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Chapter Text

The cold, night air cooled the sweaty, hot skin down after a long and tiring shift at work. Jung Chan-woo walked along the quiet street, one of the only times he could fine peace in between his busy schedule of work and studies. He knew that the moment he walked in the front door to his horrible home life that he wouldn't be able to find peace any longer.

It was just Chan-woo, his father and his mother at home. He hated living there and that was why he spent most of his time either studying or at his full-time job. He lived in hell, literal hell, with his mother always drunk and his father always finding a reason to pick on him. He couldn't wait until he the day he could finally escape from them and live on his own, free from their abuse.  

With a sigh, he decided to pull out his phone from his pocket since he hadn't had a chance to catch up on his notifications in a while. He scrolled through his phone and navigated to his emails. Amongst a bunch of junk emails, his eyes caught sight of an unexpected subject line: 'Submission Accepted and Interview Time'. His heart skipped a beat as he opened the email with shaky hands.

 Dear Jung Chan-woo,

You're submission to BigHit Entertainment has been accepted. We would like to propose an over-the-phone interview with CEO Bang Si-Hyuk at 10am tomorrow. If unavailable, please contact the number below to reschedule. A big congratulations and welcome to BigHit Entertainment!

Kind Regards,
Lee Suhyun- Receptionist.

A giant smile settled upon his face as he reread the email over and over again in a state of shock. Chan-woo could not believe his eyes. He had done it! He had been accepted into his dream company. It suddenly seemed to hit him that he would finally be leaving his personal hell as he rounded the corner of his block. As he stared down the dark street with his heart racing wildly in his chest, he wondered to himself how soon he would be able to leave to Seoul.

With a small pep in his step, Chan-woo continued to walk the rest of the way home. He reached his front door and hesitantly pulled out his keys, not particularly wanting to go inside and ruin his rare ecstatic mood. Inside, he suddenly heard a shrill voice yelling. Chan-woo shuddered as he knew exactly what lay inside waiting for him to enter. The second he opened the door, his nostrils were instantly hit with the strong scent of alcohol. 

"Great," he whispered to himself as he stepped over the threshold of the front door. 

The moment he shut the door, his mother stumbled into the hallway, her dark brown eyes glued on him with a sadistic smile spread across her plastered face. She wobbled down the hallway as if the world was rocking side-to-side. His mother came to stand before him with one hand held out towards him and the sadistic smile turned into an expectant look as he didn't move.

"Did you earn well for me this week son?" she asked with a twinkle in her slightly glazed over eyes. 

"Yes mother," he sighed as he pulled out the cash he had earnt from work in the last week. 

With great hesitancy, Chan-woo placed all of the cash into his mother's outstretched hand. He watched with blank eyes as she counted his precious earnings, but behind his emotionless eyes he was cursing her out. Of course he would never utter a single word that ran through his mind in fear of her retaliation. But it always felt good to do silently whenever she counted his money in front of him.

This was by far always the hardest part of his week, when he had to hand over his money he got from working at his full-time job. His money. Not theirs by any legal means. It was his money that he had earnt from all of his hard work, and it was gone in an instant to fuel his parents addictions. He didn't dare sigh in irritation as he turned around to lock the front door. 

"What's that in your back pocket, son?" a gruff, deep voice said from further down the hall which caused Chan-woo to freeze.

"N-Nothing father," he replied quietly, head downcast.

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me, son," slow footsteps approached the two at the front door. "Hand it over to your mother. Now!"

Chan-woo jumped at the sudden raise in tone, heart racing as he knew what was about to come. He turned around and pulled out the small stack of hidden cash from his back pocket. He handed it over to his mother before he snuck a look at his father. His father's face was shadowed with anger, nostrils flared and iris' narrowed.

Before he knew it, a fist landed square on his left ribs which made him gasp out in pain. He fell to the floor on his knees and tried to hold in his tears. A foot kicked him in the middle of his chest. He was pushed hard into the closed door behind him, his head hit the wood with force. As another kick landed on the same ribs he had just been punched on, the air was knocked out of his lungs. He tried to gasp out, but couldn't from the sheer amount of pain he was in.

"Get out of our sight, you pathetic waste of space," his father spat in a low, angry tone. 

Without hesitation, he crawled onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up off of the floor before he sprinted to his room in the far back of the house. The second his bedroom door closed, he allowed the tears to fall, his face frozen in a silent scream as he tried to breathe through the pain. His entire left side stung from both the physical assault and the jolty movements as he made his way to his room.  

His heart cried out in pain from the constant abuse. It hurt him to think why any of this was necessary. He just wished he hadn't been born. He just wished he had different parents. He just wished he could escape this hell; alive or dead. Chan-woo pushed away the intrusive thoughts as he carefully took off his backpack and placed it on his desk chair. 

After he walked over to his body length mirror, he slowly lifted his shirt to reveal the new, dark bruise forming over his painstakingly visible left ribs. His light, brown eyes drifted up to his tear soaked face, a sight he had seen too often on himself. He instantly hated the sight that stared back at him as those invasive thoughts returned once more. He looked so broken, so defeated, so lost. Chan-woo wished he could save the boy that stood in front of him.

He peeled off his now dirty clothes from the eventful day and stared at his semi-naked body. Scars of all shapes and sizes littered his body. All of them in different stages of healing; some old, some new. As he stared at each one, he could recall how it had occurred, whether it had been himself or his parents. And amongst all of the scars were bruises, lots of bruises. His body easily collected them thanks to the daily abuse at the hands of both of his parents.

Pitiful eyes turned away from the mirror while Chan-woo walked over to his small closet. He grabbed out a fresh pair of silky pyjamas. Very slowly and carefully he got dressed into them, the cool material felt great against his hot and sensitive skin. Small gasps of pain echoed throughout the quiet room at the task however, but he pushed through it as the bed in the corner was calling his name.

After he had turned off the bedroom light, Chan-woo finally crawled under the covers. He wiped away his tears in the now dark room and tried to settle into the warm bed. Sounds from the noisy duo out in the lounge room flooded his ears. He couldn't help but flinch each time he heard a loud noise. A rather annoying habit he had picked up after a long eighteen years of living under this roof.

He tried to keep his mind focused on the happy news he had received earlier that night, and eventually, his found his eyes closed on their own, feeling heavy. Chan-woo drew in a deep breath as he imagined what it would be like moving out to become a trainee for BigHit Entertainment. To be away from this hell, to be free of the abuse, to potentially even be happy for the first time in his life. Chan-woo eventually fell asleep with a slight smile on his face. For the first time, in what felt like quite some time, he had hope.

Chapter Text

Tired eyes tried to focus on the large whiteboard in front of him. The sounds that came out of the university professor's mouth didn't seem like words. Chan-woo kept his heavy head up by resting it upon his palm. Occasionally he had to shake his head to stop himself from falling asleep. He also tried to rub the sleep away from his sore eyes, neither really helped in his efforts.

Last night had been a long night for him with the constant yelling from his intoxicated mother and enraged, intoxicated father. Every time he had been woken up, he was fearful that the bedroom door was about to be knocked down and fists and feet would landed harshly on his flesh. It wouldn't have been the first time something like that would have happened.

But luckily he had escaped any further physically harm for the rest of the night. Even if his sleep had been thoroughly disturbed, at least he had been able to feel free in his dreams, even if it was for a little while. Only to then wake back up in his personal hell hole to his screeching alarm and aching body. 

By the time he had dressed himself slowly, thanks to the latest bruise on his ribs, and walked out to leave for his university classes, both of his parents were still wide awake in their drunken state. They had just started what looked to be their sixth bottle of alcohol of the night as he walked passed them. He had tried to tune the yelling out as best as he could, but their vicious words of course had followed him out the door.

Chan-woo's daydreaming was all of sudden interrupted by a loud piercing ring from right in front of him. Startled by the sound, he looked down at his phone to see a no caller id ringing him. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes caught sight of the time. Had he forgotten about this call? Perhaps. But could you really blame him after the night he had had?

"Sorry, excuse me," Chan-woo stood and sheepishly bowed at his annoyed looking professor.

As Chan-woo grabbed his phone, he quickly jogged down the steps and out of the large classroom. The moment he was in the corridor and the door had closed behind him, he let out a shaky breath. He answered the call with a racing heart, afraid to miss it if he waited any longer.

"H-Hello Jung Chan-woo speaking," he spoke in a shaky breath.

"Ah Chan-woo, this is Bang PD, CEO of BigHit Entertainment. I haven't interrupting anything, have I?" a kind sounding voice floated to his ear.

"N-No sir," he answered. "I was just in a university class. I just excused myself to take the call."

"Studying is important. But I do appreciate you taking the time to answer my call," Bang PD-nim let out a soft chuckle. "I've reviewed you audition tapes as well as all of your paperwork. And I must say I am rather impressed."

"Thank you sir," nervously smiled Chan-woo while looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"Please, no need to call me sir," the older laughed. "Hyung is fine."

"O-Okay Bang PD Hyung," he said still with a nervous smile.

"After looking at some of the experience you have had as well as your raw talents, I'd like to offer you a position in a group. No traineeship," he said, finally cutting to the chase.

"N-No traineeship? Hyung are you sure," Chan-woo frowned, knowing that this wasn't the normal protocol after a successful audition.

"I am more than sure Chan-woo," he laughed. "However, I will get you to do a mandatory week or two of training just to refine and polish everything before you officially join the group. It does look like it has been a while since you had vocal lessons."

"Can I ask when will the group be debuting? If you don't mind me asking Bang PD Hyung," he asked while he begun to nervously play with the hem of his sweater.

"They have already debuted," he answered. "You'll be joining as a new member."

"A-Already debuted?" Chan-woo's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"Yes, precisely. If I have the time, I will inform the group before your arrival. Then you'll get to meet them and have a couple of weeks to adjust to everything. However we won't release anything to the media until after you've settled in with them," he said in a calm matter.

"Do you think I'll be a good fit for this group? I know bringing in a new member to an already debuted group can be difficult for both fans and members," the younger said, his heart pounding loudly in his chest and ears.

"I wouldn't add you to this group if I didn't think you would not be a good fit," Bang PD-nim reassured Chan-woo softly. "I think you'll bring a lot to this group. Please don't worry about it for now Chan-woo."

"I'll try Bang PD Hyung," he said and smiled as he heard a chuckle through the phone.

"When is the earliest you can leave and come start this short training period?" he asked kind of eagerly.

"T-Tomorrow? I'll need time to defer the semester with university, quit work and pack all of my belongings. But tomorrow I can be ready," Chan-woo's eyes were wide as his mouth automatically spoke for him, his brain still tried to process what was happening.

"Perfect. 12pm tomorrow a car will be at the address you supplied on your paperwork to pick you up," Chan-woo could tell the other male was smiling as he spoke. "I'm glad you are keen to come, Chan-woo. It proves to me how much this means to you."

"It means more than words could express, Hyung," he let out a breathless laugh. "Thank you so, so much."

"No worries. I'll see you at the airport when you land. Rest well, Chan-woo," said Bang PD-nim before he swiftly hung up the phone.

For a few silent minutes, Jung Chan-woo simply stood in the hallway outside of his university lecture room with his phone still to his ear. He was frozen in shock as he tried to process what had just happened. He had done it. Not only had he been accepted into his dream company, but he was going to be placed in an already debuted group! It truly blew his mind away.

Chan-woo turned around, took a deep breath in, and walked back inside the classroom. All eyes were focused on him as he once again sheepishly bowed upon entering. He made his way back to his spot. However, instead of sitting down, he quickly and hastily shoved all of his belongings into his backpack much to the annoyance of the professor.

Making sure he had everything, he exited the classroom once more, making sure he bowed respectfully to the pissed off professor. He sighed to himself as he felt a surge of happiness go through him the further he walked away from the classroom. He felt that with each step, he was walking towards his freedom. It was so close to being held in his grasp.

As he walked he  begun to formulate a plan for the rest of the day. Chan-woo decided that while he was still on campus that he would fill out the paperwork at the administration instead of submitting it online. Knowing him, he would forget to send it in via email due to how excited he was. So to administration is where he begun to walk to.

A content smile formed on his lips as he walked through the fairly quiet campus. Most students were either in a lecture, studying or taking a break. He would miss this place. It had been his only refuge away from his home life. He had spent many hours with his head buried in books or in his laptop. His only goal while he had been hidden away on campus was to get good enough grades to get a successful job far away from this small town.

Chan-woo walked inside the small administration office after a long walk across the campus. He waited patiently for one of the ladies to notice his presence. He looked around with nostalgia as he remembered the very first time he had come here. It hadn't changed that much expect for some small parts of the décor. The strong scent of mixed perfumes still hung heavily in the air from the receptionists, the fact caused him to smile with fondness.

"Can I help you?" a round faced, middle aged lady asked.

"A-Ah yes," Chan-woo stepped closer to the counter. "I need to defer for the rest of the semester and thought I'd do the paperwork here while I'm on campus."

"Of course! Let me get the form for you," she smiled kindly before she got off her office chair and rummaged through one of many filing cabinets. "Here you go, sweetheart."

As a thank you, Chan-woo bowed towards her before he grabbed a spare pen and begun to fill out the required information. He put his reasoning for his defer down as 'moving for new job'. He knew that the particular course he was in had an option for online classes. So if he decided to complete the course in the future, he could always do them from wherever he was living.

He slid the paper back towards the lady and put the spare pen back in the cup holder. He smiled nervously at her as he watched her eyes scan through the paperwork. His smile dropped as he watched the lady lift her eyebrows in surprise, heart accelerated from nerves as he wondered what he had done wrong.

"I-Is it all okay?" Chan-woo asked anxiously. "Did I do anything wrong?"

"You filled it out correctly," she smiled up at him reassuringly. "And congratulations on the new job."

"O-O-Oh, thanks. I just found out about the job around 20 minutes ago. Quite a shock, but it's my dream job," he blushed bashfully and scratched the back of his neck, relieved he hadn't filled anything out wrong.

"Well that's even more of a reason to congratulate you, young man! I'm sure you'll do fantastic and good luck with it all, dear," she smiled brightly at him. "I'll get this processed for you today."

"Thank you for all of your help," Chan-woo smiled and bowed once more before he turned around and left the office.

As Chan-woo left the university campus for what was likely the last time, his chest felt light and his shoulder unburdened. A smile once more on his face as he started the long walk back to his home. He allowed himself to be proud of everything he had done at the university, sad to leave it behind, but he was definitely looked forward to what the future was going to bring him instead.

He pulled out his phone after he decided his next step was to call his boss at his full-time job he had had for years. It was time to finally move on from that place. He searched for his managers number in his contact before he called it. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, never had he resigned from a job before, so he didn't know what the process was.

"Hello Chan-woo! What can I do for you?" the familiar voice of his boss, Kim Minho, floated through the phone.

"Good morning, Minho Hyung," he smiled unconsciously. "I really hate to be making this call. But I need to resign. I've been accepted into that job I told you about a few months ago."

"No way! Buddy that's amazing!" his boss was ecstatic which only caused Chan-woo to smile even wider. "I'm so happy for you Chan-ah!"

"Thank you so much. And your support means everything to me, Minho Hyung," he chuckled lightly. "I'm really going to miss you and the rest of the crew. You know you guys are more like my family than my actual family, yeah?"

"I know buddy," Minho said as he sounded slightly sad now. "I know, and we will miss you so much. You've been with us for years and you've done so much for all of us. But you need to chase your dreams. You need to do that for yourself. And get away from your parents."

"You'll make me cry soon if you keep talking like that, Minho Hyung," he said with a sad smile.

"Do they know yet?" asked Minho after a small silence. "Do they know you are leaving?"

"No," he answered in a quiet voice.

"Call me if you need help or if they do anything to you, okay Channie-ah?" said Minho with seriousness laced throughout his voice.

"Of course," he easily lied to the older, only slightly feeling bad about it. "Thank you."

"When do you leave?" he asked to change the sensitive subject for the younger.

"Tomorrow at noon," Chan-woo sighed. "Minho Hyung?"

"Yeah?" he hummed in response.

"Is this phone call sufficient or do I need to sign any forms for my resignation?" he asked, unsure of the process since this was the first time he was quitting a job.

"I will send you a form via email you need to sign. But a part from that, you have officially resigned in my eyes," Minho sighed while he tried to sound as upbeat as possible.

"T-Thank you again for everything, Minho Hyung. Please say my goodbye to everyone. Take care of yourself as well Hyung," he smiled sadly, a truly bittersweet moment.

"Go make me proud, bud. I want to see your name in shinning lights, okay?" the older excitedly exclaimed before laughing.

"Aish, yes Hyung," Chan-woo couldn't help but laugh along, grateful to have had such a supporting boss the last few years. "Bye Minho Hyung."

"Bye Channie-ah," his now ex-boss chuckled as he smiled sadly on the other end of the line, before he hung up.

As Chan-woo took his phone away from his ear, he smiled sadly. He had done it, however hard it was, he had done it. And he was extremely proud of himself for resigning. He looked around and noticed he was almost home. A sense of dread settled into the pit of his stomach. He was not looking forward to walking in through his front door at all.

For the longest time, Chan-woo stared at his door, unmoving. Finally, he reached out with shaky hands before he opened it up as quietly as he could. The house seemed quiet... too quiet for his liking. And he didn't need to wait long after he had closed the door behind him that his suspicious was confirmed.

His mother stumbled out into the hallway, still intoxicated from the night before, and laid her angry eyes upon him. Chan-woo visibly shrunk from where he stood as he waited for the anticipated altercation. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered only one previous incident similar to this that had taught him to never come home early.

"Yah! What are you doing home so early?" his mother yelled with a slight slur as she stormed up to him.

"I-I finished early today," he stuttered with eyes locked on the ground.

"I-I-I-I," she said mockingly. "I don't care if you finished early. You stay there and work overtime so you can one day bring home more money with that so called smart brain of yours."

"I-I couldn't mother, I'm sorry," he whispered as he felt tears start to form in his eyes.

A loud slap echoed throughout the hallway of the house. Chan-woo's cheek stung painfully as he refused to look anywhere but the ground. Tears fell from his face, sliding over the now tender skin. His mother grabbed him by the back of his neck and shoved him down the hallway. The action caused him to fall to his knees painfully.

"Get out of my sight you pathetic, lazy piece of shit!" her shrill voice yelled in the quiet household. "You're worthless! You're stupid! You're probably secretly failing classes and that's why you are here! I should have aborted you! You fucking ruined my life, you leech! Fucking move you little shit!"

Tear after tear fell down Chan-woo's face as he numbly stood up from the floor. He stumbled to his feet and quickly made his way to his room. He closed the door behind him and slid down against it. Fistfuls of hair were grasped in between his fingers as he begun to angrily tug it. His mouth hung open as he silently screamed out in pain.

Chan-woo didn't know how long he had stayed on the floor crying as those words from his mother circled around and around in his head. But he eventually forced his body off of the ground. His knees were sore from having landed on them harshly after being pushed as he walked over to his desk. He took his backpack off and looked around his fairly bare room with a sigh.

He squatted beside his bed and reached under it blindly until he felt the item he needed. He pulled out a large duffle bag and placed it on his bed before he unzipped it. Slowly, he started folding all of his clothes from his closet and tightly packed them into the bag. He set aside one clean change of clothes for the morning as well as another set which he stuffed into his backpack in the case of an emergency. 

His backpack already contained the important items that he had taken to university, like his laptop and headphone, so he'd just leave it the way it was already packed now with the set of clothes. A part from a few books he wanted to take, there was nothing else he wanted or needed to pack from around his room. In the morning, he would add his toiletries after brushing his teeth as well as his pillow, the stuffie he had since he was a kid, and his less used electronics and their accessories.

Chan-woo sat down on the bed with a small sigh and wiped the dried tear marks from his face. He looked around the bare room with sadness. Although he had lived in this space since he had been born, it almost looked like no one had added their personal touch to it. It was just a bunch of practical furniture and items you'd fine in a guest room. He sure wouldn't miss this room, this house, or the people he lived with when he left tomorrow. Time could not go any slower if it tried to.

Chapter Text

The morning had gone by slowly as Chan-woo anxiously waited in his room the entire time. He didn't dare go out for any reason expect to quickly use the bathroom a small handful of times. All of his packing had been completely done an hour after he had awoken. He had changed into the clean outfit he had chosen the night before, the old clothes stored in his duffle bag to wash later.

His mother had been walking around the house loudly in a blind drunken rage for hours. Although Chan-woo really hadn't heard anything from her in a while and he had to wonder if maybe she had finally passed out for the day. Or maybe she was just trying to lure him out, like she had in the past. Either way, he knew he wasn't going to leave his room until exactly 11:59am so he could walk straight out to the car without hassle.

He looked down at his watch that had a crack in the glass and saw it was almost time to leave. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Not only since yesterday, but for his entire life. This was the moment he would finally be leaving this personal hell hole of his. He hoped he'd never, ever, have to see this house again. 

Chan-woo double checked over all of his belongings, placed his backpack on and heaved his large, heavy duffle bag off of his bed. He flattened his hooded jumper down on his chest with his free hand before he walked up to his bedroom door that he had spent so many times crying against. A few happy tears came to his eyes as he looked around the bare and dull room one more time. 

Without hesitation, he opened the door and walked straight out into the hallway. To his surprise his mother was indeed passed out on the couch in the living room. A grateful sigh passed his lips almost inaudibly. Hate slipped into his eyes without him even realising it as he turned his head and kept walking until he stood in front of the front door. So close to his freedom, his heart pounded loudly in his ears with a wide smile on his face. 

The front door opened. His pounding heartbeat grew louder as his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach. Chan-woo stood silently staring at his father who had just opened the door. The two men said nothing, eyes glued to the other, the room completely tense. His father stood in the doorway, a plastic bag full of alcohol in one hand and an open bottle of alcohol in the other. 

Time seemed to slow down as his father threw the opened bottle directly at his head. Chan-woo managed to duck the oncoming item only for it to smash into a million pieces behind him. Shards of small glass rebounded and struck the back of his exposed calves. He ignored the sharp pain in his legs as his attention was drawn to the movement in front of him. His eyes grew wide with fear as his father charged forward with both hands outstretched. The plastic bag abandoned in the doorway.

Two hands wrapped tightly around his neck as he was pushed harshly against the wall near the open door. Scared light brown eyes stared up into angry dark brown eyes. The rest of the world around the two males completely disappeared as Chan-woo fought to breathe and his father fought to destroy his son. His hands scratched at the arms that were firmly staying in place, his airway being crushed, tears rolled down his cheeks.

Chan-woo didn't know why the assault suddenly stopped as he took in deep breath after deep breath. He could hear distant yelling, his watery eyes tried to focus back on his current surroundings. He looked up from his crouched position to see a strange man holding back his father who was still trying to get to him in a fit of blind rage. He whimpered pathetically as he gathered the last of his fleeting courage to grab his dropped duffle bag from the floor and run out of the house.

The second he ran onto the front yard, Chan-woo felt the calmness of the fresh air entering his burning lungs. His throat hurt as he turned his head over his shoulder. He watched the stranger yell at his father as his mother stumbled out into the hallway in a drunk daze. Tears ran down his face as he realised the seriousness of the situation. His new life could be over before it even begun all thanks to his parents yet again.

The stranger, who had charged in the house to help him, eventually walked out. With a concerned look the man gently guided him to a slick black car that was out the front of the house. The man opened the back door, took his two bags off of him and placed them in the boot. As Chan-woo sat in the luxurious car, he realised the man who had helped him was in fact the driver that was to take him to the airport.

With blank eyes, he closed the car door and looked over at his parents that stood angrily on the porch. Chan-woo barely registered the other man getting into the driver's seat as he was preoccupied by the death glare his father was giving him. Just as the car started, his father brought a hand slowly up to his neck. In a slow motion his father moved his closed fist with his thumb sticking out across his neck to signal the action of cutting a throat. 

Lucky for him, the car abruptly pulled away. His watery eyes stared out of the window while his mind replayed the terrifying sight he had just witnessed. A shiver ran down his entire body. Absentmindedly, he picked out the small handful of glass shards that had stayed in the back of his calves. The small blood that dribbled down his legs didn't phase him, a sight he was used to. The pain didn't bother his numb body either.

It was now in the safety of the car that he realised the male that had rescued him was talking. The driver seemed to have an earpiece in and was hurriedly talking to the person on the other end. Chan-woo had missed majority of the conversation so he didn't even bother trying to figure out who it was until the driver was finished. Instead, he focused his attention on the buildings that passed him by. 

"T-Thank you for your help, sir," whispered Chan-woo after the driver had finished his call. Tears actively ran down his face as he put his hoodie up and shrunk in on himself. "Y-You didn't have to."

"Are you okay kid?" the driver asked as he looked over his shoulder briefly with concern. 

"Yes," he whispered. "And no."

"Those bruises around your neck look bad," he sighed as he focused back on the road.

Shit. Chan-woo raised a hand to trace the tender skin. He couldn't believe out of all of the days, his father decided to leave a mark in a visible place. Normally he was really careful with where he'd hurt him. Same with his mother. It was always in places he could easily cover it like his torso or arms or thighs. Never had his father put his hands around his neck before, and the look in his eyes... He'd not forget that look any time soon.

"W-Who were you on the phone to?" Chan-woo asked as a shiver went through his body, remembering the angry eyes staring at him. "N-N-Not the p-police, right?"

"No, kid," the driver tried to reassure the stuttering boy in his back seat. "I called CEO Bang PD Hyung. I was obliged too. I did put my hands on your father after all, even though I didn't physically hurt him."

"Oh," he sighed in relief before he realised his new boss would now know his terrible secret.

"How about you close your eyes for a little, yeah? It'll take us thirty minutes to get to the airport depending on traffic," he turned around and flashed a kind smile at the terrified looking young man. 

With a nod of his head, he forced his eyes closed and relaxed back into the comfortable seat behind him. Chan-woo felt tired, borderline exhausted, even though it was just after midday. Although when one goes through something traumatic like he had, it was not that surprising his body and mind were exhausted. The soft bumping and rocking from the car helped send him to sleep fairly quickly. He completely missed the concerned and pitied looks constantly thrown his way the entire way there.

Chapter Text

Everything was too loud for the tired Jung Chan-woo as he forced himself to walk out of the airport terminal. His lost eyes wandered around the massive airport, looking out for signs to guide him towards the baggage area. He held his backpack straps tighter in an anxious way as he tried to not be touched by any of the busy crowd that walked passed him. He had never left his hometown before, so the current experience was very overwhelming for his tired mind.

A sign for the baggage collection area finally caught his attention, so he walked a little quicker. He followed the signs to the conveyer belt that would soon unload his flight's baggage. While he waited, he pulled out his phone and turned it off airplane mode. His phone vibrated in his hand as it caught up on five hours worth of missed notifications. Chan-woo's eyes caught sight of a text message from a number that hadn't been saved to his contacts. 

Unsaved Number:
Chan-woo, this is Bang PD Hyung. I just arrived at the airport. Let me know when you are here so I can come and find you.

A sigh of relief left Chan-woo as he reread the message again before he saved the number to his phone. He had been so nervous that as a result of the phone call from the driver to Bang PD-nim, he wouldn't be wanted in his company anymore. He had been terrified his father might have stolen his only opportunity to leave that godforsaken hell hole. With shaky fingers, he typed in a reply. 

Chan-woo:
Hi Hyung. I just landed. I am at the baggage collection area. Should I stay here until you get me?

A few seconds after sent his response, he looked up just in time to see his large duffle bag appear out of the flaps and travel along the conveyer belt. He placed his phone in his pocket and walked up to a free space along the conveyer belt. He readied himself to grab his bag as it approached. He held out his hand and grabbed the handles, struggling to lift the heavy bag up with his tired body.

"Chan-woo?" a voice asked from behind him.

Chan-woo turned around to see Bang PD-nim right behind him with a kind smile on his face. He bowed respectfully to the older male, too nervous to talk in that moment. As he stood up straight, he saw Bang PD-nim's eyes widen in shock as he caught sight of the bruises that were visible on his neck. He couldn't help but hang his head in shame, his hoodie fell lower over his head to cover the shame written all over his face.

"Aish, your neck Chan-woo. It looks bad. I was hoping it wasn't true," a sad look took over the once happy face. "Here, let me take that for you."

With a small sheepish smile, Chan-woo handed the heavy bag over to the outstretched hand and bowed in thanks. He tried to fight away any signs of tears while his heartbeat grew faster from the nerves. He tried to look anywhere but the sad look on the other's face. Bang PD-nim easily carried the bag as he silently led the way through the busy airport. The older made sure that he kept close by him after people begun to stare in their direction.

Chan-woo kept his eyes down until he noticed Bang PD-nim stopped in front of a slick black car. It was quite similar to the one he was picked up in earlier that day. Quietly, he got into the car after Bang PD-nim opened the back door for him, and slid over to allow room for his boss. While he waited for the other to finish putting the bags in the car boot, Chan-woo nervously fiddled with his hands. 

"Ready?" asked Bang PD-nim as he got in, closed the door and buckled up. 

"Ready as I can be," Chan-woo sighed and looked out the window as the car begun moving.

Silence filled the car as both men settled in to the soft, fancy seats. Bang PD-nim's mind was consumed with thoughts of how to tackle the difficult conversation he needed to have. He knew he needed to talk with the young man beside him about it, but he didn't want to make him uncomfortable. As the CEO of the company, he had to ensure all of his employees and idols were safe and continued to feel safe.

"Chan-woo?" he cautiously asked as he looked pitifully at the tired boy beside him. 

"Yeah, Hyung?" he answered as he turned his head away from the window for the first time.

"Did it happen often? The abuse? Or was this an unexpected outburst?" Bang PD-nim kept his voice gentle as he saw the fear flash in the light brown eyes. 

"A lot," whispered Chan-woo. 

"Just your father?" he asked, already knowing the answer when he saw the nervous gulp the younger did.

"N-No, my mother too," he looked at his lap, fighting hard to hold back the tears.

"How long has the abuse been going on, Chan-ah?" Bang PD-nim's heart broke as he asked the question.

Chan-woo couldn't answer, his throat felt choked up from the intense emotions. He just sat there, tears ran down his face in silence, not able to speak. How could he admit it to his new boss? There's no way he could tell Bang PD-nim anything in that very moment. Maybe he could tell him over time after they built up more of a relationship and trust. 

"That long, eh?" Bang PD-nim sighed after he saw the tears. He reached out and placed his hand on the younger's knee and rubbed his thumb in comforting circles. "I hope one day you can tell me."

"O-One day, I hope so too," he nodded his head as he brought up his arms and wiped away the tears with the sleeves of his jumper.

"Would you like to press charges over the incident that happened today at least?" asked Bang PD-nim with a frown. 

Frantically he shook his head. Chan-woo looked at the older with wide, fearful eyes. He couldn't admit to anyone else what had occurred that day. He couldn't allow any reports to be on his record. Fans would snoop and eventually find it and he did think he could handle the whole world knowing his dark secret.

"You are over eighteen, I can't force you to do it," he sighed as he took his hand away, not before he firstly gently squeezed the knee once more for support. "But just know if you change your mind, I'll be there for you. As well as the driver that witnessed it."

"Y-You won't fire him for helping me, will you?" Chan-woo asked nervously, hating to think he was the cause of someone losing their job. 

"No, of course not," he tried to smile reassuringly.

Relief flooded through him which cause him to sigh softly. Chan-woo smiled sadly before he looked out of the window again. He watched with intrigued eyes at the passing lights from buildings and the sky which formed a lovely light pink colour as the sun begun to set. He was amazed at how different Seoul city was to his hometown. It was stunning, busy, and unique. People of all ages walked the streets, restaurants and food stores crowded, street performers drew small crowds of onlookers.

"Would you like to go over your schedule for the next week or two before we get to the BigHit Entertainment building?" asked Bang PD-nim after some silence.

"S-Sure Hyung," Chan-woo turned his head again with a smile.

"The schedule is the same every day, hence why I don't know if you'll be done in a week or two weeks. You'll start off at 8am with a vocal coach and finish at 10:40am to have a twenty minute break. I saw in your paperwork you can speak some English, Japanese and Chinese, so I'll get you a language coach to brush up on those areas. Those lessons will go from 11am to 1pm," said Bang PD-nim, knowing it off by heart after he had quickly organised it over the last day.

"English is my best foreign language out of them all," interrupted Chan-woo, nervous to speak up. "So I will probably focus most of my time on the other two."

"I'll let the language coach know," smiled Bang PD-nim kindly, glad the other was paying attention and contributing to the conversation. "You'll have an hour break to rest and eat. Then at 2pm you'll meet up with a stage coach to go over things from handling interviews, to preforming live, to fan meets. That will go until 3:20pm. And lastly from 3:30pm until 5:30pm you'll have dance lessons with one of the best coaches we have."

"Wow, that's a lot. But I am prepared for it. I was born ready," a fire was evident in his eyes, passion clearly on his face.

"It'll be intense, but remember you are skipping the traineeship. So it is necessary," smiled Bang PD-nim as he saw the look on the younger's face. "I'm sure you'll smash it out, Chan-woo. I can see your passion and your talent."

"T-Thank you, Hyung," a small blush appeared on his cheeks as he looked at his hands in his lap.

"You are more than welcome," he chuckled lightly and placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder, before he squeezed it gently. "Ah, we are here!"

The car slowed down and pulled up outside of a massive building. Chan-woo's eyes lit up with excitement as he leant forward slightly to look passed his boss. He couldn't believe he was finally here at his dream company. The two men got out of the car and headed inside the huge glass doors. The few security guards on shift bowed respectfully to the CEO as he walked by them.

"I'll give you a quick tour, show you the rooms you'll be going to each day and then we will head to the dorms so you can rest up after that long flight and big day you've had," smiled Bang PD-nim as he walked towards the first stop.

Chan-woo tried to take it all in as he was led around the massive building, committing the rooms to memory as much as his tired brain would allow. His eyes wandered around the place with wonderment. His heart pounded hard the entire time they walked. A smile firm on his face as it sunk in where he was standing. He was standing in one of the many dance rooms he would be able to practice in as an unofficial idol of BigHit Entertainment.

The pair made their way back out to the awaiting car, both hoped into the same seats as before. Bang PD-nim remained silent as he allowed it all to sink in for the young man. He could tell he was in awe as well as a little overwhelmed. He didn't blame him, knowing how much this opportunity meant for Chan-woo. He would allow the younger as much time as he needed to get used to this new life after the obviously hard one he had previously had.

Once again, the car slowed down, only this time outside a tall apartment building. The two men plus the driver hopped out of the vehicle. A yawn escaped Chan-woo as he tiredly stretched his aching limbs. The driver placed the duffle bag and backpack on the ground next to the pair before he got back in the car. Chan-woo grabbed the two items before he smiled and nodded at his boss to lead the way.

They silently went up the elevator and made their way to a door towards the end of the long hallway. Bang PD-nim looked at Chan-woo with a kind smile before he lifted his arm and knocked on the door loudly. He could tell the younger was nervous as he trained his eyes on the ground and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Even after the door opened, the younger didn't look up. 

"Namjoon-ah! I'm sure everyone is waiting for us, right?" smiled Bang PD-nim as he looked upon the leader of the group.

Upon hearing the familiar name, Chan-woo shot his head up, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the one and only Kim Namjoon. The leader of BTS didn't look at him as a strained smile passed his face and he nodded at the CEO. Chan-woo watched in shock as the taller man turned around and walked inside the apartment. A hand gently guided his stiff body inside, his eyes glued to the floor as he processed the information.

"Boys!" Bang PD-nim called out seeing the group of seven sat on the couches in the living room. "How are you?"

"Tired," a quiet, yet grumpy voice said which caused everyone but Chan-woo to laugh.

"You are always tired, Yoongi Hyung," a sweet voice replied lightly.

"Well I was meant to be in bed sleeping right now," clearly the other was annoyed at the situation, which only made Chan-woo gulp in guilt. "But I was told to wait for whatever this important meeting was for."

"Ah yes, Namjoon didn't tell you guys, right?" asked Bang PD-nim and a round of "no's" went around the room. "Good, good. I'd like you to meet Jung Chan-woo. He will become an official new member of BTS in a week or two after he is done with training to polish up all of his skills."

"What?" a gasp came from a deep voice, sending shivers down Chan-woo's spine. 

Chan-woo could feel the tension in the room as the boy's learnt he would be joining them. He didn't dare lift his eyes from the ground, he didn't want to see the disappointment or the hatred any of them might have on their faces. Why didn't Bang PD-nim tell them beforehand? He didn't need to see even more people hate him, he already received so much from his parents. He couldn't see some of his favourite idols look at him the same way too.

"New member? Him? Why Hyung?" a nasally voice asked with a mixture of confusion and anger. "We've worked so hard to get where we are. And he gets to join us after all the hard work we've done? It's not fair Bang PD Hyung! He shouldn't get a free ride to fame thanks to our hard work!"

"It is not a free ride to fame," disappointedly sighed Bang PD-nim. "You'll come to understand the potential he could bring to this group. The talent he has, well, you will all see it for yourselves."

"Still! It isn't fair he gets to join us," huffed a quiet voice. 

"Jungkook-ah, you all have no choice. This is my decision," again sighed Bang PD-nim. "Now, let Chan-woo settle in. He's had a massive day and needs to be rested for his training schedule that starts early tomorrow morning. Namjoon, look after him and help him please."

"Yes Hyung," Namjoon said emotionless.

"Alright, call me if you need anything Chan-ah," Bang PD-nim said as he softly patted the younger's shoulder in a supportive way. "Good night everyone."

The whole group mumbled their goodbye partings with the CEO before they were left in silence as the older man left the apartment. Chan-woo stood still, eyes on the ground and both hands held the straps to his duffle bag in front of him. No one moved or spoke for what seemed like years to the scared boy.

"Sit down so I can lay out some rules for you," Namjoon's cold voice bit out into the silence.

Chan-woo did as he was told and sat on the empty spot on one of the couches. The members that were sat beside him scooted away in disgust, not wanting to be anywhere near him. He dared to take a chance and took a quick look around at his new band members. Chan-woo's heart broke in a million pieces as the disgust and hatred he thought would be there, was indeed, there on their faces.

"Since you are getting a free ride to fame, you'll have to work for things around here," spat Namjoon in disgust and anger to which the others nodded in agreement. "You can not eat our food. You'll have to buy your own groceries. Anything you want, you will have to buy yourself. That includes your own bed."

"W-Where will I sleep in the meantime?" Chan-woo quietly asked as he looked up briefly before he unconsciously flinched at the angry eyes from the leader of BTS.

"The couch," he scoffed as if the answer was obvious. "And on that fact, don't talk to any of us unless spoken to first. Got that?"

"Y-Yes Namjoon Hyung," he nodded while he tried to hold back the tears.

"Just stay out of way in general, yeah?" another cold voice interrupted.

He looked up to find that Yoongi had said that. He nodded his head in understanding before he looked at his hands. He nervously played with his long sleeves, glad none of them could see his arms. He'd hate for any of them to see his broken body. Which reminded him, his neck. He tried hard to convince himself that they wouldn't notice hopefully thanks to their rage. He adjusted his hoodie self-consciously, afraid for his secret to be revealed during their first meeting.

"And lastly, we will not be giving you rides to or from the company building. You'll have to make your own way," Namjoon continued. "Anything else you guys want to add?"

The room was silent, the group satisfied with the rules in place. Chan-woo nodded his head and fought back the tears. He could feel the glares from the rest of them as the silence continued. A yawn escaped passed his lips as hard as he tried to contain it. He wondered if he would be able to lay down and sleep soon. The group started talking amongst themselves, ignoring him completely as if he wasn't even there.

After a few minutes, he realised he wouldn't be able to lie down on the couch anytime soon. Chan-woo stood up silently and took his duffle bag over to the corner of the room. He slid off his backpack as he sat down next to his bag. Another yawn overtook his body which made his eyes water and grow heavier with fatigue. He laid down on his right side and rested his head on top of his duffle bag as he was too tired to take out his pillow. He hugged his backpack to his chest in hopes of hiding the bruises around his neck while he slept.

Before he fell asleep, Chan-woo quickly set an alarm on his phone for the morning. He needed enough time to get up, get ready and be at the company on time. He planned on catching a taxi to the company tomorrow morning since he didn't know how long the walk was between the dorms and BigHit. Thankfully he still had a small stack of cash he had managed to squirrel away with him so he wasn't completely broke.

Finally, he closed his eyes. He couldn't help but think how there wasn't much difference between his home life and his new life here at the dorm so far. The people he lived with hate him, hate his existence. The people he had lived with treated him horribly, so he'd have to see if that was to continue. He would have to provide basic things for himself once more, all out of his own pocket again. At least he could keep the money he earnt this time. But was this place any better than his home life with his parents? Only time would tell.

Chapter Text

A/N: English will be written like this.

An obnoxiously loud ringtone slowly stirred Chan-woo from his deep sleep. One tired eye opened as he felt around until his hand grasped his phone. He turned off the alarm and pushed himself into a seated position on the hard, wooden floor. His muscles ached from having slept in one position on a hard surface for so long. But it wouldn't be the first time he had in his life.

To rid the lingering tiredness, he rubbed his eyes with the ends of his sleeves, his lips in a small pout. Chan-woo opened his backpack and duffle bag. He double checked to see if his spare outfit in his backpack would be fine for the day ahead before he then grabbed his small bag of toiletries from his duffle bag. He quickly sprayed his underarms with deodorant before he put the small bag into his backpack.

Satisfied he had everything he would need for the day, Chan-woo neatly placed his zipped up duffle bag in the corner once more and stood up. As he stretched his muscles, Chan-woo looked around the empty apartment and wondered if all the boys were asleep. He wished he had asked where the bathroom was the night before, but he had been so tired he had forgotten. So instead he picked up his backpack and tried to walk as quietly as he could to the front door.

Just before he closed the front door, he realised he didn't have a key to get in and out by himself. He shrugged as he left the apartment and decided that would be a problem for future him. As he went down the elevator, he order himself a taxi so he wouldn't be standing out in the cold morning air for long. He checked the very front pocket of his backpack to make sure he had his secret stash of hidden cash there before he walked out of the building.

The taxi pulled up just as Chan-woo walked up to the curb side. He opened the door and got in, shyly and quietly he greeted the driver before he gave the address. He spent the entire car ride in silence as he thought about his busy day ahead of him. He wondered to himself if his tired body would be able to keep up with the schedule. Upon arriving, he payed for the small fee, rather glad he was able to keep some of his previously earnt money to himself successfully. 

Chan-woo walked into the familiar building from the night before. He made a beeline straight for the elevators and went up to the third floor where he would be having his vocal lessons in. He got out and immediately walked into one of the many bathrooms along the floor. He was busting to go to the toilet since he hadn't been in so long.

After he washed his hands, he bent down to open up his backpack. He took out his toiletry bag, he grabbed his tooth brush and tooth paste. Absentmindedly, his thoughts drifted back to the day ahead as he brushed his teeth. He put the toiletries bag away and pulled out his spare change of clothes. Chan-woo tried to not look at his reflection as he undressed from the previous day's clothes. But, of course, he couldn't help it as he caught sight of himself after he straightened up from placing the old clothes away in his backpack.

The bruise that had been forming on his left ribs since the day his father had punched and kicked him had grown larger. He frowned at the sight of it and carefully lifted his arm to be able to inspect it more. Never before had a bruise gotten so large, let alone how much pain he was still in. After he had put his new shirt on, he noticed the bruises upon his neck, the sight stood out.

Just like the bruise on his ribs, this one hadn't settled down either. Chan-woo frowned as he leant forward to look at them closer. In the past when his father or mother had caused bruises anywhere from grasping him too tightly, the bruises would only be visible for a maximum of twelve hours. However, it was getting closer to twenty four hours later, and yet he could see it as if it had just occurred minutes ago.

Chan-woo didn't want to walk around from lesson to lesson with those bruises visible. He quickly pulled on the clean black skinny jeans and socks before he fished out the jumper he had just taken off. He felt more secure with the large item back on and the hoodie up around his head. He slipped his feet into his shoes, fixed his hair in the mirror, threw his backpack on his back and left the bathroom.

As he checked his phone while he stood in the hallway, he noticed it was still too early for the coach to have arrive. Chan-woo didn't particularly feel like staying in the hallway, so he walked up to the room Bang PD-nim had showed him he would be having the vocal lessons in. He entered the dark room, flicked on the light, before he took a seat on one of the two grey couches in the medium sized recording studio.

Chan-woo took of his backpack and placed it beside him. He tucked it under his arm and used it as an armrest while he scrolled through his phone to pass the time. He checked his emails, social media, and random news articles. Just anything he could find to pass the time while he waited.

The door finally opened after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, which gained his attention. He stood up immediately and bowed to the tight-lipped, annoyed looking coach. The coach closed the door and set his briefcase down on the soundboard desk. He turned around and looked Chan-woo up and down. The younger gulped in nervousness from the scrutinising eyes.

"I'm Choi Hye, I'll be your vocal coach," the older male said in a rather unimpressed tone.

"J-Jung Chan-woo," he bowed once more in respect. "Nice to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same," scoffed Hye as he rolled his eyes and took a seat. "I don't usually train people under these circumstances due to my past experiences. People who get accepted and debut quickly tend to have this certain... shall I say... arrogance or entitlement about them. But I owed PD-nim Hyung a favour."

"I-I'm sorry about that. I'll try to make this easy for you Hye Hyung," Chan-woo stuttered as he looked at the ground, hating feeling like a burden.

"We will see about that. Now sit and tell me about your vocal experience," he spat angrily as he gestured towards the couches.

"Well," he said as he took a seat again, "I have had professional vocal training since I was a young kid. I had to quit those lessons around the age of thirteen due to personal reasons," he felt a small blush rise, the real reason being that was when his father got fired and couldn't support his extracurricular activities any longer. "I kept practicing the techniques I learnt on my own however. Occasionally saving up to get lessons here and there when I got my first job."

"Do you sing or rap?" Hye rolled his eyes at the lazy excuse for quitting.

"Both, but I mainly sing," said Chan-woo and blushed at the cold attitude from the other.

"And you think you should be allowed to join an already debuted group with such a lazy background like that and only two weeks of training from myself?" he asked with a hint of anger.

Time froze as the words sunk in. He of course knew there would be people opposed to him joining such an elite debuted group, but he never expected a coach to give him a hard time for it. Chan-woo hadn't even shown him his skills and he was already being punished for something out of his control. Was he honestly to expect anything else? He could understand where the other was coming from, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt any less.

"I-I wasn't expecting this, I didn't ask for this Hye Hyung," stuttered Chan-woo as he could feel a few tears form in his eyes. He looked down at the carpet in shame before he wiped the tears away.

"Sure you didn't," he scoffed and turned towards the soundboard desk. "Go get in the booth and put the headphones on. Stop crying and start warming up your voice."

Chan-woo cleared his throat as he stood from the couch and opened the door to walk in to the recording booth. He grabbed the pair of headphones on the wooden stool and tentatively placed them on his head before he sat on the seat. He forced himself to hold back the further tears that wanted to form as he begun warming up his voice, feeling a little awkward.

"Sing," Hye's stern voice came through the headphones suddenly which caused him to jump in fright.

With a deep breath in, he closed his eyes as he tried to calm his racing heart. Breathing out slowly, he opened his eyes and focused on the microphone in front of him. He opened his mouth and begun softly singing the words of 'Tenerife Sea' by Ed Sheeran. Chan-woo lost himself in the moment as he sung the memorised song, heart no longer pounding the more he relaxed into the rhythm.

Choi Hye's eyes widened as the angelic voice reached his ears, goosebumps rose upon his arms. The young man perfectly pronounced all of the English words which only proved to shock him even more. His tone was so gentle as he sung and it carried all of the emotion behind it in a breathtaking way. His mind was blown away and he wondered where Bang PD-nim had found this young man.

Silence engulfed both the recording booth and the recording studio as Chan-woo finished the song. He looked towards the glass window nervously and wondered if the other was even paying him any attention. His eyes met with the older's wide eyes. A small smile spread upon Hye's face as he reached forward and spoke into the microphone on the soundboard desk.

"That was something else, kid," Hye's voice floated into the headphones which made Chan-woo smile in relief. "I might have underestimated PD-nim Hyung this time. I might have underestimated you."

"T-Thank you, Hye Hyung," he stuttered out in a breathy laugh.

"For someone that hasn't had a solid professional voice coach in years, your voice is rather impressive," he said with a small smile, his tone and attitude had done a complete 180 flip. "Now let's hear how well you can rap."

"O-Okay," Chan-woo smiled, glad his vocal coach was slowly warming up to him.

The rest of his vocal lessons had gone by smoothly. Hye had understood the reasoning behind why he was debuting so soon, not that Chan-woo could understand himself. He was now sat down in the room he'd be having his language lessons in as he listened to his coach introduce herself and her plan for the upcoming lessons. He nodded politely as she talked to show he was engaged, worried about his first impression.

"This morning Bang PD-nim said you think you don't need to focus much on English, is that right?" asked Gwan Jia with a kind smile.

"Y-Yes," he nodded and returned the smile.

"I want to hear your English to gauge where your skill levels is," Jia motioned for him to talk.

"Hello! My name is Jung Chan-woo. I am eighteen, almost nineteen, years old. My favourite colour is blue. I like all kinds of animals. I have a fear of being alone, but also a fear of large crowds. My favourite food is pasta carbonara, and I dislike pickles with a burning passion," he stopped as Jia clapped in amazement.

"Wow, you are really good," she smiled widely. "How long have you been practicing for? And why did you want to practice it?"

"Thank you so much! I have been practicing for about five years, I don't really remember. I lost track," he replied with a small blush. "And I started learning English out of natural curiosity. There really wasn't a reason."

"And you can hold a conversation in English too! Aish, that's really good," Jia clapped excitedly.

"Yes, I can. I understand it and can talk it, but I do struggle a tiny bit with reading and writing it," Chan-woo said quietly.

"That's okay, we will focus on that after your Chinese and Japanese skills have improved," she smiled as she turned to write some notes down on her paperwork. "Now," Jia continued as she switched back to Korean, "we will start with Japanese."

Chan-woo nodded happily as he shifted slightly in his chair. The morning had gone by so quickly already and he was glad to have impressed two out of his four instructors so far. He started to allow himself to feel as if he was perhaps here for a reason. Maybe Bang PD-nim did see potential in him, see the value he would add to the group, even if he couldn't see it yet.

Chan-woo walked out of the elevator and then walked down the hallway on the fifth floor towards the room he would be spending the rest of the day in. He had just finished his hour long break where he had finally been able to eat something for the first time that day. Not that it had bothered him, his body was used to missing meals from when he lived with his parents.

He knocked on the dance practice room and waited patiently until he heard a loud voice telling him to enter. Chan-woo opened the door and bowed to the male standing in the middle of the room. He stepped inside and closed the door before he walked over to the man, a shy smile on his face.

"I'm Jung Chan-woo, nice to meet you," he said while he bowed once again in respect.

"Hak Min-ki, stage coach," the other smiled and bowed back, wrinkles showing around his eyes and creases around his mouth signalling this guy smiles often. "If you want to put your bag over there, we can get started."

With a nod, Chan-woo turned around and quickly placed his backpack against the wall opposite the roof-to-floor mirrored wall. He walked back over to the awaiting coach, standing with his hands in front of him and nervously played with the sleeves of his hoodie. His eyes stayed on the ground as Min-ki slowly begun circling him, he could feel eyes roam his body, self-conscious of himself and hoping he didn't see the faint bruise on his neck.

"You dressed yourself?" Min-ki's soft voice asked as he stopped in front of the shy boy.

"Y-Yes sir," he blushed as he grasped the sleeves tighter from nerves. "Although I haven't unpacked yet so I kind of just threw on what was easiest to grab."

"Interesting," he mused as he nodded to himself. "Well I reckon it suits you. Your future stylist should aim for this vibe unless there is a theme. Anyway, I'm getting distracted. Today I just want to get to know you and start exploring different stage presences you want."

"Understood," Chan-woo nodded with a small smile.

"When you think of being on stage or at fan meets, what kind of energy or aurar do you see yourself giving to the fans?" asked Min-ki, with a tilt to his head, in curiosity.

"I-I haven't really thought on it too much," he blushed. "I really thought of just being myself I guess."

"Well of course you can be yourself. But you'll need to have an overall theme you usually stick to," he chuckled lightly. "You can be sexy, flirty, cute, bad boy, shy, kind, cool. Pick one or two that you'd like to use and we will work on it over the next few lessons."

"W-What would you recommend for me? Like what do you think suits me?" asked Chan-woo. He looked up at the older male with his shy, light brown eyes and his blush only grew larger.

"Hmmm good question," Min-ki said as he stroked his chin in thought. "I'd say being shy naturally comes to you. And we could work on cute if you want."

"Okay," he nervously nodded his head. "Sounds good to me, Min-ki Hyung."

"Aish, cute!" smiled Min-ki as he reached forward and pinched the younger's cheek in a teasing fashion. "See, you're already learning."

Chan-woo couldn't help but laugh as he pushed the hand away from his face. He could feel how hot his face was which only made him blush harder. He held both of his hands, that were hidden in his jumper sleeves, up to his face and jokingly glared at the older for making him embarrassed.

"Yah! Don't you glare at me! It's not my fault you are a shy baby," Min-ki cooed before he laughed. "Right now let's practice introductions. Remember our focus is shy or cute. Try it out!"

"Ahhh," Chan-woo brought his hands away from his face to reveal a pout. He took a second to reign his emotions in. He held up a peace sign and tilted his head. "I'm Jung Chan-woo! Nice to meet you!"

"That was very cute, well done," cooed Min-ki. "I did forget to ask, do you have a stage name or are you going by Chan-woo?"

"Oh, uh, I was thinking of Chan because Chan-woo just seems too long," he answered with a small smile.

"Alright, let's try it again with your stage name," he nodded and gestured for the younger to go ahead.

"I'm Chan! Nice to meet you!" he said, this time he waved his hand with a wide smile and then held up a little finger heart.

Laying starfished on the vinyl floor, Chan-woo's chest heaved up and down in a fast rhythm as he tried to catch his breath. He had finally finished his first two hour dance lesson, and the moment the beat had finished for the last run through of the day, he had collapsed on to the ground. His body was sore from not only the full on dance lesson, but also from all of the healing bruises and sleeping on the ground the night before.

Slow footsteps approached his head as the person clapped their hands. Chan-woo opened his eyes to see Daniel walking towards him with a wide smile plastered on his face. The older male held out a hand which the younger took as a small pout appeared on Chan-woo's sweaty and flushed face.

"How do you think you went today?" asked Daniel as soon as the sweaty Chan-woo was up on his feet.

"I think I did okay," Chan-woo answered still slightly out of breath.

"Okay? You think you did just okay?" he couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the younger in bewilderment. "Man, you did fucking fantastic!"

"Language, Hyung!" he lightly hit the other's arm.

"Yah! Don't deflect Channie-ah! You did an amazing job. You should give yourself a pat on the back," he said with a kind smile.

"Too tired," Chan-woo pouted with a small huff.

"Well I'll do it for you," Daniel said before he reached out and roughly patted the younger on the shoulder.

"Ow," Chan-woo only pouted more as he watched the older walk away.

"Stop being so adorable, Channie-ah!" he chuckled lightly after he had picked up his phone from beside the speaker. "Go home and rest, you must be exhausted."

"Ah, Daniel Hyung?" he asked quietly while he threw his jumper back on and picked up his backpack.

"Mmmm?" the older hummed and looked upon the younger with adoration in his eyes.

"The company has showers, right?" he asked shyly and continued after seeing Daniel nod. "W-Where can I find one?"

"Do you not want to shower back at your dorm?" Daniel asked while he tilted his head in confusion.

"N-No," Chan-woo shook his head with wide eyes.

"Why not? Is everything okay?" he asked as he walked over to the younger and placed a comforting hand on his upper left arm.

"Uh," he shied away from the touch and looked away at the ground. "I-It's a long story."

"I have time to listen," he said bringing his hand back and frowned as he made a mental note at the reaction from his touch. "What's up?"

"It's just t-that my new band members haven't showed me where the bathroom is at the dorm," sighed Chan-woo as he fought back the tears of shame. "A-And I didn't want to go back being all sweaty without knowing where it is."

"You could ask one of them?" frowned Daniel, feeling concerned for the other.

"Well what if they aren't home or if they are asleep. I don't want to go to sleep on the couch, ah I mean, I don't want to go to bed all sweaty," quietly said Chan-woo as he nervously played with the end of the long sleeves of his jumper.

Daniel frowned as he listened to the worries of the young man. He was concerned why such a small thing seemed to cause him such anxiety. Was it just his shy nature and him not wanting to cause trouble? Or was there something more that was causing the odd reaction? Let alone he had slipped up and admitted he slept on a couch.

"There's a male bathroom with a shower at the end of the hall," he said simply.

With a grateful smile and a nod of his head, Chan-woo adjusted his backpack on his shoulders before he bowed and left the room he had been in since his stage lessons with Min-ki. He followed the directions and headed straight to the bathroom. A soft sigh left him as he closed the door and locked it, he thought of how close of a call that had been. He needed to be more carefully with what he said. He didn't want to cause any of the boys trouble.

He placed his bag on the changing bench, before he carefully begun to strip down out of his jumper and sweat soaked clothes. His aching muscles screamed with each movement. His healing bruises and sore ribs begged him to stop. After he separated the sweaty clothes from his jumper, he turned around and caught sight of the mirror that was above the sink.

He walked up to it, eyes scoured over the upper part of his broken body. His eyes looked at the familiar sight of the growing bruise on his left ribs and the not so faint small bruises on his neck. He looked at the scars littered on his upper arms, chest, and stomach. It was all the places his father thought people would never find his abuse, but unfortunately he saw all the time. A stark reminder of the hell he had endured.

Chan-woo scoffed at how pathetically thin he looked before he turned his back on his sad reflection and turned the shower on. He allowed the cold water to run over his sore body, welcoming the harsh bite from the water. He didn't spend long in the shower as he just wanted to go back to the dorms and sleep.

A rack full of clean towels sat near the sink. He grabbed one of them and started to dry his wet body. He winced as he lifted his arm up and gently dabbed around the bruise his father gave him two days prior. He managed to relatively dry himself off fairly well before he got dressed back into the clothes he walked in to the building with that morning, which included his hoodie he had just taken off.

With his backpack on his back, used towel in the basket, and hair still slightly damp, Chan-woo walked out of the bathroom and made his way down to the ground floor in the elevator. As he stepped out and walked towards the street, he decided to walk home. He needed to know roughly how long it would take to walk between the dorms and the company considering he wouldn't be able to afford a taxi each time.

In his contract, it mentioned he would be paid fortnightly. However, he wouldn't receive his first payment for a week plus however many business days it took to land in his bank account. So he'll have to rely on the small amount of money he managed to squirrel away before he had left. He knew between the taxi fares here and there as well as providing food for himself, the next week was going to be very tight money wise for him. But he had been in worse situations.

Fifteen minutes later Chan-woo had arrived at the entrance to the apartment complex. A heavy sigh left his lips as he walked up to the elevator and waited patiently for one of them to come. His heart begun to race as he remembered he had no key. The ding of the elevator pulled him out of his thoughts before he tentatively stepped in.

The higher the elevator climbed, the faster his heartbeat went. As he walked up to the door to his dorm, he simply stared at the wood as he wondered how to go about this. He lifted his hand nervously and knocked on the door with his knuckled three times. His breath came out shaky as he waited. And waited. And waited some more.

He knocked again, only a little louder this time, and finally he heard some movement from within the dorm. As the door finally swung open, Chan-woo saw an angry Park Jimin staring at him, leant against the doorframe with his forearm. The other raised an eyebrow in question which made Chan-woo realise he had been rudely staring at him.

"S-Sorry, J-J-Jimin Hyung," he breathed out as he hung his head, damp hair fell in front of his eyes. "I don't have a-a key."

"I was in the middle of eating dinner," he spat before he sharply turned and walked inside.

Chan-woo sighed to himself as he walked in and softly closed the door behind him. He noticed that some of the members were sat at the table eating as well while some were missing from the living room. He walked over to his duffle bag, simply placed his backpack down and grabbed out his phone charger. He plugged it into the nearby wall socket and set his phone down to charge overnight.

Before he left, he unzipped his duffle bag and pulled out his pillow. He tiredly walked over to one of the couches and finally sunk down in to the soft material. With his head rested against the back of it, he sighed as his sore body thanked him gratefully for the rest. His heavy eyes closed on their own as he shifted to a more comfortable position to sleep in. Curled up on his side with one hand under his pillow and the other hugged a couch pillow to his chest tightly, Chan-woo quickly fell asleep despite all of the noise. A testament to how exhausting the training schedule was.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo was fast asleep on the couch when a sudden pair of hands grabbed his clothes and roughly pulled him off. He braced himself as he felt his body fall the short distance to the ground. His left elbow painfully dug into the large bruise on his left rib. He tried to ignore the pain as he immediately protected his head with his arms from the oncoming blows, mind thinking he was back home and forgetting he was at the new dorm.

It almost felt like the wind had been knocked out of him as he lay on the ground curled in a tight fetal position. He tried to catch his breath from the immense pain radiating throughout his left side and his chest. He struggled to breathe in and out with the pain, he couldn't help but gasp out and moan.

"Oh shut up," a voice above him suddenly said in irritation, which caused the young man on the ground to jump in fright. "You're just doing this for attention."

"I'm n-not," Chan-woo whispered as he turned his head slightly to look up at the person that towered above him.

Directly above him and looking down upon him with a face full of utter disgust was one Jeon Jungkook. He shuffled away and groaned in pain as he struggled to pull himself up in into a seated position. Rolling his eyes, Jungkook stepped over him before he flopped down on the couch that the younger had only moments ago been asleep on.

"Yeah right," Jungkook said while another roll of his eyes. "You are perfectly fine and we all know it. No need to act."

Chan-woo ignoring the words, he put one hand on the end of the couch and used all of his energy to pull himself up. As he pulled himself up off of the ground with a struggle, his eyes caught sight of the other perfectly free couch in the living room. All he could do was sigh sadly as he turned around and walked over to his belongings. He didn't want to cause any drama between them over something as small as a couch.

He opened his duffle bag and pulled out two completely clean outfits. One to change into once he got to the company and one for after he had finished dance practice. He didn't want to change back into the clothes he was currently wearing at the end of his scheduled lessons as a pet peeve of his was wearing the same clothes repeatedly days in a row. It made him feel dirty.

Chan-woo opened his backpack up and took out his sweaty clothes from the day before, having completely forgetting to have taken them out before he fell asleep when he got home. He stared at all of his belongings as he thought where he could store them. Since he didn't have a room or any space to store anything, he ended up deciding to neatly fold them and place them under his duffle bag. He mentally made a note to go to a nearby laundromat every few days so the pile didn't get out of control, sure he would hear about it from the other boys if he did.

With his two new sets of new clothing stuffed into his backpack, Chan-woo also added his phone charger after unplugging it from the wall. He zipping up the bag, he pocketed his phone before he stood up and placed the right backpack strap on his right shoulder. He turned around and walked over to the front door, ready to leave despite how early he would be. It would give him more time to change at the slower pace his body wanted.

"What do you think you are doing?" a sharp voice said from behind Chan-woo which caused him to jump and whip around with wide eyes.

"I'm going to the company," he answered, confusion and hesitancy laced throughout his voice. "Ah, to do my lessons."

"Without showering? That's so disgusting," Jimin's face scrunched up as if he could smell a revolting scent. "If you are a part of us, you have to look presentable. We don't want you embarrassing us even more than you are."

"I-I uh, I know there are showers at the company. I'll make sure to shower when I get there, Jimin Hyung. And I also had one last night," he said shyly as he looked at the ground and played with the sleeves of his hoodie.

"Are our showers not good enough for you?" the older scoffed as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"No, that's not it," frowned Chan-woo and looked up shyly.

"Then what is it, huh?" Jimin asked a little angrily.

"N-No one has shown me where the b-bathroom is here. A-And you guys said n-not to disturb you. So I-I just thought I'd do everything at the c-company," his voice was so soft and quiet that both Jimin and Jungkook almost missed what he had said. His eyes focused on the ground as he felt his heart speed up in his chest.

Chan-woo didn't move a muscle as he felt both pair of eyes still on him. His body was hot with anxiety as he waited for something, anything, that hinted at him being allowed to leave. He still needed to walk to the company before getting ready. Each second he stayed there was more time he was wasting, even though he had woken up early. He heard some movement in front of him, and shifted his eyes up to find Jimin staring intently at him while making his way to the other couch.

"First door on the right," Jimin said emotionless as he sat down and pulled out his phone.

"T-Thank you, Hyung," bowed Chan-woo with his heart pounding before he hurriedly walked into the hallway and made his way to the door Jimin had told him.

He locked the door once he had closed it and quickly took off his backpack and clothes since he didn't want to risk being late. He calculated that if he had a quick shower here and after the time it took to walk all the way to the company, he'd be able to have at least ten minutes before his first lesson. He also pulled out one of the clean outfits and placed it upon the vanity bench.

As he looked up into the mirror he saw the top half of his naked body in the mirror above the vanity. He slowly lifted his left arm and twisted that side of his body towards the mirror. The bruise looked worse than it had the day before. The mixture of blue and purple were now broken up with new red streaks, blood vessels obviously had been damaged during the fall to the ground moments ago.

He turned his eyes away with disgust before he walked over to the shower and turned the taps on. While he waited for the water to warm up a little, he checked the back of his calves after he realised he had completely forgotten about the small cuts with such a busy schedule the day before. The cuts had all healed, leaving behind small pink scars that would soon start to fade.

As he stepped into the showers, he almost moaned at the warm water that ran over his sore, cold, tired body. Chan-woo carefully washed his body. Not having any soap or shampoo of his own yet, he decided against using any of the ones owned by the other members in fear of their wrath. A soft sigh left his lips as he felt his body relaxing the longer he stayed in the shower.

His peaceful moment was suddenly disrupted by the alarm on his phone ringing loudly. Cursing quietly, Chan-woo quickly turned the taps off and stepped onto the bath mat as water dripped off of him. Looking around, he grabbed a towel off the rack as he had no choice but to use one of them. He quickly, yet carefully, dried his body off. He walked over to his hoodie on the vanity bench and fished out his phone before he swiftly turned the annoying alarm off.

Chan-woo knew if he didn't leave soon, he would be borderline late. So he did one last dry off with the towel before he discarded it in the laundry hampers. He grabbed his new underwear and pulled them on before he grabbed the white skinny jeans. He shimmed his way into them, the water making the tight material harder to pull up. He balanced on one leg to put on the clean sock, switched feet and almost fell over in his rush.

Pausing, he looked into the mirror and couldn't help but to instantly scrutinise himself. He was too skinny. Too pale. Too unattractive. Too broken. Too weak. There was so much he could point out with all of his flaws, but was pulled out of the hateful cycle by his phone buzzing in his hand. He saw the time on his lock screen and finished getting dressed. Chan-woo pocketed his phone in his skinny jean back pocket before throwing on his soft, valentine blush, pink t-shirt with short sleeves.

In a rush, he grabbed his hoodie and dirty clothes in one hand and he picked up his backpack in the other. As he opened the door, Chan-woo almost bumped into a sleepy looking Min Yoongi. He bowed in an apologetic way at the angry look on the order's face before he rushed over to his duffle bag in the corner of the living room.

Chan-woo quickly folded his dirty clothes and placed them underneath the large duffle bag. He stood up and fumbled with the hem of his hoodie, struggling to put it over his head in his rush. Finally he successfully got his hoodie on before he picked up his backpack and put both straps on as he walked out of the front door. He missed the looks thrown his way by the three males in the living room as he was too worried about being late.

The moment the doors of the elevator opened to the ground floor, Chan-woo jogged out of the building and kept jogging for a few minutes down the busy street. He didn't want to be late as it wouldn't be a good look during this training period. Feeling he would arrive in time, he slowed down to a brisk walk and caught his breath from the unexpectedly cardio workout. He couldn't help but check the time on his phone every few minutes, anxiety high after having to shower without warning.

For the second day in a row, Chan-woo was laid on the ground covered in sweat and chest heaved up and down rapidly. Daniel turned the music off before he walked up to him to and held his hand out to the tired looking boy. With a smile, Chan-woo accepted the hand and stood up on his two feet. A faint blush rose on his cheeks as Daniel didn't move away from how close they stood to each other. 

"You did amazing," the older whispered and smiling down at him. 

"T-Thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo hung his head, his sweaty hair falling into his eyes.

"The way you take on instructions and implement them without much difficult is incredible Channie-ah," said Daniel at a normal level as he placed his large hand on the younger's upper arm. "Your dancing is so clean and smooth as well. It's immaculate, so hard to critique."

"Aish, stop with the compliments Danny Hyung," his blush only grew brighter as he played with his hands nervously, afraid to look up.

"You don't like compliments?" he asked with a tilt of his head as his hand squeezed the younger's arm lightly.

"N-Not used to them," whispered Chan-woo as he slightly shied away.

"You don't get many compliments? Really? Wow, I'm shocked at that because your talent is so amazing," softly said Daniel, his heart broke at what he heard.

"Thank you," he whispered as he walked away to grab his hoodie and backpack.

"Have a good rest tonight and I'll see you tomorrow kiddo," Daniel smiled brightly. "Good work today."

"Goodnight, Danny Hyung," Chan-woo smiled back before he left in a rush.

The second he had closed the door behind him, Chan-woo cursed to himself for being such a blushing mess. His heart was beating crazy even now as he walked over to the elevators. His arm still felt hot from the touch. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he remembered the kind whispered words. It wasn't fair the way the other made his body react. He couldn't control the blush which only made him blush harder.

He walked into the empty elevator and placed his backpack in between his feet. He put his hoodie on as it took him down towards the ground floor. He was too tired to shower and change into the fresh clothes, simply just wanting to get back and sleep. Chan-woo walked out of the elevator and adjusted his backpack on his shoulders nervously, his mind still upstairs in the dance practice room with a certain coach. Cursing himself as he felt his cheeks grow hot once more.

"Chan-woo!" his name was called from the left of him.

Chan-woo looked over to see a smiling Bang PD-nim that was making his way over to him. He smiled back and bowed respectfully towards the CEO as he waited for him. He wondered if he was in trouble for something or if he was only stopping him to check in on how he was going. Either way he was nervous to see what the other wanted.

"I'm glad I caught you on your way out," Bang PD-nim smiled before it was replaced by apprehension. "I actually needed to talk to you quickly about something."

"Sure," he gulped at the sudden change in tone.

"This morning I got a call from one of your band members, Yoongi," the older said which made Chan-woo's heart race at the unknown reason behind the call. "He said this morning he noticed you had bruises on your neck."

His eyes widen as he heard what Yoongi had witnessed. He thought back on the interaction and guessed he noticed it because he had walked out without his hoodie on. Chan-woo wondered if he had of put the hoodie on beforehand, would the older still have seen the bruises? He would never know, but now, his secret is out.

"Not only that, but he said he could see scars on your upper arms and faint ones on your forearm," Bang PD-nim said quietly with sadness in his eyes. "Is it true? Do you have scars elsewhere on you?"

"Y-Yes," he looked down in shame.

"It's okay," he sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. "Can I ask if you did it or did they do it?"

"Mostly them," he whispered, feeling tears start to brim in his eyes.

"We can talk about this another time when you are more comfortable with me," said Bang PD-nim as he reached out and ruffled the soft brown hair.

"D-Did you tell Yoongi Hyung anything?" Chan-woo couldn't help but ask as he looked up with a defeated expression, the tears subsided for now.

"No, I didn't. And I won't. I'll let you decided who you tell and what you tell them. It is not my place to share such personal information about you, Chan-woo. Okay? So don't worry about it," he smiled sadly at the younger. "Go home and rest, you look exhausted."

"Thank you, Bang PD Hyung. I appreciate it. All of it. Have a good night," bowed Chan-woo before he turned away and walked out of the BigHit Entertainment building.

The cool night's air hit him and sent shivers down his spine despite having his hoodie on. The sweat from his prior dance practice probably didn't help as he continued to walk towards the dorms. His mind was quickly caught up by the anxiety caused by Yoongi seeing his bruises. How would he go about this? He didn't know what to say. Would he be allowed to say anything or would he have to wait until the older spoke to him first because of the ground rules they all set out for him?

Chan-woo was ten minutes into his walk when he had to stop for a few seconds. A sudden wave of dizziness overtook him which sent the street sideways. He clenched his eyes closed as he focused on breathing. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt like he was about to fall over. He managed to stumble to the nearby brick wall blindly, apologising as he bumped into a few people.

With one hand on the brick wall and one hand pinching the bridge of his nose, Chan-woo bent over as he took in deep breaths. He stayed in that position for what felt like years, but in reality was only a couple of minutes. The dizzy spell finally settled and he dared to open one of his eyes. He found that the street was no longer rocking sideways. Relief coursed through him which was soon taken over by anxiety and worry.

He pushed off the brick wall and made his way back to the dorm as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be out on the streets if anything like that happened again. He walked into the apartment building, headed straight to the elevator and up to his floor. His heart pounded as he walked up to the front door and wondered who would answer tonight.

His hand was lifted up with great effort before he knocked on the door loudly with his knuckles. He heard some movement inside before the door opened to reveal a grumpy looking Min Yoongi. His heart sank as the other immediately looked at his neck. He hung his head in shame, stood still as he waited for the older to let him in. The seconds stretched on in agonising silence.

"C-Can I come i-in Yoongi Hyung? I'm really tired," he whispered, finally he looked up to see a frown on the other's face.

Without saying anything, Yoongi stepped aside and held the door open. Chan-woo bowed slightly in appreciation before he walked in. He went straight over to his duffle bag, squatted in front of it and took his backpack off. He took out the fresh clothes and put them aside, ready to take into the bathroom. He opened up the duffle bag and fetched out a fresh hoodie since he had been wearing that jumper for most of the day and he definitely did not feel comfortable in wearing short sleeved t-shirt around the dorm anymore.

As he stood up with the clothes in his hands, he saw Yoongi staring at him. He blushed before he walked into the hallway. He knocked on the closed bathroom door and waited a few seconds before he entered after hearing no one was inside. The second the door closed, he let out a shaky breath he hadn't realised he had been holding in. He tried to avoid the mirror's reflection as he undressed himself and got ready for his shower, too tired to hear those type of thoughts tonight after the exhausting day he had had.

Chapter Text

Tired eyes slowly opened as his alarm rung loudly in the quiet living room. Chan-woo pushed his aching body up off of the couch with a sigh. He had to pause once he was standing on his feet, the room spinning dangerously. The dizzy spells had only become more frequent and intense since they had started three days ago. He didn't know what was causing them, but he just pushed through them each time.

Finally able to see straight again, he walked over to his phone and turned off the annoying sound. As he begun to rummage through his duffle bag of newly clean smelling clothes, he couldn't help but think back on the conversation between Bang PD-nim and himself three days ago. Ever since he found out Yoongi had seen some of his broken body, he had been so conscious of what he wore; both in the dorms and at the company.

For the day ahead of him, he chose black trackies, a tight fitting, long sleeved t-shirt, and an oversized black jumper. Chan-woo stood back up after he also grabbed his toiletries bag and walked into hallway. Out of habit he knocked on the door and only entered once he heard no one was inside. His mind wandered away as he tiredly started his new morning routine.

In the six nights and five days he had been at the new dorm, nothing had improved between himself and the boys of BTS. He had made sure to stick to the rules religiously, afraid to anger any of them. He had managed to make it to the shops two days ago on his hour lunch break and purchased towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and a few small on the go snacks.

He brought all of those items so he didn't have to worry about being yelled at for accidentally using something that was not his. A situation he had been trying to actively avoid since he had arrived. And he brought the snacks so he wouldn't have to worry about wasting money on bigger meals during the day. He really needed that money to last as long as it could.

Like they had asked, he stayed out of their way. Chan-woo even stayed awake next to his duffle bag until a couch became free for him to sleep on. He didn't want to intrude on them anymore than possible after he noticed his presence was clearly an inconvenience to many of them. The treatment towards him was still very cold. And while it hurt deeply, he understood how they felt. He was essentially joining a group that had built up their fanbase and reputation across the globe. He saw what they had done. Painfully so.

The one thing that unnerved him was the stares he would receive from Min Yoongi. He had avoided the older as much as he physically could. Chan-woo had decided to not tell the other about the bruises and cuts, and luckily the other had not come to him with questions. He wasn't ready to talk about it. And especially not to someone who treats him coldly and as if he was a nuisance to even be breathing around him.

Talking about bruises, his bruises on his neck and ribs were not fading. It had been six days since his father had laid his hands around him and the bruises looked as if they had only occurred the day before. Chan-woo was growing increasingly concerned as the days went on with the visible bruises. And the pain radiating from his left ribs was still excruciating, the dance lessons probably not helping his body recover from the abuse.

As Chan-woo stood in front of the mirror above the vanity drying his damp hair, he cringed as his stomach rumbled painfully. He had not been eating properly since he had arrived. His eating was perhaps even worse than it was when he had been back home. He had hardly any money left to buy proper meals. Most of the time he skipped breakfast and dinner, waking up and going to bed hungry just to save money. He hated to do it, but he'd have to eat one of his protein bars before leaving, otherwise he wouldn't get very far through the day.

He put on his chosen outfit and smiled at his reflection as he felt comfortable in the oversized clothing. He put his towel in the hamper before folded his dirty clothes and zipped shut his toiletries bag. Checking over himself one last time, he nodded at himself before he left the bathroom and walked into the empty living room. He guessed the boys were sleeping in considering it was a Sunday morning; he wouldn't be surprised.

He placed the dirty folded clothes underneath the duffle bag, it being the only items of clothing there since he had made a trip to the laundry mat the night before. Chan-woo grabbed a spare set of clothes in case of an emergency before he grabbed his phone and its charger. With his backpack closed, he stood up and went towards the front door before he stopped mid step. His stomach grumbled in a painful reminder that he needed to grab something to eat.

Now with a protein bar in hand that he had grabbed from his duffle bag, Chan-woo walked out of the building and into the brisk morning air. He didn't need to rush to get to his first lesson. The last few days he had worked out a good schedule to be able to wake up, shower and arrive at the company with enough time to spare. As he munched on the protein bar, he breathed in deeply and enjoyed the sunlight that started to stream in above the building's tall roofs, basking in the warmth it brought with it.

Chan-woo walked in through the doors of BigHit Entertainment and made his way into one of the semi-crowded elevators. After a short journey, surrounded by a handful of strangers, up to the first floor, Chan-woo walked into the familiar recording studio and switched the lights on since he was the first to arrive. He sat in his usual spot on one of the grey couches and got his phone out to pass the time. He found himself on twitter with his timeline blown up with retweets of BTS's latest interview. His heart broke as he saw the screenshots and short clips of the boys acting so happily.

"Good morning!" a cheery voice startled Chan-woo so badly that he almost drop his phone. "How'd you sleep?"

"Morning Hye Hyung," he chuckled in embarrassment. "I slept okay, and you?"

"Yeah, good thank you!" a giant smile spread upon the older's face as he sat on the chair behind the soundboard desk. "So do you want the good news or the good news?"

"Uh, the good news?" he asked slowly with caution.

"This is your last lesson with me!" Choi Hye smiled widely.

"Last lesson?" Chan-woo's face dropped in sadness, immediately his thoughts turned to what he could have done wrong to cause it. "Why is that, Hyung?"

"I think you are polished enough to debut. So there is no need to keep up these lessons," he said with a sad smile at seeing the disappointment on the younger's face. "You can always contact me for anything, okay? To discuss lyrics, brush up on areas, or even to talk."

"I appreciate everything you have done for me, thank you Hye Hyung," he smiled sadly while secretly being relieved deep down for not having done anything wrong. And then it hit him that Hye had said he was polished enough to debut, his heart raced a million miles a minute.

"It's the least I can do for you kid," Hye nodded at him with a smile. "Oh, and after you finish your dance lessons today, Bang PD-nim Hyung wants to see you."

"Oh, okay," nodded Chan-woo in nervousness as he wondered what the CEO wanted to discuss with him this time.

As he was given the familiar gesture to 'get his butt' inside the sound booth, he couldn't help but forget about any of the anxieties that had previously plagued his mind. Either about the past, the present, or the future. The moment he stepped inside and placed the headphones on, he felt free. Being here at the company and engaging in all of these lessons made Chan-woo feel oddly at home. He could almost feel like he could let his guard down and be himself. He never wanted to lose that feeling. Never.

All of his lessons had finished for the day and he had decided to shower and change into clean clothes before he headed to Bang PD-nim's office. Chan-woo tiredly walked down the top floor hallway, hands messing up his slightly damp hair nervously. With each step he took, his body screamed for him to just sit down and stay still. His eyes burned as he fought off the tiredness. He hoped the meeting wouldn't last long so he could go back to the dorms and sleep.

Chan-woo knocked on the door. He stood still as he waited for an answer, eyes strained to keep his eyelids opened. He heard movement from within the office before the door opened to reveal a smiling Bang PD-nim. He silently stepped aside and motioned for him to come in. Chan-woo walked inside and made his way over to one of the chairs that facer the mahogany desk before he quickly sat down. His body screamed a huge thanks to him gratefully.

"Chan-woo, how are you going?" asked Bang PD-nim as he sat behind his desk.

"Tired, Bang PD Hyung," he said shyly as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

"I'm sure you would, it is a really intense schedule you have. But that's why I have called you in for a quick meeting," the older smiled kindly. "I have spoken with all of your coaches and they are really pleased with where you are at."

"That's good to hear," he smiled in relief.

"Yes, they are so pleased in fact that you'll be done with you dance lessons tomorrow and your stage and language lessons in three days time. Meaning you'll be finished all of the training on Wednesday!" Bang PD-nim smiled brightly before he laughed at the expression on Chan-woo's face.

"A-Are you sure, Hyung? That's really quick," Chan-woo asked in shock. "That's, what, only eight days of training?"

"I am sure. Your talent has proven to be up to standard with being able to debut. Of course this doesn't mean you'll never see any coaches for lessons ever again. I'll send you to people as I see fit. Like before appearing in front of cameras or fans, I will get you to brush up on some things the day before, considering how nervous you'll be. If that makes sense," he said while he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, it makes sense, Hyung," breathlessly said Chan-woo as he took it all in. "So what will happen after I finish on Wednesday?"

"Well, you'll start using your free time to bond with the boys," he smiled and completely missed the scared look as the younger had hung his head. "You'll start using the same schedules as they are on. You'll attend the planned activities, even if you will not participate in them yet. Use this time to get familiar with the intense work they all do."

"O-Okay," he gulped nervously as he looked up.

"The media still do not know about you and I will keep it that way. When I feel you and the boys are ready, I will debut you officially to the media," said Bang PD-nim. "There's nothing to worry about until then, okay? Just follow the instructions I either personally send you or that I will send to Namjoon and you'll be fine."

"Understood, Bang PD-nim Hyung," nodded Chan-woo.

"Now, how are you settling in? How are you getting along with the boys so far?" he asked as he leant forward in his chair, clasped his hands on his desk in front of him.

"U-Uh, I am settling in fine," he lied with a fake smile. "I haven't had much time to bond with them yet because I have been waking up so early and sleeping almost straight away when I get back to the dorm."

"Ah, yes I'm sure it'd be hard to find the time for that. Well it'll change in the next few days," he chuckled happily with a kind smile. "You do look exhausted. I'll let you get going now before it gets any later."

"Thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo said as he stood up and bowed. "Have a good night."

"You too, Channie-ah!" the older smiled as he watched the other walk out of his office.

Chan-woo couldn't believe what had just happened as he begun to walk on autopilot. He was almost finished with his training. In a few days time, he would unofficial be a BigHit Idol. All of his hard work and determination throughout his childhood and teenage years finally seemed to be paying off. All of the money he secretly spent on lessons here and there. All of the times his parents hurt him only added the fuel to his fire to escape and do something with his life. He had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. A smile spread across his face as he realised it was real, it was all real.

The only thing he was not looking forward to was having to spend more time with the boys of BTS. They all clearly didn't like him and now with his training finished, he would be imposing on them even more. None of them had warmed up to him. None of them wanted him there. Yet none of them had bothered to take the time to see why he was even there, to see the talent everyone kept mentioning he had. He hoped one day soon it would change and he wouldn't be as lonely as he had been back at his personal hell hole.

He hadn't realised that he had walked most of the way home until a sudden dizzy spell overtook him. Like he had done every night for three nights in a row, he walked over to the nearest wall and braced himself against it as he waited it out. His body seemed to lose the last of his energy the longer he stood there, feeling the world rock around him. This particular episode lasted longer than any of the other ones in the previous days.

He shook his head as he stood up straight, finally able to recover from the dizziness. He walked the rest of the way home, aching body protested each step let alone now he felt absolutely depleted of all energy. Chan-woo didn't even realise he had made it to the door of the dorm as he stood staring at it for a good few minutes. Tiredly he raised his hand and knocked on it, hearing someone approach with fast footsteps.

"Good evening! Welcome home! Oh, you don't look good," Hoseok's hyper voice said before he looked upon the younger with concern.

"Tired," was all Chan-woo could manage to say as he walked passed Hoseok.

"Yah! What do you mean welcome home?" yelled Jimin from where he sat on one of the couches. 

"He is anything but welcomed here," added in Taehyung, causing the majority of the group to laugh.

Chan-woo ignored the tears that begyn to well in his eyes as he tiredly took off his backpack and pulled out his phone charger. He made sure his alarm was set to go off at little later than it had previously been going off before he placed it on charge. He sat down on the floor with his back against the wall. His heavy head rested heavily against the wall and his eyes almost immediately closed on their own.

"How about we talk about this later," said Hoseok as he walked back over to the couch.

"Why? Why do you care if he hears it?" Yoongi asked from his spot on the couch.

"He just looks tired and it's not a nice thing to overhear. You know? That's all I was thinking," sighed Hoseok.

"You're too good for your own good, Hoseok," Jin said before his windshield laugh rung loudly around the room, the contagious sound caused the others to chuckle.

"Aish, hush and just leave him alone for tonight," quietly said Hoseok, the others decided to listen to him for a change. But perhaps that was more because they were sick of the leech and wanted to forget about his existence as best as they could.

Overhearing that the conversation wasn't about him anymore, Chan-woo sighed in relief. It hurt to overhear what they say about him. Of course he knew it already, but to hear it confirmed only made the pain worse. With great effort, he opened his eyes and looked at the group of seven boys that were spread out and relaxed on the couches. He didn't think he could stay awake long enough to move over to the couch, even if he had a nap while he waited.

Slowly he adjusted his body until he was laid down on the floor with his head resting upon his duffle bag and his backpack clutched to his chest much like he had on the first night he had arrived. He blocked out the conversations he could hear and just allowed his body to relax for the first time that day. It didn't take long before his breathing evened out and he slipped into the peaceful land of unconsciousness. His body flinched subconsciously at the loud noises while he slept, something that thankfully went unnoticed by the other occupants in the room.

Chapter Text

The sound of Chan-woo's annoying alarm rung right next to his ear. Slowly, he sat up and started to reach for his phone only to pause when he found a warm blanket had been placed over him sometime throughout the night. He frowned while he turned the alarm off, before he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. He took a minute to think back, but couldn't remember being woken up at any point.

Bewildered by the strangeness of the situation, he stood up and folded the blanket neatly into a small square. He tried to think who would have done such a thing. It didn't seem like any of the members would have gone out of their way to do something like that for him. He laid the blanket down on the couch closest to the hallway before he went back over to his duffle bag. He didn't have time to be caught up on such a small thing.

With the loud rustling of his clothes as he sorted through his bag, he almost didn't hear the movement from behind him. But thanks to all of the years living in the hellhole with his parents, his hearing was very sensitive to noise, especially in quiet places. He turned his head over his shoulder from where he was squatted over his bag to find one Jung Hoseok picking up the blanket he had put down moments ago.

"You looked cold," the older whispered as he saw the confused gaze upon him, before he turned and walked back into the hallway without another word.

Jung Hoseok had placed a blanket over him? Because he had looked cold? He scoffed at the lame excuse. How could he be cold when he had an oversized jumper on? Although he refused to admit that at some point earlier in the night he had woken up shivering from the bitter coldness in the room. He shook his head free from dwelling on the matter as he felt himself distracted. He picked up the rest of his clothing and his toiletries before he made his way to the bathroom.

Chan-woo's heart pumped hard in his chest as he moved to the beat that blared through the large speakers. Sweat poured down his forehead, down the middle of his back, and also created large patches under his armpits on his thin grey t-shirt. His eyes were focused on the large ceiling-to-floor mirror in front of him as he watched himself perform each step with precision.

Suddenly the music seemed to fade away from his ears. He struggled to hit the right moves on the appointed beat. Chan-woo's mind became foggy as he tried to recover. He frowned while he looked at his reflection in the large mirror, only to find that his vision was going in and out of focus rapidly. His heartbeat became harder and louder, his breath almost impossible to catch.

Without his control, Chan-woo's knees gave way. He landed on them with a small grunt of pain as he leant forwards, hands out in front of him as he tried to get any air into his burning lungs. He barely registered that the music stopped and that a pair of rushed footsteps approached him. A hand appeared on the middle of his lower back which caused him to jump from the sudden touch. Another hand grasped his chin and forced him to look up.

"Channie-ah? What's wrong?" Daniel asked with concern as he made the younger look at him.

"I don't feel good, Danny Hyung," he whispered, eye sight mainly unfocused as the world spun around him.

"You don't look good," murmured Daniel before he got up and jogged to his phone, immediately he turned around and came to kneel beside the younger. "Just hang on, yeah?"

"Yeah," Chan-woo panted out as he hung his head once more and shut his eyes to try and relieve the dizziness.

"Bang PD Hyung?" he heard Daniel speaking. "It's Jung Chan-woo. He collapsed to his knees, he is struggling to breathe, looks very pale and very sweaty. What should I do? Take him to the hospital? Alright. Yes, yes I will keep you updated. Alright."

The world spun in circles, his entire body hurt, his heart continued to race. Chan-woo groaned in pain as he let his head touch the slightly cool vinyl floor of the dance room. He had stopped listening to the conversation between Bang PD-nim and Daniel. It was all too hard. It all felt like too much effort. He remembered a hand appeared on his shoulder and tried to straighten him up before the world around him went completely black.

