanted to make it up to
them. And if the quickest way to do that was going up on stage and singing, then, even if it hurt…

«What about you?» He asked, not prepared to explore the place where that train of thought was
going to take him. «Are you going to do it?»

«Honestly, I’d follow Namjoon to the end of the world. Not because I owe him, but because I trust
him. So yes, I’m gonna do it.»
 There was no trace of hesitation in his response, and Jimin wished he could be as strong as him. He
had two options: to keep living in that artificial, safe reality he had built to protect himself or to
stand up and get rid of that nagging uneasiness in the back of his conscience that told him that
something wasn’t right – that he wasn’t fully satisfied with his new life.

«I’ll think about it.»

He had taken the first step. Wouldn’t it have been a waste not to see it through the end?

Chapter End Notes

Okay, I'm EMOTIONAL AF.

Istg, when I was writing the second part, when Yoongi said "is this it?" I LEGIT
CRIED LDJSKGWSDC jeez. I'm weak.
Other things I want you to notice:
- I'm sure you've figured by now, but the chapter titles are often linked/there's a little
trick/spoiler in them. In this case, I played with the word "guessing". Guess + Sing.
lolol
- Namjoon feels guilty for how things went with Yoongi, but Yoongi trusts him so
deeply :((( pls TALK TO EACH OTHER U DORKS
- Our babie Seokjin,, he's getting better, he can do it. ;;
- Jimin was ready to reunite with the others, but performing again is an entirely
different matter. His entire recovery started from giving up on the idea, so.........it's
complicated :/
Ahh, so much drama.
Next chapter we'll see how Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook are doing.
Thank you for reading, see you soon.
 Magic || Heart
Chapter Notes

Hello, my dear readers (if you're still here) ;___; ♡

I haven't touched this story in so long, I had promised myself to update it for its
anniversary (writing: Dec 21, 2018; posting: Jan 18, 2019) but then I couldn't, it just
wouldn't come to me.
And then 5 days ago I got a comment, and - I swear to god, that comment
just.......filled me with determination. I've been writing and editing chapter 25 for the
past few days, and now it's here. So yeah......thank you so much. Y'all give me the
strength, you can't even imagine. ♡
Hope you enjoy. ♡

See the end of the chapter for more notes

October 20, 2030

«So you’ve been keeping in touch with Jimin as well.»

«Yeah. Sorry, hyung.»

«Why are you apologizing?» Hoseok chuckled, furrowing his eyebrows and giving Taehyung’s
arm a light pat. «I wouldn’t have wanted him to be all alone. I’m glad you were there for him.»

Hoseok had tried to keep an eye on his former group members after they had parted ways. He had
done his best, but there was only so much he could do when they no longer lived together and they
didn’t get to see each other on a daily basis. Naturally, because of that, there were things he had
missed – a lot of things, as he had recently found out. In fact, there was something huge that he had
overlooked. He hadn’t suspected it even for a moment, even though he should have known right
away.

«You also knew about the performance, didn’t you?» Taehyung’s smile gradually turned
apologetic, and Hoseok became aware of how that must have come across as him giving him the
third degree. He raised his hands and waved them in an embarrassed manner. «No – I’m not
accusing you! I’m just shocked I didn’t figure it out myself when it was so obvious. I must be
getting old.»

«That’s nonsense! It wasn’t that obvious. You saw it yourself, the others weren’t expecting it
either – except for Namjoon, of course.» Taehyung reassured him, leaning a little closer and giving
his shoulder a squeeze as he spoke. «And you did well. We wouldn’t have reunited, had it not been
for your help.»

He shook his head. «Hush, I didn’t do anything special.»

He was still dealing with the fact that he had not noticed that some of his closest friends had been
struggling on their own, and although talking with Yoongi about it had made him feel better, he
couldn’t shake off the feeling that he should have done more for them. He remembered that time at
Namjoon’s wedding, the last time he had seen them all together – minus Jungkook, and the signals
had been all there. Yoongi’s sudden tears, Seokjin’s unusually cautious, distant behaviour – it was
so clear in his mind, it was almost maddening. If he had done something back then, maybe things
wouldn’t have turned out as they had.