As Chan-woo slowly begun to wake up, he noticed his entire body felt weird. He was laying on a comfortable surface with something warm that covered his body. His body felt exhausted and sore, eyes heavy as he tried to open them. Finally, he managed to open them a little and looked around to find himself in a strange room he had never been in before. That's when he noticed he wasn't alone. Beside him, he saw his dance coach, Daniel, sat in a chair right beside the bed he was in.

"Hey, you're awake," Daniel said as he noticed the small movement and immediately put his phone away to move closer.

"What happened?" he asked in a croaky voice as he looked around the room with confusion.

"You fainted during our lesson. Bang PD Hyung asked me to bring you to the hospital," he said softly with a sad look on his face. "The doctor is still running some blood tests. He should be back soon."

Chan-woo tried to wrap his head around what he had just been told. He had fainted during their lesson today? He tried to think back and memories from before slowly returned the harder he thought. He remembered not being able to focus and then his body collapsing from what felt like exhaustion. He remembered talking with Daniel before he started getting dizzy again. But he didn't remember anything after that point. Maybe he had been unconscious that whole time?

"You had me worried there for quite a bit," said Daniel which brought the younger out of his thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry, Daniel Hyung," he whispered as he felt tears start to form. "I-I didn't mean to worry you."

"Don't apologise for something like that," the other choked out a pained laugh as he too felt tears form in his own eyes. "I'm just glad you are awake."

Daniel reached forward and grabbed the younger's hand. Chan-woo looked down at their hands and felt a blush appear on his face before he almost gasped out loud from shock. His t-shirt he had been wearing throughout the day had been removed. Instead he wore a horrible hospital gown. His face grew red as he knew this meant people would have seen the top half of him where all the bruises and cuts were hidden.

He didn't get any more time to think on the matter as a knock at the door brought him out of his anxious thoughts. He looked up in shame to find a doctor in blue scrubs approach. He nodded his head in silent greetings as he gulped nervously. He watched as the doctor opened the clipboard in his hands and look over some paperwork. Unconsciously, he squeezed Daniel's hand from nerves, never before had he been in a hospital.

"Jung Chan-woo, glad to see you awake. I'm Doctor Han. How are you feeling?" the kind looking doctor smiled as he stood next to the bed.

"Tired. Sore. Confused," he answered slowly as he suddenly fought the urge to close his eyes.

"Ah, well that's not shocking considering the results of your blood tests," Doctor Han said with a sad smile. "It appears that you have Anaemia from low iron levels."

"W-What does that mean?" asked Chan-woo in confusion.

"Anaemia results from a lack of red blood cells or dysfunctional red blood cells in the body. This leads to reduced oxygen flow to the body's organs," he explained. "In your case, your body does not have enough iron to continue to keep healthy red blood cells. You might have been experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin or a fast heartbeat."

"Yeah, I have been experiencing some of those symptoms for at least four days now," nodded Chan-woo as he rested his head back against the pillow. his entire body felt fatigued.

"I'd say you've had it a little longer than four days. You might have had low iron levels for a while but only recently entered the anaemic stages. Judging by the bruising around you neck and other places on the upper half of your body, you've been anaemic for at least a week and a half. Normally bruises fade easily for you, yes?" Doctor Han asked.

"Y-Yes," he whispered in shame, the blush on his face grew furiously.

"But these ones haven't fade quickly, correct?" he asked and hummed as he saw the small nod. "Mmm, well a symptom of Anaemia is bruising easier and they then take longer to fade."

"O-Oh. And this is treatable? The anaemia?" he asked as he looked at the bed sheets in shame.

"Treatable and easily manageable if you put in the work," he smiled in reassurance. "You'll have to increase the amount of red meat you eat. And in a month, go see a doctor and ask them to re-check your iron levels. If they haven't approved, there is an option to start iron tablets. Okay?"

"Okay," he said quietly while he nodded.

"When you leave, I need you to take it very easy for the next few days. Don't do any form of physical activities that could easily overexert yourself. You're body will be very tired until you start pumping some regular red meat into your system," he instructed sternly. "And on that note, I need you to eat on a more regular basis. Your body weight is borderline on the unhealthily low side."

Upon hearing that, Chan-woo's face went extremely red. He had thought he was eating enough since he had arrived, but apparently he had tricked his mind into thinking it was enough. He felt Daniel's hand squeeze his hand tight and looked at the other that sat beside him. The moment their eyes connected, he felt the tears fall from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

"It's okay, we're here for you," whispered Daniel as he too let a few tears slip upon seeing the broken look on Chan-woo's face.

"I have confidence in you, Chan-woo," said Doctor Han. "Please lean on the people around you for help. This is nothing to be ashamed about. And please make an appointment to see a doctor soon to keep managing your healthy."

He could only nod as he continued to lay there with tears that fell down his face. His body was too exhausted to even attempt to stop his current state, even if he was utterly embarrassed. Chan-woo looked at Daniel and saw him smile sadly. He closed his eyes as Daniel reached out towards him and gently wiped the tears from his face. The older's hand then gently begun to stroke his hair which caused him to shiver at the kind touch.

"Take some time to gather yourself, it is a lot to take in," Doctor Han said. "But when you are ready, you can leave. Take care of yourself."

"T-Thank you," Chan-woo managed to choke out as he tiredly turned his head to smile at the doctor.

Once the door had closed behind Doctor Han, he couldn't help but break down in soft sobs. All of the pent up emotions he had held in for years came up to the surface as he lay exhausted in a hospital bed. The secrets no one had ever seen had been revealed without his permission. Life hadn't been fair to him. It constantly continued to find new ways to torture him. But why did something like this have to happen? Couldn't he just keep one thing to himself? Just one secret?

"Awe, Channie-ah," Daniel's shaky voice whispered, his heart broke at the sight before him.

As Daniel continued to gently caress his hair and rubbed circles on his hand, Chan-woo started to settle down slowly. He got his sobs under control and took deep breaths to calm his wild emotions. It had been too long since he last cried like this. He had always had to cry silently back at his parent's house, and it felt kind of freeing to be able to cry as hard and as loud as he wanted.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," said Daniel after Chan-woo had stopped crying for the most part.

Chan-woo slowly sat up with Daniel's help and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He felt the cold air hit the back of his exposed back thanks to the hospital gown and shivered at the feeling. After he wiped away the tears from his eyes, he watched Daniel grab his belongings from the ground. Seeing as his secret had already been exposed, he took off the hospital gown, discarded it beside him on the bed and sat shirtless as he waited silently.

Daniel grabbed the jumper Chan-woo had had on before practice and turned around. He froze instantly as his eyes roamed over the bare torso now before his eyes. He saw the massive bruise he had only briefly seen earlier. It broke his heart to know the younger had been hiding that for so long. He then started to notice all of the healed cuts littered all over his skin as well as smaller bruises that were mostly faded.

"I'm sorry," Daniel breathed out slowly as he handed over the jumper.

"For what?" asked Chan-woo while he tilted his head.

"You've obviously been through a lot. Had rough life before coming here. I-Is there someone responsible for this?" he asked quietly, eyes still stared at the battered and bruised torso since Chan-woo hadn't moved to put his jumper on.

"My parents," he hung his head before he pointed to his left ribs. "My father gave me this bruise because I tried to hide some money I had earnt from work from them. And when I was leaving the house to get away, to come to Seoul, he choked me. That's these bruises here. That was the first time that had ever happened though."

"A-And the cuts?" Daniel asked sadly.

"Mostly them too," he sighed as he finally put the jumper on. "But I have made some of those scars myself. I-I don't really want to talk about what they did anymore. It's a lot to deal with. It's hard to talk or think about."

After he nodded his head in understanding, Daniel stepped forward and helped Chan-woo stand up. He held the young man gently as he allowed him to adjust to the sudden change from a seated position to a standing one. Confident that Chan-woo wouldn't fall, he quickly turned around and gathered the grey t-shirt as well as the younger's backpack. He carried the items in his hands while he also grabbed onto Chan-woo's elbow and helped guide him out of the hospital.

"I'll drive you home so you can rest," he said as he led the way. The pair walked in a slow pace in case the younger suddenly got dizzy. Daniel looked down at Chan-woo every few seconds to make sure nothing had changed with him. "Let me know if you need to rest."

"Thank you, Daniel Hyung. This means a lot to me. And I'm sorry for being a nuisance for you today," Chan-woo softly chuckled, eyes focused on the footpath in front of him.

"Don't apologise for that. I'm just glad you are okay and that you can easily get help," he smiled as he looked down at the younger.

"Have you told Bang PD Hyung about any of the diagnosis?" he asked curiously and briefly looked up into the soft brown eyes.

"No, I can if you want," Daniel said immediately, eager to help in any way.

"No, no. I'll do it when I get home," Chan-woo smiled up at him. "You've done enough for me."

"Just over here," he said softly as he pointed towards a black SUV a few cars away. "I feel like I could do more for you though. I feel like I should be doing more for you."

"Taking me to the hospital, driving me home, caring for me is more than enough Daniel Hyung," softly smiled Chan-woo as he waited for the older to open the car door. "It is more than I have ever had in my life before."

Daniel's heart broke as he heard those words. He carefully helped the younger into his car, not wanting to hurt any of the bruises as he did. No one deserved not to be cared for. No one deserved not to be loved. No one deserved to be used as a punching bag. No one deserved to be treated in that way. Yet he believed that if he was to tell Chan-woo any of that, he would simply tell him that he deserved it. He could see it in his eyes how broken he was from all of the years of abuse. He got into the driver's seat, started the car and begun to drive them, his thoughts never strayed far from the young man sat quietly beside him.

By the time Chan-woo had been dropped off and safely escorted to the elevators, the sun had long since disappeared for the evening. Never before had he returned so late to the dorms. His anxiety peaked as he stood at the door with his backpack and grey t-shirt in hand. Tiredly, he knocked on the door a few times in hopes his quiet knocks would be heard.

He wasn't left waiting long as someone flung the door open. Jimin stood at the door with anger all over his face. He glared at Chan-woo, looked him up and down, before he turned around and walked inside. As Chan-woo closed and locked the door behind him, he noticed all eyes were on him as the boys once again were all sat on the couches.

Respectfully he bowed towards them, turned around and slowly walked over to his duffle bag. He set down his backpack and t-shirt beside his duffle bag before he carefully lowered his body to the ground. Chan-woo pulled out his phone and found the contact number for Bang PD-nim, wanting to get it over with quickly so he could go to bed. Well, go to sleep since he didn't yet have a bed. He held the phone up to his ear and closed his eyes as he listened to it ring.

"Channie-ah! How are you feeling?" the familiar voice of Bang PD-nim floated through his phone. He could clearly hear the concern that was laced throughout the normal cheerful voice.

"I feel tired and sore," he said with a soft sigh.

"Are you back at the dorms or at the hospital still?" the older asked.

"No, no. I am out of hospital. I actually just sat down back at the dorms. Daniel Hyung suggested giving you a call," Chan-woo said as his head fell against the wall behind him, too heavy to hold up anymore.

"What did they say? Do they know why you fainted?" Bang PD-nim asked with concern.

"Yes, they found out why I fainted. I am anaemic because I have low iron," he said and sighed as he had an urge to open his eyes but he just couldn't manage it. "The doctor told me to rest over the next few days and not to overexert myself. He always said to eat more red meat and get my iron levels tested in a month."

"Well I'm glad they found out the cause so quickly. Have you not been eating well, Channie-ah?" he asked.

"No, I haven't been looking after my body Bang PD Hyung," he sighed. "And also, the doctor said I am on the borderline of being an unhealthy weight. It's too low apparently. He wants me to eat on a more regular basis. But I can't do that yet Hyung. It'll have to wait."

"Why not?" he asked with confusion. "You're health is important. You need to start eating well, Chan-woo."

"I know, Hyung. But the money I came with is basically all gone. I have to wait until I get paid in the next few days to start looking after myself," he said quietly before he yawned, his body just wanted to fall asleep then and there.

"No, that won't do. You need to start getting better now. I'll ask Namjoon to give you some money until your allowance lands in your account," Bang PD-nim said.

"No!" Chan-woo shouted as his eyes flew open in a panic. He ignored the glares from the boys as he sat up straight and shook his head wildly. "No, no! I-It's okay! Really! I-I'll be fine for a few days. There's really no need to ask them to do that. It's not fair. Please Bang PD Hyung, it's okay, I'll be okay."

"I don't feel comfortable letting you continue like this for even a few more days," he sighed, concerned about the younger but not wanting to push him when he was clearly uncomfortable about something. "Come find me tomorrow after you lessons have ended and I'll give you some cash to get you through. Okay?"

"Thank you, Hyung. I-I appreciate it," he whispered as he looked at the ground. "I'll see you tomorrow. I really need to sleep."

"Good night Chan-woo, sleep well," the older said before he hung up.

Chan-woo took his phone away from his ear, placed it on the ground in front of him and held his head in his hands. He took a few deep breaths in to calm himself. That would have been catastrophic if he had allowed Bang PD-nim to make Namjoon give him money. That would have only worsened the already cold and tense relationship he had with the leader of the group. He had only been trying to get on their good sides, not their bad sides, since he had arrived.

He looked up finally and turned his head towards the couches, only to find Yoongi staring at him with a frown on his face. He stared back at the older as a blush formed on his own face. He realised that all of them were in perfect ear range if they had wanted to listen in on his conversation. He wondered how much of it Yoongi had heard as the older's frown only deepened.

Not having the physical, mental, or emotional energy to continue the stare off, Chan-woo grabbed his charger and plugged it into the wall before he connected his phone. He made sure his adjusted his alarm would go off at the same time as that morning considering he didn't have any more vocal lessons. He placed it to the side and then tucked his grey t-shirt under his duffle bag before he laid down on his side. He once again held his backpack close to his chest to hide his neck from view.

As tired as he was, all of sudden his eyes didn't want to close. Chan-woo didn't know if it was cause he could feel the eyes on him still or if he had a bit of nervous energy left over from the phone call. He didn't know. He was rather surprised his eyes wouldn't close when they had been wanting to close since he had woke up in the hospital. He closed his eyes forcefully and hoped the trick would help him reach sleep sooner rather than later.

His thoughts circled around in his mind about Yoongi and the other boys; ultimately, it kept him conscious. He just prayed none of them heard the more personal information of the phone call. He should have made that call before he came in, or, he could have gone to the bathroom. But he was too tired to move the second he had sat down. If any of them had heard anything, he just hoped none of them asked any questions because he was not ready to get into any of that with them. Slowly, his body begun to relax and it coaxed him into a much needed sleep.

Chapter Text

The room was filled with loud noises as people casually talked to each other and walked around doing their own business. Chan-woo groaned softly as he turned from his side to his back and squeezed his eyes shut even harder. His body ached as he moved, his muscles stiff from yet again sleeping on the hard surface of the floor. He opened one eye, looked around the living room, and saw all seven boys of BTS spread across it as they ate their breakfast and woke up for the day.

Chan-woo picked up his phone and looked through his half open eye to see he still had an hour before his alarm would even go off. With a heavy sigh, he turned over onto his other side to face the wall. In hopes of achieving some more sleep, he closed his eye and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He allowed the sounds to float in one ear and out the other as he settled in again. Seconds passed before both of his eyes flung up in shock. 

Yet again he had woken up to a blanket placed over him. His cheeks grew hot as he realised Hoseok had given him the same blanket as the night before. He stared at the wall in front of him as he suddenly felt wide awake. A soft sigh left his lips before he pushed himself up into a seated position, the blanket fell to land in his lap. He brought the soft sleeves of his hoodie up to his eyes and he rubbed them free of sleep.

With his hands softly landed on his lap, he continued to stare blankly ahead as he tried to wake up properly. A sudden yawn escaped his lips which caused his eyes to tear up. He once again brought the hoodie sleeves up to his face and wiped the tears away. Chan-woo pouted at how sore and tired his body felt. He knew he couldn't keep living like this for much long. And as much as he wanted to fall back asleep, all of the noise in the living room would have kept him awake.

Slowly he stood up with a small groan and a pout on his lips. He grabbed the blanket up off of the floor and begun to fold it. He folded it into a small neat square as he his eyes wandered around the living room. He saw Hoseok sitting on one of the couches with a bowl of cereal in his hands. He walked up to the older male and bowed respectfully before he placed the blanket on the empty spot next to him.

"Thank you for the blanket, Hyung," he bowed again with a small blush rising upon his cheeks, aware the rest of the boys were looking at him.

Hoseok looked at the blanket before he looked back at him. The older smiled kindly, nodded his head and went back to eating his breakfast. Not wanting to be anymore of a burden on the other, Chan-woo walked back over to his duffle bag and started looking for an outfit. He decided to go with a white t-shit, an oversized yellow and white striped sweater, and black skinny jeans. As he stood up, he saw all eyes were still on him. He bowed nervously before he hastily walked away.

He took his clothes and toiletry bag into the bathroom and placed them upon the vanity bench. Chan-woo relieved his full bladder immediately with great relief. As he washed his hands, he looked into the mirror to find small dark circles under his eyes. He cringed at the tired look upon his face before he started his morning routine. He did everything half asleep with eyes half opened. It wasn't until his body stepped under the warm water that he felt he had woken up a even remotely.

Body mostly dried from his towel, he leant in towards the mirror to inspect the progress of his bruises. Now that he knew why they weren't fading he was less anxious about them still being there. He was glad he would be receiving some money from Bang PD-nim later that day. Maybe if he started to eat better sooner rather than later it would help with these bruises. He sighed while he dried his still slightly dripping hair and smiled as he saw the damp mess that sat upon his head.

He got dressed in to his chosen outfit. His body was definitely sore from sleeping on the floor two nights in a row. A part of him was glad he was no longer taking any more dance lessons for the time being. Those lessons would have only added to how tense, tired and sore he would have felt. He looked at his reflection and smiled. He thought the outfit looked rather adorable on him. For once, he didn't hate the way he looked.

As soon as Chan-woo walked back into the living room, the room became quiet. He ignored them as he put away his dirty clothes and his toiletries bag. He searched through his small supply of his on the go snacks and decided on a protein bar. He sat down next to his bags, right leg flat against the floor and the left leg pulled up towards his body. He held the protein bar in his left hand while he pulled out his phone with his right. Absentmindedly, he scrolled through his phone to pass the time.

"I think he will ruin the overall look of the group," Chan-woo heard Taehyung say in a hushed tone.

Not thinking much on the comment he had just overheard, he brought the protein bar to his lips and took a small bite from it. He didn't dare look towards Taehyung in fear he would find him looking at him. Instead, he forced his eyes to stay glued to his phone screen, even if he wasn't taking in what he was looking at.

"He is probably ranked lowest on looks," he heard Jimin say before he laughed loudly.

"Yeah, he definitely is," this time he heard Jungkook saying. "I bet he has no real talent. Bang PD Hyung probably just wants to make us look younger, right?"

"Yah, watch it! We are not that old," laughed Taehyung.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't not focus on the conversation that was so obviously about him. Chan-woo slowly continued to force himself to eat as his eyes glazed over. He continued to pretend to scroll through his phone to not raise any suspicious from those three that continued to whisper about him.

"Kookie, you're only 20! How can that not be young enough?" asked Jimin with a small laugh.

"I don't know! Then you tell me why you think he is here!" frustratedly said Jungkook.

"No idea," sighed Jimin. "But he doesn't deserve to be here."

"I agree," Taehyung said with anger. "He'll never be part of us. I'll make sure of it."

"No one gets a free ride off of us," angrily said Jungkook in a hushed tone.

Chan-woo could feel a tear roll down his cheek. Ashamed and afraid of being caught, he turned around and knelt on his knees before his two bags. He put his half eaten protein bar in a pocket of his backpack. Quickly, he made sure he had everything he'd need. Chan-woo quickly put on his socks and shoes before he stood up and threw on his backpack.

Without saying a word or looking around the room, he walked out the front door with his head hung low in shame. The second he had closed the door behind him, he heard loud laughter from within the apartment. The tears fell faster and faster as he waited for the elevator to take him further away from the humiliating situation. He walked out of the apartment building in a daze and blindly walked to the company on autopilot.

"And that is us done for today!" smiled Min-ki as he looked at his watch.

"Thank you," smiling widely, Chan-woo stood up from the chair he had been sitting on and bowed respectfully towards his stage coach. "Any homework for tonight?"

"Yes. Considering tomorrow will be your last stage lesson, I would like to put what you have learnt to the test. I will be doing a mock recorded interview with you. There will be camera's recording so Bang PD-nim can see the progress," he said with a kind smile.

"Alright, I look forward to it," he bowed once more before he walked over to his bag. "Have a good day, Min-ki Hyung."

"You too kiddo," the older smiled as he tidied up the room.

As Chan-woo walked out of the dance practice room, he adjusted his backpack on his back and made his way over to the elevators. While he waited for one to take him up, he pulled out his phone and checked his missed notifications. Nothing out of the ordinary caught his eyes, just the usual different social media notifications. Of course he had no texts from anyone as per usual.

The elevator doors opened and he looked up from his phone to find it crowded with people. He hesitantly stepped in and turned around to face the doors, trying not to touch anyone. Chan-woo absolutely hated being in crowded places, his anxiety always made his heart beat faster. Seeing that the top floor button had already been pressed, he stayed still as the doors closed and the elevator begun to move.

People pushed passed him as they stepped off at the different floor levels. By the time the elevator had reached the top floor, there were only three other people still in there with him. The second the door opened, Chan-woo walked out and quickly made his way towards the closed office door while he tried to calm his racing heart. He took a second to breathe out soothingly before he knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard a muffled voice call out.

After he opened the door and entered, Chan-woo bowed respectfully towards Bang PD-nim. He closed the door behind him and sat down in the same seat as he had a few days ago. Bang PD-nim smiled at him with a kind twinkle in his eyes. The older reached into a desk drawer silently before he pulled out an envelope with a small lump inside it.

"A bit of money so you can start eating better, Channie-ah," Bang PD-nim smiled as he pushed the envelope towards the younger. "Please let me know if you need anything at all. I need you to be healthy, okay? Don't worry about how I may react, because you come first."

"Thank you Hyung," sadly smiled Chan-woo as he carefully placed the envelop into his backpack. "I'm sorry for worrying you yesterday as well. My health has never come first, to me or to others. I felt touched having Daniel Hyung and you there for me."

"Of course. I'll always be there no matter what. Oh, and speaking of Daniel," he said as he remembered something suddenly and pulled out his phone. "He wants me to pass on his personal contact number. He mentioned you opened up to him yesterday and he wants you to text or call him if you need anything at all."

"Oh, that's very kind of him," a small blush rose on his cheeks, shocked the two had talked about that.

A buzz in his back pocket alerted him to a text notification. He took it out and saw the number for Daniel had been sent by Bang PD-nim. Chan-woo smiled softly before he quickly saved it to his phone. Simultaneously, he made a mental note to message him later and personally thank him. He looked back up at as he put away his phone, he found the older smiling kindly at him, and returned it.

"I'm glad you have found someone you can trust," Bang PD-nim smiled. "I hope you'll lean on him in the future, as well as myself when you feel comfortable."

"Thank you. I will make sure to be more open about my struggles," he nodded as he felt the blush grow larger. "Perhaps after I have settled in further and have some spare time, I will sit down with you to let you know more about my past."

"I'd appreciate it so I can learn how to better take care of you. But there is absolutely no pressure on it, okay?" he said still with a smile.

"Okay," Chan-woo nodded shyly.

The two looked at each other for a few silent seconds. Chan-woo's heart beating from the kindness being shown towards him. A part from Minho, he had never been so open about his past regarding his parents with anyone before. Even then, he had not fully opened up to his former boss. But he truly felt like he could talk with both Daniel and the CEO about it. He just needed to gather some more courage as he knew it would hurt to see the others hurting as he told them about it all.

"Do you have any plans for tonight, Chan-woo?" asked Bang PD-nim.

"No Hyung," he shook his head.

"Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"I'd love that Hyung," Chan-woo smiled widely.

"Perfect! I'll text the time and address to Namjoon later," he smiled and missed the sharp inhale from the younger due to him shuffling some paper around on his desk.

"To N-Namjoon Hyung?" he asked nervously, failing miserable to try to keep his voice calm.

"Yes, all of the boys will be there," he said as he looked up. "I thought it would be a nice bonding experience for all of us to go have dinner considering you finish your training period tomorrow. I'm sure you haven't had much time to talk with them, right?"

"R-Right," nodded Chan-woo as he forced a small smile. "D-Do they know yet?"

"No," chuckled Bang PD-nim. "Can you pass it on when you get back to the dorms? I believe they got back from their, uh, what was it? Ah! They had a small photoshoot for a magazine, that's right! Yes, I believe they would all be back at the dorms right now."

"I-I will tell them," he gulped with a nod.

"I will see you later tonight then," Bang PD-nim smiled as he stood and bowed slightly.

"T-Thank you," he stood and bowed back respectfully before he left the office.

Once the door was closed and he had walked all the way to the elevators, Chan-woo ran a hand through his hair nervously. He knew sooner or later he'd be forced to spend time with the group, but he didn't know if he'd be able to handle it after what had happened that morning. The conversation he had overheard from the youngest three of the group circled in his mind.

As he stood in the elevator and headed towards the ground floor, he couldn't help but tap his pointer finger on his thigh from the anxiety. He was already thinking of how he'd approach Namjoon with the dinner plans for the evening. Would he be able to talk without being a stuttering mess? Would the other be cold to him even though he had no control over the situation?

As he walked out of the elevator, Chan-woo pushed aside the anxious thinking and pulled out his phone to order a taxi to take him home. His body was still sore from sleeping on the ground as well as the feeling of fatigue from his anaemia. At least he now knew why he was feeling exhausted as he walked out in to the fresh air. 

While he waited for the taxi, he looked around the busy street to pre-occupy his mind and try calm his nerves down. He tried to distract himself with anything so he didn't think about the upcoming situation. He was so nervous to have to talk to Namjoon, especially after the rules made it clear he wasn't to talk to them first. That, and, he was meant to stay out of their way. He dreaded it with his entire being.

With a weak knock on the door, Chan-woo's heart pounded and his hands became clammy as he waited. He was not looking forward to the conversation he had to have with the leader. Neither was he looking forward to the reaction from the rest of the group, especially the certain three people that had made his morning terrible.

The door opened up finally and he looked up to find Jin staring down at him. He nervously bowed towards the older. His heart sunk as Jin simply turned around without saying anything. Chan-woo should be used to the cold attitude towards him, yet for some reason it always hurt. He entered and closed the door behind him.

"J-Jin Hyung?" he asked quietly as he took off his backpack and placed it beside his duffle bag.

"What," the other answered, cold eyes looked at him from where the oldest stood in the kitchen.

"W-Where is Namjoon Hyung? I-I need to talk to him," he asked as he played with his hands nervously.

"In his room. Third room on the left," he answered with a cold tone before he turned his back on the younger.

"T-Thank you," Chan-woo whispered.

Breathing in and out deeply, he walked up the hallway. His heart pounded even louder than before as he stood outside the door he had been told was Namjoon's room. Chan-woo tried to calm his nerves and anxious thoughts by breathing deeply a few times. He raised his hand after a few seconds and lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice yelled from within.

Chan-woo opened the door and poked his head in to find Namjoon sat behind a computer desk. The bright blue light illuminated the dark room, typing sounds coming from that direction as well as soft background music that came from a pair of speakers. Chan-woo closed the door behind him as he walked closer to the older and waited patiently for his attention.

"What is it?" Namjoon asked without turning around.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Namjoon Hyung. I-I have to speak with you about something," he said quietly and looked down as he played with the sleeves of his oversized sweater.

Upon hearing him speak, Namjoon turned around in his chair quickly. Chan-woo glanced up at the sudden action to find the leader of the group glaring at him. Upon seeing the anger, he looked at the ground once more, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He knew this would happen, yet it still hurt. The look reminded him of his father for an odd reason.

"S-Sorry," Chan-woo whispered. "I-I didn't want to disrupt your work. I'm s-sorry. But Bang PD-nim w-wanted me to pass something on."

"Just say it already," he angrily spat.

"Sorry. Uh, Bang PD-nim has invited us all out t-to dinner tonight," he winced at the tone the other had used, hating himself for being so weak and scared. "I-I'm sorry for interrupting you. He just wanted me to let you know that as w-well as he'll send the address and time later."

"You'll be there?" Namjoon asked with a disgusted look on his face.

Seeing the look on the older's face, Chan-woo simply nodded as the words got stuck in his throat. Namjoon scoffed and rolled his eyes before he shook his head. It hurt to see the other so annoyed by his presence. He looked at the ground as he felt tears start to form. He knew he'd be forced to spend the evening around them and probably had to fake being happy in front of Bang PD-nim. It was already beginning to emotionally drain him.

"Change into something a little more smart casual. I don't want you to embarrass us by staying in whatever outfit this is," he waved his hand at the clothes the younger was wearing, a disgusted look still firm on his face.

"Y-Yes Hyung," he nodded without looking up. "S-Sorry again for interrupting you. I-I'll leave you alone. I am so sorry."

Quickly, he turning around. Chan-woo started to walk out of the room and just as he had opened the door, he heard the soft scoff from the older. After he had closed the door he immediately walked out to his belongings. While he sorted through his clothing in his duffle bag, a few tears slipped down his cheek. He ignored the other three occupants of the room, refusing to look at them as he focus was on finding an appropriate outfit for the evening.

Chan-woo placed a few different options out on the floor and sat down to ponder over them. He wiped away the stray tears that had fallen. He need to force himself to be stronger than that in front of the three that were in the living room. Not that they'd see since he had his back to them. But he still hated he could have been seen at certain angels. 

Just as he had picked out the final look, he heard multiple footsteps come from the hallway and head towards the living room. His heart raced louder while he neatly folded all of the clothes and stacked them back inside his duffle bag. His ears intently listened to all of the surrounding sounds.

"Good, everyone is here," Chan-woo heard Namjoon say from behind him and refused to turn around while he finished packing away the clothing. "We are going out for dinner tonight with Bang PD-nim."

"Really?" Taehyung asked with a gasp.

"We haven't done that in so long, I can't wait!" he heard Jin say with excitement.

"Any special occasion for this? It is so out of the blue," asked Yoongi in a quiet voice.

"Yes," he heard Namjoon sigh and he instantly froze, his body became tense as he waited for the other to explain. "Yes, we are having the dinner because of Chan-woo."

The room was entirely silent as the words hung in the air. Chan-woo could feel all eyes were on him as he snapped out of his frozen state. He continued to pack away his clothes as he heard the groans from the rest of the group. He fought back the tears once more. He grabbed a clean towel and his toiletries before he set them to the side for later.

"Oh great," he heard Jungkook say sarcastically.

"Yes, it is fantastic," Namjoon also said with sarcasm. "So this means we all have to be on our best behaviour in front of Bang PD Hyung. Okay?"

"This is not how I want to spend my night," Jimin huffed angrily. "Spending time with a good for nothing nobody and pretending to be all buddy buddy."

"I know, same here," groaned Taehyung.

"How am I meant to act friendly towards someone I dislike?" whined Jungkook.

"I don't know, but you better figure it out before we get there," sternly said Namjoon. "I will let you all know when we need to leave as soon as I hear from Bang PD Hyung."

After Namjoon finished talking, he walked away from the group. Many of the other members returned to what they had been doing beforehand. Chan-woo continued to sit on the ground as he looked towards his belonging, back faced to the group. He was glad none of them could see his face as he was currently pathetically crying silently. Tears rolled down his cheeks as a ferocious blush rose upon his cheeks.

The longer he sat in silence, the more his anxiety grew. He was not looking forward to the evening one bit. The way the entire group had been acting towards him spoke volumes on how much his presences was despised. The fact they openly talked about their dislike for him in front of him only made his anxiety for tonight worse. He knew whatever they said during the dinner would be a complete and utter lie. He didn't know if he could last the night without crying. Only time would tell.

Chapter Text

Intently looking into the mirror at his reflection, Chan-woo smoothed down the baby blue button up shirt against his chest. He had chosen to wear a black t-shirt, a baby blue button up shirt, black skinny jeans and his pair of fancy, black dress shoes he rarely ever wore. He had chosen to leave the top three buttons undone to reveal the shirt below as well as having both shirts tucked into his black skinny jeans.

Satisfied the look was smart casual like Namjoon had asked him to wear, he ruffled his completely dry yet messy hair one last time before he grabbed his previously worn clothes. He turned around, opened the bathroom door, and made sure to close it gently behind him. He could hear lots of noise coming from the living room, but the second he walked into the room with eyes focused on the ground, the group suddenly became quiet.

He ignored them all as he squatted down to place the old clothes under his duffle bag. He then opened it up to search through it and pulled out his toiletries bag. He grabbed out his deodorant and sprayed his armpits. He placed everything back inside the duffle bag, stood up and stretched his aching back.

Pondering, he looked around at his belonging. As he gathered his thoughts, he squatted down again in front of his backpack. He grabbed the envelope he had received earlier that day, took out all of the money and held it as he searched for his wallet from in the depths of his bag. He placed all of the cash inside his wallet as he stood up. After he had shoved the wallet in his back pocket, he grabbed out his phone and checked the time.

They only had forty minutes until they would be meeting Bang PD-nim at the restaurant. Chan-woo sighed to himself as he considered whether to wait a little long or leave now. The traffic around this time of the day was busier than usual and he didn't want to be late. Especially considering he would be taking a taxi. He turned around after he made his mind up and saw all eyes on him. He froze as he took in all of the attention. A frown formed upon his face at the unusual silence.

He snapped out of the shock, walked over to the front door and opened it up. He walked out before he closed it softly behind him, not surprised one bit that no one tried to stop him. He waited patiently for the elevator to come and pre-ordered the taxi on his phone as he stood there. Luckily he had overheard Namjoon say what restaurant they were going to so there was no need for him to interact with them before he left.

As Chan-woo walked out into the chilly street, he slightly regretted not bringing a coat with him. However, he knew he would be inside for most of the night, so it would have just been a hassle to carry around a mostly unused article of clothing. He was brought out of his thoughts as a taxi pulled up to the curb where he stood.

"For Jung Chan-woo," the driver leaned forward and spoke through the open window.

"Yes," he smiled kindly as he opened the back door and got in. "Thank you."

"That's okay," the driver said as he turned back towards the busy traffic and put the window up.

Chan-woo buckled up and settled in to the seat as they drove in a peaceful silence. He scrolled through his phone and looked through twitter to pass the time. His eyes kept catching tweets about BTS. The photoshoot they had done earlier that day had been released only half an hour ago. Army were going crazy, so many kind comments were being left for the seven boys, post after post popped up. His heart broke as he read through them before he decided to try to skip it as much as he could.

The drive there surprisingly only took just over fifteen minutes. He payed the driver with some of his cash before he hoped out and waited against the wall near the entrance of the restaurant. People passed him by, not paying him any attention, as he leant against the wall while he still scrolled through his phone.

Tweet after tweet caught his eyes as the unwavering support from Army's flooded his timeline. Chan-woo so desperately wished to see anything but this, especially after seeing a different side to the idols than their fans did. Each time he refreshed the timeline, in hopes of avoiding the content of the recent photoshoot, his phone was instead flooded with even more comments and retweets.

He was so used to seeing the carefree, bubbly and caring side to BTS through their online content that it had come to a shock to him with the way he had been treated. But as they kept painfully saying, he was basically getting a free ride off their fame. Most of him understood their behaviour, however, it didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

"Chan-woo?" a familiar voice asked him from close by.

As he looked up he saw Bang PD-nim in the middle of closing the door to a fancy black car. He straightened up from where he stood leant against the wall and bowed towards the older male. He pocketed his phone and watched the other walk over to him. Suddenly he felt more eyes on him than beforehand from passing patrons. A kind smile graced Bang PD-nim's face as they stood facing each other.

"Hello Hyung. Good evening," Chan-woo said with a slight smile.

"Hello again," chuckled Bang PD-nim before he looked over the younger. "Awe, I liked the last outfit. Why did you change it?"

"Oh, uh," he looked down at himself. "Namjoon Hyung told me to wear something smart casual instead of what I had previously been wearing."

"That's a shame. I would have told you to stay in the other outfit," he smiled. "But it is good to see you are listening to the leader of your group already. Where are the boys anyway? Already inside?"

"No, they are on their way still," he said with a small shake of his head.

"Why didn't you all come together?" Bang PD-nim asked and tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh, I was ready before them all, so I thought I'd come down early," he easily lied to the older, while he forced a smile on to his face.

"Ah, keen not to be late huh?" the older guessed.

Chan-woo nodded with a small laugh before he looked at the ground to hide the shame he felt. He was being truthful to the CEO of the company, he had just hid certain elements from him. Like the fact no one in the group wanted him there. And no one was treating him well or fairly. Except for Hoseok, perhaps, with the small gestures he had done over the last few days. But he was under the impression Hoseok might be doing it out of pity. Surely the kind hearted member felt the exact same way as the others did about him joining them.

"Shall we go inside and wait? You must be cold out here in such a short sleeved shirt with no coat," he said with a kind smile and an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"I am regretting that, yes," Chan-woo laughed as he felt a shiver run throughout his body. "Lead the way Hyung."

Bang PD-nim chuckled before he turned and begun to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant. Closely behind him, Chan-woo was too consumed in the fact many people were staring at him to even listen to the older speak. He barely registered the waiter and Bang PD-nim walk inside the fairly quiet Korean BBQ restaurant. They were led to one of the rooms off to the side that had sliding screen doors for privacy.

Inside the small room was a large table with ten chair surrounding it. In the middle of the table was a grill for them to cook their self-served meat on. In front of each chair, except one, were cups, plates and metal chopsticks. Chan-woo looked around in amazement as this was his first time ever being at a restaurant in his life. Bang PD-nim sat down at one end of the table and gestured for the younger to still beside him.

"You look very amazed there, Chan-woo," chucked Bang PD-nim.

"Ah, yes. That is because I have never been to a restaurant before," he answered as a small blush appeared on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Well I hope tonight you'll have a good experience for your first ever time at a restaurant."

"Thank you," he nodded as he fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

"Are you excited to be finished with your training tomorrow?" Bang PD-nim asked as he settled into the chair.

"I am both excited and nervous," he answered with a small nod.

"And I heard you are doing a mock interview with Min-ki Hyung tomorrow," he said.

"Yes, I am. He said that it'll be sent to you," Chan-woo said before he looked up at the older. "I'm a little nervous about it."

"I'm sure you'll do absolutely fine," calmly smiled Bang PD-nim, before something caught his attention. "Ah, hello!"

Chan-woo turned around in his seat to look behind him. He saw Namjoon enter the room followed slowly by the rest of the group. Each member smiled kindly at Bang PD-nim, before they then bowed respectfully. He noticed two body guards that stayed outside before the door was shut. His heart accelerated as he looked down at his lap once more, the seven members of BTS settled down around the table.

Once everyone was seated, he looked up to notice Yoongi had sat beside him and Jimin had sat directly across from him. Bang PD-nim and the boys begun to talk across him as if he didn't even exist. He suddenly begun to feel insignificant. He leant back in his chair so he wouldn't block anyone's view. He hung his head in shame as his hands suddenly became very interesting to him.

"Bang Hyung, can we have pork belly tonight?" Taehyung asked from where he sat next to Yoongi.

"Yeah, please?" pleaded Jimin as well.

"Sorry boys, we are having beef tonight. But you can order some pork belly if you are cooking it yourselves," he answered and laughed at the pouts that dominated their on their faces.

"I'll just have beef then," Jimin pouted with sad eyes.

"Me too," said Taehyung with a pout as well.

Chan-woo instantly felt bad as he guessed the reason Bang PD-nim would be ordering beef was because of him. The phone call from the night before came to mind when he had told the older about his new diagnosis. He gulped nervously as he felt eyes on him, sensing both Bang PD-nim and Yoongi looking at him.

Luckily the attention from the two males beside him was taken off of him as the sliding doors opened and in came a waiter. He carried in a menu and passed it to Bang PD-nim after the older had held out his hands. The CEO took a few seconds to read through the menu before he passed it back to the quiet waiter.

"We will have a few serves of your finest beef," he said as the waiter wrote the order down on his notepad. "Can we order some rice, as well as extra banchan."

"Of course," kindly smiled the waiter as he wrote. "Anything else?"

"That is it, thank you," he nodded.

"Any drinks for you all tonight?" asked the waiter.

"Oh yes, we'll start with one bottle of soju and one bottle of takju please," Bang PD-nim smiled.

"No problem, I'll be back soon," bowed the waiter before he left the room.

Chan-woo gulped as he heard Bang PD-nim order alcohol to go with their dinner. He hadn't ever been around anyone else while they had been drinking alcohol. He only had the daily experiences from his drunk parents. He was nervous as he got consumed by past memories of how those nights always turned out. He dreaded that by the end of the night he'd be surrounded by a bunch of drunk people.

"There is a reason why I asked you all to come to dinner tonight other than to celebrate Chan-woo joining you all," said Bang PD-nim after a few seconds which drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "I am assuming the current apartment is becoming rather crowded now you have a new member."

"Yes Hyung," Namjoon chuckled, as did the others, while Chan-woo stayed silent.

"Well I have had some staff looking out for a bigger place. And they have found a house in a gated community that has six bedrooms, two guest bedrooms, two office spaces, three bathrooms and a large living area," he said and chuckled once he saw all of their eyes light up. "And even better news than all of that space? It is easily within your budget considering the new income from your last album release and all of the promotions."

"Wow," Jungkook whispered in amazement.

"We could really afford such a big place like that?" asked Hoseok in shock.

"Absolutely," nodded Bang PD-nim. "You could even buy it instead of renting like you have been doing at the current apartments."

"Aish, that's amazing," Namjoon said, the others nodded in agreement. "Can I ask something, though?"

"Of course," smiled Bang PD-nim.

"If we were to buy the house," he paused as he cleared his throat. "I don't mean to be mean or anything, but how would Chan-woo be able to chip in fairly?"

Chan-woo hung his head as he felt a blush rise. It was a honest and fair question to ask. It wouldn't be fair on the others if he didn't equally chip in for the house. And he didn't know the answer to the question because currently he didn't have the funds to afford much of anything. He felt a hand land on his shoulder which caused him to jump a little. He looked over at Bang PD-nim who had a soft smile on his face.

"Well," the CEO started as he looked around the table. "Chan-woo could always pay me back for his share if I cover his cost. Or he could pay you guys back for his share if you decide to cover it. There are many options, but we don't need to worry about it until closer to the time."

"Ah, I see," Namjoon nodded and forced a smile.

The sliding door opened and the same waiter as before came in carrying a tray with a few items. The entire group grew quiet once they saw him enter, not wanting to discuss such private matters in the presence of a stranger. On the tray were the two bottles of alcohol, the serves of beef, a mesh wiring for the grill, and two pairs of scissors. He walked to the end closest to Bang PD-nim and placed the tray down.

The waiter placed the two bottles in front of the CEO before he grabbed the plates of beef and walked towards the middle of the table to place them either side of the grill. Everyone sat quietly as the waiter also placed the mesh wiring upon the grill, turned it on and lastly placed the scissors in front of it. He picked up the tray from the end of the table before he bowed towards the group.

"I will be back with the side dishes soon," he said before he took his leave.

"Yoongi you are helping me tonight. You owe me, remember?" laughed Jin as he picked up a pair of scissors and a plate of the beef. He instantly started to cut them into smaller bite sized pieces and lay them on one side of the grill.

"Fine," the other huffed as he too started to cut the beef up.

Chan-woo felt out of place as the group slowly started to resemble what he had seen of them through their v-lives. He looked around at their happy and content faces, watched as they laughed with each other, listened as they casually talked amongst themselves. It was almost disorientating for him. It was as if what he had been experiencing over the last seven days had just been a strange dream.

The sliding doors opened and in came the same waiter with another waitress behind him. They both carried two full trays of small bowls. The pair stood at each end of the table before they started unloading the bowls of rice, banchan, and other side dishes that automatically came with the BBQ. The group thanked the two as they left, finally ready to begin feasting on the meal.

"Shall we have a toast?" asked Bang PD-nim as he opened the bottle of soju and poured himself some before he passed it to Jungkook who sat across the table from him.

"Let us pour the drinks first and then we'll toast," Jin laughed, everyone laughing along with him except for Chan-woo.

The two bottles of alcohol went around the table, everyone choose which one they would drink out of the two. Chan-woo watched nervously as the bottles slowly made their way towards him. His heart pounded loudly in his ears. Yoongi tried to pass them to him with an expectant look as Chan-woo just stared at them in fear.

"I know you aren't of age to drink, but I'll let you have one," Bang PD-nim said before he laughed which drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "Especially considering this is your first time at a restaurant."

"This is your first time at a restaurant? Like ever?" asked Hoseok in shock.

Silently, he nodded his head to answer the question. Chan-woo finally reached forward and grabbed the two bottles from Yoongi. Instead of pouring any, he simply placed them back in front of Bang PD-nim without a second of hesitation. He instantly looked down at his lap as he felt a blush on his face the longer the silence stretched on.

"You sure you don't want a drink? Not even one?" asked Bang PD-nim with concern as he noticed the reaction. "It's okay if you want to."

"I don't drink," he said and drew in on himself as he heard some of the boys scoff. He turned his head and looked up at Bang PD-nim with some tears in his eyes. "B-Because of them, I don't drink."

"Ahh," he said as he understood what the younger meant. "Was it worse when they, ah. Never mind I'll ask another time. You just enjoy this meal, okay? I'm sure you'll love it."

"T-Thank you, Hyung," he whispered as grabbed the water jug that had been pre-placed on the table and filled his cup.

"A toast to Chan-woo for joining us and to creating strong friendship," Bang PD-nim held up his glass and smiled as everyone lifted their glasses.

Chan-woo blushed at the toast because he knew that only one person genuinely meant it. And that one person being the person that had said the toast. He sipped some of his water as the rest of the group sipped on their alcohol. As the table settled back into different conversations, Chan-woo looked at his lap seeing that no one wanted to talk with him. His mind continued to say hurtful things as he tuned in and out of different conversations.

"The meat is ready!" loudly said Jin as he grabbed a plate and begun dishing the beef from his side of the grill onto it, before he placed it down on the side of the grill closest to Hoseok, Namjoon, Taehyung and himself.

Yoongi followed exactly what Jin had done, he grabbed a spare plate and placed the beef from his side onto it. Although he didn't grab all of the beef as he leant forward and placed the plate down in the middle of the other side of the table. As he leant back he grabbed Chan-woo's plate.

Chan-woo looked up in confusion with a frown upon his face as he watched the older pile the small amount of the beef onto his plate. Some of the other members also looked at Yoongi as if he had lost his mind. Chan-woo looked across the table to see Jimin and Jungkook glaring at him as Yoongi finally placed his plate back down in front of him.

"Yah! Yoongi Hyung! Save some beef for us too! Don't give it all to Chan-woo!" yelled Jimin, as he begun to dig into the food.

Bang PD-nim smiled happily as he saw the gesture the second oldest had done for the youngest member, feeling endeared by it. He leant forward and grabbed some Korean lettuce, beef and vegetables to make ssam. All the while, he threw proud smiles towards the shy looking Chan-woo.

"I didn't know you told anyone, Chan-woo. I'm proud of you," smiled Bang PD-nim.

"Told us what?" Jungkook asked with a frown.

"I-" Chan-woo started to say before being cut off by Yoongi, a blush evident on his face.

"He didn't tell me, Bang Hyung," Yoongi said while he busied himself with putting more beef on the grill. "I overheard."

"I thought you overheard me," whispered Chan-woo as he looked sadly at Yoongi, before he sighed and looked down at his lap.

"Oh," Bang PD-nim said and checked on Chan-woo to make sure he was okay. "Well at least you'll have someone other than me to look out for you, Channie-ah. It'll make me rest easier."

"What happened?" Jungkook tried to ask again with a frown.

"When Channie-ah is ready to tell you all, he'll tell you. But don't pressure him to find out," said Bang PD-nim, talking to the rest of the group seeing they were all listening in now.

Chan-woo finally moved to eat after he saw the rest of the group had already dug in. He picked up his chopsticks and shyly started to grab the delicious smelling food. His mind was consumed with the knowledge Yoongi had payed attention to his phone call the other night as well how he had noticed the bruises and cuts. He was glad the other hadn't asked him anything over the last few days. But, now the rest of the group knew that something was wrong with him, even if they didn't know what exactly was wrong with him.

"Thank you all for dinner," smiled Bang PD-nim as he stood up and bowed to everyone. "I'll keep you all in the loop about the house. Get home safely and have a good night."

Everyone said their goodbyes to Bang PD-nim as the older left the room. They all settled into silence as they sat still with full bellies. Chan-woo stared down at his lap, not sure what to say or what to do with himself. The whole experience that night had been tense with him largely being ignored by most of the group.

"Ready to get back?" Namjoon asked as he stood up.

"So ready," laughed Jin, as everyone but Chan-woo stood up.

"Are you coming Channie-ah?" Yoongi suddenly asked which caused the group to stop and look at the youngest.

"I am," he said as he stared up at the older in confusion. "I'll probably get there a few minutes after you guys."

"A few minutes after us?" he asked as he swayed in his spot slightly. "How can you get there after us?"

"I have to catch a taxi," Chan-woo frowned and leaned back to get away from the older as he leant down and stared in his eyes from a close distance.

"Come with us, Channie-ah!" Yoongi happily said loudly.

"N-No Yoongi Hyung," he turned his head as soon as he smelt the alcohol on his breath.

"We have plenty of room for you in our van. Come on!" he continued as he grabbed his left arm and tugged on it slightly.

"I-" he said with wide eyes as he saw the rest of the members glaring at him before he winced in pain as Yoongi tugged a little too hard on his arm. "No, there are rules I need to follow Hyung. A-And let go of me, please."

"Forget the rules, come with me, Channie-ah," the older pouted, still continuing to tug on the arm.

"Ow, t-that hurts," he winced as pain shot through his ribs, he held his right hand to his ribs and groaned quietly.

"Come on Yoongi Hyung," Namjoon said as he stepped up to the other and pried him off the younger.

"Just go home Yoongi Hyung. You are drunk and you need to be in a safe place so you don't hurt yourself. I'll be there soon," Chan-woo said quietly as he turned around in his seat, hung his head low and soothingly rubbed his secret bruise on his left side.

"Listen to him. Come on," Namjoon said with a small smile towards the older before he finally guided the heavily intoxicated Yoongi out of the room.

Chan-woo didn't move from his chair as he felt all of the remaining members stare at him. Slowly the group left the room until he was the only remaining person there. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and ordered a taxi for himself. As he sat there waiting to leave, he was glad to notice that his ribs weren't hurting as much. Eventually he stood up and left the room. He made his way onto the side walk only for the taxi to pull up moments later.

He got in and sat in the back without saying a word. His mind was consumed with the events of that night. So much had been revealed, both to himself and the band members. Chan-woo didn't know how to feel about Yoongi knowing some of his health issues. And the more he thought of it, he wondered if the older would tell the others on the way home. His heart accelerated just thinking about that.

Part of him was also glad to hear they would potentially be moving to a bigger house soon as well. It meant he would no longer have to sleep on the floor or the couches. He could have a room all to himself and eventually buy himself a bed once he started earning an income. It also meant he'd be able to have more privacy than living in an open, shared area.

As he got closer and closer back to the dorm, he couldn't help but wonder if the others would keep up the friendly-ish façade or instantly go back to being cold to him. He expected the environment to be cold once more, but a boy could hope, could he not? He sighed softly as he also thought about Yoongi and the older being drunk. He hoped the other would be in his room when he got back so he didn't have to be around an intoxicated person.

The taxi pulled up outside of the dorms which pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly grabbed some cash from his wallet and handed it to the driver before he exited the car. He walked inside the warm building and anxiously waited for the elevator. The closer he got to his floor, the more he got nervous. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it loudly.

"Channie-ah! Come in! Come here," he heard Yoongi yell from the couch as he locked eyes with the person who had opened the door.

Hoseok stared at him, not moving from where he stood at the door. Chan-woo gulped nervously as he looked at him questioningly. He saw the older look at his neck before he looked at each of his arms. He suddenly became very self-conscious as the dark, brown eyes roamed over him. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck.

The silent boy finally stepped aside while still staring intently at the younger, Chan-woo able to finally walk in and passed Hoseok. He walked in with his eyes focused on the ground in front of him, afraid to look at Yoongi sitting on one of the couches. As he quietly walked over to his duffle bag, he wondered where the rest of the group were. He opened the bag up and immediately grabbed the oversized hoodie and trackies he had left on top of the pile.

"Come here, Channie-ah," whined Yoongi loudly.

"I-I have to change first," he said as he stood up and bowed before he walked to the bathroom quickly.

Chan-woo paused to knock on the bathroom door and waited a few seconds before he entered. He closed the door and locked it. He dumped the clothes on the corner of the vanity before he then gripped the edges as he tried to calm his racing heart. He took a few deep breaths in, stood up straight and begun to undress. His eyes avoided the mirror as he pulled on the fresh clothes, not wanting his vicious thoughts to consume him that time.

Neatly, he folded the old clothes into a pile on the vanity. Chan-woo paused as he took a few more seconds to calm his still racing heart. Was he perhaps delaying heading back out to the living room where Hoseok and Yoongi were? He looked in to the mirror as he looked at his neck. He decided he felt very uncomfortable and pulled his hoodie up over his head, instantly feeling more secure. He took in one final deep breath before he walked out of the bathroom.

As he walked into the living room, the two sets of eyes were instantly on him and the quiet talking between the pair stopped. Chan-woo placed his dirty clothes under his duffle bag, turned around and walked over to stand in between the two couches. He stood with his hands together at the front and head down as he looked at the ground.

"Do you want to sit down?" asked Hoseok, breaking the silence.

Chan-woo looked at the two sitting next to each other before he sighed. His body was tired, but was he willing to sacrifice his comfort just so he could rest for a bit? His body moved on its own according as he sat down on the empty couch, feeling rather small. He sat with his head down, his hoodie covered his face, and hands on his lap tucked away inside of his hoodie sleeves.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Chan-woo couldn't help but ask without even looking up from the hands in his lap.

"No," Hoseok answered.

"T-Then what is t-this about? I have a b-big day tomorrow and need to s-sleep," he said quietly while he still refused to lift his head.

"I saw that bruise on your neck tonight," Hoseok said after a few seconds of silence. "Yoongi and I just want to know how you got it."

"And also why it hurt when I grabbed your arm tonight," added Yoongi.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered as he felt the tears form. 

He hated this. He hated sitting there with them. He hated that he could smell the alcohol pouring off of Yoongi even from this distance. He hated they were asking questions. He hated existing. He hated being alive. Chan-woo couldn't help his thoughts as they spiralled down a dark rabbit hole. The tears begun to fall, luckily his hoodie and his hair covered them.

"It does," said Hoseok.

"It honestly really doesn't, Hyung," he said a little louder than a whisper this time, head still hung low. "You guys don't want me here. You guys don't want me to be a part of the group. So why should I tell you something that is really personal?"

"Don't say that, Channie-ah," Yoongi said sounding sad.

"Why not? It's true," he said with a dark laugh as he wiped away some of his tears with his sleeves.

"It's not true," Hoseok and Yoongi said at almost the exact same time.

"It's not? It's not true?" he asked louder, finally, he looked up in shock to reveal his tear-stained cheeks as more continued to roll down. "Then tell me everything I have heard for the last seven days have all been a hallucination. Tell me all the looks I have received from the entire group have all been imagined. Tell me the comments behind my back, not even behind my back but right in front of me, was just my ears playing tricks on me."

The two older boys looked down in shame as they listened to the younger talk. They both reflected on their actions over the past seven days. Chan-woo looked at them as tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt like he had either gone insane or been stuck in some cruel dream. Yoongi had been so cold and cruel, contributing to the feeling of being unwanted. Hoseok, however, he had been a little kinder. But it didn't mean he wanted him here either.

"You wanna know how I got this bruise? Huh? You really want to know that badly for someone you don't care for?" he asked with a scoff and angrily wiped some tears away. "I'll tell you. But don't you dare go talking to anyone else about this."

"Yes, I do," Yoongi asked from in front of him, his head snapped up at the prospect of finally finding out after all those days he had been left to speculate. "I want to know."

"As I was leaving to come here, my father pinned me against the wall and fucking chocked me," he said and watched as the two boys look at him with shocked expressions. The looks on their faces caused him to laugh darkly as he stood up and walked away to his corner.

After he squatted down, he started getting ready for bed by plugging his phone in to charge. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks as he made sure the alarm was set for the right time. He grabbed his pillow from his duffle bag and made his way back over to the couch. He sat down and wiped the tears away. Chan-woo paused as he saw someone get up from the other couch, only to see Yoongi stumble his way over to him and sit down beside him.

"I'm sorry," the older whispered while he grabbed onto his arm and squeezed it.

"D-Don't touch me," he sobbed out, he couldn't help it as he flinched away from the touch as he pulled his legs up to his chest.

As he sat there with his legs hugged to him and his head buried in them, he begun to cry pitifully. It had been the first time he had cried since he had been discharged from the hospital. Yoongi didn't take his hand away, instead the older softly stroked his arm in a way that way meant to comfort him. However, the touch and the smell of alcohol only made Chan-woo feel worse.

"G-Get away from m-me," he managed to say in between sobs.

"I don't want to leave you alone in this state," Yoongi whispered and stayed exactly where he was.

"You are making it worse, Yoongi Hyung," he whispered as he lifted his head. He stared straight at the sad look on the older's face with a pleading expression.

"Why?" he asked with a tilt of his head as he tried to understand.

"Alcohol, right? It's the alcohol?" Hoseok asked as he rushed over, squatted in front of Chan-woo, and gently touched his knee.

"Y-Yes," he whispered and nodded in shame before he hung his head and continued to cry as the painful memories resurfaced. "It was always worse with the a-alcohol."

"Yoongi Hyung, go sit on the other couch. I'll stay with him," said Hoseok instantly trying to fix the situation. "That way he isn't alone."

"No, I want to stay with him," whined Yoongi.

"The best thing you can do for him right now is leave him alone. Okay?" calmly said Hoseok. "I promise I won't leave his side until he is ready to sleep."

"Fine," Yoongi said with a big pout on his face as he finally stood up and stumbled back to the other couch.

Chan-woo felt Hoseok sit beside him on the couch before a strong arm was placed around his shoulders. A hand gently rubbed his arm as he felt another hand appear on his knee. He sat still as he allowed the crying to happen, too tired to try and stop it. He was already feeling better now that he couldn't smell the disgusting scent of alcohol.

"It's okay," whispered Hoseok. "Let it out."

And let it out he did. He sat there for what felt like hours just crying and sniffling. Chan-woo occasionally lifted his head and used the sleeves of his hoodie to wipe away the tears. Hoseok never once let go of him, continuing to gently soothe him with soft touches. His body shivered every once in a while as it wasn't used to kind touch. It was, instead, so used to every touch ending in pain. Slowly he started to settle, no longer crying uncontrollably.

"What did he do to you?" he heard Yoongi furiously whisper which caused him to look up sadly.

"My father?" asked Chan-woo quietly and saw the older nod in confirmation. "It wasn't just him. It was my mother too."

"They both hurt you?" Hoseok asked in shock.

"Y-Yes. And it was always worse when they were drunk. My mother was almost always drunk though. So, I hope that answers it," he said quietly as he put the side of his head on his knees and looked at Hoseok with tear filled eyes.

"The scars... Was it all them?" Yoongi asked with anger and a little bit of hesitation.

"N-No, not all of them," he continued while still looking at Hoseok and saw the older look back down at him with sadness.

"You hurt yourself?" asked Hoseok quietly.

"Y-Yes," he whispered as he closed his eyes to fight back the tears.

"Why?" asked Yoongi quietly.

"Hyung," Chan-woo lifted his head and looked over to Yoongi on the other couch. "Hyung, all I know is pain. My entire life, all I have ever known is pain. Does it matter if it is them or if it is me?"

"It does matter," Yoongi said with sad eyes. "Because now you aren't going back to them, you'll only have yourself that causes the pain."

With a sigh, Chan-woo thought over the wise words. It was true that while he was here, the only person that could cause him physical pain was himself. But that would only last as long as he was here. He couldn't help but think most of the group would never accept, as well as the ferocious supporters of them. From where he was in this point of time, it was a highly likely outcome that he would be kicked out of the boy band.

"Yoongi Hyung told me about the conversation he overheard last night," Hoseok broke up the silence. "He heard you were in hospital because you fainted. But he didn't want to tell me why. Do you feel comfortable telling me?"

"I was in my dance lessons when I fainted. Daniel Hyung took me to the hospital. And through blood tests they found I have low iron levels and recently entered the Anaemic stage," Chan-woo said as he looked between the two sadly. "I need to eat more red meat to help it. Which is why Yoongi Hyung gave me extra beef tonight and why Bang PD Hyung didn't order the pork belly."

"I'm sorry," sighed Hoseok as he rubbed the younger's arm.

"About what, Hyung?" asked Chan-woo as he looked at the other in confusion.

"For what you've been through and for how you've been treated by us since you got here," whispered Hoseok.

"Don't be sorry, Hyung," he said and looked down at his lap. "You can't control how they act. I've already accepted it and I'm learning the rules to make living with people that hate me that little bit easier."

"You shouldn't have to live like that though," Yoongi said with a frown on his face. "I'll do something about it."

"Yoongi Hyung, I spent eighteen years of my life living with people that absolutely hate me. I am used to it. This is nothing new to me. And there is nothing you can do to change how the rest of the boys treat me. Either they come to like me on their own, or they continue hating me for the rest of time," he said sadly, shocking the other two with how accepting of the situation he was.

"Once again, I am sorry. I'm sorry for how you were treated by your parents. And I am sorry for how the others are treating you. I promise I'll try to make this easier for you," said Hoseok as he lent closer and rested his head against Chan-woo's. "Are you tired?"

"Very, Hoseokie Hyung," he answered before a yawn escaped him. "Big day tomorrow."

"It's your last day, right?" Yoongi asked while he tilted his head.

"Mmm. I have my last language lesson and then I have a mock interview which will be recorded for Bang PD-nim Hyung to see," he said before he yawned again.

"What time do you finish?" asked Hoseok as he pulled his head away and looked at him with a kind smile.

"The last lesson usually goes from 2pm to 3:20pm, but I don't know if I'll be finished early with the mock interview," he said as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeves.

"Alright, I think it's time for you to go to bed young one," Yoongi said before he laughed loudly at himself.

"I agree with the drunk man, I need to sleep," smiled Chan-woo. "Thank you both for being there for me tonight. Please don't tell any of the other boys about what I have been through and what I am going through. I only trust you two."

"I will never break your trust," whispered Hoseok as he rubbed the younger's back. "Would you like that blanket again?"

"P-Please," he answered with tired pleading eyes.

"I'll be back. You lie down and get comfortable," he said before he stood up and walked away.

The two males that were left in the living room by themselves just stared at one another. Chan-woo couldn't help but blush at the intense look. He could see Yoongi looking at him with sadness and pity. It was a look he had seen on other people's face before after they had learnt what he had been through. And it always made him uncomfortable each time.

"I know I've been drinking, but can I hug you good night?" Yoongi asked with a soft voice, intense gaze observing his reaction.

Caught off guard by the question, he tilted his head as he thought about it. He knew if he agreed, he'd be surrounded by the smell of alcohol. And he hated that aspect. But by accepting to hug the other, it truly showed how far this conversation had shaped their relationship. Even though he was intoxicated, the other still had the decency to ask if he was comfortable, and that in itself made his heart explode in happiness. Just knowing Yoongi and Hoseok understood a little more about him and that they were going to be there made this whole situation easier.

"Sure," he finally answered with a small smile. 

The second the words left his mouth, Yoongi stood up and made his way to stand in front of him. Chan-woo looked up as the older stood above him. He watched as the other held out his hands and waited for him to take them. He slipped his hands that were covered by his sleeves into the large hands of Yoongi and was pulled to his feet a second later.

Strong arms wrapped around him as Chan-woo was held against a firm chest. He turned his head to the side and rested it on the broad shoulder. He felt Yoongi rest his chin upon the top of his head, before he slightly tightened his grip around him. Oddly, Chan-woo felt a lot of comfort from the embrace despite the waves of strong alcohol he could smell. He closed his eyes as he held the other back equally as tight.

"Not fair, I want a hug too," he heard Hoseok jokingly whine as he walked over to them.

"Soon. Just let me hold him a little longer," whispered Yoongi softly, not moving an inch.

"You going okay there, Channie-ah?" Hoseok walked around to the other side so he could see the younger's face to make sure he wasn't freaking out with the scent of the alcohol.

"Yes," he whispered without opening his eyes. "You can have your hug soon like Yoongi Hyung said."

"Geez, I feel so special now," Hoseok rolled his eyes and laughed, glad to see Chan-woo had already started to opening up to them.

The two stayed still hugging each other for a few more seconds before Yoongi finally pulled away and held the younger at arms length. A sad smile appeared on his face as he pushed the hair away from Chan-woo's face. Finally he stepped away and gestured that Hoseok could now hug the younger. Chan-woo didn't give Hoseok anytime to move as he wrapped his arms around the older first which took the other two by surprise.

Hoseok smiled as he hugged the other softly, too afraid to hurt the delicate young man in his arms. He too, placed his chin on top of Chan-woo's head as he held him close. His heart broke as he noticed how skinny the younger was. But that would have to be a conversation for another time as the younger needed to go to bed. Reluctantly, he broke away from the hug with a soft sigh.

"Alright, bed time. Have a good sleep, Channie-ah," Hoseok smiled, watched the younger lie down on the couch, and then gently covered him with the blanket.

"Thank you both, again. Really. Have a good sleep too, Hyungs," Chan-woo said softly.

"Good night," Yoongi said before he turned around and walked up the hallway to his bedroom.

"Good night," whispered Hoseok as he turned off the lights in the living room and walked away.

For the first time, Chan-woo felt a feeling he had never experienced before. He felt a sense of security and homeliness when he was with those two. It was strange to feel that way. It was so foreign. He settled in to the couch, head on pillow, blanket pulled up to his chin, and he finally allowed for his eyes to close.

Thoughts of the day flooded his mind. The good, the bad, and the uncomfortable. He allowed them all to play out in the order they wanted. A small smile crept on to his face unbeknownst to him as he thought back on the support from Yoongi and Hoseok. His body was tired from the emotional ending to the day. And slowly, very slowly, he faded away from consciousness and into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo's heart pounded as he walked down the corridor towards the usual dance practice room he had his stage lessons in. He came to a stop in front of the door and stared at it as he took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. He reminded himself that he could do this and he was only nervous because he cared for the outcome. With that in mind, he opened the door to see an impressive set up.

There was a camera setup on a tripod, a seat to the right of the camera, a chair in front of the camera and behind that was a black sheet that hung from a crossbar supported by two light stands. There were three lights on c-stands placed around the space in a three-point lighting setup, all shone down on the chair he was to sit on.

He walked in with a surprised expression, bowed towards Min-ki respectfully who smiled back before he walked over to the back wall and put his backpack down. He took a second to gather his thoughts as the anxious voice begun to quickly spit out worry after worry. With hesitancy in his step, he walked over to Min-ki who stood next to the camera adjusting the settings.

"Good afternoon Chan-woo!" the older male looked up as he approached and smiled warmly. "Sleep well?"

"Good afternoon, Min-ki Hyung. I did. And you?" he asked, smiled back nervously before he looked around the space.

"I did, I did. Are you ready for you last lesson with me?" Min-ki asked, straightened up and faced him.

"I am feeling a mixture of nervousness and sadness, but I am ready," he breathed out with a shaky smile.

"Don't be sad, Chan-woo," the older cooed. "I'm sure we will see each other around the company."

After he nodded his head in silent agreement, Chan-woo looked around at the setup and couldn't help but slightly shake his head in amazement. Never before had he seen something like this in person. Of course he had seen the behind the scene of interviews before, but seeing it in person was something else for sure. He could feel his heart rate increase as he silently waited for the older to start the process.

"Now each interview will be different with the way they mic you up," said Min-ki as he bent down next to the leg of the tripod and fished something out of a bag. "Some may have the mic taped onto your chest, some may have a clip on mic, and other interviews you may have microphones. For today we'll use a clip on mic since it is the easiest."

Finally retrieving what he needed, Min-ki stood up and faced Chan-woo. In his hands were a mic pack with a long wire that had a clip on lav mic at the other end. He handed the items to the nervous younger male before he bent down once more.

"Carefully slide the mic pack down through the collar of your shirt and feed it out to the bottom," he instructed while he fiddled with the Zoom F8 Recorder. "Place the mic pack in your front or back pocket. Don't touch any buttons, I have it synced up already. And then attach the lav mic to the collar of your shirt."

"Okay," whispered Chan-woo as he followed the instructions.

With shaky hands, he pulled his shirt away from his neck and carefully slid the mic pack down, guiding it to the bottom with his other hand. He grabbed it at the bottom of his shirt and placed it in his front pocket. Chan-woo was relieved he didn't drop the expensive looking equipment, especially considering this was his first time handling such thing. He quickly clipped the little mic onto his collar, just below his chin, and looked over to Min-ki.

"All done Hyung," he said quietly as he inquisitively peered down at what the other was doing, curiosity in his eyes for the entire process.

"Good job," Min-ki looked up at him with a smile. "You can go sit down now. I just need a few more minutes to finish getting ready."

Chan-woo nodded as he carefully walked around all of the cords and sat down on the chair. He looked around as he waited patiently and focused on taking calming breaths in and out. He tried his best to calm down his nerves. This would only last a handful of minutes. He could do this. He just needed to think before he spoke and remember all of his training over the past week and a bit.

His attention was captured by Min-ki as he stood up from where he had been fiddling with the recorder. The older walked over to the door and turned the room's lights off. Chan-woo squinted as the lights that had been setup to properly light him suddenly became very bright in the now dark room. He watched the dark silhouette of his coach approach the camera. The room silent as the older adjusted the settings on the camera one last time before he grabbed a slate out of another bag on the floor.

"Ready Channie-ah?" Min-ki excitedly asked.

"As ready as I can be, Hyung," he answered with a soft chuckle.

"Camera is recording, sound is recording, perfect," Min-ki said out loud to himself as he double checked the equipment and came to stand in front of Chan-woo. He held the slate in front of the younger's face and peered down at him with an excited smile. "Mock interview with Jung Chan-woo. Soft sticks."

The soft sound of the slate slapping rung throughout the quiet room, slightly startling Chan-woo. Min-ki walked away from him, placed the slate on to the ground beside his chair before he picked up a clipboard and sat down. As Chan-woo waited for the other to speak, he could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears. He could feel his palms slowly start to clam up and his mouth dry slightly.

"Hello, please introduce yourself," Min-ki suddenly said, surprising the younger out of his thoughts.

"Ah hello! I'm Chan, it's very nice to meet you," he smiled nervously and brought his hand up to wave towards the camera.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," said Min-ki as he looked up from his clipboard. "So you are the newest member in the popular Korean boy band BTS, is that right?"

"Yes it is," smiled Chan-woo. "I have been lucky enough to have been given this amazing opportunity to join BTS."

"Ah, amazing. What are you hoping to bring to the table to this already talented group?" asked Min-ki.

"Well I am hoping to bring a new voice to the group that blends in and supports the other members amazing vocals. I also want to bring a new powerful presence for when we perform that I hope the fans will really enjoy," Chan-woo answered confidently as he looked at Min-ki while he spoke. "And I have been working very hard to create meaningful lyrics for future songs that I hope will resinate with people."

"I look forward to seeing what you bring to the group," kindly said Min-ki as he briefly checked his clipboard. "BTS's last album release 'Love Yourself: Her' focuses around expressing the anxiety and elation around love. Are you looking to contribute to their next album release?"

"I really hope I can contribute and have input with the creation of the next album. Only time will tell if any of my ideas fit with the next concept," he couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Subconsciously, he covered his mouth with the long sleeve of his shirt that covered his hand.

"Good luck, I believe you will have many wonderful ideas. Regarding the release of their last album, they have recently started the 'Love Myself' campaign partnered with UNICEF to help raise awareness and to help end violence towards children and teens. As the newest member to join BTS, will you be supporting this campaign the other members have started?"

"I will wholeheartedly back and support the campaign. In fact I have already made contributions to the campaign as it is an issue that is so close to home," he smiled sadly upon seeing the sad look Min-ki gave him. "I never want to see anyone else go through what I have. And I hope through this campaign and the music they listen to, those small voices can gather the courage to speak out."

"A touching message," Min-ki's voice was laced with sadness.

Hating the pitiful look in his stage coach's eyes, he gulped and nodded. Chan-woo looked down at his lap as he felt a wave of emotions pour through him. He would never admit this in an actual interview. But here with Min-ki, he felt safe to open himself up. As well as the knowledge that the only other person to see this would be Bang PD-nim. He took a deep breath in before he looked up and nodded for Min-ki to continue the interview.

A wide smile was painted across Chan-woo's face as he stood up from the chair and stretched his aching muscles. The mock interview was finally over after what felt like a long time. He had continued to answer questions and tell Min-ki more about himself, he even showed off his English skills at one point. He looked at his stage coach as the other walked over with a massive smile on his face.

"I've very proud of you, well done Channie-ah!" cooed Min-ki as he leaned in and hugged the younger tightly. "You've worked really hard and it has payed off."

"Nothing could have been achieved without your help, Hyung," Chan-woo laughed as he hugged the other back. "Thank you so much for everything."

"It's the least I could do for you. I wish you all the best for the future kiddo," he said, pulled back and ruffled the soft, fluffy hair.

"Thank you," a blush raised on his cheeks as he bowed slightly.

"Now, give me the mic pack and get the hell out of here. Go celebrate with the boys or something," Min-ki laughed while held out his hand.

"Yes Hyung," he whispered as he carefully unclipped the lav mic and pulled it through his shirt, passing the expensive equipment over to Min-ki once he was untangled. "Thank you again."

"You did great, I mean it. I hope to see you around kid," he said as he begun to pack everything up.

"I'm sure you will," Chan-woo said as he walked over to his backpack and put it on. "Bye Min-ki Hyung. Take care."

"You too, Channie-ah," the older smiled and waved as Chan-woo left the dance practice room.

After he closed the door behind him, he came to a sudden stop as he lifted his eyes to find a slightly sweaty and out of breath Jung Hoseok standing before him. What took Chan-woo by surprise even more was the bouquet of brightly coloured flowers in his hand. He tilted his head in suspicion as he looked at his Hyung for answers.

"Congratulations!" Hoseok loudly exclaimed as he stepped forward and embraced the shocked Chan-woo.

"T-Thank you, Hoseok Hyung," he breathlessly replied, still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to give you a gift for finishing training and becoming one step closer to debuting," he answered with a giant smile on his face.

"That's very kind, I really appreciate that," Chan-woo smiled back as his heart raced a million miles a minute. "No one has ever done anything so kind for me before."

"Really? Wow, I feel honoured to be the first then," laughed Hoseok as he held the flowers out. "Do you like them?"

"I love them," he said as he brought them to his face to inhale the sweet smell. "They're beautiful. Thank you, Hyung."

"That's okay," he smiled and placed his right arm around the younger in a side hug.

"Hyung, can I ask why you are so sweaty?" Chan-woo chuckled and looked at the slightly dishevelled look on the older.

"I was in dance practice, but I snuck away for a few minutes to hand deliver these," he said with a prideful smile. "How could I not? It was worth the look on your cute little face."

The blush on Chan-woo's cheeks only grew redder at the comment before he felt Hoseok reach over and pinch his left cheek. He pouted before he swatted the hand away with his unoccupied hand. He hung his head as he heard the cooing from the older, stepped away from the side hug and pouted even more.

"So cute," cooed Hoseok with adoration in his eyes. "Are you up to anything? Would you like to come join the dance practice? You don't have to do anything, of course. Well you shouldn't with your current health problems anyway. Just come and watch. Please?"

"I would love to, but I really need to go grocery shopping. I haven't had the time with all of this training," he said, his heart dropped as he watched the sad look come on to Hoseok's face. "A-Are you all at dance practice or is anyone else at the dorm?"

"We are all here doing dance practice until 6pm," he answered with a tilt of his head. "Why's that?"

"Well, I still don't have a key to the dorms. So, I am just trying to figure out if I can get in by myself or if I should wait in the hallway for you guys," Chan-woo told him, secretly hoping to have some help from the older.

"How about I give you my key," the older suggested and looked down the corridor. "It's in my bag in the room. Come with me, I'll have to grab it quickly."

With a nod of his head, Chan-woo silently followed Hoseok down the hallway towards one of the dance practice rooms. His heart started beating faster as he approached the closed door, nervous to see what would happen when he stepped foot in the space. He wondered if anyone would acknowledge his presence or the fact he had just completed his training. His heart skipped a beat thinking that Yoongi, at the very least, would be happy for him.

Hoseok held the door open for him before he walked over to the row of bags against one of the walls. Chan-woo stepped in and closed the door behind him, awkwardly standing there with the bouquet of flowers in his hands. He looked around to see most of the group were rehearsing the choreography together. The second they saw movement, they looked over at him and threw a glare his way before they went back to what they were previously doing.

His heart dropped with the pain. But Chan-woo reminded himself to not to be too surprised. He had half expected to be ignored by majority of the group. It was just the unnecessary glares that hurt the most. His eyes roamed the room after he noticed Yoongi missing from the members that were practicing. He found the other male sat on the floor, scrolling through his phone. He was excited for the other to see him as he kept his eyes on the older. He hoped for a warmer welcome from him after the events of last night.

But Yoongi never looked up from his phone as Chan-woo continued to uncomfortably stand at the door. His face dropped as he looked at the ground in disappointment. He was feeling all alone after being ignored by the rest of the group, and it would have made him feel so much better if he had another person except Hoseok to lean on in that moment.

"Here you are," Hoseok said as he walked over and handed him the key. "Congratulations again! I have to get back to practice, but I'll see you when I get back tonight."

"T-Thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo said as he bowed in gratitude to the other. "Have fun."

"I will, you be safe out there," smiled Hoseok as he walked backwards before he turned around and re-joined the group.

Chancing one last glance at Yoongi, he saw the older male was still preoccupied with his phone. He sighed softly, turned around and walked out of the room. After he closed the door behind him gently, Chan-woo begun making his way towards the elevators, ready to go back to the dorm before he went out shopping. Part of him was disappointed that Yoongi didn't see him or say anything to him. And another part of him was eternally grateful to have Hoseok there to support him. That was all he needed, just one person. It was enough. More than he had ever had before.

After he stepped into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button, he looked down at the beautiful flowers in his hands. A smile unconsciously formed on his face at the kind gesture Hoseok had done for him. Chan-woo had never received such a gift like that in his life and he wanted to keep the flowers alive for as long as possible. He wanted to keep them alive so he could look at them each day and be reminded he was no longer alone in this cruel, uncaring, cold world.

Standing at the front door, he struggled to put the key into the door handle with his hands full of plastic bags. Chan-woo realised his mistake after he failed time after time to slide the key in. He placed the bags in his hand down on the floor with a soft smile on his face, before, he attempted one more time. The key easily entered the keyhole before it clicked unlock smoothly. While he laughed at his stupidity, he grabbed the bags and crab walked into the apartment, slightly out of breath.

Chan-woo tiredly placed the handful of plastic bags on to the counter top before he headed back and locked the front door. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he sat on one of the bar stools. He momentarily stayed still as he caught his breath back, hauling everything from the taxi to the dorm had been a monumental effort on his behalf. He slid Hoseok's house key to the edge of the bench so he didn't accidentally keep it or lose it.

Gathering the last of his physical energy, Chan-woo hopped out of the chair and grabbed the two plastic bags full of cold meat. He tied the handles and squeezed the remaining air out of them. He walked over to the fridge, opened it up, and managed to find a spot to store them. Although he did have to quickly rearrange a few items to make the two bags fit side-by-side.

Next Chan-woo looked through the cupboards in the kitchen to try and find a place to store his food that belonged in the pantry. He found a spare area on the top shelf of the overhead cupboards above the stove. Sighing to himself, he knew he'd need to either go on his tippy toes or climb on something with his average height to reach the shelf. As he turned around and walked back to the remaining bag, he cursed himself and his heritage for being born on the average side of height.

It took him a few minutes to sort through the remaining shopping bags. He separating the food from the other general supplies he had brought. He moved all of the general supplies to one side and all of the pantry items to the other. Finally, he tiredly begun to move the food in to its new place above the stove. He had brought himself food he could have or cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was determined to start looking after his body like Bang PD-nim, Daniel, Yoongi and Hoseok wanted.

His body grew tired from so much physical exertion. So Chan-woo took a brief break as he sat back down on the bar stool. He used that opportunity to sort through and separate the other general supplies he had purchased. While he had been in the shop, he remembered Namjoon saying he needed to buy anything he wanted. He didn't want to anger him, so just in case, he brought himself his own dishes and utensils.

Along with that, one of the things he had also purchased was a vase for the flowers that Hoseok had brought for him. As he laid eyes upon the flowers he had taken home before shopping, he couldn't help the smile and small blush that lit his face. He reached over and pulled them back to him by the stalks. He lifted them to his nostrils and inhaled the delightfully fresh scent.

Deciding to not deprive the lovely flowers of water any longer, Chan-woo grabbed the vase in his free hand while he also grabbed the new pair of scissors he had brought in the hand that already held the flowers. He carefully walked over to the kitchen sink with his hands full. He gently placed the vase in the sink, placed the flowers and scissors to the side, and then filled the vase with room temperature water. He lifted the half-full vase up and placed it aside on the counter top.

The water from the tap still ran as he untied the bouquet of flowers. With his left hand, Chan-woo held the now free flowers under the flowing water, and with his right hand, he held the scissors. Visually, he estimated roughly two centimetres up the stems before he swiftly cut them. The instant he had cut them, he quickly transferred the flowers into the vase, submerging the exposed stalks into the water. Looking proudly upon the display, he begun to clean up the mess in the sink before he moved the vase to the middle of the counter top.

Chan-woo shoved his scissors and the rest of his general supplies back into some of the plastic bags, took them over to his duffle bag and placed them beside it so they were out of the way until he needed them. He sighed as he stood up and looked around the quiet apartment. This had been the first time since he had arrived that he had the entire place to himself. He scratched the back of his neck, not really sure what to do with himself now.

Chan-woo leant down and opened his backpack up. He grabbed out his laptop, its charger and his headphones. It had been weeks since he last had a chance to just sit and let out his creativity. He headed over to the dining table, set up his items, plugged in his charger to the wall and finally sat down with a heavy sigh. He opened up his laptop and connected his headphones. It took him a few minutes to figure out where he should start as he opened the word document that contained all of his lyrical ideas.

There was one particular song he had been working hard on for a while now. He had created the hook and bridge for it, happy with the way they were worded. But the rest of the song was not coming together easily. He decided to try and work on the pre-chorus for the time being as it felt close to being done.

"For you, I could pretend like I was happy when I was sad," he whispered as he re-read what he had previously written. "For you, I could pretend like I was strong when I was hurt. I wish love was as perfect as... Hmmm... As perfect as..."

What could be as perfect as love? Chan-woo thought as he absentmindedly tapped on the table with his pointer finger. Reading over his bridge and hook, he wondered if perhaps his answer lay within them. This whole song was based on the idea that the love his parents rarely showed was all fake. He was sick of receiving the fake love from them, and over the years, he had lost who he was as a person from the abuse he suffered. Perhaps the only thing he could wish love could be as perfect as is love itself.

"For you, I could pretend like I was happy when I was sad. For you, I could pretend like I was strong when I was hurt. I wish love was as perfect as love itself," he whispered as he tested it out.

A sad, small smile spread across his face as he repeated the new lyrics in his head over and over. It seemed to fit the overall theme of the song and it represented what he felt towards love. Why were there people in this world that treated people cruelly? Why did some parents think it was fine to mistreat their children behind closed doors and then put on a fake, happy façade in public? Why did he have to lose himself in the process of his unstable and abusive life?

Suddenly awaking to a loud sound, Chan-woo slowly sat up from the table where he had accidentally fallen asleep. He looked up and saw the entire group walk in the front door, loudly talking to one another. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his long shirt sleeve before just tiredly watching them. His mind was foggy from the small nap he had taken by accident.

The members all glared at him before they ignored him as they spread out throughout the apartment to decompress after the long day they had. His eyes caught sight of Hoseok and Yoongi who entered last, immediately becoming happy upon seeing the pair. He saw Hoseok look at the flowers before he looked around for him. Their eyes connected and they both smiled widely at one another.

"Channie-ah! They look beautiful!" Hoseok exclaimed as he walked up to the flowers and admired them.

"You are the one that brought them, Hyung," Chan-woo couldn't help but chuckle tiredly.

"Did you fall asleep there?" asked Yoongi as the older walked over to him.

Chan-woo nodded as a blush grew on his cheeks. Yoongi sat down beside him and placed his bag on the table. A small yawn escaped the younger's lips as he stretched his sore back. He covered his mouth in embarrassment and shyly looked over at Yoongi who had chuckled at him. He was about to say something when Hoseok pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

"What were you doing on your laptop before you fell asleep?" asked Hoseok, while Yoongi tried to see the screen.

"Oh," he said before he closed the screen almost all the way. "I-I was just writing, you know? Nothing interesting really."

"Ooo, what were you writing?" Hoseok asked with an excited smile.

"Lyrics," he said with a blush and looked down at his lap.

"That sounds pretty interesting to me," said Yoongi with a small smile. "Can you show me one day?"

"Me too! Show me too!" laughed Hoseok. "Don't forget about this Hyung."

"How could I ever forget about you, Hoseok Hyung," he laughed tiredly with a blush. "I will show you one day when I am ready. Just not yet."

"So cute," cooed Hoseok.

"No," whined Chan-woo as he pouted.

"Yes," whispered Yoongi as he leant over and pinched the bright pink cheek.

"No," he pushed the offending hand away before he folded his arms on the table and rested his forehead upon them.

His body became stiff as he felt a hand ran up and down his back in a comforting way. Goosebumps rose on his skin from the gentle touch. Chan-woo melted into the touch from Yoongi as a heavy sigh left his lip. His eyes closed on their own as he relaxed, no longer hearing the conversation between the other two as he grew more and more tired. Slowly he drifted off into sleep once more, much to the amusement of his two Hyungs that sat beside him.

Chapter Text

"Chan-woo," he heard his name being called in the far distance.

As he groaned, Chan-woo grabbed the soft blanket and pulled it up under his chin before he turned over onto his side. He buried his head into the soft fabric of the back of the couch. A hand gently rubbed his back as the person chuckled lightly. Goosebumps rose on his skin and a low moan left his lips.

"Channie-ah," the silky voice coaxed him out of his sleep. "Channie-ah you need to wake up."

"No, too tired" he groaned only to bury his head further away from the light.

"So cute," the other person cooed, still gently rubbing his back. "Listen to Hyung and wake up. We have a big day."

Chan-woo groaned as he turned his head and pried open one eye. The bright morning sun that shone in through the window silhouetted the person that leant above him. As he squinted his eye, he could make out the familiar angular features of the boy along with the voice he had heard. He pouted with a frown as he looked around the room in confusion.

"H-How did I get on the couch, Hoseok Hyung?" Chan-woo asked tiredly. "I remember being at the table last."

"I carried you over after you refused to move," the older laughed at the memory.

"Oh," was all he could manage to say as his tired brain comprehended the information.

He closed his open eye and turned his head away as he felt a blush rise upon his cheeks. Chan-woo hated the fact he was touched while asleep, let alone the fact he had been carried. Although he felt a little more at ease that it was someone he trusted. As he continued to lie with his eyes closed and enjoying the soft touches on his back, he couldn't help but worry if Hoseok had felt how skinny and light he was last night.

"Come on, wake up. I'm not leaving until you are up," Hoseok whispered as he leant forward and swept the soft hair out of the younger's face.

"Why," whined Chan-woo as he rolled onto his back with a pout firm on his face and looked up at Hoseok tiredly.

"We have a photoshoot today and you are coming with us to watch," Hoseok said while a big smile crept onto his face. "You have to get up now so you can be ready when we need to leave."

"But I just want to sleep, Hyung," he huffed tiredly while his eyes closed on their own again. "Too tired to move."

"I'll make you breakfast if you promise to wake up," he said to coax the younger to get up. "Come on, sit up so you aren't tempted to fall asleep again."

"Mmmm," he huffed and held out his hands tiredly since his eyes refused to open still.

Hoseok chuckled as he grabbed onto the outreached hands and easily lifted the younger into a seated position. He grabbed the blanket that had fallen into his lap and wrapped it around the small shoulders, making sure that Chan-woo was wrapped up comfortably. He smiled at the little pout that had settled on his face, the younger looking too cute as he tried hard to wake up. He swept the hair away from Chan-woo's forehead before he finally straightened up and walked into the kitchen.

"What do you want?" he asked loudly and chuckled as he saw the younger jump slightly.

"In the overhead cupboard on the top shelf, there is a box of muesli cereal. I'll just have that, please Hyung," Chan-woo turned his head and smiled tiredly as he watched Hoseok get his breakfast ready for him.

"Morning," a tired voice suddenly said, only causing Chan-woo to jump in fright once more. "So jumpy today Channie-ah."

"That's because you scared me Yoongi Hyung," he pouted and pulled the blanket around him tighter as he watched Yoongi shuffle towards him. "People jump when they aren't expecting something. It's normal."

"He's half asleep," Hoseok chimed in as he put away the box in the cupboard. "Leave him alone."

"Don't tell me what to do," huffed Yoongi in annoyance as he sat down right beside the very tired looking Chan-woo. He placed an arm around him and rested his head back against the couch before he rolled it to the side to stare down at the quiet Chan-woo through half opened eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Hmm?" hummed Chan-woo as he turned his head to look at the older. "Oh, yeah. And you, Hyung?"

"Not enough sleep," he answered while he tiredly stared back at the younger, a soft smile graced his face.

"Yoongi Hyung decided to stay up late working on a song instead of sleeping," said Hoseok as he walked closer with the bowl of cereal in his hands. "He doesn't know when to stop."

"Aish, you only have yourself to blame then Yoongi Hyung," chuckled Chan-woo when he felt Yoongi squeeze his upper arm in warning, before he grabbed the offered bowl and tiredly picked up the spoon. "Thank you Hoseok Hyung."

"It's okay! Eat up and get ready. Both of you," he instructed as he walked back into the kitchen.

As Chan-woo settled in and begun to eat silently, he couldn't help but feel a big wave of happiness surge through him. Never before had he had anyone make him breakfast. It made him feel cared for, a feeling he was not used to. He had to wonder if perhaps he should let his barriers down and accept the care, or hold back a little, until he was certain this wasn't just an act.

A noise down the hallway drew his attention back to the present. He turned his head to see Namjoon and Jin slowly walk towards the living room. The moment their eyes connected, a look of anger passed on both of their faces, making him blush and look down at his food in shame. He refused to look up as they both sat down on the empty couch in front of him.

"You should be getting ready Yoongi Hyung," said Namjoon and shook his head in disappointment.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be ready," he answered as he shuffled even closer to Chan-woo and sighed as he relaxed further into the couch.

"Go eat something, now," sternly said Jin as he got up and walked away to the kitchen.

"Not hungry," Yoongi sighed in annoyance, just wanting to sit and rest his eyes in peace.

"Yoongi Hyung?" whispered Chan-woo as he turned his head towards the older. Yoongi hummed while he opened his eyes and lifted his head, looking at him in concern. "Listen to Jin Hyung and eat. If I have to eat, so do you. It's not good to skip meals. I don't want you getting sick like me."

Chan-woo bit his lower lip out of habit, worried about Yoongi not eating properly. Part of him understood now why Daniel and Bang PD-nim had been so concerned after his trip to the hospital. He continued to stare at Yoongi with worried filled eyes as he hoped the other would listen to Jin. He saw the older think about something before he looked at him and the tiniest smile reached his lips.

"Fine," he sighed and took his arm away from around his shoulders. He stood up, paused briefly to stretch his muscles, and looked down at the younger that had gone back to happily eating his food. "But only for you, Channie-ah."

The younger laughed softly as he happily watched Yoongi walk in to the kitchen. He was really glad he could make a difference for one person. And he truly did mean it when he said he didn't want Yoongi to get sick like him. It would hurt him to see Hoseok or Yoongi hurting. He turned his attention back to his cereal and kept eating so he could be ready in time. Thoughts quickly consumed with what he should wear for the day.

Chan-woo was brought out of his thoughts as he felt someone sit down beside him. He looked to his left and saw Hoseok with a bowl of a different type of cereal. Receiving a smile from the older, he smiled back before he turned away with a small blush on his face. He wasn't used to having so much kind attention on him, Hoseok and Yoongi showing it to him almost every minute he was with them. It was an odd feeling.

A soft yawn suddenly overtook him which caught him by surprise. He put the spoon that was halfway to his mouth back down and wiped the tears that had come to surface away. As he went to pick up his spoon once more, his eyes happened to catch the annoyed stare from the person that sat across from him. Namjoon sat there with a passive-aggressive posture, annoyed stare slowly turned into a glare the longer Chan-woo looked at him.

As he felt his face turn red and more tears begun to well, he looked down at his lap in shame. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to relax into the environment even a little bit. Whenever he was around Hoseok and Yoongi, he could forget about the other boys and how much he was unwanted. But it was in moments like this he was rudely reminded how much of a burden and nuisance he was for the rest of them.

Suddenly, Chan-woo wasn't feeling hungry anymore. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. He quickly rinsed his bowl out in the sink and stacking it on the rack beside it. He simply ignored the looks thrown at him from Jin as he walked passed him over to his large duffle bag. As he pulled out everything he'd need to get ready with in the bathroom, he heard another pair of footsteps walk out into the living room, but ignored it as he focused on trying not to let the tears fall.

With head hung low and arms full of items, Chan-woo walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him with his foot. Messily, he dumped everything on to the vanity, leant against it with his two hands and breathed in deeply. He looked into the mirror and saw how pathetic he truly appeared. His eyes were watering and on tears were on the edge of falling. The bags under his eyes had also only grown darker since he had first noticed them the other day.

Chan-woo shook his head free from the little nasty voice that wanted to intrude on him. He grabbed his toiletries bag and pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste. Absentmindedly, he begun to brush his teeth. Of course as much as he tried to fight off the thoughts, they always managed to overpower his will. He thought back on Namjoon and Jin's treatment towards him moments ago. Of course it hurt and he wished he could do something to change it. But he knew there was nothing he could do.

As he sighed to himself, he rinsed his mouth, placed his toothbrush away, pulled off of his long sleeved shirt and discarded it lazily on the ground. He leant forward and inspected his bruise on his neck. His eyebrows lifted in surprise as he realised it looked like it had started to fade slightly. The edges had marginally shrunk and the colour was less of a dark grey and more of a light grey. Excitedly, he lifted his left arm, turned his body towards the mirror and sighed in disappointment when he saw no improvement.

"Holy shit!" a voice yelled loudly which caused Chan-woo to jump and turn towards the source in fear.

The door to the bathroom had been opened. The other person stared at his naked top half in shock. Chan-woo gasped out as he looked at the person who had intruded and cursed himself silently for forgetting to lock the door in his haste. His heart raced, his body was frozen still, and his breath had left his body as he stared wide eyed at Taehyung. Tears begun to form in his eyes from the shame. Yet he found he couldn't move to grab something to cover his body.

"What's happening?" the familiar voice of Hoseok brought him out of his shock.

Chan-woo's watery eyes saw Yoongi and Hoseok come to the doorframe and look at him. Their faces were immediately overcame with shock which quickly turned to sadness. The two of them walked in as the tears begun to rapidly fall and soft sobs came out of him. He hung his head as his body was taken over by the raw emotions. He felt two sets of strong arms wrap around him and their hands rub his bare back soothingly.

"J-Just leave me a-alone," he sobbed, wanting to hide forever after they had seen his broken body.

"No," Hoseok chocked out, his voice raw with sadness. "No, never."

"H-He knows. Y-You know. I-I need to be alone," he sobbed out as he weakly tried pushing the pair away from him. "Please."

One pair of arms left him before he heard the door close loudly which made him jump at the sound. Through the sounds of his sobs, he heard loud yelling on the other side of the door. He could make out Yoongi's voice but couldn't quite hear what he was saying. He knew that Hoseok was still with him, holding him gently, hands caressed his skin softly. His heart hurt even more as he heard the sniffling from the older signalling the other had started to cry as well.

His arms moved on their own. Each hand gripped the back of Hoseok's shirt near his shoulder blades. He pulled the older against him and buried his head in the crook of his neck as he sobbed harder. He felt terrible for causing the other to be upset. Hoseok's arms moved so one hand was cradling the back of his head and the other firmly held the back of his shoulders. Hoseok rested his right cheek against Chan-woo's hair.

The two stood still as they cried out their hearts together after the situation that had just unfolded. They could still hear Yoongi yelling in the background, occasionally broken by the low toned voice of Taehyung. Chan-woo's thoughts were consumed by the shame and guilt of his secret finally being revealed to two people he trusted and one person he didn't trust. One person who hated him. One person who despised his very presence. One person who openly talked about his feelings towards him.

On the contrary, Hoseok's thoughts were consumed by the shock of how far the extent of the abuse actually went. The moment he had seen the large, ugly bruise of the ribs, he understood why it had hurt the other night when Yoongi had pulled on that arm. He was almost too consumed with that particular bruise that he almost didn't notice all of the cuts and smaller bruises that littered the younger's torso. His heart hurt knowing Chan-woo had never been protected and loved for before, many of the younger's reactions made much more sense now.

"Come on, let's get a shirt on you," Hoseok whispered as he slowly pulled back enough to look down at him. "You can come to my room to finish getting ready."

Hoseok brought one of his hands around to lightly hold Chan-woo's chin. He lifted his head up and tried to hold back more tears as he saw how broken the younger looked with tears streaming down his face. Using the sleeve of his own shirt, he wiped away the tears gently, only pausing briefly after he saw him flinch from the touch. His heart broke as he completely understood why he had flinched.

Silently, he let go of Chan-woo and grabbed the clean white t-shirt that was on the vanity. He bunched up the bottom of the shirt and held it up in front of the younger, gesturing for him to put his arms in. The younger looked exhausted as he lifted both arms and placed them through the sleeves. Hoseok helped him as he placed the shirt over his head and straightened it out over his battered and bruised body.

Hoseok grabbed the rest of the clean clothes, the towel, the t-shirt on the ground and the toiletries before he turned around and opened the door. Yoongi was still breathing down Taehyung's neck, no longer yelling but quietly threatening the younger. Hoseok gently pulled Chan-woo out of the bathroom as the younger froze when he and Taehyung locked eyes. He guided the youngest down the hallway and to his room on the right.

"Here, sit down," Hoseok said after he closed his bedroom door and walked over to the one of the beds. He placed everything down as neatly as he could, before he gently stroked the tear stained cheeks in front of him. "It's okay. Yoongi and I will make sure he won't tell anyone. You're okay, just focusing on your breathing for a bit. Okay?"

"Okay," Chan-woo looked up sadly as he slightly leant into the warm touch. "Thank you Hyung."

"What for?" the older frowned as he straightened up and walked over to his closet.

"For being there for me and helping me through that," he whispered while he pulled on his oversized, light blue hoodie.

"No need to thank me," he said as he turned around to smile sadly at Chan-woo. "I'm sorry that happened. It was the last thing you probably needed right now, hey?"

"Yeah," he sighed as he ran his hands down his chest to flatten his hoodie out.

"I'll be back in a few moments, I'm going to change in the bathroom," Hoseok said as he walked over to his door with his clothes. "I'll knock to make sure you are done changing as well. Alright?"

"Thanks Hyung," he nodded with a blush as he watched the older leave from where he sat on the bed.

The door closed and he breathed out a shaky breath. He allowed his body to relax for a moment as he gathered himself up after the emotional breakdown. He was exhausted from it all. From the crying, from the physical pain, from the emotional pain, and from the shock of his secret being revealed. Life wasn't fair. It never had been. He was growing tired from it always being against him and from never having his way.

He stood up, took off his pants he had been wearing since yesterday morning, and placed them on top of his dirty long sleeved shirt. He found the black sweatpants he had grabbed out earlier and quickly put them on in fear of anyone walking in despite Hoseok having reassured him he would knock. He sighed as he sat back down on the bed. He focused on taking a few deep breaths in and out, it was out of his control now, there was nothing he could do now. Taehyung knew. There was nothing he could do anymore except accept it and try to move on.

"Come in," he said after he heard a knock on the door.

Hoseok poked his head in cautiously before he opened the door wider and walked in. Behind him, Yoongi walked in and closed the door. The pair immediately came over and sat on either side of him. Chan-woo sheepishly looked at Yoongi. Right away he felt the tears start to well again from the shame. He gently placed his head on the oldest shoulder and sighed as he felt Hoseok rub his back a few seconds later.

"I'm sorry," Yoongi whispered into the quiet. "I didn't realise it was that bad. You didn't deserve any of it. You didn't deserve to have gone through what you did. I'm so sorry, Channie-ah."

"Don't be Yoongi Hyung," he whispered back and couldn't help but flinch as he felt a hand appear on his thigh.

"I understand why you are so jumpy," Yoongi continued whispering. "And I understand why you wear the clothes you do. And I understand why you were crying the other night. And I understand why you hate alcohol. I understand. I may not understand it all yet, but I will learn and I will help you in the future."

"You don't have to," he could feel the tears start to fall again.

"But we will," said Hoseok as he continued to rub his back gently.

"I-I don't know what to say," he whispered as he wiped his tears away.

"Because you've never really experienced anything like this before, right?" Hoseok asked.

"Only once with my old boss," he whispered. "He knew some of it, but not much. He would always try his best to help me when I was struggling, but there wasn't much he could do because I didn't want them finding out someone knew what they were doing to me."

"I'm sorry," Hoseok whispered as the pair intently listened.

"A-And the dance coach I had for the last week, I had to tell him because he saw everything as he took me to the hospital. He told me I could go to him if I need anything from now on. But it feels awkward, you know? Bang PD-nim Hyung only knows a tiny bit of my home life. I haven't found the courage to tell him everything yet. A-And then it's just you two that know. So I'm not used to being cared for and having people to rely on. I've always suffered silently. I always thought that was the way I should live my life," Chan-woo whispered out in a shaky breath, tears streamed down his face.

"Awe, my poor Channie-ah," whispered Yoongi while he rubbed his hand up and down the younger's thigh.

"Never keep anything like this to yourself again," Hoseok said as he gave the younger an awkward side hug before continuing to rub his back. "We are here for you and you can tell us anything you are comfortable with. Same with that dance coach and Bang Hyung."

"I don't deserve you guys," he whispered as more tears fell from the overwhelming emotions. "Thank you."

Before either boy could reply, there was a knock on the bedroom door. The three looked up to see Namjoon had poked his head in. The instant Chan-woo locked eyes with Namjoon, he looked down in fear. He tried to hide his face from view by wiping his tears away with his jumper sleeves. Neither Hoseok nor Yoongi moved away from him and continued comforting him with their gently touches.

"We need to leave now," Namjoon said after a few tense seconds. "Otherwise we'll be late."

"Give us two seconds and then we'll meet you at the door," Hoseok said and waited until the door had been closed once more before he let out a sigh. "Just stay by us today, okay? And try not to think about things too much."

Chan-woo nodded his head in understanding and looked up as Hoseok stood before him with his hands out. He grabbed the hands and stood up before he was pulled into a hug almost instantly. He let out a shaky sigh as he melted into the warm embrace. Hoseok pulled away and wiped the tear stains away. Two hands grabbed his shoulders and he was softly turned around to face Yoongi. A soft, sad smile graced the eldest's face before he pulled Chan-woo gently into a hug.

The moment Yoongi pulled back, he grabbed one of Chan-woo's hands and smiled at him. The action made the younger blush and look at the ground. Hoseok smiled at the pair and opened the bedroom door as he lead the way out to the living room. The second they appeared into the room, it went silent and all eyes were on the trio. Chan-woo nervously squeezed Yoongi's and kept his eyes down.

"Ready to go?" Yoongi asked the group in annoyance as he squeezed the small hand back.

"Yep," Namjoon answered quietly. He stood up and ushered everyone out of the door as all eyes were glued to the trio. "Come on, let's go."

Chan-woo quickly pulled Yoongi over to his belongings and squatted down to grab his phone and wallet. He never let go of the other's hand while he collected his belongings. He smiled at the older as he stood up and the two walked out of the door that had been held open by Hoseok. The three crammed into the elevator alongside the rest of the boys. Chan-woo kept his head down in shame the second they entered. Hoseok placed his arm around his neck and Yoongi gently rubbed his thumb along his skin which made him smile from their support.

The group silently walked out of elevator and up to the grey van that had been waiting for them. Chan-woo was dragged to the very back row and sat down in between Yoongi and Hoseok. He smiled gratefully at them as he buckled himself up. His heart pounded from nerves as the van pulled away and begun taking them towards the location. Chan-woo settled back in his seat, one hand held by each boy beside him, and his head rested comfortably on Yoongi's shoulder. He hoped the rest of the day would go by smoothly unlike the start of the morning had.

Chapter Text

Eyes wide and full of amazement, Chan-woo walked into the huge warehouse beside Yoongi and Hoseok. He looked around in wonder at the impressive space. There were hand built sets with colourful backdrops, racks of costumes, lights of all sizes, interesting looking props and people dressed in all black running around like headless chooks. He heard a small chuckle and turned his head to the right to look at Yoongi.

"Cool right?" Yoongi asked with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

"Y-Yeah," he answered as he gulped nervously and looked down at their intertwined hands.

Hoseok and Yoongi shared an amused look between each other before they guided the shy Chan-woo over to one of the rooms off to the side of the main floor in the warehouse. As they entered, Chan-woo finally looked up. He looked around quickly to find seven different small hair and makeup stations. The other five boys were already seated and had two people working on them at the same time. There were two couches at the back and a table in the corner filled with small snack foods and bottled water.

He was guided over to the couch by Yoongi while Hoseok sat in one of the two remaining chairs at the hair and makeup stations. As he took a deep breath in, he sat down on the comfortable leather couch and tried to let go of the older's hand. He looked up in confusion when Yoongi didn't let go with his head tilted in silent question. The other squatted down in front of him and rested his other hand on his knee while he smiled kindly at him.

"We will have group photos first, so you will be on your own for a little. But when we move into the smaller groups and individual photo shoots, Hoseok and I will stay with you. Okay?" he said in a calm and reassuring tone.

"I'll be fine Hyung," he whispered with a smile of his own.

"I know you will," Yoongi laughed softly. "But after this morning, I just want you to know you won't be a burden for us. Come to us if you need anything at all."

"Thank you, Yoongi Hyung," Chan-woo nodded in understanding before he pulled his hand away. "Now go get ready so you don't hold them up."

With a soft chuckle, Yoongi stood up and walked away, a smile on his face. Chan-woo's own smile stayed firm as he watched the older get fussed over by the two females in charge of his hair and makeup. His heartbeat slowly calmed down after the kindness that had been shown to him, thinking of how truly lucky he was to have Yoongi and Hoseok there for him.

He sighed in content and settled back into the couch as he looked around the room to take it all in. The room was bustling with movement as the stylists, mainly females, got the idols ready. He thought about how one day soon this would be him. He wondered what it would be like to wear makeup or have his hair done professionally. This was one of the few aspects of becoming a K-Pop idol that he had been nervous about. His father and mother had instilled a fear in him regarding males wearing makeup.

A shiver ran down his spine as his eyes glazed over. His mind far away from this place, transported back in time. Chan-woo realised he was caught up in one of his traumatic memories when he subconsciously flinched at the loud voice in his head. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out deeply to ground himself in the present. He tapped his foot on the ground and ran his hand over the smooth leather couch. He focused his ears on the surrounding sounds before slowly he opened his eyes again.

Seeing he was back in the present moment and no longer thinking back on those memories, Chan-woo smiled in relief. His smile only lasted a mere second as he realised he had unknowingly stared at one of the members while he grounded himself. Eyes locked on the glare he was currently receiving from Namjoon, he gulped and he shrunk in his spot.

Chan-woo looked down at his hands as he begun to fidget nervously. He didn't mean to anger the leader, nor stare at him, but of course he had. He immediately felt out of place as he continued to sit on the couch by himself. A few minutes had passed and he chanced a look up again. His eyes landed on Namjoon whispering to his left to Jungkook, their eyes locked once more. He gestured his head towards him and the maknae of the group turned around with his own glare on his face.

He could feel his face grow hot in embarrassment as he looked back down at his lap. His heart begun to race. Tears welled in his downcast eyes. In that moment, Chan-woo wished he wasn't so weak. He wished he was stronger. But there was nothing he could do in as he felt a tear fall down his face. He quickly wiped it away and squeezed his eyes shut as he focused on simply breathing.

Watching the group photo shoots had been an interesting experience for Chan-woo. He had stood off to the side in the shadows and keenly observed as the boys posed in different positions for the camera with different props. The main floor of the warehouse had been bustling with noise in between each shot as the staff members rushed to fix the positioning of the set or the stylists rushed in to fix the hair, makeup or costuming.

The entire time he stood there watching, he had been wrapped up in a trance at the pure talent he witnessed. Each member knew exactly how to work the camera and they listened perfectly to the director to make it even better. He was amazed at how the chemistry on set translated through to the still images and wondered if he would ever reach their level.

"Group photos are done, we will break into pairings now," the loud voice of the director boomed across the warehouse. "Namjoon and Jungkook over to the next set please."

Chan-woo smiled widely as he saw Hoseok and Yoongi break away from the group and make a beeline to him. Before he could say a word to them, Yoongi had grabbed his hand and roughly pulled him as he kept walking in the same direction. Chan-woo gasped at the sudden jolt, he stumbled slightly before he fell into step behind the older. He looked behind him to find Hoseok following them with an amused smile.

"Ah, Yoongi Hyung?" he turned back around and asked the eldest in confusion. "Where are we going?"

"Rest," Yoongi said simply as he walked over to the couch on the opposite side of the warehouse.

"You can let go, you know?" chuckled Chan-woo.

"He can't," Hoseok laughed loudly from behind them.

"I see that," Chan-woo responded in amusement as he smiled happily at the back in front of him.

Having made their way over to the pair of unoccupied couches, Yoongi turned around and sat down with a loud and heavy sigh. Chan-woo stared down at the older with amusement before his eyes flew open wide in shock. Yoongi had swiftly turned him around and pulled him down onto his lap. Before he could react, two arms held him firmly in place around his waist and a head was rested on the top of his back.

Chan-woo looked at Hoseok for help as he felt his cheeks grow red. But the other male simply laughed at the predicament the youngest had found himself in before he took a seat next to the pair. He tried to get up so he could sit next to Yoongi, but the other had a tight grip on him. He gave up with a small huff and looked at Hoseok with annoyance.

"Looks like you'll just have to give up," Hoseok chuckled as he relaxed back into couch.

As he hummed in response, Chan-woo placed his hands on the arms around his waist and rubbed the soft skin. He couldn't entirely complain about being held, it was oddly relaxing. Although his heart still raced even after he accepted his fate. In the past, he had never been in such an intimate position with anyone before, let alone in a public place. He would have rather been killed than seen like this in his past. He shuddered thinking of the type of 'punishment' he would have received for this from his parents.

"Have you ever had your makeup professional done before?" Hoseok asked while he tilted his head.

"Never," he smiled shyly as he turned his head back towards him.

"If they have time, you should get it done," Hoseok said with a big smile on his face.

"I bet you'll look even cuter with your hair and makeup done," Yoongi mused quietly, only causing Chan-woo to blush more and Hoseok to nod in agreement.

"Ah," Chan-woo patted the arms around him before he went back to rubbing them. "Thank you Hyung."

"So cute," cooed Hoseok with a giant smile on his face.

"Anyway," he said while he blushed furiously. "Do you do photoshoots often?"

"Surprisingly yes, we do," answered Hoseok. "You wouldn't imagine outside of comebacks that we do them that often. But companies want us to promote their products or clothing or other things for them quite frequently. And part of our fan service is giving our fans new content which is always well received."

"Cool," he nodded in fascination with a soft smile, his tone shifted to annoyance as he continued speaking. "And I am well aware of how it is received, my twitter always gets flooded with retweets of you all when you release new content."

"You sound a little annoyed about that," Yoongi whispered from behind him suspiciously as he lifted his head up.

"Well try living with the people that hate you more than anything in the world and then seeing them all over your social media when you are just trying to unwind from a hard day at training," he shrugged as if it was nothing and saw Hoseok cringe at the thought and felt Yoongi tighten his grip on him.

"That must have been hard," Hoseok said quietly as he looked down at his lap in shame.

"Still is," he admitted before he sighed softly and looked at him with a small smile. "But it is easier now that I have you two by my side."

"Well, soon your timeline will be blowing up with your own photoshoots," Hoseok chuckled.

"Yes, well, we will see about that," he looked down at his lap sadly.

"Why? You don't think Army will like you?" Hoseok asked, he had caught on to what the younger meant.

"Mmmm," he hummed, still avoiding eye contact. "I mean, look at the way you guys treated me after you learnt that I was joining you. Now imagine that but times the reaction by a few million."

Before either Hoseok or Yoongi could respond to that comment, their attention was drawn away to the happy looking Jimin that approached them. Upon seeing the other approach, Chan-woo looked at his lap and shifted uncomfortably. He felt Yoongi immediately tighten his hold on him which warmed his heart in the moment, but it didn't help how anxious he suddenly became.

"Chan-woo," Jimin said much to the surprise of all three men. "Can you go away. I want to make a V-Live with Hyungs."

With a nod of his head in sadness, and glad he didn't get his hopes up, Chan-woo went to stand up only to find he couldn't. He frowned as Yoongi held him firmly on his lap. He twisted his upper half, pausing momentarily from the pain in his ribs, only to see the eldest had a glare on his face that was directed towards Jimin. He sighed as he felt bad that he was at the centre of this entire situation and causing the members to turn on each other.

"It's okay Yoongi Hyung," Chan-woo whispered as he rubbed the arms gently. "I'll be in the makeup room when you are done. Say hi to Army. It's part of your fan service."

"No," said Hoseok with a hint of anger which made Jimin and Chan-woo to look at him with shock. "Go film with the others. We will join later."

"But Hoseokie Hyung," whined Jimin as he looked at him with pleading eyes. "We need you to make the V-Live brighter with your happiness."

"I said no Jimin. Now go," he said firmly while he crossed his arms across his chest.

Jimin looked between Yoongi and Hoseok with a shocked expression, not truly believing he was really being turned away for the free loader. He stared at Chan-woo as he felt his anger building. With a huff, he turned on his heels and walked away to sit next to Jin and Taehyung on the other side of the building. He couldn't wrap his head around why Hoseok and Yoongi were spending time with the leech, nor why they seemed to be friendly with him.

A heavy sigh left Chan-woo's lips as he watched Jimin continue to glare at him from across the room. He looked down at his lap in shame as he hated the fact he had been the cause of this entire mess. If he wasn't here, Hoseok would have agreed to do the V-Live, meaning he wouldn't have been angry at Jimin. Why did he have to be here to cause this? Why did he get put in this position? He wondered if Hoseok and Yoongi had never learnt about his background, would they be sitting with him right now?

"Hey, Channie-ah," Hoseok said as he reached over and placed a hand on the youngest's shoulder. "Don't go blaming yourself for anything. You here me?"

"Yes Hyung," he whispered, not looking up, afraid to be caught lying.

"Jung Hoseok over here please!" the director's loud voice yelled.

"I'll be back later," he said as he ruffled the soft hair, stood up and walked away.

"Time to rest finally," Yoongi whispered instantly.

As Yoongi leant back on the couch, he pulled Chan-woo's upper half back with him as one of his arm's moved a little higher to rest around his stomach. The younger let out a tiny gasp of surprise as he was forced to lean back. His heart accelerated as he felt Yoongi rest his chin on his left shoulder and the breath that left his nostrils brush against his neck. Chan-woo's entire body felt tense as they silently sat still together.

His heart raced as he slowly moved each of his hands over to Yoongi's He hesitated before he intertwined them. Yoongi chuckled as he adjusted his grip to hold onto his hands properly. The sound that was so close to his ears sent shivers down his spine. He felt like he could finally relax a little as the older held him tighter against him. A small sigh left Chan-woo's lips as he tilted his head to the left and rested it gently on Yoongi's head, secretly loving being held like this.

Time went by slowly as he continued to watch the photo shoot from a distance. It was rather intriguing to watch how it all worked. Neither him nor Yoongi spoke a single word. Chan-woo eventually had to wonder if the other was still awake as his breathing had evened out long ago and his grip around him became looser. Carefully and slowly, he pulled his head away. He then turned his head to look at Yoongi only to find his mouth slightly open and a peaceful expression on his face.

A small smile settled upon Chan-woo's face as he repositioned himself back into the previous comfortable position. His mind became preoccupied with the image he had just witnessed as he relaxed once more. It blew his mind how someone could fall asleep so quickly and surrounded by such a noisy environment. But he did remember the older hadn't slept much overnight since he had been working on a song. So he could understand considering he had fallen asleep on the floor of the noisy living room many times since he had arrived.

Chan-woo had his phone in his lap as he sat cross-legged on the couch by himself. He had been keeping himself preoccupied by scrolling through his twitter timeline absentmindedly. A while ago, Yoongi had been called to do his solo shoot. He had seen Hoseok disappear into the makeup room with a change of clothes in his hands, but the other still hadn't come out. He didn't mind being by himself, he knew it was eventually going to happen again.

Suddenly someone sat down next to him on his left. As he locked his phone and looked up, he saw a nervous Taehyung beside him. Chan-woo gulped as he straightened up, heart immediately accelerated as he has an idea why the other was there. He looked down at his hands that were fidgeting with his phone as he waited. The silence stretched on as neither boy said a word to each other.

"I just wanted to apologise for what happened this morning," whispered Taehyung after an uncomfortable minute of silence. "And to tell you that I won't tell anyone else. I'd rather not get yelled at again by Yoongi Hyung."

"It's okay," Chan-woo whispered back and looked over to see the other boy with a sad expression.

"Uh, I wanted to ask how you got that really giant bruise," he said quietly as he looked Chan-woo up and down. "Only if you are comfortable sharing though."

"My father," he responded in a whisper, gulped and looked down at his lap once more.

Chan-woo could feel the tears start to form as he heard the older quietly gasp in shock. The air between the pair grew heavy in tension. He was sure that his heartbeat was audible as the silence continued on. Fingers tapped his phone as he tried to focus on anything but the memories of his father. He didn't particularly feel like reliving it in the presence of Taehyung.

"And the other scars and bruises?" asked Taehyung quietly with sadness in his voice.

"N-Not comfortable telling you," said Chan-woo as he shook his head and clenched his eyes closed tightly.

A wave of nausea overcame him the longer he sat next to Taehyung in the tense silence. He tried so hard to fight away the memories that wanted to resurface as well as the strong emotions and anxieties that were flowing throughout his body. Chan-woo took a shaky breath in and held it for four seconds before he released it slowly. A hand was tentatively placed upon his knee which caused him to flinch and look over at Taehyung with tear filled eyes.

"You okay?" he asked with a frown.

"N-No," he replied with a grimace.

"Can I do something to help?" asked Taehyung with concern.

"Tell Hoseok or Yoongi I'll be outside for a little. I need some fresh air," he said as he stood up with shaky legs.

"Of course," he replied quietly, also standing up. "I'm really sorry."

Chan-woo nodded his head as he looked into his eyes that held a mixture of sadness and concern. He watched as Taehyung left without another word, glad to have some distance finally from the overwhelming situation. He checked he had his phone on him before he walked over to the entrance of the warehouse. The further away he was from Taehyung, the easier it became to breathe and calm himself down.

As he closed the door behind him, Chan-woo squinted while his eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight that beamed down upon him. He walked to his left and leant against the outside of the building. He took a calming breath in and out, closed his eyes and grounded himself in the present. He felt the heat from the sun on his skin, the sounds of the cars that passed by, the soothing scent from the park across the road. Satisfied he was no longer plagued by the panic attack, he unlocked his phone and opened his texts.

Chan-woo:
Hey Daniel Hyung! Have you got a spare minute to talk? I haven't had a good morning so far.

Chan-woo locked his phone knowing he wouldn't get an immediate response. He looked around as he felt his body gradually relax after being tense for so long. His shoulders loosened up, his chest felt lighter, and a small smile graced his face. He felt his phone vibrate as he received a message. He looked down at the screen to find a response from Daniel.

Danny:
Channie-ah! I'm sorry, I've got a busy schedule at work. I can call you once I finish this afternoon though?

His heart dropped as he read the message. He did feel slightly disappointed he couldn't speak with Daniel until later. Nonetheless, his smile didn't waver as he reminded himself that at least the other still offered to be there for him when he had the time. It was more than he had had in the past.

Chan-woo:
Of course. Thank you :)

After he put his phone in his pocket, Chan-woo took one more minute just to bathe in the calmness he felt outside. He knew that the moment he walked back inside that his mind and body would start to be consumed by anxiety. Let alone if one of the other boys set him off again. He was rather surprised how calmed and relaxed he was not being in the vicinity of the boys. It told him just how much stress he was under being surrounded by people that hated him.

Chan-woo pushed himself off of the wall and walked back inside the warehouse. The moment the door had closed behind him, he made eye contact with Jimin and Jungkook who were both sitting on the couch he had occupied early. The pair glared at him before they whispered to each other without taking their eyes off him.

With a nervous gulp, he looked around the rest of the space to find that Hoseok, Yoongi and Namjoon were currently doing a rapline photo shoot. He sighed as he realised he'd still be on his own for a while until one or both of them were done. From where he stood, Chan-woo could see Jin in the makeup room getting some touch ups. But he didn't know where Taehyung had gone since he had left.

He tried to ignore the stares and whispers from the pair on the couch as he walked into the makeup room nervously. Chan-woo didn't dare look in Jin's direction as he passed him and went over to the small table. He grabbed himself a bottle of water before he sat down on one of the couches. His stomach growled in defiance but he refused to eat any of the food. He didn't want any of the hardworking boys to miss out on eating because he felt selfish.

Chan-woo took his phone out of his pocket and tried to distract himself as he waited for Hoseok and Yoongi. He sipped on the water he had grabbed while scrolling through his Instagram feed. His attention often drawn to the different Korean Idols he followed. Part of him wondered what his experience would have been like if he had been placed in a different group. Would everyone still have hated him? Or would he have been accepted? Was it him? Or the boys?

Chan-woo shook his head slightly as he realised he had zoned out, consumed by those vicious thoughts that circled round and round again in a constant cycle. He couldn't think like that; thinking of the 'what if's'. He was here now and there was nothing he could do about his current situation except for waiting it out. Perhaps one day he won't live in such an unstable environment. Perhaps one day he'll be loved by the group and the fanbase. Perhaps.

The soothing rocking of the car almost sent Chan-woo to sleep as he sat in between Yoongi and Hoseok in the back row. He held both of their hands tightly and rested his head upon Hoseok's shoulder. It had been a rather exhausting day for him emotionally and mentally, even though he hadn't participated in the photo shoot. His thoughts had drained him the more he saw glares from the four boys that still hated and the pitiful looks from Taehyung.

Luckily he had the two currently beside him to distract him for most of the afternoon. Chan-woo smiled as he thought back on the time he had spent with them, well, mostly Hoseok since Yoongi had rested in between his shoots. But even having the older beside him as he rested was more than enough to distract him from his poisonous thoughts.

Chan-woo jumped slightly as his phone vibrated in his pocket, Hoseok looked at him in concern as he didn't know why the younger had jumped. With a sheepish smile on his face, he managed to wiggle his right hand free from Yoongi's grasp and pull out his phone. A huge smile grew on his face as he saw Daniel was calling him. He quickly answered the call and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Hyung," he said as he rested his head back on Hoseok's shoulder.

"Channie-ah! I'm sorry I couldn't call any earlier. What happened? Are you okay? You aren't sick again?" the concerned voice begun asking him immediately.

"No Hyung," he chuckled, grateful for the concern. "I am fine. Well, as fine as I can be after what happened."

"What happened?" Daniel asked in confusion.

"It's kind of hard to tell you right now. We are all in the van heading home from a photo shoot," he said, trying to be quiet when he saw Taehyung turn around in his seat and throw him a sad look.

"Ah, you can't say with them all around, right?" he asked in understanding.

"Exactly," Chan-woo breathed out a big sigh.

"But you are okay?" asked Daniel.

"Not really. I mean right now, yes. But it hasn't been an easy day," he sighed quietly before he felt Yoongi shift in his seat and his hand rest on his thigh.

"I want to hear about what happened," he said before he paused for a few seconds. "Do you have any plans for dinner?"

"Uh, I was just going to cook some steak for myself. Why's that?" asked Chan-woo in confusion, his heart accelerated.

"How about I bring around some steak and vegetables from my favourite shop for us to share," Daniel suggested which caused Chan-woo's mind to go blank completely at the kind gesture.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to!" he sat up a little straighter in his seat and looked at his lap as he felt his cheeks burn.

"It's fine, Channie-ah! No need to worry about cooking yourself dinner tonight. You just need to relax and then you can tell me all about your day. The shop is on the way from work to your place anyway, so it's not like I'm going out of my way," said Daniel with a small chuckle. "I'll be there around 6:30pm, okay?"

"O-Okay," he whispered.

"Alright, take care until I see you. Bye Channie-ah!" happily said Daniel before the phone hung up without him even getting the chance to reply.

A sigh left his lips as he put his phone away in his pocket. He couldn't believe Daniel was really going to get him dinner and bring it over. It all felt like too much for simply having a bad day. He wondered if he was even allowed someone over, his heart raced as he became nervous. He didn't want to anger the boys anymore than he had today.

"Who was that?" tiredly asked Yoongi while he moved to grab the now free hand.

"Oh, that was Daniel Hyung," he whispered, head still hung low, cheeks hot with an angry blush. "He is going to bring some dinner around for him and I to share."

As Chan-woo had his head faced down, he missed the look that Hoseok and Yoongi shared between one another. Hoseok smiled as he tried to look at the younger's face. He let go of Chan-woo's hand and slipped his hand under his chin, before he forced him to look at him. Hoseok's smile only grew wider as he saw the evident blush on the younger's cheeks.

"Why are you blushing, Channie-ah?" asked Hoseok before he softly laughed.

Chan-woo turned his head away and looked down at his lap once more. He frowned as he felt Yoongi slowly take his hand out of their hold and lean away. He didn't want to look over at Yoongi in case there was disgust or any angry emotions showing on his face. His heart dropped from the sudden distance between them, wondering why it always had to be him being hurt in the end.

"Don't I always blush, Hoseok Hyung?" he tried to ask in a whisper, afraid that if any emotions entered his voice he would be exposed.

"Does someone have a crush?" teased Hoseok quietly while he reached forward and pinched Chan-woo's cheek.

"I do not have a crush!" he said a little too loudly as he fearfully looked up at Hoseok. He completely missed the annoyed looks thrown back at him from the other members in the car as he panicked. "I do not! Hyung he is a boy!  I don't have crushes on boys! That... That is just wrong!"

Hoseok and Yoongi looked at each other as they observed the strong reaction. They both sighed as they knew exactly why he had reacted that way. His parents had probably instilled in him that liking the same sex was wrong. Hoseok pulled him into an awkward hug thanks to their positioning in the car and begun to soothe him by rubbing his arms and back. Yoongi tentatively reached forward and softly caressed his thigh in an up and down motion.

"It's okay, shhhh," whispered Hoseok while simultaneously glaring at the others to turn around and mind their own business. "Channie-ah, it's okay if you do. There is nothing wrong with liking the same gender."

"B-But they have always told me otherwise," he whispered as he buried his head into Hoseok's chest.

"You'll be safe here if you do, Channie-ah," Yoongi said quietly. "They can't hurt you anymore for that. And you wouldn't be the only one if you do, okay? It's alright. Everything is okay."

His body became tense as he realised what Yoongi had said. He wouldn't be the only one? Meaning there was another member that liked the same gender in the band? He took a deep breath in as he calmed himself down. He took comfort knowing he wouldn't be physically hurt if they found out he truly did like the same gender. He slowly sat up straight, Hoseok grabbed his hand for comfort while Yoongi continued to gently rub his thigh.

Never before had he met someone else that was gay, well at least openly gay. He had probably passed by someone that was in university, at work or in high school. But never had he knowingly interacted with another gay man. Chan-woo slowly looked around the van as the three settled back into their seats now he had calmed down. He wondered who, out of the seven, was the gay boy Yoongi had mentioned. He had no clue, because he had never been allowed to express himself, so he didn't know what to look out for.

There was a loud knock at the door which instantly drew everyone's attention to it. Chan-woo smiled and stood up. His heart beating loudly in his ears the closer he got. He swung the door open to reveal Daniel standing there with a bag full of food. The instant their eyes locked onto each other, their smiles grew wider and Chan-woo blush returned to his cheeks.

"Come in, Hyung," he bowed as he stepped aside, arm out to the side in invitation.

"Thank you, Channie-ah," said Daniel as he stepped inside and looked around the room. He bowed as he saw all of the seven sets of eyes on him. "Good evening. I won't be staying long, sorry to impose on you all."

"It's okay," spoke up Hoseok, the only one that looked even remotely happy to have his presence there.

"Come this way," Chan-woo said as he walked into the kitchen.

He reached up on his tippy toes, opened the overhead cupboard and barely managed to grab two of his plates from the top shelf. He also pulled down two sets of brand new knives and forks. He turned around and placed them on the counter top before he turned back and closed the cupboard. The sound of talking and noise from the TV floated between the silent pair as Daniel started to unpack the plastic bag he had carried in and dish the food onto each plate.

"Thank you for this, it was a nice surprise," Chan-woo smiled as he watched the older.

"Of course, it was the least I could do," he said with a smile on his face, his eyes never left the task at hand. "Ready to tell me what happened yet?"

"Y-Yeah," he whispered as he looked over to the group on the couch and made sure no one was paying attention to them.

"Something happened with one of them?" Daniel asked, also looking over at the group.

"Yes," he nodded with a sigh. "I was changing in the bathroom and I had forgotten to lock the door. One of them came in and saw all of my bruises and cuts on my upper half."

"Had you told this person anything from your past yet?" he asked quietly with concern as he packed the now empty containers away.

"Not this person, no," he looked down at his hands. "I've only told two of them what has happened to me. But not like the full extent of it. Just little bits."

"So what happened when this person saw you?" Daniel asked as he reached out and grabbed his hands in support.

"Well, he yelled in shock which caused the two people that knew to come over to the bathroom. Those two looked at me in shock, they hadn't seen anything other than the bruise on my neck. Anyway, they came in and hugged me while I cried," his face grew red in embarrassment while he still looked down at his and Daniel's hands in shame.

"Did that other guy tell anyone else?" he asked after Chan-woo grew silent.

"No, I don't think so," he said with a nervous gulp. "One of the guys that knew kind of yelled  and threatened him before he assured me he wouldn't tell anyone."

"Good because that is your story to tell, not theirs," he said with a hint of anger.

"Yeah," he sighed and finally looked back up at Daniel with a small smile. "The one that had walked in on me came up to me later during the day, just before I texted you actually, and he apologised. I told him the big bruise was from my father and ever since then he has been looking at me with pity. I hate it, Danny Hyung."

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he walked around the corner of the bench top and gently engulfed him in a hug. "You didn't deserve your story to be revealed like that. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you earlier in the day."

"Don't be sorry," Chan-woo whispered. He breathed in the beautiful scent of some type of cologne while he wrapped his arms around the older's firm torso. His head rested on the firm chest in front of him, glad the other couldn't hear or feel his current heart rate. "It's okay."

"I feel honoured you reached out to me to talk about all of this," whispered Daniel as he rested his chin upon Chan-woo's head. "I'm glad I could be there for you."

"I'm glad too," he chuckled and relaxed into the embrace.

"Shall we eat?" he asked before he slowly pulled away, hands held onto the younger's arms as he observed the shy and flushed face.

Chan-woo nodded as they each grabbed their own plate and cutlery. As he turned around to walk over to the kitchen table, he saw both Yoongi and Hoseok staring at Daniel, both with a slight glint of anger in their eyes. He quickly looked away as he made his way over to the table, afraid for them to know he had seen the looks they had given Daniel.

For the first time in a while, Chan-woo sat down and enjoyed talking with Daniel about anything and everything while they ate their dinner. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a while, being so carefree about the topics and not being afraid to show his emotions. The entire time he was with Daniel, he had forgotten about his troubles and worries, even though many of them were sitting a few metres away.

The pair had accidentally lost track of time as they continued talking well after finishing their dinner. By the time Daniel realised how late it had gotten, all of the other boys had gone off to their rooms for the night. Chan-woo walked the older to the door and bid him a goodnight with a hug. His heart pounded loudly as they separated and Daniel disappeared down the hallway. Once the front door had closed before him, the unusual silence of the living room drew his attention.

He frowned to himself as he grabbed his phone out, wondering what time it was. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he saw it was almost 8:30pm. They had been talking at the table for over two hours. Although what surprised him the most was how not a single person was left in the living room. Normally a few, if not all of them, were still unwinding on the couches at this time of night for another hour at least.

Shrugging the unusual behaviour off, Chan-woo walked over to his duffle bag and grabbed out a set of clean clothes to change into for the night. As he sorted through the clothes, he noticed a strong odour wafting from his underarms. He realised then and there he hadn't showered earlier that morning because Taehyung had walked in on him before he could. He sighed as he set aside his towel and toiletries before he continued to find some comfortable clothes.

As Chan-woo walked over to the bathroom with his arms full, he realised that each room had lights on and noise emitted from each one of them. He frowned again as he stood in the hallway. Had they all gone to their rooms early because of him? Had they been annoyed at him for having company over? Hoseok and Yoongi had warned them before they had gotten home, and no one had said anything. But it was very unusual for not a single one of them to be out in the lounge room right now.

He shook his head free from overthinking things as he knocked on the bathroom door and paused as he waited. No sounds came from within. Chan-woo walked in, closed the door behind him and he made sure he double checked he had locked the door this time. After he had turned the shower taps on and waited for it to warm up, he looked in the mirror and noticed the dark bags that were still forming under his eyes. He sighed at the sad man that stared back at him before he went about getting ready for bed.

Chapter Text

The first thing Chan-woo noticed as he begun to slowly stir from his sleep was how strangely refreshed his body felt. He frowned as he remembered the late night he had had with Daniel and wondered how it was even possible to feel so refreshed. A yawn overtook him before he turned onto his side and brought the blanket that had slid down back over him. The living room in which he lay was mostly quiet, he could sense at least one person was in the room with him from the soft noises that floated to him from the kitchen or kitchen table.

Part of him wondered why he hadn't been woken up yet, unless of course it was still early in the morning. His body felt cold which caused shivers to run up and down his spine, goosebumps formed on his skin. Chan-woo yawned once more and turned back on to his back, feeling restless the longer he lay still. Slowly he opened his eyes and allowed his sight to adjust to the bright light that poured in through the windows.

Chan-woo stretched his arms above his head and hyper-tensed his legs as his body tried to wake itself up from the quality sleep he had had. Yet another yawn came over him while he slowly lifted himself up into a seated position. He rubbed his eyes free from sleep before he looked around the quiet room. Sat at the table was an exhausted looking Min Yoongi slowly eating a bowl of food and beside him was the one and only Jeon Jungkook who was busy on his phone.

"Morning Yoongi Hyung," quietly said Chan-woo as he stood up from the couch. "Do you know what we have planned for today?"

"Day off," the eldest in the room replied with no emotion, eyes never left the bowl before him.

Head tilted in confusion, he frowned at Yoongi after the response he had received. It felt like there was something off about him this morning. Perhaps he had spent the night working on some songs again. Or maybe he didn't sleep well. Or, and he hated to think it, maybe the older was slowly reverting back to his cold self that he first treated him with. Chan-woo scratched the back of his neck nervously before he walked away to grab his phone.

He of course didn't want to think like that, but he had been so used to being let down by others that he didn't want to get his hopes up anymore. Chan-woo could simply be overthinking things or he could be spot on. He tried to chase the intrusive thoughts away by rationalising the older was merely tired as he picked his phone up from its wall charger and walked back over to the couch.

As he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and got comfortable seated cross-legged on the couch, Chan-woo's eyes caught sight of a text he had received. A smile spread across his face as he unlocked his phone and opened the text sent from Daniel only an hour ago. His heart boomed loudly in his ear and his face grew hot as he read and reread the sweet message from the other.

Danny:
Good morning Channie-ah! I hope you have a better day today. Remember I am one text or call away if anything happens again. And I hope you managed to sleep well after the big day you had yesterday. Talk to you soon! :)

Chan-woo didn't realise how big his smile had grown as he thought of a reply he could send. It warmed his heart how caring the older was towards him. He was the first real person he felt he could truly tell everything and let him know his struggles. He didn't even have that type of relationship with his old boss from his hometown. There was just something different he felt whenever he was with or interacting with Daniel.

Chan-woo:
Thank you so much, Danny Hyung! I just woke up, had a sleep in. I found out we have the day off so I plan on resting as much as I can today. Thank you so much again for last night. Have a good day at work today :)

Just as he placed his phone down in his lap with a massive smile still on his face, Chan-woo noticed someone walking passed him. He looked up to see Hoseok go passed with a head full of messy bed hair. He frowned as the other neither looked his way nor spoke to him. What was up with Yoongi and Hoseok today? Something was definitely different with the two of them, and he didn't think it was just tiredness.

"Good morning Hoseok Hyung," he said quietly, smile gone and his heart raced for an entirely different reason.

He watched as Hoseok turned around in the kitchen to face him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before the older nodded his head and returned to what he was previously doing. With his back now turned towards Chan-woo, the younger allowed his frown to only deepen as his concerns grew. His eyes travelled to the table where Yoongi was still looking anywhere but him and the maknae of the group was glaring daggers at him.

Averting his gaze to his phone, Chan-woo allowed a small sigh to pass his lips. He couldn't think of anything that would have caused the two to suddenly be distant and almost cold towards him. Nothing in the past day came to mind as he thought harder, neither anything in the last few days. He nervously tapped his index finger along the side of his phone as his eyes glazed over and his mind became entrapped in vicious, untrue accusations.

Surely he had done something, maybe even something small, to cause this. Had he said something wrong? Had he perhaps looked at one of them in a wrong way? Had he just been too much of a burden and they came to realise that overnight? His heart dropped as he thought how this was always the way things seemed to turn out for him. He knew he couldn't rely on anyone. He knew he shouldn't have shared his pathetic life with anyone. There's no undoing that now though.

A person suddenly walked in to Chan-woo's line of vision which caused him to shake the thoughts away and look up at the person. Like all of the others in the room, Namjoon didn't pay him any attention as he made his way into the kitchen. Feeling self-conscious and insignificant all of a sudden, he tightened the blanket around his shoulders which hid his neck and jumper from view.

"Good morning Hyungs, morning Kookie," smiled Namjoon as he sat at the table with what looked and smelt like toast.

"Morning Joonie Hyung!" Jungkook smiled brightly at the leader.

"Good morning," nodded Hoseok with a smile before he continued eating.

"Morning," mumbled Yoongi as he looked the other up and down with a frown. "What has you in such a good mood?"

"PD-nim Hyung texted me to say we are seeing the new house this afternoon," the leader smiled happily and laughed at the reactions from the other three. "We get to go around and see if it is a place we'd like to move to or not."

"I'm sure any place would be better than here," scoffed Yoongi, the tiniest smile reached the corner of his lips.

Chan-woo's heart dropped as he watched and listened to the interaction. Seeing the two engage with Namjoon crushed him. He came to the realisation he had in fact done something to upset or anger them. He frowned as he watched Hoseok's aura brighten up and Yoongi make eye contact with the other three at the table. But none of them looked his way, none of them made an effort to include him, none of them acknowledged his presence.

"What time will we need to be there by?" Hoseok asked with a smile on his face.

"It is at 2pm," the other answered.

"Great, more time to relax," hummed Yoongi as he stood up and cleaned up after himself.

In his lap, Chan-woo had started to nervously tap his phone once more. He chewed on his bottom lip as his mind was consumed with anxiety. He tuned the conversations out while he processed the information of the days plans as well as the shift in attitude Hoseok and Yoongi had had when not interacting with him. There was no way in his mind that he could stay there for almost six hours under that environment.

Shrugging the blanket off of himself, Chan-woo stood up and pocketed his phone before he stretched his back. He leant down and folded the blanket up neatly. He grabbed the pillow and took it over to his duffle bag to store for the day. As he squatted down overlooking his clothing options for the day, he couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do to kill time. Maybe he would explore the surrounding streets or find a coffee shop to call his second home.

He stood up and walked away to the bathroom with arms full of clean clothes and his toiletries bag. Chan-woo made sure the door was locked before he undressed himself and put on the new outfit. He had chosen black skinny jeans, a tight fitting black shirt that had some bad-ass looking characters from a show he had never watched on it, and his only black winter coat since he could feel how cold it was that morning.

Chan-woo looked over the top half of himself in the mirror and smiled slightly. For a rare change, he thought he looked rather cute in the outfit he had chosen, if he could say so himself. He brushed his hair to the side with his hairbrush, before quickly brushing his teeth so he could get going. As he wiped his mouth dry from the water, he noticed his bruise on his neck wasn't as visible as it had been the day before. It was still there evidently, but you had to look closer to notice it.

Gathering all of the items, he walked out of the bathroom and over to his duffle bag. He placed the folded clothes under the bag like he always did and the toiletry bag back in its spot. Chan-woo adjusted his position so he was sat on the ground as he grabbed a pair of socks and put them on. He then grabbed his shoes, slipped them on with ease, before he dragged his backpack over to himself. He double checked he had his headphones and wallet  in it before he stood up and put it on his back.

He tapped his fingers against his thigh as he thought about how he could find out the address. He didn't, more like couldn't, ask Bang PD-nim because that would raise suspicion. And none of the other boys had his phone number and he didn't have theirs. He lent done, opened up one of the plastic bags and pulled out his notepad and pen. He tore off a page and scribbled his number down on it.

Chan-woo put his notepad and pen away before he stood up and turned around. He looked over at the table where the four boys still were. He folded the paper in half and unconsciously tapped it against his hands as he decided who to give it to. After he took a deep breath in, he forced himself to walk over to the table and stood next to the end where Yoongi and Namjoon were. He slid the paper over to Yoongi and fidgeted with his hands as he waited for the eldest's attention.

"What's that?" Hoseok asked, seeing as Yoongi chose to stay quiet and not look up at Chan-woo.

"My number," he said quietly as he looked at Hoseok, before he looked down at Yoongi. "Can one of you two please text me the address for the house. I'm going out until we need to meet there."

"Sure," answered Hoseok with a small nod and a strained smile on his face.

"Thanks," he said before he turned around and walked out of the apartment.

His heartbeat thudded loudly in his chest as he closed the door behind him and walked over to the elevator. A frown formed on his face while he fished his headphones out from backpack. Chan-woo replayed the scene in his head over and over as he stepped into the elevator and descended down to the ground floor. His heart sunk every time Yoongi refused to look at or acknowledge him. His frown deepened every time Hoseok gave him that strained smile.

Chan-woo didn't care for how Namjoon or Jungkook had looked at him. He didn't have any kind of relationship with them, unlike the other two. It broke his heart how cold they had acted towards him all morning. He had seen them acting completely fine towards the leader and the maknae. Clearly something had happened, something had shifted, and he was back to square one of everyone hating him.

The fresh air hit his face as he walked out into the street. The cold brisk wind blew his hair around which made him smile as he knew he would have to smooth it out later. Chan-woo looked down each side of the street before he decided to head in the opposite direction from the company. He had never really explored or seen the surrounding area expect for his walk on the way to the BigHit Entertainment building.

He turned the music up loudly as he leisurely strolled down the pathway, eyes scanned the nearby shops. A smile spread upon his face as his stomach protested in an angry rumble, his body's way of telling him he was yet to eat breakfast. He pulled out his phone and logged into his banking app as he continued to walk. His eyebrows rose as he saw his pay had finally landed in his account overnight. It was way more than he had expected to have.

As Chan-woo looked up, his eyes happened to land upon a busy café across the street. He decided he would treat himself to some breakfast and a beverage to celebrate officially finishing his training and getting his first pay. Carefully, he crossed the busy street full of cars, before he walked up to the big establishment and joined the line. His eyes were lit with wonder as he scanned over all the options, never seeing such a thing back in his small hometown.

His heart begun to race in his chest as he got closer to the counter, still in two minds on what to get. Chan-woo wanted to try their hot chocolate to see if it was any good, but he was torn on whether to accompany that with a ham and cheese croissant or a toasted chicken, cheese and mayo sandwich. The line grew shorter with each second that passed, so he decided to take his headphones off by hanging them around his neck.

"How can I help you?" the lady behind the counter asked him as he stepped forward.

"May I have a larger hot chocolate and a, uh, a toasted chicken, cheese and mayo sandwich please," Chan-woo asked quietly, eyes darted between the menu on the boards and the lady that served him.

"Will that be takeaway or dine in?" she asked as she put the order through the computer screen.

"Ah," he said as he looked around the store. There were a few empty spots he could sit in, perhaps even work on some of his songs while he tried to kill time. "Dine in please."

"Alright, the total for a large hot chocolate and the toasted sandwich is $10.40," she smiled at him.

"Just on card," he said while he grabbed his wallet out of his backpack.

"Your order number is here at the top, just listen out for it. It shouldn't be too long," she passed him the receipt after the eftpos transaction had gone through successfully.

"Thank you," said Chan-woo as he bowed and walked away to a free booth.

Chan-woo took off his backpack before he slid into the booth with a small sigh. He didn't waste anytime as he took out his laptop and charger and set the two up closest to the window away from the edge of the table. He laid out the receipt beside the laptop and found the number at the top. He looked around the café to see most people were engrossed on their own devices, knowing he would soon join them.

In his pocket, he felt his phone vibrate. With a frown on his face, he pulled it out and turned on the lockscreen. Chan-woo saw he had a text from an unsaved number. He unlocked the phone and opened up the message, his frown only deepened as he read it.

Unsaved Number:
42 Wallaby Way. 2pm.

From what he knew of the group, the text sounded more like Yoongi than Hoseok. He knew that Yoongi was very short in his responses and rarely texted, so it made sense to Chan-woo that this was him. But he wondered to himself if there was a possibility it was Hoseok. After all, he was the only one that interacted with him that morning. He hummed to himself quietly as he started to type his reply.

Chan-woo:
Thank you so much! Is this Yoongi Hyung or Hoseok Hyung?

"55! Order 55!" a loud male voice drew his attention as he locked his phone and sighed.

Chan-woo snapped his head over to the counter to see a large drink and a plate with a steaming hot sandwich upon it. He grabbed his receipt before he walked up to the male server. He showed the number upon his receipt to which the other nodded, smiled and turned around without a word.

Chan-woo took his plate and drink back to his table, a smile graced his face as he smelt the sweet scent that floated up from his hot chocolate. His phone once again vibrated, another message had come through. He unlocked his phone and looked at the new text he had received, his heart raced as he read it.

Unsaved Number:
Hoseok.

Hoseok... Hoseok had sent him the text. Chan-woo's heart broke from the cold and distant response. Although it aligned with what he had received early that morning, it still hurt. It still hurt that what he once had with Yoongi and Hoseok had for whatever reason been ruined. He wondered as he locked his phone whether he could restore what they previously had or if it would never be the same.

Deciding to push away any more thoughts on the matter, Chan-woo picked up his cup of hot chocolate and blew on the steaming liquid. He would have all the time to think on the matter later. For now, he wanted to enjoy his first breakfast he brought with his pay and work hard on some songs. He took his first sip of the hot drink, eyes lit up as the delicious taste swirled around his taste buds.

Chan-woo placed his amazing hot chocolate down to allow it to cool some more and picked up his toasted sandwich, his mouth watered at the smell that floated into his nostrils. He took a bite and almost moaned out loud as the delightful taste exploded in his mouth. This chicken, cheese and mayo sandwich was perhaps one of the best he had ever had.

As he took another quick bite before he put it down, he knew he would definitely be back to this café as it was now his favourite local venue. Chan-woo put his headphones back over his ears and played some music from his phone. He felt more relaxed as he started up and logged onto his laptop. The more he focused on his food and work, the less he thought about the current situation that had been unfolding with his two Hyungs. He had all the time in the world to think about it later after all.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo was currently sat in the back of a taxi. His eyes blankly observed the objects that passed by. He was too caught up in his mind to pay much attention to where he was being driven. Anxious thoughts cornered him at every turn. His hands absentmindedly played - a new habit he seemed to have picked up lately - with the straps of his backpack as he thought back on recent events.

The whole day he had been thinking about the same thing. And it was starting to tire him mentally as he circled back to the same topic over and over and over again. He was, of course, focused on the puzzle that was Hoseok and Yoongi. Trying to make sense of the sudden change in treatment had proved to be more difficult than he wanted it to be.

The taxi begun to slow as it turned off the main road and on to a long drive way. Chan-woo was brought out of his own world after he noticed the car decelerate. He saw well kept green lawns on either side of the driveway as well as a visitor's car park up ahead. They slowly approached a set of high, thick, black gates and a building that separated the entrance from the exit. A man stationed within the building came out and walked up to the car. Chan-woo rolled down his window so he could talk to him.

"How can I help you?" the security guard asked as he peered down into the car.

"Hi. Uh, I am meeting with a real estate agent at 2pm at 42 Wallaby Way," Chan-woo said with a shy smile as he recited the address Hoseok had texted him earlier.

"I was told there were meant to be more people," the security guard tilted his head in suspicion.

"There are," he gulped and smiled. "I was out for the day, so we came here in separate transport. They shouldn't be too far behind."

"Alright, no worries. The exit gate is automatic," the guy flashed a kind smile at him and the driver before he walked back to his building and pressed a button to open the gate.

Both the taxi driver and Chan-woo nodded in thanks to the man as they drove passed. Chan-woo rolled his window up as he adjusted in his seat. His eyes wandered the area. To say he was amazed at the area was an understatement. Large houses sat on big blocks of land, segregated from each other for optimal privacy. Trees of all type lined the outside of each property's tall fences to maximise even more privacy for the occupants. The land and the houses were clearly well maintained as they continued to slowly drive in silence.

The taxi pulled into a smooth concrete driveway and headed towards the house labelled as number 42. The house was mostly hidden from view by the mix of concrete and wooden fence. Thick, white concrete, about two metres tall, lined the entire boundary with pillars rising even taller every few metres apart. In between each concrete pillar were horizontal panels of thick, slick black wood. The entire design obviously had one goal in mind, which was to be too hard to scale. Chan-woo was already impressed with how fancy the property seemed to be just by the fencing alone.

As they drove in passed the open metal gate, Chan-woo eyes lit up with amazement and his mouth hung open slightly from the breathtaking sight before him. The driveway split off in two directions that both curved around a small fountain feature to meet back up together at the entrance of the house. In the driveway already was a fancy white car with a man in a suit leant against it. Chan-woo assumed he would be the real estate agent.

He leant forward to look up at the house through the opposite window as the taxi driver slowly pulled around the left curve to park behind the other car. Chan-woo's mouth only dropped open further as he took in the large, two storey house with a white and black design theme. Large windows with black framing contrasted the smooth, white exterior as well as the slick, black, double wooden front door.

"Here we are, sir," the taxi driver turned in his seat as the younger hadn't moved since he had pulled up.

"Thank you," Chan-woo said as he opened the door and got out.

After he closed the door behind him, Chan-woo opened his backpack and grabbed out his wallet. He pulled out some of his remaining cash and handed it to the driver. He bowed after he had received his change before he stepped away from the vehicle. After the taxi had driven away, he walked towards the real estate agent, eyes still wandered the exterior of the property in wonder as he made his way over.

"Hello there!" the real estate agent said as he straightened up and adjusted his suit. "I'm Park Jae."

"Hi Jae, I'm Jung Chan-woo. Nice to meet you," he said as he held out his hand.

"And you," Jae smiled and shook the hand offered to him. "You are a bit early, so I'm glad I came here earlier than I normally would have."

"Oh, I do apologise," he shyly smiled as he looked down at his feet. "I was out all day so I thought I would get here ahead of time."

"That's more than okay, no need to worry. I believe there were more people touring the house with you, right?" asked Jae with a small tilt of his head.

"Yes, seven more," he said while looking into the kind brown eyes. "I don't know when they'll be here, but I'm sure they won't be too much longer."

"That's alright," he nodded before he turned around and held his arms up in a open gesture. "First impressions so far?"

"It's truly amazing. I've never seen anything like this," Chan-woo said almost a little breathlessly. "I come from a small town and I only recently arrived here. This place is honestly amazing."

"Just wait until you have finished the tour around the house," Jae turned back around and winked down at him. "And welcome to Seoul, Chan-woo. I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Oh, thank you very much," he said, taken aback by the kind words.

"How long have you been here for?" he asked, obviously in an attempt to kill time while the pair waited.

"Ah, eleven days," he blushed while he looked down at his shoes.

"Wow, that's not long at all," the older smiled at him. "What made you want to move to Seoul?"

"Work opportunity," Chan-woo felt his blush intensify.

"Oh cool. Well I wish you luck and good fortune," the real estate agent calmly smiled down at the younger before his attention was drawn behind Chan-woo. "Ah, this must be them now."

Chan-woo turned around and looked towards the entrance of the property to see the familiar grey van was driving towards them. His heart dropped for a second before it accelerated as he realised he would be seeing the boys for the first time in a few hours. He looked down at his feet once more and gulped. The anxious thoughts had instantly returned from beforehand.

The car pulled up behind the white car and the engine shut off before the sliding door was opened. He refused to look over as he heard the members make their way towards them. Instead he looked up at Jae and watched him introduced himself to each member. He shook their hands with a professional smile upon his face to which each member returned it without hesitation.

As Jae allowed the group to take in the front yard, Chan-woo stared at both Hoseok and Yoongi in hopes of them looking his way. But the pair completely ignored his presence. In fact, the entire group ignored him as if he wasn't even there, stood right in front of them. His heart broke into a million pieces the longer he was ignored; feeling small and insignificant.

"Shall we start the tour?" Jae asked while he clapped his hands together to draw all attention to himself.

"Lead the way," answered Namjoon with a huge smile on his face, giving away the excitement he felt.

Jae silently lead the way towards the front door, the group followed behind him with Chan-woo at the very back. He assumed it would be that way for the entire tour and resigned to it. He chose to instead focus on the tour and not the boys from then on. As he approached the front door, he noticed that on either side of the door were huge, blacked framed windows that showed into the empty space inside.

The stairs that led to the door itself caught his attention next as he noticed they were white, marble stone. It only added to the overall expensive look of the house. In each corner of the small marble patio were two well kept pots with exotic looking plants growing within. Chan-woo had never seen such a fancy look to an entrance of a house in real life before. Everything he saw in front of him he had only seen on tv, in magazines, or on the internet.

There was a mixture of gasps and other soft verbal expressions of amazement from the small group of men as they walked inside the front door and into the large foyer. The ceiling stretched high above them, no rooms above the foyer, meaning that the ceiling was the full two storey's tall. Chan-woo looked around in astonishment at the space he stood in and felt the excitement build for the rest of the place.

"This is the foyer," Jae said as he turned around with arms wide open. "As you can see it is quite spacious. Great for multiple shoe racks, coat hangers, and other decorative items for the amount of you that there are. As you can see, these stairs lead up to the other level of the house. Up there is all of the bedrooms, two of the bathrooms, and a large outdoor deck. Down here are the two studies, one bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, the laundry and of course the garage. Follow me."

Chan-woo followed the group out of the foyer and into the wide hallway straight ahead. There were five doors in the hallway. Jae came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, the group stopped near the first two doors and peered inside. Chan-woo couldn't see anything from where he stood at the back so he waited patiently for either an explanation or to see for himself; which ever would come first.

"On your left is the laundry," he pointed to the door on the group's left which was the the first door directly underneath the staircase. "On your right is how you can access the garage from inside. In case you didn't see, there are two double garage doors, with more than enough space to store four cars comfortably with left over room."

The group nodded, impressed with both of the enormous spaces. Chan-woo's eyes widen as he thought of how big of a space that would be. It sounded like it could easily be the size of most of his house back with his parents. It was in that moment that it hit him how big this house truly was. He wondered to himself what room he'd be staying in and how large it would be.

The group moved forward a little, and he was finally able to look at the two rooms for himself. The laundry had a small walkway before it opened up and hooked around to the left. He could see a massive empty space from where he stood, knowing there'd be plenty of space for multiple washing machines, dryers and clothing racks. He turned his head to the right and looked at the large garage space. His eyes dramatically widen as he took it in before his attention was drawn back to the tour.

"This door here is where the downstairs guest bathroom is. It has a shower, bathtub, toilet and other amenities," Jae explained before he walked backwards to allow the group to inspect the room for themselves. He waited patiently for them to walk towards the finally two doors in the hallway.

The bathroom was tiled in white and featured a very large mirror above the vanity. All of the amenities were coloured white with black handles to accentuate the space. The shower was a rathe large space with glass doors. It had an enormous overhead, circular shower head and a small inbuilt ledge to store bathing products. The bathtub was also fairly spacious, nothing like Chan-woo had ever seen before.

"These are your two study spaces," Jae said as he pointed to both rooms on either side of the group. "Each room is carpeted and has multiple power points set up around the space for better accessibility. The one on your left is the smaller of the two, and the study on your right is the exact size of both the other study and the guest bathroom combined. The previous owners used this room as a spare media room. But assuming the work you boys do, I'm sure you'll have other ideas for it."

"You are absolutely right. And that is why I call dibs on one of these for my home studio," Yoongi suddenly said which caused the group to laugh.

"You just want a reason to not leave home more than you have to, don't you Hyung?" Jimin rolled his eyes knowingly at the older.

"No comment," replied Yoongi.

"Let's put that argument aside for another time," Namjoon chimed in as the group laughed at Yoongi's antics. "We still need to see the rest of the house first."

"And on that note, if you follow me, we'll go see the living room and kitchen," smiled Jae as he walked backwards slowly. "To the left here is the living room and to the right is the kitchen. It's an open floor plan great for entertaining a couple of guests or hosting larger parties."

While the rest of the group followed Jae, Chan-woo paused briefly to observe each of the two rooms. Both rooms had enough space for a large desk or two, a couch, and any other furnishing the heart desired, even if one was larger than the other. He could see Yoongi setting up an studio space with a dark colour theme and a comfortable couch for him to rest in. He wondered who else would claim the other space or if it'd be a communal studio for them all.

Chan-woo walked out of the hallway and joined the group that were stood in the middle of the large open planned space. Like Jae had said before, there was a kitchen to the right with a marvellous white marble island in the middle and matching white marble bench tops of the surrounding benches that were in a 'c' shape. There were many cupboards, too many cupboards perhaps, and on top of there was a very large pantry and a double door fridge. He was relieved because he'd be able to store his items without being a nuisance to the rest of the house.

To the left of where they stood was a massive empty space with a bricked, chimneyed fireplace in the middle of the furthest wall. Chan-woo could imagine three lavish couches set up in a square formation with the fourth side being where a large television hung from the wall above the fireplace. He could imagine a thick, fluffy rug in the middle of the couches where he could lie and feel the heat radiate from the fireplace.

"Shall we tour the backyard quickly?" asked Jae after he finished telling the group about the aspects of the open floor living area which Chan-woo hadn't heard a word of.

The entire back wall of the house had floor to ceiling windows with two larger sliding doors in the middle. The doors led to a wooden undercover verandah, the length of the entire house, that overlooked the backyard. It had enough space for an outside dining table and other recreational furnishing. Chan-woo walked out last and looked around the undercover area. He could see three different sets of stairs, one for each side of the large verandah, that led down to the ground below. Jae walked down the set of stairs straight ahead and gestured over to his left before he turned around.

"As you can see, this is the gated outdoor pool," he said as he turned around towards the group. "It has a fabulous rock feature that was recently installed by the pervious owners and it has been equipped to turn in to a sort of waterfall. And if you look at the far right corner of the pool, you'll see an built-in jacuzzi that is attached yet separated from the rest of the pool. It is great for those colder days or nights that you want to be out here."

Chan-woo's mouth dropped open as he listened to the real estate agent. Before his eyes was the most impressive pool area he had ever seen in person. Once again, he had only ever seen something so spectacular like this in magazines, on tv, or the internet. The white concrete slab was framed by glass panels held together by square, black, metal poles. Within was a rectangular pool with blue tiles, the massive rock feature, a square jacuzzi also with blue tiles, and loads of space for lounge chairs along the area.

"The rest of the backyard has been left untouched, the original owners didn't see a need for anything extra. But if you wanted to build anything, there is plenty of room to do so with how large the property is," Jae said with a kind smile as he allowed the group to take in the entire yard.

"It's amazing, so spacious," Taehyung said, eyes wide and full of amazement.

"Yeah. I still can't believe how beautiful this entire place is," agreed Hoseok in a hushed tone while he took in the backyard.

"Shall we see the bedrooms now?" Jae asked, the kind smile firm on his face.

"Please," nodded Namjoon. "Can you show us the smallest bedroom first?"

"Of course," he smiled and nodded at the request before he led the way back inside.

Chan-woo fell into step behind the group as they walked back up the stairs of the verandah and headed inside. He closed the glass sliding doors behind him before he rushed to catch up with the group that had continued on without him. The stairs that led up to the second floor were carpeted with a nice sophisticated grey colour.

"All bedrooms are roughly the same size except for the two guest bedrooms. They are probably the smallest in size," Jae said as he led the group up the stairs and stopped for them all to get up on the second floor. "Behind you is the larger of the two guest bedroom."

As he got up to the top of the stairs, Chan-woo looked left down the hallway to where Jae had gestured to. It was the only door on that side of the hallway. He looked back to the right and saw that there was a hallway that split down the middle of the hallway and extended to the back of the house. Jae led the group passed the second hallway and to the end of the right side of the house.

Chan-woo briefly looked down the hallway to find six doors, three on each side, each facing on another and a large glass door with black framing that led out to the wooden deck that was directly above the verandah. He turned his attention back to the group as they stopped in front of three opened doors.

"This bedroom right here is the smallest out of all the bedrooms," he pointed to the door closest to the foyer before he gestured to the two doors closest to the end. "And these are your two bathrooms for upstairs, next to one another."

"Whoa, such a cool setup," Jungkook said in wonderment.

"Yes, the very original owners that built this house had five kids and they decided to build two guest bedrooms for all of their kid's friends plus their own friends that would stay over," he said, letting them in on the history of the house. "And they decided to put the bathrooms over here because they hoped to not hear their constant bickering from their master bedroom in the morning or evenings."

The boys laughed and nodded in understanding. Jae walked back passed the group and led them down the other hallway. Most of the group walked passed Chan-woo without acknowledging his presence. However, Namjoon, who stayed behind the rest, paused next to him and glared down at him as he leant in slightly.

"That is your room if we get this place," he whispered with anger written all over his face as he pointed to the smallest room. "Understood?"

"Understood," he repeated in a whisper and looked down at his shoes, too scared to keep staring into those wildly angry eyes.

Namjoon walked off and re-joined the group. Chan-woo sighed heavily as he followed him, yet he decided to keep his distance since he really didn't need to be looking into any other room in this part of the house. The only reason he stayed with the group is because he wanted to finish the tour out of respect for Jae. Yet even as the kind real estate agent spoke about each of the large bedrooms, he couldn't bring himself to listen, as he was stuck in his mind with thoughts of how much he didn't belong there.

None of this sat right with Chan-woo. He hadn't earnt the right to be there alongside one of the most talented and popular Korean boy groups of all time. He hadn't contributed anything, he hadn't earnt his place, he hadn't even debuted. Yet there he was, touring an elegant house from him to move into. Guilt, shame, and disgust swirled deep within the pit of his stomach as Jae led the entire group outside onto the wooden deck.

"Out here you can enjoy a nice bottle of wine while overlooking the grounds as the sun sets slowly," spoke Jae rather eloquently. "The view is spectacularly breathtaking both in the morning and the evening."

Chan-woo stood away from the rest of the group as he overlooked the grounds below. It truly was a sight to behold. The fresh air blew the hair out of his face, filling his starved lungs of much needed air as he tried to fight away the invasive thoughts. His eyes begun to sting from the tears that started to form. He aggressively rubbed them away in fear of being caught, afraid to be seen so weak.

"Well, I'll let you guys explore all of the house again on your own time," Jae said which drew Chan-woo's attention back to him. "I'll be down in the living area when you are done."

Jae nodded at the boys as he begun to walk away. He paused briefly and flashed a smile at the shy looking Chan-woo, which definitely took the younger by surprise. Being left alone with his thoughts and the boys that were currently ignoring him, Chan-woo could feel his heart race. He didn't say a word as he left the outdoor deck and walked back towards what could be his room.

Slowly, Chan-woo walked inside of the smallest bedroom in the house. His eyes wandered around the empty space. All the bare room had to inspect was a large, double doored wardrobe and a massive window in the centre of the back wall. He walked over to the black framed window and gasped quietly at the beautiful sight. 

The window allowed him to overlook all of the front yard. He could see the water fountain, the driveway, the large trees within the fences boundary, the metal gate, and he could just barely see the main road of the gated community. He noted in surprise that he couldn't see any other properties from his bedroom window.

Chan-woo grabbed his phone out of his back pocket and held it up to the window. He opened up his camera and took a few quick photos. With a smile unconsciously on his face, he took a few steps back and captured another couple of pictures from where he stood, showing the window and the view from the middle of his room.

He spun around and walked over to the empty wardrobe. He looked inside the large empty space. There was a metal bar that hung from a shelf that spanned the entire wardrobe. Above the shelf, there was plenty of space to store items. He grew excited as he slowly walked around the empty room, imagining what he could put where. He noticed it was larger than his old bedroom back home with his parents, even if it was the smallest bedroom in this house, and that made him so gleeful.

Stood in the doorway of what could be his new room, Chan-woo took in the sight before he decided to take one last photo. After he put his phone in his back pocket, he sighed as he felt a sense of serenity wash over him. Even though deep down he could still feel the negative emotions whirling around, he was overtaken by this surreal positivity at the possibility he could have a better life.

With a content sigh, Chan-woo turned around and left the bedroom. He could hear the some of the boys talking close by, but he didn't look down the other hallway as he walked passed it. Instead, he kept his head straight and made his way down the stairs. He made his way down the hallway and into the living area to find Jae on his phone, lent against the island in the kitchen.

"Hey," Chan-woo said extremely quietly as he walked over to him. "I just wanted to say thank you for the tour."

"Oh, you're welcome," chuckled Jae while he put his phone away. "There's no need to thank me. It's all part of the job. But how'd you like the place? Lived up to your expectations?"

"It was beyond any expectations I could have ever dreamt of. It is truly stunning," he answered, a small blush rose upon his cheeks.

"I'm glad you liked it," he smiled warmly.

"Yah! Get off of me!" Chan-woo heard what sounded like Yoongi yell from down the hallway.

"Come on Hyung," whined Hoseok a second later as a third person laughed loudly.

Both Jae and Chan-woo were looking in the direction the commotion was coming from before Yoongi, Hoseok and Jimin walked into the living area. Hoseok had his arm slung around Yoongi's shoulder with the older looking royally pissed off. Jimin looked passed the pair and his happy expression dropped the moment his eyes connected with Chan-woo's. The younger looked down at his shoes while his heart dropped, the pain seeing the trio playful too much for him.

"How'd you go?" Jae asked the three as they walked closer to him.

"Yeah good," smiled Hoseok as he stretched his arms above his head and moved closer to Jimin before he placed an arm around his shoulders. "I really like this place. It has a good vibe."

"Hobi Hyung, you think most places have good vibes," Jimin laughed while he wrapped an arm around the older's back, hand rested upon the other's hip.

"Shush Jiminie," chuckled Hoseok with a small shake of his head. "Don't expose my secrets."

"I didn't. It's common knowledge," said Jimin as he rolled his eyes.

"Is not. You're just being a brat today," retorted Hoseok, a smile on his face from the banter.

"Maybe I am," huffed Jimin before he broke out in a wide smile.

"Get a room," a new voice chimed in.

Chan-woo looked up from the ground to find Taehyung bent over laughing next to Jungkook whom had a smug look on his face after the comment he had made. The pair walked over and joined the mostly amused group. His eyes briefly locked on Taehyung as the other stared back at him. The happiness drowned out of his face the longer they stared at one another. Chan-woo's heart was already hurting enough, he didn't need to see the pitied look, so he broke the eye contact and looked back down at the ground.

The ground before him slowly faded away as he got consumed in his thoughts. Chan-woo couldn't help being caught up in his head. The entire day, the whole situation, it was all too much for him to handle. It was as if he was back to day one where he was on the outside of the group. An unwanted burden and a nuisance for existing.

He had seen the way Yoongi and Hoseok purposefully avoided his gaze since they had come downstairs. He had seen the way that Hoseok had playfully interacted with Jimin. He had seen the hatred held in Jimin's eyes, but then the intense love as he bantered with the other. He had seen the pitiful glances from Taehyung all day and then again as he entered the kitchen. 

He had seen it all. He had heard the message loud and clear. They didn't need to keep reminding him he was not wanted. They didn't need to flaunt their close relationships in front of him. They didn't need to taunt his memories of how broken he was and that he needed help. They didn't need to do any of it. Ignoring him was better than the not so passive-aggressive reminders of how they felt.

"Ready to go?" Jin said which brought Chan-woo out of his mind.

"Sadly, yes we are," dramatically said Hoseok which caused the group to laugh, all except Chan-woo.

"Alright, well it was a pleasure meeting you," Namjoon said while he walked over and shook Jae's hand. "We will have a talk about it and then get our staff to give you an answer either way in a couple of days time."

"That's no problem," smiled Jae. "Take all the time you need. I look forward to hearing back when you are ready."

"Thank you!" said Jimin as he bowed, waved, and walked out.

The group followed his lead and bowed towards Jae in a farewell. Chan-woo was the last one left as he bowed and waved towards the kind male. Jae smiled back at him as he walked away to catch up with the rest of the group. 

He didn't know if he'd be allowed to go in the van with them or if he'd have to catch a taxi back. Just in case, he got out his phone and started to pre-book a ride home as he exited the house. Chan-woo stood at the bottom of the marble stone staircase as he tapped away at his phone, too consumed by his anxiety of being a burden to realise one member was impatiently waiting outside of the van for him.

"Yah!" a sudden voice yelled which caused Chan-woo to jump in fright. His eyes frantically looked around for the source to see an enraged Namjoon glaring daggers at him from the van. "Hurry up and get in!"

With his heartbeat racing wildly in his chest, Chan-woo briskly made his way over to the van and got in as he was told. He looked around and saw the only spare spot for him to sit was in the very back row next to Jimin with Jungkook on the other side of him. He hastily walked to the spot and sat down after he took off his backpack. He set the backpack in between his legs as he buckled himself in.

"Ugh," complained Jimin after Chan-woo's hand accidentally grazed his side.

"S-Sorry," he whispered and shuffled as far away as he could from the older male.

Chan-woo closed the application he had been using to book the taxi before he locked his phone and turned his head to look out of the car window. The car begun to move soon after the leader of the group had shut the sliding door. He knew this would be a rather long journey back to the dorms now that he was on good terms with none of them. His heart still pounded loudly in his ears as the car was engulfed by silence.

"Hands up if you'd like to live there," Namjoon asked as he turned in his seat to look over the rest of the group.

Knowing that no one wanted his opinion, Chan-woo continued to stare out the window while he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. He wondered how many of them wanted to live there, but he didn't want to risk passing gazes with any of them. He couldn't handle anymore angry, emotionless, or pitied looks from them the rest of the day. He just needed to keep to himself.

"A unanimous decision. We found a new place," Namjoon's happy tone reached his ears, moments later the group laughed out of joy.

"Shall I call Bang Hyung when we get back?" asked Jin from beside Namjoon.

"Mmm, yeah. Why not," the leader agreed. "Also let him know he'll need to pay for Chan-woo's share."

His heart dropped in his chest as he heard the irritated change in tone from the leader as he spoke about him. Chan-woo tried to fight away the tears as he stared down at his lap with his hair covering his face. He unlocked his phone and opened his private Instagram account. He chose the picture he had taken from the middle of his empty room that showed the massive window and the view outside.

As he posted it with no caption, he knew no one would be able to find the place if it was leaked by anyone. All you could see were the trees, barely the top of the fence and the sunny, cloudless sky. Not that he believed any of the people that had access would leak it. None of them knew where he was or why he had left his hometown. None except his old boss, but even he didn't know that Chan-woo had been recruited into the biggest K-pop boy group yet.

Headphone blasted the sad melody into Chan-woo's ears as he sat in the dark at the kitchen table. His eyes were closed to help him concentrate on scrutinising the composure he had written. As the sound slowly faded away with the last beat, he opened his eyes and sighed. He had listened to the same track over and over, yet there was something missing that made it uncomplete.

Chan-woo took over his headphones and shoved them away from him in slight frustration. He aggressively rubbed at his eyes as his hearing adjusted to the quiet living room. His brain had slowly drained of creativity the longer he forced himself to sit still and work. Part of him realised he wouldn't get anything else done for the day, but part of him needed to keep distracting himself from his own thoughts.

With an extremely exasperated sigh he saved his work and quickly shut off his laptop before he pushed away from the table. Chan-woo blindly grabbed his phone from the table in the pitch black room before he turned his flashlight on. He got up, paused briefly to stretch his aching back, and walked over to the light switches.

The previously pitch black living room was flooded with light that slightly stung Chan-woo's tired eyes. He turned off his flashlight on his phone and put it in his pocket as he made his way back over to the table. He packed up the headphones, laptop, and its charger in his hands before he went over to his backpack and shoved everything away tiredly.

He squatted down in front of his duffle bag and for a moment, stared numbly at it as his brain tried to process what he needed to do. He unzipped the bag and grabbed out a fresh pair of trackies and jumper. A sigh left his lips as he made his way to the closed bathroom door. He saw the light was on within and knocked softly on the door.

"Occupied," he heard a grumpy voice say.

Chan-woo walked over to the entrance of the hallway and leant back against the wall. His head softly hit the wall as his eyes grew heavy. His body ached the longer he waited, it screamed at him to just lie down for the night. It had been a massive day after all, with all of the emotions he'd gone through and the anxiety his brain concocted throughout the day.

Just as his eyes had begun to close on their own, the door to the bathroom suddenly opened. He jumped in fright as he looked over at the person that stood in the doorway staring at him. Yoongi was dressed in plain blue silk pyjamas with a pair of soft looking slippers. The older silently looked him up and down before he turned and walked off down the hallway without saying a word to him.

Speechless at yet another moment of coldness between them, Chan-woo numbly and tiredly walked into the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it before he peeled off his clothing as quickly as he could. His muscles cried out in pain as he tugged on the fresh clothing. He didn't even spare a look in the mirror before he abruptly left the bathroom, turning the light off as he left.

He didn't even bother to fold the clothes. Instead he merely shoved them beneath his duffle bag, pulled out his pillow and lastly zipped the bag shut. Chan-woo grabbed his phone and put it on charge for the night, not even bothering to take one last look at the unread notifications on his lock screen. He stood up and yawned as he walked over to the light switch.

The room was once more plunged into darkness. Chan-woo blindly made his way over to the couch. He yelped out in pain as his toe stubbed the corner of the couch, pain radiating from the tip of his big toe all the way up to his ankle. He sighed as he finally sat down in the middle of the couch. He placed his pillow to the left before he reached out and grasped the folded blanket to his right.

His body thanked him greatly as he finally laid down for the first time since he had awoken that morning. He unravelled the blanket and threw it over himself, a content sigh left his lips at the extra warmth the soft material gave him. His heavy eyes closed on their own as he settled into the couch and finally relaxed for the first time in what felt like a long time.

Yet, in the darkness and quiet of the room, Chan-woo found he couldn't fall asleep. His mind played the scenes from the day before his closed eyes. He groaned as he turned on to his side and brought the blanket up to his chin. Why couldn't he just be left alone? Why did he always have to be plagued with unwanted thoughts?

His mind decided to torture him over and over with the coldness from both Hoseok and Yoongi. He watched as Yoongi repeatedly refused to look at him. But then when he finally did in the hallway moments ago, all he could see was emotionless eyes staring at him. How could someone that he cared for suddenly look at him so differently? Why? What did he do?

His breath hitched as he was forced to relive the jovial Hoseok bounce down the hallway with an arm wrapped around Yoongi. He was forced to endure the heartache as Hoseok played around with Jimin while simultaneously ignoring your mere existence. He was forced to watch the both of them walk to their bedroom for the night without saying a word as you sat alone at the kitchen table. How could someone that he cared for suddenly treat him so differently? Why? What did he do?

A stray tear ran down Chan-woo's face while he pondered over the same questions he had done all day long. Now, however, he had more moments to analyse. Or perhaps he had more moments to overanalyse. Either way, it consumed every thought he had until he slowly started to slip in to dreamland, his body and mind too exhausted to stay awake any longer. The same question was on his mind right up until he finally fell asleep. Why?

Chapter Text

To say that his sleep had been good would have been a huge lie. Chan-woo had spent most of the night tossing and turning in his sleep. By the time the morning had come around, he was laid flat on his back with his eyes wide open. Thoughts plagued his mind which he couldn't seem to shake. It had probably been the worst sleep since his arrival there. And that was saying something considering he had slept on the hard, wooden floor in the busy lounge room, not once, but a few times.

Well aware he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, Chan-woo got up off the couch and sauntered over to his phone near the wall. He took it off charge and stretched his back as he stood back up. His eyes widen as he saw it was 6:25am, shocked to see how early he had woken up. A heavy sigh left his lips as he shuffled back over to the couch and laid back down.

Chan-woo unlocked his phone and scrolled through all of the missed notifications he hadn't seen since from the night before. He was rather astonished to see so many from Instagram. Intrigued to see what the abnormal activity was all about, he opened the app and went to his notifications. His eyes widened as he saw the influx of likes and comments on his latest post.

Never before had something he posted received so much attention from the people that had followed him. His curious eyes grazed over the comments. There were a few that asked where he was, ones that stated they didn't know he had moved, some that said the room and its view looked amazing, and others that simply wished him the best of luck to where ever he had moved. He spotted a few comments from his old co-workers which made his heart flutter from the loneliness that suddenly surged through him.

A small smile graced his lips as he liked all of the comments. A strange feeling rushed through his body as he considered that majority of these people didn't really know him, they had just shared university classes with him. But it felt nice to wake up to such interest and kindness from strangers. He wondered why the sudden change though. Was it because the place looked fancy? Or was it just strangers being nice? He didn't know.

The very last comment on his picture caught his attention and the small smile turned into a large one as he read it. It was from his old boss, Kim Minho. He had said he loved the view and was jealous he couldn't join him, but that he is very happy for him and his proudness was annoying the other co-workers. A small chuckle filled the silent room as he liked the comment, his eyes full of happiness, and a content smile lit up his face.

Just as Chan-woo went to exit the app, his phone vibrated in his hands as a text came through. Excitement ran throughout his veins as he saw who it was from. The one and only Daniel had messaged him. His heart raced as he opened the text quicker than he could blink his eyes. He was so engrossed in reading the text that he didn't notice the people that entered the room.

Danny:
Hey Channie-ah! Just wanted to check in with how you are going?  Hope you have a good day.

Chan-woo:
Good morning Daniel Hyung! I didn't sleep well last night. I had a lot on my mind. There is so much happening that is making me worried. I hope you have a good day too.

It felt as if his heart would explode any second as he waited for the reply. There was just something about Daniel that made Chan-woo feel all giddy inside. He would instantly become all shy and giddy whenever he interacted with the other, and it had been like that since the very first day he had met him. But internally he denied what Hoseok had teased him about the day before in the car. And he would continue to deny it despite what his body told him.

Danny:
I'm sorry. Next time you have a day off, or you have some free time, just let me know so we can meet up and you can tell me everything that's on your mind. Here for you bud, keep fighting!

Bud... Bud. Chan-woo's heart painful halted to a stop and sunk to his stomach as his eyes stayed trained on that one word. He wondered why it hurt so much. Maybe if he wasn't in denial, he would understand. But he was so deeply oblivious to his feelings that he just pushed the conflicting emotions off to the side to deal with another time.

Chan-woo:
Thank you. And will do. I have to get ready now. Bye Hyung.