«Trust me, you did. When Han-Byul and I came up with the plan, we weren’t sure it would work,
but in the end, everyone played their parts surprisingly well. Even better than I had anticipated!»
Grinning to himself, Taehyung murmured. «I’m so proud.»

Hoseok stopped and stared at him, perhaps only then realizing that Taehyung and Han-Byul had
planned everything without the rest of them knowing, and it had only worked because Taehyung
knew them to such an extent that he had been able to predict their choices. If Taehyung had done
that, then their deep bond hadn’t been affected by the time they had spent apart from each other,
and that could only make him happy.

«If you think about it, our reunion brought many good things.» Taehyung continued, his
expression changing to a serious one. «Seokjin-hyung freed himself of the burden he had been
carrying for years, Yoongi-hyung stepped out of the shadows, and Jimin too – he finally left his
hiding place. There was no better time for this to happen.»

Hoseok understood what he meant. He didn’t know how to explain it, but ever since he had been
told about the reunion project, anticipation had filled his heart, because – he could tell, that was the
right time for them to come together.

There was always that kind of feeling when it came to them; he remembered hearing it many times,
and his members and him had acknowledged it themselves. Their meeting, their beginning and the
path they had walked had been the result of a series of circumstances decided by fate. Fate had
been kind to them, even when they hadn’t been doing so well, because they had had each other to
lean on. Their reunion seemed to be, once again, work of fate, but it was also true that they had
needed it for many different reasons, which was why they had ended up agreeing to it. That led
him to consider that maybe it wasn’t only fate; maybe something bigger than that had come into
play. It was like some sort of magic, a spell, a hand that had picked them – the scattered pieces of a
whole – up and had made them collide, reconnect, become one, just how it was supposed to be.

«No better time.» He whispered to himself.

It was absurd how that made him feel better. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but thinking
that they were in the right place, at the right time, was reassuring. It made him hope.

«Yeah! Speaking of which, you’re ready to perform, aren’t you?» Taehyung’s deep soothing voice
had gone up a bit, displaying his enthusiasm at the idea.

Hoseok blinked a few times at the sight of his face; he still had that same twinkle in his eyes, it
hadn’t changed despite the years that had passed, and when Taehyung gave him that look, it was
simply impossible to say no – not that he had intended to, anyway. From the moment he had
learned that the final purpose of their reunion was a performance, he had decided that he would do
it; all the effort they had put into bringing everyone together would have had no meaning
otherwise. He needed to do it, and he was certain that the rest of them needed it too.

«Yes, of course. I want to go back on stage with you.»

«That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.»

He was going to be part of a whole again, he was going to feel complete again – and there was
nothing more comforting than that.
 October 23, 2030

As soon as Jungkook stepped inside the café, he spotted Han-Byul in the far corner, sitting at a
table and waving at him with a grin. He strode up to her, slightly embarrassed for making her wait,
and he sat down opposite of her, tugging his mask down.

«Hi. Sorry, I’m late.»

He had received a text from her earlier that morning, and from small talk, they had ended up
planning a brief meeting, just to talk about how things were going.

«It’s okay! Thank you for coming. You must be busy.»

His schedule wasn’t busier than usual, but over the past few days, he had been feeling less
productive – and perhaps he really had been – because of the group performance that was in the
projects. He hadn’t been able to think about anything else, and as a result, he had been feeling
guilty for not putting his heart into practice and other activities – which led to even more
unproductivity.

No matter how he looked at it, performing together as seven was a big deal. It couldn’t be
compared to performing alone; it was a whole different experience, especially so when they were
going to do that after nine years. It was as if he had gone back to his debut days, a kid nervous to
go on stage – even his many years spent working in the industry couldn’t beat that feeling.

«Not at all.» He said, almost absent-mindedly, but thankfully, Han-Byul hadn’t seemed to notice
his spaced out state – or if she had, she paid it no mind.

«Ah, let’s order!»

Once they were done with that, Jungkook met her eyes again – and he could read the questions in
them, so he kept silent and gave a small nod, encouraging her to speak.

«So, how is it going? Any news about the performance? Are you preparing for it?»

If looking up their old concert videos and watching them – shedding a tear or two in the process –
could be considered “preparing”, then yes – he was indeed preparing.

«Sort of. Nothing is still certain, though. We haven’t set a date, and I haven’t heard from some of
the hyungs yet, so I don’t know–»

«Of course it’s certain! Trust me, the performance is definitely going to happen. I can feel it!»