While it wasn't a complete lie, he decided to end it there because he was just too internally confused to keep any conversation going with the older male. Chan-woo sighed in defeat as he felt his previous good mood slip away from his grasp. He sat up on the couch and scratched the back of his head as he looked around the now semi-busy room.

At the table was Hoseok, Jin, Jimin, and Taehyung. They sat in silence as they ate their food with a tired look upon all of their faces. A frown settled upon his face as he adjusted to sit cross-legged on the couch. He looked down at his phone to find the time was now just after 7am. He looked back over to the table and caught sight of Jin's icy gaze on him.

"We have to be at BigHit in just over an hour," the oldest said to him just as coldly as his gaze. The sudden statement caused the others to look at Jin before they turned their own cold eyes towards Chan-woo. "I suggest you get ready so you don't make us late."

Chan-woo's heart dropped at the sneer on Jin's face and the cold eyes from the other three. Silently, he nodded and got up from the couch. He walked over to his bag instead of getting himself breakfast. He admitted the main reason he felt turned off from having something to eat was the way Hoseok had looked at him. He missed that warm smile so much. He just needed some space from the older before he would be spending the entire day with him.

Fresh clothes in one hand, his toiletry bag in the other, and his towel thrown over his shoulder, Chan-woo walked over to the open bathroom door. He entered and double checked no one was in there before he closed the door and locked it. He firstly emptied his bladder and then quickly brushed his teeth. Impassive eyes stared in the mirror as he hastily undressed himself while he waited for the shower to warm.

He didn't want to spend long in the bathroom in case the others needed to use it before they all had to leave. The entire time he spent underneath the warm flow of the water, his mind was chasing itself in its usual circles. He absolutely hated himself for not being able to shake away the intrusive thoughts or images of Hoseok and Yoongi. He loathed his mind for tormenting him 24/7. He just wanted a break from it all.

Water dripped from his soaked hair down to his chest as he stepped out of the shower and onto the bath mat. Chan-woo grabbed his towel from the vanity and hurriedly dried his body. As he worked on that, he heard footsteps that paced back and forth in the hallway, along with a few annoyed huffs. His body froze and tensed as his eyes stared at the closed door.

A furious blush rose on his cheeks as clearly someone was waiting for him to be done. Internally he hated the thought of making someone wait, so he forgot about properly drying his body down and instead started to get dressed. In Chan-woo's rush to pull his clothes on as quickly as he could, his slippery feet accidentally went out from beneath him and caused him to fall over. A loud thud reverberated throughout the bathroom and the person on the other side paused in their pacing.

"Fuck," he harshly bit out while he pulled himself up to his feet with the help of the vanity, pain had instant begun to radiated from his left ribs.

"Everything okay?" a soft voice floated through the door.

"I'm fine," Chan-woo growled out in irritation.

Embarrassed and in pain, he didn't mean to snap at the other person, but he tired to reason it was partly their fault. Chan-woo straightened up and finished tugging his clothes over his damp body, a little more carefully this time. He ignored the pain that had flared up as he collected all of the strewn items across the floor and vanity. The second he opened the bathroom door, his eyes locked with concerned brown ones that belonged to none other than Hoseok.

The two silently stared at one another, soft eyes looking into emotionless eyes. The longer the seconds dragged on, the more Hoseok's eyes grew in concern. His brown eyes gazed down upon the clothed body to check for any visible injuries. Chan-woo's eyes grew darker and a glare appeared unbeknownst to him.

With a scoff, Chan-woo wordlessly turned and walked away before he was given the opportunity to accidentally lash out at the other. That was the first time in a day that the older had even remotely showed his previous kind behaviour towards him. That was the first time in a day that the older had looked him in the eyes. That was the first time in a day that the older had checked in on him. He couldn't stand being anywhere near Hoseok any longer.

A storm begun to brew deep within the pit of his stomach. He felt angry, confused and annoyed. He just couldn't understand how one could go from being caring, to cold, and then back to caring once more. And of course he had to be in the middle of it all with no explanation as to what he had done to cause it. Instead, he was left in the dark to figure it out on his own.

In the living room, he stood in his corner and haphazardly dumped everything except the towel to the ground. With his back to the others, he continued to dry the still damp hair. Chan-woo took a few deep breaths in and out to calm himself as he vigorously rubbed the towel on his head. Perhaps he was merely irritated at the other boy because of the lacklustre sleep he had had overnight? Perhaps...

Chan-woo tried to rationalise his unstable and unpredictable mood by the less than perfect quality of sleep he had got. He tried to push away any more thoughts on the matter as he cleaned up his little corner and pulled on some fresh socks. He didn't want to blame anyone else for how he felt, it wouldn't be fair. Even if Hoseok and Yoongi were the cause of this confused bundle of emotions that swirled within him, he wouldn't blame them.

With his shoes on, his backpack on his back, and his phone in hand, Chan-woo stood up straight and adjusted his hoodie to rest at the top of his head. He turned around and surveyed the room to find no one was paying any attention to him. Part of him didn't care that it was that way. But deep down, he just wanted to be held close and told everything was going to be okay. Even if it was by Hoseok or Yoongi; he didn't care who at this point.

As Chan-woo silently walked out of the apartment and waited for the elevator, he couldn't help but crave to be seen as the kind hearted, broken boy that he truly was by any of the other boys. His entire being craved to be gently held again, to be lightly touched as if he would break in their hands, to have quiet words whispered into his ears. He wholeheartedly missed the friendship he had been in the midst of building with Yoongi and Hoseok.

His legs walked on autopilot towards the BigHit Entertainment building as he stayed caught up in all of the emotions within. He craved to be accepted and to please the other members, a bad habit instilled in him from early on in his childhood. Although the desperation to be accepted by and to please his parents had ultimately been tarnished from the abuse he had suffered at their hands. He had resigned to the fact they would never give him what he had craved for and those needs had been stuffed deep within him as he begun to transform into an emotionally numb child.

But something had reignited in him ever since that time Hoseok had first started to show his caring nature to him. It only grew more after Yoongi had hugged him for the very first time, followed by Hoseok. He hadn't realised it back then, but now he saw the need to be accepted had been reawakened that night in the arms of those two. The need to please had been revived that night when he had a taste of a kind touch for the first time in years.

It made sense to Chan-woo as he thought back on his buried childhood emotions. This was the first opportunity in basically his entire life to fill that black hole in his heart, to look at building his own family. He realised that the sudden distance from the older two hurt more than it would any other rational person because he had much more at stake to lose. He could almost see the chance at a normal life slip through the cracks in his hands before his very eyes.

"Chan-woo?" a voice drew the young man out of his trance.

Chan-woo looked up in front of him to find the familiar gruff features of Choi Hye, his previous vocalist coach, stood in front of the building with a very gentle smile upon his face. If it wasn't for the older man calling out, he would have one hundred percent kept walking passed the building. With a smile on his face, he waved and walked over to Hye while simultaneously checking the time. He had a few minutes to kill before the group would arrive by the looks of things.

"Good morning Hye Hyung. How are you?" asked Chan-woo as he stood in front of the other.

"Good morning to you too," Hye smiled at the politely mannered young male. "I'm doing decent for such a fine day. How about yourself? How have you been since I last saw you?"

"I'm glad to hear that," he smiled before it flattened out into a nervous expression, not sure if he should tell the truth or not. "I have been okay, for the most part."

"Did something happen? Are you okay?" the older looked over Chan-woo with concerned eyes and frowned as he noticed how pale and tired he seemed to be.

"Well I did run into some health problems a while ago," he gulped and looked at the ground in shame as he felt the familiar blush rise upon his cheeks. "B-But I'm working on getting better."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hye sighed as he reached out and gently touched the younger's shoulder. "If you ever need anything, I'm only a call away. I assume Bang PD-nim knows about it all?"

"He does and he has been so helpfully with my recovery so far," smiled Chan-woo in a show of reassurance. 

"And apart from the health problem, how have you settled in so far? Any problems with the boys? Do I need to set any of them straight?" Hye asked jokingly but there was also a hint of seriousness underlying in his tone.

"Ah no, there's no need," he gulped nervously again. He just hoped the other wouldn't probe into the issue to much. The last thing he needed were for the boys to get reprimanded. "Everything is fine. As good as it could be."

"Hmm," the older hummed as he narrowed his eyes. "You don't really seem confident about that, Chan-woo."

"I-" Chan-woo begun to say before he noticed movement to the left of him. 

He looked over to see his group members emerge from the usual grey van, before they briskly weaved through the crowd towards the entrance of the building. Chan-woo's heart dropped, as did his face unconsciously, as he saw none of the members look out for him. He wasn't surprised, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt him.

"I'm very sorry, I have to go," Chan-woo smiled at Hye before he awkwardly started to step around him. "The boys just arrived. It was very good to see you Hyung! I hope we can catch up again soon."

"Have a good day Chan-woo," Hye turned as he watched the younger walk around him and waved at him with a slightly sad smile lighting his face. "Take care of yourself, yeah?"

"Of course, and you too, Hye Hyung" he nodded before he turned around and walked away to hurriedly catch up with the group.

Chan-woo pushed his way through the busy crowd on the street and into the building. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the light difference once he stepped inside. He peered around the huge lobby until his gaze landed upon the seven boys that were making their way toward the elevators. Chan-woo held on to the straps of his backpack as he lightly jogged through the people that leisurely strolled through the lobby.

Falling in to step behind the silent boys, Chan-woo noticed a lot of stares from the people around them. He noticed some were directed at himself. Although there were different emotions behind the stares he received, with it being either more inquisitive or baffled, compared to the admiration he saw in their eyes as they looked upon the well known boy group. He ignored them as one of the elevators opened up and the group stepped inside the completely empty space.

None of the boys looked Chan-woo's way as he squeezed himself into the crammed space. The doors to elevator closed only for it to amplify the painfully obvious silence that hung heavily between the members and the small, broken boy. His eyesight stayed downcast the entire way up. He keenly focused on his shoes as to avoid any exchanges of glances and avoid feeling any worse than he already was.

The second the doors opened onto the floor they were supposed to go to, Chan-woo swiftly stepped out and stood to the side with his head down. He saw the shoes of each person walk by him, not a single word was uttered his way. Only once the entire group had passed him did he dare lift his head up. His heart pounded in his chest as he was ignored like he had been continuously since arriving.

Chan-woo fell in step behind them as they made their way down the empty hallway. His eyes wandered the few opened doors to find they were on the floor where majority of the larger studios were. He wondered if the day's agender would hold a recording session. He could only imagine how delightful it would be to watch and hear his favourite artists record music in person. Despite how they treated him, they still held a special place in his heart for all the amazing work they'd done and how they'd helped him deal with things in the past. So it would be an honour to witness their talent in person.

His attention was drawn out of his thoughts as Namjoon opened up a door on the left side of the corridor and headed straight in. Chan-woo could feel his heart race even faster as he got closer to the room. It felt as if his breaths were coming out in uneven and heavy exhales. He knew it was all down to the nerves that were currently flowing through him. Nerves about being stuck in a room for an entire day with seven boys who hated his entire existence.

The silence that fell upon his ears were deafening as he awkwardly stood in the doorway to the massive recording studio. Only the rhythmic sound of his heart filled his ears while he watched the group settle down on the comfortable plush couches and desk chairs behind the soundboard desk. There were a few spare seats that he could sit down in, but in all honesty, he didn't feel like being anywhere near the others.

With eyes downcast, Chan-woo walked across the room and to the very far right corner. He slid his backpack off his shoulders and squatted down beside it. After he unzipped his bag, he reached in and brought out his laptop as well as the device's charger. He leant forward and plugged the charger into the wall, before he zipped his bag back up and moved it to the side. 

While Chan-woo was getting himself set up and comfortable in the corner of the room, he missed the many glances thrown his way. By the time he had sat himself against the wall with his laptop now in his lap, none of the other boys were looking in his direction anymore. The room was, for the most part, silent as the group got themselves ready for the long day ahead of them.

"So I just wanted to start today's session off with a small update on the album events as well as our deadlines," Namjoon said as he turned around after he had started up the equipment on the desk before him. "As you know, Bang Hyung wants us to complete our third Japanese studio album that includes re-recorded songs in Japanese as well as a few new songs all sung in Japanese. Since our last session, he has sent me two songs that we need to do line distribution for, and the third song that I am helping with is almost done. So that will be top priority for today."

"That won't take long," nodded Hoseok after contemplating the task.

"I know," softly smiled Namjoon before he readjusted his position in the desk chair. "But we have a lot more to do and not much time left. We need to have this album ready in a week and a half, ready to be distributed in two or three weeks."

"Damn, we don't have long now," sighed Yoongi while he tiredly ran a hand down his face.

"We'll be fine. All we need to do is record the lines since we already have the tracks completed from the last album and two of the three new songs have already been produced ready for us," Namjoon tried to reassure the group after he saw the stress that filled them.

Chan-woo watched the group from where he sat on the ground and couldn't help the painful tang in his heart as he saw the united force between them. He gulped as he stared at the leader of the group, the powerful aura that surrounded the male affected him in captivating waves. He hadn't seen Namjoon take control as the leader in person before that point, so witnessing it in the moment was causing a breathtaking affect on him.

"After we've made a big dent in that work, we can move on to working on our next full studio album," Namjoon continued after letting all of the information sink in. "As you know we will be releasing that in a month and a half sometime in May, and we have a lot of work to do for it. I'd like for us discuss as a team what songs we are looking for or if there are any particular themes you'd want to have included."

"Sounds good, Joonie Hyung," Jimin smiled as he simultaneously lifted his arms above his head and stretched.

"Alright, does anyone have any other questions or concerns before we start for today?" the soft spoken leader asked while his eyes scanned the room except for the corner where the quiet boy sat.

Some of the members shook their head in response to the question, while the rest simply sat still in silent anticipation. Chan-woo could feel the excitement build in his stomach as he awaited for the start of the very first studio session he'd ever be a part of. The members stayed seated as Namjoon setup the computer before him to bring the lyrics up. Seeing that it would be a few minutes before anything would happen, Chan-woo got busy on his own computer, determined to make good headway in his latest song.

A few hours had passed by since they had arrived at the studio. The boys had impressively finished distributing the lines for the two new songs and recorded half of the songs in the Japanese album. Chan-woo had spent his time spilt between his own work as well as intently observing the group record their songs in awe. He hadn't moved from his spot on the ground, partly afraid to get in the way or draw any attention to himself.

Namjoon had instructed everyone to take a half an hour break before they would continue on the other album. The maknae line and Jin had decided to go eat some food in the large breakroom a few floors down. Hoseok had disappeared to the store to get some snacks for the rap line. Namjoon and Yoongi were both on a computer furiously working away at organising the assembly of the recorded lines. Which left the two alone with Chan-woo.

The room was silent for the most part except for the sounds that came from all three computers and the faint beats from each of their headphones. A heavy sigh left the youngest's lips as frustration built up inside him. He had been listening to the track on repeat for the last twenty minutes while he tried his best to write more lyrics. No words had come to his mind for a while and he had simply been staring at the screen with glazed over eyes.

Resting his head against the wall behind him, Chan-woo allowed his eyes to close on their own and tried to calm himself down. He would always work himself in this agitated state whenever he couldn't make any progress. As he drew in a shaky breath, he reminded himself why he wanted to make this particular song and the meaning behind it. The sad melody floating through his ears helped calm him down simultaneously as he finally opened his eyes once more.

Before he could focus back on the laptop's screen, his eyes caught sight of movement near the door to the studio. His eyes landed upon Hoseok with two small plastic bags in his hands. The older closed the door behind him and went to walk behind the oblivious pair at desk, but briefly paused mid step as his eyes caught sight of the sad eyes that stared at him from the ground.

If it was possible, Chan-woo's heart completely stopped the moment their eyes locked on one another. His breath left his body, his face flushed, and the only thing he could see in that room was the concerned brown eyes that belong to Jung Hoseok. The memories from earlier that morning briefly flashed through his mind and a heavy, hot wave of shame washed down his entire body.

Chan-woo forced his eyes to move back to the laptop that sat on his lap as the intensity behind the look he was receiving felt like too much. His heart continued to pound radically in chest while his cheeks remained scorching hot from the mixture of embarrassment and shame. Even though his eyes were trained elsewhere, his focus was still very much on the movement from within the room.

From the corner of his eyes, he watched Hoseok place some food in front of the two that were completely occupied by the computers. He tapped their shoulders to gain their attention before he took some food for himself and sat down on the couch quite close to where Chan-woo sat on the ground. Occasionally, he could feel the older stare down at him as he quietly ate his lunch. His heart continually pounded away in his chest at the attention that was on him.

Time seemed to go by agonisingly slowly for Chan-woo as he stared blankly at the lyrics before his eyes. The same beats played over and over again, the same lyrics sung themselves in his head, yet his inspiration to write more would not come. He could feel the frustration building once more. He just couldn't understand why it was so hard to get around this road block. Normally he did a decent job at creating meaningful lyrics once he had created a track for it.

The door opened once more and in came the four boys that had gone for lunch elsewhere in the building. Chan-woo saved the work he hadn't made any progress on, turned off the music, and took off his headphones to give himself a much needed break. He knew that with the others returning, they'd probably get back to work in a short while, and he didn't want to miss out on watching them.

"Did you have a good break?" Hoseok asked while the others got resettled on the couches.

"It was okay," Jin smiled from the other couch. A big sigh left his lips as he sunk back into the soft cushions. "How was yours?"

"Very quiet with those two so preoccupied," Hoseok chuckled after he motioned his head towards the two still consumed by the screens in front of them.

"You should have come with us Hyung," laughed Jimin as he simultaneously reached over lightly pushed Hoseok in a teasing fashion.

"I didn't want to," Hoseok sighed in annoyance,  but with a small smile that tug at the corner of his lips from the teasing.

"Hoseok is no fun these days," loudly laughed Jin with his windshield laugh before he dodged the incoming pillow that flew his way from a flushed faced Hoseok.

"I agree with that," Namjoon suddenly said which caught them all off guard since the leader had been so engrossed in his work. "Now shall we get back to things?"

"Yes Hyung," enthusiastically smiled Taehyung, the others silently nodding in agreement.

"Yoongi Hyung," Namjoon said after he had lent over and pushed one side of the headphones off. "Save your work for now, we are ready to start again."

Yoongi turned his head and looked around the room to find that everyone had arrived back from their break. He noticed the sad pair of eyes that stared up at him from the ground, but quickly looked away after how much his heart hurt from the look. After he had swiftly saved the work on the computer, he turned around in the desk chair and lent back with a tired sigh. He tried his hardest to ignore the presence on the ground and tried to focus on the agenda at hand. But it was incredibly hard when Chan-woo and his sad eyes seemed to plague every corner of his mind.

"I think it would be sensible if we focus on our next studio album for the rest of the day," said Namjoon to the quiet yet attentive room. "Like you all know, we are aiming to release a four part series in the traditional Asian storytelling format that revolves around a self discovery journey to the importance of self love."

"Are we still doing that short film like we discussed a while ago?" Jimin asked with a small tilt of his head.

"Yes, we are," Namjoon smiled while he nodded in confirmation. "We have the first mini album 'Love Yourself: Her' as our beginning. The short film, which we need to work on very soon, will be the development. This upcoming album is our twist in the storytelling format. And then we will release one more album which will be the conclusion."

Chan-woo listened intently to what the leader was saying. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes were alit with sparkles of wonderment. For any of the others that shot quick looks his way, they instantly lost their breath upon seeing the glistening eyes. However, the youngest was so caught up in the moment that he didn't realise the attention was mostly on him. He was too captivated by Namjoon to notice anything else around him.

That was until the door to the studio opened. It drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Chan-woo's, only for the group to lay eyes upon Bang PD-nim as he stood in the threshold. The boys instantly stood up and bowed in their CEO's direction. Chan-woo took a few extra seconds to hastily shove his laptop off him and stand on his feet for the first time since he had arrived. After he quickly bowed, he straightened up to find the eldest with a frown thrown in his direction.

"Hello boys! I hope you don't mind me joining you for a few minutes?" said Bang PD-nim as he closed the door behind him and sat on one of the free desk chairs.

"Not at all," kindly smiled Namjoon while they all sat back down and got comfortable. "Stay for as long as you want."

"Channie-ah?" the older asked, everyone turned their heads to look at young boy that sat once more on the ground. "Why are you on the floor?"

The room instantly plunged into a tense silence as the other members of the group shifted uncomfortable. A few felt bad that they hadn't insisted the youngest sit on a chair or one of the couches like the rest of them. And a few members could feel their anger build within them as they thought how bad this could look on them.

"Uh," Chan-woo felt the heat on his cheeks grow intense from all of the attention. "I just needed a space I could stretch my legs for a bit but still had a power point nearby so I could take notes or work on my projects."

"Well I am impressed by your commitment. Just don't stay down there for too long, I don't want you getting hurt," chuckled Bang PD-nim with a smile on his face.

"Of course, Bang Hyung," Chan-woo nodded and looked down in his lap.

"Now, continue on with what you were talking about before I walked in," the CEO said after he gestured for Namjoon to resume talking.

"To carry on from where I left off, our next album will be the twist of the storytelling format. The theme of the album will focus on a love that is based on changing or hiding one's true self can never be fulfilling and will ultimately tear apart," Namjoon continued to talk as if he had never been interrupted. "We've had a lot of people submit offers to collaborate with us on composing lyrics. However before we look at outsourcing, I want us all to have a discussion now in case one of you have an idea about a song idea that could fit our theme."

The room grew quiet as they all looked at one another. Chan-woo kept his head down since he knew the discussion would not include him. His heart pounded heavily as the silence dragged on. A big part of him was curious if any of the others had any ideas. He knew that the group often turned to Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon to write lyrics and produce or co-produce songs. He wondered if he would ever be able to help them with the process since he had many songs written and partially or fully produced.

"Have any of you asked if Chan-woo has any ideas?" asked Bang PD-nim to break the silence.

"Uh, no," Namjoon answered quietly, all eyes turned once more to the youngest.

"Do you have any ideas that could help the group, Channie-ah?" Bang PD-nim asked again.

"I-I have one potential song that could fit the theme of the album," softly spoke Chan-woo as he felt his hot cheeks burn hotter.

"Well come up here and tell us all about it," kindly smiled the eldest while he gestured to the only desk chair available next to Namjoon.

With a nod, Chan-woo stood up and took his laptop with him over to the soundboard desk. He cautiously sat on the only desk chair and carefully slide his computer on to the desk. His eyes scanned the silent room and gulped nervously as he saw all eyes were intensely staring at him. He rubbed his sweaty palms upon his pants before he cleared his throat.

"Well I have this song I am currently working on," Chan-woo shakily begun to explain. "The reason I have written it may be different to what could be made out of it. But I have the rough lyrics of the pre-chorus, bridge and hook finished. I've already done most of the composition of the track, it just feels like something is missing from it being completed. S-So we'll just need to finish the versus and clean up the track."

"Alright, let's hear it then," said Bang PD-nim with a twinkle in his eyes.

"T-The demo track and lyrics? Like right now?" asked Chan-woo, his heartbeat pounded a million miles a minute as he saw the CEO nod his head. "O-Okay. Would you like me to connect my laptop to the speakers?"

"Yeah, sure," Namjoon smiled with an obvious strain as he turned around and grabbed an aux cord for him.

Chan-woo turned around in his chair and, with shaky hands, opened the track he had been listening to on repeat for most of the morning. He disconnected his headphones, gently took the aux cord from Namjoon, and inserted it into the plug. He took the paused song back to the very beginning and adjusted the volume to a reasonable level. 

His finger hovered above the play button as he took in a calming breath and squeezed his eyes closed. The first few notes of the all to familiar melody floated through the speakers that were spread throughout the room. Chan-woo kept his eyes closed as he begun to sing the pre-chorus loud enough to be heard over the music that came from the speakers.

"For you, I could pretend like I was happy when I was sad. For you, I could pretend like I was strong when I was hurt. I wish love was perfect as love itself. I wish all my weaknesses could be hidden. I grew a flower that can’t be bloomed in a dream that can’t come true," Chan-woo sung with all of his heart, the emotions coming through easily. 

He could feel his heart beat furiously in his chest and his hands sweat from the nervousness that ran through him. He didn't dare open his eyes in fear he would see their disgust or disappointment and then proceed to mess the lyrics up. He moved onto the hook of the song, and tried hard to keep his voice even as he thought as to why he had wrote these particular lyrics.

"I'm so sick of this fake love, fake love, fake love. I'm so sorry but it's fake love, fake love, fake love," his voice sweetly sung with a slight shake from the pure emotions that couldn't help but seep in to his words.

The beats reverberated throughout the room where the chorus would have just begun. Chan-woo grow silent as he quietly hummed along to the sad melody. He allowed the song continue in full even though he hadn't written anything for the versus or the chorus itself. He wanted them all to hear the track he had composed and know where parts needed to be filled in.

As Chan-woo continued to repeat the pre-chorus and the hook within the song, he could feel his body relax. His heart rate had settled, and his eyes weren't squeezed as tightly shut anymore. He was curious what would happen once the song would end. Would he be praised? Would his song be instantly rejected? Or would this be his chance to connect to some of the other members he hadn't yet been able to?

"Woo, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know why. Woo, even I, even I don’t know myself. Woo, I just know, I just know, I just know why. 'Cause it’s all fake love, fake love, fake love," he sung the bridge with sadness littered in hit tone, before he repeated the hook and pre-chorus one last time.

The melody faded away slowly and the room was engulfed in silence yet again. Only once Chan-woo had turned around in his chair to face his laptop, did he dare to open his eyes. He quickly paused the song before it would automatically restart. His face grew hot as his ears strained to hear any type of movement. He looked down at his lap in shame, thoughts about being a failure came flooding in instantly.

Slow claps rung throughout the room which surprised the youngest as he slowly looked up. Bang PD-nim was the only one who had been clapping, a wide smile plastered on his face, and what looked to be a proud expression adorning his face.  Chan-woo blushed at the action of the other, but was acutely aware no one else in the room had moved since he had started the track.

"That was amazing, Channie-ah!" Bang PD-nim praised him in astonishment. "There was a reason I recruited you and this is one of many. Not only were those lyrics powerful, and sung with true emotion, but the creative to compose and write such a song is truly stunning. I hope the boys see what I see in you now."

"Thank you so much, Bang hyung," said Chan-woo as he bowed respectfully towards the older. "But it still has a lot more work to do and it's no where near perfect."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself. It's on its way to being something great. Maybe if the group could see it fitting within the album, they'll help you finish and polish it," the eldest said while he smiled at each person.

"Y-Yeah, maybe," whispered Chan-woo as he looked at his clasped hands in his lap.

"Alright, well I'm glad I stopped by when I did. I'll leave you all to it," said Bang PD-nim energetically before he stood up from his chair. "Keep up the great work boys. I'm excited to see the outcome for the next two albums."

"Thank you for stopping by, Hyung!" Namjoon warmly smiled while he stood up and bowed towards the eldest, the others followed his actions instinctively.

"Good luck," the CEO smiled at them all one last time before he existed the studio without another word.

Once the door closed behind the elder man, the group sat back down in their respective spots with a sigh. Well, all except Chan-woo, who begun to unplug the aux cord ready to take his laptop back to his corner. The room was painfully silent as the youngest picked up his belongings, only the sound of his heartbeat thrummed in his ears.

The second he turned around, he momentarily froze as he saw all seven pairs of eyes were on him. He nervously cleared his throat before he walked back over to the corner of the room he had been pre-occupying all morning. He carefully slid down the wall and readjusted his laptop and headphones, all the while he wondered why no one had said anything.

"Jesus," Namjoon suddenly said with bewilderment laced in his tone. "Who was the name of the girl that broke your fucking heart? Wow."

The other boys laughed at the comment and the tension within the group seemed to ease away slowly. Except for Chan-woo who had tensed up at the question. The youngest tried his best to ignore the comment and fight away the tears as he put his headphones back on and played the comforting track of the song he had just shared for the first time with anyone. His heart broke as he knew the truth behind the lyrics. He hadn't written it because a girl, or a boy for that matter, hadn't broken his heart. He wrote it because of his parents. Not that he would be telling any of them any time soon.

As he tried to relax his body with the soothing beats, he couldn't help but notice all of the looks thrown his way. He was glad he definitely couldn't hear whatever they were surely discussing about him. Chan-woo was sure that there would be one or two more comments that made fun of his sad, heartbroken lyrics. And there were no doubt going to be comments made about his awful voice. But if the song that floated through his headphones had suddenly stopped, he would have heard a much different conversation.

"What did you think about that?" quietly asked Yoongi as his eyes stayed trained on the young man in the corner.

"That was..." Hoseok paused as he tried to find the right word. "It was breathtaking."

"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Hoseok Hyung," sighed Namjoon. "Not only was the lyrics beautifully written and meaningful, but the track he has composed for it is spectacular. There is barely a fault I can find. In his lyrics, in his track, in his voice. It's all just..."

"Perfect," Taehyung whispered as he finished Namjoon's unfinished sentence.

"Do you really think it could work in the album?" asked Jimin with a hint of jealous. He was one of three that threw looks of hate and scorn towards the youngest person in the room. "I mean it may sound great, but could you honestly write the rest of the lyrics to fit in with the theme?"

"Yeah, he has done a good job of it so far. I reckon if we continue to write the versus and chorus about losing ones self to love, it'll fit perfectly in the album," Yoongi said after neither of the other two lyrical writers in the room spoke. His eyes never left Chan-woo while he spoke, captivated by the beauty, both inner and outer, and wondered what else the younger was hiding. "It could go really far, this song."

"Yeah I agree," chuckled Hoseok. "Anyway, let's get back to work. Let's give Chan-woo some time to cool down. I can tell he is embarrassed after having to share that with us. But we'll have to talk about co-writing lyrics with him another time."

The group settled back into their previous work before the interruption of Bang PD-nim. The rest of the day in the studio continued with discussions on the next album. Potential meanings behind songs were spoken of. Suggestions of who they would or wouldn't accept collaborations from the people who had made applicants already. Excitement grew within the group when they saw a familiar name among the list, one they had recently collaborated with to make a remix of one of the previous songs.

Chan-woo stayed to himself for pretty much the rest of the afternoon. He kept his headphones on didn't get up to leave the room at all. He would occasionally shift from the pain that started to flare up as a result of being sat on the floor all day long. Whenever he would move, adjust, or sigh to himself, he would have stares thrown his way. He ignored each of them like they had done to him, still a little hurt about the comment Namjoon had made about his song. A part of him had already dropped any hope of this being the point of change in the dynamics of his relationships with the group.

Chapter Text

Brisk morning air hit Chan-woo's face as he climbed out the back of the taxi. A sudden gust of wind blew his hair in front of his eyes, temporarily blinding him until he pushed it aside. Since he had prepaid the ride when he had booked it online, he simply closed the door and weaved his way through the morning rush of people on the sidewalk. He reached the entrance of the BigHit Entertainment building and adjusted his face mask as it rode up his nose.

Chan-woo walked on autopilot as he made his way to the dance studio that he and all of the boys would be spending the day in. He had left earlier than any of the others so he could let off a little bit of steam, he knew that all of his emotions would be released while he danced. For the most part of the day, he would be sitting still and observing as they rehearsed songs from the last album release, ready for an upcoming stage performance.

Once again, he had been awoken to the harsh reality that was Hoseok and Yoongi completely ignoring him. As he tried to pry out any information for the day ahead, he had been met with short responses void of all emotion. Neither men had made eye contact nor acknowledged his presence. The longer it drew on, the more he could feel it taking a toll on his mental health. He could feel himself spiralling out of control.

The door to the dance room had thankfully already been unlocked by the cleaners. Chan-woo flicked the light switch on as he entered the pitch black room, before he then walked over to the speakers in the corner to the right of the doorway. He slid his backpack off, placed it beside the speakers, tugged off his hoodie, dumped it lazily on the floor and finally connected his phone to the speaker via the aux cord. His body thrummed with excitement as he quickly navigated to his warm up playlist.

Upbeat music reverberated throughout the quiet room as Chan-woo walked into the middle of the empty space. He stared at his pathetic reflection while he slowly worked on stretching out all of his aching muscles. His heartbeat thumped loudly in his ears from the intense anticipation flowing through his veins. This would be the first time he had danced since the day he had fainted, and boy oh boy, had he missed it.

With his body thoroughly stretched and warmed up, he decided it was time to finally dance. He walked back over to the speakers and switched his playlist over to the one that held boy and girl group songs he knew the choreography to. A smile spread upon his face after he pressed the shuffle button. The familiar first notes of 'As If It's Your Last' by Blackpink begun booming through the speakers and Chan-woo rushed to the middle of the dance studio to get in position.

He had a few beats to calm his pulsating heart rate while he waited for the right beat to start on. He had memorised the entire song to Rosé's part and felt very comfortable dancing to the song without having to overthink the steps. He swept the hair out of his face and adjusted the mask out of habit one last time before his body moved on its own. He allowed the music to take control over his senses as his eyes stayed glued to his form in the mirror.

The ecstatic feeling that flowed throughout Chan-woo almost intoxicated him to the point of him having no conscious thoughts. A smile crept upon his face unconsciously as he just allowed his body to move in the moment. Part of him secretly loved how his small framed body suited the feminine dance rather well. His hips moved perfectly as he executed each step of the dance with precision. There wasn't a single flaw as he continued to dance in a state of absolute bliss.

But if Chan-woo had happened to look over towards the door halfway through the second chorus, he would have seen the door open and a figure come to a stop in the threshold. However, since he was so caught up in the freeing feeling of dancing, he didn't notice. The door remained open and several sets of eyes continued to watch on in silent wonder.

By the time the dance came to an end, Chan-woo hadn't even broken a sweat. His breath was slightly elevated due to the mask he had been wearing while he had danced his heart out. The second he heard the first few beats of the next song, a carefree chuckle left him as he got in position for 'The Eve' by EXO.

He had less time to get prepared the second he heard the song as he had memorised the entire choreography in Xuimin's part. The entire aura that surrounded him had changed in a split second. He went from feminine, happy, carefree to masculine, dark, sexy. His body rolled, flowed, swayed, popped and melted from one movement to another in a rhythmic fashion.

Chan-woo's body moved in such a hypnotic way that none of the several pair of eyes could look away. Each of the seven boys that stood still at the entrance of the dance studio felt as if their breath had been taken captive by the beautiful sight before them. The music that rung through the room didn't reach their ears. The people that passed by in the hallway behind them didn't register in their peripheral vision. Nothing but the boy before them had each and every single one of their attention.

Much like how the boys of BTS were only focused on one thing, Chan-woo's entire attention had been focused within him as he moved to the beat. He barely even registered his reflection across from him as he lost himself completely in the song. He felt his muscles relax the further he danced. He could feel the tension of the last few days dissolve slowly with the beat. He felt the pent up anger, sadness, and heartache fade away at each step.

Only for it all to return in an instant as his eyes locked on the stunned group at the doorway. Chan-woo had been in the middle of the very last chorus where he was on the floor seductively rolling his body to the beat when something in the corner of his eye drew his attention in the direction of the door. His body froze, his heart skipped a few beats, and his mouth slightly fell open.

Quickly, Chan-woo stood up from his position as he felt his face grow hot beneath his face mask. He bowed towards the seven members that hadn't moved an inch before he jogged over to his phone and swiftly disconnected it. After he pocketed the phone into the pocket of his trackies, he picked up his hoodie and threw it back on himself to try to help with the enormous sense of self-consciousness he felt in that moment.

"Come on, move Hoseok Hyung," whined Taehyung from the doorway as the other hadn't moved an inch since he had opened the door.

"Right, sorry," Chan-woo heard Hoseok reply in a whisper from where he was squatted in front of the speaker before the group walked in a second later.

Chan-woo stood up with his backpack in his grasp. He refused to look up as he walked to the very far corner of the room and sat himself down. He placed his backpack in between his spread out legs before he shifted through the contents until he found his water bottle. His heart continued to race even after he had sat down, beyond embarrassed that he had been caught dancing, even more so over the fact he didn't know how long they had been there for.

"Uh Chan-woo?" a voice grabbed the youngest's attention. He looked up to find Taehyung a few steps away from him and a mixture of a shy and apprehensive expression on his face. "I just wanted to say that was really cool. You're a good dancer."

"O-Oh," he stuttered as he looked down at his lap, the heat on his face grew more intense. "T-Thanks."

"No problem. I mean it too," shyly responded Taehyung before he walked away to warm up.

As he sipped on his bottle of water with a slight shake in his hand, he felt as if his heart was about to explode and his face mask melt from the heat radiating from his face. Chan-woo gulped nervously while he looked around the room. No one seemed to be paying him any attention, it felt like he had once again been casted aside like dirt on the floor. A sigh left his lips as he pulled his phone onto his lap and decided to distract himself while the group warmed up.

But what he didn't know, the scenes from before ran rampant throughout all seven minds of the boys. None of them could shake the hypnotic sight. Many of them tried to process the raw talent that they had witnessed mixed with their conflicting emotions of not wanting the boy to be a part of their group. They wanted to remain ignorant to any form of talent the boy could have. But it's hard to be blind to what they had just watched.

While Hoseok, Yoongi and Taehyung weren't having the exact same conflicting thoughts about the youngest's place in the group, they were having conflicting emotions raging within them about how the poor boy had been treated since his arrival. They felt an immense emotional wave mixed of guilt, proudness and attraction as they thought back on his hypnotic dance.

Chan-woo had been sat in the corner of the dance practice room for hours. He had done nothing but observe the group work as a solid unit to revise the choreography. He was amazed to be able to watch one of his favourite groups preform right before his eyes, a sight not many people would get the opportunity to have. He was also rather surprised to watch how much effort each and every single member put in to the practice.

Through his observation on each of them throughout the morning, he had picked up on little details about them which one could not normally see through their videos. For example, Jin would constantly ask if he was doing the choreography right. The oldest would also easily become very sweaty and red faced, so he had a towel off to the side on standby. He was still very stiff with his movements, but if Chan-woo were to compare it to some of their earlier dance practices, he could see such a huge improvement from him.

Much like Jin, Namjoon would often ask if he was performing the steps correctly. He would practice the movement by himself over and over until he started to get it to look smoother. Like the amazing leader he was, he would also push the group to keep going when he noticed some of them had begun to tire. And as Chan-woo sat there, he could see how much improvement Namjoon had made from when they first started. It was all due to years of hard work.

Chan-woo would occasionally focus on Yoongi, and when he did, his heart would drop. The older was so obviously exhausted both physically and mentally. Yet he never stopped, he just kept pushing through the dance practice. He rarely spoke a word as they continued revising and running it through. Chan-woo could clearly see how hard Yoongi worked to perfect the moves and the timing. He admired the older for his dedication and was utterly captivated by it.

One person that had caught his attention throughout the morning was Taehyung. He would be completely attentive and serious whenever he was learning or practicing. But he would have these small moments in between where he would just let loose for a little with his humour and it would lighten up the room and all of the other boys' moods. While he sat there watching the other, he wondered to himself why Army's overlooked him compared to the dance line. He was really talented and put in so much hard work.

Jimin of course worked really hard and it almost seemed effortless to him. Chan-woo loved to watch him dance, he always had, but it was a whole other experience being able to see it in person. Most of the time when they would split off to work in pairs or groups, he would go straight to Jungkook. And then Taehyung would most often than not ask to join them. But whenever Jimin danced, his whole aura seemed to shift. It was so amazing to watch.

Chan-woo was taken aback by how quiet Jungkook was during the practice. He would have assumed the youngest of the group would play around like he had seen in videos before. But instead he seemed to be focused heavily on the work at hand. Another thing that surprised him was how the other would help another member that was struggling without a second thought. But, one thing that concerned him, however, was how hard he seemed to be on himself whenever he made a mistake.

But the member that held his attention the most was the dance leader, the one and only Jung Hoseok. He led the practice the entire time, not once did he slip away from his duties. He pushed each and every person to do their best. He would correct any mistakes in such a kind and gentle way. He would even pull some of them aside to personally show them and guide them through the parts they didn't get. Chan-woo was completely and utterly infatuated with the way he took control of the room, as well as hypnotised by the way that man could move.

"Alright," a voice suddenly said which brought Chan-woo out of his thoughts. He looked up to find Hoseok with all eyes upon him. He tilted his head and adjusted his face mask as he listened to the other. "We are going to have a Lunch break. I'll give everyone an hour since we've worked so hard and done a good job."

"Wow, thanks Hyung," sarcastically said Taehyung which made the group laugh. "But I am actually glad we are having a break now. I'm starving."

"Me too," whined Jimin before he took a big swig from his water bottle.

"Who is getting lunch this time? Jin and I did it last time," Namjoon looked around the room expectantly.

"I will," Jungkook said and raised his hand.

"I'll go too," smiled Jimin. "Just the usual?"

"Yeah, the usual," nodded Namjoon while he walked over to his bag and sat on the ground. "Hurry back so we have enough time to eat."

"Yeah, yeah," Jimin said while he rolled his eyes and got himself ready to leave.

Chan-woo watched the interaction with hidden amusement. It always felt refreshing to see the friendly, bickering group he had seen online. But, at the same time it made him conflicted because he knew he would never be allowed in on it. As he brought himself out of his pity party for one, he saw that Yoongi and Hoseok had sat down next to one another and got on their phones. Neither of them looked his way or paid him any attention.

His heart raced as he considered what he should do next. He could either go ask them what had been going on between them for the last few days, or, he could just leave them alone and continue to sit, isolated, by himself. Chan-woo was so torn on what to do. The burning question that continuously consumed his every thought slowly ate away at him. He couldn't keep this up for much longer without having an inevitable breakdown.

And that was what ultimately decided his next course of action. Chan-woo summoned the last of his fleeting courage as he pushed his backpack to the side and hoisted himself onto his feet. With a deep breath in, he pocketed his hands and walked over to the pair that quietly sat occupied by their phones. He stood in front of them and shuffled from side to side slightly as he waited for one of them to look up at him.

"Hi," Hoseok said a moment later as he turned his phone off and gave his full attention to the younger. His facial expression was as flat as the emotion in his voice. His brown eyes scanned over the younger out of concerned habit. "Is something wrong?"

"Hey," whispered Chan-woo and momentarily paused as Yoongi's attention also turned to him. "Uh nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Well... As fine as I can be."

"What's up then?" asked Hoseok with a slight tilt of his head.

"Well I just wanted to ask something that's been on my mind for a while," he continued as he felt his heart rate accelerate from the nerves. "It's just that I've noticed you guys have been quite distant from me the last few days. And I was wondering if I've done something wrong to cause it?"

"No," answered Yoongi almost instantly.

"A-Are you sure?" Chan-woo stuttered after the other didn't expand on the matter.

"We are sure," said Hoseok firmly.

"Because it feels like I have done something wrong. A-And you know you can be honest with me. I can try to change or try to fix whatever I've done wrong. The way things have been the last two days have been effecting me. I just want to fix things Hyungs," desperately pleaded Chan-woo as quietly as he could, conscious that there were still three other people in the room.

"Channie-ah," Hoseok sighed tiredly as he rubbed a hand down his face. "Listen. We are just tired. We've had a busy schedule lately. We are getting ready for a few performances, trying to get two albums ready, a comeback coming up, and all of the other things we have to do. We are just tired and that's all it is."

"Oh okay," Chan-woo said with a frown, not believing it fully, but accepting it for some of the truth. "Well I'm glad I haven't done anything."

Without another word or waiting for a reply, Chan-woo turned around and walked back over to his spot. He numbly sat down and pulled his backpack over to him. His heart pounded and his mind raced as he processed the short interaction he had just had. Something with the answer just didn't sit right with him. How could being tired lead to someone ignoring another person? How could it result in being completely distant and unaffectionate? How could it cause short and emotionless responses?

A heavy sigh left his lips while he placed his headphones on his head and begun to play some music to help soothe his thoughts. Chan-woo knew he should leave it be for now and not give it any more energy. If there was something else that was at the cause of all this, he won't find out unless they told him. All he could do is give them space and time, and hope both Hoseok and Yoongi come around to how they used to be only a few days ago.

Chan-woo rummaged through his fairly empty backpack until he found one of his protein bars. He absentmindedly nibbled away at the snack while his mind circled back around to the events over the past few days. Because as hard as he tried to stay away from the topic, his mind was stuck on a single track. He didn't mean to sound so desperate before, so pathetic, but it just kind of slipped out before he could catch himself. It only added to the embarrassment of the entire situation he found himself in.

Time to pass him by quickly, caught up in his thoughts, because the door to the practice room opened and Jimin and Jungkook entered carrying four small plastic bags between them. Chan-woo watched as the two handed out small containers with a bottle of water to each member. They walked around to every person, except for himself, before they sat down next to Taehyung and begun to eat themselves.

Part of Chan-woo hurt from being left out of the lunch order, but at the same time, he was not surprised at all. Jungkook and Jimin were in the group that absolutely hated him and his existence. So of course those two wouldn't think to grab him something. However he didn't know what Yoongi or Hoseok would have done if they had been sent out to get lunch instead. Maybe they would have grabbed something for him out of pity. But after their behaviour in the past few days, he doubted that.

The softest, almost inaudible, sigh left his lips as he shrunk in on himself. Not only was he feeling horrible over the situation between the only friends he had in the group, but he felt like he was constantly being struck down by the others and their reminders of how they fell about him. He felt as if he could just run and hide from all this and no one would even care or look for him. Part of him contemplated the idea briefly before he buried it deep down out of guilt. 

No, he couldn't think like that. He had escaped his horrendous home life to pursue the only real passion he had in life. He couldn't just give up and go just because it was hard. He had faced worse. He had faced physical harm. He had faced life threatening situations. He could handle being ignored, being called names, and being unwanted. And he knew he could handle it because he had dealt with it his whole life. Chan-woo just needed to remind himself of these things in the future when it all feels like too much. He could do this.

The rest of the day had gone by fairly uneventful for Chan-woo. He hadn't interacted with any of the others for the remainder of the time they had spent in the dance rooms. After the boys had packed up and silently left the room without him, he had decided in the spare of the moment to stay behind for and let off some more pent up energy. He had danced his heart out and may have let a few tears spill out by accident.

Chan-woo was currently on the way back to the apartments by foot. He had a light layer of sweat all over his body. That had been the most intense physical activity he had done since that day he fainted and landed in the hospital. His entire body ached and even as he walked down the dimly lit street under the rising moon light, he was still fairly out of breath. He wouldn't have had it any other way since that had been a good release for him after everything that's happened.

The walk home had been peaceful for him. His mind hadn't thought about any of the stressful situations for a change. And he put that down to the fact he had danced all of that away. He took a deep inhale of the cool night's air before he left out a massive sigh of relief. But something changed really quickly that caused his heart to suddenly start to pound heavily.

The pathway suddenly rocked from side-to-side as his body felt like it was being hurdled through the air in summersets. Chan-woo stopped in his step and bent forward in an attempt to steady himself. This would have to be the most intense dizzy spell he had ever had. His breath came out in rapid succession, the world still spun with his eyes tightly shut, and even more sweat begun to pour off of him.

It took a minute of him stayed hunched over in the same position until he felt like he could move at all. Chan-woo was so close to the apartments, he just needed to push through the dizziness that lingered so he could lie down and rest for the night. With the last of his energy and willpower, he forced himself to continue to walk towards the apartments.

The entire walk took an agonising toll on both his mind and body. All he could focus on as he walked was how much he craved to lie down. He didn't care if it was on the couch or on the floor, he just needed to close his eyes. 

The ride up the elevator almost didn't register for him as he was too tired to think. Before he knew it he was stood in front of the door utterly out of breath. He weakly lifted his hand and knocked on the hard wood. Soft footsteps approached the door a second later before it was opened. Chan-woo lifted his heavy eyes to stare at the quiet Taehyung.

"Hey, are you okay?" Taehyung asked with concern immediately upon seeing the younger's condition.

"I'm fine, I just need to lie down," he responded quietly.

"What's wrong?" Yoongi's familiar voice asked from somewhere close inside, before he appeared behind Taehyung and looked Chan-woo over with worried filled eyes. "Channie-ah are you okay? Are you having symptoms again?"

"Y-Yeah, I am. I just need to lie down," he said again just as quietly.

"Alright, come here," Yoongi said as he got around Taehyung, grabbed one of Chan-woo's arms, and placed it around his own shoulders. Yoongi gently placed his own arm around the back of Chan-woo's back and rested his hand upon his waist as he begun to guide the younger inside the apartment. "Get off the couch so Chan-woo can lie down."

"Did something happen?" Namjoon asked as he and Jimin stood up from the couch that Chan-woo would normally lie upon at night, while Jin, Jungkook and Hoseok all stood up from the other couch out of pure concern.

"Don't worry about it," Yoongi bit out a little harsher than he meant to as he helped the exhausted, sweaty, and pale looking boy sit down. "Here, lie down slowly so it doesn't make it worse."

Chan-woo's eyes were barely open as he felt a hand on the back of his head and another on his right arm gently guide him into a flat position. A sigh left his lips as he felt the soft cushions take most of the weight for his lethargic body. He tired to open his eyes as the hand behind his hand snaked around to start soothingly stroke through his hair. But he found whenever he attempted to open them, the room would start to spin over and over again, opting to just leave them close.

The entire room was silent as all seven sets of eyes stared with concern at the pale and sweaty young man. Never before had any of them actually witnessed something wrong with Chan-woo. Except for Yoongi and Hoseok, they had all wondered what had happened to the younger that Bang PD-nim mentioned that night at the dinner. It didn't take much of a genius to figure out whatever it was, was happening before their very eyes.

"Can I get you anything? Can I help you in any way?" Taehyung asked as he stood at the end of the couch and looked down at the younger with concerned eyes.

Chan-woo couldn't even muster the energy to give a reply. Instead he just shook his head silently before he had to stop from another bout of dizziness. He groaned lowly and scrunched his eyebrows together. The hand that ran through his hair gently helped distract his mind. A small shiver coursed through his body and he unintentionally leaned into the touch he had missed so much over the passed few days.

"Should I call Bang Hyung, Channie-ah?" asked Yoongi softly with concern, his eyes roamed over the pale face he was leaned over.

"Yeah, I think we should," Hoseok said in agreement, worried for the younger. "You don't look good, Chan-woo. I think he needs to know."

"No," Chan-woo said quietly before he cleared his throat and forced himself to speak a little louder. "No, there's nothing he can do. There's nothing any of you could do either. I just need to lie down for a bit and keep my eyes closed. I hope it'll pass on it's own soon enough."

"Alright," solemnly said Hoseok as he sat down with resignation. "But tell us if you need anything okay? Don't be afraid to ask for some help."

"Yes Hyung," Chan-woo whispered before he sighed softly thanks to the relaxation that slowly overtook his exhausted body from the help of the hand in his hair.

Chan-woo stayed still for what seemed like hours. Mind unoccupied of all thoughts as he focused on the soft touches from Yoongi. The older had sat on the ground next to his head and continued to run his hand through his hair. Occasionally he would reach up with his other hand and gently caress his cheek or softly rub comforting circles along his right arm. And despite how much he hated how easily he gave into it, he was too tired to push the older away just like he had done to him for three straight days.

Quiet whispers reached his ears throughout the duration he had been on the couch. Yet he couldn't quite discern what was being said. He did hear his name whispered a small handful of times, and came to the conclusion they were all discussing the condition he had come back in. Chan-woo honestly couldn't care in that moment what was said or what happened, as long as he could continue to peacefully lie on the couch and not be overcome with dizziness, that's all that mattered to him.

Within fifteen minutes of when he had first laid down, Chan-woo felt the tiredness start to overpower any will to stay awake. His entire body felt heavy as it sunk even further into the soft cushions below. The rhythmic and slow strokes of Yoongi's hand begun to fade away slowly. The whispers sounded further and further away the more he was pulled into the land of unconsciousness. And despite not having had any full meal the entire day, Chan-woo's empty stomach felt content enough to allow him to fall asleep. The day's events long forgotten as he peacefully slipped away into one of the deepest sleeps he had had in a long time.

Chapter Text

The dorms had been quiet long into the later hours of the morning. A little too quite for how bustling mornings usually were for the group of eight men. Chan-woo slowly begun to stir from one of the deepest and longest sleeps he had ever had in his life. His mind was clouded with the lingering effects of sleep as he turned onto his back and tiredly rubbed his heavy eyelids. Only the soft buzzing sounds of the electronics filled the silent space around him.

From head to toe, Chan-woo's entire body felt alleviated of any tension, not a sign of the previous day's soreness to be found. Brown eyes slowly pried open for the firs time that morning. His pupils shrunk as they adjusted to the bright light that streamed in through the windows while he looked around the room. Something in the back of his sleepy mind told him it was too quiet in this dorm.

With a small groan from the effort it took, Chan-woo pushed himself up into a seated position on the edge of the couch. Out of habit, he begun to fold the blanket that had been placed upon him sometime throughout the night. It was then that he noticed he was still in the clothes he had worn the day before. A grimace overtook his sleepy facial expressions. He didn't dare lift his arms because he just knew he was in desperate need of a shower to freshen up.

That reminded Chan-woo of the events from the day before. He remembered how he had a bad flare up of his dizziness and how he barely managed to drag his sore body up to the dorms. He had been too exhausted to even care that all seven members saw the state he had been in, since his only focus was to lie down. He faintly remembered hearing his name whispered around the room and could only imagine the speculation that they all must have now. Part of his tired mind wondered whether Hoseok or Yoongi had revealed what was wrong with him to the others.

A dull red colour arose on his cheeks as he thought back on the last thing he remembered before he must have eventually fallen asleep. He remembered the soft caresses from Yoongi as the older continually sat on the floor beside him. His body had been craving those kind touches ever since things started to go south between them. And part of him hated he had been to exhausted to register it. Another part of him hated the fact it was most likely done out of pity.

The unsettling silence begun to eat away at the young man as he stood from the couch, with his pillow in hand, and walked straight over to his duffle bag. While Chan-woo shifted through his clean pile of clothing, he wondered the reasons behind the dorm being so quiet. Perhaps some of the boys had gone out already and left some to sleep in. He highly doubted that he had slept through all seven members getting ready and leaving, because that amount of noise would have surely woken him up.

Before Chan-woo went to walk away to the bathroom, he disconnected his phone from its charger and looked at the time. His eyes bugged out of his head as he saw it was a couple minutes away from being 11am. Having seen the time, the silence in the house seemed to grow louder, and he knew that it meant he currently was the only one in the apartment. A frown settled on his face as he stood with everything bundled in his arms and made his way through the quiet room into the bathroom.

Instead of getting into the much needed shower, Chan-woo carefully discarded his clothes, towels, toiletries and phone on the edge of the vanity before he then walked back out into the hallway. He quietly moved down the hallway, even though there was no need for it, his heart pounded loudly in his ears. He stood outside of Hoseok's door and knocked on it three times. He leaned in to listen closely and heard no movement within.

Sheepishly, Chan-woo looked down to the other end of the hallway before he slowly turned the door knob and pried open the door. He poked his head in the slightly ajar door and peered around only to find two empty beds. A deep shame built up inside him for snooping around the older's room, so he quickly closed the door and walked back into the bathroom with the resignation he had been left behind.

Chan-woo closed and locked the bathroom door behind himself out of a force of habit. He turned the taps on to allow the shower to warm up. With a tired sigh, he spun around to grab his phone while he waited. His finger hovered over his messages app as he considered whether he should ask Hoseok where they all went or just wait until they get back. Curiosity eventually won out as he opened Hoseok's number and begun to type.

Chan-woo:
Hey Hoseok Hyung. I just woke up to find you all gone. Where are you guys?

A small yawn overtook him just after he placed his locked phone back down on the vanity. Chan-woo wiped a stray tear that formed as a result of the yawn before he finally undressed himself from the dirty clothes. Relief ran through him the moment he stepped under the warm stream of water. His muscles further relaxed the longer he stood there, no conscious thoughts appeared in his mind, the warm water washed away all the residual sweat and soreness.

As much as Chan-woo could have easily spent half an hour under the warm streams, he knew he had to get on with his day. So with great effort, he turned off the taps and stepped onto the bath mat in the now slightly humid room. Water droplets rolled down his flawed body and onto the bath mat below as he reached forward to grab his towel. 

After he had securely wrapped the soft material around his waist, Chan-woo then grabbed his phone and checked his lockscreen. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the first half of the response from Hoseok he had sent him around five minutes ago. He hurriedly unlocked his phone and opened up the message, keen to read the rest of it. 

Hoseokie Hyung:
Morning Channie-ah! I hope you slept well. We tried to be quiet this morning and let you sleep in because you probably needed all the rest you could get. Hopefully we didn't worry you though. Right now we're all in a dance practice with a choreographer. Then this afternoon we are going back to the studio to work on the Japanese album some more. So we should be home this around 6pm.

Chan-woo:
Oh, thank you for letting me sleep in. I'm surprised I didn't wake up at all. I might see you later in the studio. I need to try to see Bang PD-nim Hyung if he has some free time. Have a good practice.

There was more Chan-woo wanted to say in the message to Hoseok. Like how he didn't want the other to be concerned about him purely out of pity. Or like how he didn't want his small health scare to cause the other boy to start caring for him again because he felt obliged. Or how he wanted to remind the older how busy he was with everything and he didn't need to worry about him. But he held it all in and locked his phone as he busied himself with the task of getting ready.

His exposed skin had mostly dried up by the time he unwrapped the towel and begun to dry his damp hair. It didn't take him long to completely dry down his body and put on his refreshingly clean clothes. The mirror was still covered by a layer of fog which prevented him from seeing his reflection. It was probably for the best, he thought, as he brushed his teeth. He would have started the negative comments about himself and they would have continue all throughout his day.

Chan-woo gathered all of his items into his arms and left the muggy bathroom. His mind and body felt in sync for once. Perhaps it was all thanks to the massive sleep he had had. As he cleaned up after himself and walked into the kitchen, an odd sense of serenity hung around him in the air. That was, until, his stomach painfully contracted in a reminder that he hadn't consumed any food for almost 24 hours.

With a small sigh, he leisurely wandered over to the fridge and opened it up. He bent forward and grabbed his plastic bag still so full of the shopping he'd brought for himself a while ago. Chan-woo pulled out a small tray of raw beef before he put the rest back to its original spot. Just as he reached up to grab the small frying pan he'd purchased, he heard his phone buzz on the countertop. He quickly put the item on the over top before he turned around and eagerly opened the new text message.

Hoseokie Hyung:
Alright, we'll be in the same studio as a few days ago, so come see us there. Make sure to take it easy. I'm worried about you after last night. Don't overdo anything that could make it worse.

Upon finishing the message, his heart dropped. Chan-woo had predicted that perhaps the kindness had returned out of the worry from him being unwell. It made him wonder if he hadn't come back to the dorm last night in such a terrible state, would things be different? Would Yoongi still have taken care of him last night if he hadn't been sick? Would Hoseok still have checked in on him this morning? Would the entire group still have tried to be quiet to let him to sleep in and rest?

Because Chan-woo doubted Hoseok and Yoongi changed their attitude and actions last night purely because of their talk during the lunch break yesterday. He doubted his worries he expressed to the pair caused them to take care of him both last night and this morning. So many conflicting emotions flooded Chan-woo at the same time. He wanted to believe this treatment wasn't brought on just by the flare up of his Anaemia symptoms. He wanted to... But he couldn't.

Chan-woo:
Thanks Hyung.

Chan-woo sighed tiredly, his mood now brought down by his thoughts. He locked his phone and continued to cook himself an early lunch. It would not do him any good to dwell on the "what if's". Even if he didn't want to think about it in the present moment, his mind would surely bring the subject up again at a later point. For now, he focused on the preparation of his meal before he'd give Bang PD-nim a call in hopes of scheduling a meeting.

Fast, heavy footsteps reverberated around the fairly empty hallway. Chan-woo's heart pounded a million miles an hour in his chest the closer he walked towards Bang PD-nim's closed office door. While he hastily made his way to the very impromptu meeting, his eyes wandered the familiar hallway as he tried to keep himself composed. His palms were clammy and his breath came out in short, rapid succession. But he didn't know if that was due to the nervousness that plagued him or from the prolonged symptoms of his Anaemia flare up.

Being on the safe side, Chan-woo had decided to organise himself a taxi to the company. He didn't want to push the boundaries after such an unexpected episode. And as he came to a stop outside the office door, he was thankful he had done that as the small amount of walking he had done already exhausted him. He took a quick second to try to regain his breathing before he lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

"Chan-woo! Come in, come in!" Bang PD-nim smiled as he opened the door.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," bowed Chan-woo before he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"Of course. It's no problem. I do apologise it will only be a short 10 minute meeting, it's all I could manage before I need to leave," the kind CEO smiled while he sat down behind his desk and gestured for the younger to also take a seat. "You look a little unwell. Are you okay?"

"Not really," nervously smiled Chan-woo as he fidgeted in the chair. "Last night I had a bad episode with my Anaemia. I reckon I was close to fainting again. Yoongi Hyung and Hoseok Hyung were about to call you because they didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't they? Don't tell me I need to talk with them," despite the joking tone of Bang PD-nim, Chan-woo's eyes widen after what he had said.

"No, no! Of course not. T-They didn't call you because I told them not to. There wasn't anything they or you could do in that moment. I just need to rest," Chan-woo tried to desperately explain, scared the boys would get in trouble.

"Hey it's okay," reassuringly said Bang PD-nim as he saw the slight panic in the younger's eyes. "They aren't in trouble. Neither are you. Did you end up getting some rest?"

"15 hours of rest. Longest and deepest sleep I've ever had. But I still feel so fatigued," sighed Chan-woo, the exhaustion really showed on his face. "B-But that wasn't why I asked for this meeting."

"I hope you'll start to feel better soon. I'll be here to help you along the way. But yes, how can I help you?" genuinely asked Bang PD-nim with concern, his eyes roamed Chan-woo's face for signs of what was to come.

"I know you'd like to debut me soon. But before anything is released to the public, I have something fairly urgent I need to tell you about," said Chan-woo cautiously as his heart raced in his chest.

"Sounds serious. What's going on?" Bang PD-nim asked as his concern only grew larger. There was something within Chan-woo's eyes that made the older anxious. He could feel the dread and anticipation pouring off of the younger.

"It's about my parents," he simply said which caused both himself and the CEO to tense up. He took a deep breath in to steady his nerves before he spoke with a shake in his voice. "Any money I have earnt in my entire life has been taken by them. T-They will probably try to take the money from me after I'm finally in the public eye. A-And I'm afraid that if I don't give them money, they'll go to the media and talk about me."

"You poor thing. Did they take money from you even after you turned 18?" Bang PD-nim asked, his voice full of sadness and pity.

"Yes. They took everything. All the way up until I left to come here. Unless I was lucky to hide it from them," he explained as tears started to form in his eyes.

"And what do you think they'll say to the media? Is there anything I should know about?" he asked as a follow up question while in his mind he had already begun to formulate a plan.

"There's nothing you should know about, no," Chan-woo said, so close to tears, anything to do with his parents just brought back all of the awful memories. "But knowing them, they'll make up lies. They'll make people hate me. They'll paint a bad picture of me so I won't be able to continue working as an idol and have to move back with them. A-And I don't want to go back to them, Bang PD-nim Hyung."

It was at that moment that Chan-woo couldn't hold back the tears any longer. All of his fears surrounding his parents came rushing up at once. His body shook as he furiously wiped the tears away. Shame built up in him when the hot tears that streamed down his face wouldn't stop. He heard movement from within the room before a hand gently squeezed his right shoulder and another hand soothingly stroked through his hair.

"Hey it's alright. It'll all be okay," Bang PD-nim's voice soothed Chan-woo as he squatted down next to the young boy, his heart broke at the sight and the words. "Just take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself you are safe, you are here with me."

"T-Thank you," Chan-woo managed to stutter out as he calmed his breathing and wiped his face dry.

"No need to thank me," the older sighed sadly before he stood up and walked back over to his chair. The room was filled with the sniffles of the upset Chan-woo while Bang PD-nim wrote down some notes on a piece of paper. "Now, since we need to wrap up this meeting soon, there isn't much I can do for you today. However, in saying that, I think I know what we can do to help you."

After taking a deep breath in, Chan-woo nodded his head as he listened to the CEO talk. He knew that in asking for this meeting with only a short amount of time to discuss things, nothing would be resolved then and there. And he hadn't meant to take up some of that time with a small breakdown. Part of him knew that he'd need to talk about everything with Bang PD-nim in the near future, something he'd need to start preparing himself for.

"So my plan moving forward," started Bang PD-nim as he finally looked up from his notes, "I will talk to our team of lawyers to get them to draft up a Non-Disclosure Agreement. And if you think your parents motives in destroying your public image is monetary, then I will ask them to also draft up terms for a one time lump-sum payment. Once I have everything sorted on our end, I will give you a text or call to schedule another meeting."

"That sounds good," sniffled Chan-woo as he composed himself, already feeling better having talked with Bang PD-nim. This worry had been on his mind continuously since he had left that day. He knew his parents and their sick greed for taking his money. He truly believed they would destroy him in order to get money. "Thank you so much for the making the time to see me."

"Of course, it's more than okay," nodded Bang PD-nim with a smile before he stood up and came around to the front of his desk. "Go home and rest some more. You look really tired and I bet having that emotional discussion would not have helped you."

"Y-Yeah, it definitely didn't," Chan-woo chuckled as he stood up. "I'm going to stop by the studio, apparently the Hyungs are do a recording session. But then I'll go home straight afterwards."

"Alright. Well I am only one text or call away if you need anything. Take care of yourself until I see you next," the CEO smiled warmly while he reached forwards and placed his hand upon the younger's shoulder. 

The two looked sadly at one another in a mutual understanding. Chan-woo knew that he could always rely on the other, and Bang PD-nim knew that the younger had been brave enough to reach out while he was struggling this time. The older only hoped the broken boy could keep confiding in him, this was a start. Chan-woo bowed one more time before he quietly left the office.

Feeling like a small weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Chan-woo made his way back towards the elevator. He knew that the hard part was yet to come, but at least he had finally spoken to Bang PD-nim about the issue. He really hoped everything would work out smoothly and his parents take the lump-sum payment and sign the NDA. But, he didn't want to hold his breath as he knew what they were like.

As soon as the doors to the elevator closed in front of him, he snapped out of his small stupor, and moved forward to click the button for the floor he needed to go to. His heart begun to elevate slightly as butterflies swarmed in his stomach. Chan-woo could feel his cheeks burn red at the thought of coming face-to-face with all seven boys after the previous evening's event. To say he was anxious would be an understatement. He was practically sweating bullets at the thought of being in the same room as then.

While the elevator took him down, his thoughts took him far away from the present moment. Chan-woo had to wonder what would happen when he entered the room. He wondered if Yoongi and Hoseok would still take care of him. He wondered if he would be met with the cold reception by the pair for no apparent reason once more. Because he still hadn't figured out what had happened to cause that, and he didn't know how long this kindness would last again.

It was time for him to find out which mood would be present as the doors to the elevator opened and he walked towards the same studio as two days ago. His heart pounded heavily now, his palms also became sweaty. He knew it was nerves, but he also considered the fact he had a bad Anaemia episode and it could be that. He wiped his hands on his jacket just as he came to a stop outside the closed door. He lifted his hand and knocked; waiting with anticipation for what could follow.

The door opened and before Chan-woo stood Taehyung with a wide smile on his face. He sent a small, nervous smile back to the other boy as the pair continued to stand there in silence. His heart continued to beat loudly in his ears, his body was tensed with anticipation, his eyes anxiously averted from the intense, dark, brown eyes that stared at him. Chan-woo wondered if he should ask to come in or just wait for Taehyung to move aside.

All of a sudden, two strong arms engulfed him. Firm muscles drew Chan-woo towards a sturdy chest. His entire body tensed within the hold while his eyes flew wide open in shock. The last thing he had expected was for Taehyung to pull him in for a hug. His mind went blank as he processed what had just occurred. His stiff body stood still in shock with his arms by his sides and brown eyes darted around quickly.

One hand gently glided up his back, up the nape of his neck, and came to rest on the back of his head. Long, lean fingers entangled themselves within his soft hair. Slowly, Chan-woo relaxed into the hug. His head rested against a firm shoulder and he hesitantly lifted his stunned arms up to hug Taehyung back. His hands rested against Taehyung's shoulder blades, and when the other would shift slightly, he could feel the muscles ripple beneath his hands through the soft fabric of his shirt.

"How are you feeling?" whispered Taehyung.

"T-Tired," Chan-woo stuttered after he felt the warm breath gloss over his sensitive skin beside his ear.

"You look it," the other boy whispered followed by a soft chuckle.

Taehyung pulled away from Chan-woo slowly, his hands gliding over him until they rested on the younger's biceps. Soft, brown eyes scanned over Chan-woo's face with lots of concern in them. Chan-woo hung his head in embarrassment, not used to being looked over in such close proximity. He could feel his cheeks warm up under the gaze and wished he didn't always blush so easily.

"Can I come in?" nervously asked Taehyung as he lifted his eyes up to meet the other's gaze. "I-I'm feeling really tired after the small amount of exercise I've done."

"Yeah! Of course," smiled Taehyung as he finally stepped to the side. "Come rest for a bit."

"Thank you Hyung," Chan-woo returned the smile as he walked into the studio.

The room was a mixture of quiet and busy, all of the boys seemed preoccupied with one thing or another. Chan-woo's eyes had a small sparkle within them as he looked around in wonderment. The atmosphere felt more intense than the studio session a few days prior. He could feel the sense of urgency from the group as they all stayed focused on the task at hand, the deadline loomed above all of their heads.

Namjoon sat behind the same computer while he barked instructions into the microphone and adjusted the nobs on the equipment. Jimin was in the small recording booth with headphones on. He repeated the same lines with small changes that the leader would suggest. Both Jin and Hoseok seemed caught up in going over lyrics together. While Jungkook sat quietly with a pair of headphones on and faintly hummed the tune to himself.

"Come sit here," a voice suddenly said which drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts.

Chan-woo shifted his eyes over to Yoongi whom sat by himself on one of the two couches. The older had a notepad positioned on his lap, a pen in his right hand, and the softest smile Chan-woo had ever seen on his lips. Without any hesitation, his tired body moved straight over to Yoongi, the fatigued muscles yearned for rest. He sat with a heavy sigh beside the older and was taken aback slightly when he felt someone else also sit on his other side. Taehyung gave him a small smile as he settled down beside him.

"You really do look exhausted," commented Taehyung while he pulled out some paperwork with lyrics upon them.

"You're not feeling good?" Yoongi asked after he had overheard the other.

"Mmm," Chan-woo hummed and nodded his head. He tried hard to suppress a yawn that he could feel build up. "My body still hasn't fully recovered after last night's episode. It took so much effort to get ready and come down here."

"Hoseok said you were trying to see Bang Hyung. Did you manage to see him? Is everything okay?" asked Yoongi as his concerned brown eyes took in the younger's pale features.

"Y-Yeah," nodded Chan-woo before he looked down at his lap. "Everything will be okay. Bang PD-nim Hyung has always been helpful with this ongoing situation. I-I can't really talk about it h-here. But I'm sure everything will work out."

"Ah, it's okay. I understand," smiled Yoongi as he lifted his left arm and placed it around the younger's shoulder. "You can always tell me another time if you need to. I'll always be there."

"Thanks," whispered Chan-woo, his hands clasped together tightly in his lap and head hung low.

While it warmed his heart to hear such words from Yoongi, Chan-woo honestly didn't want to hold him to it. Because over the last few days he had been casted aside and ignored by the older. And if it wasn't for the fact he had come back in such a bad condition, he was certain this conversation would not be happening the way it currently was. Deep down, he was still hurting from the hot and cold treatment that didn't have an obvious cause. Other than that the flimsy excuse he had been told which didn't sit well with him.

As Chan-woo continued to sit there in silence, not sure what to say, he's entire body felt tense under the touches. He was acutely aware of Yoongi's hand that barely grazed his arm, the way Taehyung's thigh was pushed against his own, and how his body was tense all over sandwiched between the two. He gulped heavily in an attempt to ward off the rising nervousness. Although there was nothing he could do to fend off the trapped feeling that suddenly swamped his body.

"Did you sleep well?" Yoongi asked, his attention back on the notepad on his lap.

"Hmm?" hummed Chan-woo as he looked over to the other. He watched for a moment as Yoongi continued to write without looking up at him, mesmerised with the older's handwriting. "Uh yeah, I did. I think that was the best sleep in my entire life."

"Best sleep in your entire life? Really? Wow, you really weren't in a good state last night," said Taehyung with astonishment.

 "If only you knew how bad it was," sighed Chan-woo as he sheepishly gazed at the other that sat on his left.

"Wait really?" Taehyung asked with his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What was happening? Because I knew you were pale and not feeling good, but what else was going on? Well I mean only if you are comfortable telling me."

"Well basically I was really tired. Everything felt like an effort. To walk, to sit, to stand, to breathe even. And I was having these fluctuating dizzy spells. That's why my eyes closed and didn't open once I laid down. The room would spin the instant I tried to open them," he explained as quietly as he could so no one but the two beside him could hear him.

"Why did you not say anything?" Taehyung asked with a pout. He moved his hand to rest upon Chan-woo's thigh and squeezed it gently in a show of support, his eyes full of worry. "We could have helped you be more comfortable or something. Right Yoongi Hyung?"

"Right," said Yoongi as he looked over towards Chan-woo, nodded his head, and squeezed the younger's bicep.

"Honestly, there was nothing either of you could do. But I do have to thank you, Yoongi Hyung," quietly said Chan-woo as he sheepishly looked at the older with a small blush that appeared on his cheeks. "You really helped me relax throughout it. I appreciated it a lot."

"If that small thing I did helped you through it even a little, I'm glad to hear it. I wish there was more I could have done," said Yoongi with a sad expression. He shifted slightly to reach up and run his right hand through the younger's soft hair three times, much like he had done the previous night. "I just want you to feel better."

"Maybe one day," sighed Chan-woo as his eyes closed on instinct as soon as the hand touched his head.

"Are you getting tired again? Do you need to rest?" Taehyung asked, the hand that had been rested upon the younger's thigh reached up and begun to gently run through his hair the second Yoongi's right hand had pulled away.

"Yeah, I think I should close my eyes for a few minutes. My body is just really fatigued right now," faintly said Chan-woo in an almost whisper. The second he had finished speaking, a long yawn overtook him.

"You can rest your head on my shoulder for a bit, I don't mind," Yoongi smiled down at the younger whom still had his eyes closed. "I don't need to go anyway for a while. Whereas, Taehyung might need to get up soon for his recording session."

"Yeah, looks like Jimin is almost done," lightly chuckled Taehyung before he adjusted slightly in his seat, his hand never left Chan-woo's hair.

"Come on," whispered Yoongi after the younger still hadn't moved. "Rest. You need it."

"Fine," he pouted as he shuffled closer and carefully laid his head on Yoongi's shoulder.

"Cute," Yoongi whispered as he tightened his grip with his left arm and unconsciously pulled the younger as close to him as he could.

From beside him, Chan-woo heard Taehyung chuckle which only made him pout harder. He could practically feel the heat intensify on his face as he settled into the new position. Taehyung's hand briefly glided down to his cheek, softly pinched it, before he returned back to caressing his hair. The movement from the hand helped the younger to slowly ease out his tensed posture, the pout slowly left his lips as well.

Chan-woo allowed his body to relax like it so desperately wanted. Even though he felt uncomfortable closing his eyes in such a setting, he was too tired to keep them open any longer. The small amount of walking he had down had exhausted him. As he continued to sit there the different sounds around the room filled his ears. Surprisingly, all of the boys weren't that noisy despite the task they all had to concentrate on.

He could hear the soft hums from Jungkook nearby. The quiet discussion between Jin and Hoseok. The muffled clicks and occasional words from Namjoon. The soft melodies from Jimin that played through the speakers. The sounds of rustling paper as Taehyung adjusted them. And most of all, he could hear the rhythmic scratches from Yoongi's pen as well as his soft breath as he exhaled.

Focused on Yoongi's small breaths near his ear and the soft touches from Taehyung, it wasn't long before everything around Chan-woo seemed to fade away slowly. The soft noises within the studio became distant as the activity in his usually racing mind seemed to slow down. His entire body, from head to toe, thanked him greatly for the rest it so desperately craved. And within a matter of seconds, the young man had fallen asleep in the comforting hold of Yoongi accompanied by Taehyung to his side.

Chan-woo had been slumped over the kitchen table for what felt like hours. The second he had sat down after he had reached home, his body had folded in on itself, forcing him to rest despite the hard wood. No matter how much Chan-woo wanted to crawl to the couch, his body stubbornly refused to move an inch. And as he sat there in silence, he just thanked his lucky stars he was not dizzy in that moment.

The rest of the group had spread out throughout the house after they had all got home. From where he had laid, he heard some of the boys cooking in the kitchen, and some relax on the couch watching the tv. If he wasn't so uncomfortable and the noise wasn't so loud, he could have easily fallen asleep right then and there. But he forced himself to stay conscious until he had the energy to move.

"Hey Channie-ah," a soft voice called for his attention to his right.

"Mmmm?" Chan-woo hummed as he lifted his heavy head up and looked over his shoulder to find Hoseok stood with two bowls in his hand.

"Have something to eat before you fall asleep," Hoseok spoke in the same soft voice, a smile on his face as he took in the dishevelled look the younger sported. "I don't want your levels getting any worse than they already are."

"Did you make that for me, Hoseokie Hyung?" Chan-woo forced himself to sit up a little straighter, a frown on his face as he tried to digest what was happening.

"I sure did," his smile widen as he placed a bowl in front of Chan-woo and then took his own seat to the right of him. "Don't blame me if it isn't spectacular tasting."

"I'm... Wow, you really made dinner for me?" surprised coursed through his body as he looked at the bowl of rice and sautéed beef strips. "Thank you Hyung. But, why though?"

"You looked really tired all day at the studio and it didn't look like you'd have the energy to make yourself anything," smiled Hoseok as he reached over and ruffled the already messy, soft hair.

"Well thank you," Chan-woo nodded, a blush rose upon his cheeks once more. He picked up the chopsticks and took his first bite. His eyes widen as the flavours of the tender meat flooded his mouth. "Wow. Hoseok Hyung, it's really tasty, thank you so much."

"No need to thank me. Just eat so you can go to bed soon," Hoseok smiled warmly at the younger while he begun to eat as well.

Chan-woo forced himself to keep feeding the delicious tasting food into his mouth. His hand felt heavy with each lift, and it took a tremendous effort to chew and sallow. The longer he sat in silence with Hoseok by his side, the harder it became to keep his eyes open with the warm food that had begun to fill his empty stomach. All his fatigued body wanted was to lay down and sleep.

"My flowers are starting to look a little flat," noted Hoseok after the silence between the two dragged on.

"Your flowers?" repeated Chan-woo with a wide, sleepy smile. The statement had taken him by surprise, and as he looked between Hoseok and the vase of slightly deflated flower, it only amused him further.

"I mean your flowers. They are yours, that I happened to buy. But yes, your flowers are starting to look a little flat," laughed Hoseok, his eyes alight with amusement. "I hoped they would live a little longer, by it looks like in a few days, they'll need to go."

"I'll be sad when we'll have to part with them. They were the first gift I had ever received from someone. Those flowers mean more to me than you could possibly imagine, Hyung," a small pout graced Chan-woo's face as he spoke with genuine sadness in his tone.

"It'll be okay," the older placed his chopsticks down and leaned over to embrace the younger in a comforting hug. "That just means I'll have to buy you more in the future."

"You don't have to do that," chuckled Chan-woo as he leaned into the warm embrace.

"I don't have to, no. But will I? Yes. You can't stop me," Hoseok smiled as he straightened up, one hand lingered behind to stay on Chan-woo's back.

"That is true. I physically cannot stop you from doing that," he smiled before a small shiver ran up and down his spine from the soft touches of Hoseok's hand on his back.

"Now let's eat quickly so you can go lie down," he said while he turned back to his own food, the hand never left the younger's back throughout the rest of the silent meal.

Chan-woo nodded and once again forced his hand to move. He sat there in silent bliss. The hand that glided up and down in a slow rhythmic pace coerced him into finishing his entire meal. His heavy eyes closed on their own accord as he continued to eat, his body now operated on auto-pilot. The soft touch that he had missed for so many days from the older soothed both his mind and his body. It lured him into a peaceful state for a second time that day.

Chapter Text

Soft murmurs. Clinking of cutlery. Shuffles from footsteps. Those were the sounds that begun to fill Chan-woo's hearing as he slowly became conscious from a deep sleep. He laid still for a few minutes on the couch while his mind adjusted to from a deep state of slumber. For a moment, he momentarily forgot where he was and flinched at a particularly loud noise. As his eyes opened in fright, he was glad to see he was in the dorm and not at that place he had been forced to call 'home'.

As Chan-woo settled his racing heart with the knowledge he was safe, he couldn't help but bask in the restful feeling that flew through his body. Once again, he had one of the best sleeps in his entire life. Although, unlike yesterday, he felt a little less fatigued. He felt more rested which gave him hope that perhaps his condition was on the way to improving. Chan-woo shifted his arms above his head and stretched out his aching muscles as he hoped his observations were correct.

With a small yawn, he sat up since there were some members awake and already getting themselves ready for the day ahead. The blanket, that had been snuggly wrapped around his small frame during the night, pooled in his lap to which he simply pushed aside in a messy pile to deal with that. After he found out what the day ahead entailed and how much time he had to get ready, he promised himself he would fold it to maintain a neat area.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" a deep voice asked in the silence of the living room.

Chan-woo looked over to his left at the kitchen table where Namjoon, Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook were sat. Each boy had a bowl before them as they continued to eat quietly while they stared at him. He blushed from all of the attention on him before he nodded to answer Taehyung's question. Words seemed hard to manage at that very moment since his mind was still partially asleep.

"Awe I'm sorry," cooed Taehyung as he looked upon the messy haired, sleepy Chan-woo.

"It's okay," he gave the other boy a small smile as he stood up and shuffled over to the table.

The room became mostly silent once more as Chan-woo sat down next to Taehyung. All four of the boys begun to eat their food which left Chan-woo alone to his thoughts. He could feel his heart flutter a little faster. The anxiety and nervousness lurked in the shadows of his mind, wondering how the treatment towards him would be today. Would there still be coldness from them all? Or would there be a mixture of compassion and rejection like usual? Only time would tell Chan-woo.

"I saw you jump a little when Namjoon Hyung knocked something over," commented Taehyung nonchalantly as he paused eating briefly. His eyes stayed trained on Chan-woo as he leant backwards. "Do sudden, loud noises usually make you jump? Or was it just because you were asleep?"

"Just in general. But it's worse when I'm asleep. It's a habit I need to try and break now that I'm here," he nodded while he spoke quietly. His head hung low with embarrassment, ashamed that someone had seen that happen. But he did mean it, now that he was no long experiencing daily physical harm, he really needed to try and work on that instinctual habit of flinching from loud noises.

"Aish, I'm sorry," he replied with sad filled eyes as he understood the meaning behind the younger's words, unlike the other three at the table. "But it'll be okay. I'm sure it will get better over time."

"Y-Yeah, me too," Chan-woo nodded with a forced smile. The silence settled amongst the five again while they went back to their food. But the youngest of them all had a burning question on his mind. "Can I ask something?"

"Sure," Namjoon answered after he saw that Taehyung currently had a mouth full of food.

"What's the schedule for today?" he asked while he absentmindedly played with his hands in his lap.

"We have half the day at the studio working on the Japanese album again. We don't have the full day because we are picking up the keys for the new house from Bang Hyung in the afternoon. Then we'll come home and get some take-out to celebrate," Namjoon told him, the leader within him showing itself, much to the other three's amusement.

"And how long until we have to leave?" asked Chan-woo after he took a second to process the schedule. He was quietly excited that the keys to the new house were being collected since it meant he was one step closer to some privacy with having his own room.

"We leave in an hour," Namjoon emphasised on the 'we' part as he gestured towards everyone but Chan-woo. "You will be staying here and resting. Bang Hyung and I talked last night and we both agreed it is best you take the day off to recover more."

For a second, Chan-woo's heart dropped at being left out like usual. But after he heard that both Namjoon and Bang PD-nim agreed he should take the day to rest, he understood why. And as much as Chan-woo would have loved to go along to the studio session to learn and observe, he wouldn't protest orders from both the leader of the group and the CEO of the company. He begrudgingly relented to the instructions with a heavy heart.

"Alright," Chan-woo nodded with a small sigh. He was still sadden that he was left out, but at least he received an explanation as to why. "I understand."

Part of him started to feel this warmth grow as he realised that Namjoon had moments ago admitted that he agreed Chan-woo needed to look after his health. He had said that both Bang PD-nim and himself had agreed. And that was a massive step in the youngest's eyes. Namjoon didn't know what was wrong with him, but he still sympathised enough to allow him to rest for the day. It made Chan-woo happy to know the leader saw how hard it was for him and supported him in the best way he could, even without knowing the full situation.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Jungkook out of nowhere.

Chan-woo's heart dropped again, but for an entirely different reason. Every single pair of eyes were on him, the entire table paused from the sudden question as they awaited the answer. The youngest of the group could hear his heart beat loudly in his ears. His palms grew sweaty from the nerves. And his mouth suddenly became very dry as he tried to decide whether or not he should admit the reason behind him being sick to three people that were always cold to him and one person who he didn't actually mind telling.

"You don't have to answer, Chan-woo," Taehyung stepped in after he saw the panicked look in the younger's eyes. "Like Bang Hyung said, you can tell us when you are ready to tell us."

"T-Thanks Hyung," he said, truly appreciating how the older remembered that conversation from back in that BBQ restaurant.

"But I think I know what it is, I may have looked up the symptoms last night," guiltily admitted Taehyung with a sheepish look all over his face.

"It's alright, Hyung," he softly chuckled since he honestly didn't mind. He took in a deep breath before he forced himself to start talking after he gathered his thoughts. "I guess I should tell you guys so you don't freak out if I suddenly faint in front of you all."

"Faint?" loudly repeated Namjoon in shook, Jimin and Jungkook equally as shocked.

"Y-Yeah," Chan-woo sighed. He knew that he would have to tell them everything once he had mentioned that he could faint out of the blue. He took a deep breath in and mustered the remainder of his courage. "I recently got diagnosed with Anaemia after I fainted at a dance practice. The doctors at the hospital found out that I had low iron levels, and because it was going untreated for so long, it developed into the more serious condition of Anaemia. I need to have more red meat in my diet. And if the symptoms don't get better, I will need to see a doctor again in a month."

"Oh," Jungkook said quietly as he blankly stared at Chan-woo.

"Oh indeed. Hoseok and Yoongi Hyung already knew what was happening. But like I said to them, there's nothing anyone can do to help when it gets really bad like it did the other night," Chan-woo continued to explain.

"Except for head rubs, they help you through it," interjected Taehyung with a sad smile.

"Yes, yes it did," smiled Chan-woo, glad that Taehyung reminded him that there was some small hope during the bad episodes. "Head rubs seemed to help."

"I really am sorry you are going through all of that," Namjoon said with a genuinely sad smile towards the younger. "I am glad you felt comfortable enough telling us what is happening to you. Also, I'm glad I made you rest today. You really shouldn't be doing much with a condition like that. And I honestly do hope that the Anaemia gets better for you soon."

"Thank you," quietly spoke Chan-woo as a bright, red blush arose upon his cheeks.

The room went silent as all four boys continued to look at Chan-woo without a word. The three that had just learnt what was going on simply sat there processing the information, while Taehyung felt sadden his research had been correct. Both Taehyung and Namjoon knew how Anaemia could be debilitating for someone, and could only begin to imagine how the youngest felt during the bad episode the other night. Those two truly felt bad for the boy, Taehyung perhaps more so since he also knew a little about and saw the evidence of the abuse Chan-woo had suffered at the hands of his parents.

While the other two may have understood what was going on for Chan-woo, Jimin and Jungkook certainly didn't fully grasp it. They both acknowledged there was a level of seriousness to whatever condition he was diagnosed with. But they both secretly thought that the younger was playing up the symptoms for attention, not that either of them would admit it out loud to anyone. Jungkook had already seen the younger overreact after he had pulled him off of the couch the second morning he was there.

"Well I'll get out of the way and let you guys get ready," Chan-woo said quietly, he felt uncomfortable from the stares as no one said anything else. He stood up from the table and tucked in the chair neatly.

"Alright," smiled Taehyung as he finally continued to eat. "I'm proud of you for telling us, just so you know."

"Thanks, Hyung," his blushed grew larger as he gave the other a small nod.

Chan-woo walked away from the mostly silent table and sat down on the couch once more. As he busied himself with neatly folding the blanket, he couldn't help but think back on the conversation. He, too, was proud of himself for being truthful with what was 'wrong' with him as Jungkook had put it. It was a big step to be vulnerable with the other members, especially considering he didn't owe them any explanation after the way they had all treated him since he had first joined.

Already bored out of his mind, Chan-woo got up from the couch and grabbed his phone from its charger. While he aimlessly scrolled through his different social media apps to waste some time, his mind couldn't help but go back to the conversation from earlier. He felt like he had taken a massive step in the right direction with Namjoon, and felt like things with Taehyung were going good still. He just hoped things wouldn't change for no reason like it seemed to happen with Yoongi and Hoseok.

A loud knock on the front door startled Chan-woo from his sleep. As he slowly sat up on the couch, he wondered when he had fallen asleep. The last thing he could remembered was scrolling through his phone while he laid on his side. He had been bored out of his mind being stuck at home alone. It wasn't his intention to have a nap, but his body definitely did not protest the extra rest.

When he stood up after he had heard a second knock on the door, he saw that his phone was face down on the ground. He picked it up, quickly checked and found there were no cracks on the screen much to his relief, before he lethargically walked over to the front door. He heard a third knock and smiled at the impatient person on the other side of the door. Although Chan-woo didn't blame him since he was taking a bit to get there in his sleepy state.

"Channie-ah!" enthusiastically smiled Daniel the second the door opened.

"Hey Danny Hyung," he replied with a wide smile of his own. "Come on in."

"Thanks bud," the older chuckled lightly as he walked in to the dorm.

"I'm glad you had the day off," Chan-woo said, his heart momentarily paused at that nickname, but he continued on as if nothing had affected him.

"Me too," Daniel smiled. "Bang PD-nim actually told me how you had another bad episode a few nights ago. I was just about to check up on you when you texted me to come over if I was free. And then not long after you went silent, so I guess you ended up falling asleep, right?"

"Yeah," Chan-woo said while he closed the door and locked it. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to, it kind of just happened."

"I could also tell by the messy state your hair is in," laughed Daniel as he placed his backpack on the kitchen bench beside the vase of flowers. "But your body must have agreed with Bang PD-nim Hyung and I that you should rest."

"More like my body was bored out of its mind being left all alone in the dorms," he rolled his eyes as he fixed his hair to the best of his ability, before he smiled up at Daniel. "So thank you for rescuing me from my boredom."

"Anything for you, Channie-ah!" he smiled before he walked over and engulfed the younger in a tight hug.

The second those strong arms wrapped around Chan-woo, he melted into the warm embrace. His eyes instinctively closed as he returned the hug with an equally as tight embrace. He could smell the enticing scent of a cologne any time he breathed in. He could feel how fast his heart pounded in his chest and just prayed Daniel couldn't. The pair stood still for a minute, one wishing it would never end while the other was just glad to see the other was in a good condition.

"Should we go sit down?" asked Daniel as he slowly pulled away, he still held the younger by the biceps.

"Yeah," he said quietly as he tried to fight away the blush.

Chan-woo led Daniel over to the two couches and was embarrassed by the blanket he had left messily sprawled out. He sat down and begun to fold the soft material, Daniel sat himself on the other end of the same couch and turned himself to face the younger. Chan-woo's heart continued to beat loud and fast, nervous whenever he was alone with the older.

"How's everything been?" asked Daniel to break the silence between them.

"Things in general have been okay," Chan-woo looked over sheepishly at the older.

"That's good to hear. And are you ready for debut yet? That must be getting closer and closer," he said with an excited sparkle in his eyes.

"Very close I believe," he gulped nervously. "I brought up a situation with Bang PD-nim Hyung that might delay the process. But once that is sorted, I'm sure I'll be ready to make a media debut."

"Can I ask what happened?" Daniel looked worried as he saw the nervousness in the younger. "Only if you are comfortable sharing."

"Yeah, of course I'll tell you. You make me feel comfortable that I can talk with you about anything," Chan-woo said as he sent a small smile towards the older. "Basically it has to do with my parents."

"Oh boy," Daniel said while he shifted in his seat, anxious to learn what trouble Chan-woo's parents were continuing to cause. "What's going on?"

"Well remember I told you how I got that bruise on my rib?" Chan-woo asked with sadness.

"Yeah, something about money, right?" said Daniel, remembering the first time he ever saw that bruise in the hospital.

"Yep, my father did that because I tried to keep some of the money I had earnt from work. Basically it was like that my entire life. Any money I earnt or received, they would take from me," he explained to give the context to the next part. "So I told Bang Hyung how I was concerned they would try to demand I give them money after I debut."

"Your over 18 though, you don't owe them anything. And especially not after the way they've abused you," angrily said Daniel, more angry with the lame excuse of parents then he was at Chan-woo. He could never be angry at the younger.

"I know. But that didn't stop them. Even right up until I left to come here, they were still demanding money," he sighed, it was a difficult subject to talk about. "But that's the thing, Daniel Hyung. They are so hungry for money that if I don't give them anything, I think they will destroy my public image."

"So it's essentially like blackmail? If you don't give them what they want, they will make sure you can't stay in this line of work, right?" he understood exactly what the younger meant.

"Right. My options will either be give them money or go back to them because they'll spread lies in the media about me. They haven't threatened to do it yet because they don't know where I am. But I know them well enough to know the second I debut, they'll be making those demands," said Chan-woo with a grimace.

"Ah, so you want to get on top of this before you debut so nothing damages your chances at what could be a long and I'm sure a very successful career?" Daniel asked, understanding why the younger was concerned. He would be concerned too if he was in his shoes.

Chan-woo nodded his head. That was precisely why he wanted to get on top of it. With them out of the picture and not threatening to ruin his public image, he'd have more of a chance to make a career out of this line of work. Although he didn't know if he agreed with Daniel about the long and successful part. He still had his doubts that he'd be accepted by the fandom. And if he wasn't accepted, he didn't want to think what that would mean for his career.

"And what did Bang PD-nim say when you told him all of this?" asked Daniel as he saw that Chan-woo was caught up in his thoughts.

"Well he was going to speak to the legal team about drafting up a Non-Disclosure Agreement and also we'll look at doing a one time lump-sum payment to them. That way they'll get some money and in return, they aren't allowed talk about me to the media," said Chan-woo.

"I'm glad he is on top of that. And I'm sure Bang PD-nim Hyung will make sure it all gets sorted out for you," he smiled, relieved the CEO was there for the younger. "He cares for you deeply, just like I do. We both want to see you succeed and put the terrible past you've had well and truly behind you."

"T-Thank you, Danny Hyung," blushed Chan-woo, hanging his head in embarrassment.

It honestly warmed Chan-woo's heart to hear such words from the older. He knew that the other meant every word he said. He knew it came from a place of earnt respect and love. Not out of pity like it seemed to be with the most of the boys he was now apart of a band with. Daniel just made Chan-woo feel safe, cared for, respected, and loved. It was a relationship he had never shared with anyone else before and he cherished it dearly.

"So how have things been with all of the boys?" Daniel asked to break the silence between them.

"I mean, it's okay," sighed Chan-woo, tired just thinking about it.

"It's been okay? That doesn't sound very convincing. You know you can tell me what's going on, yeah?" reassured the older as he reached over and tussled the still messy hair.

A tense silence grew between the pair as Chan-woo tried to decide on whether he should be honest or if he should sugar coat the situation he was in. He didn't want Daniel telling Bang PD-nim anything which would result in any of the boys getting in trouble. But he trusted the older enough to keep it to himself. He didn't have anyone else he could confide in except for Bang PD-nim and Daniel. And he really could use this moment to help get the stuff that is bothering him off of his chest.

"Well it hasn't been great," Chan-woo said quietly as he looked down at the blanket in his lap with shame. "I mean, at first I completely understood where they were coming from. I joined their group after they had grown their audience and worked hard to be where they are today. I understood the anger and the hurt. Did it mean that it hurt me any less not being accepted straight away by them? No, it didn't."

"That's very mature that you could understand where they were coming from. But they did come around right?" asked Daniel with concern.

"I mean, yes and no," he paused with a gulp, nervous to tell the truth for the first time. "It took a few days, but two of them came around and started treating me better. Although I think that was mostly out of pity after they learnt about my Anaemia and also some of my home life. Those were the only two that have treated me decently for most of the time."

"Just those two?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "No one else?"

"Just one more and then also I think another one of the boys started to warm up to me this morning. But no, the rest of them for the entire time have been cold and angry towards me," he sighed as he fought back the tears desperately. "And once again, these newer two changed their attitude towards me after I opened up. The guy from this morning was after I told him about my Anaemia and the other one was the one that saw my bruises. So it feels like they only pity me and that's all it is."

"Why would you say it's only pity? Do they not see your talent? Do they not see how kind of a person you are?" asked Daniel with barely contained anger. "Are they really not treating you good?"

"No, they aren't. I mean, even after the first two warmed up to me, there were still these moments where things felt tense and back to me being left out. Like they basically ignored me for three days straight. And when I asked them why, they said it was because of the busy schedule. But the answer didn't sit right with me. I felt like I did something for them to treat me so coldly again," Chan-woo told the other with a shaky voice, emotion filled it.

"So what, these two did a 180 back to how they first were treating you... Out of no where?" asked Daniel in bewilderment.

"Yeah," he sighed again as he looked out upon the quiet living room. "But yesterday and today they are back to treating me warmly. And I know it's out of pity again, because it was when I came back here two nights ago in a bad state with my Anaemia. It's so confusing. Cold, warm, cold, warm. It's hard to keep up with. At least with the other three it's just been the constant anger and the cold shoulder."

"You poor thing," Daniel sighed as well while he reached over and squeezed his shoulder in a supportive manner. "That must be so hard to deal with. I hope over time they come to treat you with the respect you deserve. Because you are talented and you deserve to be here as much as they do."

"I don't know about that, Danny Hyung. But time will tell," he looked over to the other with a sad smile, a small blush flushed his cheeks. "And maybe in the future, I'll believe that I deserve to be here as well."

"You don't believe it yet?" he asked, probably more shocked at that revelation than the previous one.

"No," he whispered as he hung his head.

"It probably doesn't help when the members you are in a band with don't believe it too, right?" Daniel reasoned as he shifted over on the couch and pulled the younger into a side hug.

"You are spot on," he whispered before he cautiously laid his head on the older's shoulder. "They don't believe it, I don't believe it, and I'm sure when I debut many others won't believe I deserve to be here either."

"You never know, Chan-woo," Daniel rested his head on top of Chan-woo's. "The fans and the critics may like you straight away. Or yes, they may hate you. But in the end, most people will see your talent and your adorableness and they'll see why Bang PD-nim Hyung made the decision he did."

"Yeah, maybe," heavily sighed Chan-woo while he relaxed into the comforting side hug.

"Just keep hanging in there and never lose who you are in the process," the older said with a sad smile upon his face. "I'll always be there to remind you."

"Thank you Danny Hyung," he said with a huge smile, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, Daniel giving the physical support that they both knew Chan-woo needed in that moment of time. The older was incredibly proud of the younger for being brave. It had been a tough thing to admit, but Chan-woo was glad to have gotten that off his chest to someone. He too hoped that his relationships with the boys only improved from now on, but he didn't want to hold his breath.

Laughter filled the living room. The two males that sat close together on the couch were in their own world. They had spent much of the afternoon talking about much lighter topics. Suddenly the front door opened while the two were in the middle of a loud laugh. They turned their heads, still chuckling lightly, to find the group of boys had just arrived back. Chan-woo's elated mood flattened slightly after he felt a wave of guilt surge through him for talking about how they had treated him to Daniel. He worried if Daniel would say anything or if he would keep it to himself.

Hoseok had been the first to walk in to the dorm. In his hands, he held up the keys to the new house. He had a massive smile on his face, ready to show them off to Chan-woo. But he stopped halfway into the living room as he caught sight of the younger whom sat very close to Daniel on the couch, both laughing freely. His smile dropped as he watched them, sadness and hurt building up inside him.

Directly behind Hoseok was Taehyung. He, too, had an equally wide smile on his face as they walked inside. Before he had even seen the scene on the couch, he heard the laughter of two people. He wondered why Hoseok had stopped all of a sudden as well. With a frown, he stepped to the side and his eyes instantly landed upon a jovial Daniel and a happy Chan-woo. He hadn't seen the younger look so happy in a long time, if ever. And that hurt him.

The silence seemed to drag on between the four males as Hoseok slowly dropped his outstretched hand to his side. The other members that had walked in behind the two and soon saw the reason the living room was silent. And while the other four of them weren't as troubled by the scene as the other two frozen still, Yoongi sure was. He didn't bother staying in the silent room. The second his eyes landed on the happy smile upon Chan-woo's face, he turned on his heel and walked straight to his room without a word.

"I-I'm sorry," Chan-woo gulped nervously as he read the tense situation. "I invited Daniel Hyung o-over because I was really lonely. I just wanted s-some company."

"It's alright," Hoseok said with no emotion as he walked over to the kitchen bench.

Without much care, Hoseok slid the new house keys onto the bench. They came to a stop next to the flower vase. His empty eyes stared at the flowers before he turned his head and locked eyes with Chan-woo. As the two stared at each other, they could feel a shift in the air, they both knew things would be different once more. Hoseok didn't say anything, he didn't need to as his eyes said it all, before he silently walked down the hallway and into his room.

Chan-woo watched with sad eyes as the older walked off without saying another word. His heart broke the longer the silence in the living room continued. He felt Daniel reach over and squeeze his hand in support. He made himself hold in the tears that wanted to form so desperately. Although it became an even harder task to hold them at bay as Taehyung all of a sudden walked off to his room as well. His fears that he had recently discussed with Daniel seemed to be forming in front of his very eyes yet again, and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop or change it.

"You guys can keep talking if you want," Jin said, his eyes watched Taehyung's back as he walked away silently. "Most of us will probably stay in our rooms to rest until dinner arrives. We ordered extra food for the celebration so there will be plenty for the both of you."

"Thank you, Jin Hyung," Chan-woo said quietly as he nodded his head, shame written all over his face.

"Yes thank you indeed, but I really should get going. I don't want to intrude on such a special occasion for you guys," Daniel gave Jin a strained smile before he stood up from the couch. "Just give me a text or call when you want to meet up again, Channie-ah. And enjoy your night tonight. Eat well for me."

"Thank you, Hyung," warmly smiled Chan-woo as he stood up and immediately embraced Daniel in a hug. "Expect a text very soon."

"Alright," Daniel laughed as the two pulled a part, even though he felt saddened since he knew why he would be receiving a text from the younger soon.

Chan-woo watched with sad eyes as Daniel walked over to the kitchen bench and grabbed his backpack. The older turned around and gave him one last encouraging smile before he opened the front door and exited the dorm. The second the door had closed, the tense air only grew more intense. Chan-woo couldn't look anywhere but at the ground, his entire body felt burning hot with guilt and shame.

"What the hell were you thinking, Chan-woo?" Jin's loud voice suddenly filled the room which caused the younger to flinch, and not for the reasons the remaining four thought.

"I-I'm so sorry, Hyung," Chan-woo tried to say loud enough, his voice shaky with emotion, his eyes clouded by tears.

"You're sorry? You should be resting and instead you invited someone over to our place," Jin continued to yell, anger painfully evident in his tone. "This isn't even your home and yet you selfishly brought someone over without our permission just because you were lonely. At the very least you should have called Namjoon or I to ask."

"I'm sorry. And I-I didn't call because I don't have yours or Namjoon's number," said Chan-woo, his head still hung in shame to hide the tears that were about to fall.

"But you have Hoseok's number!" furiously yelled Jin.

Chan-woo flinched from the loud, angry voice. He tried so hard to stay still, but the second Jin had raised his voice even more, he was reverted back to old habits. His instincts were telling him he needed to submit to the authority and agree it was all his fault to lessen the blows that would sure enough follow soon. And while he was present in the moment with four of his Hyungs, there was a part of him that forgot he was no longer at home with his parents. That part of him couldn't help but flinch as he heard footsteps travel closer.

"Are you seriously crying? That's pathetic," scoffed Jin quietly as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Shit," whispered Chan-woo as he snapped back into the present moment fully.

Through tear filled vision, Chan-woo walked straight to the bathroom and locked himself in there. It was the only space in the entire dorm he could go for some privacy. He slid down the wooden door until he sat on the floor with his back against it. And much like he had back at his home, he begun to cry without making a noise. Hot tears fell down his cheeks as his mouth hung open in a silent scream. He tugged on his hair in an attempt to feel pain anywhere other than his heart. Yet it felt like nothing compared to the pain he felt thrumming in his chest.

He had fucked up again, hadn't he? He had done something that caused Yoongi, Hoseok and now Taehyung to hate him. He brought this upon himself by inviting someone over without asking first. Perhaps he deserved this pain. Perhaps he deserved to be treated coldly from those three now. Perhaps if he wasn't so selfish like Jin had said, he wouldn't be in this current position of crying on the bathroom floor.

Chan-woo absolutely hated himself more than anything in that moment. No one could hate him as much as himself. He hated that he had told Daniel the truth. He hated that he had caused Hoseok, Taehyung and Yoongi to be upset by inviting someone over without asking. He hated that he was selfish instead of resting like Jin had said. He hated that he had flinched when Jin had yelled. He hated that he had flinched when Jin had walked towards him. He hated that he was there on the floor pathetically crying.

And Jin was right. He did have Hoseok's number. He should have texted or called the other to ask. And Chan-woo totally would have. But he had fallen asleep halfway through his text conversation with Daniel, and the next thing he knew, the other was already knocking on the front door. Yes he could have texted or called Hoseok after the fact to warn him. But he was so caught up feeling genuinely happy for once that it didn't even cross his mind.

It had been so long since Chan-woo had silently sobbed against a door. And the familiar position oddly seemed to fill him with a sense of security. He knew that he could cry as hard and for as long as he wanted, and no one would know. He could tug on his hair to distract himself with physical pain, and no one would know. In the privacy of the locked bathroom, he could let out his pent up emotions knowing there was absolutely no one that could judge him for it.

Time seemed irrelevant as the broken young man sat on the cold bathroom floor inaudibly weeping. His thoughts kept circling back to the situation that had unfolded while his tears kept flowing like a waterfall. He immensely loathed himself for allowing his guards to come down with the boys again. Deep down he knew that he'd do something again to cause them to become distant. And he knew it would never stop hurting when they turned their backs on him. So why did he keep letting himself be vulnerable?

After a long unknown time on the floor, Chan-woo's tears slowly begun to cease. He sniffled as he wiped the drying tear tracks from his face, the first sound he had made the entire time. He took a few deep breaths in before he pushed his aching and lethargic body off of the ground. He forced himself to walk over to the vanity where he looked into his pathetic reflection. His eyes were bright red from the crying and the bags under his eyes were slightly puffy.

Scoffing at himself, he turned the taps of the sink on and proceeded to splash his face with cold water. He gasped out loud the second the freezing liquid hit his burning hot cheeks. It brought with it some relief as well as helping him to soothe down out of such an emotional state. Chan-woo looked up at his reflection yet again and watched with numb eyes as the water droplets rolled off his face. Part of him wished that he could wash away the pain as easily as washing away the tears tracks.

Chan-woo used the inside of his shirt to dry his face considering his towel was in his duffle bag, and he'd be damned if he sneakily used a spare one. He'd already done enough damage as it was and he didn't want to worsen the situation over a stupid towel. He looked over himself one last time and sighed. No matter how hard he could try, it would still be evident he had been crying. He felt pathetic, just like Jin had said, as he walked out of the bathroom and quietly sat on the couch once more.

The entire living room was silent between the three current occupants. Jin hadn't moved from the kitchen table and Namjoon had taken a seat upon the opposite couch. Chan-woo could hear his heart beat loudly in his ears while he nervously played with the long sleeves of his shirt. His eyes stayed downcast, trained on the floor in fear he'd see the usual looks from the leader and the eldest of the group. He knew he wouldn't be able to face either of them without breaking down once more.

A distraction came in the form of his phone vibrating in his pocket. Chan-woo pulled it out only to find it was merely a notification someone had posted a status on a social media platform. He didn't care for it, but he used this as an opportunity to distract himself from the painful silence. He scrolled through his timeline with blank eyes, not taking a single post in. Even when he saw flashes of the familiar faces of the ones he had just hurt, he didn't stop nor did he pay it any attention.

Both his body and his mind were worn out from the emotional day he had had. It wasn't long before his body pleaded with him to lie down on the couch. Chan-woo sighed softly as he grabbed the neatly folded blanket and carefully unravelled it. He swung his legs up before he threw the blanket over his feet. He settled with his head rested upon one of the couch pillows, too tired to go and get his usual pillow. He pulled the blanket right up until it rested under his chin, wanting to cover most of his body considering how self-conscious he currently was.

Chan-woo stuck his hands out in front of him with his phone in them. He continued to leisurely scroll through his social media feed with blank eyes. He'd rather preoccupy his mind with that rather than accidentally catch sight of a glare or a disappointed look from the other two in the room. And as time went by slowly, he found his mind was no longer thinking back on the situation that had occurred. But that was perhaps due to the emotionally numb state he could feel himself slipping into.

He didn't know how much time had passed since he had first laid down, but Chan-woo could feel his eyes begin to close on their own. He had enough energy to lock his phone and placed it in a safe spot unlike earlier that day, he'd hate to accidentally drop it again and risk the screen cracking. He shifted on the couch into a slightly more comfortable position. He sighed as his closed his eyes for good and allowed the serenity of the quiet room to lull him to sleep. His mind more grateful than his body to be able to get some more rest, the stressful events not helping in his recovery.

Chan-woo jumped awake at a loud noise not too far away from him. His mind was heavily disorientated as he tried to figure out where he was and what was happening. He pushed himself up with one arm into a seated position, the blanket fell and pooled around his waist. He turned his head only to find Namjoon and Hoseok at the front door with the food delivery guy who had just knocked. He breathed a sigh of relief after he saw he was not in any physical danger and collapsed back onto his side.

The enticing smell from the bags of takeaway flooded Chan-woo's nostrils as Namjoon and Hoseok placed them on the kitchen table. He took a deep breath in and his mouth instantly begun to water. As he turned over onto his back, his stomach rumbled in a painful reminder that he had yet to consume any food that day. He threw both of his arms over his face and groaned lowly. What he didn't realise as he continued to lay there in that position, was that the bottom of his shirt had ridden up and exposed some of his scarred and bruised skin on his stomach.

Sounds of the other boys preparing the dinner filled his ears. He wondered if he'd still be allowed to eat the extra food they had ordered, or if that offer had purely been said while Daniel had been present. Chan-woo didn't want to get his hopes up, but he honestly didn't know if would have the energy to make himself something. And on that note, he didn't even know if he would have the energy to sit at the table and eat if he was allowed to. His body and mind were absolutely drained.

"Namjoonie, go get everyone for dinner please," he heard Jin say from somewhere in the kitchen.

Footsteps approached the couch yet Chan-woo didn't dare move his arms to look at Namjoon as he walked passed. Even in his sleepy state of mind, he was still aware of the possibility the leader could throw a cold, disappointed, or angry look his way. He sighed heavily at the thought he was once again on the outside of the group with no one to lean on. Just as he was beginning to feel sorry for himself, he heard the footsteps stop close to him and his body tensed up in anticipation.

"Chan-woo," Namjoon said quietly.

"Yes Hyung?" he said as he shifted his arms up higher above his head to reveal his tired eyes. He looked into the soft brown eyes that weren't looking back at him. Instead the older's eyes were locked on the exposed skin that he still didn't realise was revealed. Now with a frown on his face, he spoke again with a quiet voice, "Hyung?"

"Come eat something. And you might want to fix your shirt before anyone else sees," Namjoon said quietly before he finally looked over into the tired brown eyes and gave a strained, sad smile.

"Fuck," Chan-woo whispered as his hands immediately pushed his t-shirt down and his cheeks flushed red from the utter embarrassment. "T-Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said before he walked away.

Chan-woo couldn't believe that his shirt had lifted up and that Namjoon had seen his flawed skin. He gulped nervously as he sat up on the couch and held his head in his hands as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He took the brief pause in movement to calm his racing heartbeat. He had to wonder not if, but when, the questions would be thrown his way by the leader. As he grabbed his phone from the safe place he had left it, Chan-woo had already begun to feel nervous about that discussion he'd now have to sit through with Namjoon.

With all of his effort, he pushed himself into a standing position before he timidly walked over to the kitchen table. Hoseok and Jin had only just finished setting the table and had just sat down as they waited for the rest of the boys. Chan-woo didn't expect any words to be said to him as he sat on one of the end seats, closest to the lounge area, and furthest away from where the older two currently sat.

The silence that hung in the air between the trio weighed heavily on the youngest. The scenes from earlier replayed in his mind. He saw the hurt look on all of Hoseok, Taehyung, and Yoongi's faces. He felt the air shift again as Hoseok stared at him with no emotion, the light in his eyes gone. He heard Jin yell, over and over again, the taunting words of being called pathetic. He didn't blame the other two for not wanting to say anything to him as they sat at the table, yet it still hurt him.

As they patiently waited for Namjoon to round up the others, Chan-woo wondered to himself how long Hoseok, Yoongi and Taehyung were going to give him the cold shoulder for this time. Although technically Taehyung had never treated him like that before, he saw the same devastated look in the elder's eyes before he had silently walked away. He sighed as he remembered their eyes meeting while he sat on the couch and the other had stepped out from behind Hoseok.

Chan-woo sighed at the image stuck in his head before he reached up and fixed his hair. He knew that after the nap he had had, it would have been messy. As his fingers stroked through the soft, light brown hair, he couldn't help but think back on the moments over the last few days that his Hyung's had done that instead of him. His hands dropped to his lap as his shoulders deflated in defeat. He guessed that would be another thing he'd miss out on for his mistake; the physical affection that he so desperately craved.

"They shouldn't be too much longer," Namjoon's voice floated around the quiet room as he walked over to the table and sat beside Jin.

"They better hurry because I'm starving," said Hoseok with a chuckle.

"Here, pass me the wine and I'll start filling the cups up while we wait," Jin said as he stood up with his hand out.

Chan-woo watched as Hoseok passed one of the open bottles of wine to the eldest of the group. His eyes became unfocused the moment he saw the alcohol. If he thought he would struggle through this meal before, now he knew it would be even harder. Chan-woo knew his body had always had a strong reaction to alcohol thanks to his upbringing. And knowing he'd have to sit next to seven boys as they cheerful ate and drunk to celebrate their success, it was his version of a nightmare.

"Did you fall asleep?" Jin asked as he paused halfway through filling up the cup that was across from Chan-woo.

Shocked about the question being asked in the quiet room, Chan-woo looked up at the eldest. Although he frowned as he realised Jin's eyes were focused on something behind him. He turned his head slightly to find Yoongi standing near the couch with slightly dishevelled hair and half opened eyes. He adverted his gaze to his hands clasped together in his lap, embarrassed he thought that he was being spoken to.

"I only just fell asleep," mumbled Yoongi before he shuffled over and sat across from Namjoon and next to Hoseok. "But then I was rudely awoken."

"Rudely awoken?" scoffed Namjoon with a massive smile upon his face. "More like you sleep like a rock and need to be woken up like one."

"Still rude," Yoongi huffed as he rubbed his heavy eyes.

"It's not my fault you are hard to wake," chuckled Namjoon with a small roll of his eyes. "You've always been like that."

"Yeah so?" said Yoongi as he crossed his arms over his chest with a defiant twinkle in his eyes.

As much as painfully amused Chan-woo to listen to the bickering amongst the two, his attention was drawn away when Jin stopped next to him and grabbed his cup from him. The eldest filled the cup to the brim with wine before he silently placed it down and moved on to the next cup beside him. Chan-woo stared at the cup with wide panicked eyes. A nauseous feeling settled in stomach as well as a lump in his throat. He didn't want to be rude at the small gesture from Jin, but at the same time, he didn't want to be anywhere near the alcohol.

"Pass me another bottle," Jin said still beside Chan-woo.

Chan-woo jumped at the voice and snapped out of his trance. He looked over to watch Yoongi pass the another one of the opened bottles to Jin. After Yoongi had passed the item over, his eyes locked with Chan-woo's gaze. The two silently stared at one another, even when their line of view would be interrupted by Jin leaning in between them to continue fill up the cups. Emotionless eyes stared at emotional eyes; neither looking away from the other.

"Who's ready to celebrate?" joyfully sung Jimin as he walked out into the living room.

The eye contact between Chan-woo and Yoongi was broken as the elder of the two looked over to Jimin. The younger watched as a small smile appeared on Yoongi's face, a sight he had missed and would surely miss. He wished it was him that was causing the other to smile. He wished it was him that brought joy, not only to him, but to the entire group. He looked at his lap in shame as he thought about he had only brought hurt to the group.

"I am," laughed Hoseok as he answered the question. "Although I'm more hungry than anything right now. Taehyung and Jungkook better hurry up before I drag them out here."

"Say what now?" Jungkook asked with a chuckle as he walked out of the hallway to stand next to Jimin.

"Nothing," innocently said Hoseok, a few of the other members chuckled at his reply.

"Sure, Hyung, sure," sceptically said Jungkook as he and Jimin made their way over to the table.

Jungkook sat down next to Namjoon with Jimin on the other side of him. Chan-woo looked up at Jimin who had sat across from him, but quickly looked away as the other stared at him with an unhappy look. He nervously played with his hands as he accepted that his earlier actions had caused virtually every member to be upset with him. He gulped at the silence that engulfed the group, only the sounds of Jin clearing the empty wine bottle in the kitchen and the others fidgeting in their seats or with the items on the table were heard.

"Where is Taehyung," sighed Hoseok in barely contained frustration. "I just want to eat and sleep. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Calm down, Hobi Hyung," giggled Jimin with a massive smile upon his face.

"Yeah be patient," Jin scolded as he sat down in his seat once more.

"I'll give Taehyung thirty seconds before I go drag him out by the ear," said Hoseok.

"No need, Hyung. I'm right here," Taehyung laughed as he hurriedly made his way from the hallway over to the table. "Sorry."

"Thank goodness, I thought I was about to die from starvation," Hoseok said with relief as he smiled. The room bursted out in laughs and chuckles, all expect for Chan-woo whom stayed extremely quiet.

"Has Hyung been drinking already?" laughed Taehyung as he sat down next to Chan-woo without looking in the youngest's direction. "Or is he just in that hungry state?"

"Hungry state, that's why I was about to die of starvation," said Hoseok as he rolled his eyes, but flashed a smile towards Taehyung nonetheless.

As a loud round of laughs came from the most of the group, Chan-woo only shrunk in his seat further. As he looked around at each person sat near him, laughing carefree, his heart clenched from the agonising pain. All he wanted was to be accepted in the group and cared by them as much as he cared for them. He hated being alone, on the outside in the dynamics of the group, forced to watch on the sidelines as they shared happy moments. He wanted to be able to laugh, to joke, to banter. He didn't want to stay in the shadows, afraid to interact or afraid to speak.

"Alright let's have a toast so we can eat before the food gets cold," Jin said after they settled down, his voice drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "Joonie, do the honours will you?"

"A toast to us," Namjoon stood up with his cup in hand. Everyone, including Chan-woo, followed his lead and held their cups up. "All of our hard work has paid off. I am proud of each one of you for all of the long nights, tireless days, hard work, and countless tears. In these last five years, we've achieved so much, and this new house is well deserved. May we start our next chapter in our brand new house and continue to make more life long memories with each other. To more space, to more success, and to a fresh start."

After Namjoon had finished his speech, he held up his glass even higher with a warm smile on his face. The entire group raised their cups just like their leader had done before they each took a mouthful or two of their wine. Well, all expect for Chan-woo, who merely raised his glass and placed it back upon the table with a disgusted grimace. After Namjoon had sat down once more, the group begun to dig into the food that were in the containers spread out in front of them.

Chan-woo sat still as he watched all seven boys eagerly dish food onto their own plates. He gulped nervously, unsure whether he was still allowed to eat the food. And a part of him didn't want to take the food, that he hadn't paid for, in case he had the last piece and caused them to be even more upset with him. He'd much rather go lay down on the couch and leave them to celebrate with each other. He shouldn't be sat here with them, he didn't help them get to this point, he didn't deserve to celebrate their success with them.

"Thank you for the food Jin Hyung," Hoseok sighed in contentment after he had swallowed his mouthful. "It's delicious."

"Yeah, thank you Hyung," said Jungkook immediately, a bright smile upon his face.

"There's no need to thank me. I promised I would shout us all a celebratory meal when we were going to move on from these dorms to a bigger place," Jin said with a small laugh. "I'm just glad it was the celebratory meal and not the farewell meal Namjoon promised if things didn't work out."

"I can't believe you remember that promise from three years ago," Namjoon shook his head with shock laced throughout his voice. "We made that promise the day we moved here, right?"

"Right. And of course I remember that promise," laughed Jin. "It was well into our second year as a group and we had just finished moving from our old, cramped dorm to this one because we finally had an increase in our budget. You and I were sat on the couches after everyone had gone to bed, talking about the future. And we decided no matte which direction our career as a group went, that one of us would pay for one final meal here in this dorm."

"You doubted our success?" dramatically gasped Jimin, a cheeky smile settled upon his face as he then continued to eat.

"No, no, no. We never doubted it. But you'd be lying if you guys never had concerns," chuckled the eldest of the group as he took a sip of his wine.

The others around the table nodded in silent agreeance. All seven boys thought back on their earlier days as they hungrily ate their food. They had to agree with the eldest that they had concerns about where the future would lead them. Some of them had spent many late nights consumed with fears and self-conscious thoughts that they'd never be good enough. And some of them would never admit it out loud, but they had definitely had doubts that they'd never make it in this industry. It had been a long ride for all seven boys. However, they wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Shall we go around the table and share our favourite memory we have while we've lived in this place?" Namjoon asked after some silence.

"That's a great idea," brightly smiled Jimin as he sat up straighter in his chair. "Can I go first?"

"Sure, Jiminie," chuckled Namjoon as he sat back and took a sip of wine.

"Well my favourite memory in the dorm was that weekend we spent together at the end of last year. Remember? We had just finished our Wings Tour and to celebrate we decided not to leave the house at all that weekend. We had a movie marathon, ordered lots of our favourite take out, and had quite a few celebratory drinks to mark the end of a massive year and tour," said Jimin with a smile on his face as he spoke, the others smiled and chuckled at the memory.

"That was a good weekend," Jin said before he grabbed his drink and mimicked Namjoon's laid back posture. "Kookie, your next."

"Some of you may not like this, but it's my absolute favourite memory," Jungkook said with a mischievous grin already on his face. "But do you guys remember that day when the pipe of the bathroom sink burst and water flooded the hallway slightly?"

"How could we forget. Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok and I did all the work while you three brats did next to nothing," groaned Namjoon, his unoccupied hand came up to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose just from the annoyance of the memory.

"We spent hours clearing the water from the bathroom and hallway," said Hoseok with a shake of his head. "And then another few more hours just to dry it all up. My back was so sore after that day."

"Yeah... Well it's my favourite memory because while you Hyungs were busy cleaning it, I was allowed to have some fun. Remember?" the grin only intensified as Jungkook spoke.

"Ah yes. That's right. We let you have a small slip and slide until we started to clean the hallway," said Jin before his loud windshield laugh consumed the room.

"Yep! Spot on," chuckled Jungkook with a wide grin. "I've never had so much fun indoors. I'm glad you let me do that. My inner child was so happy to slide up and down the hallway."

"Mmm. Next time something like that happens, you three will be in charge of the clean up and us Hyungs can have the fun," sighed Hoseok but a smile took over his tired face soon after he spoke.

The table settled down with a few chuckles after the mixed memory. The group paused their reminiscing briefly to take a few bites of their food and to drink their wine. Chan-woo looked around the table, he looked at the content and happy expressions with a heavy heart. He was internally torn. On one hand, he was glad the boys weren't thinking about the day they had and were happy talking about the past. But on the other hand, he felt horrible that he had ruined the mood when they had got back that afternoon and he couldn't forgive himself.

"What about you, Taehyung?" Namjoon asked before he took another much needed sip of wine.

"Well to stay on the theme of messes," started to say Taehyung as his own grin took over his previously expressionless face. "My favourite memory was that time during our first year here when we had that massive pillow fight."

"Oh my sweet baby Jesus," groaned Jin as he placed his cup down and covered his face with both of his hands, his head shook side to side. "That mess was equally as horrible too."

"And once again, the responsible Hyungs were left to clean up after the group," sighed Namjoon, however a fond smile graced his face as the younger three laughed at the memory.

"I think I was finding random feathers all over the place for a solid month after that," Yoongi spoke up with a small smile upon his face. "Well personally, my favourite memory in this place is definitely tame, but I hold it close to my heart. I'm not sure if you guys will remember this. But a year or two ago I came down with a really bad cold for two weeks straight. And you all looked after me that entire time and I got to spend most of the time laying down in my bed or on the couch. It was an amazing two weeks expect for when the cold flared up badly."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," said Jungkook with a nod. "You were super needy and clingy that entire time."

"No I wasn't!" shouted Yoongi, his face reddening slightly from the embarrassment.

"Yes you were, Yoongi Hyung," laughed Jimin. "You asked virtually each one of us to lay with you every day. We probably got asked to do that individually at least three times a day. Right guys?"

"Right," nodded Taehyung with a massive smile.

"Whatever," huffed Yoongi in embarrassment. "That's my favourite memory."

"That's sweet that your favourite memory is us taking care of you though," cooed Hoseok from beside the older as he reached over and ruffled Yoongi's hair.

"It was more because I could rest all day for two weeks straight, but whatever," Yoongi said while he crossed his arms and stared at the table with an angry pout.

"Keep telling yourself that, you grumpy old man. We all know the real reason as to why it's your favourite," laughed Hoseok before he took a sip of his wine.

"And you, Hoseok? What's your favourite memory here?" asked Jin to divert the attention from the red faced Yoongi.

"Hmmm," he hummed while he placed his cup back down. "While I think the weekend long Wings Tour celebration Jimin mentioned is a close second. But the first place would have to go to our very first Christmas we spent in these dorms."

"Ahhhhhhh," Namjoon nodded with a fond smile, he agreed with the older that that was a great memory.

"It was the first time we all could afford to separately fly our families out here and pay for their accommodations for them to stay in the city," fondly smiled Hoseok. "We could see them as much as we wanted for that entire week leading up to Christmas and we alternated who's families could spend a few hours in the dorm with us. It was such a magical week. Being able to spend time with you all plus all of our families was amazing. It's something we haven't done since but I'll never forget the feeling."

"Awe that's so sweet Hyung," cooed Jimin.

"Yeah keep it up and I might start crying," Jungkook said and pretended to wipe away a fake tear.

"Ah hush, Kookie," Hoseok chuckled with a roll of his eyes.

The laughs that followed the small banter fell upon deaf ears. Chan-woo's eyes had unfocused slightly as he thought over the story that Hoseok had just shared. It hurt him to know he'd never be able to share something like that with them all. He would never, ever, want to introduce his parents to any of them. Although, for the members that hated him, he'd be sure they would get along fine with his parents. They would be able to talk badly about him and complain about his existence and all of the other hurtful stuff he knew they'd be able to come up with.

"Well my favourite memory is more of a recent one," suddenly said Jin which brought Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "It was my last birthday last year when you all spoiled me rotten with gifts, a homemade breakfast and lunch, a wonderful dinner at a BBQ restaurant with Bang Hyung included, and perfectly wrapped up with a relaxing night here with lots of alcohol."

"We couldn't think of a better gift than to spoil you with food. Because you do love your food," chuckled Jimin.

"I do, I do," nodded Jin with a smile. "But what surprised me the most, and what makes it my favourite memory here, was the fact you all made the breakfast and lunch by yourself without my help."

"Are you surprised mostly because Namjoon-ah didn't burn the kitchen down?" smirked Yoongi, his face no longer red.

"Watch it Hyung," jokingly glared Namjoon.

"How could Namjoon Hyung burn the kitchen down when he was in charge of simply pouring the drinks?" asked Jungkook with confusion.

"Well no, you're right. But it's a miracle he didn't smash the glasses with the amount of filling and re-filling he did all morning and afternoon," said Jin with a chuckle. "But that's not the point. The point is I am so grateful you all did that for me. Not only will it be my favourite memory here in this dorm, but it will be one of my favourite birthdays."

"Awe, that's so sweet," Hoseok smiled kindly at the eldest.

"And last, but definitely not least, Namjoon," smiled Jin as he gestured for the leader to speak.

"This one is a hard one," started to say Namjoon as he lent back in his chair. "I can't decide whether my favourite memory is our very first day we moved in here, or if it's today."

"Oh no, here we go," cheekily sighed Jungkook with a roll of his eyes.

"No! I mean it," lightly blushed Namjoon. "They both hold so much meaning to me. Because our very first day in this dorm signified we had made it passed our rookie phase and had a bigger budget to move out of our very first small dorm. Our first day here in this dorm was a happy time for us all because we saw it as a big step. But then there's today. We picked up the keys to a house, not a dorm, but a house. Today shows us just how hard we've worked over the years. You know?"

"You're so cheesy, Namjoon Hyung," said Jimin with disgust as he lent forward and grabbed his cup with a shiver that momentarily took over his body.

"I agree. That was cheesy. But at the same time, the sentiment behind the two different memories are very nice, Joonie," smiled Jin as he reached over and ran a hand through the leader's hair affectionately.

"All I'm trying to say is that today is one of my favourite memories because here we are, sharing what will be our last or second last meal, in this dorm as a group," sighed Namjoon tiredly.

"Very well said, Namjoon," smiled Hoseok warmly.

"Yeah, thank you for those wonderful words, Hyung," said Taehyung with a small nod and smile towards the leader.

While the boys quietened down to self-reflect on all of their good times, Chan-woo was bombarded with sudden anxious thoughts of his own. He had quietly watched as they interacted and listened to the way they spoke to each other, and it had only added to his feelings of being the outsider. His heart broke the longer he stayed at the table without uttering a word or being spoken to. His mind slowly dragged him down a dark spiral of depressive thoughts. The already self-conscious boy was plagued with his insecurities screaming at him to just leave the table and leave the other boys to their celebrations.

Chan-woo clasped his hands together in his lap as he thought back on all of the fond memories the members had each shared. And as he quietly sat at the end of the table, he wondered if he'd ever reach a place with them to be able to share such memories. Would he ever be able to reminisce on happy memories? Would he ever be accepted into the group by every single one of them? It only disheartened him more the longer his mind spiralled down the path of forever being the outcasted burden of the group.

The youngest at the table had been so caught up in his mind that it took him a few seconds to realise what was happening before him. Taehyung had paused in his eating and had begun to dish different food options onto the empty plate in front of Chan-woo. He looked over to the other with a frown on his face, partly confused why the older was taking care of him after all of the damage he'd done. His eyes searched the emotionless face in hopes he could get a glimpse into the reason why.

"Eat up," Taehyung spoke quietly, his eyes never made contact with Chan-woo's confused, sad ones.

"Thanks," he whispered, barely audible, before he picked up his chopsticks and simply stared at the plate before him.

Despite his stomach painfully protesting that food still hadn't reached his mouth yet, Chan-woo couldn't force himself to eat. The strong smell of alcohol wafted up his nostrils as Taehyung had picked his cup up and lent back in his seat beside him, slowly sipping on the liquid. He felt sick from being in closer proximity than he had all night to the offending drink. His eyes closed as he focused on purely breathing through the sudden nausea. All he could think about was how he hoped Taehyung would place the drink down soon so there would be distance between his nostrils and the wine once more.

"Are you okay?" a small voice asked through the quiet of the room.

Chan-woo opened his eyes slowly to find Jungkook with an intense look upon his face as he awaited an answer. The room seemed to pause in all movement as all eyes turned towards him. He gulped nervously as he looked around the table, meeting each set of eyes only to find majority of them seemed empty compared to the joy he had seen in them only moments before. He looked down at his lap in shame and silently shook his head without a word.

"What's wrong?" asked Namjoon with some concern in his voice.

The youngest's heart clenched as he heard the tone. He wanted to believe it was real and that the other was concerned for him. But Chan-woo knew it would merely be out of pity. Pity for his health condition. Pity for his scars and bruises. Pity for being on the outside of everyone. Pity for him. And he didn't want any more of it. He just wanted to hide from Namjoon, he wanted to hide from the empty stares, he wanted to hide from the world.

"Are you feeling dizzy? Do you need to lie down?" Namjoon asked once more when the younger didn't answer.

"N-No," he shook his head slightly as he looked up at the leader. "I'm fine. D-Don't worry about me."

"You don't look fine though," pointed out Jimin, his eyes scanned the younger's face with no emotion.

"I'm-" Chan-woo went to say before he was cut off.

"If you aren't dizzy, just have a drink and relax. You seem too tense, I'm sure that will help with whatever is troubling you," said Jin as he continued to eat, his eyes still stayed focused on Chan-woo however.

"No, that's what is probably making him sick," Hoseok sighed.

"Is Hoseok right, Chan-woo?" asked Jin, a frown settled upon his face.

Eyes darted around in panic, not sure what to do in this situation. All eyes were on him. All ears were listening to him. He wasn't on good terms with essentially all of them, and he didn't particularly feel like revealing his past in that moment. He knew his response would only end in more questions. And he didn't want this to ruin the mood or to ruin the celebrations. But before he could even respond, his attention was caught by movement beside him from Taehyung.

"Y-Yeah," he nodded, his eyes locked on the cup as Taehyung moved.

"Why?" asked Jungkook, always inquisitive lately about the secret that was Chan-woo.

Silence filled the room as Chan-woo blankly stared at the cup of wine Taehyung had only just placed back down. The smell that had clouded all of his sense and made him feel nauseous slowly faded away. He sighed, grateful there was distance once more between him and the sickening scent. It was then, after the relief had set in, that he realised every single person in the room was still waiting for his response to Jungkook's question. He took a second to ponder over how much he was willing to share.

"It's too long of a story. The short version is that the smell of alcohol makes me feel nauseous," he said quietly as a small blush rose upon his cheeks.

"Is that why you didn't want to drink at the restaurant even when Bang Hyung offered? Because the smell makes you sick?" asked Jimin.

"Yeah," he whispered with a nod of his head.

"Have you ever had a taste of alcohol before?" Jungkook asked with a tilt of his head.

"No," he shook his head in response.

"Would you ever?" again asked Jungkook, his head still tilted.

"Never say never. But I would not try it for many, many, many years to come," he said with a disgusted look throw towards the untouched cup that sat in front of him.

"That's fair enough. Not everyone likes alcohol anyway," Jungkook said with a shrug as he adjusted in his chair. "There must be more of a reason in that long version of your story as to why though."

"Y-Yes. But it's not something I want to s-share. Not yet anyway," he looked down at his lap while he felt his face burn in embarrassment.

"Well, you only just opened up about your health issue this morning," spoke Namjoon after he cleared his throat. "We don't expect you to spill all of your secrets in one day. You can tell whoever you feel comfortable with and whenever you are ready. Because I know you probably don't want to share your past to the few of us who still haven't completely warmed up to you."

Chan-woo nodded his head as he listened to the wise leader of the group. He felt grateful none of them seemed to be pressing him to get an answer. If they had, he might have cracked under the pressure and ending up a sobbing mess. He was already so emotionally unstable. He didn't need anyone trying to pry into his past, especially when it was by someone who had treated him so coldly the entire time.

As he finally forced himself to take the first bite of the food on his plate, Chan-woo couldn't help but analyse the conversation he had just had. While Namjoon seemed the most concerned out of the group, he felt the inquisitiveness from Jungkook could potentially lead to the two to have a mutual acquaintance in the near future. In which the slightly older boy didn't hate him but at the same time they weren't on friendly terms. And if that were to happen, Chan-woo would welcome it with open arms. He'd take anything other than a cold exchange with any of the boys at this point in time, not to sound desperate, but that's how he felt.

One person Chan-woo still didn't know where he stood with was Jimin. Both that morning and moments ago, the other seemed to not be interested in him one bit. He had to wonder if Jimin secretly still hated him and tried to not be rude to his face in front of the other members. That could explain why Jimin had come across as emotionless whenever he did say something towards him. He didn't like when he couldn't read people, it unnerved him. He'd rather someone openly dislike or hate him, as it lowered any hopes he could possibly develop.

It also appeared that Jin had calmed down since he had lost his patience at him earlier in the afternoon. While the eldest had only directed a few comments towards Chan-woo during the meal, he didn't seem to be holding the prior incident against him from what he could tell. But he fully expected for Jin to continue with the cold treatment after the dinner finished. He predicted the way the older had interacted with him a few minutes ago was purely because of the good mood the entire table was in.

Although the same couldn't be said for Taehyung, Yoongi and Hoseok. Their attitude towards him drastically differed from the happy mood they were in when interacting with everyone else. Taehyung wouldn't look him in the eyes, Yoongi hadn't spoke a word to or about him, and Hoseok almost seemed annoyed that he had to jump in about the alcohol when Chan-woo first freaked out. It hurt to watch each of them smile, laugh, talk freely and then switch the second they were reminded of his presence.

The table remained silent as the group finished their plates of food. Occasionally the members of the group would take a sip from their cups, their eyes flicked towards the extremely quiet Chan-woo with concern. They could tell the younger had a lot on his mind by glazed over expression on his face and the way he would absentmindedly chew on the food for a bit too long. Majority of the boys would be lying to themselves if they said they weren't worried. Never before had they seen such a strong reaction to alcohol, the short reason hadn't made any sense to those that were in the dark about the actual reason why. 

"Well I'm going to turn in for the night," Hoseok sighed with a content smile upon his face as he pushed his chair back and stood up.

Hoseok leant down and hugged Yoongi which enticed an annoyed groan from the older. As he straightened up, he ruffled the slightly messy hair Yoongi hadn't quite fixed from earlier, before he then moved on next to Taehyung. With a warm smile, he threw both of his arms around Taehyung and squeezed him tightly. The younger of the two returned the gesture by placing his hands on the arms that were around him and squeezed them as an acknowledgement.

"Have a good sleep, Hyung," Taehyung said in a quiet, yet deep, voice.

"You too Tae," said Hoseok as he finally released the younger and stood up.

Chan-woo's body tensed up in anticipation as he watched the movement from the corner of his eyes. He wasn't sure if the older would consider hugging him or not, especially after the events of the day. And as he watched Hoseok walk away from him to head towards Jin at the other end, he couldn't help the drop of his heart. The tension never left him as he thought about how this could potentially play out. Either Hoseok would hug him very last or not at all. He gulped nervously as he continued to watch everything from the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you again for the dinner Jin Hyung. I had a good night," Hoseok said after he pulled back from the eldest of the group.

"No worries," warmly smiled Jin as he looked back at Hoseok. "Get some good rest."

"Thanks Hyung, you too," he said before he gave Namjoon a hug. "Thanks Joonie."

"It's okay. Sleep well, I know you're really tired," the leader said with a soft chuckle as he patted one of the arms around him.

"That's an understatement. But thank you," Hoseok laughed as he stood up yet again and quickly engulfed Jungkook in a big hug. "Kookie-ah, have a good night. Thank you for everything our little Golden Maknae."

"Oh hush, Hyung," Jungkook whined as the others at the table chuckled in regards to the nickname. "Go to sleep already. I can tell you're overtired and the wine isn't helping anything."

"I'm fine," the older said as he stood up and roughly ruffled Jungkook's hair. "I only had one glass."

"Mmm, sure thing. Keep telling yourself that Hyung," cheekily grinned Jungkook as he tilted his head back to look up at Hoseok, everyone knew that Hoseok was terrible at tolerating his alcohol.

"Brat," whispered Hoseok with a wide smile on his face.

"Good night Seokie Hyung," smiled Jimin as he stood up with his arms open, interrupting the light banter between the other two.

"Night Jiminie," Hoseok loudly said as he embraced the younger tightly and rocked them side to side happily.

"Calm down," laughed Jimin while he desperately tried to escape the hold. "Hyung! Let go of me."

"Not sorry," also laughed Hoseok as he eventually let go and walked to stand at the end of the table. He looked around to each person before him - all except for Chan-woo which didn't go unnoticed by him - a sparkle evident in his eyes as he contently sighed. "Once again, I just wanted to say thank you all for an amazing five years. I'm glad to be here with you all. I'm ready to start our moving out process tomorrow. In saying that, I'll go get some good rest. Good night!"

A chorus of amused good night's rung around the room. Hoseok smiled warmly as he turned his back and only managed to take two steps towards the hallway before he was stopped by a small hand grasping onto his wrist. His eyes looked down at the hand before they travelled up to Chan-woo's sad eyes. The smile that had graced Hoseok's face slowly faded away the longer the pair silently stared at one another.

The amount of pain that swelled within Chan-woo, as he observed the shift in aura, crushed him. He gulped heavily from the sudden thickness that clogged his throat. His hand instinctively released its grip on Hoseok's wrist, despite how much the younger wanted to cling onto the other. It pained him to see the empty look in the usually soft and kind eyes. And although the room was filled with noise as the other members continued to talk and eat, the silence between himself and Hoseok felt almost unbearable.

"Night, Hyung," whispered Chan-woo, he couldn't help the sadness that leaked into his voice.

Chan-woo didn't expect a response from Hoseok as he hung his head in shame. Why would he? Hoseok had been really hurt earlier that day. The older had ignored him ever since they had returned home. Not a single word was spoken to him at the dinner. Chan-woo understood why he hadn't received a hug like everyone else. His previous selfish actions caused a drift between them, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt him to be ignored again. He just wanted things to go back to normal between them.

"Night," Hoseok whispered back before he immediately left the room.

His eyes snapped up in shock as he watched Hoseok's retreating back. Chan-woo's heart skipped a beat at what the older had said. It was spoken so lowly under Hoseok's breath that he almost didn't hear it. Chan-woo gulped back the flare of emotion he felt within him. The regret he had for making the decision to invite Daniel over without permission intensified from the look he had seen in Hoseok's eyes. If only he could go back in time and just ask. Perhaps then Yoongi, Taehyung and Hoseok wouldn't be upset with him. Perhaps the celebration tonight would have gone completely different.

A small sigh left Chan-woo's lips as he turned his attention back to the plate in front of him. He urged himself to pick up the chopsticks and forced some food into his mouth. And even though he had no appetite, he'd rather not let the food Taehyung had served him go to waste. As he quietly chewed on the food, he couldn't help but feel deflated once more. It seemed no matter how hard he tried to keep his thoughts away from the events of the day, his mind wouldn't allow it.

The laughs and chatter around the table fell upon deaf ears as Chan-woo continued to be caught up in his thoughts. Constant anxiety and self-criticism plagued his mind. How he wished he had done things differently. Only just that morning, he felt as if he was on the right road to creating stronger bonds with some of the members he'd been struggling to connect with. He'd taken a chance to open himself up and be vulnerable, yet, he'd sabotaged himself with his actions later in the day. The fruitless attempt to make connections weighed heavily on him.

And now it felt like he'd taken not one, not two, but several steps backwards. He was once again in the bad books with Hoseok and Yoongi. Taehyung seemed to still be looking out for him but he too seemed distant. No process had been made with Jin, Jimin and Jungkook even after he had revealed some of his medical history that morning. And he felt as if Namjoon merely felt inclined to get to know and look out for him as the leader. Especially after what he had learnt that morning as well as what he had seen just before dinner.

Chan-woo had been so pre-occupied in his mind that he completely missed what had occurred around him. It was only as he sensed someone walk behind him that he stirred from his gloomy thoughts. He realised that yet another person was on their way to bed. He turned his head and watched disappointedly as Yoongi continued to walk towards the hallway without a word or glance in his direction.

Although it truly crushed him that he had missed the opportunity to bid Yoongi a good night, Chan-woo doubted the older would have responded anyway. He didn't know what would have disheartened him more; being completely ignored or seeing that blank look in Yoongi's eyes. As he turned his dejected eyes back to his plate, his stomach painfully protested at the sight before him. All of the negatives emotions within him suddenly caused him to feel nauseous. The food in front of him became unappetising, not believing he deserved to eat the same food with the others after what he had done.

Without a word, Chan-woo pushed his chair back and stood up. Even though he could sense a few stares in his direction, he didn't bother to look their way. Instead he picked up his plate and chopsticks, pushed in his chair, and then silently walked into the kitchen. He looked down at the half-eaten plate with a tiny bit of proudness. Considering he didn't think he'd be able to eat anything at all, he was pleased with the effort he'd made. He scraped the remainder into the rubbish bin before he rinsed both the plate and metal chopsticks in the sink and stacked them on the dish rack.

Chan-woo turned around and leant his lower back against the bench. He pulled out his phone from his pocket to see that the evening had gone by rather quickly, despite the awkwardness he'd felt throughout the entire meal. It was going on to almost be 9pm. A quiet exhale left his lips as he simultaneously dragged his unoccupied hand down his face. Even though he had spent most of the day resting, his body still craved to lay down and possibly sleep some more. Although he had to wonder how long it would be until his mind would allow such peace to overtake him.

The tired boy pushed himself off of the bench and shuffled his way over to his duffle bag with phone still in hand. As he squatted down, he placed his mobile on the ground for a brief moment to free his hands to be able to gather everything he required. He grabbed his toiletries bag, a fresh pair of clothes to wear to bed, and his pillow. Chan-woo closed up his duffle bag and made sure his little corner was tidy before he stood up with everything in his arms. He didn't bother to look in the others direction as he quickly placed his pillow on the couch and then proceeded straight to the bathroom.

With the door securely locked, Chan-woo begun his nightly routine. In the privacy of the silent room, he allowed himself to drop the mask he had around all of the boys. He watched his reflection as his eyes became even sadder, his shoulders dropped further in defeat, and the true tiredness he felt be displayed in his features. And for a moment, even he pitied himself. Chan-woo sighed as he set about brushing his teeth.

As his body worked in autopilot mode, his thoughts turned to the future. Specifically, the moving day scheduled for the next day. While the members all had furniture, he had nothing. All he had were his two bags and the small collection of new items he'd purchased. He had been so caught up in the short training period that he'd neglected to start the search for furniture he would eventually need. Chan-woo knew that the boy's focus with the move the next day would be clothing, small furniture, and miscellaneous items. So perhaps while they all were busy with  everything, he'd be able to go to the shops and try his best to urgently find at least a bed.

He moved onto changing his clothes. He had spent all day in the current clothes and he'd rather change out of them even though he didn't have the energy to shower. And as Chan-woo begun to peel off his long sleeved shirt, his thoughts turned from the move day to his pathetic body. His eyes roamed his reflection with a mixture of disgust and misery. The bruise on his rib hadn't changed since he last checked on it four days ago, much to his dismay. But the bruises on his neck had almost faded completely. One would have to stop and stare for a minute to be able to see anything out of the ordinary, unless, they already knew what to look for of course.

Chan-woo dragged his eyes off of his blemished skin as he finished changing into his light blue oversized hoodie and grey track pants. And while he cleaned up after himself, ready to leave, he couldn't help but be reminded of earlier events. He remembered the look in Namjoon's eyes as the older could only stare at his exposed stomach. He remembered the panic that flared through his entire body the moment he realised. He gulped heavily as he held everything in his arms once more, anxious about what would happen when Namjoon inevitably would approach him to 'talk'.

The living room still had a reasonable amount of noise as the reaming five continued to talk, drink, and pick away at the food. Chan-woo chose his best to ignore them all as he packed away his items. As he neatly stacked his dirty clothes underneath the duffle bag, he couldn't help but feel relieved it would only be two more sleeps, one more full day, until he would be moving into his own space where he'd have a place for all of his items. It didn't truly register with him how much he hated living out of a large duffle bag until this moment. He'd be able to hang his clothes in his small wardrobe and be able to choose the day's outfit with much more ease now that he wouldn't have to dig through a bag.

Like always, Chan-woo placed his phone on charge for overnight. Before he stood up, he turned on an alarm so he'd have plenty of time to get ready and spend the day at the shops. He paused as he stood up to stretch his arms over his head. Although he was conscious about his oversized hoodie, making sure it didn't ride up to reveal any of his skin. He'd prefer not to have another incident, especially considering whom was still in the room.

The tired young man walked over to the couch and allowed his body to flop down into the soft cushions below. He stayed seated upright, leaning his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes. Chan-woo sat still as he focused on his breathing and the other sounds that floated to him. The longer he stayed in position, the more his body begged to lay down. His eye brows burrowed in confusion. Despite resting fairly much all day, he could sense his body was still absolutely exhausted. Perhaps it had something to do with the emotional rollercoaster he'd experienced in the last twelve hours.

"Good night Chan-woo," a voice said behind him suddenly which caused the younger to jump in fright.

"N-Night," stuttered Chan-woo as he opened his eyes and looked behind him.

With a slightly accelerated heartbeat, he watched as Namjoon smiled down at him with pity. The leader reached forward and softly patted his shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. Both paused as the gentle touch only caused Chan-woo too flinch. A frown settled on the older's face while Chan-woo nervously shuffled on the couch with his head hung in shame. He played with his hands in his lap as the silence between them continued on much to his displeasure.

"Get some rest," Namjoon said quietly with a soft tone.

"You too," he replied just loud enough to be heard, he refused to look up again in fear of what he'd see.

Chan-woo didn't move a muscle as he watched Namjoon walk away out of the corner of his eyes. His entire body continued to remain tense for a few minutes, the interaction replayed in his mind. He hated how easily he flinched, even though he had foreseen the approaching touch. Finally, he shook off the tension in his body as he grabbed the blanket and unravelled it. He adjusted the pillow and, for the third time that day, laid down.

Out of habit, Chan-woo pulled the blanket all the way up to his chin, his neck hidden from view. It took a few minutes for his tired body to settle into a comfortable position. The thought of the semi-full table of people looking his way made him uncomfortable and harder for him to settle down. But eventually the lingering side effects from the massive episode two days ago caused his eyes to close and his breaths to even out.

Surprisingly it didn't take the youngest male in the room to completely relax and start to lose the battle of fighting off the oncoming sleep. Regardless of the noise in the room and the occasional anxious thought, sleep drew young Chan-woo into a deep relaxation. Thoughts on the past and the future slowly came few in between, as did the minutes, as they too slowed down. Soon enough the tired male slipped into sleep, glad to be away from the events of the day, glad to be away from his draining thoughts.

The remanding four at the table would periodically let their eye sight drift over to the peaceful sleeping form on the couch. No matter how hard they tried to not to feel anything for the younger, they simply couldn't avoid it. Worry, concern, wonder, and curiosity would flood their minds the second they would look at him. Even though the day had been up and down, mostly down, it didn't stop all four secretly thinking about the younger and being concerned over certain actions and responses they had witnessed.

Quietly, the four begun to clean up the dinner, conscious about not being loud so Chan-woo could continue to sleep. Neither of them would mention it, but they had taken in the exhausted look as he had returned from the bathroom. It was evident to them, as well as Namjoon, that even in spite of resting at home all day that Chan-woo had still been lethargic from the flare up. At least Jimin, Jungkook, and Jin now knew there was a valid reason behind it and not just him faking things for attention or sympathy.

With the kitchen table tidy and all left overs in the fridge, the four each had one last glass of wine to finish off the bottle before they said their goodnight's. Taehyung stayed behind to straighten a few items on the table and wash the dirty plates to dry over night. He worked as quietly as he could, mind occupied with thoughts of his own, digesting the events from the day. The occasional sigh would leave his lips as he got closer to being done. Tiredness had grown stronger in his body as he dried his hands on the tea towel near the sink and walked over to the light switches.

Darkness engulfed the silent room. Taehyung sighed softly as carefully navigated over to the couch and stood above Chan-woo. The small amount of moonlight that streamed in through the window allowed him to see the soft features of the other. Another sigh left him, disappointed he'd allowed himself to get jealous and hurt Chan-woo in the process. The younger didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of his own problems. Gently, he reached down and ran his hand through the soft hair.

"Have a good sleep," Taehyung whispered before he turned away and walked to his room.

Chapter Text

A/N: Just a little update for those who haven't seen it in 'The Assassin'... I recently got diagnosed with a rather aggressive form of  Leukemia . So that's why I have been rather absent with updates. I'm hoping to continue with updates when I have the energy, but the next few chemo rounds are going to really take it out of me. You can go read the full story of my diagnosis in the very latest chapter of 'The Assassin'.

Also! Before you continue on with the story, I have made a discord server. You can interact with me, get story and life updates, interact with other people, join a club, find fanfic recommendations, grow your skills, and have fun. The link is on my profile or to make it easier: https://discord.gg/ aRfmYDrC8h

Enjoy this extra long chapter!

Chan-woo slowly walked the isle full of furniture display in peaceful silence. He took it as an opportunity to forget about everything that had been happening in the last few days, and more so, what had occurred the previous day. Even with the brief interaction he had with some of the other boys before he had left that morning, he could tell his selfish actions still played a part in the awkward tension. Yoongi, Hoseok and Taehyung had still refused to make eye contact with him which hurt despite how predictable it was. And no one seemed to question why he had gotten ready and left without any indication of his whereabouts. It was typical behaviour from them that dragged his mood down.

Chanwoo's interest was piqued as his eyes landed upon a stunning shiny, black wooden, bedroom set. The bed frame had a massive headboard with a small built-in shelf, and for extra storage, it had a pull out drawer at the end of the frame. The pull out drawer had a rectangular golden handle. And it looked like the bed frame came in either a queen or king size. He could imagine the bed sat either in the left corner of his room facing the window so he could wake up to that view each time. Or even perhaps underneath the window itself for a unique look to the room.

As Chan-woo looked at the different prices and packages the set came in, it appeared that the bed came with a choice of one or two matching bedside tables. The three drawers of the bedside table each had a small circular, golden handle to match with the pull out drawer in the bed and to also bring some colour to the set. For an extra cost, the set could include a tallboy dresser with the same golden handles. He could picture the entire set in his room with ease and couldn't help but wish he could purchase it.

The set was stunning, it had certainly caught Chan-woo's eyes compared to all of the other options. But what caught his eyes even more was the minimum price for getting just the basic bed frame and one of the bedside tables. He wouldn't be able to afford even those two items considering he'd still need to purchase a mattress separately. With a heavy heart and a big sigh, he regretfully moved on in search of a cheaper set to get him started. Although he didn't get very far away until the ringing of his phone caused him to stop.

"Hello, this is Chan-woo speaking," he answered, despite knowing who had been calling him.

"Ah Chan-woo," Bang PD-nim's kind voice floated through the phone a second later. "How are you going?"

"I'm going okay, thank you Hyung. How are you?" politely asked Chan-woo.

"I'm good, I'm good. Now I hope this is an okay time for me to quickly call you," the older continued. "It's just in regards to our meeting the other day."

"Yeah, I'm okay to talk right now. I'm just out shopping for some furniture," he said. His eyes scanned the fairly empty store as he spoke.

"Oh great. Well, I just needed to let you know that our legal team has worked really quickly and everything is ready to go. So, I was thinking for us to tackle this as soon as possible, would you like to do it tomorrow? I can arrange some time in my schedule for us to call your parents and get the Non-Disclosure Agreement underway," said Bang PD-nim.

"Uh," nervously gulped Chan-woo at the sudden proposition. "Um sure. Tomorrow it is. The sooner we can get this over with, the better."

"Alright, I will send through a time later today after I rearrange a few things. Is there anything I can do for you before tomorrow? Anything to help your move?" kindly asked the CEO with a warm tone.

"Actually yes. You see, I'm furniture shopping for a bed, desk, dresser, and so on. But I'm afraid I can barely afford even the most basic and cheapest items. W-Would it be possible to get an early payment of my usual pay? So that way when I move in, I'll have some basic furniture to get me started?" he asked nervously, worried about asking for help.

"Of course, that's no problem. In fact, don't worry about this coming out of your usual pay. Normally when trainees first move into dorms, I cover the cost of some basic furniture so they aren't stressing. So I will do the same for you," he said as typing sounds floated through the phone. "I do apologise. Normally I have this sorted, but because we did things a little differently, I may have overlooked it. The money should be in your account soon, Chan-ah."

"Thank you so much, Bang PD-nim Hyung," he genuinely said with relief. "This means more than I could possibly explain."

"It's no problem. I look after everyone as best as I can, and you, are no exception. Don't be afraid to call me back or give me a text if it doesn't cover everything, okay?" Bang PD-nim said with obvious care in his tone.

"Okay," smiled Chan-woo and softly nodded his head shyly.

"Well I'll let you get back to your shopping. If I don't speak to you later, then I'll see you tomorrow. Take care, Chan-woo," happily said Bang PD-nim.

"You too, bye Hyung," he replied before he hung up and looked around the store with brand new enthusiasm.

Chan-woo continued to stand in the same spot for a few seconds as his fingers absentmindedly tapped the side of his phone. He didn't know where to begin. Perhaps he should begin with seeing if the money had come through yet so he could see what type of budget he was working with. Even though Bang PD-nim said he would send extra if he needed it later, he already felt bad enough having to ask in the first place and doubted he would. So he didn't waste any more time and opened up his online bank account.

A small gasp left him as his eyes landed on the amount the CEO had transferred to his account. His wide eyes almost didn't believe how much money he had to work with. And it wasn't until he refreshed the account that it indeed confirmed how much now sat in his account. Chan-woo gulped as he put his phone away and looked around the nearby displays. Although they were nice, nothing compared to the earlier set that had caught his eyes. Knowing exactly what he wanted, he turned back and stood in front of the shiny, black bedroom set.

He hesitantly stepped up and took a seat on the edge of the bed. A sigh left his lips as he contemplated his final decision. With the extra money, he could afford to buy this entire set, plus the mattress, and still have money left over. With having seen over three quarters of the bed displays in the building, he knew that this set was the one he wanted. He tapped his fingers on his knees as his heart pounded in his chest. This moment was a significant step in his chapter of leaving home and becoming an independent adult. He was definitely nervous as he looked around and spotted an employee at the service desk.

Chan-woo took a deep breath as he stood up, quickly straightened out his light pink hoodie, and begun to walk over to the employee. He had memorised the quote number for the set and repeated it over in his head out of an anxious habit. That was, until, a display off to the far right caught his attention. He looked over to the area dedicated to office displays and knew he'd have to check that out before he left. He continued to walk the rest of the way to the service desk and politely waited for the employee to be free.

"Hi there," the young female said as she cleared some paperwork off to the side and smiled up at Chan-woo. "How can I help you today?"

"I'd like to place an order for delivery please," Chan-woo blushed as he stepped up to the desk and noticed a name tag on her shirt that read 'Haneul'. "And I haven't looked at your office display section yet, but I'd like some help choosing a desk that could match with the rest of my order please."

"No problem. Let's start with your main order first and work out delivery times. Do you have any of the quote numbers or the brand and name?" she asked kindly as she begun to type away at the small computer.

"Yes, it's the Q10GBE223 set," he repeated the memorised number as he nervously played with his hands.

"Perfect. Looks like we have full stock of all items, so if you wanted, we could even do the delivery today," Haneul said, pausing to look at him after she finished talking. "Were you after a partial set or full set?"

"The full set please. That includes the tallboy dresser, right?" he reconfirmed.

"Exactly. In the full set you'll get the bed frame in which ever size you'd prefer, the two bedside tables, and the tallboy dresser. Have you decided whether you'd like a queen or king size yet?" she asked with a small tilt of her head.

"Oh uh, queen size will be fine thank you," he blushed unconsciously.

There was no need for Chan-woo to get the biggest king size bed considering it was just going to be him sleeping in it. Even the queen size bed still seemed too big for him. He also thought on the fact he'd only ever slept on a single size bed his entire life, and more recently, an even smaller space on the couch. So even a queen size would honestly feel like too much for him. But, who's to say he couldn't spoil himself every once in a while, huh?

"And have you trialed any of the mattresses we offer here?" Haneul asked after typing away on the computer for a minute.

"Yes, I was interested in the innerspring memory foam hybrid," Chan-woo nodded in response.

"Wonderful," she typed something into the computer before she clapped her hands and shot him a wide smile. "So if you're interested, we can delivery everything including the mattress and office set at 2:30pm. Or any time after then that would suit you."

"Uh," Chan-woo looked down at his phone to see 2:30pm was still three hours away meaning he'd have to find something to kill the time. An idea popped into his head on how he could spend the next few hours, and it was preferably not back at the dorm or at the new house. "Yeah sure, let's go for 2:30pm."

"2:30pm delivery has been booked. Now, do you need a hand with assembling the furniture? It is an extra cost. A lot of our customers tend to add it to their order," said Haneul as she typed away at the keyboard some more.

"I don't think that will be necessary," he shook his head with a smile. "I'm quite familiar with assembling and dismantling furniture. And if I run into any trouble, I can always hire someone to finish it off."

"Personally I have fun dismantling things, but assembling furniture does my head in. I always seem to end up with a few screws missing. But that's not a problem if you don't need a hand. Our company also offers a service for a handyman after the delivery day, so please keep that in mind as well," she explained all the while giving him a shy smile.

"Thank you," he bowed his head slightly.

"It's okay. Alright, once we get back here, I'll go through finalising the details, delivery address and notes, and the payment. Shall we go look for a matching desk set now?" she asked kindly with her hand held out in the direction of the display section.

"Before we start, do you mind if I quickly send a message? It'll only take me a minute," Chan-woo asked as he nervously fidgeted on the spot.

"Of course, no problem," she gestured for him to go ahead.

With a small smile thrown in her direction, Chan-woo pulled his phone out once more and navigated his way to his messages. He might as well text the person now, before the other made any plans or to find out if they already had plans for the day. He'd love to go to that new café he had found the other day to kill some time. Even if he ended up there by himself, he didn't mind. It would be one of the last chances to go there before he moved across town.

"Thanks for waiting, I'm ready," Chan-woo said as he hastily put his phone away and gave her a small smile.

"No problem," she smiled back shyly before she led the way over towards the office display section.

The pair slowly made their way through all of the displays. It didn't take Chan-woo long to decide he'd prefer a larger corner desk that would allow him more workspace. With this in mind, Haneul led him over to a corner desk that came with an overhead hutch on the left side, built in drawers under the right end and an option for a detachable, movable drawer that could comfortably sit anywhere underneath the desk. The main framework of the desk was a dark ironstone colour, broken up with beech coloured desktop, drawers and shelving on the hutch.

"If you're looking for something to break up the fairly dark colour theme, I think this desk would work. The beech colour on the shelving, drawers and desktop are a nice pop of colour. Otherwise I can show you another corner desk that comes in all black," Haneul said after she had let him know the price and confirmed it was in stock.

"No, there's no need. I think an all black desk would be an overkill. I agree that this would help break up the dark colour theme nicely without it being an eye sore," said Chan-woo as he considered everything. He could picture it all in his new room and nodded happily. "I'll take this one, please."

"Wonderful. Let's get you all sorted," she smiled up at him as she led the way back to the service desk.

"Thank you so much for all of your help, I really appreciate it," Chan-woo said as they walked in a comfortable silence.

"It's no problem. That's what I'm here for," she said over her shoulder with a genuine smile, a slight blush formed upon her cheeks.

Chan-woo smiled at her only for it to fall the second Haneul looked away. His heart had fastened in his chest as he thought on her telltale signs. It would be obvious to anyone that Haneul found him somewhat attractive. The shy smiles, the small blush, the slight twinkle in her eyes. He felt sorry for her, if only she knew. He thought she was very pretty, don't get him wrong, but he didn't swing that way. And as he watched her look over her shoulder with the slight twinkle in her eyes, he wondered if he showed the same or similar telltale signs whenever he was around Daniel.

The semi-full café up ahead drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts while he walked along the quite midday streets. A small smile settled on his face as he walked into the store and inhaled the sweet aroma of the place. Instead of lining up to order, Chan-woo walked towards the right side of the café and sat down in a booth. He placed his backpack beside him and took out his phone from his pocket to pass the time while he waited for his company to join him.

A soft exhale left his lips as the busy morning caught up with his exhausted body. He closed his eyes as he ran a hand down his face. His muscles thanked him for resting after the walk he had done, his body not fully recovered after the previous anaemia episode. As Chan-woo looked around the café, he wondered how long he'd be waiting even though the other person said they were on their way. He opened his phone and begun to scroll through his social media.

Photo after photo, post after post, caught Chan-woo's attention as he scrolled. The BTS fandom were rather active online that day. He wondered what had occurred for such activity. With his eyebrows in a deep frown, he navigated to the official BTS tweeter page and opened up the timeline to see if there were any clues. Soon enough, he was staring at a recent post that announced a sudden pop-up fanmeet in Seoul scheduled for later that weekend. The two day event had limited tickets that would be available to purchase from 5pm later that evening.

'Well that would do it,' Chan-woo thought to himself.

No one had mentioned any plans for a fanmeet to him. He wondered if they would or if he'd just be constantly kept in the dark about the group's schedule. The activity all over the different social media platforms made sense now. Of course Army's were excited at the prospect about suddenly being able to see their favourite idols. Chan-woo sighed as he thought on what would happen with him for the entire two days. Obviously he wouldn't be able to hang out with the group since they'll be on stage. So it looked like he'd have a rather lonely few days to look forward to.

"Hey buddy!" a voice suddenly said from in front of the pre-occupied boy which caused him to jump slightly and look up with slightly wide eyes.

Daniel sat down on the opposite chair in the booth with a kind smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Chan-woo locked his phone while he bowed his head respectfully. His heart pounded away in his chest from both the slight scare and the fact Daniel was now with him. He fought to keep the blush off his face as he nervously played with his phone that he held in his lap.

"Good afternoon Daniel Hyung," he forced a smile upon his face as a whirl of conflicting emotions suddenly filled him.

"Are you okay?" the older immediately asked as his concerned brown eyes roamed the younger's face.

"Uh should we order first before I go into it all?" gulped Chan-woo.

"Alright. What would you like? It's my shout," Daniel said as he pulled his slim wallet out from his pocket.

"Awe, that's so sweet of you. May I have a large iced coffee with full cream milk?" he asked while his heart pounded heavily from the kind gesture.

"Nothing to eat?" he asked with concern.

"I don't think I'll order anything. I'm not feeling the best. You know?" he tried to reassure the other not to bother to get him any food. "But you can grab something for yourself, don't feel bad that I'm not eating."

"Okay, sit tight. I'll be back soon," Daniel said as he gave an understanding smile and stood up to join the small queue.

Chan-woo watched as Daniel slowly made his way up to the counter from the back of the line. And as he sat in anxious silence, he tried his hardest to calm his racing heartbeat. But his attempt was spoiled the second Daniel looked over and flashed him a smile. Good God, this man was going to be the death of him. The charming smile stayed burned into his mind even after the older had turned back around to order for them. A dreamy sigh came out of him as his slightly glazed over eyes continued to watch Daniel while he thought about how lucky he was to have met such a great guy.

"Alright, now spill," Daniel said which startled Chan-woo from his train of thought. The older had sat down across from him and placed the receipt on the table, ready to take back to collect the order. But for the meantime, his full attention was on the younger. "What's wrong?"

"Where to begin?" Chan-woo let out a small nervous laugh as he tiredly ran a hand down his face once more.

"Maybe with last night?" suggested Daniel with a shrug. "How did things go after I left?"

"I mean it wasn't great," Chan-woo sighed as he shifted in his chair. "I'm back in the bad books again. I was basically ignored the whole night by those specific two that I was close with and that one I was starting to get along with. But I don't know what I've done wrong this time to cause it. And I can't help but feel like I'm back to square one within the entire group as being the burden and an outcast."

"Awe, I'm sorry Chan-woo," said Daniel with a slight pout. "These two that keep changing their moods, it's so odd, right? I'm wondering if it's being triggered by anything. Like can you think of any similarities between each time they start to act cold towards you?"

"Hmmm, no I don't think so," he hummed as he begun to think back on everything. Suddenly something clicked. "Wait a second."

Well Yoongi and Hoseok's attitude first shifted the day after Daniel had brought round the dinner to share with him. And then a few days later they were back to being caring as if nothing had happened after his anaemic episode. But things changed all over again between Taehyung, Hoseok and Yoongi when they walked in to find him with Daniel on the couch. Each time there was a switch in attitude, it seemed to be when he hung out with Daniel... The question he then needed to ask is why? Why would having Daniel around cause a drift in the relationships he had been building with those three boys?

"Yeah, I-I think I know why," Chan-woo gulped. "I believe they may have possibly got jealous over something."

"Order 66!" the female at the counter shouted which caused Daniel to look over.

"That's ours. I'll be back," he said as he stood up with the receipt in his hand.

A soft sigh left Chan-woo's lips as he watched the other show the number on the top of the receipt before he picked up the small tray. His heart skipped a beat as a gentle smile was spread upon Daniel's face. The older placed the tray down and took off the two drinks and a small bowl of hot chips, before he turned around and took the tray back up to the counter. Chan-woo grabbed his drink, took a small sip through the straw and tried to compress the moan that wanted to escape from the sweet taste that flooded his taste buds.

"Now, I know you said you weren't hungry. But, I got a bowl of chips for us to share," Daniel said as he sat back down, the gentle smile still on his face. "I think it's a good idea for you to have at least something in your stomach while you're out and about."

"Ah, thank you Hyung. So thoughtful of you," a blush immediately rose upon his cheeks.

"Dig in," Daniel gestured toward the bowl that sat in the middle of the table before he grabbed one for himself.

With a nod, Chan-woo shyly grabbed a chip and brought it to his lips. He bit into the hot chip and smiled at the great tasting food. So far, this café had not disappointed in any of the drinks or food he had tried. This place had definitely became his favourite place. He grabbed another chip from the bowl as his stomach painfully groaned in protest of being neglected earlier that morning.

"Now," Daniel said as he cleared his throat. "It sounds like these boys have their own problems that they need to deal within themselves. There isn't anything that you have done wrong, okay? Just try to give them some space and time and hopefully they'll come around. But try to remember if they don't, then it's from no fault of your own."

"Thank you, Hyung," he nodded with a small blush.

"Of course. It's not fair what they are putting you through. You've been through enough already in life without having to deal with this hot and cold treatment for absolutely no reason," he continued to say before he grabbed his drink to sip on.

"You're right. And it hasn't been easy, but I'm used to things being like that sadly," Chan-woo sighed heavily.

"You shouldn't be used to being treated that way, Channie-ah. I do truly hope they sort through whatever is causing them to be jealous sooner rather than later for your own benefit," Daniel smiled at him with sadness all over his own face.

"Yeah, me too," he nodded sadly as he grabbed another chip.

"But if things don't work out soon," he begun to say before a ringing sound interrupted him. "Can you hold on a few minutes while I take this call?"

"Go for it," Chan-woo smiled kindly at the other while he pulled out his own phone.

Out of respect for the older, he tuned out the private conversation Daniel was having by turning on his own phone. He navigated to his messages and opened them up. He easily found Hoseok's number and sighed as he begun to type a text to the other. He needed to know if anyone would be at the new house in the next few hours for his delivery of furniture. Part of him hated that he had to deal with Hoseok after the way he had became distant yet again. But, it was better for him to text the older rather than anyone else. Well, that, and the fact he still only had Hoseok's number.

Chan-woo:
Hi Hyung. It's Chan-woo. Uh, will anyone be at the new house in the next few hours?

With a sigh, Chan-woo placed his phone face down on the table and looked out the window as he patiently waited. He grabbed his iced coffee and took a few long sips. The cold, refreshing drink gave his body some much need energy to keep him going for the rest of the afternoon. The daunting task of having to start assembling his furniture played on him. He was so exhausted from the morning he had already had. As he turned his eyes back down to the table in front of him and grabbed another chip, he noticed that Daniel had just gotten off of his phone.

"Sorry," sheepishly smiled Daniel as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "That was just my girlfriend trying to sort out what we are doing for dinner tonight."

In that moment, it felt like everything around Chan-woo faded away. There was one word that circled around in his mind with a vicious bite to it: girlfriend. How could he have been so stupid? Of course someone like Daniel had a partner. He hated himself for even allowing himself to develop a crush on the other. It had taken him all this time to realise his true feelings. His feelings about being gay. His feelings about liking guys. His feelings about Daniel. And the news that Daniel had a girlfriend absolutely devastated him.

"That's okay. You have a girlfriend?" asked Chan-woo in shock as he felt his mouth go dry and his heart painfully stop beating.

"Yeah, we've been together for almost five years," smiled Daniel with a small laugh as he reached forward and grabbed himself a chip.

"Wow, that's a long time," gulped Chan-woo, trying to push aside the hurt that swirled in him and be happy for his friend.

"I honestly couldn't be any happier. Her and I have started to talk about the future more and more lately. And just between you and I, I've started planning a proposal within the next year or two," his smile only brightened the more he talked.

"Oh," Chan-woo said before he looked down at his lap quickly and tired to force a smile on his face. "Well I'm really happy to hear that. That's great Hyung. Oh, hang on," he picked up his  phone from the table as it buzzed.

Hoseokie Hyung:
We are all here and will be for a long time.

Chan-woo gulped as a wave of different emotions flared and whirled within him. He suddenly felt like he could burst into tears right then and there. The stress from having to deal with a distant Hoseok and the sudden revelation from Daniel all felt like too much. He wondered why he had a sudden urge to just run and never stop. But then he realised why as the silence dragged on between them. He sighed as he held his phone in his lap.

"I have to get going Danny Hyung," said Chan-woo with a pained smile.

"Of course, no problem," the older said as he sat up straighter.  "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, as okay as they can be. I just got a text from one of the boys. I need to get going. Plus I have a furniture delivery coming in an hour anyway," he cleared his throat anxiously as he grabbed his backpack from beside him and pocketed his phone. "T-Thank you so much for meeting up with me, Hyung."

"Hopefully we can catch up again soon," Daniel said as the pair stood up. "Take care of yourself and give me a text or call anytime you need."

"Thanks," he bowed his head and grabbed his coffee cup from the table, thankful that the older had ordered take-away cups. "I really appreciate everything you've done and all the advice you've given. I'm so grateful to have met you."

"That's very sweet of you buddy," said Daniel as he stepped forward and embraced the younger.

In the tight embrace, Chan-woo allowed his façade to briefly drop. His strained smile fell to be replaced with a pained expression. He hugged Daniel back just as tightly, expressing his sorrow through the hold. He didn't know when the next time he'd be up to seeing the other would be. He needed time to heal and move on. But he only had himself to blame for allowing such a deep crush on the older to develop. He sighed as he forced himself to let go and step back. To let go of Daniel in more ways than one. To step back from Daniel in more ways than one.

"See you later, Daniel Hyung," Chan-woo forced a smile on his face as he begun to walk around the other.

"Bye, Channie-ah," the older said with a soft smile on his face and a wave of his hand.

Chan-woo forced himself to hold his head up straight as he exited the coffee shop. He wouldn't allow himself to appear weak in front of Daniel, even as much as he wanted to crumple to the ground in that moment. He continued to walk further down the street until he was sure he was well and truly out of sight from the other. With a blank stare on his face, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and ordered himself a taxi to take him to the new house.

Time seemed to pass the lone boy by slowly. Chan-woo sat on the marble steps outside of what was meant to be a fresh start for him, yet, he was stuck in a self-pity party for one. His hunched over figure hadn't moved an inch for more than half an hour since the taxi had dropped him off out the front. Even after he heard the boys moving around inside, he didn't dare once look over his shoulder. His mind too consumed with the big revelation of the day. He didn't even clear away the dried tear tracks that ran down his face.

It seemed almost impossible for him to wrap his mind around the new information. He had been so caught up in accepting himself finally that he had forgotten not to get ahead of himself. But he had just ditched all caution and dove right in the deep end of his first ever crush. What he did meant he could get hurt. And he did get hurt. He had allowed himself to be vulnerable with his own true emotions for the first ever time but it had only backfired on him. Now he was once again forced to pick up his broken pieces all on his own.

A sigh left his lips as his ears picked up on the sound of the front door opening behind him. He heard soft footsteps approach slowly. Yet he didn't move a muscles, didn't turn his head, didn't even acknowledge the presence that loomed behind him. Part of him wondered who was there. Were they there to check in on him? Surely not. Who out of the entire group would want to waste time on such a pathetic kid like him? None of them.

"Chan-woo?" a voice hesitantly asked.

"Mmm?" he hummed back in question without moving.

"What are you doing out here?" Jin's voice asked, no emotion in his tone.

"Waiting for a delivery," Chan-woo answered, not sure why the eldest was bothering him.

"Ah, okay," was the only response before the steps retreated and the front door was once more closed. The sound of the lock followed a second later.

Chan-woo scoffed after he had heard the eldest of the group lock the door. He rolled his eyes while at the same time he willed himself not to cry. He had already spilled enough tears on the steps after he had numbly sat down earlier. And it was such a pitiful reason to cry for. He should be used to the icy treatment from the other boys, so why should he allow a locked door to affect him? Internally, he became more frustrated at himself for his uncontrolled emotions. He wished he could simply numb his feelings to all the external forces - between his Hyung's and Daniel - and just focus on surviving the debut period.

A buzz in his pocket caught Chan-woo's attention. He pulled out his phone and a genuine smile graced his face. He saw a text from someone he hadn't heard from in a while. With renewed energy, the young man unlocked his phone and read the message, his smile only grew larger the further he read.

Minho  Hyungie :
Hey Chan-woo! It's been a while since I last spoke with you. I just wanted to check in with you. How are you? How are things? Have you settled in okay? I really hope so. And if you are having a hard time, remember why you left this town. Also is there any inside gossip you can tell me? I promise I won't tell anyone. Anyway, miss you man and hope to hear from you soon. Much love from your Minho Hyung.

It was almost as if the universe knew that Chan-woo desperately needed some positivity in his life in that exact moment. The text from his old boss had come at the right time. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, paused, exhaled slowly and opened his eyes with a smile on his face. The warm and kind message broke his depressive thought pattern. It reminded him he had someone that did care and wish nothing but the best for him. In fact, since he had moved, he had met a few people that also felt the same way.

Chan-woo:
Hey Hyung! It's so good to hear from you. I'm going okay for the most part. Had a small health scare earlier but got treatment straight away and I'm on the mend. I've settled in alright I guess. I've met all the other members I'll be in the group with. I'm just moving into the new place now, waiting for the furniture to arrive any second. And you know I can't spill any gossips Hyung. I miss you too... So much.

As Chan-woo looked up from his phone, he took a moment to just be present in the moment. He slowly looked around the property and took in different breathtaking details. Like how the wind softly whistled as it swayed through the multiple species of plants, trees and shrubs. Or how the sun reflected off of the water fountain which caused the surface to sparkle. Or like how the occasional bird would swoop down to come to a stop on either the fence or a tree for a break from its journey. Nature truly was calming. He much preferred being there than in that cramped dorm living room.

Just as Chan-woo was about to try and pre-occupy himself, a truck pulled in and slowly made its way around the driveway. With a sigh, he pushed himself up off of the steps and turned around. He walked up to the front door and rung the doorbell just as the truck came to a stop. While Chan-woo waited for someone to open the door, he watched the two delivery guys get out and head to the back of the truck to begin the process of unloading.

"Did someone lock the door on you?" Namjoon's voice suddenly asked which startled Chan-woo.

"Jin Hyung," he answered with a nod of his head, still no emotion in his tone.

"I'm sorry about that," sighed Namjoon. His soft, brown eyes scanned the younger's face before a frown settled upon his own. "You've been crying?"

Chan-woo's eyes widen before he looked at the ground. He hadn't realised his prior crying session would have been so evident. He used the sleeves of his jumper to wipe away any more signs as he simply nodded his head to answer the leader's question. He was too embarrassed to speak in that moment.

"What happened?" Namjoon asked.

"Delivery for Chan-woo," a voice suddenly interrupted.

"That's me," Chan-woo turned his head and looked upon the two guys that carried a heavy looking, plastic wrapped headboard frame between them both. "Follow me."

Without a word, Namjoon stepped aside and made sure the door was opened as wide as possible. Silently, Chan-woo nodded his head towards the older without making eye contact as he led the two guys up the stairs and towards his room. He opened the bedroom door, awkwardly walked in to the middle of the space and turned around. He watched the pair navigate the large piece of furniture into the room with a slight struggle.