It was strange, and oddly entertaining as well, seeing how fired up she got whenever it was about
their performance – or anything related to them. After all, she had said that she was a big fan of
theirs, and the reunion project she had come up with had been a direct consequence of that. It had
been very easy to forget about it, though; Han-Byul had never made it blatant, always choosing a
respectful, friendly approach every time they had talked. But now that the reunion had happened,
now that it felt like that was their last chance to talk – their last meeting, perhaps he could afford to
touch the topic with her and have his curiosity satisfied.

«You said you were our fan back in the day, right?»

Her expression changed, shock and utter outrage twisting her features. «What do you mean “back
in the day”? I still am! Once a fan, always a fan – or at least, that’s how it is for me.»
It took him all he had to keep a grin off his face at that; somehow, that was completely in character.
«You came to look for us because of that.»

«Hmm. Yes and no? I mean. Years ago, the seven of you made history, then things went as they
did, and people seem to have forgotten about that. It was the unfairness of this that pushed me to
look for you, more than me being a fan.»

Jungkook could fully understand what she was talking about. It was easier for people to remember
someone’s mistakes rather than their good deeds; he himself had received that kind of treatment
from the public opinion, and for the longest time, he hadn’t been able to avoid being labelled like a
traitor, some sort of monster driven by the selfish desire for fame.

«I’m so glad Taehyung and Namjoon listened to me and offered their help. I basically bet
everything on that.» Han-Byul gazed up pensively, playing with a strand of her hair. «I’ve always
trusted the seven of you, but I have to admit that, for a moment, I was afraid you had changed.
Luckily, that was just me overthinking.»

Despite how many times he heard that kind of talk, it always struck him how much trust people put
in them. «You trust us.»

«Yeah! I trust you.» She chirped, clapping her hands together. «So don’t worry. The performance
will happen, and it’ll go well!»

A waiter bringing their orders briefly interrupted them; her words, however, lingered in his mind.
He didn’t know since when, but he had started thinking of himself as a different person, and not in
a good way. He had fallen, fallen from grace, fallen from his golden status – he had undeniably
changed. Han-Byul was well aware of it, and yet, she still trusted him. Did he really deserve that,
or was she making a mistake?

«I’ve changed.»

«Huh?»

«I’m different. From before.» He insisted, trying to get her to reconsider. It was only fair, although
it was, at the same time, the last thing he wanted. And if she did take it back, then he would have
accepted it. He would have resigned himself to reality, he would have accepted himself for who he
had become.

«Well, your look and your singing style are a bit different, I guess, but you didn’t change – not
where it matters. Not in your heart.»

Maybe he had been waiting for someone to tell him that. Maybe he had always known, deep down,
that he was still the same boy who wanted to sing, to make people happy, and to be loved above
everything else. Maybe performing with his members was his chance to get a taste of what he used
to be, and after that, he could start over. Start again.

«Han-Byul.» He called, the tension in his body making his voice shake. «Will you come…to see
us?»

She smiled, so bright that he could count the stars in her eyes. «Yes, I will!»

And Jungkook decided that, on the day of the performance – as close or as far away as it might
have been, he was going to show her that he was worthy of her trust.
Chapter End Notes

As usual I'm a nerd so I need to point out a few things:

- BTS are soulmates, pass it on. Literally. The soulmatery of these seven ppl I just,,
can't. Every day I feel so lucky to exist at the same time as them. I hope this was
conveyed in this fic asdgflk
- Taehyungie and Seokie talking :((( when I look back to chapter 1......I never thought
they'd come so far. AHHHHH. They've done SO well.
- Precious Googie boy :((( he.......OOF. The purest human being on Earth I - he's so
soft. What I did to him in this fic is........A LOT. But deep down,, he's the same ok,, he
didn't change //war flashbacks to his "please love me" tattoo //INTENSE SOBBING
It seems like our protagonist has high hopes for the performance (DON'T WE ALL,
AT THIS POINT).
Next chapter will be the final one!! It'll probably be very short bc it feels like
everything has already been said. What matters is the journey, right? The characters
have grown a lot. That is what I want you to notice the most.
See ya next time, stay safe. ♡
 Dream || Concert
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

December 13, 2030

Han-Byul remembered reading, sometime back in 2020, that that venue had been created with the
initial purpose of hosting BTS concerts. They were the only ones who could fill it to its maximum
capacity, and that much was still true – even after years had gone by since their last performance as
a group of seven members.