"Where would you like things put kid?" one of the guys asked.

"Just on the left side of the room please," Chan-woo pointed to their left - his right - side of the room that didn't have the large built-in wardrobe.

The two workers carefully placed the frame of the headboard down before they instantly retreated to get more items. Chan-woo sighed as he slid off his backpack and placed it in the right corner of the room closest to the wardrobe and door. He squatted down, unzipped it and pulled out a small tool kit containing different screwdrivers that he had purchased on his walk to the café. He tore off the packaging and stuffed it inside his backpack before he zipped it shut.

As he stood up with the brand new tool kit in hand, Chan-woo heard the bathroom door open and looked over to his doorway. He saw Yoongi leisurely walk out before he paused midstep. The two workers had blocked Yoongi's path as they carried in the large, plastic wrapped mattress. As soon as the two guys had manoeuvred the item inside, the pair locked eyes. Chan-woo stared blankly at Yoongi despite the way his heart raced wildly in his chest. Yoongi broke the eye contact first, only after the two workers had walked back out of the room, and he walked away without uttering a single word.

A small, disappointed sigh left Chan-woo's lips. He tried to push away his self-hatred and focus on the task at hand. He placed the tool kit on the ground next to the headboard, stood up and looked around the space. Mentally, he pictured exactly where everything he had ordered would end up. He grabbed the headboard and shuffled the heavy item until it rested against the wall on the left side next to his doorframe with enough space with side for the two bedside tables. It would be an absolute perfect fit. He then pushed the mattress until it was in the far left corner close to the window.

Chanwoo's plan for the day was to at least set up his bed and mattress before he left. He could always start and finish his tallboy dresser and desk in the following days. That way when he moved in the next day with his backpack, duffle bag, and bags of small items, he'd at the very least have a bed to sleep on straight away. It wouldn't be his first time putting together furniture. He'd done so in the past when his old bed had broken and his parents had reluctantly brought him a new one.

He waited patiently as the two delivery guys brought up each piece of furniture in their boxes. He watched as they carried in each item and placed it along the empty space between the headboard and mattress. Chan-woo would check the description of each box to double check it was of course what had been ordered and that he had received everything. The two guys had made quick work of unloading the order and on the last trip up, one of the workers held a pen and a piece of paper in his hands.

"We're all done. But do you mind asking if I could grab their signature before we leave? My daughter is a big fan of them," bashfully asked one of the guys.

"Oh," Chan-woo scratched the back of his neck. "I'm quite new to this position so I'm not one hundred percent certain on the rules and regulations about fan signings. But I can ask for you."

"Even if they say no, I really appreciate you asking," he smiled widely with a slight bow.

"Of course. Just give me one second," he nodded shyly and returned the small bow as he pulled out his phone and dialed Hoseok's number. "Hey Hyung. Sorry to bother you. One of the workers was wondering if any of you would be willing to sign something for his daughter or not."

"I'm happy too. Some of the others down here might. Just bring them to the kitchen," Hoseok said with no emotion before he hung up.

"Hoseok Hyung is happy to sign something for you. Maybe some of the others too," Chan-woo tried to put on a brave smile as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "Follow me."

"Thank you so much," the worker said as they exited the bedroom and began to descend the stairs.

"No problem. You never know unless you ask, right?" chuckled Chan-woo as he walked into the kitchen and instantly hung his head to avoid any eye contact with the members present in there.

"My daughter is a big fan of you boys. She'll love this surprise. Thank you so much," the worker said as he walked forward with the pen and piece of paper in his hands.

"It's alright," Hoseok laughed. "We're happy to do that. Anything for our fans."

Chan-woo stood near the other worker silently as the members passed around the pen and paper. He replayed the difference in tone Hoseok had used when speaking to him and then when he had just spoken to the delivery guy. It crushed his heart. He had been spoken to with no emotion and he gave very short responses. While he had been his usual cheerful self in front of the worker and spoken to him with a happy tone of voice. It hurt him so much to hear the evident differences.

"There you go. Hope your daughter enjoys the surprise. And thanks for your help today," Namjoon spoke which brought Chan-woo out of his thoughts.

"Just doing our job," the guy laughed. "Thank you guys again. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

"You too," Chan-woo heard Jungkook reply.

Without looking in their direction, Chan-woo turned around and led the way back out to the front door. He opened the door, walked down the marble steps, and came to a stop near the back of the truck. He turned around and politely held out his hand for the two to shake.

"Thank you so much for your help today," he said with a respectful bow.

"It's no problem kid," the guy who had asked for the signatures said. "And thank you for asking for that favour for my daughter. It means a lot."

"Honestly it was no big deal. Glad to have helped," he said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"You know, you seem quite young for a manager," the other guy spoke up for the first time.

"Oh, no," shyly chuckled Chan-woo. "I'm not their manager."

"Could have fooled me," he laughed. "Ah! Before I forget, Haneul wanted me to pass this on."

The delivery guy walked up to the front of the truck, opened the door, grabbed an envelope from the side of the door, and walked back over. Chan-woo raised his eyebrows in surprise and grabbed the envelope with a small bow. He turned it around in his hands to find his name neatly scribbled on the front. His heart pounded as he wondered what was inside.

"Thank you again," Chan-woo bowed. "Have a good rest of your afternoon."

"Thanks, you too kid," the worker that had asked for the signature said.

Chan-woo didn't wait for them to leave as he turned around and headed inside. He locked the door behind him and paused as he heard a loud round of laughs come from the kitchen. He was so numb to it all at that point that he merely took off his shoes, placed them next to the front door, turned on his heels and retreated to his room. Halfway up the stairs, Chan-woo suddenly had to pause. His hand blindly grabbed onto the wall beside him and he squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of dizziness overcame him.

"You okay?" a voice suddenly asked which caused Chan-woo to jump slightly and snap his head up to look at Yoongi who stood at the top of the stairs.

Chan-woo locked eyes with the older boy and blankly stared at him. So many thoughts whirled through his mind in that very moment. Was he okay? No. No he wasn't. He had been ignored, ostracised, shunned. All he wanted was to be accepted by the group. To be cared for. To belong. And then the anger started to swirl in the pit of his stomach. This was the first time Yoongi had directed anything towards him since things changed between them yet again and of course it was only after he visibly showed signs of being unwell.

Scoffing, Chan-woo angrily shook his head as he silently continued to scale the stairs and walk passed Yoongi. He didn't dare utter a single word nor did he look back as he made his way to his room. He was angry the older seemed to snap out of the cold treatment when he outwardly seemed unwell. It felt more like pity to him than concern at that point. He couldn't look the older in the eyes any longer without an intense burning begin to alight deep within him. Why couldn't Yoongi see he was hurt and in need of help on the inside? Why was it only ever the outside signs?

He softly closed his door and walked straight over to his window. Chan-woo overlooked the quiet front yard below as he took a few calming deep breaths. He shouldn't allow himself to get so worked up. He had more important things to focus on. With that in mind, he pulled out his phone and begun to play music through it. He laid the device on the windowsill with the volume up high and turned around to lean against the frame.

In his hands was the envelope that the worker had passed to him. He turned it over a few times in curiosity, wondering what the contents were. Chan-woo opened it and carefully pulled out the two square cards from within. The first card had a handwritten note on it: 'Thanks for your business. Please find a 10% off voucher for your next purchase. Happy shopping from Haneul!'. The second card was the voucher itself. His heart skipped a beat at the kind gesture from Haneul.

An idea popped into his head as Chan-woo placed the cards back in the envelope for safe keeping. He knew exactly what he wanted to use the voucher for. But he would tackle that the following day since he had no mental capacity to deal with the person he needed to speak to. If he was to go ask to pull them aside, he knew he'd only be bombarded with questions. And he'd rather just be left alone for the rest of the day.

After Chan-woo placed the envelope away in his backpack, he walked over to the headboard and stared at it for a second. He needed to unwrap it carefully so it didn't damage the wall while he assembled the bed. He looked at the frame and noticed all of the placements for the screws were down the bottom. Perhaps if he tore off the plastic from the halfway point, and leave the top half on, the wall would be protected from any potential scuff marks as he worked.

Impressed with his own plan, Chan-woo set out to do just that. He ripped a hole halfway down the plastic and begun to tear it apart in a horizontal line. He had to pull the headboard away from the wall with one hand so he could continue to rip it open at the back. He made quick work of it before he pulled the bottom half down to bunch up on the floor. Now would be the fun part. He knelt down, tilted the left side of the headboard up off the ground, and slowly but surely shuffled the plastic out from underneath the shiny, black wooden structure. He repeated the same process with the right side until it was all out.

Chan-woo sighed as he wiped the small pool of sweat from his forehead. He had only just begun and yet he could already feel how exhausted his body was. But nonetheless, he pushed on. Next, he sorted through the boxes lined against the wall and on the floor until he found the box that contained the frame of the bed. It was a wide, long, and thick package. It took all his effort to carefully manoeuvre the cardboard box away from the wall and into the middle of the room. He'd need all the space possible during this assembly process with all of the different parts and screws involved.

Music filled the quiet room as Chan-woo focused on the massive task in front of him. Chan-woo allowed all thoughts about the previous day's events to fade away from his mind as he knelt on his carpet and opened the box. Inside laid the three panels that made up the frame, the wooden beams for central support, the five panels that made up the pull out drawer, two separate bags of all the connecting parts and screws, the handle for the drawer and the instruction manual. A sigh left his lips at the amount of work he'd have to do. His fingers absentmindedly tapped along to the beat of the music while he thought on where to start. He guessed the pull out drawer would be the easiest.

After Chan-woo grabbed the manual and placed it beside him, he crawled forwards on his hands and knees to grab the tool kit he had left behind. He settled back into his spot but with his legs crossed together. He opened the instruction manual and flipped through the pages until he found the section for the pull out drawer. As he quickly read through everything, he saw that he'd need the bag of parts labelled as 'B'. He discarded the booklet to the side, pushed up his jumper sleeves and pulled everything he'd need out of the box. He laid it all out in front of him in a neat line and softly hummed to the tune of the song that currently played.

Chan-woo moved the tool kit and plastic bag beside him to his right. It was then that he noticed that within the bag, all of the screws and connecting parts had been individually wrapped into small packets to make the process quicker. He opened the plastic bag carefully, the last thing he needed was to lose any pieces on the carpet, and then proceeded to open the tool kit. He then grabbed the panel that was the front piece - it was easily identifiable as it was the only piece that had four small holes in it for the handle to be screwed into place. Chan-woo grabbed the base piece next, laid the front piece face down, and lined up the two pieces with the pre-drilled holes. He made quick work of securely screwing all required screws into place.

Moving on, Chan-woo repeated the process with the two side and back panels. It didn't take him long to have the pull out drawer completely together. He flipped the piece of furniture upside down and grabbed the small package of wheels and screws out from the plastic bag. The following part needed him to concentrate since the screws were tiny compared to the pervious used ones. He grabbed a different sized screwdriver and made quick work of tightly screwing the four wheels onto the base panel. After he had flipped it back to sit the right way up, he grabbed the golden handle and the last packet of four small screws. It only took him a minute to easily screw the handle into place on the front panel before he completed his first task of the day.

Chan-woo wheeled the completed drawer to his left side and placed all the rubbish from the packaging beside the piece of furniture. He then stood up and, with a slight struggle, lifted the heavy side panel of the bed frame out of the cardboard box. He dragged the item over towards headboard and laid it gently next to the wall. He then repeated the process with the second side panel and the baseboard, laying them in place where they'd be connected with the other pieces. He grabbed the plastic bag labelled 'A' as well as his tool kit before he sat himself in the middle of all the laid out unassembled panels of his bed frame.

Chan-woo didn't bother to read the instruction manual since he had a rough idea of what to do with his previous experience. He shuffled his tool kit, the plastic bag, and himself closer to the left side of the headboard. He quickly straightened the headboard so it wasn't leant against the wall on an angle, but instead, leant straight against it. Once again, he opened the plastic bag, grabbed out one of the individually wrapped packages that contained two internal corner bracket and eight small screws and opened it up carefully. He pushed the other items off to the side for the time being as he shuffled right up close to the headboard and sat down crossed legged. 

He picked up the side panel and balanced the piece of wood on his knee as he lined it up with the headboard. With a bit of difficulty, Chan-woo grabbed one of the corner brackets and lined it up with the top four holes. It took him a minute to work out how best to hold everything in place by himself. Eventually, he settled into a position where the side panel was held between his knee and left elbow, while his left hand held the bracket in place. With his right hand, he grabbed the first screw and popped it into the first hole. He then grabbed the screwdriver and tightened it all the way. He repeated the process until both internal brackets had been secured in place.

Carefully, Chan-woo shuffled backwards all while he held the side panel up as to not put strain on the newly placed brackets. The manoeuvre took him a bit to do since he had to keep pausing to drag the tool kit and plastic bag with him. Eventually he came to sat crossed legged in front of the end of the side panel and baseboard. He adjusted all the tools and items to be in a convenient spot before he started on connecting the next two pieces.

Unlike last time, he balanced the panel on his leg and focused on screwing the two internal brackets in place just on the side panel. However, Chan-woo didn't fully screw in the screws yet. He would tighten them fully once the baseboard was in place. It was a much easier process since he had both hands free with the side panel balanced on his knee. With that done, he sat up the baseboard and lined up the holes with the brackets. He took his time to ensure the two pieces were in the correct positions before he screwed them together.

Chan-woo was surprised at how fast he was completing the bed frame. Granted, he was slightly out of breath and had some sweat upon his forehead. But considering the fact he was doing it all on his own, he was really proud of his effort. It was a struggle to balance all of the panels by himself but he always found a way in the end. He knew once the baseboard was screwed in place to the first side panel, it would make connecting the second side panel that much easier than the first.

After a few minutes of silent work, he moved onto the next corner of the bed frame. He set himself up and like last time decided to semi-screw the two brackets in place to the baseboard before he even touched the second side panel. He then balanced the side panel on his knee and lined up the two pieces before he made quick work of screwing them together. It didn't take him long until he had finally screwed the second panel to the headboard and could move onto the next part of the process.

Chan-woo cleared all of the rubbish from the packaging out from the middle of his bed frame and added it to the small pile that was gradually growing near the pull out drawer. He then grabbed his tool kit and made sure nothing else was left behind on the floor within the frame of his bed because once he placed the wooden beams down, he wouldn't be able to get under there again without having to disassemble them. Satisfied he had everything, Chan-woo walked over to the cardboard box and squatted down in front of it.

With a heave, he lifted the folded wooden beams into his arms and carried them over to his bed frame. Chan-woo was out of breath and had to pause as a wave of dizziness overcame him. Only once he had recovered his breathing under control did he continue. He knew this next part would be fiddly at first. He needed to place each wooden beam into the ridges cut out on both side panels. But the problem was all of the beams were connected together with a piece of fabric at each end to add extra support and to ensure even spacing.

A soft sigh left his lips as Chan-woo skillfully stepped over the bed frame and into the middle of the bed frame near the headboard. He knelt down, his arms starting to tire with the heavy wooden beams in his grasp, and gently lowered the load until each end was perfectly balanced above the space between each ridge. He took a second to shake out his arms before he got straight back into work. With his left hand, he lifted the pile of beams up, and with his right, he slowly shifted the bottom beam away from the pile until it was separate.

'Now for the fun part,' Chan-woo thought to himself with a soft chuckle as he carefully pushed the first beam into the ridge with only his right hand, his left hand still supported the underneath of the rest of the pile.

The first beam slid into place with ease. Chan-woo shuffled backwards on his knees and repeated the process of getting the bottom beam out from the rest of the pile. However, he had to do it with more care and take it slow since he didn't want to damage the pieces of fabric. He couldn't hold the pile up too high, nor pull the pile too far from the beams that were separate. The entire process took him a few agonising minutes. Both of his arms were painfully sore by the time he had finally placed the third last beam down. He had ran out of room to kneel within the frame, so he had to carefully step over the baseboard without dislodging all his hard work. And with ease, he slid the last two beams in place.

Sweat had began to pool all over his face at that point. Chan-woo slid his hands under his baby pink hoodie and t-shirt and lifted them to his sweaty face. He used the materials to wipe his face dry before he let it drop back in place with a sigh. As he stood at the end of his completely put together bed frame, he allowed a soft smile to grace his face. He felt so proud of himself as he looked upon the structure with happiness bubbling inside him. Chan-woo had made quick work of assembling the frame all by himself.

He turned around and walked over to the pull out drawer. He pushed it over to the end of the baseboard and lined it up. He slid the drawer into the rectangular space made for it until the drawer snuggle fit in its place in the baseboard. Chan-woo allowed a small chuckle to leave him as he realised he hadn't messed anything up. He leant down and with all his fleeting strength, pulled the entire bed frame a centimetre away from the wall. He walked over to the headboard and pulled off the remaining plastic. Now all there was left to do for the day was somehow get the mattress on his bed and clean up after himself.

So with that in mind and barely any energy left, Chan-woo turned around and walked over to where the mattress was propped up against the far left corner of his room. He haphazardly tore open the plastic wrapping and quickly pulled it out from underneath the heavy item. Slightly out of breath, Chan-woo blindly pushed the mattress along the carpeted floor until it hit the baseboard. He used the last of his energy to pull the heavy item against him and shuffle it so it was lined up with the frame. He manoevred his small body around to the side of the large mattress before he slowly and very carefully lowered the mattress down until it was securely in place.

The second the mattress was correctly on top of the wooden beams, Chan-woo turned on his heels and flopped backwards on his completed bed. He threw his hands above his head as his chest heaved up and down at a rapid pace. It took the sore, fatigued boy a few minutes to regain control over his breath. He groaned as a - thankfully only small - wave of dizziness hit him. His brown eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling as he tuned back into the current song that was playing.

He rolled his eyes as he heard the familiar beats of a song made by the people that absolutely hated him. Chan-woo lifted his head slightly only to freeze in place. His eyes locked onto the area his jumper and t-shirt had ridden up to expose his stomach. He laughed loudly to himself as he saw the bruised, scarred, ugly skin. He felt so grateful that he was in his own private space where he didn't have to worry about such a thing anymore. He simply pushed the material back down as he sat up on the edge of his bed.

Chan-woo tapped his fingers on the soft fabric below his hands as he thought on what to do next. He had finished all the tasks he had wanted to achieve for the day. And he definitely did not have any more energy left to start assembling anything else. Perhaps he should go back to the dorms, freshen up from all the sweat, and call it an early night. He did have a big, emotional meeting ahead of him for the following day. But to get back to the dorms meant he'd have to interact with one of the boys.

With a roll of his eyes, Chan-woo stood up and tidied up the mess he'd created in his room. He moved aside his backpack and pushed the empty cardboard box into its place in the right corner. He then gathered all of the loose packages and plastic wrapping and dumped it lazily on top of the cardboard box. Once he had all of his furniture set up, he'd take all the rubbish downstairs to the outside bins. He honestly didn't have the mental or physical capability to do a few trips that day.

Next, he grabbed his tool kit and placed it on his mattress for safe keeping. Chan-woo then grabbed his backpack and phone as he looked around his room with fondness. He suddenly reminded himself that he'll need to go shopping in the next day or two for some linen for his bed, and perhaps spoil himself and get a set of new pillows. He turned his music off as he walked up to his door and exited his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and went to walk towards the staircase to go find someone when he stopped at movement down the other hallway.

Chan-woo turned his head to the right at the movement only to find all seven boys out on the balcony. They seemed to be peacefully stood at the rails, just overlooking the grounds and talking with one another. His heart sunk in his stomach as he felt excluded yet again. He swallowed back his emotions as he tightened his grip on his backpack straps and phone. He walked out onto the balcony and softly cleared his throat. All seven eyes turned on him instantly and he tried his best not to cower under their gazes.

"I n-need a key to get back into the dorms please," Chan-woo forced himself to speak loudly while his eyes stayed trained on the ground. "U-Unless of course one of you are going back soon."

"None of us are going back for a while. So I'll give you mine," Namjoon spoke up as no one else in the group seemed like they were going to respond.

"Thanks," Chan-woo whispered with a nod as he stayed still.

Namjoon walked over to him and pulled out a set of keys from his back pocket. The leader grabbed hold of the house key and quickly unclipped it from the keychain. He silently held it out towards the quiet boy, a frown on his own face as the younger refused to make any sort of eye contact as he took it off of him. He watched as the younger bowed slightly before he wordlessly walked away and disappeared from their sight. He didn't move for a minute as he processed some events in his head.

A soft sigh left his lips as he turned around and walked back over to his previous spot at the railings. Namjoon placed his set of keys back into his pocket as he quietly stared out at the grounds below. Concern grew within him the longer he thought about Chan-woo. He'd been meaning to ask the younger about what he'd seen the other day on the couch. Not only that, but he'd observed some other behaviours that only added to his concern. Like the way he'd jump at noises. Or flinch at hands near him. Or the way he had reacted when Jin had yelled at him the night before.

"I don't think he's okay," Namjoon finally broke the silence that had settled upon the group since the arrival of Chan-woo.

"No shit," scoffed Jungkook with a small role of his eyes. "Did you see the sweat pouring off of him? He's obviously overworked himself setting up his room."

"No," Namjoon continued softly. "I meant I don't think he's okay in regards to something is troubling him mentally."

"How so?" Jimin asked as he turned his head towards the stoic leader, a frown on his own face.

"I want to speak with him to check in with him. I don't know. I just have a feeling something is troubling him. I've seen some concerning signs over the last few days. It's just not sitting right with me anymore," tiredly sighed Namjoon as he slid a hand down his face.

"Just leave him alone," quietly spoke up Yoongi who stood at the left end of the group.

"Yeah? And are you going to check in on him?" Namjoon angrily shot back as he looked at the older. "All you have done the last day is ignore him completely. If I don't do it, who will?"

"For your information, I tried to check in on him today when I saw him paused on the stairs with his hand against the wall and his eyes tightly shut," Yoongi said just as angrily.

"And what did he say?" asked Namjoon with narrowed eyes.

"He scoffed and walked away without answering me," Yoongi said quietly as he turned his head away from the group.

"Exactly," scoffed Namjoon with a shake of his head. "It's because you have ignored him Yoongi Hyung. Of course he isn't going to tell you if he's okay. In fact, all of us have been treating him horribly since he has arrived. He hasn't done anything to deserve it."

"Uh yes he has. He has joined our group to get a free ride to fame after all the hard work we've put in," Jin said in slight shock as if the leader of the group had completely forgotten that fact.

"I disagree. He's proven to me he has the potential to bring a lot to the group. I understand why Bang Hyung brought him here to us. I've had a private talk with Bang Hyung as to his reasons behind his decision, and, I see them and understand them. I just hope all of you see it one day soon. Before it's too late," Namjoon said sternly as he pushed himself away from the rail and walked away.

Namjoon walked into his room which was the first door on his right as he stepped back inside from the balcony. He closed his door behind him with an annoyed sigh. He was annoyed not only with the others and their treatment towards Chan-woo, but with himself. How could he allow himself to have been so cold towards the youngest? Sure, he hadn't been pleased with the CEO for bringing a new member to the group without consulting them. But he had acted in the exact opposite way of the message they were trying to spread across the globe. He had been cold and uncaring towards a stranger, rude even.

Guilt bubbled up inside of the leader as he looked around his room with random items strewn across it. Namjoon swore to himself that he would sit down with the youngest of their group and get to the bottom of things. He swore he'd listen and not talk. He swore he'd hear him out about anything, even if it meant hearing some harsh truths about himself he'd rather not hear. He swore to himself, and to Chan-woo, that he'd be a better leader.

In the quiet of the dorm, Chan-woo stepped out of the steamy bathroom while he towel dried his soaked hair. He gently closed the bathroom door behind him, dressed in grey trackies and a grey short sleeved t-shirt. In his free arm, he held his dirty clothes in a messy pile. He turned and walked into the empty living room only to pause. His eyes were locked on the vase of flowers Hoseok had brought him. They sat on the kitchen bench with a few dead petals that had fallen on the counter below.

Anger and sadness filled Chan-woo's chest as he walked to his corner. He bent down and hung the towel around his shoulder momentarily. He proceeded to fold his dirty clothes up, but unlike other times, he placed them inside of his duffle bag. Considering he'd be leaving the next day, could live with the dirty items being near the clean ones for the night. He'd just have to pull them out to wash at the first chance he had.

After he zipped up the duffle bag, he sorted through his plastic bags of items until he found the pair of scissors he'd purchased. With them in hand, Chan-woo walked over to the kitchen counter and pulled the vase towards him. He took the shriveled flowers out of the slightly dirty water and placed them on the bench. He poured out the water before he gave the vase a few good rinses with tap water.

Chan-woo paused as he stared down at the flowers with fury. The previously kind gesture only seemed to anger him in that moment. It felt empty what Hoseok had done for him. He no longer felt happiness as he gazed over the mostly dead flowers. He scoffed as he thought how accurately the flowers visually represented the current state of his and Hoseok's relationship. Anger filled him as he opened up the drawer that held the bin, he knew exactly what he was going to do next.

He grabbed the flowers with his other hand and stood over the bin. Instead of merely discarding the flowers into the bin, Chan-woo slowly started to chop the bottom of the stalks into little pieces. As his fiery eyes watched the destroyed plant fall into the bin below, he felt a little satisfaction and calmness creep in to settle the rage within him. Soon he had cut most of the stalks until there was only enough of them to hold in his grasp. So he moved on to the withered petals. He purposefully made each cut, pouring his emotions into it. It felt like a weight had slowly lifted off of his shoulders.

In the middle of his next cut, the front door opened. Chan-woo paused in his action over the bin as he looked over. His eyes locked sight with the shocked expression of the one and only Jung Hoseok. He simply turned his head away with no emotion on his own face. He didn't care how this looked. Just like the older didn't care about him over the last day. Their relationship seemed to be as dead and flat as the flowers.

"What are you doing to the flowers, Chan-woo?" Hoseok asked him directly.

"They are dead," Chan-woo responded as he finished and simply threw the remaining stalks that were in his hand down into the bin.

It was then that Chan-woo noticed Hoseok hadn't arrived back at the dorm alone. Jin stood behind Hoseok, who still stood in the doorway, and looked upon the scene quietly. Suddenly, he felt very exposed in place with his short sleeved t-shirt on. He grabbed the towel that hung around his shoulders and adjusted it to cover his bare arms. He just hoped the eldest in the room hadn't seen any of his scars or bruises from that distance. 

The silence stretched on as Chan-woo busied himself with the job of cleaning up. He swept the petals that had fallen on the benchtop into the bin with his free hand before he placed the vase up into his shelf for the time being. He heard footsteps disappear down the hall, and when he turned around, he instantly knew it had been Hoseok who had silently left as only Jin and him remained in the quiet living area.

"I have something for you," Chan-woo said to Jin as the older closed the front door and merely stared at him.

Chan-woo walked back over to his belongings in the corner and quickly put away his scissors. He then moved over to his backpack, opened it up, and grabbed out his wallet. He stood up and walked over to the eldest of the group. Out of habit, he tightened the towel around his body in hopes he could hide as much of the flawed skin from view as possible. He took out some cash and silently handed it to Jin.

"What is this for?" the elder asked with a frown as he hesitantly took the money from the younger.

"It's for my share of the food last night," Chan-woo answered with no emotion.

"Keep it," Jin shook his head and tried to hand the cash back over to the younger.

"No. You said you promised to shout everyone in the group a farewell dinner years ago. But I wasn't part of that promise. So it's only fair I pay for my share. I hope that is enough to cover it, just let me know if it's not," he said as he turned his back on Jin and walked back over to his duffle bag, determined to put on a hoodie as soon as possible. "Plus like Namjoon Hyung said on that first night, I need to pay for anything I want. Which includes food, clothes, furniture and so on. I'm just following the rules."

"It's okay. I'll allow it this once," said Jin as he took a step closer with his hand still out.

"I said no, Hyung," sighed Chan-woo in frustration as he stood up with his new hoodie in hand. He didn't make eye contact, instead, he stared at the ground in between them. "Just take the stupid money. I don't need you regretting giving it back to me only to end up hating me for it in the future. Just take it. I can't deal with anymore hate so just keep."

Chan-woo walked away without another word. He didn't want to hear the response from the other if he had one. He just needed to put distance between them. All of them in fact. Chan-woo closed the bathroom door and furiously wiped away the tears that had spilled out by accident. He angrily scoffed at himself. As he put on his hoodie and continued to dry his damp hair, he thought he had gotten over crying for the rest of the day. Apparently he hadn't. He stared at his pathetic blurry reflection. He'd never felt more upset, more angry, more alone than in that moment right then. And for the first time, he questioned whether being in the group was worth it all anymore.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo ignored all of the stares he received from strangers as he rushed through the BigHit Entertainment foyer with his overly stuffed backpack on, his large duffle bag in one hand, and two plastic bags in the other. He was slightly flushed in the cheeks as he heaved everything with him into the elevator and pressed the button for Bang PD-nim's floor. It had been a rush to get to the building, the taxi he'd taken had got stuck in a sudden rush of traffic. He just hoped he wouldn't be late to his meeting.

It had been a rather chaotic morning for the young man. He had forgotten to set an alarm for starters. Thankfully the loud bustling movements from the other boys packing had awoken him with enough time to get ready. He had hurriedly packed all his belongings up, stuffing items away in every bag he owned. He hadn't had time to have a relaxing shower like he had hoped for, but that was alright considering he had showered the night before. And let's not forget there was the fact the taxi had been stuck in traffic.

His legs carried him as fast as they could with all the extra added weight as Chan-woo exited the elevator and walked towards Bang PD-nim's office. His heart pounded heavily within his chest the closer he got to the door. To say he was nervous about the meeting would be the biggest understatement of the year. He really didn't know what to except, especially when it came to dealing with his parents. Chan-woo took one final deep breath in before he knocked on the door. He could do this.

"Chan-woo, come in. My goodness, that looks heavy. Put it down over here," Bang PD-nim said after he had opened the door and looked over the other. He took the two plastic bags from Chan-woo and placed them on the floor near one of the two small couches.

"Thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo sighed as he finally placed his heavy duffle bag down and slid off his backpack. "So heavy."

"I could imagine," lightly chuckled the older before he took a seat on one of the couches and gestured for the younger to do the same. "Are you taking everything over to the new house after this?"

"Yes Hyung," Chan-woo nodded as his body happily complied and collapsed onto the other couch.

"And how did your shopping trip go yesterday? Were you able to get enough furniture to get you started?" the CEO asked as he knowingly smiled at the evidently tired boy.

"I managed to get absolutely everything and still have money left over," he said as he adjusted himself on the couch and played with his hoodie sleeves in his lap. "Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, that's okay," he genuinely smiled. "Now, how are you feeling about this meeting?"

"Well," he blushed lightly. That was a good question, how was he feeling? "Nervous and anxious of course. They are unpredictable, so I have no clue how they will react or what will be said. I'm also scared. Scared about having to interact with them. Scared if they'll accept the deal or not. Scared about the future with them."

"It'll all be okay. Do you know why?" asked Bang PD-nim as he shifted to lean forwards with his hand clasped in his lap. Chan-woo shook his head as he stared into the kind eyes of the CEO. "Because I will be right here the entire time. I won't let it get out of control, I promise. If I need to end the call for your sake, I will not hesitate to. I can always deal with them at a later point without your presence. Because your mental health is more important than anything else."

Chan-woo blushed at the words spoken by Bang PD-nim. It warmed his heart to have someone so caring with him for such a big event. He felt so grateful that soon enough, this entire ordeal, will be over with. Well... Fingers crossed it'll be over with anyway. Time would only tell how difficult his parents would be. He just wanted to get it all over with so he could get back to moving into the new house.

"Before we call them, are you comfortable telling me what they were like to you? I understand if you still aren't up to it," enquired Bang PD-nim.

"Where do I even begin with such a topic," sighed Chan-woo as he stared at the ground and took a deep breath in. "My whole entire life has been the same. My earliest memories are the same as the memories from just before I left that house. Everyday was the same. I lived in constant fear because both of my parents were drunk around the clock."

"Wow," breathlessly whispered Bang PD-nim as he stared at the younger in shock.

"They would yell at me, even as a toddler, for the smallest mistakes. Insults became a daily occurrence. Although when it was school holidays and I was stuck at home with them, it was more like hourly," Chan-woo could feel the tears start to brim in his eyes. The memories of the verbal abuse front and center in his mind. "My mother was always more creative out of them with her insults. She really knew how to make a child feel loved and wanted."

As Chan-woo darkly chuckled at the thought, his tears finally fell. They rolled down his cheeks one after another. Yet he made no effort to wipe them away. What would be the point when surely more would follow in their tracks? A slight shiver ran through Chan-woo's body as his mind moved from tormenting him with the mocking insults to scenes of the harsh physical abuse he underwent throughout the years.

"Then of course there is the physical abuse," his voice broke as he continued to speak. "It started out with a few slaps here and there. And slowly, as their drinking habits got worse, so did the different types of punishments I would receive."

"Oh my God," whispered Bang PD-nim with wide eyes as he sat back and ran a hand down his face.

"It too, like the insults, were daily," gulped Chan-woo as he finally looked up towards the older male.

The two sat in silence for a moment as they stared at one another. Sad eyes met teary eyes. There was an unspoken understanding between them how difficult it was for the younger to talk on this topic. So the older did not push him to continue to speak until he was ready to. Chan-woo had so many suppressed memories that currently floated around his mind. Unconsciously, he'd flinch at certain actions that replayed behind his glazed over eyes.

"My father was always more aggressive out of the pair. He was also very cunning. He knew where to hit me to cause pain yet not leave visible marks. I walked around for years with everything hidden behind my clothing. No one ever saw. Well, not until it was all too late and I had already gone through it for years anyway," Chan-woo continued to talk while his eyes remained unfocused.

"You mentioned punishments earlier. Can you tell me more about that?" frowned the older.

"I had rules I had to strictly follow. Let's see, for example, I had to spend as much time studying or working as possible to ensure my future job would pay well," Chan-woo stared at the floor and gulped. "Let's say if I came home earlier than they'd like or if they thought I was slacking, they'd make me 'realise' the importance of it. Most likely my father would be the one to carry it out. He'd use his belts and own fists the most. But at the end of the day, he'd use basically any item that could inflict pain."

"And tell me, did anyone ever know? Teachers? Doctors? Neighbours? Anyone?" interjected Bang PD-nim.

"My old boss, Minho Hyung, was the only one to ever know. He found out one day by accident. However, I never told him the full extent of things when we talked about it," he answered. "I never found the courage to tell him. He knows about the verbal abuse more so than the physical, but he knows they did hurt me."

"I really am so sorry you had no one to lean on during your childhood, Chan-woo," he sighed while he leant forwards. "And I am honoured you felt comfortable enough opening up with me. I promise I'll always be here to sit and listen to you in the future."

"Thank you so much," breathily said Chan-woo as he wiped away his tears finally.

"Now, how about we get this phone call underway? My schedule has changed so I actually have an hour and a bit free after this. So how about afterwards, I'll help you take everything over to the new house and we can grab a surprise lunch for the boys," suggested Bang PD-nim as he stood up, walked over to his desk, grabbed the office phone and a piece of paper, and brought them back over to couches.

Chan-woo silently nodded his head as he watched with anxious eyes as the CEO dialed a number into the keypad that had been written on the paper. He continued to play with the hem of his sleeves while his heart pounded hard and fast. The dial tone rung around the room after Bang PD-nim placed the phone on speaker. Suddenly the younger's throat and mouth felt as dry as a desert. He tried to gulp away the anxiety, but failed rather spectacularly and ended up coughing.

"You're okay," tried to reassure Bang PD-nim as he sent a pitied smile towards the younger.

"Hello?" a familiar voice suddenly floated around the room.

A shiver ran down Chan-woo's spine the instant he heard the slurred voice of his father. Memories ran rampant through his mind. Tears immediately came back as they rolled down his flushed cheeks. He looked up to see that Bang PD-nim held up his thumbs up as a silent way to check in with him. He nodded his head and allowed the older to continue.

"Hello," politely replied Bang PD-nim despite how much he didn't want to use one. "Am I speaking with the father of Jung Chan-woo?"

"Who's this? Do you know where that little shit is?" angrily spat his father.

"Uh, yes sir. I know where your son is," he calmly answered with a frown upon his face. "That is partially why I am calling you today. Is your wife available to also be apart of this call?"

"No, my wife's asleep. But you're going to send that piece of crap back here this instant, you hear me? He had no right to take off the way he did," slurred his father, evidently he had already started on the day drinking.

"Actually he had every right considering he is an adult capable of making his own decisions," Bang PD-nim tried his hardest to not roll his eyes or scoff.

"Where is he?" asked his father.

"That is no longer any of your concern. He will be under my care, protection, and guidance moving forwards. I am the CEO of the entertainment company he has decided to join," sternly spoke Bang PD-nim.

"Ah, well in that case, have fun dealing with the little shit. Just make sure to pass on my bank account details so he can send his mother and I our share. We did pay for all of his lessons to get him to this point after all," said his father.

"I will be doing no such thing," he said. "In fact, that is the main reason as to why I am calling you. I would like to set a NDA between you, Chan-woo, his mother, and our company. In the agreement, I would like it to be made very clear you are not to contact Chan-woo in any way, you are not to profit off of him in any way, you are not to speak to the media about him in any way, shape or form. And in return, you both will receive a one time lump-sum payment as compensation."

"How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do with my own son!" his father suddenly yelled which caused Chan-woo to flinch.

"These requests were made by Chan-woo himself, sir. I am only here to oversee it comes to fruition," said Bang PD-nim.

"At least tell me that kid decided to go with a good company so the payment will be decent," scoffed his father with anger laced throughout his tone.

"He did. I hand selected him for my company as the CEO of BigHit Entertainment," proudly stated Bang PD-nim.

"That's that company with that group that's gone global right? What's their name?" ponded his father. "I should know it. Those faggots faces are plastered everywhere at the moment."

Silence filled the room. Chan-woo stared at Bang PD-nim with wide, teary eyes. He felt his heart sink in his stomach. Beyond embarrassed and hurt by the comment that had just left his father's mouth. He could see how unimpressed the older was with said comment as well. He saw the way the CEO clenched and unclenched his jaw, the way his hands tightened into fists, the burning anger held within his eyes.

"That is the company that has produced one of the biggest and most successful global K-Pop groups, yes," he managed to say with barely withheld anger. "How about I get my assistant to send through the Non-Disclosure Agreement for you and your wife to read through. Once it is signed, I am happy to talk immediate arrangements for the lump-sum payment. Until then, I really must go. I have a busy schedule ahead of me."

"Yeah sure, whatever," gruffly replied his father before he hung the phone up.

Tears freely flowed down Chan-woo's cheeks as the previous comment still ran through his head. He'd heard that word been thrown around so many times under that roof. Directed at him. Directed at others. Directed at anyone his parents disliked. It brought up memories he'd rather forget. Like that the one time he had dyed his hair blue for fun and his father would not stop calling him that slur until he had been physically forced by his mother to sit down and dye it black. No wonder it took him so long to figure out he was gay. He had been surrounded by such violent homophobia his entire life that part of him definitely had some internalised homophobia.

"I'm sorry to say this, excuse me, but your father is an absolute arsehole," suddenly said Bang PD-nim to break the tense silence.

"I know," lightly laughed Chan-woo as he choked on his tears. "No need to say sorry. I agree."

"Damn, I can't believe you dealt with him for 18 years Channie-ah. I dealt with him, for what? Five minutes? And I am beyond disgusted, angry, infuriated and appalled," he said with anger. 

Chan-woo merely gulped and nodded his head. Part of him felt relieved that his boss had validated his own internal thoughts. Of course, he knew that any rational person would agree with them. But with all of the abuse he had suffered over the years, part of him was still afraid to speak ill of his father or mother. He had been conditioned into the habit from a young age. It was one he needed to overcome now he would no longer need to deal with either of them.

"I'm glad you aren't in their care," spat Bang PD-nim, "any longer. I'm glad you are safe here with us."

"Me too, Hyung. Me too," sadly sighed Chan-woo as he gently wiped away all of his tears with his hoodie sleeves.

"Alright, let's get you home. I'm sure the last place you want to be is here at the company after such an ordeal," he said as he stood up, grabbed his phone and wallet from the desk, and then proceeded to grab the heavy duffle bag from the ground.

With a silent nod of his head, Chan-woo grabbed his backpack and the plastic bags before the pair walked out of the office. Actually, what the CEO had just said was incorrect. Chan-woo would much rather be at the company than at his new home. There at the company, he didn't have to deal with any silent treatment on top of how that meeting had gone. He didn't have to deal with pitiful glances. He didn't have to deal with snide comments. The company would be the closest place to a safe retreat for him - other than his bedroom.

After Bang PD-nim briefly paused to talk to his assistant that was sat at the desk near his office, he led the way down the elevator and out of the foyer to the curb side. Chan-woo kept his head down as they waited for half a minute. The silence was fine by him as he used it to continue to process the conversation he had just overheard. A car pulled up to the curb, which brought the younger out of his thoughts, and Bang PD-nim opened the back door before he gestured for him to get in.

Once the two males were both in the car and safely buckled, the driver took off without asking for an address. Chan-woo guessed the assistant upstairs had organised the ride for them. The silence continued on between the pair as Bang PD-nim hurriedly typed away at his phone. He chose to look out the window to pass the time and to distract himself from thoughts of his father. The traffic on the roads had significantly reduced since the time he had been in the meeting, much to his dismay since it only meant he'd arrive at the new house soon.

"I've ordered some food for lunch. Should arrive in the next half an hour with any luck," Bang PD-nim said as he placed his phone away into his pocket. "Hopefully I'll be able to share some lunch with you all before I need to get going again."

Chan-woo looked at the older and nodded his head solemnly. Great, another awkward group meal. It was the last thing he needed after the morning's events. He would have much rather retreat to his room and start the next step in his setup process. Being forced to hang around the seven boys after the way he'd been treated the last few days already caused him to become anxious and it grew more prominent the closer they got to the house. He knew fake smiles and civil comments would be thrown around, yet none of them would mean a thing they'd be force to say, just like last time.

Finally, the driver pulled into the gated community and drove them slowly up to the house. As they entered the driveway, Chan-woo saw two removalists trucks on the right side that had backed up in front of both of the opened garage doors. Workers were busy removing furniture from them and transporting them inside via the inside garage doorway. He also spotted two more cars parked on the grass off to the right side and presummed that they belonged to extra workers based off of the company logo on the car doors. The driver slowly pulled around the circular driveway until he came to a stop in front of the opened front door.

Chan-woo grabbed his belongings from the ground, Bang PD-nim grabbed his duffle bag once more, and the pair got out of the car. As Chan-woo stretched his slightly aching back, he watched as the older walked to the driver's window and bent down to be on eye level with the other. He tilted his head up to look at the clear sky and took a deep breath in while he waited.

"You may go grab some lunch while you're waiting or park somewhere in the yard here. I should only be an hour. However please stray no further than five minutes away so when I'm ready to leave, we can go straight away. I have a busy schedule and an important meeting I cannot be late for after this," said Bang PD-nim to the driver.

"Yes sir. Give me a call when you are ready," the driver politely replied before the car drove off slowly.

"Wow, this place is stunning. The pictures the real estate agency took did not do it justice," said the CEO as he looked at the front of the house with amazement written all over his face.

"I know, I've only seen places like this in the media," lightly chuckled Chan-woo while he led the way up the marble steps.

"Once we get you settled and while we wait for the food, how about you give me a tour of the place?" he suggested and heaved the strap of the duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Sure thing Hyung," he smiled over his shoulder as they entered the wide open front door and walked up the staircase on their left.

The pair had to pause and move out of the way as two workers rushed down the staircase. Chan-woo wondered how many workers had been hired as there seemed to be noise emitting from every room of the house. He chanced a glance down the other hallway as he walked towards his room, but didn't get a good look inside the rooms from the angle he was on. Oh well, he was sure that he'd find out later. He opened his door and walked in, immediately he discarded his backpack and plastic bags onto his bed.

"Did someone set up your bed for you?" the older asked as he placed the heavy duffle bag down on the floor beside the headboard.

"Nope. I did it all by myself," Chan-woo looked around his room with fondness. "I'll be doing it all myself since I know how to."

"Just don't hurt or overwork yourself. And don't be afraid to ask for help," he said with concern, conscious the younger still would not be fully recovered from his anemia or low iron.

"Of course, Hyung," softly smiled Chan-woo.

"So what did you end up getting?" asked Bang PD-nim as he pointed to pile of boxes.

"Well I got my bed obviously. Then it came with two matching bedside tables and a tallboy dresser," he said with as he shyly scratched the back of his neck. "I also got myself a desk so I can do some work from my room. It's going to be the hardest and longest one to set up since it's so large and has many different parts."

"Seems like you'll be very busy over the next few days setting everything up. And apart from the furniture, have you got many other items yet?" he asked with curiosity.

"No," he chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I need to do a list and go shopping still. Literally everything I own is on my bed right now."

"If you need help with anything at all, you know I'm only one phone call away," Bang PD-nim smiled as he reached forward and ruffled the soft hair affectionately. "Now, how about we start this tour, huh?"

"Absolutely, follow me," Chan-woo blushed while he walked out of his room. "These are the two upstairs bathrooms."

The pair peered into the two opened bathrooms. This was the first time Chan-woo had seen them, he hadn't had a chance during the tour he'd taken. Both rooms were very similar to the one downstairs. They were tiled in white with black thrown in here and there to accentuate the space. They each had a shower, a bath, a large vanity area with an equally large mirror, cabinets, and a row of metal hooks for hanging towels or bathrobes.

"That door at the other end of the hallway is another bedroom. I don't know who is staying in what room yet. But that room and my room are the two smallest bedrooms of the house," he said as he walked away from the bathrooms and then turned into the other hallway.

As Chan-woo led Bang PD-nim out towards the deck, he chanced a glance into the different six bedrooms along the way. It seemed like all of the boys were in their respective rooms, unpacking the boxes that had been stacked around their space. There were employees from the removalists company sat on the floor or lent over furniture as they worked to reassemble those larger items for the boys. It looked like a lot of progress had been made since whatever time they had arrived that morning. Other workers still rushed in and out of different rooms as they transported boxes and furniture. Their faces flushed from all the trips up and down the stairs.

"PD-nim Hyung! I didn't know you were coming around today," a voice to the pair's left said over all the noise just before they were about to step out onto the wooden balcony.

"Neither did I," Bang PD-nim chuckled as he looked down at Namjoon who sat in the middle of his room with a box in between his legs. "My schedule opened up for the next hour so I thought I'd help Chan-woo bring his stuff over and order some lunch for us all."

"Oh, that's very kind of you Hyung," smiled the leader as he turned his attention to the quiet boy beside the CEO. "If you need any help with setting up your furniture, I can ask some of the workers before they leave."

"No, it's okay. But thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo blushed as he bowed and immediately walked away. He'd rather not deal with fake kindness in that moment.

"Wow!" exclaimed Bang PD-nim the second he stepped onto the wooden deck and his eyes scanned over the sight below them. "How beautiful is this?"

"It's quite spectacular," he hummed in agreement as he lent his forearms against the rails.

"That pool looks really nice," he said after a few seconds of silence between them. "I can't believe how much yard space this place has. And imagine the sunrise and sunset from here."

"I can very much imagine myself enjoying a few relaxing evenings up here," chuckled Chan-woo before he took a calming deep breath in of the fresh air. He felt free out there. A calmness settled upon him while he stared out at the quiet view before him.

"Shall we go venture downstairs now?" prompted the CEO, a smile on his face as he observed the calmness that had overcome the younger.

With a silent nod of his head, Chan-woo led the way. They once again had to get out of the way of the workers that hastily moved around. He walked into the laundry room, curious to see the space in its entirety since he hadn't had the chance. The room was a rather large space with a bench that ran the entire length on the far right side of the room. There were overhead cupboards above it for extra storage, which would be hard for Chan-woo to reach without needing a stepping stool, as well as cupboards underneath the bench. In the middle of the bench top were two basins and a tap. And a window sat above the bench in the middle of the wall which overlooked the side of the house.

Hidden around the wall on the left side of the room was an area that the original owners had most likely intended a space where multiple washing machines and dryers could be installed. Spaced along the wall were three power points at chest height. He could easily imagine three washing machines comfortably sat side-by-side and two or three dryers hung above them. Heavens knew they'd be much needed with eight full grown men living together. And on the wall of the front of the house was a large window, almost floor to ceiling, that gave a perfect view to the front yard.

"First time I've actually seen this space for myself," Chan-woo turned around to look at Bang PD-nim. "It's massive."

"Yeah. You guys will definitely be using this room a lot," laughed the older before they left the room.

"As you can guess," Chan-woo started to say as he gestured to the door opposite the laundry room, "this is the garage."

"Ah yes, couldn't tell with all the workers running back and forwards," he chuckled with a bright smile upon his face, glad to see the younger was more relaxed than earlier.

"The downstairs bathroom is this room here," he said as moved down the hallway a little. He opened the door and stepped back so the other could have a good look around.

"Very spacious for a spare bathroom," Bang PD-nim mused while he nodded his head.

"My thoughts exactly. I think it's just smaller than the two upstairs bathrooms combined. But it looks bigger since it isn't divided into two," he said after he thought it through.

"Whoever designed the bathrooms did a good job though. It's very modern looking," the CEO nodded his head in approval before he closed the door and waited for the younger to show him the final two doors in the hallway.

"These two rooms will probably be our home studios. I think Yoongi Hyung is trying to claim one for himself and then we'll have the other as a communal workspace," he said with a change in tone that did not go unmissed by the other.

"Good to see you boys have already talked about utilising these rooms to their full extent," warmly smiled Bang PD-nim. "Heavens knows you all will benefit from having a home studio to save you from traveling into the company so often. Of course, I'd still love to see you all come in and use our equipment every so often."

"I'm sure we will," reassured the younger as he walked into the living area. He saw that the workers had already dropped boxes into the kitchen and the coffee table and two couches were already in the living room. One of the couches faced the fireplace while the other faced the verandah. They'd definitely need to buy new couches to accommodate the larger space however.

"Whoa, it looks so much bigger than in the photos," Bang PD-nim said while he looked around the massive open floor plan. "And that fireplace is stunning. Really accentuates the area."

"Yeah," nervously said Chan-woo, unsure what to do with himself now that he'd essentially completed the tour.

"Well thank you for showing me around," kindly smiled the older as he walked towards the kitchen island and leant his back against the bench top. "Now, I wanted to ask how you've been settling in? It's been a while since I last checked in with you on that. How have the boys been with you?"

Chan-woo shuffled forward until he too leant against the bench top beside Bang PD-nim. He hung his head in shame as he crossed his arms over his chest. How should he tackle this conversation? With honesty or with deceit? Did he finally want to let out his true emotions after he had been ignored the last few days? Or did he want to sweep everything under the rug like per usual and protect the boys from getting in trouble?

"Honestly? It's been terrible Bang PD-nim Hyung," whispered Chan-woo as he gulped and shook his head. "I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, and emotionally."

"What's been going on? I noticed some changes in your mood when you were speaking about the boys earlier. Has something happened?" he asked with genuine concern while he studied the sad face that finally looked his way.

"It hasn't been easy, H-Hyung. I think they were really mad you brought me here to join the group. They were really cold towards me at first. I mean, a-a few of them warmed up to me but some things I did caused them to become distant the last two days. I-I feel so alone Hyung. I've only tried my best and I k-keep messing things up," he said as tears welled in his eyes for the second time that day.

"What do you mean messing things up?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"I-It's hard to explain," Chan-woo said with a sigh before he furiously wiped at his eyes to attempt to stop the tears. "I was selfish and invited someone over without checking if it was okay first. And like, the reason they were all so mad, was because I was meant to have the day off resting so I understand. B-But like, there's been other instances I've messed things up too."

"I know I've talked with Namjoon behind the reasons why I chose you to be a part of this group. But I haven't given my reasons to any of the others. Would you be okay if I share your mock interview with the boys during lunch? And then I'll make sure to explain my reasons why I hand picked you," the older tried to go into fix-it-mode. He hated seeing the younger so distressed. "The last thing you need is not to feel like you belong with the people you live with after everything you've been through."

"Uh, I don't know if I can sit and watch that video after the phone call we had with my father," he admitted and looked at the other with sad eyes. "It's been a really tough day already. I just don't think I could handle any questions or any type of comments or looks from them. I'm sorry Hyung."

"That's okay, there's absolutely nothing to be sorry about. I understand exactly where you are coming from," Bang PD-nim said before he paused and thought of a solution. "How about I send it to Namjoon and get him to sit the boys down later tonight so they can watch it. I'll tell him that strictly no one is to bother you for the rest of the day and night."

"I-I," he stuttered, fear and uncertainty swirled within him. "Sure."

"You don't have to say yes, Chan-ah. If the thought of them seeing the video makes you uncomfortable, I won't share it. You just tell me. I won't force anything on you like your parents probably did. I can just sit the boys down another day and explain my reasons to them in person away from you," he placed his hand on the younger's shoulder and smiled sadly when he saw the boy flinch.

"No, i-it's okay. It might open up an avenue for them to g-get to know me. It could help things," Chan-woo shook his head as he resigned to the fact this could be a good solution to the coldness between him, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook. It wouldn't, however, fix the things between him, Yoongi, Hoseok, or Taehyung considering the fact they were hurt thanks to his selfish actions.

"If you're sure," he paused and waited for the nod from Chan-woo, "then I'll send it to Namjoon right before I leave and tell him my instructions."

"O-Okay, Hyung," he smiled sadly up at the other. "Thanks for trying to help. I feel lost. And I don't want to get the boys in trouble."

"Awe Channie-ah. I'm so sorry. I promise they aren't in trouble. But I'd just rather you all get along for your sake," sighed Bang PD-nim before a loud knock at the front door caught their attention. "That must be the food. How about you grab the food for me while I go upstairs and gather all of the boys."

The pair silently made their way into the foyer before they split off. Chan-woo saw a delivery guy with five plastic bags in his grasp. He bowed as they awkwardly transferred all the bags between them. Chan-woo bowed to the guy in silent thanks before he turned and walked back into the kitchen. He placed everything on the bench top and started to unpack everything. It looked like Bang PD-nim had ordered nine individually packed meals and nine drinks.

As he looked at each styrofoam container, he saw that the type of meat it contained had been written on the top. There were three beef, three pork, and three chicken. So he laid out the containers in three piles, each type of meat stacked on top of each other to make the process easier for them all. Chan-woo then unpacked the drinks and set them in a neat line in front of the stacked containers. Lastly, he grabbed the plastic cutlery and napkins they had been given and placed some at each side. He discard the five bags on the other side of the island for the time being before he patiently - and very anxiously - waited for the group to come downstairs.

"Thank you so much for setting it all up, Chan-ah!" exclaimed Bang PD-nim as he walked into the kitchen, a kind smile on his face, with all seven boys behind him. The group settled around the bench top, Namjoon ended up being the one to stand next to the youngest.

"N-No problem, Hyung," stuttered Chan-woo with a small blush rising on his cheeks as he stared at the bench top.

"Alright boys, let's eat," the CEO said while he reached forward and grabbed one of the pork containers. "I'm sure you are all hungry after the work you've been doing."

"Thanks for the food, Hyung!" happily smiled Jimin at the older.

"Here's a beef one for you," Namjoon said as he passed the container to Chan-woo.

"Thanks," he whispered without making eye contact and grabbed the container.

Silence settled upon the group as they all dug into the hot food. Chan-woo was evidently the slowest and most hesitant out of them to eat. He stood there with his head hung low as he slowly forced one mouthful after the other. The internal anxiety overtook his mind like per usual in these types of social settings. Being forced to share a meal with the boys who hated him the most would never get any easier. And especially after the day he had, he'd rather be anywhere than in that kitchen.

"So is there a reason you're here, PD-nim Hyung?" asked Taehyung as he tilted his head in curiosity. "Is it a special occasion?"

"No," chuckled Bang PD-nim. "No, I was merely helping Chan-woo bring over his belongings after we had a meeting to get a Non-Dis-"

"H-Hyung," Chan-woo cut him off as he looked up with panicked eyes. "I'd rather not discuss that in front of them."

"Right, sorry," he cleared his throat and sent an apologetic smile the youngest's ways. "I had some free time suddenly pop up after our meeting, so I thought I'd get you all some lunch."

"Well it's very much appreciated," smiled Namjoon.

"And goodness knows I needed some fresh air after the way that arsehole spoke," angrily said Bang PD-nim.

"Who? What arsehole?" asked Jungkook, the entire room silent, eyes darted between Chan-woo with his head hung low and the rare sight of an angry CEO.

"Just because the Hyung's are swearing does not mean you can, Jungkook," reprimanded Jin as he lightly smacked the younger on the back of his head.

"Sorry Hyung," mumbled Jungkook while he rubbed the back of his head.

"I've never met such an infuriating man in my entire life. I almost lost my cool. And you boys know how hard it is for me to do that," he chuckled and ran a hand down his face. "I'm just glad that we won't have to deal with them again, Channie-ah. Hopefully after today it'll all be sorted. You deserve a break from everything after that phone call."

The room was silent as all eyes were on the unmoving boy. Concern, curiosity, and confusion went around the group at the comments made by the eldest. While the boys that weren't privy to Chan-woo's home life tried to connect the dots, the ones that knew about it suddenly felt a surge of guilt as they came to the realisation who the phone call had been with. The three of them couldn't look at the youngest any longer as they reflected over their selfish actions the last few days. All three of them wish they could comfort the obviously distressed boy in that moment, but none of them moved, held back by guilt.

"I'm sorry Chan-ah," said Bang PD-nim as he set down his food and sighed at his stupid mistake. "Are you okay?"

"S-Sorry, I'm just going to excuse myself," Chan-woo couldn't hold the tears back as he grabbed his container, drink, and cutlery before he turned around and walked away.

Chan-woo could barely see where he walked as the tears blurred his vision. He managed to make his way to his bedroom somehow without tripping over his own feet or bumping into any of the workers. The entire world around the young man seemed numb as he closed his door and immediately collapsed to his knees. Soft sobs escaped his lips while he safely placed all of the items in his arms down onto the ground. He adjusted his position so he was sat on his butt and shuffled backwards until his back was against his door.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly. He buried his head into his lap in hopes it would help block out the outside world around him. Chan-woo could feel himself getting close to the hyperventilation stage the longer he stayed in that position. So he tried to take a few deep breaths through his quiet sobs. A difficult task considering he kept his head rested upon his knees. He didn't want to look around the room in fear something would trigger any kind of memories... Memories of his past home life, memories of the boys downstairs, memories of the conversation and the missed stares he knew would have been directed at him.

Why did Bang PD-nim say that? Had it been an accident? Chan-woo sure hoped so because otherwise it would have hurt more to know the older was trying to drop hints about his home life to get the other boys on his side. Then he remembered that the mock interview would be shared later that night with the boys. He gulped as he remembered he dropped his own hints. Damn it. Either way, by the end of the night, there would only be more unanswered questions than before.

Chan-woo took a few deep breaths and lifted his head. With the soft material of his hoodie sleeves, he wiped away the tears from his face. He continued to sit with his arms wrapped around his knees while he still breathed deeply and slowly. All of the emotions he had previously felt drained away only to be replaced by an alarming numb state. Even though in the back of his mind, he knew this was bad, there was nothing he could do about it.

Not really feeling hungry after everything, but knowing he should have something in his stomach, Chan-woo picked up his container of lukewarm food and forced himself to eat. His eyes stared blankly out at the blue sky through his window. His mind and body longed to be out in the fresh air, surrounded by the peaceful noises of nature, away from all the drama that had happened over the last two weeks. He needed a break. A break from the negativity. A break from the boys. A break from his parasitic parents. A break from his harsh inner voice. A break from it all before the damage became irreversible.

Mouthful after mouthful of food had been shoved in and as Chan-woo looked down after a while, he was pleasantly surprised to find he'd eaten almost three quarters of the meal. That was perhaps the most he had to eat in one sitting in a very long time. A part of him wanted to scoff as he thought how he never would have consumed that much if he had stayed downstairs and continued to eat the meal with the boys. He would have barely managed half of the food before declaring he'd had enough. Perhaps he needed to eat in an emotionally numb state more often.

With a slight struggle, Chan-woo pushed his lethargic body off of the ground and discarded the closed food container onto his bed for the time being. He placed his unopened drink beside it before he grabbed his duffle bag and dragged it over to his wardrobe. For a few seconds, he stood still and stared into his reflection in the mirror on the sliding door. He noticed the redness and slight puffiness in his eyes from all the crying. No harsh words were thrown at himself like his brain would normally do, it was too numb to make any comments.

He slid the right side sliding door towards the left. Revealed within were an overhead shelf and a metal rail that hung underneath the entire length of it in the wardrobe except for where a set of shelving on the right hand side had been built in. The shelves had two columns with three shelves on each side, and then two pull out drawers, and underneath that was one big shelf that took up the rest of the space. This would be perfect to place all his items in until he had set up the rest of his furniture.

Chan-woo got out his phone, played some music and placed it on one of the shelves. He sighed as he stared down at his duffle bag and wondered where to begin. He guessed he should take out all the clothes that needed to be washed and put them in a small pile off to the side. Then he could refold and separate everything into categories within the shelves. He could do a pile for his pants, his shorts, his t-shirts and his hoodies. He could place his underwear and socks in the top pull out drawer and his pairs of shoes in the space below the drawers. And until he had more time to unpack completely, he could put all of the items he had brought onto one of the shelves for now.

With a plan clear in his mind, Chan-woo begun to unpack his clothing. While his body moved on autopilot, his mind was far away, consumed by thoughts. He couldn't help but revisit the events from earlier. The way that his father had spoke over the phone had honestly left him mortified. Embarrassment plagued his entire being from the snarky comments and cruel words. It didn't bother him that he had heard it, since he had heard them his whole life, it was more that Bang PD-nim had been a witness to it all.

It didn't take Chan-woo long to finish the task at hand. He numbly grabbed his phone from the shelf it sat upon and moved to stand in the middle of his room. Might as well continue to setup his room. He sorted through the cardboard boxes until he found one of the bedside table packs. He dragged it into the middle of the space, grabbed his tool kit, and sat cross-legged with his phone beside him still blasting music to fill in the silence.

Despite how hard he tried to think of something else as he started to assemble the bedside table, his mind wouldn't allow it. Chan-woo was filled with images, scenes and diluted emotions about the last few interactions he'd had with the boys. Even though he could tell how deep of a numb state he was in, he still felt a flare of emotions before they quickly disappeared and were replaced by the numbness once more.

He relived Jin yelling at him, calling him pathetic for crying, and his heart clenched all over again. Numbness. He saw the hurt in Hoseok's eyes as he walked in the previous night only to find the flowers being discarded and sighed with sadness. Numbness. He picked apart the fakeness Namjoon had showed over the last few days and scoffed in annoyance. Numbness. He noticed the coldness, distance, and disinterest from Yoongi and felt the urge to cry with frustration. Numbness.

Suddenly, his work and thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone vibrating, signaling a text had come through. Part of him wondered who would be texting him and another part of him wanted to ignore it to keep working. Although it was rare for him to receive texts, so the curiosity eventually won out after a few more minutes of assembling. He took a break as he set down the screwdriver and grabbed his phone.

Bang Hyung:
Thought I'd let you know I have left, Channie-ah. I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you're okay as well. I'm so sorry I let that slip. I really am, Chan-woo. I didn't mean to. I'll try harder to be more conscious of my words around the boys in the near future.

Chanwoo's heart stopped for a second as he read the message. It meant a lot that the CEO had texted him and explained it was an accident and had actually apologised. At least he knew now. It didn't mean that the situation would be any less easier on him as he was sure there were unanswered questions all of the boys now had from those comments made. Oh well, that was his life. Never easy.

Chan-woo:
I'm okay now Hyung. I just needed some time and space to myself. Thanks for apologising. Also, if they consent to the NDA and payment, can you let me know when they do it please? Until then, take care, I'll talk to you soon Bang Hyung.

Time had passed by the numb boy quickly. He saw an hour had gone by after he had sent the text and checked the time on his phone. Chan-woo sighed as he looked around at all the progress he had made. The fact that he had unpacked and already completed half of his first bedside table would have made him proud if it wasn't for the numb state. Instead, he sighed and decided it was time to talk to the certain person about his idea he had from the day before. He navigated to Hoseok's number and typed out a text to him.

Chan-woo:
Hyung, can you ask Namjoon Hyung to come to my room please?

Chan-woo got back to work, not sure how long it would take for the other to communicate his message. His heart started to pump faster in chest as he awaited for the inevitable interaction he would soon be having. He was slightly nervous to face Namjoon after everything that had been going on. He hoped he could just make his suggestion and then be left alone to carry on with his assembling in peace.

A knock at the door drew him out of his thoughts. Chan-woo frowned as he looked at his phone quickly and saw no response from Hoseok. Typical. A soft sigh left him as he paused the music, stood up, and opened the door. His eyes locked with Namjoon's concerned eyes. His heart skipped a beat at the emotion he saw cross over the leader's face, but he reminded himself it was all fake... Right?

"Everything okay? Hoseok Hyung said you needed me to come to your room," asked Namjoon as his eyes quickly checked over Chan-woo for any signs he wasn't okay. He frowned as he noticed the redness and puffiness of the younger's eyes, evidence he had yet again been crying.

"Come in," Chan-woo said quietly as he nodded and stepped back to allow the older to enter.

While Namjoon looked around as he sat on the edge of the newly put together bed, Chan-woo closed the door and moved back to his previous position on the floor. He picked up the screwdriver and continued to assemble the bedside table. Silence filled the room as the older waited for the younger to gather the courage to talk to him. He'd wait as long as the younger needed. Namjoon simply sat and observed, intrigued by the concentration that seemed to befall Chan-woo.

"I had an idea," Chan-woo said quietly with his eyes focused on the screw he was currently drilling into place.

"Yeah? About what?" softly asked the leader once the younger fell silent once more, he could tell there was a lot of hesitancy and nervousness filled within the statement.

"Have you guys ordered any outdoor furniture yet?" he asked, still heavily focused on the task before him.

"Not yet," confirmed Namjoon with a tiny smile as he had a feeling where this conversation was heading.

"The place I ordered my bedroom furniture gave me a voucher for 10% off my next purchase. And they sell outdoor furniture. So I'd like to buy some furniture for the balcony and verandah," he continued to say slowly without emotion, unconsciously flickering his eyes to the other without realising it.

"Awe Chan, that's so thoughtful of you," he smiled while he leant forward. "I'm sure the boys will love the surprise."

"I doubt that," Chan-woo scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "But it's the least I can do to contribute to this house."

"You never know, they might love it," shrugged Namjoon with a soft smile before he leant back, his hands on the bed for support, and tilted his head slightly. "Do you know what you'll buy yet?"

"I haven't put much thought into it," he said with a small shrug as he shifted the bedside table onto its side so he could continue to screw the next part in place. "Maybe a comfortable outdoor dining set for the verandah and then some deck chairs, cushions, outdoor side tables and umbrellas for the balcony."

"Sounds wonderful. I'm sure whatever you end up choosing, we'll love it. And if you need help or want any opinions on what to get, I'll be happy to help you," Namjoon smiled down at the boy even though the other refused to look in his direction.

"Yeah," nodded Chan-woo before he went silent and continued to work as if he didn't have another person in the room. He just hoped the leader would take the hint soon and leave him alone.

Namjoon watched Chan-woo as the silence carried on. He wondered what was currently going on in the mysterious mind of Jung Chan-woo. What had upset him so much the other day that he had stayed out on the steps, crying to himself? And paired with the elusive comments made by Bang PD-nim at lunch, the curiosity had only intensified. He wanted the younger to trust him enough to be able to share his burdens. He didn't want the younger to feel so alone anymore.

"You've been crying again. That's two days in a row that I've seen you cry. Are you okay? Would you like to talk about it?" asked the leader with what sounded like genuine concern to himself and fake concern to the younger.

"Actually it's three days in a row that you've seen me cry," he responded without a hint of emotion in his voice. "Remember? When Jin Hyung yelled at me in front of you."

"Oh," was all Namjoon could manage to say.

"I know. Pathetic right?" he said with a mock, repeating the word Jin had used.

"Not really," the older tried to soothe. "You've been through a lot."

"Like you'd know," scoffed Chan-woo.

"Well, probably not. I meant it in the sense of you've been through a lot with us. The way you've been treated by us can only be described as despicable. And for my part in that I am sorry. And I want to remedy my future behaviour towards you so you can slowly feel accepted by me. But, if you feel comfortable, why don't you start with what's been troubling you and made you so upset these last few days?" asked Namjoon with a frown and sincerity riddled in his tone.

A semi-irritated sigh left Chan-woo's lips. He was irritated more so because he couldn't tell if Namjoon was being genuine in his concern and apology. It's not like he hadn't experienced this before with three other members. He'd probably just end up abandoning him and turning his back on him just like the others had. In the end, he was destined to be alone and unwanted.

But a small part of him wanted to believe the other. The concern and the sincerity sounded more real the more he replayed it in his mind. Perhaps he should let his guard down a little and try and let the older in. He longed to have someone to lean on and to share his worries with. He craved to be held gently once more and told everything would be okay. He just didn't want to end up hurt again. God, he truly was pathetic.

"Firstly, thank you for your apology," Chan-woo started out slowly, still busy with the assembly of the bedside table. "It does mean a lot to me that you can recognise your actions and words over the past two weeks. I don't think you or any of the other boys understand how hard it's been for me."

"I can tell you I probably don't understand. And that's why I am happy to sit here and listen to whatever you want to tell me. Even if it'll hurt my feelings, I deserve to hear how bad of a leader I've been for you. Curse me out if you have to," solemnly said Namjoon with his shoulders slightly slumped.

"I don't know where to begin," he whined softly as he paused his work to collect his thoughts. "My life before I joined the company wasn't easy. I was never cared for and never loved. I'll leave it at that for now. So when I was brought here and thrown into already debuted group, which I didn't ask for by the way, I felt enormous pressure on my shoulders to succeed."

"I only found out what group I'd be joining literally as soon as you opened the door to the dorm that very first night," he continued to talk, not once making eye contact, instead he focused on the task of assembling the piece of furniture before him. "Of course I didn't expect you guys to welcome me with open arms. I knew how hard it would be to accept a new member after all the hard work you guys have put in. But what I never imagined would happen was the nasty comments, the bitter coldness, the pure hatred, or even to be physically manhandled."

"Although," he paused to laugh, "not like any of those things are new to me. My parents were the same. I went from one isolated hellhole to another. Yoongi Hyung... Yoongi Hyung took the time to quietly observe me from a distance and he overheard some things, he saw some signs. It eventually led me to confessing my home life to both him and Hoseok Hyung that night after our meal out with Bang Hyung. Part of me is glad I did. Another part of me hates I did."

"Because from that night on, they were there for me when no one else was. They protected me from those hurtful comments I'd hear the others say. They held me close and told me everything was going to be okay. They stopped the situation escalating when Taehyung saw my broken body and they comforted me afterwards. And then slowly Taehyung came around too. You know, for the first time in my life, I felt loved for. I felt cared for. I got a taste of how kind hands can be. I was such a fool for letting my guard down," Chan-woo angrily scoffed at himself as tears welled in his eyes.

"I doubt you noticed, but soon after I had found comfort within those three, they started to ignore me. Remember how I invited Daniel Hyung over for dinner a while ago? The very next day it started. The short responses and the distance broke me inside. I didn't understand at first, but I do now. Then out of pity, they came back around, all because I came home sick. They acted as if they hadn't just completely ignored me for a few days straight," he continued with obvious pain laced throughout his voice.

"And just when I thought things were going back to normal, it happened all over again" he sighed as he wiped a stray tear away. "I guess there's a few reasons why I was crying two days ago when you all got back to the dorm. And no, it wasn't because I was being yelled at by Jin. The first reason was because Jin sounded similar to my mother when she'd yell. Often when she would start yelling at me for stupid mistakes I made, it would be followed by some type of physical punishment. A-And in that moment, when Jin Hyung was yelling, I was expecting to him to hit me when he started to move towards me."

"A-And the second reason was because I could tell I had fucked up the instant Hoseok and I made eye contact. I could tell that all three of them were upset. I could tell they were going to leave me again, that I wasn't going to have them to lean on anymore," he scoffed at how pathetically weak he sounded in that moment. "I ruined the friendship I had been building with Yoongi, Hoseok and Taehyung yet again. I ruined it Hyung." 

"As for yesterday," he put his screwdriver down in defeat, too worked up to continue assembling the piece of furniture. "Well. I met up with Daniel Hyung for some lunch. I learnt some information about myself recently. I was just coming to terms with myself that it was okay to be gay and that I was now in a safe environment to accept myself."

Chan-woo paused briefly as he nervously flicked his eyes over to observe Namjoon's reaction. The older was sat fowards, legs crossed, one elbow on his knee that held up his head, and a concentrated look upon his face. A frown settled over Namjoon's face and Chan-woo started to panic. Upon seeing the panicked look, realisation seemed to dawn upon the leader, his eyes widening before a small smile took over his features.

"I'm okay that you are gay, Channie-ah," Namjoon smiled reassuringly down at the younger. "You aren't the only one in this group."

"Not the first time I've heard that and I still don't know what that exactly entails," he narrowed his eyes at the leader.

"Uh, well... Every single one of us isn't one hundred percent straight," he offered the information to help ease the younger.

"Wait, really?" he gulped as he looked at the floor with a small blush on his face.

"Yes," Namjoon nodded with a small chuckle. "So welcome to the club. You're in a safe space, Chan."

"Good to know," he nodded as he picked up his screwdriver and continued to work silently.

"So, you've realised since you left home that you are gay. And I'm guessing you have a crush on this Daniel guy, right?" the intelligent leader put the pieces of the puzzle together. Well, some of it. "But why did this result in you crying yesterday?"

"He told me that he's straight and in a relationship," Chan-woo said simply with no emotion. "He was my first crush ever, Hyung. It hurt. I recently found out I was gay, fell deeply for a guy, only to be let down. I got back here yesterday afternoon and just everything over the past fortnight caught up to me. Daniel Hyung's revelation being the last straw that broke the camel's back per say."

"I'm sorry," sighed the leader as he looked upon the boy with sympathy. "That must have been really hard."

"Y-Yeah," Chan-woo also sighed, exhaustion slowly filled his body. "And then it didn't help I had no one to turn to yesterday. No one to talk to. No one to hug me. I'm all alone again. I'm back to feeling like the unwanted burden. An outcast. A good-for-nothing, attention seeking, little kid who doesn't deserve to stand alongside you all."

"Please stop saying that about yourself," Namjoon stood up and sat down beside the younger boy with a soft sigh.

"It's true. The voices tell me every day," darkly laughed Chan-woo as he looked into the older's eyes finally.

"Your inner voice or our voices?" he frowned at the cryptic message.

"Both," he casually shrugged before he turned back to the bedside table.

"Well we'll just have to shut those voice up, now won't we?" smiled Namjoon before he offered a hand out to Chan-woo. "I really am sorry. I hope we can start over as friends?"

"S-Sure," he hesitantly reached his unoccupied left hand over and shook the leader's hand without making eye contact. "Thanks for listening to me, Hyung."

"Anytime, Chan-woo. And I mean anytime. Please, don't hesitate to come find me. I'll always listen without judgement," the older smiled warmly as he stood up and stretched his back. "Bang Hyung wants us to watch the mock interview of you tonight. But I'll make sure no one disturbs you afterwards. We'll give you space and time. Okay?"

"T-T-Thanks," Chan-woo nodded.

"Try and get some good rest tonight. You look exhausted," he said as he made his way over towards the door.

"I am. But you too, Hyung," he shyly said with an equally shy smile on his face.

As Chan-woo was once more left to his own devices, he suddenly felt a whole heap better. The talk with Namjoon had seemed to lift so much of his worries. It felt good to be brutally honest with the leader. To share how hurt he'd been over their actions. All of their actions. He couldn't imagine saying what he had said to Yoongi, Hoseok, or Taehyung. Not any day soon anyway. He didn't know what the future had in store with the three of them, but he hoped with all his heart that it would be far from the state it was currently in.

With the numb state lifted and a sense of calm upon him, Chan-woo continued to silently work hard in his room for the rest of the afternoon. He would often get lost in his thoughts. But, he didn't feel the same intense sadness or hurt as before. And he was once again glad not to be alone any longer. Well, he allowed himself to hope so. Only time would tell how much Namjoon would stick to his words.

The young boy had made considerable progress on his room by the time night had arrived. He collapsed onto his bare bed with exhaustion and shivered, making a mental note to desperately shop for linen in the next day or two. And as sleep finally came to the exhausted boy, he smiled as he realised that he would be spending his first time, in almost two weeks, in an actual comfortable bed. Maybe life could allow him to have some small pleasures after all.

Chapter Text

The living room was silent as all seven boys sat around the two couches. They stared up at the TV that had been installed for them above the fireplace while Namjoon navigated to the different input options. He had downloaded the video file Bang PD-nim had sent and transferred it to a USB to make it easier. Anticipation flowed in the air as the rest of the six boys were wondering why they had been ordered to take a seat after they had consumed the dinner they had ordered.

"Now," Namjoon said from his spot, startling some of them out of their thoughts. "Bang Hyung wanted us to watch a video tonight. After it's finished, all of us are under strict instructions to not bother Chan-woo for the rest of the night. And after speaking with him earlier this afternoon, I want us all to give him some time and space. Maybe let him approach you. Am I understood clearly?"

"Yes Hyung," nodded Taehyung with a small gulp, the others silently acknowledge the orders.

Satisfied the message had been conveyed and would be abided by, Namjoon hit play on the only video file that was on screen. His breath hitched slightly as the slate clapped only to be pulled away and a nervous Chan-woo appeared on screen. A small smile graced his own lips as he studied the boy's face. It was obvious he was trying to present some type of confidence, but his shy nature came out too easily. It was adorable to witness.

"Hello, please introduce yourself," a male voice said suddenly which obviously surprised Chan-woo out of his thoughts as he jumped a tiny bit and his eyes widened.

"Ah hello! I'm Chan, it's very nice to meet you," Chan-woo smiled nervously and brought his hand up to wave towards the camera.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," said the other person. "So you are the newest member in the popular Korean boy band BTS, is that right?"

"Yes it is," smiled Chan-woo. "I have been lucky enough to have been given this amazing opportunity to join BTS."

Every single person in the room shuffled uncomfortably while they silently watched the mock interview. They saw genuine happiness within those innocent brown eyes as Chan-woo answered the question. Many of the boys hearts dropped from seeing the emotion on his face, something they hadn't seen in many days because of some of the selfish actions of their own.

"Ah, amazing. What are you hoping to bring to the table to this already talented group?" asked the interviewer.

"Well I am hoping to bring a new voice to the group that blends in and supports the other members amazing vocals. I also want to bring a new powerful presence for when we perform that I hope the fans will really enjoy," Chan-woo answered confidently as he looked at the person behind the camera while he spoke. Most of the boys couldn't help but smile unconsciously as they watched him. "And I have been working very hard to create meaningful lyrics for future songs that I hope will resonate with people."

"I look forward to seeing what you bring to the group," kindly said the male as a brief paused filled the room. Chan-woo evidently started to fiddle with his sleeves as he patiently waited, one of his many habits they all had noticed since he had joined them. "BTS's last album release 'Love Yourself: Her' focuses around expressing the anxiety and elation around love. Are you looking to contribute to their next album release?"

"I really hope I can contribute and have input with the creation of the next album. Only time will tell if any of my ideas fit with the next concept," he couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

Subconsciously, Chan-woo had covered his mouth with the long sleeve of his shirt that covered his hand. Namjoon frowned as he made a mental note to himself to talk with the younger about that song he had shared a while ago in the studio session. With everything going on with the move, he had forgotten to pull him aside and have that discussion about the continuation of co-writing lyrics for that song. So it turned out, time had told them it really did fit in with the concept.

"Good luck, I believe you will have many wonderful ideas. Regarding the release of their last album, they have recently started the 'Love Myself' campaign partnered with UNICEF to help raise awareness and to help end violence towards children and teens. As the newest member to join BTS, will you be supporting this campaign the other members have started?" the male asked which made the younger shuffle slightly in his seat.

"I will wholeheartedly back and support the campaign. In fact I have already made contributions to the campaign as it is an issue that is so close to home," he smiled sadly at the other person. "I never want to see anyone else go through what I have. And I hope through this campaign and the music they listen to, those small voices can gather the courage to speak out."

Everyone in the room that wasn't privy to the youngest's home life gasped quietly with wide eyes. The ones that knew grimaced and looked at their laps in shame. There was a pause between the interviewer and Chan-woo, as the words settled in. Shock and sadness filled the room as all eyes stared at the sad, timid boy on screen. And for a change, all seven boys felt the same guilt, even the ones that hadn't warmed up to Chan-woo.

"A touching message," the voice said, laced with sadness.

They watched as Chan-woo gulped and nodded. He looked down at his lap and went silent. The interviewer obviously gave the younger a moment to collect himself after revealing such information. The boys used the silence to self reflect on themselves as they waited. Some of them felt bad slightly, others were being eaten alive by guilt. Their words they'd uttered about Chan-woo in front of him floated in their minds. Some wondered if they had seen this interview much earlier on, would they have acted differently towards him? Eventually Chan-woo took a deep breath in before he looked up and nodded for the other man to continue the interview.

"Let's move on to something a bit more lighthearted for now," softly said the other. "Tell me about any talents you might have."

"Talents I have?" chuckled Chan-woo, he was clearly glad to be away from the previous subject. "Well apart from singing, dancing and rapping, I can speak English almost fluently and I'm slowly improving my Japanese and Chinese skills. I can play a musical instrument. When I was in high school, I was able pick up any sports rather quickly. And I can write, whether it be lyrics or stories."

"Wow, an impressive list of talents. Do you mind demonstrating your English skills for me?" he asked with a small laugh.

"Oh," a blush appeared on Chan-woo's face which made some of the members smitten for him. "W-What would you like me to say?"

"Tell me a bit more about yourself," the other male said. "Like what you do in your spare time or what other hobbies or interests you have."

"In my spare time," Chan-woo started speaking in perfect English which caused a round of gasps around the room, "I like to create songs, boring I know. But it's a great way to release the emotions held within me. I also like to read novels. I like the fantasy, horror and thriller genres the most. But I can be a sucker for a good old romance book here or there. My favourite food is pasta carbonara. I'm not as into it these days, but, I used to go around my home town and do a lot of photography. So I guess you could consider that a hobby. What else? Oh! I prefer to walk places rather than drive because I don't have a license. Plus it's better for the environment."

"Namjoon Hyung," whined Jimin the second Chan-woo stopped talking. "Hyung I couldn't understand a thing he just said. Can you tell us?"

Namjoon paused the video, shook in his system at how perfect Chan-woo had just spoken in English. His pronunciation was almost flawless, he didn't once stutter, he didn't use an incorrect version of a word. Namjoon had to wonder if the younger had been friends with anyone that spoke English before or if he had lived overseas. Because if that was taught by a teacher then they'd need a raise, let alone if he dared to imagine it was self taught. The leader quickly translated what had been said before they resumed the video.

"I wish I could understand what you just said," laughed the male. "I only understood about half of it. But very well done, Chan!"

"Thanks," he nodded bashfully with a blush on his cheeks.

"Digging a little deeper into you as a person, what would be your ideal partner?" it was clear the interviewer had a smile on his face as he spoke, even though none of them could see his face.

"I haven't really thought about it much," blushed Chan-woo as he looked at his lap briefly. "I personally have ever had one crush in my life, and it's a recent one, I mean I haven't even had a celebrity crush before."

"That's more than fine, everyone's different. I was never really one to develop crushes either," he chuckled. "But you still haven't said what your ideal type is. This is a common question that will be asked of you. So I'll give you a bit of time to think about it if you need."

Chan-woo nodded his head with a frown on his face. He looked around the room as he quietly thought about his answer. The boys that were watching the TV used the opportunity to just sit and stare at his features. Some of them were noticing for the first time just how adorable he was. His light brown eyes were unique and his fluffy hair seemed to be begging be touched. All of them noticed how intent he seemed as he focused, it was quite a sight to observe, very cute. Not that any of them would admit it out loud to any of the others.

"I don't think I'm attracted to someone based on physical appearance," Chan-woo finally spoke up. "And that's because physical appearances can only get you so far in life. It doesn't make you a good human."

"So your ideal partner would be someone with what types of personality qualities then?" prodded the male when he obviously wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"Someone with a kind heart. I'd want them to be observant and thoughtful. Emphatic if I was having a bad day and just needed some hugs. That's what personality qualities I'd love for them to have," he said with a soft, shy smile aimed towards the guy behind the camera.

"Cute," Namjoon whispered.

"Very," sadly sighed Hoseok from beside him.

"Them? So you're bi are you?" the guy asked with genuine interest and no disgust in his tone.

"I-" Chan-woo cleared his throat nervously as he adjusted his position in his chair.

"It's okay if you are. The company is progressing towards a more accepting space with both idols and fans because the international audience are way more accepting than we are as a society," reassuringly said the male.

"Well I don't think I'm bi," Chan-woo shook his head, which caused some who didn't know the answer to frown because they had just assumed he was at the very least bisexual. "I think I'm gay. I'm still on a new self discovery journey now I'm in a safe space. However, I also stumbled across a term a while ago that seems to suit me as well. Demisexual. It's where I'm only sexually attracted to someone after I've established an emotional connection with them. Which probably explains why I've only ever had one crush in my life."

While the two on screen shared a laugh, the other boys looked around the room in surprise. The ones that hadn't known his sexuality before the interview were rather surprised he was most likely gay and not bisexual. They hadn't seen that coming. But the ones that knew because they were a bit closer to the younger, had seen all the signs expect for the demisexual part. Not that it made a difference, he was still him, despite the way he felt attracted to others and all of them were okay with that. Every person in that room was very intrigued by Chan-woo, infatuated with him even, the more they kept learning about him.

The aura that surrounded the young man drew them all in. Even the ones that wanted to still hate him and to keep rejecting him couldn't help but start to soften up. Those few that were seeing a new side to the younger, that they hadn't seen previously because they thought it'd be easier to keep ignoring him, started to feel bad that such a kind, shy boy had been treated so badly. The entire group collectively sighed and shuffled uncomfortably as the interviewer took a few seconds to check over paperwork before he continued to talk.

"Interesting," said the interviewer. "And that would explain why you'd base your ideal type off of personality rather than appearance as well."

"Absolutely," he nodded with a bright smile that, secretly because they'd never admit it out loud, melted all seven hearts in the living room.

"Do you have many favourite artists or musical influences that you look up to?" the interviewer asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I love to listen to Blackpink, Got7, EXO, BTS, Ed Sheeran and Guy Sebastian just to name a few," said Chan-woo with a smile. "And as for influences, I'd have to say BTS are my biggest influence as well as my favourite artists of all time."

"So this opportunity to be a part of the group must mean a lot to you then?" asked the other guy.

"Oh absolutely, it's an honour and a once in a life time opportunity," blushed Chan-woo.

All seven boys gulped as they heard the response. How had they been so rude to a fan? If it was in any other circumstances that they had met him, each and every one of them would have treated him so much differently. Guilt and sadness filled the room as they processed everything they had put the young man through the past two weeks. No wonder he seemed to be pulling away from them, ignoring them when they asked him questions, cutting up the flowers he'd been gifted, acting more quieter than usual.  It made sense after the way he'd been treated by his favourite idols.

"Moving on to our last topic before we wrap up," the guy said. "Seeing as you've known about the boys before you joined them, I'd like you to state a quality you liked about them before joining, and a quality you've either continued to like or like better now you've met them."

"I think most people would agree with me when I say the quality about Jin Hyung I like most is that he is one of the most funniest people on this planet," Chan-woo softly smiled, which caused everyone to turn the their heads to the oldest and chuckle at the rare blush on Jin's face. "But what they don't see is that behind the scenes he is one of the most caring and hardworking individuals I've met. He looks out for his members and he quietly works hard to be the best idol he can. I don't think he gets enough credit."

The room of boys nodded in agreeance while Jin buried his head in his hands from embarrassment. The kind words made him shy for a reason he couldn't explain. It hurt to hear such kind things being said about him when all he had said during that time he'd known the boy were hurtful words. He didn't deserve to be called caring. He had acted anything but that towards the youngest new member.

"I always admired Yoongi Hyung for his dedication and passion before I met him. It always amazed me. But after I met him, I'd have to say my favourite quality about him is how gentle and thoughtful he is towards me," blushed Chan-woo.

As some of the others cooed at both the words and at Yoongi's embarrassed face, the second eldest in the room shuffled on the couch uncomfortably. He felt horrible as he listened to the words being said about him. How did he allow himself to abandon this sweet, soft, timid young man? Shame filled him as he looked at his lap. He truly needed to rethink his behaviour and start acting more maturely. His heart begged him to run upstairs and engulf the younger in the biggest hug he'd ever given. But he didn't. He would let the younger have his space for now.

"Hoseok Hyung always caught my eye with how passionate he was before I met him. His passion when performing, his passion in the behind the scene videos, his passion in his voice. It was my favourite quality. But getting to know him, I'd say, just like Yoongi Hyung, he is very caring and thoughtful. He's very considerate in his actions and has probably made me feel the most welcomed to the group so far," said Chan-woo with a big smile on his face.

Hoseok hung his head in utter shame, his stomach clenched tightly from guilt. He felt anger at himself for allowing his jealousy to get in the way of being there for Chan-woo. As he forced himself to look up at the screen again, he felt tears brim in his eyes. The words the younger had said about him we're so kind, but he didn't deserve to have them said about him. He had been a jerk. He had been an arsehole. He had been a prick. He shouldn't have abandoned Chan-woo when he had no one else in this group to turn to. Hoseok hated himself so much in that moment.

"As for Namjoon Hyung, I'd say the quality I like most about him is his leadership. And that hasn't changed. I can tell he is there for his members and it's amazing to watch in person the way he keeps the group glued together as a functional unit. I hope I don't make his job any harder as a new member," he chuckled softly.

After clearing his throat, Namjoon looked around the living room at each of his members. It was true, what Chan-woo had said. He was always there for all of his members. But he hadn't been there for Chan-woo. He hadn't been a good leader and he hadn't tried to help the youngest adjust to this new environment. Namjoon didn't think he deserved to be called a good leader after everything that's happened over the past two weeks. He looked back at the TV with shame and embarrassment.

"The last three members, I haven't gotten too close to yet. I've only been here just over a week, but I'm sure there's plenty of time to observe more in the future and maybe develop a different favourite quality later down the track," said Chan-woo with a slight bit of panic. "But for Jimin Hyung, I always loved his eye smiles. It's my favourite quality about him. Taehyung Hyung's laugh and boxy smile has always been my favourite thing about him. And lastly with Jungkook Hyung I'd say his ability to make anyone laugh at any time of the day, no matter what is going on. Yeah."

Taehyung and Jungkook frowned at how Chan-woo seemed to gloss over them quickly, after giving a bit more detail about his favourite qualities of all the others. It kind of hurt them. But then they both realised this had been recorded over a week ago and they were definitely not on good terms with the youngest at that stage. They both hoped that moving forwards, they'd be able to be on better terms with him.

While Jimin on the other hand was very unsure on how he felt about it all. Out of the entire group he, Jungkook and Jin had been the least welcoming and accepting of Chan-woo. And then after he had seen Jin do small gestures for the younger and Jungkook start to be more inquisitive about the younger, he himself had not changed his mind. He had still continued to see the younger as a freeloader. Until this point. He was now starting to have conflicting emotions within him that were confusing the hell out of him. He'd need some time to sort through his thoughts and feelings.

"I'm sure you'll get to know them more over time. But for a week of knowing them, I'd say that's a pretty good start," the male said to which Chan-woo awkwardly nodded. "Well thank you so much for sitting down with me today. You've done an amazing job for you first mock interview. I truly wish you all the best for the future Chan."

"Thank you so much Hyung," Chan-woo smiled widely with relief on his face and nodded his head in thanks.

There was a small sound of rustling before the video stopped playing. The screen had paused on the last frame, Chan-woo smiling widely with a soft sparkle in his eyes. None of the seven eyes could look away. None of them could look away from the adorable, soft smile or the bright, sparkle in those brown eyes. Silence engulfed the room as each person sat and thought. They reflected on the interview and on their actions. Minutes passed by yet no one moved nor spoke.

"I fucked up big time," groaned Yoongi as he collapsed forward and held his head in his hands.

"Yeah more like we fucked up big time, Hyung," Hoseok sighed as he ran a hand down his face before he rubbed away the tears.

"I'm glad Bang Hyung showed us that," Taehyung solemnly said as he slumped back into the couch.

"As am I," sighed Namjoon. "I'll say it again so we are clear, no one is to disturb Chan-woo tonight. He's very upset at the moment and needs space and time."

"Yes Hyung," sighed Hoseok. "Even though I just want to give him a hug. I feel like shit."

"Yeah well so does Chan-woo thanks to us all," Namjoon said as he turned off the TV screen and looked around the room slowly.

"I feel horrible for the way I've treated him," Taehyung looked at his lap. "I-I've said some horrible stuff. I've been such a bad Hyung."

"We all have," Namjoon scoffed angrily, more so at himself than at the others.

"I hope I haven't ruined things between him and I," Yoongi whispered, but in the quiet room, it was heard clearly. "I hope I can fix things."

"Same, Hyung," nodded Hoseok as he rubbed some more tears away.

"Me as well," sighed Taehyung.

"All you can do is try after we've given him some space," Namjoon said with a grimace.

The room nodded in agreement. However much some of them wanted to actually go and comfort the boy right then and there, they listened to their leader. They would give Chan-woo some time to himself and space away from them. They would try to reconcile with him at a later day when he showed signs he was ready for it. They would try to let it be on his time, not theirs, because after all Chan-woo was the one deeply hurt and not them.

Chan-woo had woken up after one of the most amazing sleeps he had had in a while. Much to his delight, he had spent all of the next day to himself as well. He had woken up before any of the other household members and unpacked his items and food into one of the cupboards in the kitchen. He had made himself a small breakfast that he enjoyed eating while he had watched the sun slowly rise. Then he had proceeded to quietly assemble his tallboy dresser in his room until he deemed it an acceptable time to leave the house and go do some shopping.

He didn't see, speak or interact with anyone both on his way in or out of the house to his relief. It had been, for the most part, a nice day for the exhausted boy. He had gone back to the same furniture store and placed an order for the outdoor furniture with the help of Haneul who had been on thankfully. He also added on a bookcase and desk chair onto the order for his own room. Although they didn't have stock on some of the items until the Friday, so they wouldn't have anything for the deck or verandah until then. But at least it was booked in to be delivered and assembled for that Friday morning. Then he had taken his time to leisurely shop at various stores for different items he needed in his room to get him started for the time being. He honestly enjoyed the time out of the house and being by himself. It was refreshing, it was quiet, it was peaceful.

He had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in his room. Part of him was internally grateful to not have been disturbed by any of the others. He honestly needed space from them all. It did him so much good to not be around pitiful glances or angry scoffs. He had made considerate progress on assembling his furniture, his tallboy dresser done and his desk semi-built, by the time the evening had rolled around again. Slowly, it begun to feel like his room was becoming his own space. A sense of accomplishment settled deep within him as he had laid down that night with the most comfortable sets of sheets and covers he'd ever owned. He was too fatigued to go make some food so he simply went to bed on yet another empty stomach.

The following day started out much like the previous day had. He had woken up early and enjoyed a quiet breakfast as he watched the bright, orange sun slowly rise above the tree line. The quiet living area had started to become less of a mess as boxes were slowly unpacked and their contents placed away in the cupboards. Maybe he should help them out and place some items away? He had nothing better to do after he would finish breakfast except for working on his desk. Which he was slightly putting off since the hardest bit of assembling the overhead hutch, shelves and drawers were the last bits left.

Chan-woo rinsed out his bowl and cutlery in the sink before he neatly stacked them off to the side to dry off while he worked. He looked around and decided to start with the closest box. Upon opening it, he found forks, spoons, knives, metal chopsticks and some plates securely wrapped in bubble wrap. He took out the cutlery carefully and placed it upon the bench. He pulled opened up the drawers nearby until he saw the tray that holds cutlery and begun to unload them into their respective places. He tried his best to be quiet but the clinking of metal-on-metal rung throughout the room.

Afterwards, he put the bubble wrap to the side and looked for a place to stack the plates. He opened a few of the overhead cupboards and found one of some of the members had already placed some large sized plates in. Assuming this would be the best place for now, Chan-woo lifted a few of the plates out of the box and stacked them alongside the other ones. He repeated the process, careful not to grab too many so he didn't drop any, until the box was completely empty.

Stuffing the bubble wrap into the box, Chan-woo grabbed another box from the pile off to the side and opened it up. In this one, he found pots, pans, and other cooking supplies. He looked around the kitchen and decided most people usually stored these types of items down low. So he opened one of the larger drawers under the island bench top and decided it would suffice for the moment. He squatted down and pulled the box towards him. Slowly and as quietly as he could, he unpacked the items.

"Good morning," a voice suddenly said from the side which startled Chan-woo enough to cause him to fall backwards and hit his head on the cupboards behind him. "Oh I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, Namjoon Hyung," blushed Chan-woo as he picked himself up off the ground and rubbed the tender spot on the back of his crown.

"I didn't mean to startle you," sheepishly said Namjoon as he shuffled from foot-to-foot.

"It's honestly okay," the younger chuckled lightly before he bent back down and quietly continued to unload the box.

"You don't have to do that, you know?" Namjoon said as he opened the fridge and took out an apple.

"Thought I'd help out. It's not a big deal," bashfully smiled Chan-woo.

"I'll give you a hand once I'm done," nodded Namjoon as he took a seat up on the counter top and happily swung his legs back and forwards.

"S-Should you be up there?" asked Chan-woo while he turned his head and stared up at the leader from his spot on the floor, an amused smile upon his own face. Namjoon paused with the apple halfway to his mouth before he looked down at the younger with his own amusement that showed. Realising he'd just questioned whether Namjoon should be allowed to do something in his own home, Chan-woo's eyes went wide and a deep flush appeared on his cheeks. "S-Sorry," he stuttered.

"You sound like Jin Hyung," chucked Namjoon. "I probably shouldn't be up here but let's keep that between you and I, huh?"

"Sure, Hyung," he smiled up at the leader with relief, glad his comment hadn't been taken offence to.

The pair settled into silence as Namjoon happily ate his apple and stared out the windows while Chan-woo made slow work of unpacking the items of the current box. He would pull each item out of its bubble wrap, put the wrapping to the side, and then did some Tetris to fit them into place and save space. He grabbed another box just as Namjoon had finished and inside found more plates. He turned around and repeated the process of stacking the plates up in the cupboard without uttering a single word.

"It's a pretty morning outside, isn't it?" asked Namjoon as he grabbed a box of his own to help the process.

"Very," he nodded with a small hum while he briefly looked out upon the peaceful backyard that glowed orange from the morning sun.

"Got much planned for today?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I'll just be finishing assembling my desk. Then I need to pack away some of my clothes into my new dresser and hang my other clothes up in my wardrobe. A part from that, I don't really have much else to do today," he shrugged while placing the last plate from the box in the cupboard.

"Oh cool," smiled Namjoon as he put away some cooking utensils.

"I should probably mention the furniture for the deck and verandah will be here on Friday," he said quietly. "I placed the order yesterday."

"Awesome. Once again, that's very sweet of you to do that," he smiled down at where the younger was bent down. "Hey I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Y-Yeah?" nervously said Chan-woo as he paused in shoving the bubble wrap away.

"That song you shared in that studio session," started Namjoon as he scratched the back of his neck, "it was amazing. And I want to know if you'd like to sit down some day soon and collaborate on the lyrics. I think it'll be perfect for our next studio album."

"W-What? Wait really?" Chan-woo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and a bright red flush appeared on his cheeks as he stared up at the other.

"Yeah, really," softly smiled the leader as he looked down at the blushing mess of a boy.

"Wow," he whispered. "I didn't think it was good enough. I didn't think you guys liked it."

"Why would you say that?" immediately his smile dropped to be replaced by a frown.

"Well the only comment on it was made by you," Chan-woo looked at the ground as he stood up and clasped his hands together. "You asked me the name of the girl that broke my heart."

Silence consumed the room. Chan-woo's heart raced in his eardrums as he waited for something, anything, to happen. He didn't know what more he could say. The hurt he had felt from the comment seeped into his voice as he physically withdrew into himself. How could he not think they didn't like it considering that was all he had heard? He thought they would think of the song as some depressive lovesick song not worthy enough for release with a group of such high standards.

But that was anything but true. Namjoon realised now how his reaction after the song could have caused the younger to think that. He gulped as he looked down at his own hands. He hadn't meant to make the younger so uncomfortable by his comments. And he wished that back then, that Chan-woo had heard how in awe some of the group had been in after the song had been shared. He could see how self-conscious he was as he stood silently, eyes downcast, and just wanted to embrace him and reassure of his talent. But he didn't. Namjoon just smiled sadly and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry. When you put your headphones back on, we honestly were in awe. You just couldn't hear it. Yoongi and Hoseok Hyung agree with me, they think this song will fit well within the theme of the next album," Namjoon tried to reassure Chan-woo. "So what do you say? Want to collaborate?"

"Uh, yes, sure," blushed Chan-woo as he looked up shyly. "I'd love to Hyung."

"Awesome. I'll try and schedule some time soon for us to have a session. I mean, we don't have long to get the album ready and in between the move and other functions we still have on, it'll be tight. But I'm sure we can do it," the older smiled as he reached out very slowly and ruffled the soft brown hair.

"I'm sure we'll be able to," nodded Chan-woo as he blushed harder from the contact.

Just as he was about to say something else, a vibration in his pocket signaled a text had come through. He sent a sheepishly look at Namjoon as he paused taking out some bowls and instead pulled his phone out. He navigated to his texts and quickly read through the new message he had just received from Bang PD-nim.

Bang Hyung:
Good morning Chan-woo! Good news, your parents have agreed to the NDA and lump-sum payment. So I have you booked in for a solo photoshoot this Sunday morning and so we can release some promotional content before your debut. I'll send some more details about it at a later date. I'm really happy this happened for you and went smoothly so quickly.

"Oh wow. Bang PD-nam Hyung said I have my first photoshoot this Sunday," whispered Chan-woo, just loud enough for the other in the room to hear. "I guess I'll be missing out on some of the fanmeet this weekend."

"The fanmeet? I haven't told you about that yet. How did you find out about it?" Namjoon gulped as he continued to unstack the items in front of him.

"Hyung, it's all over my twitter timeline," chuckled Chan-woo as he continued to work.

"Ah yes," the older nodded and allowed himself to chuckle as well. "Well if you give me your number, I'll add you to our schedule group chat. That way you never miss out on an event and you don't have to keep asking us what's on. And also you'll have our numbers in case you ever need to contact us."

"S-Sure," Chan-woo nodded. "You can just get it off of Hoseok Hyung. I'm sure that'll be easy enough."

"I'll do that later today," smiled Namjoon as he turned his head over his shoulder and smiled widely. "How do you feel? About the photoshoot that is? Nervous? Excited?" Namjoon asked as he paused and gave the younger his full attention.

"Nervous for sure," he hummed with a frown as he too turned around and gave his full attention to the conversation. "Scared about not doing a good job. And I'd say apprehensive about the release of it."

"Well it's perfectly normal to be feeling all of that. I remember being in the exact same position you are in," calmly smiled Namjoon.

"You felt all of this too, Hyung?" he asked with wide, innocent eyes.

"Of course," chuckled the older and looked at Chan-woo, affection within his eyes. "I'm sure you'll do great. It'll feel awkward at first, but the more you do them, the more comfortable you'll become."

"I hope so," he nervously fidgeted with his long sleeved t-shirt. "I'm very nervous about finally being an idol. What people will think about me. What they will say about me. I-I guess that's the only thing I'm not particularly looking forward to but I really want to share my music and inspire people. So I guess I need to get over it."

"It's completely normal to feel that. I, along with many others, struggled with stage performance at first. Being in front of people took time to get used to. But then I remembered why I wanted to be there. Why I wanted to perform. I wanted to inspire, just like you. So I pushed passed it. I overlooked the negative comments and focused only on the positive ones because seeing the happiness of others was worth more than people that wanted to drag me down," Namjoon said as he leaned back against the bench top with his arms crossed against his chest.

"You know, you really are a good leader," Chan-woo said as he hung his head from embarrassment.

"Thank you, Channie-ah," gulped Namjoon as he blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I don't feel like I've been the best leader to you, so I don't know if I deserve that to be said about me."

"B-But you're trying to make things better, to make things right. A-A-And I really appreciate it. I appreciate the advice too," he blushed as he stepped forward and gently embraced Namjoon.

The older was stunned as two soft arms hugged his waist. He slowly brought his crossed arms out and held the younger against his chest. He looked down just as Chan-woo turned his head and rested it upon his shoulder with a soft sigh. His own eyes were wide as he stared down at the soft brown hair and couldn't help but reach up and run his fingers through it gently. His heart melted the longer they stayed in that position, with Namjoon leant against the bench top with Chan-woo clinging to him to dear life.

"Interrupting something, am I?" a grumpy voice said from the side which caused the pair to jump apart. "I can come back later."

"Ah shut up Hyung," chuckled Namjoon as he dragged a shy Chan-woo back into his arms. "The boy needed a hug after being neglected by you and that doofus for days."

"Yah, watch it," hissed a grumpy Yoongi as he slowly shuffled to the fridge with his eyes half closed and hair messy.

"Always pleasant dealing with you in the mornings," Namjoon rolled his eyes with a small chuckle.

Chan-woo could feel his face heat up intensely as his heart rate sky rocketed in his chest. The feeling of being held by someone while they chuckled was a new sensation from him. And if he was honest with himself, he loved that feeling. Namjoon gave good hugs. He had a wide, comfortable chest, strong arms, large, gentle hands, his voice sounded cool as his ear was pressed against his chest and he was at the perfect height for him to completely melt into. He never wanted to let go. But he didn't know if that was probably due to being neglected of touch for a few days or if he just genuinely liked being held by the older.

"Ditto. You're always too bright in the mornings for my liking," Yoongi hummed grumpily as he set about making his own breakfast.

"I-I should get going," Chan-woo whispered as he gently pushed himself back from the embrace. "Got a lot of work to do in my room."

"Shout out if you need any help," smiled Namjoon as he let go and pushed the soft hair out of the younger's flushed face. "And thank you again for helping to unpack the kitchen stuff. You're amazing, you know that?"

"T-Thanks Hyung," nodded Chan-woo with his eyes on the ground.

Before he left, Chan-woo risked his chances and looked up at Yoongi from where he was leisurely lent against one of the bench tops with a bowl in hand. The second he looked up, his eyes were locked with tired brown eyes. He gulped as he stared at him. He didn't know how to feel in that moment. All he wanted to do was confront him and ask him why he seemed to be jealous of Daniel. But he didn't. He didn't want to talk with the older yet. He was still too hurt. So he forced himself to breathe deeply as he walked up to his room in silence.

"Damn, I hate this," sighed Yoongi after a minute of silence had passed between Namjoon and him. "I really messed up. I can see it in his eyes."

"And it'll always be there until you fix things," Namjoon sighed as he continued to unpack items.

"Yeah I know," he sighed and rubbed a hand down his tired face. "I'll give him some time. But I just want to fix it right now. I wish that had been me hugging him and not you."

"It could have been if you hadn't of gotten jealous in the first place, Hyung," he said with slight irritation in his voice.

"Yes, I am well aware. Thank you, oh smart one, for reminding me of how much of an arse I was," he tiredly bit out and blushed as he realised what he had said. "Sorry."

"Mmhmm, yeah sure you are," he rolled his eyes and started to clean up the small mess in the kitchen from empty boxes and leftover bubble wrap. "Just talk with him and apologise. You'll just have to wait and see how that'll help things, Min Genius."

Before Yoongi could get out a reply, Namjoon carried the rubbish out of the kitchen and went to discard it outside in the bins. Yoongi sighed as he stared down into his bowl. He knew the leader was right. He knew he need to just talk and apologise. But finding the right timing seemed to be the hardest part for him. He didn't want to force Chan-woo into listening to him when the younger wasn't ready. He didn't want to make things worse. If only he hadn't let his emotions get in his stupid way, they wouldn't be in this mess. More like, he, wouldn't be in this mess.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo sat in the middle of his room assembling the newly arrived furniture from that morning. Soft melodies floated to his ears that played from his nearby phone and he hummed along to them quietly. Before him was the slick, black bookcase he'd ordered and the toolkit open next to him. The office chair had already been setup; a quick five minute job. His hands worked on auto-pilot mode as his mind were consumed by the different topics that came to him.

He thought about how peaceful his last few days in the house had been. He, for the most part, stayed in his room alone. With his room completely finished though, he had gotten a little bored with nothing to pre-occupy his hands. He had spent a lot of time in his new comfortable bed since he didn't have a desk chair at that point of time. He had worked on some of his lyrics for other songs and tried his hardest to polish up the composition for 'Fake Love' in preparation for the session he'd have with Namjoon. And he had spent a bit of time purely relaxing on his phone. Something he hadn't done in a while and probably won't be able to do any time soon when things start to get busy.

The boys left him to his own devices. They gave him space. And Chan-woo was internally so grateful for that. As the days went on he begun to feel more rejuvenated and recharged. The energy that surrounded him in the new house was much lighter and seemed to be full of positivity. It almost felt like he could breathe easier. He could almost forget about all of the troubles that had plagued him now that he was in a space he could call his own. Almost.

At least now he didn't have eyes that could watch him 24/7. He didn't have to hear any comments made about him. He didn't have to see any looks, directed at him or shared with others. There in his room, in his own space, he felt like a small amount of the heaviness had begun to ease off his shoulders. Although he knew that it would take him a while to feel fully comfortable since he was still dealing with the tricky, unstable and uncertain relationships with the boys.

A knock on the door interrupted his peaceful sanctuary. Chan-woo pushed himself off of the ground and walked over to his door only to open it to find a smiling Namjoon on the other side. The kind smile grew wider on the leader's face as they made eye contact. The younger shyly nodded his head and took a step back, silently inviting the other in. He settled himself back on the floor and got back to work. Meanwhile, Namjoon gently closed the door and sat himself on the neatly made bed.

"You're room is looking really good. You know, you may have an eye for interior design," mused Namjoon as he looked around the room slowly.

"Thanks Hyung," said Chan-woo with a tiny chuckle.

"And I still can't believe you have assembled everything yourself," he shook his head with amazement. "Was that desk just as hard as you thought it'd be?"

"More so," sighed Chan-woo as he glared over his shoulder at the inanimate object. "The hutch almost fell on me probably at least five times. And the amount of times I stubbed my toe on something was unbelievable."

"You should have asked for help," he chuckled with bemusement. "Could have saved yourself lots of pain."

"No, it would have only slowed me down. I find manual work like this is best done alone for me. And, well, at least if something is wrong with the desk then I would only have myself to blame," Chan-woo said while he focused on the bookcase.

"That's fair enough. Well the reason I came in was because I was just about send the schedule for this weekend," Namjoon said while he simultaneously pulled his phone out his pocket. "Thought I'd come here and make sure the group chat works for you before I do."

"Okay," he nodded as he paused the music and waited patiently. It didn't take long until the phone buzzed in his hand and a group chat named 'BTS Scheduling' appeared with only one message in the chat.

Unknown Number:
Chan-woo, can you see this?

Chan-woo:
Yes Hyung.

"You could have just answered me out loud you know," chuckled Namjoon, his eyes still on his screen, before he sent another text with the scheduled attached to it.

"I didn't want the others to think I was ignoring you," quietly said Chan-woo with a blush.

"Cute," whispered Namjoon as he finally looked up from his phone. "Do you want me to show you who's number is which?"

Chan-woo nodded his head and Namjoon smiled brightly before he sat down next to him on the floor. The pair quickly went through each number, Chan-woo saving them to his phone. He made sure to put 'Hyung' after all of them, just like he did with all of the other limited contacts in his phone. For a reason he couldn't explain, he added honorifics to contacts, he always had. He thought it was just the polite thing to do.

"That is really cute how you are putting Hyung after all of our names," Namjoon smiled and ruffled the already messy hair.

"T-Thanks," Chan-woo hung his head shyly. "It's just a respect thing. I don't know why I've always done it. I add them whenever I rarely get given someone else's number."

"I'm changing your contact name," Namjoon laughed and typed away at his phone. A big smile lit up his face as he turned the screen around to show off the new name. "Channie Dongsaeng. Perfect. Now we are matching."

Upon seeing the words, Chan-woo's heart exploded with happiness. An intense heat grew on his cheeks as he hung his head. He could feel the tears form in his eyes and he sadly chuckled to himself. He placed the screwdriver that was in his hand down and brought up the sleeves of his hoodie to his face to wipe away the few tears that had fallen. An arm was placed around his shoulders gently as another hand rubbed soothing circles upon his knee.

"What's wrong? What's got you so emotional?" Namjoon's gentle voice asked with concern.

"No one has ever called me their Dongsaeng before," whispered Chan-woo as he forced himself to look directly into the kind, worried eyes of Kim Namjoon. "That just made me really happy, that's all."

"That breaks my heart to hear, Channie-ah," he whispered with an upset expression on his face. "Come here."

Chan-woo shuffled over towards the older and with his help, sat on Namjoon's cross-legged lap. He leant his right side against the firm chest, placed his head beneath his chin and played with the sleeves of his own hoodie in his lap. Two strong arms wrapped around his body and pulled him closer. He melted in the embrace, the heartbeat next to his ear soothing him. Tears continued to flow and he would occasionally wipe them away.

"I'm sorry," Chan-woo whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"What for?" Namjoon asked, perplexed.

"I'm always crying these days," he sighed and pulled away slightly to look up at the other. "It's just been so hard."

"There's no need to apologise for such a thing. But these are happy tears right?" he said and offered a comforting smile as he brought his right hand over to wipe away the tear tracks.

"Right," he nodded with a blush.

"And how long since you've cried happy tears?" he asked and resumed rubbing the youngest arm with his right hand.

"I-I don't know," he shrugged as he looked down at his lap. "Years maybe."

"And does it feel good to not be crying from sad tears?" softly asked Namjoon.

"Yeah," Chan-woo answered as he looked up with a smile on his face.

"Well I hope if you need to cry in the near future that it is only happy tears," he smiled down at the younger. "And, as cheesy as this is going to sound considering our current position, if you ever need a shoulder to cry or lean on, I'll be here."

"Thank you Hyung," Chan-woo said with a chuckle. "Very cheesy indeed. But it's appreciated."

"No need to thank me," the older pinched Chan-woo's cheeks before he guided the younger's head to rest on his chest once more. He ran his hand through the soft hair and sighed, not wanting to let the other go just yet.

Silence settled between the pair. Chan-woo sat there, surrounded in the warmth and comfort that Namjoon provided. His eyes closed on their as he relaxed further. The rhythmic pitter-patter of Namjoon's heart consumed his mind, numbing all thoughts. He sighed contently as the hand continued to gently run through his hair.

"Hyung. I really am glad you were there for me these last few days. After Yoongi, Taehyung and Hoseok Hyung all pulled away, it was really hard. I'm sorry if I seemed a little distant or short towards you. I was just hesitant to let someone else in after what they did," Chan-woo said quietly, his eyes still closed.

"You don't need to explain yourself and you don't need to apologise. You had every right to be that way. I mean, I probably would have been the same," Namjoon said just as quietly before he sighed. "You've been through a lot. And what we did wasn't right. What those three did wasn't right. You shouldn't be the one apologising, but it's us that should be."

"Thank you, Joonie Hyung," whispered Chan-woo as he twisted his upper half slightly and wrapped his arms around Namjoon's torso. He buried his head into the older's neck and breathed in deeply. "Thank you."

"Stop saying thank you," lightly chuckled Namjoon as he returned the hug, his left cheek rested against Chan-woo's hair. "You're welcome Channie-ah."

Chan-woo never wanted to let go. It felt so nice to be held while being told nice things. It meant a lot to him that Namjoon recognised everything they had done wrong. And it meant even more that his hesitant and distant attitude over the last few days didn't bother the leader. The fact he had validated his feelings brought him immense comfort.

"Do you think you are ready to talk to them yet?" inquisitively asked Namjoon without moving an inch.

"No, not today," Chan-woo gripped Namjoon's t-shirt tighter. "But soon, yeah."

"There's no pressure to get it done," the older soothing rubbed his hand up and down the younger's back. "It's all on your time. I just wanted to check in with where you were at."

"Mmm," he hummed, both from the touch and at the statement.

"Well I should let you get back to your stuff. Plus there's work that I need to be doing," Namjoon said quietly.

"Okay," Chan-woo sighed as he let go and shuffled off of his lap.

"Is there anything else I can do before I go?" he asked.

"No, nothing at all. My rooms almost finished. Just need to do this bookcase and then hang my curtains," he said as he picked up the screwdriver again.

"And just how are you going to reach the rails for the blinds?" amusedly asked Namjoon with an eyebrow raised.

"My desk chair," he huffed with a pout from the teasing.

"Would you like me to put them up then? Save you one less thing to do. And plus I'd rather you not hurt yourself climbing on furniture," offered Namjoon as he smiled.

"T-That'd be nice of you," he blushed with a nod as the pair stood up.

Retrieving the packaged item from his closest, Chan-woo handed over the newly purchased curtains to Namjoon. The leader looked upon the royal purple fabric with approval. He opened the package up and brought down the rails, making quick work of threading the two pieces onto it, before he hung it back up securely. He pushed both pieces off to their respective sides and took a moment to look out into the front yard.

"I like the colour you chose," noted Namjoon as he turned around to find the younger back on the ground and consumed with the bookcase once more.

"Thank you. I thought it would break up the black furniture with a nice pop of colour. Same with my bed sheets," he gestured with his head towards the sea blue sheets.

"It's nice," said Namjoon as he walked over towards the door. "Like I said, you might have an eye for interior design. Anyway, I'll leave you be. Text me or come and find me if you need anything at all."

"Thank you, Hyung," Chan-woo smiled up at the other.

"Get some rest later on, okay?" chuckled Namjoon as he walked out of the room.

With a small laugh of his own, Chan-woo resumed the music on his phone before he got back to work. A smile stayed on his face for many minutes even after Namjoon had left. His whole body was thrumming with elation. The interaction left him feeling even more secure than he had in the last few days. He didn't know what had exactly changed, or why, but this was the leader of BTS he had expected to meet the first time round. The kind, supportive, calming presence of Namjoon he'd seen everywhere had finally shown itself to Chan-woo. And he was internally grateful for it.

The room was quiet except for the furious clicking of the keyboard and mouse. Chan-woo sat at his desk working away on his laptop in the pitch black room. He had completed assembling his bookcase hours ago and had moved on to work on various projects. He had worked on lyrics for a few songs before he decided to pour his attention into messing around with the compositions of some tracks. For the past hour, he'd been working tirelessly on a composition for a particular track that had been giving him problems for many months.

The beginning two thirds of the track had been the easiest to create since it was merely chords of a piano that accompanied the vocals. The soft, sad melody of the piano emphasised the beautifully tragic lyrics he had written. However, he had decided that in the last third of the composition to include both an electronic and percussion beat. And it was this last third that he couldn't get to sound right. There was something missing. But Chan-woo couldn't put his finger on it to save his life.

With a frustrated sigh, Chan-woo lent back in his comfortable chair. He closed his eyes as he took off his headphones and haphazardly threw them on to his desk. He knew he should take a small break since no more significant progress was being made. If he kept pushing himself to try and figure out the missing puzzle piece, he'd burn himself out. What he needed was some fresh air to gather his thoughts.

Chan-woo grabbed his phone and left his room without another thought. As he walked towards the balcony, he ignored the rumbling in his stomach that reminded him he hadn't consumed any food for a few hours. He would deal with that after his trip outside. His entire being craved for fresh air to wash over his skin, to help soothe how pent up he had become. Only then would the frustrations of making no progress ease from his tense body.

Just as he stepped out into the cold night's air, his phone begun to vibrate in his hand. Chan-woo paused mid-step, looked down at the screen, and sighed as his eyes landed on the contact name that was trying to call him. Should he answer it? If he did, he would risk bringing up all of the negative emotions he had been trying to bury for the past few days. Or he could ignore the call. He could pretend he was either busy or asleep if the other asked why he hadn't answered. But with a small gulp, Chan-woo accepted the call.

What Chan-woo had failed to notice, however, was that he was in fact not alone on the balcony. A set of eyes watched the distracted boy from the far right of the balcony. The only light that illuminated the deck came from the light of the hallway inside and the phone in Chan-woo's hand. So it did not surprise the older that he had not been spotted from his position in the darkened corner.

"Hello?" Chan-woo answered the phone without using any honourifics like he usually did.

"Chan-woo, hi," Daniel's familiar happy voice floated through the device.

"Is everything alright?" Chan-woo asked as he walked up to the rail of the balcony and leant against it. It was peaceful to overlook the dark landscape before him.

"Yeah I'm fine," the other responded with a small chuckle. "I just wanted to check in on how you were going."

"Oh," he said while a small lump got caught in his throat. Chan-woo took a second to allow the cool air to soothe his now flushed skin before he took a deep breath and continued to talk. "I-I'm fine. The last few days have been fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. And how have things gone between you and those two guys? Did you ever speak to them about the jealousy issue?" Daniel asked, oblivious to the sad tone Chan-woo spoke with.

"No," simply said Chan-woo.

"That's okay. Maybe some day soon it will sort itself out," he said, voice full of optimism. "There's another reason why I called you. I know you must be busy now that you'll be debuting soon. But I was wondering if you had some free time to meet up. We could go get some lunch somewhere. My shout of course."

"I can't," Chan-woo said as he closed his eyes and hung his head. Although he couldn't voice what he truly meant to the older. More like he can't and won't meet up with Daniel. It would hurt too much.

"You're really that busy, huh?" there was a playfulness in Daniel's tone that caused butterflies in Chan-woo's stomach. "Too busy for your Hyung?"

"I'm sorry, I really can't Hyung," sadly sighed Chan-woo, he squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut, a pained expression upon his face.

"And this is why I became a dance instructor and not an idol," chuckled Daniel. "It's alright. I completely understand how busy you must be, Chan-woo. I hope you are eating well and looking after yourself. I won't be happy if I hear you've ended up in hospital again."

Chan-woo choked slightly on his breath. He was a fool for answering the call. He was an idiot. Listening to those sweet words from the other ignited all of those feelings once more. The ones he tried so hard to bury after he learnt Daniel had a girlfriend. The ones he had tried to forget about the moment he had walked away from that café.

"Chan-woo?" Daniel questioned after the silence dragged on and the other had not responded. "Chan-woo are you still there?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Hyung, I have to go. I'm really busy," eventually Chan-woo spoke again, his voice full of despair. It took everything in him not to start crying. He was stupid for accepting the call.

"Don't be sorry," sighed Daniel, which caused Chan-woo's heart to clench at the older's obvious disappoint. "Have a good night, Channie-ah. I miss you a lot. Please take care."

"I am sorry. Bye Hyung," he said before he hung up, not able to bear hearing another word uttered from the other.

It was only after Chan-woo had ended the call did he open his eyes. For a moment he stared at the pitch-black yard before he turned his eyes up towards the dark night sky. Amongst the stars he found a tranquil solitude that helped calm his emotions. A soft sigh left his lips. What an absolute moron he had been for answering that call.

"Are you okay?" a voice from the right of Chan-woo asked suddenly which caused him to jump in fright.

"Fuck," he whispered as he grabbed at his chest with one hand. "Jin Hyung, you scared the living shit out of me."

"Yah, language!" scolded Jin from where he sat comfortably on one of the deck chairs.

"Sorry," Chan-woo blushed while he hung his head in embarrassment.

Chan-woo wondered how long the other had been there for. Had Jin heard the entire call? Had he only heard a part of the call? He cursed the dark night for allowing the older to loom in the shadows without his knowledge. Because if he had known that Jin was on the deck as well, Chan-woo would have definitely declined the call. Plus it would have saved him from surfacing all of the negative emotions all over again.

"So?" Jin asked after a few moments of silence between the pair.

"So what?" Chan-woo looked up and tilted his head to the side, confused by the question.

"So are you okay?" he repeated his earlier question that had gone unanswered.

"Oh, I'm fine I guess," he shrugged as he turned his back on the older and looked up to the sky for comfort.

"Are you sure?" Jin asked but only frowned deeper when he received a silent nod in response. "Well then why did you seem so sad with whoever you were on the call with? You also lied to them at the end. Busy my ass."

"Because he hurt me a while ago," Chan-woo sighed as his eyes scanned the twinkling stars. "But it doesn't matter. I don't plan on speaking with him again any time soon. I need some time away from him to heal from the pain."

When the silence continued, Chan-woo decided he better start getting ready for bed since the following day would be intense. He turned around and begun to walk towards the door. A hand appeared on his shoulder before he was even halfway across the deck. He flinched from the unexpected physical contact and turned his head to meet the soft gaze.

"Chan-woo, what you said about me in that interview, well, it was really nice of you," Jin said with a faint blush that rose upon his cheeks, illuminated by the light of the hallway inside. "I know I haven't really been the nicest to you since you got here. And I know I don't deserve to be called caring, especially by you, but it really meant a lot to hear it."

"You're welcome Hyung. I meant every word," Chan-woo nodded as he felt a blush also rise upon his cheeks.

"If you ever need someone to talk to about whatever is going on, I'll be there to listen to you," Jin spoke softly as he simultaneously squeezed Chan-woo's shoulder. "Or if you need me to break some knee caps then I can also do that."

"Please, I know you don't care enough about me to honestly mean that," Chan-woo scoffed, as he looked forwards, away from those eyes that turned sad after he spoke.

"I am sorry," the older of the two hung his head in shame, his hand fell to his side. "I'm sorry for the way I've treated you. And for all the things I've said to you. I hope one day you can accept my apology and we can start over as friends. I will wait for that day. For how ever long it takes for you to forgive me, I will wait."

"Hyung, don't," he whispered and hung his head to hide the tears that suddenly swarmed his eyes.

If he allowed Jin to speak any more, Chan-woo feared he may end up in tears. His emotions were all over the place after the call with Daniel. The last thing he needed to hear in that moment was an apology and some accountability for the harshness that had been directed towards him. If it had been any other time, he would have thanked the other straight away.

But this wasn't any other time. It was, in fact, the worst time. Chan-woo had the secondhand rejection from Daniel still fresh in his mind. He still had the ruthless treatment from all the members fresh in his mind. He still had the heatless words spoken by all the members fresh in his mind. All the negative emotions and thoughts that he had buried deep within him for the last few days had came rushing back up the instant he had answered that godforsaken call. He was an utter imbecile.

"It hurts," Chan-woo whispered, followed by a small choke, as the tears finally begun to flow down his cheeks. 

"Chan-woo?" Jin gently turned the younger around until they were face-to-face.

"It hurts so much Hyung," he lifted his head to look the older in the eyes. "I-It hurts. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. Why are you saying sorry?" Jin frowned as he very slowly embraced the younger in a tight hug.

"I don't know," Chan-woo said in a shaky whisper as he held Jin just as tightly, his head buried into the crook of the other's neck.

"Take a breath, okay? I didn't mean to upset you even more," he said as he rubbed Chan-woo's back gently. "Probably really bad timing on my behalf, hey? You were already upset from that phone call, and then you had me to deal with afterwards."

"Y-Yeah," he sniffled after a few pathetic sobs escaped him, more tears streamed down his face and onto Jin's shirt.

"I haven't been a good Hyung to you. And look at me now, only making it worse for you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Jin said, almost to himself, as he placed his chin on top of Chan-woo's head, his eyes closed upon instinct.

"Hyung stop," Chan-woo gripped the back of Jin's shirt tighter and pulled him closer against him. "You were doing the right thing... It was just incredibly bad timing."

The pair stood in silence as the tears continued to fall from Chan-woo's eyes. Occasionally he'd sniffle which indicated to Jin that he was still crying. The older didn't want to let go in fear that the pain written across his own face would be seen. He had messed up what was meant to be the turning point in their relationship. Jin had played this scenario over in his head a thousand times, thinking about the exact words he'd use to apologise. But he never expected he would only make things worse for the younger as he did it. He felt stupid for not reading the signs. He should have known better then to apologise when the other was already clearly upset.

"Just know that I truly am sorry. Alright? Now, come on, let's go inside. We don't want to catch a cold before our busy weekend. Then I'd truly be a bad Hyung," Jin said, trying to lighten the mood, as he pulled away from the embrace.

"N-Namjoon Hyung would kill us both if we got sick," said Chan-woo while he rubbed his face clear of the tear tracks with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"I don't think Namjoon could kill you," chuckled Jin, ushering Chan-woo inside with a gentle push. "He definitely has a soft spot for you. You could give him one look and he'd melt into a puddle. I bet you could ask him for anything and he'd give it to you."

"Really?" whispered Chan-woo in shock as he felt the warmth of the house engulf him.

"Really," he laughed while he made sure the door to the balcony was securely locked behind him. "Now, go get ready for bed."

"Yes Hyung," he smiled with a small nod. "Oh, and Hyung?"

"Yes?" Jin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Thank you," Chan-woo smiled even wider.

"Of course. Now shoo," he waved the younger off before he disappeared into his room which was directly beside the door, on his left side, across from Namjoon's room.

Chan-woo couldn't help the light chuckle that left him as he made his way back into his bedroom. As he closed the door behind him, he noticed he felt much better. That small talk with Jin had left him feeling a little more secure within himself. He didn't feel as much of an outcast now that he knew he could turn to the leader as well as the eldest of the group. Although he promised himself that he would still be cautious with the new relationship between himself and Jin. After all, he knew how quickly things could change.

Chapter Text

Not a single word had been uttered the entire twenty minute car ride. All eight of the members either sat on their phones or closed their eyes to get some more rest. Chan-woo used this time to distract himself from his anxiety by scrolling through twitter. Although, it wasn't that helpful in the end, as his timeline had been filled with many different posts about the upcoming fanmeet. He only grew more nervous as he saw how many fans had been able to purchase tickets and were going to attend.

Crowds, especially big loud ones, had never been Chan-woo's favourite thing. It was one of the only obstacles he knew he'd have to overcome as an idol. That and his anxiety about being accepted and liked. He looked at today as kind of a test. He knew he wouldn't be up on stage in front of the fans, but, off to the side. He could still use this as an opportunity to see if he could handle the noise and size of the fans without having a full on nervous breakdown in front of them.

"Five minutes," the driver suddenly spoke as he turned the radio down slightly.

"Alright, everyone mask up," Namjoon said with a small sigh, softly patting Chan-woo's leg who sat beside him. Everyone put their phones away and grabbed their face masks - except for Chan-woo who already had his under his chin. "Listen up. It's been a while since we last attended one of these events so let's go over some basic rules."

"No spoilers," continued Namjoon as his eyes scanned over all the boys behind him. "No mention about any of our upcoming content since the company hasn't released anything yet. Not even our Japanese album. Understood?"

"Understood," Jungkook said on behalf of the rest of the group.

"Same goes for Chan-woo, do not mention anything about him. No one knows he has joined our group as a new member," said Namjoon as he sent a reassuring smile down to the youngest boy. "Not even to staff members or our makeup and wardrobe team. Understood?"

"What is he going to be doing today?" Hoseok interrupted with a frown. "You know, since we'll all be on stage."

"Just chilling," shrugged Namjoon with a smile. "He has a staff badge and will just stay off to the side. We can't interact with him while we are onstage. But, when we are backstage and away from any eyes of fans, we will be fine to interact with him."

Chan-woo saw everyone nod in acknowledgement out the corner of his eyes as he stared down at his lap. He doubted any of them except for Namjoon -and possibly Jin - would want to interact with him anyway. He was slightly surprised that Hoseok had asked about what he would be doing and it seemed like the older was genuinely curious to find out. He hadn't expected any of them to care if he was being honest with himself. Not with the way things had been between them all as of late.

"As you all know, the marketing team decided to add on a special surprise VIP package for today and tomorrow. We haven't done one of these in many years, so this is your one and only reminder to be on your best behaviour during the photo sessions," Namjoon said and gave a stern look around the van.

"Now there will probably be fans waiting for the van both when we arrive and when we leave. So Channie I need you to keep your hoodie low and face mask up while we walk to our designated room. Once we are in there, I'll tell you when it's safe to take it off," Namjoon said while at the same time he placed a reassuring hand on the younger's thigh. "Same goes for when we are about to leave for the day."

"Would you like me to go in first or last when we pull up?" asked Chan-woo quietly without looking up.

"Last. That way you can follow us around and not get lost," he smiled and looked up just as the van started to slow down and pull into a concealed driveway at the back of a large building. "Alright I hope everyone is ready."

"Yes sir," Jungkook saluted Namjoon which caused the rest - except Chan-woo who was caught up in his mind - to chuckle.

The driver of the van put the vehicle into park before he shut off the engine and got out. The second he opened the back door, the loud screams from the fans filled all their ears. Chan-woo felt his heart rate accelerate and his mouth go dry as he watched the boys exit the van one at a time. He rubbed his clammy palms on his pants before he made sure his face mask was secured over his face.

"Chan-woo? Are you okay?" Namjoon asked, still seated beside him since he had to wait for the younger to get out first.

"Hmm? Yeah. Just nervous I guess," he whispered as he adjusted his hoodie and mask one last time, threw on his backpack and forced himself to exit the van.

Namjoon was quick to follow and placed a comforting arm around the younger's shoulders. Chan-woo allowed himself to be guided into the building by the older with his head down the whole time. The fans screamed and chanted while all eight boys walked from the van to back door. Even once a staff member had securely closed the door behind them, they could still hear the faint yells from the fans outside.

"You okay?" whispered Namjoon, his arm still around Chan-woo's shoulders as the group walked through the semi-busy hallways.

"Y-Yeah," Chan-woo nodded in response.

"That's good. I know it can be a bit overwhelming at first. It's okay to be nervous or scared," he quietly reassured the younger as they rounded the corner together and followed the rest of the group into a secluded room.

"I feel okay when I'm with you all," Chan-woo confessed quietly. He looked up at Namjoon as the pair stopped just inside the room, still connected by the arm around the Chan-woo's shoulder. "I'm not good with large crowds. Kind of a big fear of mine. So today will be interesting for me."

"Oh really? I didn't know that," said Namjoon with both of his eyebrows raised.

"Well now you do. So if you see me having a silent panic attack, you'll know why," he couldn't help but chuckle while he shyly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I hope you don't," pouted Namjoon as he eventually removed his arm and walked over to a spare spot on one of the three couches in the room. "It'll be kind of hard to be there for you with us being on stage today."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Hyung," Chan-woo nodded as he sat down next to the leader and pulled his bag off his back. He placed the bag on the floor between his legs and nervously clasped his hands together. "I'll look after myself like I always do."

"Ah Chan-woo, you got this. You do. And you can always come back here if you need some space to calm yourself," he patted the younger's thigh while he sat back comfortably on the couch.

"Thanks Joonie Hyung," whispered Chan-woo with a slight nod as he lent back too.

"By the way, you can take off your mask if you want," Namjoon mentioned after a few seconds of silence.

Chan-woo didn't hesitate and tucked the mask underneath his chin. The pair then sat in silence as they watched the rest of the members, one in fondness and one with hesitancy. The younger of the two gazed adoringly - unbeknownst to him - upon the sight that was Min Yoongi fast asleep already. The other had his head tilted back against the couch with his mouth hung open slightly. The group hadn't even been in the room for more than two minutes and yet the second eldest of them had already seemed to have settled in. It was an impressive feat to say the least.

Although he would be rather surprised if the older was actually getting any form of rest as the three that sat on the other couch were energetically bouncing off the walls. Hoseok, Jimin and Taehyung were all talking loudly and playfully shoving each other in an attempt to have more personal space on the cramped couch. Chan-woo unconsciously smiled as he watched the three of them. It briefly hurt him to see them so carefree around each other. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel himself craving the same bond with them.

Chan-woo looked back over to the other couch to find next to the asleep Yoongi was Jin preoccupied by his phone. Judging by the look in his eyes, the eldest of the group looked rather tired. He frowned to himself as he wondered if Jin hadn't slept well the night before after they separated on the balcony. He had the slightest of bags under his eyes and it almost looked like the other could easily doze off any second by the way his blinks became longer with each second that passed.

On the other side of the quiet Jin was Jungkook. The other boy seemed completely lost in thought, staring off into space without blinking at all. Chan-woo couldn't help but remember all of the meme compilations of Jungkook whenever he did that on camera. An unconscious smile crossed his face without his knowledge. It just so happened to be the worst timing as Jungkook snapped out of his blank stare and looked over at him.

All of Chan-woo's breath left him as two intense, dark brown eyes stared back at him. His heart immediately sped up. It felt as if the rest of the room faded away until it was just Jungkook and him. He gulped nervously under the powerful gaze. He didn't need to be told, but he knew his face was beginning to glow a light red blush.

The silence between the pair continued as they simple sat and stared at one another. Chan-woo wondered what was going on in Jungkook's mind. He couldn't read him. His face and his eyes gave away nothing. He wondered if the other was annoyed by their little staring contest. Or if his mere presences as a whole annoyed Jungkook. With the other, he simply couldn't tell what he thought about him.

"If you'd like to follow me, we'll get you ready before the VIP session starts," a staff member suddenly interrupted all of the different commotion within the room.

"Yoongi-ah, time to wake up," Jin said as he reached over and shook Yoongi's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Yoongi practically growled as his angry eyes shot open. He shrugged off the offending hand, stoop up and walked off without another word.

The others laughed at the attitude from the grumpy Yoongi as they all followed the staff member out of the room. Chan-woo didn't know whether he should get up and follow them. Would there be enough room for him in the other space while they got prepared for the day ahead? Perhaps it would be better for them all if he just stayed where he was. He really didn't want to be a bother to them.

The last person in the room to stand up was Namjoon. He looked down at Chan-woo who had been silently chewing on his bottom lip as he watched the others move. He knew exactly what the younger had been thinking, almost as if he could read his mind. A small smile graced his lips as he observed the anxious boy beside him. He couldn't help himself as he reached out and ruffled the soft hair.

"Just stay here, okay?" Namjoon said before he withdrew his hand and smiled as the attention was turned to him. "We'll only be one door down if you need anything. After we get our make-up done and changed, we'll come back here."

"Okay, Joonie Hyung," nodded Chan-woo with big eyes, anxiety swimming clearly within them.

In a matter of seconds, Chan-woo was all alone in the room. The door had been closed behind Namjoon which he was thankful for. A lot of the noise that had been made by the staff suddenly disappeared. He took a second to calm his heartrate and unclench his clenched fists. He laid back into the comfortable couch and settled in, phone in his grasp.

To distract him from his loud thoughts in the quiet room, he got on his twitter account. Of course his timeline had been flooded once more by Army's who were ecstatic about the fanmeet. Chan-woo scrolled through post after post. It all seemed to blur into one. Until, that was, he came across a photo of a very familiar scene. He gulped nervously as his brain took a second to remember how to function properly.

There, right in front of his eyes, was a photo of himself and Namjoon mid-step on their way to the back door of the building. Chan-woo's face was obviously well hidden under the mask and hoodie. Not even his hair colour could be seen from that angle. He looked at the caption of the photo and became even more nervous. 

'Namjoon spotted walking into the fanmeet with his arm around an unknown male. Who do you think it is? A family member? A friend?'

Even if Chan-woo had walked in without the physical guidance of Namjoon, the fans still would have posted about him. It's not often the members are seen walking into venues with other people outside of their staff and bodyguards. Although Chan-woo was grateful that from the angle the photo had been taken and with the cover from Namjoon's much larger body, nothing could be seen of him that could possibly give away his identity. He would have hated for someone to track him down based off of one photo.

But now came the issue of people knowing exactly what he was wearing. And soon he would be in a room with fans as they took vip photos with the boys. Obviously there was a strict 'no photo or videos' rule as they met the idols up close, but he knew just how sneaky some fans could be. Perhaps if he took off his hoodie, which definitely would stand out, he would have more chance of blending in with the rest of the staff. Thankfully he had planned ahead and brought a spare plain black jumper with him - he assumed he'd end up using it as a make shift pillow.

Chan-woo took off his hoodie without a second thought and pulled out his spare jumper from his backpack. After switching his clothes around, he settled back on the couch and continued to scroll through twitter. He went into the comment section of the post he had seen. He read through many comments speculating about him, and thankfully never saw anything that was close to guessing he was a new member. A lot of the fans just assumed he was a friend who had come to support Namjoon. And of course there were a few fans who wished it was them instead.

Chan-woo had lost count of how long he had been waiting in the private room for. He had become fully engrossed in his phone, spotting even more posts about the mysterious man next to Namjoon. With his entire attention locked on his phone, he had failed to notice the door to the room being opened as well as the person who had entered a few seconds later. It wasn't until a pair of legs entered his peripheral vision that he looked up.

"Come on my little shadow," Namjoon said as he held out his hand for Chan-woo.

"Did you just really call me that?" asked Chan-woo with wide eyes, too stunned to grab the outstretched hand, unconsciously he locked the screen to his phone.

"Yep. You've been sticking close to me today. Hence the nickname little shadow. Unless you don't like it? Then I won't call you that anymore," he said as he nervously scratched his neck with his other hand.

"No, no. It's okay. It's... Cute. I just didn't expect it," he replied as he stood up finally with help from the offered hand and pulled his mask back over his face. He quickly put his backpack on the couch so it wouldn't be a tripping hazard. "Are we going to the vip fanmeet now?"

"Yeah, some of the other's are already there. I just came to grab you on my way," Namjoon shot him a smile as he led the way out of the room.

"The stylist did a good job, Hyung," said Chan-woo as he looked over the new outfit the older had been given - tight, black, leather pants, a black sweater with a large skull as the design, and a matching black, leather jacket. He could also see that a light layer of makeup had been applied that made the other's eyes pop. Not to mention his hair had been styled and clearly a lot of product had been used.

"Ah, thank you Channie-ah!" beamed Namjoon. "I see you also had a wardrobe change."

Chan-woo looked down at his plain black jumper before he looked back over to Namjoon with a slight smile on his face. He didn't know if the other was aware of the reason behind why he had changed. Perhaps he should explain. It would be good if they were kept in the loop, especially with something as important as that.

"Well, you see, uh there are already photos circling social media," he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Not that you can see my face in them. But I thought that if a fan was to somehow spot me backstage or in the vip, and if I had my mask off, things wouldn't end well. That hoodie stood out a lot, you know? So I changed it."

"Wow, already thinking smart. You're going to make my job as a leader very simple," he chuckled as he patted the younger's shoulder before he led them into a large room. "Honestly, Channie, good thinking. Luckily you checked your twitter and saw that before your face could be leaked."

"Huh?" interrupted Yoongi as he walked over. "Why are you talking about his face being leaked?"

Two confused eyes roamed Chan-woo's face which caused him to look at the ground. It wasn't the intensity in the pair of eyes that had made him turn away, it was the fact of who said eyes belonged to. Chan-woo couldn't even remember the last time Yoongi had been this close to him, let alone the last time his attention had been on him. He felt his throat close up from the nervousness that overtook him.

"Oh," said Namjoon but didn't speak any further. He had seen the panic in the younger's eyes and reached over to try soothe him. Although he was conscious of who was in the room, but he really wanted to comfort Chan-woo. So he settled for a simple touch on the shoulder that wouldn't rouse too much suspicion. "Well, Chan-woo saw his photo circling on twitter already. And if he didn't have his mask on backstage and if people recognised the same hoodie, it could have easily led to a photo of his face being leaked."

"Oh," replied Yoongi with a frown.

"It's okay though. He had the smart thought to change his clothes," proudly explained Namjoon, briefly squeezing his shoulder.

"That's good," Yoongi said quietly. There was a brief pause between the trio, definitely filled with a mixture of awkwardness and hesitancy. "Uh, well good job, Channie-ah."

"Thanks," whispered Chan-woo as he nodded his head which was still faced towards the ground.

A few seconds passed before the eldest of the three walked away. Chan-woo released a small puff of air he hadn't realised he had been holding in. A small chuckle from beside him made him look up. Namjoon looked down at him with dimples on full display once more. An amused twinkle were brightly glistening in his eyes. He squeezed Chan-woo's shoulder once more before he led the younger over to an empty chair that had been setup near a table full of small snacks and water bottles.

"Here, you can stay here while we are busy," said Namjoon as he lightly pushed the younger to sit. "I doubt we will get any time in between this and the start of the fanmeet to talk. But you know where the room is if you need a break. And only if it's an emergency should you come and get me, okay? I'll have my phone on me but it'll most likely stay in my pocket the whole time."

"Yes Hyung," Chan-woo nodded his head in understanding.

"If I was you, I'd use this time to observe how everything works. Because soon this will be you," he lowered his voice to ensure no staff overheard their conversation before he winked and walked away.

The last thing they needed was for any staff to breach the privacy form they had signed and leak any spoilers to the fans. It was more likely to occur than one would think. And that had been exactly why Chan-woo had the idea to switch clothes. As he sat and silently observed, he couldn't help the pride that filled him when he thought back on the praises from both Namjoon and Yoongi. It felt nice to know he had already started to do a good job. He swore he'd do anything in his powers to be able to hear more praise from the others. It would be a nice change.

All seven boys had gathered in a single line in front of a black backdrop after a staff member had ordered them to. They adjusted their hair and clothing as they patiently awaited for the first of the vip's to filter through. Chan-woo smiled as he sat and watched them, slightly taken aback that this was his life and what he was seeing was indeed real. His moment of self-reflection was broken as a female staff member came to stop in front of where he sat.

"Why aren't you doing any work? Huh? Who told you that you could have a break?" the female staff member said distractedly as she fiddled with the settings of the camera that was in her grasp.

"Oh," said Chan-woo with a nervous gulp. "I'm not meant to be doing any work. I'm not staff like you are."

"Ah. Wait are you the kid PD-nim warned me about?" she said as she finally looked up and studied what she could of his face.

"Possibly? I don't know what he said," he was very apprehensive about admitting who he was, in case it was to someone who wasn't meant to know.

"Chan-woo? Right?" she asked and then lowered her voice. "You're the new trainee at the company."

Ah. A trainee. So she doesn't know he is the new member of BTS. Interesting. Obviously Bang PD-nim only gave her the most vital information, keeping as much under wraps as he could. He looked at her with less apprehension, his shoulders subconsciously relaxing.

"Yeah, that's me," he nodded his head with a shy smile that reached his eyes in the most adorable way.

"I'm Momo, the head of staff for this event. It's nice to meet you. I'm also the only one that knows about your presence. He trusted me to keep an eye out for you. Did no one tell you to come find me sooner?" asked Momo with a small tilt of her head.

It made sense that he only told one person. If more people knew, then the risk of information leaking out about him would be greater since all of the staff - outside of the makeup artists and wardrobe department - were hired externally. Even though he knew they all signed a NDA and had rules they needed to follow, that wouldn't stop someone from leaking such secretive details about his debut. But no one had told him about finding Momo at the event. He wondered if he had missed a text from Band PD-nim or something.

"Uh, no. No one told me about you, I'm sorry," Chan-woo stood up from his seat and bowed to the female staff member.

"That's okay," she smiled kindly and bowed slightly back at him before she looked back down at the camera. "PD-nim wanted me to-."

"Everything okay?" interrupted Namjoon as he suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Yes Hyung. Out of curiosity, were you meant to tell me about going to find the head of staff once I had arrived?" Chan-woo asked with a soft smile.

"Oh yes! I was. What was her name? Uh, I think it was Momo," Namjoon scratched the back of his neck as he thought hard before he turned to the staff member - who just so happened to be Momo unbeknownst to him. "Do you know her?"

"I am she," Momo said with a bright smile. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him backstage."

"Thank you," bowed Namjoon. "Sorry I completely forgot to let Chan-woo know about meeting you."

"It's okay," she dismissed and turned her attention back to her camera. "Back in line you get. We start in a minute."

"Bye, Channie-ah!" waved Namjoon as he walked back over to his spot and held a thumbs up to Hoseok who was beside him.

Chan-woo frowned as Hoseok nodded at Namjoon and seemed to flash a relieved smile his way. He looked down at his shoes after he sat back down on the chair. Had Hoseok noticed Momo talking with him and sent Namjoon over to check on him? His heart skipped a beat at the thoughtfulness in the action. But he didn't want to overthink it and read into something that potentially wasn't even true.

"As I was saying, PD-nim wanted me to keep you close by. You can just follow me around. For now, my job is to take photos for this part of the event. After that I'll just be floating around for the rest of the day making sure everything is running smoothly. But right now, just stay here, okay?" said Momo without taking her eyes off of the camera.

"Yes noona," nodded Chan-woo.

"Alright, I will come get you soon," she nodded more to herself as she walked to the tripod, that had already been setup, and attached the camera to it.

Not even half a minute later, the first of the fans arrived. Barely contained squeals and excited whispers amongst the group of girls filled the room. Chan-woo cringed internally. Was this what he had to look forward to? Maybe not straight away but eventually he would have to deal with the fans up close. He wondered what the reaction of fans would be like. Would he receive the same excitement straight away? Would he be met with some negativity but mostly positive support? Would he only have negative reactions? Would he have fans lining up to get his autograph too?

It gave him anxiety as he watched the boys interact with the girls briefly before they posed for the camera. He watched the girls barely able to contain themselves near the idols, almost combusting with joy, before they were instructed by Momo to collect any food or drinks they wanted and proceed to the main area of the venue. He could see the looks in their eyes and that had him wondering. If he hadn't been introduced to BTS the way that he had, how would he have reacted? How would he have behaved if angry eyes weren't directed at him? Probably the same as these fangirls but on a much tamer level.

He sat on the chair and watched the boys as they bowed each time a person or a small cluster of people walked towards them. He watched those kind smiles stay on their faces the whole time. He watched the boys and was in utter awe at their professionalism during the entire ordeal. Their soft nature on full display for the fans. If only they knew that it wasn't all true. If only they knew their idols had a cold side to them. If only they knew how cruel they could act.

Chan-woo adverted his eyes from the group. Instead, he looked at his hands in his lap. He tried his hardest to divert his attention from those negative thoughts. He knew he'd get stuck in a loop if he allowed them to continue. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardise his relationship with Namjoon or any of the others that may be warming up to him. But at the same time, he couldn't help but suddenly be reminded of how terribly he had been treated the last few weeks.

Thankfully he was pulled out of his thoughts, before they could go down a dark path, by the ending of the VIP event. The boys were ushered back into the makeup and wardrobe room for touch-ups before they were to go on stage. Chan-woo watched as Momo packed up the camera and tripod she had been using. He briefly thought about offering her a hand but decided he didn't want to accidentally damage anything. So he waited patiently like he had been instructed.

"Ready?" Momo asked as she came over to him.

"Ready," replied Chan-woo with a nod of his head.

The pair walked out of the room and Momo led the way to the right side of the stage. Chan-woo slowly approached the curtains that hid him from view. He peaked around slightly to look out at the crowd. He gulped as his eyes wandered over hundreds of people excitedly talking amongst themselves. A wave of anxiety hit him and he backed away immediately. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was okay, that he was safe, that he wasn't going anywhere near them.

Chan-woo turned around to find Momo had pulled two chairs from nearby and set them up so she could have a clear view of the stage where the boys would be seated. She silently motioned for him to sit down beside her as she pulled out a clipboard and pen from her bag. Chan-woo complied with the demand and quietly watched her flip through some pages, occasionally scribbling things down, and wondered how long until the main event would begin.

Just as he thought that, he saw the boys round the corner and head towards the stage. The only members to acknowledge his presence as they walked passed were Namjoon and Jin. Both of them smiled at him. Although Namjoon diverted from the line quickly to tussle his hair, a cheeky smile on his face and his eyes twinkled from mischief. Chan-woo couldn't help the wide smile he gave back. He tried to tame his hair once Namjoon had continued to walk away. He appreciated the small gesture, knowing it was full of support and fondness. He wished he could embrace Namjoon instead but he'd settle for the small touch for now.

The second the boys had stepped on stage, the room full of fans erupted in screams. Chan-woo flinched slightly but took control of his reflexes. He nervously played with his hands as he listened to the noise. From where he sat, he could see most of the stage, and therefore, he could see most of the boys. A small smile crept up on his face as he watched them introduce themselves to the screaming crowd.

He watched with fond eyes as the boys interacted on stage, talking, laughing, singing a couple of songs. Chan-woo couldn't help the tiny laugh that would leave him as they joked around. He hoped that he'd be able to easily display his personality without getting stage fright. He hoped he'd be able to interact with the boys as naturally as he could, despite any tension in their relationships currently. At least he knew he had Namjoon and Jin who didn't absolutely hate him, so that would make things easier.

After a while, the seven of them were seated behind the table and the fans were allowed to slowly trickle their way along to meet their idols. Chan-woo's eyes almost bugged out of his head at the countless gifts they were receiving. Staff members were situated behind them to take the gifts and place them into boxes labelled with each person's name. There was toys, stuffed animals, cards, small pieces of jewellery, headbands, homemade items. It was endless.

"Unnie," a female staff member walked off stage and over to the pair, sweat built up on her forehead, making it shine. "Do you have an extra set of hands from a different department? We really need the help packing everything away. There's way more than there was last time."

"Would you like to help?" asked Momo as she turned to the silent Chan-woo.

"Huh? Who me?" nervously asked Chan-woo, already feeling his hands sweat.

"Yeah you," chuckled Momo with a kind smile.

"What?" he whispered with wide eyes. "Uh. I don't know."

"Hey, you don't have to," Momo turned to him with a frown on her face, taking in the nervous expression. "I can easily find someone else to help out."

Chan-woo looked between Momo and the staff member. Could he do it? Could he face his fears today? It's not like he would be interacting with the crowd. He'd simply be behind the table with no one paying attention to him. No one would notice him. No one would care for him. He saw it as an opportunity to try to face his fear of loud, crowded places before he was eventually thrown into the deep end. His eyes flickered out towards the stage again. He took a deep breath in. He could do it. He would do it.

"What do I do?" he asked in a small voice as he stood up, adjusting his mask one more time.

"After the boys have placed the gifts to their left side, that's your signal to take it and place it in their designated box," said Momo with a smile. "If they put it down on the floor, just leave it for now. That's really all there is to it. Very simple."

Chan-woo nodded his head before he followed the waiting female staff out onto the back of the stage. He felt his stomach in his throat and his heartbeat over take his hearing for a few seconds as his eyes scanned the room before him. Being behind a curtain sure was different from being on the stage. Even though he knew no one was paying any attention to him, he could still feel his nerves take over. He reminded himself that he could do this.

Looking at the other four staff on the stage, all spread out in a line behind the boys, he noticed their eyes were trained on the table. They were clearly waiting to take any gifts placed to the left. Chan-woo ended up behind the space near Namjoon and Jimin. The pair were at the end of the table that were closest to backstage. He guessed he'd help them out. Just as he made up his mind, Namjoon had placed a stuffed animal to the left of him. Taking a hesitant step forward, Chan-woo reached forward and grabbed the koala bear.

"What are you doing up here, hmm?" amusedly asked Namjoon in a hushed tone.

"Helping out?" Chan-woo replied as he took the toy and moved away just as the next fan came up to Namjoon.

Chan-woo placed the stuffed animal in the box behind him labbled with Namjoon's name. His eyes managed to catch sight of Momo observing him. She held a thumbs up to him and gave him an encouraging smile. He gave a small nod back, partly to her, and partly to himself. His brown eyes wandered the large crowd that all stared up at the seven boys. See, he could do it. He would do it. He was immensely proud of himself as he crouched down and patiently waited to take anything else from Jimin or Namjoon.

"You're okay though?" Namjoon asked quietly at the first opportunity he had in between fans moving along the table.

"Yeah," Chan-woo nodded, talking equally as quiet from where he was squatting down behind the pair. "Honestly I'm doing much better than I thought I would be. I'm just taking deep breaths and reminding myself I'm safe."

"I'm proud of you," whispered Namjoon with a wide smile as he turned back just in time as the next young lady appeared in front of him.

Butterflies swarm Chan-woo's stomach at the compliment. Namjoon's words kept him grounded and encouraged him to continue. He adjusted his mask out of habit as he patiently waited. He realised his heart rate had returned to a semi-normal level. He could gradually feel his anxieties lowering. If he could do this, then he was sure he could be in the main spotlight on stage eventually. All it took was a few minutes of adjusting for him to get used to the new environment.

Moments later, Jimin placed a handmade card to his left, breaking him out of his thoughts. Taking the cue, Chan-woo moved forward to grab the item. As he reached for it, Jimin turned his head to look up at him. Chan-woo froze for a second as he looked down at the other. He looked deep into the brown eyes that stared back at him. That was until he realised they were in front of all the fans with many cameras pointed at them. He went to move away but froze again as he felt Jimin pat his shoulder gently.

"Thanks," Jimin whispered and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay," Chan-woo nodded as he fought to keep the blush off of his face. Oh how he hoped no one would post about their interaction online.

Chapter Text

Chan-woo's morning had been a consistent whirlwind of hectic activity. He had woken up at 4am to get himself ready after Bang PD-nim had told him the night before that a car would pick him up from their house at 6am. He had been a bundle of nerves the entire time as he had prepared himself for the day ahead. Not a single member of the household had been awake to soothe him. He didn't know what to pack or how to dress. He had never done a photoshoot before nor had he gone to a separate event in the same day. He mentally wasn't prepared and he knew he'd be all alone without any support or guidance from any of the other boys.

The moment he had entered the studio where the photoshoot was taking place at, Chan-woo had been bombarded by a multitude of people. He quickly found himself flustered at all the attention and movement around him. He allowed himself to be guided around the building and tried to absorb all the information being presented to him. While he had been in the chair with the makeup artist working on him, there was a staff member who stood behind him and she rushed through the schedule and different themes for the morning. The poor boy had barely taken a breath before he had been thrown into the costume department the second his makeup had been done.

Chan-woo knew he was completely out of his element and he hadn't even started the official part of the photoshoot yet. He had never imagined how uncomfortable he could be just with strangers invading his personal space. Of course he knew he'd have to get used to having a stylist and makeup artist constantly doting over him. But that would take some time on his part. It probably didn't help the fact he was stuck in an unfamiliar environment all on his own. He just had to remind himself that he could do it, just like he had proven to himself the day prior that he could go on stage without having a full on panic attack.

The staff member who had been in charge of the wardrobe department had attempted to make small talk with him as she organised the first costume of the day. She had mentioned that she had never had a CEO contact her personally to put in place two requirements before a photoshoot. Generally, as a stylist, she was usually given a theme and a brief and then allowed to put together a few options, all within their creative control. That was unless the company had specific clothing or accessories in mind.

But Bang PD-nim had called her and requested that none of the costumes show any skin. That meant no forearms, no torso, no legs, nothing. No arguments allowed. The second requirement for the photoshoot had been that Chan-woo would have a dedicated area he could change in private. She said the second one hadn't been that out of the ordinary, since there were many idols that were self-conscious of their bodies, despite what the public thought. She was just intrigued about why the CEO of all people had contacted her instead of how managers would normally arrange it all.

Although Chan-woo had been internally grateful that Bang PD-nim himself had made those two specific requests. Not only did it mean that the stylist would have potential repercussions for disobeying a direct order from a CEO, but it meant that he would get the privacy he desperately needed. It would have mortified him to be forced to change in front of anyone. He didn't want any of the staff to see his broken and bruised body. And then there was that upside of having all of his wardrobe cover his skin. He'd hate for anyone to spot the faint scars on his inner wrists. Or any unhealed bruises that were exposed on his torso.

Chan-woo had stood in the small bathroom they had dedicated to him for the past few minutes. He had been shoved in there to get changed into a black suit, with a white dress shirt, a black tie, and shiny black shoes. It hadn't taken him long to get into the new clothes, but he had continued to stare nervously at his reflection. He tried to psych himself up, encourage himself for the real hard work that would begin in moments. He could hear all the different staff members outside, all of them madly rushed around to prepare last minute details. He was beyond nervous to have to model in front of them.

The urge to anxiously run his hand through his hair was immense. But he withheld as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He stared at his hair all styled and the light makeup that had been applied to his face. He almost didn't recognise the dashing man that stood before him. Part of him really enjoyed the look on himself, even if it was out of his comfort zone. Chan-woo almost felt a little boost to his confidence. He felt... almost handsome for once.

Almost being the keyword as a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and brought his anxieties crashing back down upon him. One final deep breath in, and Chan-woo forced himself to walk out of the bathroom. He followed the head stylist towards one of the awaiting sets with his heart in his throat. He looked around and tried to remember what the first shoot of the day would be. But he had been so overwhelmed earlier that a lot of the information had gone in one ear and out the other.

"Chan-woo!" a familiar voice exclaimed from nearby which startled said boy. "How have you been?"

"Hi Min-ki Hyung," Chan-woo smiled softly as he turned around and bowed to the older male. "I've been okay. How about you?"

"I've been good. Can't complain. Look at you! Very sharp. Ready for today?" the stage coach asked while he looked the younger up and down.

"Thank you," lightly blushed Chan-woo. "Uh, I'm very nervous Hyung."

"You'll do fine!" he smiled kindly as he gently patted Chan-woo's shoulder. "I'll be right here the whole time, alright?"

"Really?" asked Chan-woo with hopefulness in his eyes.

"Yeah! What, you think I'd just let you do your first proper photoshoot on your own?" laughed Min-ki.

"I thought I was going to be by myself. I'm actually relieved you came," he said with a shy smile.

"Of course, no need to worry. I'll coach you through this, okay? Then hopefully you'll get the hang of it and you won't need me anymore," he smiled as he looked around the set. "That is part of my job after all. And since you didn't have proper training like everyone else, Bang PD-nim wanted me to oversee today."

"Do you have any tips before I start?" Chan-woo asked as both the makeup artist and someone new from the wardrobe department started to do their final touch-ups.

"Biggest tip would be don't be afraid to move," said Min-ki after he thought for a second. "The camera has a mode called rapid shooting. So you can move into a pose, lean into it slowly, adjust your clothing or the position of your hand, and it won't come out blurry. That should help you not to feel so tense as well. If you are trying to stay still, you'll be tense and people will notice it. You want to be as relaxed as possible."

"Okay," he nodded as he made a mental note. "Unless the director says to stay still or tense, right?"

"You're so smart, yes Channie," he fondly chuckled. "Don't forget to use your facial expression too, okay?"

"I'll be honest I'm nervous about that," he said as he looked down at his shiny shoes. "What if I can't pull off the right expression?"

"Try not to worry too much about that. The director will instruct you on the mood they want to convey. They might tell you to envision something if they see that you are struggling with it. But I'm sure it will come more naturally as time progresses," said Min-ki with a reassuring smile.

"Chan-woo?" a female asked politely as she stepped up to the pair.

"That's me, hello," Chan-woo responded as he bowed as much as he could with the two staff member's that still worked on his touch up's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she bowed back. "I'll be your director for today. My name is El. And before you say it, let's talk informally, okay? No noona, no seonbae, okay? Just call call me by my name."

"O-Okay El," he nodded with a slight stutter, nervous since no one had ever told him to ignore titles before.

"How are you feeling? Ready for today?" she asked as she motioned for the two staff to stop fussing over him, before she walked towards the very basic set-up of a white backdrop and lighting.

"Very nervous," he admitted with a small smile as he followed her.

"I was told this is your first time doing anything of this kind," she said as she grabbed the camera from her assistant and hung the strap around her neck. "Just relax and I'll talk you through everything, alright?"

"Sounds good," Chan-woo nodded, noticing that most of the staff had stopped rushing around and were awaiting further instruction.

"Good. Now, come and stand here for me," she walked him to the middle of the set and guided him into position to face her. "Take a deep breath in and release it slowly. You're too tense."

Chan-woo's eyes closed on their own as he did as he was told. While he inhaled deeply through his nose, he focused on his muscles and shoulders. He could feel the tension like tight coils. As he released the breath, he envisioned the coils becoming as loose as springs. He felt his shoulders and muscles relax with it. He opened his eyes and nodded towards El, showing he was ready. Over her shoulder, he saw Min-ki give him a thumbs up and an encouraging smile.

"Good boy," she commented, which definitely made him blush underneath all the makeup. "This first concept is rather simple, okay? I know you may be nervous right now, but I want you to try and embody suave. You can try to imagine you are in an action film walking towards the camera while there's an explosion behind you. That's the kind of energy and look in the eye I want, alright?"

"Yeah," he gave her a small nod as he instinctively placed his left hand into the pockets of his suit pants.

"Yes! Love the hand," El praised as she walked back towards the edge of the set and got herself into position, camera raised to her face. "These lights are going to be bright so try not to look at them! Ready?"

"Ready," Chan-woo repeated as he looked towards El with what he hoped was a serious expression.

The lights that surrounded the set suddenly lit up, temporarily blinding Chan-woo from seeing the staff that stood in the shadows. He continued to look down towards the lens of the camera as it shuttered. Min-ki's words floated in the back of his mind in a reminder. He slowly moved his head to the right and casted his gaze off to that side. He tensed and untensed his jaw, purely out of anxiousness, worried if he looked suave at all.

"Perfect work Chan-woo!" loudly announced El, the lights that surrounded them continued to light up. "Can you turn your body to the left and then look at me."

Chan-woo listened to the instruction as he turned his body to the left and placed his feet just over shoulder-width apart. He wasn't sure what to do with his right hand as it hung awkwardly at his side. He ended up deciding to shove it into his pocket like his left hand. He then slowly turned his head to the right so that he could look at the camera. He played around with the angle of his head, tilted it from side to side and lifted his chin up and down.

"Brilliant. Now turn your back on me. And I want you to play around with your head again. Look at different areas around you," she instructed and he immediately followed the orders. "Can you roll your shoulders a bit, good, and now drop them and open up your chest like you are flexing your back muscles. Perfect."

It felt awkward to him to flex his back, but Chan-woo did as he was told. He felt himself bubbling with pride at all the praise. It boosted his confidence that tiny bit, it made him feel as if he wasn't doing a terrible job. Perhaps he could learn to model with practice. He showed off his side profile in different angles, looking both right and left, up and down. The entire time, El shouted out her praise and continued to guide him.

"Can you hold up your right hand for me?" she asked. "A little higher. I want you to hold your arm in a ninety degree angle, perfect like that. Now I want you to play around with some hand signs as well as the direction that your head is facing, okay?"

After a small silent nod of understanding, Chan-woo held up a peace sign and turned his head in the opposite direction, his gaze set off to the left. He heard a word of encouragement as he held the pose for a few seconds. He then switched to a rock sign with his thumb, pointer and pinky finger held up. He continued to hold his head to the left for a few seconds before he turned it to look in front of him. He couldn't think of any more signs so he simply held up his pointer finger and repeated the process of moving his head around.

"Good job!" called out El. "Now put both of your hands back into your pockets. Now, twist you torso and look back towards me. Good, but remember your facial expressions. More serious. That's it."

Chan-woo could feel a slight burn on his left side from the stretch as he twisted his right side towards the camera. He held his breath as he forced himself to keep control over his face. He didn't want to appear weak or in pain. After a few painstaking seconds, he turned back to face the back of the backdrop. He took a deep breath to settle his pain before he twisted his upper torso to the left, in the opposite direction as before. The pain wasn't as bad, but it still was noticeable.

"Wonderful! I think we're all done here. Let's move to the other set," El instructed everyone, the room instantly became a blur of motion, and the same two staff members as before rushed forward to apply touch up's to Chan-woo. "You're doing such a good job, Chan-woo! I can see your overthinking and doubting yourself. Just allow yourself to go through the motions and you'll be a natural in no time."

"Thank you El," he said quietly as he watched her walk towards the set with a comfortable looking couch chair in the middle of a yellow backdrop.

"I'm so proud of you!" Min-ki said as he walked up to him. "You're doing so well and listening to instructions perfectly. If you keep this up, you won't need my help any time soon."

"Hyung, I'll always appreciate help from you," he smiled up at the older male, flinching slightly as a cool tip of a makeup brush was placed against his bottom lip.

"Of course I'll be here to help you any time. But seriously, Channie-ah, you are doing amazing on your own," he smiled proudly at him. "I could leave you now and be confident that you'd do just fine by yourself!"

"Oh I don't know about that," chuckled Chan-woo. "Having your support is really helping me right now."

"I'm sure it is. But you need to find your confidence. Because you can do it well. You just need to realise it," encouraged the older.

"One day," he nodded with a sad smile.

"Alright, Chan-woo? Ready?" interrupted El as the staff scattered from the next set.

"Ready," Chan-woo called out to her as the two stuff that fussed over him also disappeared.

"You got this," reassured Min-ki with a supportive smile.

With a nod of encouragement to himself, Chan-woo took another deep breath before he walked onto the next set. He took both Min-ki's and El's words into mind as he sat down on the couch chair. He tried to stop overthinking every little detail as he listened to the brief from El. He wanted to prove Min-ki right, as much as he wanted to prove himself right. The need to be praised and to prove fired his ambition of doing the best he could for the remainder of the photoshoot.

"And that's a wrap!" El called out before the room erupted into a round of applause. "Thank you so much for all of your hard work this morning!"

Chan-woo felt his body almost collapse in relief at those words. He smiled and looked around the room of staff with what he hoped was a grateful look. He had appreciated all of their work to make the morning run as smoothly as it had, between the costume and set changes, they had managed to finish exactly on time. Four and a half hours of intense work and they had all worked together to complete several different concepts that could be ready for release within days.

As the time had progressed, he had relaxed further into the photoshoot. The nerves had disappeared to be replaced with a small amount of self-confidence, fueled by the constant praise from both El and Min-ki. Chan-woo found himself slowly enjoying the process. Once he wasn't surrounded by hair, make-up and wardrobe, he found he was able to focus on the task at hand. He easily took on board direction and implemented them with minimal effort. Turned out he was rather natural at modelling.

"Chan-woo!" the head stylist smiled brightly as she stepped up to him. "I can't thank you enough for being so patient with us today. On my behalf and as a thanks to you, I really want you to keep this outfit."

Chan-woo's eyes widened as he looked down at himself. For the last outfit of the day, he had been dressed in a a baby blue sweater with a oversized, long sleeved white t-shirt underneath, black skinny jeans, a pair of shiny black, leather boots and a simple thin, golden chain around his neck. He remembered the first time he had looked himself in the mirror after he had changed. The instant his eyes had landed on himself, he had adored the way he looked. He thought his face and body definitely suited softer themed outfits rather than slim, fitting, smart looks.

"Oh no! I couldn't possibly accept. You don't have to do that," he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"Of course not, but you look absolutely adorable in this! I couldn't imagine anyone else being able to pull this off as well as you do," she smiled before she bowed and walked away to ensure he couldn't talk his way out of the gift.

A huff of amusement left Chan-woo's lips as he watched the stubborn, boisterous woman walk away. Before he could even take a step towards his bathroom to get ready to leave, he was intercepted by Min-ki. The older male looked down upon him with a proud shimmer in his eyes. Chan-woo blinked once before he found himself engulfed in a hug. He immediately brought his arms up and embraced the other back, a smile firm on his own face.

"I'm so proud of you," Min-ki said before he pulled back. "You did a brilliant job today. Honestly you were thrown into the deep end and managed to swim first go."

"All thanks to you," Chan-woo smiled gratefully up at him. "I would have been an absolute wreck if I was on my own."

"Nonsense. Regardless of my presence, you would have done just as well. The most admirable quality I've noticed about you so far is how you adapt and thrive in any new environment. Honestly Channie-ah. You are very good at hiding your nerves. You push yourself out of your comfort zone and just get on with whatever is required of you. And somehow you always manage to melt the hearts of others while you do it," complimented Min-ki.

"Hyung," he blushed while he hung his head.

"You're just too adorable," chuckled Min-ki as he threw an arm around the younger's shoulders. "I can't wait to see everyone's reactions once these photos are released."

"I hope they turn out okay," he sighed nervously while his eyes scanned the staff who were busy packing up.

"I'm sure they will. Now, get out of here. A driver will be waiting out the front for you. They'll take you straight to the venue," he said as he gave Chan-woo a gentle push in the direction of the bathroom.

With a small wave, Chan-woo walked into his dedicated bathroom. He sighed as the door closed behind him. He looked around the room and started to clean up after himself. He folded all of the previous outfits into a neat pile, thinking about the wardrobe department and wanting to make their jobs that little bit easier. He then gathered all of his belongings. He shoved his old clothes into his backpack and grabbed out his facemask and staff badge in preparation. He double checked he had his phone with him before he left.

"El?" he called out as he hesitantly walked up to the director who had her head buried in between camera and compute screen, transferring and backing up the data.

"Hey, you off now?" she asked with a smile as she looked up.

"I am," Chan-woo smiled shyly at her. "Thank you so much again for today. It really was an honour to work with you."

"Aw thank you. And same to you. I honestly hope that I'll be able to work with you again. But I won't hold my breath since I know how rare it is to get assigned the same photographer," she laughed lightly. 

"Yeah, I'd love to work with you again. You made me feel so comfortable. I appreciate that," he said wholeheartedly.

"No of course!" she waved him off. "I'm glad I made this experience so enjoyable for you."

"Thank you again," he smiled warmly at her.

"Enough of this sappy shit. Anyway. You were a pleasure to work with and please have more confidence in yourself, seriously. And I cannot wait to see the reaction from everyone. I think even you'll be surprised with the end results," El said with a kind smile upon her face and a twinkle within her eyes.

"We'll see," he shyly smiled.

The hallways backstage were bustling with activity. Chan-woo nervously adjusted his facemask as he walked with his head hung low. He navigated his way towards the same room as the prior day. Thankfully he didn't get stopped by anyone as he had his staff badge on that Namjoon had given him the day before. He hung tightly onto the straps of his backpack as he tried to stay as close to the wall as possible. A sigh of relief left him as he spotted the familiar door, eyes glued to it as he moved in a quicker pace.

Once the door had been closed behind Chan-woo, his shoulders sagged as he looked around the empty room. He made his way to the closest couch and gratefully took off both his backpack and facemask before he sat down. His body sunk into the soft cushions below and his head fell back against the couch, his eyes closed on instinct alone. The eventful morning, more the mental aspect than physical, had exhausted him like he knew it would.

In the silence of the room, he wondered to himself if the boys would be going on their break soon. Since the Army fanbase had grown exponentially, the company had decided to hold a morning and an afternoon fanmeet for both days. They gave them a decent break in between for the artists to re-energise. He knew that they had only started at 10am that morning so he expected them to be done any moment.

"Ah Chan-woo! Prefect. I'm glad you're back," happily said Momo as she walked in, the door closed behind her, which caused the younger to jump from the sudden invasion of the quiet room.

"Oh hi noona," he said as he sat up straighter.

"Look how cute you are all done up! Bang PD-nim said you were at a photoshoot this morning. How'd it go?" she asked as she made herself comfortable on the couch opposite him.

"It went very well. I had a lot of fun," he told her with a soft smile upon his face.

"Glad to hear it. Now, the boys are due to get off stage in half an hour. We didn't start on time unfortunately. There was a small security problem this morning. We had fans mob the back entrance and it took us an hour to clear them safely," Momo explained.

"Are the boys alright?" asked Chan-woo as he leant forward in worried anticipation.

"Oh yeah, they are fine," she waved him off. "Security cleared the area and they got into the building without a hitch. It just caused everything to be behind schedule. But I did need to talk to you before the boys get here."

"Oh... Is everything okay?" he asked with a frown, unsure of the direction the conversation would head in.

"Yes, everything is okay. No need to worry. It's rather simple actually. Bang PD-nim wants me to film you and the boys during their lunch break today. He sent a pre-approved script over for you all to read. It basically announces your debut and how you are joining the group," she explained casually as if it was no big deal.

"Do the boys already know that what he wants?" Chan-woo asked as he thought about it all. He didn't want to upset any of the members by being forced to do such a thing during their time off.

"I told them first thing when they arrived. They've already seen the script and know it's coming up. So all that's really left to do is have you learn your lines and then we'll film it straight away, that way they can enjoy the rest of their lunch break without worrying about it," Momo said as she reached forward and handed him a single piece of paper.

"Will there be any other people filming it for us? Or just you?" he asked as his eyes briefly skimmed over the page.

"Just me. Bang PD-nim wants me to keep this top secret. He trusts me not to leak any information," she told him with a small smile.

"I trust you too," he smiled back at her.

"That's very sweet. Now, I'll leave you to learn those lines. I'll be back shortly to set up the camera. The more that's done in preparation, the sooner I can leave you boys to relax. But give me a shout if you need anything," said Momo before she stood up and exited the room.

Chan-woo nervously read through the page of lines. The first few times he read over his part, it didn't sink in what he was reading. The implications of this video meant he was oh so very close to officially debuting. His dreams, his aspirations, his hopes would soon come to fruition. It also meant that soon the public would know about him. He would no longer be hidden from fans, he would be an active part of a K-Pop boy group. And not just any group, but the biggest and most globally successful K-Pop group to date.

It didn't take him long to commit the few lines to memory once he got over the shock of it all. His leg nervously bounced as he continued to mutter the words under his breath. Chan-woo could feel his heart race in his chest and his stomach flip in anticipation. Once the video had been recorded, there truly was no going back. It would only be a matter of time before he would be announced to the world.

He flinched slightly as the door opened once more. Chan-woo looked over to see Momo walk back in, her hands full with equipment. She nodded to him as she got to work. Silently she set up the camera and tripod in front of the wall next to the door. Chan-woo watched her, the nerves only amplified as the minutes ticked by. Soon he'd be in front of that camera doing one of the biggest things of his life thus far.

He wondered how the fanbase would react once this video was made public. He wondered if he would get the support he desired. He wondered if he would get the acceptance he craved. He wondered if he would get the hate he expected. Chan-woo knew that the reaction from the fans would ultimately make or break his career. There would be no point in him continuing to be part of a group when no one wants or likes him. He knew how cruel this industry could be. He knew that boycotts and petitions for removals were a common occurrence.

"Oh hey, you're here!" Namjoon said which snapped Chan-woo out of his thoughts.

"Hey," he shyly replied as he sat up straighter again, he hadn't realised he had slumped in his spot.

Chan-woo hadn't realised that the group had finally finished the first fanmeet for the day. They slowly trickled into the room one by one and spread out amongst the three couches. Chan-woo moved his backpack from beside him on the couch to the floor to create space next to him. He smiled as Namjoon started to walk towards him. The leader had his own smile on his face, his eyes roamed over the clothes that Chan-woo wore.

"You look so adorable in that outfit," cooed Namjoon as he made a beeline to sit next to him, on Chan-woo's right. "Did the stylist pick that out for you?"

"Thank you and yeah they did," Chan-woo answered as he looked down at his clothes out of instinct. "She let me keep it as a thanks and also because of how adorable I apparently am in it."

"The pastel colour suits you," commented Jin who sat on the opposite couch along with Taehyung and Jimin.

"Yeah, it does," breathily agreed Taehyung, his eyes soft and sad.

"Thanks," said Chan-woo, nervous from all the attention on him.

Each of the boys stared at Chan-woo as they settled onto the couches. They looked at the baby blue sweater and noted how lighter colours really accentuated his soft features. In their eyes, he looked very squishable and huggable. It was only then that they realised that most of Chan-woo's clothing that they had seen him in thus far had been dark colours or white. No in-between. They agreed with Jin that the pastel colour palette suited him.

"Are you boys ready to get this out of the way?" Momo asked after she had apparently finished with the setup of the camera.

"Yep. Let's get this over with," Namjoon smiled as he lead the group over to stand in front of the backdrop, everyone except Chan-woo automatically moved into position. "Chan-woo, you're going to stand on the end here. Next to Jimin and in front of Hoseok."

Namjoon gently held Chan-woo's upper arms as he guided him into place. The group had lined up into their usual position that they stood in group settings. Luckily they didn't have to re-arrange themselves too much. All they had to do was shuffle closer together to allow Chan-woo to be in frame. The back row consisted of Taehyung, Jin, Namjoon and then Hoseok. The front row now consisted of Yoongi, Jungkook, Jimin and then lastly Chan-woo.

Chan-woo felt self-conscious as he stood beside the boys. And not only because he was in the front row. But also because he didn't know if he deserved to stand among them. As he nervously looked around him while Momo finished preparations, he felt insignificant and small next to them. He was a nobody. He was not worthy. He didn't deserve to stand with them since he hadn't earnt it.