She had never doubted that they had kept a large number of fans despite their long period of
inactivity, but she had been slightly nervous about the big day. She had been the one to come up
with the reunion project, and somehow, she felt responsible for its outcome.

However, all of her doubts and insecurities had evaporated as she had watched the concert venue
fill up, slowly but surely, as the time of the performance approached. It had been a relief, but also,
she would have wanted nothing less for such an occasion. The boys deserved it so much. They
deserved to reunite in front of their fans; their voices, and their timeless message, deserved to be
heard once again.

Han-Byul shifted in her seat. She and Yeji had been given quite the exclusive spots to watch from,
sitting in the section reserved for family and close friends. Being included in that circle made her
wonder – she wouldn’t have dreamed about it ten years earlier – but at the same time, she felt that
she fit right in. She and the people surrounding her shared the same love and respect for the boys,
and that filled her with joy.

She sighed contently, turning to look at Yeji. She appeared to be fidgety, unlike her usual,
composed self, so she decided to try to make her relax.

«Unnie.» She sang, leaning her head against her shoulder. «Are you excited?»

«I’ve never been to a concert before.»

With a gasp, she straightened up. «Not even to a small one?»

«Concerts aren’t really my thing.»

«Well, I’m sure you’ll change your mind after this! You know, BTS concerts are special. When
they perform, it feels like you’re dreaming while awake!» Cupping her own cheeks, she shut her
eyes, reminiscing on the times she had attended their concerts in the past.

The one that was about to take place definitely wasn’t going to be similar to anything they had
done before, but she knew she’d watch them bring the same dream to life once again. They needed
nothing more than their songs and their voices to do so.

A small, subtle shift in the lighting caused her to squeal and clutch at her friend’s arm. «Oh god,
it’s about to start!»

Surprised shrieks resonated through the entire venue, and soon, darkness fell over it. The silence
that followed was tense and squirmy. It was obvious how everybody was anticipating that moment,
eyes straining to catch the tiniest hint of movement on the stage. Then, after seconds – minutes –
 that seemed to stretch endlessly, a spotlight illuminated seven lined-up chairs. The mere sight of
them was enough for her to tear up. She took comfort in the notion that there probably wasn’t a
single person in there who wasn’t in her same situation, unless, perhaps…

«Don’t tell me you’re crying already.»

Yeji had put her hand on hers, and that made it even harder to hold it in.

«They’re happy tears.»

She heard a quiet chuckle, and her hand was held tighter.

Seven silhouettes walked into the light. They were all there. Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon,
Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook. Despite life, despite their regrets, despite their fears. They were
beautiful in their weakness – a weakness that became strength when she thought of how far they
had come.

She couldn’t help but feel relieved, and a few words crossed her mind, causing her to smile. What a
relief that they were seven. What a relief that they were together. She felt that in her soul.

She took a deep breath just as music reached her ears. The dream had started – no. The dream
continued.

Chapter End Notes

I have no words. Rlly y'all. I'm literally vibrating at a glass-shattering frequency as I

type this.
BTS 2030 is finally finished!!
This has been a long journey. When I started writing this fic, I didn't think it'd reach so
many people, but here I am now, overwhelmed by your support - and it feels so good
to end it on this note, this hopeful, dreamy note. It's healing. The dream continues.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and I can't thank you enough for making my
first work such a wonderful experience.
I love you, take care, stay hydrated and - never stop dreaming (since we're at it asdljk).
♡♡♡

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22/02/2023: edited this fic to make it more readable! :D was going through the
bookmarks and i saw someone saying that the format sucked (yes i also speak french)
and i was like WAIT. THEY'RE RIGHT. hope it'll be easier to read now
i must say, going through the first few chapters made me cringe a little (LOL) and i
had the impulse to delete the whole fic -- but i won't, because so many of you showed
this story so much love. it's part of me. (ALSO HOW MANY SONG TITLES DID I
PREDICT?????? I'M SHOCKED.)
thank you and i love you, old and new readers, you mean a lot to me.
 bye!!

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