"Am I going to do the introduction with you all? Or do I just stay silent and bow when you guys do?" Chan-woo quickly asked as he realised they hadn't discussed that part beforehand.

"I think it would be best if you stay silent," Namjoon thought about it quickly. "But you are more than welcome to do the hand signal before the bow if you want."

"That's just this, isn't it?" he asked as he held his right hand up. He posed his hand so that he had his thumb, pointer and middle finger out and his ring and pinky finger tucked in - much like a gun.

"Perfect, just like that," Namjoon nodded from where he stood and gave Chan-woo a reassuring smile.

"Okay," he whispered as he turned to face the front, his arm slightly brushed Jimin's arm as he did, but he forced his eyes to stare down at his shoes while he waited.

"Alright, I'm ready when you are," Momo broke the silence as she stood up straight behind the camera. "Camera is rolling."

"On my count," Namjoon said before he briefly cleared his throat. Chan-woo nervously looked up into the camera lens and fidgeted in his place as he waited. "2! 3! Bang!"

"Tan!" the seven of the members said as all eight of them held up their finger guns. All eight boys bowed simultaneously before everyone, but Chan-woo, continued the greeting. "Hello we are Bangtan Sonyeondan."

"Hello Army! Today, we have a very exciting announcement," said Jin, he didn't skip a beat in his part of the script. "As you can see, we aren't alone."

"We've been joined by a special person. Someone who will become a familiar face to you guys very soon," Jimin said with a rather serious expression and tone.

"Some of you may recognise his face from the recent promotions on BigHit's social media. And some of you may not recognise him," continued Hoseok. "Either way, from today on, you will be seeing him a lot more."

"That's right. Because we are pleased to announce that we have a new member," Namjoon happily announced, one of a few who actually wore a smile. "Please introduce yourself to Army!"

"Hello," Chan-woo managed to say without the usual stuttering mess that he was. He bowed toward the camera once more as he waved his hand. "My name is Chan. I'm very honoured to announce that I have become a member. I can't wait to get to know you in the future. And please look forward to the new energy that I can bring."

"Please rest assured at this news. We will still be continuing our normal schedule and promotions as planned" Jungkook said as quickly as he could.

"Army, I hope you are excited as we are for our next comeback! And even more so now that we have Chan as part of our team," said Taehyung with a small smile directed towards Chan-woo.

"We will continue to work hard to bring you the best content that we can. All eight of us can't wait to embark on this new adventure with our precious Army by our side," quietly said Yoongi. "And we hope that you will support us in the next chapter of our journey."

"Thank you all for your continued support and please show our newest member the same love you show us," said Namjoon. "Until we meet again soon, bye Army!"

All eight of the boys waved to the camera until Momo gave the signal that she had finished the recording. Chan-woo nervously stared at the ground as he awaited for any critique for his part. Personally, he thought he did okay considering that was he first time doing anything of the sort. It turned out that for Chan-woo, that weekend had been a time to smash out many firsts. He had his first photoshoot, first time in front of a crowd, and his first official video appearance as a part of BTS.

"That was good. Let's do a few more takes so PD-nim will have a couple of options to choose from," Namjoon said with a proud smile directed towards Chan-woo.

The boys nodded silently as they repositioned themselves to their starting pose. Chan-woo nervously adjusted his hair and straightened his sweater as he ready himself for a few more takes. He was rather glad he didn't mess up his lines during the first take. It gave him a small amount of confidence ahead of doing it again. He looked into the camera, this time with less nerves and more courage.

The sounds of the cheering crowd faded as Namjoon walked off the stage and further into the hallways of the backstage area. He led the tired group through the waves of staff until they reached their room. He could not wait to get home and collapse in his comfortable bed. It had been a massive weekend for them all. But none of them would have it any other way. The excitement from their fans always fuelled them to keep going.

What he didn't expect to find when he walked into the room was Chan-woo curled up on the couch smothered by one of the provided blankets, fast asleep and oblivious to the world. Namjoon smiled fondly as he walked over to the sleeping male. He leant down and brushed some of the soft hair out of his face. Chan-woo flinched slightly at the touch but didn't wake up. Instead, he seemed to curl further into the blanket. Namjoon's smile turned sad as he straightened up and turned around to address the group.

"Let's pack up as quietly as we can. I want him to keep resting, okay?" Namjoon told the group in a hushed voice.

The group of seven silently walked around as they collected all of their items that were strewn throughout the room. They would each throw concerned glances at the youngest. They had only been on stage for an hour and a half, yet Chan-woo had seemingly fallen into a deep sleep. It made them question how his health was doing. Were the symptoms getting better? Was his condition getting better or staying the same? Chan-woo had seemed to be able to push through the weekend fairly well in their eyes.

"Alright, you guys can head to the back door. But don't go out to the van yet," Namjoon nodded as he looked around the room, satisfied that everything had been gathered. "I won't be far behind once I get Chan-woo up."

Namjoon's eyes were focused on Chan-woo's sleeping form as the room cleared out. He walked closer to the couch and reached down to pick up the younger's backpack. He swung it over his shoulder alongside his own backpack. A soft sigh left his lips as he stared down at Chan-woo. He felt bad for having to wake him up. Obviously the other needed the rest, but they needed to leave. Namjoon would make sure that Chan-woo could get comfortable for their drive home so that he could continue to rest.

"You're hands are full. Do you want me to wake him up?" asked Jungkook from the doorway as he looked at Namjoon who carried both his own backpack and Chan-woo's backpack.

"Sure," nodded Namjoon as he turned his head to find that he wasn't alone like he had thought.

Jungkook walked back into the room and passed Namjoon without glancing at him, his eyes locked on Chan-woo. Namjoon pulled out his phone from his back pocket to check the time. His body almost physically collapsed as he saw how late in the afternoon it was. He could only begin to imagine how exhausted Chan-woo was. As he looked back up, a small smile broke out on his face at the sight before him. It was a perfect opportunity in his eyes.

"Chan-ah," Jungkook whispered softly, he had bent forward and was very close to Chan-woo's face. He gently placed his hand on what he assumed was the younger's arm and shook him slightly. "Chan-ah it's time to wake up."

Namjoon smiled as he secretly took a couple of photos with his phone. From where he stood at the end of the couch, Jungkook's upper body completely covered Chan-woo's face, meaning his identity was concealed. He wondered if he could get away with uploading it later. Although his plotting soon came to an abrupt stop as he witnessed, through the screen, Chan-woo violently flinch as he opened his eyes. Namjoon put his phone away as he saw the fear within those tired eyes.

"Please don't hurt me again Hyung," Chan-woo whispered extremely quietly, yet in the silence of the room, Namjoon heard it crystal clear. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It's time to go. The others are waiting for us," Jungkook said as he stood up straight and held out his hands for Chan-woo to grab onto. "Do you want me to carry you?"

Internally, Namjoon was seething with rage. Externally, his face was the only give away of his otherwise composed exterior. He might be reading into the situation wrong. Or perhaps he was assuming exactly what was meant by the comment. He wasn't one to speculate usually. But his concern and anger clouded his normally rational thinking. Had Jungkook done something previously to Chan-woo to cause such a reaction?

If 'Hyung' hadn't been added onto Chan-woo's sentence, then Namjoon would have guessed that what he said was an automatic response imbedded into him from his previous home life. Chan-woo had already admitted that he startled easily, and even more so when he was asleep. He, himself, had even witnessed it many times. But that word - that one word - changed the entire meaning of the sentence.

As he watched Chan-woo nodded in confirmation and sat upright, Namjoon knew that he'd have to pull the youngest aside someday soon. He needed to get to the bottom of it, to confirm or dismiss his suspicion. He watched Chan-woo groggily stand up on the couch, the blanket fell in a heaped mess onto the couch, and Jungkook turned around and held out his arms. He knew that he wanted to speak to Chan-woo first before he talked with Jungkook. He was sure there would only be denial on Jungkook's side of things if he didn't know the truth beforehand.

"Ready," Jungkook said as he motioned for Chan-woo to grab onto him.

"Careful," Namjoon jumped in, he walked closer to help the pair as he saw Chan-woo sway on the spot, still half asleep.

With Namjoon's help, Chan-woo managed to successfully climb onto Jungkook's back. His arms were tightly wrapped around Jungkook's neck, his right hand held tightly onto his left wrist. Jungkook, himself, held onto the back of Chan-woo's thighs for extra security to make sure the youngest didn't slip. Namjoon's previous anger diminished as he saw Chan-woo immediately turn his head and rested his cheek upon Jungkook's right shoulder.

"Let's get you home so you can sleep," said Namjoon as he reached over and lightly caressed Chan-woo's cheek.

Jungkook adjusted his grip one last time before he led the way out of the room. Namjoon followed close behind as the three of them made their way through the halls. While they walked, Namjoon pulled out his phone with his free hand yet again. He took the opportunity to snap a few more pictures of Jungkook carrying Chan-woo. He smiled slightly at the pair in front of him. It was a heartwarming sight to witness. He knew that if it was two weeks ago, this scene before him wouldn't be happening.

"Shouldn't he have something to cover his face?" asked Hoseok with concern as the trio approached them at the back door.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be some fans are out there hoping to see us one last time," Yoongi agreed. "Pictures will most likely be taken as we walk to the van."

"Good thinking. Channie? Chan?" gently cooed Namjoon as he swept the hair out of the sleepy boy's face. "Hey do you have a jacket or jumper or something in your bag?"

"Yeah," he whispered as he only opened one of his eyes.

Namjoon nodded his head as he bent down and placed the two backpacks he carried on the ground. He opened up Chan-woo's backpack and ruffled through the contents. He found the same plain black hoodie that the younger had brought with him the prior day. Namjoon pulled it out before he swiftly zipped it back up and straightened up with both of the backpacks slung  over his shoulders.

"Here, let's put this on you," Namjoon said as he carefully helped the youngest put the hoodie on, one arm at a time, and tucked the blue sweater into the waistband of his jeans for the time being. He took out his phone to check the driver had confirmed he had arrived and was waiting for them. "You hide your face as we walk out, okay? And then once we are underway you can take off the hoodie. We just don't want anyone seeing your face."

"Yes Hyung," Chan-woo nodded sleepily as he pulled the hoodie up over his head. He tightened his arms around Jungkook's chest before he turned his head inward. He rested his forehead against Jungkook's neck and made sure no one could see his face.

"The driver is here. We can go," said Namjoon as he gestured for Jimin, who was closest to the door, to lead them out.

One by one the group exited the building and headed directly to the van that was parked outside the door. Namjoon heard the cheers from their fans the second the door had opened and Jimin walked out. He moved forward, double checked Chan-woo's hoodie, and gave Jungkook the thumbs up as they waited at the back of the group. He took this opportunity as they waited to take one last set of photos.

"Kook-ah, turn your head," whispered Namjoon from behind them.

Namjoon captured what he thought was the perfect picture moments before Jungkook started to walk out the door. He smiled as he placed his phone away, wondering how the fans would react to the photos. Namjoon followed the group, the last out the door, to be able to keep an eye on Chan-woo as he was carried. He waved towards the small crowd on their left. Their cheers reverberated loud within the enclosed carpark. He smiled kindly at the fans as he walked close behind Jungkook and Chan-woo.

Once the trio reached the van, Namjoon helped Jungkook into the vehicle with Chan-woo still on his back. After he made sure the pair were safely in, he climbed in and closed the sliding door behind him. Instantly, the loud shouts dulled, and a much quieter environment overtook the vehicle. He did a quick head count as he made his way to sit with Jungkook and Chan-woo in the back row of the van. He sighed tiredly as he took a seat on to the youngest's left side, Jungkook on Chan-woo's right side.

"Keep your head down as we drive pass the crowd," instructed Namjoon quietly as the van begun to move.

Chan-woo nodded his head tiredly before he hung it. Namjoon tugged on the hoodie to ensure maximum coverage. He looked out the window as they drove passed the fans that were gathered to the side of the entrance. Security guards held them back as they tried to get one final look at them. He saw a mixture of handmade signs and phones held up in the air. Before he knew it, the screaming crowd had disappeared from sight and the van had joined the late afternoon traffic as they travelled directly to their destination.

"You can take it off now if you'd like," Namjoon said softly as he tapped Chan-woo's thigh with his right hand.

Without a word, Chan-woo took the hoodie off entirely and untucked his sweater from the waistband of his jeans. Namjoon silently handed him his backpack and watched as he put it away. He looked at the tired boy beside him in sympathy. It didn't take long before his eyes had closed once again and his head rested - in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position - against the headrest. Namjoon reached over and guided his head towards him, wordlessly granting him permission to use his shoulder as a pillow.

Namjoon huffed in amusement as Chan-woo shuffled closer to him and hugged his right arm tightly. His heart melted at the sight beside him. He reached his left hand up and ran it through the soft, brown hair. He heard the younger exhale in content, knowing the movement of his hand would only aid in the relaxation. He hoped that he'd get more rest during their ride back home.

Carefully, as to not disturb Chan-woo, Namjoon managed to grab his phone out of his pocket. He navigated with one hand free to his camera roll and reviewed the photos he had just taken. Part of him wanted to post them straight away, but he knew he needed to get approval beforehand. Because even though Chan-woo's identity was hidden in all of the photos, Bang PD-nim may not be impressed with it. And the last thing he wanted was to be on the CEO's bad side.

In the end, Namjoon selected two photos that he really liked. It was the one of Jungkook leant over a sleeping Chan-woo and the one of Jungkook with his head turned to the side giving Chan-woo the piggyback out towards the car. Neither of them showed the blue sweater, in the first he was covered by the blanket and in the second he had the black hoodie on. That meant that no fans could connect the dots between the photos and the photoshoot. He sent Bang PD-nim the two pictures with the caption he wanted to include and explained that no one could make the connections.

As soon as Namjoon heard back from Bang PD-nim, he'd post the pictures if he had permission. He hoped he would be able to. He thought it'd be a nice moment of time to share with Army. Plus, it would be cool to look back on in the future, a reminder of how far they've come. He hoped that in the future things would be vastly different to how it started out between them and Chan-woo. He only wanted the other members all to grow and develop deeper connections to him.

Namjoon put his phone away and sighed as he rested his head on top of Chan-woo's head. He placed the hand, that had been taken captive, on Chan-woo's thigh near his knee. He gave it a small squeeze before he too shut his eyes, exhausted from the weekend. The car remained quiet for the entire journey. The group respectfully allowed Chan-woo to rest. All seven of the boys saw how peaceful he looked curled up next to Namjoon.

A long yawn escaped Chan-woo as he descended the stairs. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, a small pout appeared on his face. He had been woken up by a phone call from Namjoon that informed him dinner had been delivered. Chan-woo had been so exhausted once they had arrived home that he had only managed to get out of his shoes before he collapse into bed and passed out the second his head hit the pillow. However, he somehow had forced himself out of his comfortable bed due to his stomach harshly protesting after being neglected all day long.

Slowly, he made his way to the verandah, where apparently dinner had been set up for the night. As he walked down the hallway, he could hear the muffled voices of the entire group. His heart raced, for unknown reasons, as he bashfully made his way out the back of the house and towards the large, twelve seater, outdoor table. He ducked his head in embarrassment as most of the attention turned upon him. He sat down to the closest seat, which just so happened to be beside Yoongi.

"Rest well?" asked Namjoon, who sat opposite where Chan-woo had sat down.

"Yeah," he answered with a few small nods of his head. "I was so tired."

"You looked it," Jin chuckled, beside Namjoon.

"Well eat up," Namjoon said as he gestured to the display of food all laid out before the group. "Before it gets any more cold."

"Oh, my favourite," shyly Chan-woo said as his wide eyes stared at the pasta carbonara.

"We ordered Italian because you said it was your favourite," bashfully admitted Namjoon. "Hoseok's idea actually."

"Oh," whispered Chan-woo before he turned his gaze towards Hoseok. "Thanks Hyung."

"No problem," Hoseok said while he gave him a small smile.

Without any further hesitation, Chan-woo reached forward and helped himself to a decent amount of his favourite food. His mouth watered at the sight, eager to eat the food since it had been a while since he could afford the special treat. He was appreciative to the entire group for thinking about him when they had ordered the dinner. Especially to Hoseok. The kind gesture had taken him by surprise.

While Chan-woo ate, he was content to listen to the conversations that occurred around him without contributing. He stayed silent throughout the entire meal. Partly from the tiredness and partly due to his anxieties about where he fit in with the group. He was still rather uncomfortable whenever the attention would focus on him. He put it down to not knowing where he stood with two of them, as well as the turbulent relationships with the other three. Perhaps one day he'd feel comfortable, but he couldn't hold his breath until that day came.

Just as he was about to finish his dinner, Chan-woo felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out as he tiredly rubbed his left eye. He wondered what he'd find when he would look at his phone. He thought it was too late for a text, so he could only assume it was some type of notification from a social media app. He looked at his lock screen and his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion as he saw that he had received a few texts from a particular person.

Bang Hyung:
They sent me some early drafts. Look at how good they came out!
(5 photos attached)

Chan-woo scrolled through the photos that he had been sent. Surprise filled his eyes as he looked through the photos that had only been taken that morning. All five of them really had come out good. As he looked at them, he found that he didn't cringe or hate the way he looked. A rare occurrence indeed. He thought that the stylist, makeup artist, director, and everyone else involved in the process had done a wonderful job in making him appear better looking than he thought he was. He was also rather shocked at the quick turn around of the photoshoot, even if they were drafts, and not the final versions.

Chan-woo:
Whoa! Bang Hyung! They look so cool. Any idea when they'll be released?

"Everything okay?" Namjoon asked with a small tilt of his head.

Before Chan-woo could get a chance to reply, his phone vibrated in his hand and drew his attention away from the question. He nodded his head silently to Namjoon for the time being as he looked back down at his screen and saw the reply from Bang PD-nim. His stomach dropped and proceeded to do several loops as if it was stuck on a wild rollercoaster ride as he read the response.

Bang Hyung:
We'll be posting the first set tomorrow sometime between morning to midday. Should I text you once they are released?

Chan-Woo:
Oh wow. That soon? And yes please. That would be great.

Bang Hyung:
I'll make a note for it. Rest well tonight. You did well.

Chan-woo:
Thank you so much Bang Hyung.

Chan-woo went back up to the first photo of him before he silently handed his phone to Namjoon who had been staring at him. After he had passed his phone over, he retracted his arm and brought his hand up to his mouth. Without even noticing, he begun to chew nervously on one of his fingernails. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had done such an action.

"There's five of them, you can swipe through them," Chan-woo explained as he noticed that Namjoon had only stared at the first photo he'd handed him.

"Oh," said Namjoon with a small chuckle before he did as he was told.

"Is it okay if I look?" Jin asked as his curious gaze wandered towards the screen.

"Yes Hyung, it's okay," nodded Chan-woo, fingernail still in between his teeth.

Chan-woo carefully observed the reaction from the leader, anxious on his opinion above all else. He wanted to know what he thought about the results of the photoshoot. His eyes did flicker towards Jin's expressions, but he mainly focused on Namjoon's face. Each second that passed was agony for him, he couldn't tell what either of them thought as they swiped back and forwards through all of the photos.

"Wow," said Jin with an impressed look as he straightened up, a proud twinkle in his eyes.

"Yeah wow alright," Namjoon shook his head in disbelief as he handed the phone back to its owner. "I'm speechless Channie-ah."

"Are... Are they okay? Do you think they turned out alright?" he anxiously asked as he pocketed the device.

"Alright? Okay? Those aren't the words you should be using," huffed Namjoon with a shake of his head. "Amazing, wonderful, right Hyung?"

"Right Joonie," Jin nodded in confirmation. "They are really impressive!"

"You look so cool, Chan-woo. I'm sure everyone will love it," Namjoon tried to comfort the nervous boy before him.

"Yeah, I hope so. Bang PD-nim said the first lot will be realised sometime tomorrow," Chan-woo sighed in relief that they thought it had turned out alright.

"Really? You must be excited and nervous then, right?" Namjoon asked and smiled when he saw the nod in return. "It will be your first official day in the public eye. How exciting. You're one step closer to debut."

"I'm so nervous," he said as he covered his face with his hands. He flinched as he felt a soft hand pat his shoulder.

"You'll be okay," Yoongi whispered as he pulled his hand away.

"Yeah, it'll be okay," agreed Jin. "With photos like that, how can people not fall in love with you. You look so handsome all dressed up like that."

"Hyung's right, so cute Channie!" cooed Namjoon as he continued to eat.

There was no doubt in his mind that his face had flushed red from embarrassment. If the trio's reaction to it was anything to go by. The two in front of him continued to coo at him while Yoongi reached over and pinched his cheek. Chan-woo's heart skipped a beat at the action. He tried not to show how sad it made him. Because for a moment, he felt like the old times with Yoongi had resurfaced. Instead, he tried to hide his sadness by covering his face again in what he hoped would come off as embarrassment.

"Chan-woo?" Yoongi spoke quietly, his face serious as Chan-woo looked over to him.

"Yes Hyung?" he answered while his heart seemed to race in his chest.

"Can we go talk?" he asked as his eyes scanned Chan-woo's face.

"Sure," he nodded with a whisper.

The pair stood up from the table, and after a small round of goodnight's, they took their plates and utensils with them inside. Chan-woo held out his hand as they walked towards the kitchen and took Yoongi's items from him. While he silently cleaned their dishes, Yoongi silently stood at the end of the island bench and studied his face. Chan-woo could feel the nerves intensify at the looming discussion. He had no idea what to expect.

Once he had finished up and dried his hands on the nearby tea towel, Chan-woo motioned for Yoongi to lead the way. He followed the older through the house and up the stairs, many thoughts raced through his mind. He wondered if his heartbeat was loud enough to be heard as they walked in the quiet house. Yoongi turned left at the top of the stairs and walked over towards the only bedroom on the left side of the place.

"Make yourself comfortable," muttered Yoongi as he opened his door, scratched the back of his neck, and held it open for him.

Chan-woo walked into the room, nodded as he passed Yoongi, and made a beeline for the bed. As he sat down on the edge of it, he looked around the room. It was rather cozy. Much like his own room, the colour palette was dark and oddly calming. He thought that the setup suited Yoongi's personality. It appeared that he had set up his desk and laptop, and it looked like the older had definitely used the space already.

Silence engulfed the room as Yoongi closed the door and walked over to his bed. Chan-woo watched as he slowly sat down to his left with a considerable distance between them. He looked down at his lap as he waited, his hands clasped together out of anxiety. His heart continued to beat in a fast rhythm at the anticipation. He felt how dry his mouth had become since he had departed dinner.

"I uh, know how uncomfortable this may be for you," Yoongi said quietly, his own eyes stared at his own lap. "I just really needed to talk to you about, well, about everything that's happened."

"Yeah," whispered Chan-woo as he looked over to the older one.

"I fucked up," whispered Yoongi as he refused to lift his gaze.

Shock kept Chan-woo silent. He certainly hadn't expected to hear that from Yoongi. Sure, he knew that they were both equally to blame for what had occurred over the past month. But he honestly thought that he had been more to blame for it all, not Yoongi. He had expected to hear how selfish he was, but that Yoongi forgave him. What he didn't expect was to hear the older take majority of the responsibility.

"I'm so sorry. I fucked up big time," Yoongi continued to talk, a little louder than beforehand. "This entire thing is my fault."

"I-" Chan-woo paused as he collected his thoughts, caught off guard. "No it's not. Hyung, I'm to blame for this."

"No Chan-woo," Yoongi shook his head and finally lifted his head to stare back at Chan-woo. "You did nothing wrong. All you did was make a friend and reached out to him for support. How I reacted... I had absolutely no right to react the way I did."

"But Hyung, I didn't ask for permission to invite Daniel over. I was selfish," he whispered as he looked down into his lap, a frown upon his face.

"Absolutely not. No. You weren't selfish for asking Daniel to come over. I'm sure you rested just as much as you would have without his presence, am I right?" he asked, and continued after Chan-woo nodded briefly. "See. So don't feel guilty for what you did. You were getting support from him. You didn't do anything wrong. And don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

"It's not as easy as that, Hyung," frowned Chan-woo as he turned his head to the other side to hide his hurt.

"It's not, I know. But you've got to start somewhere. And learning to not beat yourself up over that small incident is a start," said Yoongi followed by a small sigh.

"You weren't there," he shook his head with frustration. "You weren't there when Jin said what he did. You didn't hear the conversation after you walked away. You didn't hear him call me selfish. Or pathetic. You have no idea how hard it is not to beat myself up over that, Hyung."

The silence between them almost felt suffocating as those words hung heavily in the air. It was true. Yoongi hadn't been there and he didn't have knowledge of what had occurred after his departure. He had no clue how deeply that entire situation weighed upon Chan-woo. He had no idea how much it haunted him. Yoongi must have thought it was as simple as getting over the invitation that he hadn't gotten permission for. But it was so much more than that.

"I didn't know," shamefully whispered Yoongi.

"I know that you didn't know," huffed Chan-woo, a pain in his chest. "And I know Taehyung and Hoseok don't know either. Because all three of you had left before it was said. And I'm sure as hell that night wasn't brought up ever again."

"It wasn't," confirmed Yoongi in a whisper.

"You have no clue, Yoongi Hyung," he chocked out as he desperately fought back his tears, eyes stared defiantly back at Yoongi. "No clue how hard that was for me. And think I know why you walked away. But why don't you tell me yourself."

"I was jealous of Daniel. Jealous of the connection you have with him," he admitted with shame. "I had no right to be jealous. I can't speak for Hoseok and Taehyung. But I can speak for myself. There's no excuse for how I behaved. And I can tell you how much I regret it. All of it. I know I fucked up and I can only give you a life time of apologies."

"You three turned your back on me when I needed you the most, you know that? And for what? All over a friendship I had with someone other than yourselves," a stray tear rolled down his cheek. He furiously wiped it away as he continued to stare Yoongi down. "I don't think you understand how much I needed you guys over the past month since I arrived. But especially since the move, I needed you all more than ever. Yet I couldn't approach any of you because I was the one that messed things up."

"And I can't begin to comprehend what you've been put through ever since you got here," Yoongi said as he looked as his lap, shame splashed over his face. "But this isn't your fault. It's ours. We're the ones who reacted in such an inappropriate way. You should be allowed have a relationship with whoever you please without any of us having a say or reacting out of line like we did."

"Don't... Don't," Chan-woo could feel himself chock up even more at the word Yoongi had chosen to use. All of his painful memories resurfaced as he thought back on Daniel and how he'd been let down with his stupid little crush. "Don't call it a relationship."

"Sorry. A connection or friendship or whatever," Yoongi corrected himself with a worried frown. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you call it, it shouldn't be any of our business."

"No," the tears fell before he could stop them. "Just please stop. I don't want to talk about him."

"What? Why?" he softly asked in concern as his eyes scanned over his face.

"You would know if you hadn't been busy punishing me," angrily scoffed Chan-woo as he furiously wiped his tears away, even though they continued to come. "It's always me. No matter what is and isn't my fault. No matter what happens, I'm always the one to end up hurt. I don't get it. Why is it always me who has to suffer in the end?"

"Chan-woo, what do you mean? Did something happen?" Yoongi shuffled closer, yet still kept his distance, and softly placed his hand on the younger's upper arm.

"He's fucking straight and in a relationship, Yoongi," spat Chan-woo, his anger and hurt blinded him momentarily. "Not that it should matter in the grand scheme of things because he is, and always will be, nothing but a friend. But it broke me. You don't understand. When it happened, I couldn't even get comfort from you, or Hoseok, or Taehyung because you three were too busy being jealous over a straight fucking male. I was all alone."

"I am truly sorry," whispered Yoongi as his own tears fell down his cheeks.

"I'm always the one getting hurt Hyung. Always," whispered Chan-woo as he hid his face in his hands and began to cry.

Not even five seconds later, two arms wrapped around Chan-woo's body. He shook within Yoongi's hold as he collapsed into a firm chest. He tried to muffle the woeful sounds that left him, embarrassed he was crying yet again. He sat there whimpering and feeling sorry for himself. So pathetic. He wished he could stop his pitiful cries.

But he couldn't because he was exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally he was exhausted and he had enough of it all. He was sick of his feelings always being considered last. He was tired of being punished for things that were out of his control. He was fed up of the constant hurt he experienced in his life. Yet he knew it wouldn't change. Because why would it change after eighteen long years?

"Hyung's sorry," shakily whispered Yoongi into Chan-woo's ear as he clung onto the younger tightly. "I had no idea."

"It's always me," Chan-woo whispered into his hands, the sound also muffled by Yoongi's chest. Yet Yoongi heard it loud and clear.

The pair didn't say anything further as Chan-woo wept his heart out. Yoongi continued to hold him firmly. That was what he had needed, for ages. All he ever wanted was to be held and he was finally getting what he wanted. Yoongi's right hand glided across Chan-woo's back in comforting lines. While his left hand entangled itself in the younger's hair. It helped too soothe the distraught boy, to ground him in the present moment.

Through the touch, Chan-woo could feel the sincerity and regret. As he began to calm down, he wondered to himself how it had gotten to this point. He ponder on how it all could have been avoided. If only they had talked openly about things sooner. If only Yoongi had talked about his jealousy so Chan-woo could have told him there was nothing to be jealous over. Had Yoongi pulled him aside, perhaps Chan-woo never would have been abandoned. And not only did it apply to Yoongi, but also to the other two.

Chan-woo didn't know what it meant moving forwards. He didn't know where he stood with Yoongi. Did Yoongi taking responsibility and apologising mean that he wasn't in the bad books anymore? Did it mean that he wouldn't be ignored? Did it mean that he could approach Yoongi without fear of being on the end of a cold shoulder? Would there still be tension between them? He had many questions on how he was meant to act with Yoongi from then on.

"Hyung?" Chan-woo whispered quietly as he pulled back slowly, he used his sleeves to wipe the tear tracks away.

"Yeah?" answered Yoongi, equally as quiet, his eyes flickered back and forwards worriedly.

"Why didn't you talk to me?" he asked as he forced himself to make eye contact despite their close proximity. "Why did you decide to push me away and ignore me instead of telling me about your feelings towards Daniel?"

"If I'm being honest," he said as he paused to take a deep breath in. "I thought it would be easier to avoid you."

"And?" Chan-woo asked with a frown.

"And it was not," regretfully admitted Yoongi as he hung his head. "In fact I'd say it was harder. Not being able to give you comfort when I say you were struggling. Not being able to reassure you when you doubted yourself. Not being able to hug you when I wanted. Not being able to just sit beside you without tension between us."

"You do realise the only thing stopping you from doing that was yourself, right? I would have happily accepted any of that, even if you hadn't been ready to talk. I would have taken awkward reassurance and tense hugs over the silent treatment and cold shoulders any day," he explained before he sighed tiredly.

"I know," he whispered as he held both of Chan-woo's hands and squeezed them gently. He moved his head forward slightly until he caught the younger's gaze. He stared deeply into his eyes without talking for a few more moments. "Chan-woo, look at me as I say this. I am so sorry for how I treated you."

"Thank you Hyung," Chan-woo whispered and felt himself shrink under the intense gaze.

"I couldn't possibly begin to fathom what it was like. Even I couldn't stand the way I was treating you. So I could only guess how you felt. The shame and the guilt, it was eating me alive. And I honestly don't know how you could forgive me for what I put you through. So I would completely understand if you want to keep your distance from me for a while or for a lot longer. I would understand," he wholeheartedly said, eyes full of regret.

"Don't be silly," he shook his head as he gently squeezed Yoongi's hands back. "Yes I'm hurt. But I'll get over it as long as you promise me you won't ever let that happen again. Communicate with me before it gets to this stage. Because I can't keep putting myself in the position to get hurt."

"I'm sorry that I let it get to this point. I really am," Yoongi whispered as he hung his head.

"Hyung, stop apologising. I know you are sorry," Chan-woo said as he leant forward and wrapped his arms around Yoongi's waist. He nestled his head against his chest despite the awkward angle. "We can both learn from this and move on, right?"

"Right," hummed Yoongi with an amused shake to his head as he wrapped his arms around Chan-woo's back. "You're too good for this world, you know that right?"

"I'm not. I'm just a simple, ordinary boy who wants to be cared for, accepted, and valued for once in his life," he sighed as he closed his eyes.

"I'll try to be better for you," sighed Yoongi.

"You don't have to," whispered Chan-woo as he squeezed him. "I'm used to it. Like I said, it's always me."

"That's exactly why I'm going to try harder," he said before he disentangled himself and stood up. "I guess I should let you get ready for bed. You've had a long weekend."

"Yeah. Thank you for talking with me," he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey Channie-ah?" softly Yoongi called out as he followed behind him.

"Yeah?" asked Chan-woo as he turned around, just before the door.

"You realise tonight was the first time you didn't call me Hyung when you addressed me?" questioned Yoongi with a small huff of amusement.

"What," softly gasped Chan-woo in utter shock from the fact it was the first time he hadn't addressed him with 'Hyung'. He thought back through their talk. He remembered the moment during his outburst where he'd only referred to him simply as 'Yoongi'. "I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. You don't always have to call me Hyung, okay? I think we've moved passed that," Yoongi soothed his worry over the matter by reaching out and gently stroked his hand through Chan-woo's hair.

"Really?" he stared up at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Really," nodded Yoongi. "Now go rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night Hyung," smiled Chan-woo with a small wave as he turned around and left the room.

"Night," whispered Yoongi before he closed his bedroom door.

Author's Note: No you.

Chapter Text

The empty living room had a rather peaceful atmosphere as Chan-woo sat at the large dining table and leisurely ate his breakfast. The sky outside glowed a beautiful orange hue as the sun slowly rose higher passed the bands of fluffy white clouds. As he sat in silent room that was bathed in the orange glow, he couldn't help but appreciate the sight before him. A wave of calmness washed over his mind, body and soul as he allowed himself to be present in the moment before he started his day.

It was small moments like these that gave Chan-woo time to reflect and recharge. To purely exist in the present felt like it came once in a blue moon. Lately he had been occupied with his training period and adjusting to the life of an idol. Too busy caught up in making sure he was getting a task done that he hadn't had a chance to appreciate life and all the opportunities he'd been blessed with. As he stared out at the large backyard with grass covered in a light layer of dew, he could feel his energy being cleansed from all the turmoil he'd experienced as of late.

Not far from his bowl on the table were his laptop and headphones. He intended to get some work done while he waited for Namjoon to wake up. The schedule for the day indicated that the group were split up doing many different activities. It specified that Chan-woo and Namjoon would be working from home on lyrics and compositions for the new album. He assumed they'd work from one of the home offices. So that was why he had the forethought to bring his laptop downstairs with him since that was where all of his work was stored at the moment.

As Chan-woo went to the kitchen and cleaned up after himself, he could feel the built up anticipation flutter in his stomach in regards to the pending session with the leader. He had only ever shared his work that one time in the studio. Never had he allowed anyone to look through and hear samples for the rest of his songs. His was anxious to find out if his tracks and lyrics could be up to the same standard as BTS's music. Namjoon's opinion were highly important to him and he would value any feedback the leader had for him.

"Good morning," a voice said from the entrance of the hallway the second Chan-woo had placed the bowl on the rack to dry.

"Oh you scared me," Chan-woo said as he looked over his shoulder. He smiled shyly at Jin as he walked back over to the kitchen table. "Good morning Hyung. You're up early."

"I am. I tried to keep sleeping before my alarm was meant to go off in an hour. But I'm wide awake. What about you? Why are you up so early?" Jin asked the younger as he moved to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.

"Well I've been awake for a few hours already. I slept a lot yesterday so I don't think I could get any more sleep even if I tried," he chuckled as he settled himself sideways in his chair so that he could face Jin as the eldest continued to walked around in the kitchen. "What time do you have to leave this morning?"

"A car will be picking us up at 8am," he answered without looking up.

"What are you guys doing there? I'm still learning the abbreviations so I could only work out what Namjoon Hyung and I are doing today," Chan-woo asked with a small tilt of his head.

"The VL stands for vocal lessons. That's what Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook and I have. And the CS stands for a choreography session. So Hoseok is going to meet up with the choreographer and start working on a few of the songs we potentially have lined up for the next album," Jin explained as he brought a bowl out and sat across from him at the table.

"Ah that makes sense. Thank you for explaining," he nodded in understanding as he turned around to sit properly in his chair. "And what is Yoongi Hyung doing? His description on the schedule for today was blank."

"A blank space basically means free time. He's not required to do anything. But if he chooses to work on things, he can," he said before he began to eat.

"Ah okay," he said while he nodded his head with a shy smile. "It might take me a while to get used to the descriptions. Everything is so new to me."

"It's okay, you'll get there eventually," said Jin in between bites, he smiled kindly at him. "You're probably going to work on that song you showed us, right?"

"Probably," shrugged Chan-woo. "I don't know what to expect. I've never done this before. So I'll just follow Namjoon Hyung's lead."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. That song sounded like it had potential. And I'm sure if you collaborate with Joonie then he can help you finish those lyrics," he said.

"Part of me still can't believe that I'm about to work with the Kim Namjoon on a song," he said with a hushed voice as his cheeks blushed slightly at the admission.

"That's so cute," he cooed. "You brought your laptop down so I'm assuming you were going to get started before Namjoon gets up, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded as he moved his laptop in front of him.

"Well don't let me stop you," Jin said with a small smile before he returned to his food.

Chan-woo nodded his head and returned the smile as he opened his laptop and connected his headphones into the output. He placed the headphones on as he waited for the device to start up. After he entered his password into the lockscreen, he navigated to the folder dedicated to his various projects. He opened up the track he'd been working on the most lately and rubbed his eyes as he played through his progress thus far.

The familiar sad melody played through his headphones. He closed his eyes as he listened to it carefully. Since he had last worked on it the previous Friday night, just prior to his phone call with Daniel, he still hadn't managed to figure out the missing component to the track. The soft tones of his recorded voice accompanied the minor cords from the piano. Yet something was missing towards the end of the song. As he started the track again, he wondered if Namjoon would have any ideas during their session.

With a soft sigh, Chan-woo closed that project and opened another one that he knew he could work on. Both the track and the lyrics were far from completion. And it would be a waste of his time if he tried to force himself to make progress on the other song. He opened up the program, played the rough track and set it on a loop so that he didn't have to keep restarting it. Instead, he opened up the word document related to that particular project and worked on the lyrics while the track played in the background for inspritation.

A rather catchy, upbeat track played through the headphones. Quite a contrast to the contents of the lyrics. The song had a deep meaning that he hoped resonated with the audience. All of the hardships he had faced had caused him to reflect on many aspects of life and it often seeped into the songs he wrote. For years he had worked so hard on honing his skills, hoping to one day reach a place much better than his situation at home. He'd been so lost in overworking himself that he'd forgotten to stop and breathe.

Within the lyrics for that particular song, he expressed how he was in the long run in life and how it was okay to take it slow. A lot of the time, society seemed to push how important it was to have a dream and to achieve those goals to make the dream come true. But sometimes all someone needs to do is survive and push through the obstacles at their own pace. It baffled Chan-woo how the notion of not having a dream was frowned upon by society. He knew that some days he just needed to get through the day, no dream in sight, and that's all that should matter.

Chan-woo had been incredibly engrossed in his work that he hadn't paid any attention to the activity around him. So it startled him as he felt a couple of light taps on his left shoulder. He paused the track and took off his headphones. He looked to his left to find Namjoon stood behind him with a bowl in his hands. Taken aback from the interruption, he looked around only to find that Jin had disappeared and no one else was around.

"Oh hi Hyung," said Chan-woo with a sheepish smile.

"Working hard there?" Namjoon asked as he returned a bright smile, full of dimples.

"Of course," he chuckled nervously. "I was getting prepared for our session while I waited for you to wake up."

"Glad to hear that," he nodded with a smile.

"Did Jin Hyung and the others leave?" he asked as he noticed both the time and how quiet the house was.

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago. Jin tried to say goodbye but you were very engrossed in your work," chuckled Namjoon.

"Whoops," he whispered as he felt a small blush dust his cheeks.

"It's all good, he understood. Anyway, I'm ready to head in now, are you?" Namjoon asked as he took a bite of what looked like oatmeal from where Chan-woo sat.

"Are you sure you don't want to finishing eating first?" he asked with his attention back on his laptop, making sure to save his progress regardless.

"I'll be fine. I can eat while we get started," he dismissed with a smile.

"Alright," Chan-woo huffed with amusement as he stood up and carefully carried his laptop and headphones. "Lead the way."

The two walked into the hallway and entered the larger room that they had converted into a home studio. It had been the first time Chan-woo had seen the room since all the new furniture had arrived. On the opposite wall from the door, they had set up two dark, wooden desks side-by-side, pushed all the way left into the corner to save space. They both had been supplied with two monitors each, a keyboard, mouse, a computer tower, small speakers, a moveable microphone on a stand, and comfortable looking desk chairs.

As Chan-woo walked further in, he noticed that the only item to the left - the wall that shared with the kitchen - was a large flat screen tv. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the item, surprised at the sheer size of it. He looked to the right and saw that there were two couches that filled up the other half of the room. Next to the two desks there was a two seater, black leather couch and then on the far right wall, opposite the tv, was a matching three seater, black leather couch.

In the small space in front of the couches was a reasonable sized coffee table, black of course, that already had scattered pieces of paper upon it. However the most interesting piece of furniture within the room, at least in his eyes, was the tall bookcase that took up almost the entire length of the wall - the wall that had the door. There were only centimeters between the dark wooden piece and the light switch and doorframe.

In all of the little nooks of the bookcase were little homages to BTS's work and achievements over the years. Held up on small stands were the covers to their previous albums as well as framed photos from major award shows and events they had attended. Chan-woo's mouth hung open as his wide eyes scanned the display, amazed at the sight.

"That display is so cool. But everything is so dark in here. Are you sure this isn't Yoongi's private studio? This is what I imagined his would look like," said Chan-woo, a smile on his face, as he turned around to face Namjoon.

"Well you could probably take a guess at who ordered all the furniture for the room then," Namjoon said with a small chuckle as he made himself comfortable at the desk that was against the corner. "It's much darker than I would have liked but it still looks cool."

"It does. I like that the everything matches with the dark grey carpet at least," he commented as he continued to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"If we ever remodel the room, I might come to you for advice. I'm not leaving that job to Yoongi again," he shook his head with a smile before he gestured to the desk beside him. "Come sit here and get yourself set up."

Chan-woo nodded his head as he followed the instructions and sat down at the desk that was in between the couch and the other desk. He pushed the keyboard underneath the monitors to allow room for his laptop and placed his headphones down beside it. He turned in his desk chair and waited patiently for Namjoon to finish starting up the computer on his desk.

"Ready for today? We're going to get a lot of work done," Namjoon asked as he turned to face the younger.

"I was going to ask about that," nervously said Chan-woo. "What do you expect out of me today? I've never done anything like this so it would be helpful to have some guidance."

"Well our main priority is to work on tracks that have potential for the next album. I've got a few song collaboration with other artists I need to listen through and make quick judgement calls if they'll be suitable," explained Namjoon as he leant back in his chair with a kind smile. "But first I want to work on that song you showed us. We can collaborate on those lyrics and record a demo for the whole song. My goal is to try and have a rough draft done so I can send it to the choreographer by the end of today."

"Wow, do you think that will be achievable?" asked Chan-woo in surprise.

"Oh absolutely. I've been thinking about some potential lyrics since I first heard it. I reckon with a little work, we could easily have it done today," Namjoon nodded confidently. "And while I work on those lyrics, you could work on any other songs you think could fit the album."

"There are a few I think could fit it. Would you like me to show you?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Sure, I'd love to hear them," he said while he shuffled the chair closer.

"This one is mostly finished. I'm just struggling to complete the last third of the track," Chan-woo explained as he opened up the song in question and ensured his device was on full volume. "If you have any ideas, that'd be great."

As the familiar sad melody played from the speakers of his laptop, Chan-woo felt his heartbeat explode in a fast rhythm as his palms also began to sweat. He listened to the lyrics he'd recorded and felt nervous to know what his leader thought about them. His own eyes flickered over to Namjoon every few seconds, where he found that he had a frown on his face and a concentrated expression.

The track slowly faded away and the room plunged into silence. Chan-woo nervously ran his hands down his pants as he watched Namjoon lean back into his chair. His stomach clenched from the nerves as he held his breath in anticipation. He couldn't tell what the older man thought on the song. He didn't know whether he liked it or hated it.

"Wow," breathed Namjoon as his facial expression changed to disbelief. "You wrote and composed that all by yourself?"

"Yeah," he blushed as he sheepishly scratched his neck.

"Seriously Channie-ah, you have some serious talent," he praised and reached forward to pat the younger's knee. "The track already sounds really good. But I have a person in mind who might be able to add something to it. Could I send it to them for their opinion?"

"S-Sure," Chan-woo stuttered, shocked and bashful from all the praise.

"Do you have a working title for it?" he asked.

"It's a rough title. I've been tossing around with a few ideas. But right now I've named it The Truth Untold," he answered shyly.

"No I like it," hummed Namjoon as he nodded. "The title suits the song. I'll try my best to keep it as that. Which reminds me, did you have a working title for that other song?"

"Oh yeah that one, I've named it Fake Love," blushed Chan-woo.

"We will most likely keep it as that as well. Any more songs you are working on?" he asked as he leant forward again.

"Yeah," Chan-woo said as he pulled up the song he had been working on earlier that morning. "I haven't recorded any lyrics for this track yet. But I've finished writing about three quarters of them. I can sing it for you like I did with Fake Love?"

"Let's hear it," nodded Namjoon.

"Marathon. Marathon. Life's long so take it slow," softly sung Chan-woo as the catchy beat filled the room.

As he continued to sing the rough, uncompleted lyrics, his eyes continued to drift over to the man beside him. The further into the song he got, the more relaxed he became. Namjoon smiled encouragingly at him the entire time and nodded in time with the beat as he listened attentively. Chan-woo had come a long way since the first, extremely shy, time he had sung in front of the man. He hadn't performed with his eyes closed or a shake in his voice this time.

"Wow," complimented Namjoon as the song finished. "It has such an upbeat tune, but the lyrics are so deep and kind of sad when you think about them. I'll be adding that one to the list of potential songs as well. What's the working title?"

"Uh this one? It's Paradise," said Chan-woo with a shy smile.

"Cool, so that's three songs I want a copy of to begin with. Fake Love, The Truth Untold, and Paradise," he said as he reached back over to his desk and grabbed a hard drive. "Can you transfer all the files you have for those songs onto this please? Documents, track files, just everything. And any other songs you want me to listen to later."

"Sure," he nodded as he grabbed the device, plugged it into his laptop and begun the long process of transferring everything asked of him. "It might take a few minutes since some of these folders are larger."

"That's okay! While we wait, I was wondering if you've heard anything yet on when the photoshoots will be released today?" Namjoon asked as he leant back in the desk chair.

"No idea. Bang PD-nim Hyung said he'll give me a text once they've been released," Chan-woo explained as he continued to work on his laptop.

"Looks like today is going to be another crazy day on twitter, huh?" Namjoon chuckled more to himself.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a tilt of his head, eyes still on the screen.

"Did you not see what was circulating the timeline yesterday?" he asked in response, glee in his eyes.

"No," Chan-woo answered as he turned his head and squinted his eyes in suspicion. "I was a little pre-occupied yesterday. And then I kind of, you know, slept for majority of the afternoon. Why? Should I be concerned?"

"No. Nothing too concerning," chuckled Namjoon as he pulled out his phone and tapped away at the screen. A few seconds later, he handed the device over to him. "Army is just very observant, that's all."

Chan-woo continued to suspiciously scrutinise Namjoon's face as he grabbed a hold of the phone. He brought it closer to his face as he found the familiar blue themed app opened. As Chan-woo begun to scroll through the search that the leader had brought up, it became clear that there was indeed a common topic that the fandom had gone nuts over the previous day. Various fancams had captured different angels of the same thing, with fans quick to point it out.

Pictures and videos had been captured of Chan-woo's interactions with both Jimin and Namjoon when he had helped them out on stage. The timeline had been flooded with various comments. It had caused quite the stir within the fandom with many jealous over the interaction. But it wasn't only that. There was also the pictures of Jungkook with a 'mysterious' guy on his back as he walked out of the fansign. That too had caused quite a commotion.

'I would blush too if Jimin looked at me like that.'

'Imagine being this lucky staff member. He had the attention of both Namjoon and Jimin. Life isn't fair man.'

'Okay but does anyone else think the staff member is kind of cute?'

'Look at this y/n type shit right here... Wish I was that staff member.'

'Is that Jungkook carrying someone? A friend of the group maybe?'

'Imagine being lucky enough to be carried by the Jeon Jungkook.'

'Same guy as Namjoon posted about? Looks like the same jumper.'

"Whoops," Chan-woo muttered under his breath as he felt his cheeks blush.

"Oh but there's one more thing you should probably see," Namjoon smiled devilishly as he took his phone momentarily before he handed it back. "Look at that."

Upon looking back at the phone, Chan-woo saw a singular post under the official BTS twitter account. It consisted of two photos and a simple caption. His eyes scanned over the two photos and he could feel his mouth open very slightly in surprise. Chan-woo had no idea when they had been taken, but he knew without a doubt that they were of him. One of him asleep on the backstage couch, his face covered by Jungkook who had leant over him. And the second of him being carried backstage on Jungkook's back. He read over the caption a few times.

'🐨: Watching Kookie learn how to become a good Hyung #proud #growingup #bts'

"Were you allowed to do that?" he asked as he handed the phone back. "Not that I have a problem with it. I just don't want you getting into trouble over it."

"Yeah, no need to worry. I got permission with PD-nim Hyung," Namjoon said as he reached forward and ruffled Chan-woo's hair in a fond manner. "The timeline is going to go crazy yet again today because of you. But this time your face will be in clear view!"

"I don't know, Hyung," Chan-woo said nervously as he slumped back into the chair and checked the progress of the transfer time.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a tilt to his head. "Don't you think people will like it?"

"It's hard to explain," he sighed as he stared at his hands in his lap.

"Try me. I'm sure it's not as complicated as you think it is," shrugged Namjoon.

"I'm afraid that the release of those photoshoots will get my hopes up. Because what if people like them and I get support. But what if the reaction to the news of me joining BTS is completely different," Chan-woo explained quietly. "Hyung, I'm afraid of how many people may turn on me once they know."

"Oh Chan-woo," Namjoon said with sympathy as he wheeled his chair closer, so that his knees rested in between the younger's legs, and he reached forward to pat each of Chan-woo's knees. "I know how scary it will be. But I'm sure it will all be okay."

"Yeah maybe you're right. Anyway, should we get started?" he asked with a uneasy smile as he noticed the files had finished transferring, hoping that Namjoon understood that he didn't want to dwell on the future.

"We should. Let's get these tracks loaded onto my computer," Namjoon said with a understanding smile as he pushed himself back to the desk. "Once I finish with the hard drive, how about you transfer your files onto that computer and work from there? Work on any of your lyrics you want. I'm sure you have an idea of what you want to prioritise."

"Sounds like a good plan, Hyung," nodded Chan-woo as he patiently waited for the hard drive to be free.

Both Namjoon and Chan-woo had sat side-by-side for the past few hours in mostly complete silence. They both wore their own set of headphones as they madly typed and clicked away on their own computers. A comfortable silence had befallen the pair as they concentrated on the work in front of them. Only occasionally had they stopped one another to get an opinion or check on the progress.

Namjoon sighed as he took the headphones off and pushed back from the desk. He stretched his arms above his head and cracked his neck from left to right. As he saved the almost completed work on the lyrics for Fake Love, he noticed the time on the bottom right corner of the screen. He checked his phone only to find no new notifications. He leant over and tapped Chan-woo's shoulder gently.

"I wonder if Yoongi Hyung still hasn't woken up?" Namjoon asked after the younger had taken off his headphones. "I asked him to come help us after he got up."

"Would you like me to go see if he is awake yet?" asked Chan-woo as he stretched his back from where he sat in his own desk chair next to Namjoon's right side.

"Yeah, that'd be great," distractedly said Namjoon, eyes trained on the screen of his phone.

Chan-woo didn't utter another word as he grabbed his own phone from where it sat on the desk and stood up. After he stretched his back one last time, he exited the home studio and made his way up the stairs. The entire house was silent, a contrast to how it normally was with eight occupants. He made his way to the left at the top of the stairs and stopped outside of Yoongi's door, yet no noise could be heard from within.

"Yoongi Hyung?" Chan-woo asked as he knocked on the door a couple of times. No response. "Hyung? Are you awake?"

A few seconds passed and Chan-woo received no response. Hesitantly, he opened the bedroom door and peered his head in. He looked left, over to the bed, only to find a lump underneath the sheets. A smile lit up his face as he entered the bedroom quietly and walked over to the sleeping lump. Gently, Chan-woo reached over with his right hand and softly shook what felt like a bicep.

"Hyung, it's time to wake up," said Chan-woo in a hushed tone, his attempt at not startling the other from his sleep. "Hyung. Yoongi Hyung."

"Five more minutes," came a deep groan from somewhere underneath the sheets, evident that Yoongi had his back to him as he laid on his left side.

"It's after midday, Hyung. You have to wake up," chuckled Chan-woo as he continued to gently shake him.

"Five more minutes," replied Yoongi as he twisted his upper half towards him. A second passed before his arm shot out from under the blankets and tightly latched onto Chan-woo's wrist. "Lie down with me and then we'll get up in five minutes."

"I've got work to do, Hyung. I can't," he laughed softly as he attempted to free his hand, only to fail miserably. "Hyung."

"Hyung says five more minutes," he mumbled sleepily, his messy bed hair finally popped out from beneath the sheets as he turned over onto his right side. At the same time, he pulled Chan-woo's wrist closer which caused the younger to fall forwards and kneel on the edge of the bed. "Five more."

"I'm being held hostage, aren't I?" he asked with a laugh as he got pulled further onto the bed.

"Yes," mumbled Yoongi as he continued to pull Chan-woo until he was lying fully on the bed. The younger soon found himself laid down on his left side, facing Yoongi. "Sleep now. No more talk."

"Hyung, I was meant to wake you up. Come on," whined Chan-woo as two strong arms tightly wrapped around his waist and held him firmly in place.

"Don't care," he murmured as he buried his face into the crook of the younger's neck.

Chan-woo sighed as he saw no way out of the current situation he had suddenly found himself in. He managed to somehow wiggle his phone out his pocket and into the palm of his hands. He turned slightly in the hold as he brought the device as close to his face as the restricting arms would allow. Yoongi groaned in annoyance at the disturbance, but nevertheless, didn't stir any further.

Chan-woo:
Hyung. I'm being held captive. Yoongi Hyung won't let me go.

Namjoon Hyung:
It's okay. How about you take a break, get some rest and I'll come wake you guys up in half an hour?

Chan-woo:
Are you sure?

Namjoon Hyung:
Yeah. Take a break. You've earnt it.

With a sigh, Chan-woo locked his screen and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He looked down at the messy hair shoved under his chin and smiled softly. There was no use fighting to get up, so he might as well give in. He sighed as he turned back onto his side and wrapped his right arm around Yoongi's back. He ran his fingers back and forwards in a slow manner in what he hoped was a calming motion.

"Yoongi? Namjoon Hyung said we can sleep for another half an hour and then he'll come wake us up," Chan-woo said as he poked the other's side to get his attention. "Can I get under the covers?"

"Mmm," Yoongi agreed yet didn't move a muscle.

"Hyung," Chan-woo laughed at the sleepy man's antics. "Can you let go of me for a moment?"

"But tired," he groaned as he rolled onto his back, his arms finally released its victim.

"I know you are," he pouted in sympathy as he easily shuffled under the covers and turned back onto his left side.

"Better?" Yoongi asked as he sleepily opened one eye and rolled his head towards the younger.

"Better, thank you," he nodded as he got comfortable under the heavy, warm blankets.

"Sleep," mumbled Yoongi as he rolled back onto his right side, wrapped his left arm around Chan-woo's back, and settled his head comfortably against the younger's shoulder.

"Sleep well Hyung," whispered Chan-woo as he hugged the older back with his right arm, a fond smile upon his face.

Despite the awkward position, Chan-woo felt his tense muscles relax as the seconds ticked by. He felt a blush on his face at the intimate position, never had he cuddled with anyone before, let alone in a bed. His heartbeat started fast, but eventual calmed itself down. He had always imagined that he'd be too uncomfortable to ever allow anyone that close to him. But with Yoongi he felt safe and comfortable. It felt nice to be held close and be surrounded by warmth.

Physical contact with the others had been the aspect Chan-woo had missed the most while they had the falling out. Before he had met this group of seven boys, he never knew how kind hands could be or how comforting hugs could feel. He had come to crave physical affection over the past few weeks  more then he had realised. And as he laid beside Yoongi, he knew he never wanted to go back to living a life where he was afraid to be touched or to touch others.

Through the silence in the room he could hear Yoongi's soft breaths slow as he settled back into the previous sleep he had been in. Chan-woo felt his own eyes close and his body relaxed further into the softness of the mattress. Before long, he lost the will to stay awake and slipped into a peaceful rest. Apparently he had felt comfortable enough around Yoongi that he didn't find it difficult to fall asleep.

The pair continued to sleep in each others arms. Occasionally they would shift in their sleep, but never fully woke up. At all times, they had one arm or hand that held onto the other person. And that was how Namjoon had discovered them an hour later. Chan-woo's head tucked into Yoongi's chest, barely visibly. The older of the pair had wrapped both of his arms around the younger and their legs had intertwined.

"Guys," Namjoon whispered with a smile. "It's time to wake up."

"No way has it been half an hour already," Yoongi groaned as he opened his tired eyes finally.

"Actually it's been an hour," chuckled Namjoon.

"Didn't feel like it," he sighed as he titled his head down and smiled at the smaller boy still fast asleep. "Channie-ah, time to get up."

Chan-woo groaned in irritation as he stretched his tired body before he buried his face further into the warmth in front of him. He felt and heard a deep chuckle before the pair of arms around him tightened. He sighed as he hid his face from the light. He wanted nothing more then to continue to sleep. He flinched slightly as he felt a third hand appear on his back before it begun to rub soothing circles on his lower back.

"Chan-woo, it's been an hour. Time to wake up," Namjoon cooed in a hushed tone, the two older boys sharing an amused look between them. "Chan-woo."

"Yeah," Chan-woo mumbled as he turned his head and forced his eyes to open.

"We've got work to do unfortunately. But the good news is I finished the rough lyrics for Fake Love," Namjoon told him as he sat on the edge on the bed and continued to rub Chan-woo's back.

"Fake Love?" Yoongi asked in confusion.

"That's the song Chan-woo showed us two weeks ago," explained Namjoon.

"Ah, and that's the title for it?" Yoongi asked.

"Yeah. It suits the song. So I don't think I'll change it," he said. "How you going there Chan-woo? Awake yet?"

"Mmmm," he hummed as he brought his right hand to his eyes and rubbed them. "I needed that nap."

"I'm glad. Now both of you better get up and come help me in the studio. I have an update for you Chan-woo," Namjoon said as he stood up and stretched his back.

"Oh, okay I'm coming," he mumbled with slight surprise from the statement. But as he went to sit up and follow the leader out the room, he found two strong arms held onto him tightly. "Hyung, come on."

"Five more minutes?" he asked with pleading eyes before he smiled widely.

"I wish," Chan-woo sighed as he reached up and patted Yoongi's soft hair. "You get ready and I'll see you downstairs soon."

"Wish we could stay here forever," huffed Yoongi as he rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his right arm.

Chan-woo blushed as he finally sat up and ruffled his hair that he had no doubt would be a mess. He looked back at Yoongi who still had his face covered. Part of him felt giddy at the comment the other had just made and at what had been implied by it. But he tried to not let himself get swept away in the yearning for the older.

As Chan-woo made his way back down to the home studio, he felt refreshed after the rest he had managed to get. Both mind and body seemed more energised and ready to complete more work. He was extremely grateful that Namjoon had allowed him a break that ended up being an hour long, it was exactly what he had needed. He entered the room and sat down at the desk beside Namjoon. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and placed it beside the keyboard.

"You said you had an update for me?" Chan-woo asked the other who had already started working again.

"Ah yes," Namjoon cleared his throat as he turned the chair to face the younger. "I spoke with PD-nim on the phone about half an hour ago and he let me know that the first part of your photoshoot had been released finally."

"Oh really?" he asked as he picked up his phone and checked his lockscreen, only to find a text from said man. "Yeah, I have a text from him telling me about it."

"Congratulations on that," he commented with a soft smile. "You're officially in the public eye."

"Thanks Hyung," he replied with a shy, nervous smile.

"So he told me that they probably won't release the next batch until Saturday. Mainly because the next few days might take away from the hype surrounding you and he didn't want any crossovers," he further explained.

"What's happening over the next few days?" Chan-woo asked with a small tilt to his head.

"Well the next Japanese album has been finalised and it's ready to be released," Namjoon said. "He told me that The Face Yourself album will be released on Wednesday. And then he plans to release the short film a day or two after."

"The short film? So that's already been done?" Chan-woo asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we filmed it a while ago in between projects. And post production has been finished for a while," he nodded. "So it won't feature you at all unfortunately because it was done before we were told you had joined us."

"That's cool," he shrugged, not bothered by the revelation. "I think it would be good for Army not to be given a short film with a random stranger in it anyway. It would be too much of a shock. I think they'll need some time in between the short introduction video that we recorded yesterday and the next album release."

"Ah yes talking about that. Bang PD-nim said that we have about six to seven weeks until the next album release. So he'll look at releasing that video we recorded introducing you in three weeks time, maybe four weeks. He wants to find the best timing for the next comeback," Namjoon said with a small smile.

"Wow, so there's only six to seven weeks until all of this needs to be finalised, recorded and some of the songs choreographed?" he asked with wide eyes.

"It's plenty of time," he dismissed nonchalantly. "We've had tighter deadlines before."

"And I'm going to be revealed as the new member that soon?" nervously asked Chan-woo.

"Yeah by the end of this month. So over the next three weeks, prior to the video, they'll be releasing small batches of the photoshoot. I believe he said there's about nine different themes to choose from so they will probably end up releasing seven of those nine," relayed Namjoon.

"I did nine different ones, yeah," he confirmed with a nod. "And how's Fake Love going? You said that you finished the rough lyrics?"

"Yes I did! Want to hear it? And then if you like it, we can record a demo and send it off to Hoseok and the choreographer," smiled Namjoon as he turned back to his computer and Chan-woo brought his chair closer to look over his shoulder.

Later that night, Chan-woo sat all alone in his bed with his lights off. He yawned as his eyes continued to read the white coloured screen. His finger slowly scrolled through the many comments that had been left under the twitter post on BigHit Entertainment's official twitter page. Ever since he had finished his session with Namjoon, he had hide himself in his room and spent the last hour simply reading.

Surprise had been the first emotion he had experienced as he had read the first few dozens responses. Mainly due to the overwhelming positive comments that had been left. It had caught him off guard since he hadn't expected there to be so many nice things being said about him. It warmed his heart and gave him a small smile to see the good reception.

But then that surprise had soon turned to worried filled anxiety as he saw some not so nice comments. Of course, there were those sceptical that he'd be able to make it as a solo artist - not that any of them knew he wasn't actually a solo artist. Then there were the ones that commented on his appearance. They hadn't even heard him or seen his potential, and yet they judged him based off of his photos. It crumbled the small amount of hope he had gained from the positive comments.

As his teary eyes continued to read through the mixed responses, his phone vibrated in his hand and a text appeared from a person he honestly really needed to hear from in that moment. He rubbed his tired eyes as he opened up the message and began to read it. His heart swelled with joy and he wasted no time in replying to the man.

Minho Hyung:
Chan-woo! I just saw! Your face is all over my timeline. I almost didn't recognise you Mr. Jung Chan-woo. Omg does this mean you are debuting very soon? I'm so proud of you. You are doing fantastic.

Chan-woo:
Hyung! Hi! You saw? What did you think? I was very nervous about it all. But the response so far seems to be a mix with a lot of positive thrown in.

Minho Hyung:
I loved it. You look absolutely amazing Channie-ah! You look so professional all done up in that fancy suit. The photos really came out well! And of course the comments will be mixed, that's the industry after all. But from what I saw, most of them are positive! Now everyone gets to see how cute you are. I'm sad that I have to share you with the world. But it's okay, you deserve it.

Chan-woo:
You're going to make me cry Minho Hyung. I miss you a lot.

Minho Hyung:
I miss you too buddy. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for you.

"Chan-woo?" a voice asked accompanied with several soft knocks that interrupted Chan-woo before he could respond.

"Come in," he called out softly.

"Are you busy?" Hoseok asked as he opened the door and poked his head in.

"Whoa it's so dark in here," Taehyung commented as he pushed Hoseok in, the light from the hallway casted a silhouette upon the pair.

"I was probably going to go to bed soon but I can spare a few minutes. Is something wrong?" he asked as he turned off his phone and sat up straighter against his bedhead.

"We just wanted to talk with you," Hoseok said from where he stood in the doorway. "Is it okay if we turn the light on?"

"Sure," he nodded and closed his eyes in preparation for the assault his pupils were about to receive.

The lights were switched on and when Chan-woo blinked his eyes to adjust them to the sudden brightness, he noticed that Hoseok and Taehyung both held their hands behind their backs. He could tell that each boy had an item in their grasp, but couldn't distinguish what they were from the angle. He raised his gaze to their faces and frowned as he tried to figure out what was happening.

"Before we came home tonight, we got some things for you," said Taehyung as he walked around Hoseok and came to sit on the edge of Chan-woo's bed. He pulled out a heavy plastic bag from behind his back and placed it upon the younger's lap that was covered by his duvet.

"Some gifts to say we are sorry for the way we've been acting towards you," further explained Hoseok quietly.

"What? You didn't have to," he said in shock as he opened the plastic bag only to find several books. "You got me books?"

"I did," Taehyung nodded excitedly. "You said you liked to read. So I got you a few different genres. I don't know if you'll like any of them. But I tried to buy ones that were interesting."

"Hyung," pouted Chan-woo as he felt emotional from the gesture. "Honestly, you guys really didn't have to do this."

"We did," whispered Hoseok as he stepped closer and pulled a bouquet of pretty flowers from behind his back.

"We've been jerks the last few days. It's the least we could do for you," continued Taehyung.

"Thank you both. I really appreciate this. A lot," he whispered as he looked down at his lap with flushed cheeks.

"I'll put these on your desk for now," said Hoseok as he quickly walked over and gently placed the flowers down. "It's okay if you need some time to think about it. But from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for how I treated you. If you could somehow learn to forgive me, I want to go back to how things used to be. But at the same time I understand if it would be too hard."

"Of course I forgive you Hyung," Chan-woo whispered as he quickly wiped away the stray tear.

"Don't cry," pouted Hoseok as he rushed over and climbed onto the bed to sit on the younger's right side.

"If you cry, I cry," commented Taehyung as he crawled around the plastic bag and plopped himself down on Chan-woo's left side.

"It's just been so hard ever since I got here. But it was even harder when I lost you Hoseok Hyung," he whispered in a shaky voice as he tried his hardest to hold back any further tears.

"I know, I'm so so so sorry," Hoseok whispered as he laid his head on Chan-woo's shoulder and held his hand tightly. "I was such an arsehole to you."

"I don't even know what I was thinking. I have no excuse but I'm sorry too," Taehyung whispered as he mimicked Hoseok's actions.

"It's in the past," sighed Chan-woo as he closed his eyes. "And I want to leave it in the past. But like I said to Yoongi Hyung, I'll get over it as long as you promise me you won't ever let that happen again. I've been through so much hurt in my life and I can't keep letting myself experience it."

"I promise on my life," Taehyung said without hesitation.

"I promise too. I'll be better at communicating in the future. I don't ever want to jeopardise our relationship ever again," said Hoseok as he tightened his hand. "You're too important to me to lose."

"I missed you both so much," whispered Chan-woo as he looked down at each boy with a sad smile.

"I hope you know I'm going to smother you with hugs for the next few days," Hoseok chuckled as he leaned closer to the boy stuck in the middle.

"Thank you both for the gifts as well. Seriously it wasn't necessary," deflected Chan-woo with a mad blush on his cheeks.

"Utterly necessary," tutted Taehyung in disapproval as he rummaged through the bag of books. "These will be a great addition to your bookcase."

"They will. I can't wait to read them. Thank you Taehyungie," smiled Chan-woo. "And I'll make sure to put the flowers in water before I go to bed, Hoseokie."

"Our nicknames?" gasped Taehyung with shinning eyes.

"Yeah?" he asked with a giggle.

"I love it. I'm your Taehyungie," he cooed as he squished Chan-woo's cheeks together with his free hand, which caused the younger's lips to protrude.

"Hyung stop," whined Chan-woo, his words being mushed by his lips thanks to Taehyung's hand.

"Tomorrow when we have some time, you'll have to catch me up on everything I missed," said Hoseok with a sigh. "And then after we've caught up, you can slap me for being jealous over a straight male."

"Ah, so you heard? Yoongi told you?" grimaced Chan-woo.

"I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have been jealous in the first place," Hoseok sighed yet again as he shook his head and gently caressed the younger's hand. "Don't be like your Hyung ever."

"It's okay Hoseokie. It's in human nature. We feel emotions that we don't understand or want sometimes. It's just how we choose to act on them that makes the difference," sadly smiled Chan-woo before he tilted his head to the right and rested his own upon Hoseok's.

"You're too wise for your age," chuckled Hoseok. "I missed you."

"I missed you too Hyung," sighed Chan-woo as he closed his eyes and soaked up the comfort from the two males beside him.

Chapter Text

Much like Chan-woo had predicted, he barely had any down time to relax with the upcoming album deadline looming over all of their heads. Over the past five days, his daily activities had been pretty similar. He would wake up, have a quick breakfast, then get straight into work, before eventually calling it quits and going straight to bed without dinner. Only to repeat it all again the next day. At least he did have variety in the work throughout the day so it didn't become tedious.

Part of the time he would be tasked to compose music, other times he'd work with Namjoon and Yoongi on lyrics, another day he went into the company and participated in a vocal and rap lesson with the others. As each day progressed, he could feel how difficult it became to continue at the same intense pace. He found it harder to get out of bed in the morning and the amount of times he yawned throughout the day dramatically increased.

That was why Chan-woo had been completely relieved that on the Sunday they would have the entire day off. He had gone to bed on the Saturday night without setting an alarm, his body craved to catch up on the much needed rest and he would most certainly take advantage of the rare sleep in. As he crawled into his bed for the night, he didn't even bother to scroll through social media to see the reaction from his newest photoshoot that had been posted earlier that day. Exhaustion bribed him into quickly falling asleep, he'd leave that task for the following day.

Even after the sun had well and truly rose for the day, Chan-woo hadn't stirred in the slightest and continued to peacefully sleep. He was out cold, oblivious to the world, wrapped up in the warmth of his duvet. The exhausted boy had been in such a deep slumber that he didn't react when a somebody knocked on his door. Nor did he react as that said someone opened his door and quietly walked over to him.

"Chan-woo," Hoseok whispered as he lent down and brushed some of the hair out of the younger's face. Chan-woo currently was curled up on his right side, head barely peaking out of the covers. "Chan-woo."

The disturbance slowly brought Chan-woo out of his sleep. A soothing hand ran through his hair that roused him gently, finally he began to stir for the first time that day. He stretched his limbs as he pried an eye open, only to find Hoseok's bright expression close to his face. Hoseok wore a contagious smile on his face that spread to Chan-woo as he rolled onto his back and proceeded to stretch his legs again.

"I'm surprised you are still asleep. It's late in the morning," said Hoseok while he lifted the covers and made himself comfortable next to the younger.

"You look like you only just woke up too," chuckled Chan-woo as he rolled his head to the side and observed the messy state Hoseok's hair was in as well as the sleepy expression.

"Maybe," he quietly laughed as he rolled onto his left side to face Chan-woo. With his left hand he held up his head and with his right hand he lightly traced Chan-woo's face. "I didn't get to bed until late though. So you've been sleeping a lot longer than me. I was starting to get worried."

"Oh, sorry for worrying you. I was just very tired after working non-stop the last week," sighed Chan-woo. His eyes closed automatically upon the relaxing touches.

"Do you want to keep sleeping?" worriedly asked Hoseok. He of course knew that not even a month prior had Chan-woo been pretty sick. He was concerned for the younger's health. "I'll leave you alone?"

"You can stay if you want," he said quietly, eyes still closed, and a blush formed on his face.

"You want me to keep sleeping beside you?" he asked with a bright smile.

"Yes," shyly nodded Chan-woo as he looked over to Hoseok.

"Of course I'll stay with you," cooed Hoseok who gently pinched the younger's cheek before he ran his hand through Chan-woo's hair. "So cute when you blush."

"Hyung," he whined as he felt his face grow even more red in embarrassment.

"Come here my baby," Hoseok continued to coo as he coaxed the younger to shuffle closer to him. "Let's sleep now."

Chan-woo didn't say anything further as he rolled back onto his side and cuddled right up against Hoseok. He smiled as he felt Hoseok adjust his position until he had both arms wrapped tightly around him. He found his head snuggled perfectly under Hoseok's chin and snaked his own arms around the other's waist. His eyes closed as he slowly settled back into a peaceful sleep with his head cushioned against the other boy's firm chest.

Only a few seconds had passed before Chan-woo's breath had evened out in the quiet room. Even his grip on Hoseok had loosened as he had relaxed completely. Hoseok huffed in amusement as he noticed how quickly the younger had fallen asleep in his arms. He closed his own eyes as held the other closer to him and rested his chin upon the soft hair. Hoseok slowly relaxed further, until he too, fell asleep.

The room stayed silent as the pair continued to catch up on the much needed rest after such a long week. Neither boy moved, too comfortable in their current position, content with the warmth that seeped from the other. The duvet only added an extra layer of cosiness, with the weighted covers providing them both with much needed comfort. Not even the distant sounds from the rest of the household could disrupt them.

That was until a knock pulled Hoseok out of the calm dream he had been having. He sleepily looked around as he tried to figure out why he had been awoken. He tilted his head down to find that Chan-woo was still deep asleep. He frowned as he turned his head over his shoulder, confusion written over his tired face. Another set of knocks came and before Hoseok had the chance to respond, it opened.

"Oh, hey," Yoongi whispered as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Hey Hyung," whispered Hoseok, making sure to keep his voice as low as possible since he didn't want the youngest to wake up. "Everything okay? Did you need something?"

"No. I was just coming to check up on him since he's been asleep for so long," he said with a soft smile as he stood over the pair and stared adoringly at Chan-woo.

"I tried to wake him up earlier," quietly explained Hoseok. "But I ended up telling him to get some more rest. He looked so tired."

"He's been working so hard. He deserves it," Yoongi smiled as he leant down and gently brushed the hair from Chan-woo's forehead.

"What time is it?" he asked while he settled back into his previous position.

"Nearly midday," he answered, hand still lightly played with the youngest's hair.

"We really should get up," Hoseok huffed quietly, yet his eyes still closed on their own accord.

"I'll let you two sleep some more," Yoongi whispered as he started to pull his hand away and stood back up straight. "Wish I could join you both."

"Why don't you? I'm sure a certain someone wouldn't mind," he answered with an amused smile.

"You have a good point," mused Yoongi with thought.

Yoongi felt his heart pull with longing as he stared down at the sleeping Chan-woo's face. He wanted nothing more than to snuggle up right behind the younger and waste their day away in bed. He hadn't been able to spend much time with the younger since the previous Monday where he had convinced Chan-woo to join him in his bed instead of working. They had both been insanely busy ever since.

Mind made up, Yoongi moved to the end of the bed before he crawled up the length behind the pair. He tried to be careful as he moved so as not to disturb Chan-woo, but it was inevitable. A happy smile graced his face as he slipped under the covers and immediately nestled against Chan-woo's back, slotted perfectly with his body.

"Hmmm?" Chan-woo hummed in confusion as he twisted he head towards Yoongi.

"Shhh, it's just me," Yoongi chuckled and ran his left hand through Chan-woo's hair in comfort.

"Hyung sleep too?" tiredly mumbled Chan-woo as he settled back into his previous position with his head buried against Hoseok's chest.

"Yes Chan-woo, Hyung sleep too," softly cooed Yoongi as he buried his own head into the back of Chan-woo's neck and wrapped his arms around the younger.

None of the three said another word as they settled in. Yoongi, however, had been awake for a few hours prior and didn't feel the need to sleep. He was content to simply lay with the other two in a peaceful silence. A soft sigh passed his lips as he settled into the warmth, and allowed the thumb on his left hand to rub soothing circles into Chan-woo's left hip.

Not even a minute later, Chan-woo lightly grabbed onto Yoongi's wrist and pulled it up to his chest. Yoongi smiled in amusement as he felt small fingers intertwine with his own. He could tell that the youngest in the middle of the cuddle pile was deep asleep again which made the whole action even more adorable to Yoongi. He must have unknowingly grabbed his hand during his sleep and he internally gushed over how adorable he was.

As Yoongi continued to cuddle up to the smaller boy, he couldn't help but reflect. There were so many missed opportunities in the past to get closer to Chan-woo and progress their relationship. If only he hadn't been jealous of Daniel, then maybe they would have been much more comfortable around each other over the last few weeks. He had missed out on being able to express his physically affectionate towards Chan-woo and it broke his heart. Subconsciously, he held the younger closer to him.

"Time to wake up!" a loud voice yelled which startled the trio in the bed. A thud followed by a groan was heard soon after. A bright smiling face was directly in front of him as Chan-woo properly opened his eyes for the first time that day. "Wake up!"

"Taehyung-ah, careful of Chan-woo. He's still healing," sternly warned Hoseok through gritted teeth, fully alert thanks to the heavy weight of Taehyung upon him.

"Oh right, sorry," Taehyung said sheepishly as his hand shot out and squished the youngest's cheeks. "I would never want to hurt this precious little thing."

"Thanks Hyung," quietly thanked Chan-woo as he stretched his limbs yet again in the arms of the other two.

"Come on, it's almost midday," whined Taehyung as he unashamedly bounced on top of Hoseok who groaned under the weight. "Let's do something. I'm bored."

"I thought that Kookie and Jimin were going to play games with you?" Yoongi said with a frown.

"Yeah, but they are hogging the console so I can't get a turn," huffed Taehyung in annoyance. "They keep saying five more minutes but that was three hours ago. So I want to play with Chan-woo instead."

"Well how about I go sort out this sharing problem with those two, and we let Channie wake up for a bit," said Yoongi as he sat up and ruffled his own messy hair.

"You'll help me?" perked up Taehyung which caused the other three to laugh at the adorable look on his face.

"Of course. They need to learn to share," Yoongi said as he rolled his eyes.

"Let's go then, what are you waiting for," and with that Taehyung was out the door before any of them could blink.

"We'll let you wake up," Yoongi said as he patted Chan-woo's bicep and crawled his way off the bed. He left the room without another word.

"As much as I could stay here all day, I think we really should get up," Chan-woo said as Hoseok didn't move a muscle. He laughed softly as he felt the older tug him back towards him. "Hyung, seriously we should wake up now. We've been in bed all morning."

"But Channie," whined Hoseok as he rolled onto his back.

"No but's Hoseokie," he chuckled as he shuffled around the lump in his bed and stood up. He stretched his tired muscles before he looked back down at the guest in his bed. "Come on."

"Fine," he agreed and finally rolled out of the bed as well. He, too, stretched his arms above his head before he wrapped an arm around the younger's shoulders. "I'm making you breakfast, what do you want?"

"Pancakes?" he tested the waters, eyes full of hope, looking tiny nestled under the taller man's arm.

"Sure," chuckled Hoseok as he led Chan-woo out of his bedroom.

Music played through the pair of headphones as Chan-woo continued to work on his lyrics. He had been sat at the desk in his bedroom for the last few hours, leisurely working away. After Hoseok had made him the promised pancakes, he had squirrelled himself away in his room. He had felt awkward down in the living room as Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung played a game on the console, out of place and unsure what to do with himself.

As he typed away on his keyboard, he noticed movement to his right. The corner of Chan-woo's lips turned upwards with amusement as he knew exactly who had just entered his room. Every time Taehyung had the controller taken off of him, he'd come straight to Chan-woo and try to convince him to "stop working on his day off" and join the fun. And each time he would brush off the request.

What he didn't expect was for the other boy to settle on the ground to his right and lean with his back against the panel of the desk. Chan-woo then felt a few pokes on his legs a few seconds later. He saved and paused his work so he could give the obviously bored boy his full attention. After he placed his headphones on the desk, he turned his chair to the right and leant forward. He returned the gesture by poking Taehyung on the cheek.

"Woowoo," whined Taehyung, the nickname caused Chan-woo to blush. "I'm bored."

"Again? They keep taking the controller off of you?" he gave the older a sympathetic pout as he ran his hand through Taehyung's fluffy hair.

"Yeah. They said I'm just slowing the game down and messing up their stats," he sighed as his hands flopped by his sides.

"What are they playing right now?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Call Of Duty Black Ops 3," he said sadly. "We had a rule that you swap the controller when you get killed. And I keep dying so it's not really that fun for me."

"Why can't you guys play a game that is fun for everyone?" Chan-woo asked as he sat back in his chair.

"Because they said they wanted to play that," shrugged Taehyung.

"Have you asked them to play something else?" he asked.

"No," he answered sheepishly.

"And why not?" he chuckled with a frown. "If you aren't having fun, wouldn't it be better to play a different game?"

"I don't know. They seemed really eager to play it and then they've been so focused that they haven't been swapping the controllers all the time. Thought I'd just leave them alone," he shrugged as he looked down at his lap.

"That's very kind of you, Taehyungie," he said as he brushed his hand through the older's hair yet again. "But what are you going to do now, huh?"

"Annoy you?" he asked innocently as he looked up at Chan-woo.

"Yeah?" he asked with a wide smile.

"Why are you working on your day off anyway?" Taehyung asked with a frown as his hands grabbed onto the hem of Chan-woo's pyjama pants and played with them absentmindedly.

"If I'm being honest, it's because I feel like I have a lot to prove. I haven't debuted yet so why should I get a day off? You know, I want to show you guys that I am good enough to join the group," explained Chan-woo in an unsure hushed tone. "Plus I've seen the comments that people have left under the photoshoots and they are already judging me without yet hearing me."

"But you've been working hard all week. Don't you think you deserve some down time?" he asked with a pout.

"Not yet," he sadly chuckled.

A small silence befell the pair. Taehyung kept his eyes downcast as he continued to play with the hem of Chan-woo's pyjama pants, rolling the material around between his fingers. Chan-woo leant forward and swept his hand through the fluffy hair before him. He grew more concerned as the silence continued and he could see the deep frown on the other boy's face.

"What's wrong? What's with the frown?" cooed Chan-woo as he ran his hand through Taehyung's hair.

"I just got sad because I know how hard life has been for you. It's been so unfair what you've been through. And it's not like we made it any easier with how badly we've treated you. At the end of the day, I just want Army to accept you and give you all the love you deserve," Taehyung looked up at him with a very sad expression.

"It's okay Taehyungie. Life is full of tests that make you a stronger person. Mine has just had a lot more than other people. Try not to let it make you sad, alright? And as much as I would love to have the acceptance from Army straight away, I understand how difficult it can be to introduce a new person into a group," he tried to reassure him to the best of his abilities.

"I guess," he sighed as he shuffled forward and hugged Chan-woo's left leg tightly. "I would absolutely hate for them to treat you how we treated you. Bringing you into the group gives us so many new potentials."

"Yeah? Like what?" he asked with a slight blush.

"Like we've somehow ended up with another crazy good producer and songwriter. I'm not even exaggerating when I say your skills are out of this world. You really embody the message we want to convey to the world too. I've only heard you sing once but I really enjoyed it. And you can dance too. Plus it helps you're good looking too," ranted Taehyung as he continued to squeeze Chan-woo's leg, his right cheek rested against the younger's left knee.

"So you don't think that I'm ruining the visuals anymore?" tentatively asked Chan-woo, remembering one of the conversations he had overheard between the maknae line.

"What makes you think that?" he asked in shock as he sat up straighter, yet his arms remained around Chan-woo's legs.

"I overheard you say it once to Jimin Hyung and Jungkook Hyung," he admitted with a shrug.

"I said that?" he repeated the question to clarify he hadn't misheard.

"You did," nodded Chan-woo. "It was when I had first moved in though. Not recently."

"Wow. I can't believe I said that. Because no matter how much I didn't like the idea of you joining us... From the very start I found you fatally attractive with your cuteness overload. I almost envied you for pulling it off," Taehyung admitted with a small blush as he returned his head to the other's knee. "Maybe I was just saying it to go along with the others? I know I said mean stuff about you that I didn't think was true. But the others thought differently so I just pretended to agree to some extent, I guess?"

"You...? You think I'm attractive?" quietly gasped Chan-woo as his wide eyes stared down at the fluffy hair.

"Yes," nodded Taehyung without making eye contact.

"Is this a dream? The Kim Taehyung of BTS thinks that I, Jung Chan-woo, is attractive?" he mused out loud, hoping to see the older boy smile, while his own heart was secretly leaping out of his chest from such an admission.

"Here," Taehyung said before Chan-woo felt a sudden sharp pain on his right leg.

"Ow! What was that for?" he loudly whined after he had jumped from the pain.

"Aren't you meant to pinch yourself to check if you're dreaming?" Taehyung asked as he turned innocent eyes his way.

"I guess so. But don't do that again. Next time let me pinch myself," he mock-scolded the older with a pout.

"Can I ask another question?" Taehyung asked with a tilt of his head, changing the subject.

"Of course," he softly smiled down at Taehyung, who had moved to rest his chin on his knee.

"What gave you the inspiration to write Fake Love?" Taehyung asked quietly.

The question caught him off guard. He hadn't been expecting the conversation to shift in that direction. Apart from Namjoon and Yoongi, no one had enquired into the thought process behind the song. He knew that eventually one of the other members would ask him, or perhaps a media source of a type when the song gets released, or even one of the managers that worked for the group might ask him in the future.

"Well, a lot of people grow up with unconditional love from their parents. I didn't have that. I had very conditional love. But even then, most of the time, it was fake or forced conditional love. The main time I saw this, what I call "fake love", was when we were out in public and they had to play the role of a caring parent," he explained with a grimace. "I don't think my parents have ever shown me genuine love."

"Wow," breathlessly said Taehyung before his eyes began to well up with tears. "That's heartbreaking. It physically hurts me to hear that."

"Awe Taehyungie," cooed Chan-woo as he saw a stray tear roll down the other's face. He immediately wiped it away for him before Taehyung buried his face into the side of his leg.

"No more sad stuff and no more work," he said, perked up with determination in his eyes. "You and I are going downstairs for the rest of the afternoon and taking over the tv so we can watch whatever we want."

"Are you sure I can't do a little more work?" asked Chan-woo as he started to turn around in his chair.

"Absolutely not sir, come with me," Taehyung said as he stood up, grabbed Chan-woo's wrists, and gently pulled him out of his chair.

"Wait, I need my phone," loudly laughed Chan-woo, happy that Taehyung was in a better, playful mood again. He had been genuinely sad to see him upset. He quickly grabbed his phone and turned off his computer before he turned around. "Alright, now we can go."

Taehyung grabbed his left hand and interlocked their fingers. Chan-woo giggled happily as he was led downstairs. He felt a lightness in his chest that he hadn't experienced in a while. The bright smile that was on his face reflected how he felt inside. If someone had told him how safe he could feel around the group when he had first joined, he would have laughed in their faces at such a ridiculous idea.

Loud sounds from the tv reverberated throughout the entire downstairs area as the pair approached the living room. Chan-woo could hear the shouts of celebration and cries of frustration from the two that were in the middle of a heated battle. He understood why Taehyung had come to him for company as his eyes landed on Jimin and Jungkook. The pair were fully engrossed in their game, completely oblivious to their surroundings. As he was pulled further into the room, he also noticed Jin and Namjoon sat side-by-side on the far couch that was facing the hallway.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but we've come to crash game time," Taehyung asserted himself as he dragged Chan-woo by the hand into the middle of three couches. The pair blocked the view of the tv for Jimin and Jungkook. Both boys went to object but Taehyung simply held his hand up with a stern expression. "You two have been playing all day so I don't want to hear a word out of either of you. Chan-woo has been up there working on his day off. So I've made him take a break and we are going to watch something down here."

"Actually that doesn't sound bad to me," shrugged Jungkook as he threw the game controller to his side and stretched his arms. "Right Jiminie?"

"Right," Jimin nodded, a smile on his face and his eyes sparkled with delight as he saved their current game and exited it. "Should we get the other two Hyung's for a movie marathon?"

"If you can drag them down here then sure. But I'm starting with or without them," said Taehyung as he let go of Chan-woo to collect the remote from the coffee table.

"Hey Chan-woo? Can we go talk quickly?" Namjoon asked him with a nervous smile upon his face.

"Sure," he answered with apprehension.

Just as quickly as Chan-woo had entered the living room, he was being whisked back out of it. Namjoon stood up from where he sat next to Jin and motioned to the younger to follow. Chan-woo gulped as he walked a few steps behind the leader. He had absolutely no idea why he was being pulled aside, neither what the conversation would be about. Of course, his first thoughts went to if he had done something wrong or if there had been a change in plans and suddenly he wouldn't be allowed to debut with the group.

"This won't take long," Namjoon said over his shoulder as he opened the door to their home studio and gestured for Chan-woo to enter. The younger of the pair nodded in understanding as he walked over to the desk chairs and sat in his usual spot on the right. Namjoon took up his usual spot on the left after he had closed the door. "So I've been wanting to talk with you for a while, but we've been too busy."

"Is it bad? Have I done something wrong?" worriedly asked Chan-woo as both boys swivelled their chairs towards each other.

"No, not at all. It's nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you about something I noticed," reassured the leader.

"Oh," he exhaled before he frowned deeply, still unsure on the direction the conversation was about to head.

"I want to reassure you before we talk that no one is going to be in trouble regardless of what really happened. If it turns out that what I think happened is true, then I just want to stop and correct the behaviour before anything else occurs," vaguely explained Namjoon with a serious expression.

"I know you said that I didn't do anything wrong, but the way you are leading into it is making me think otherwise," quietly admitting Chan-woo as he nervously wrung his hands together in his lap and averted his gaze from the other.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant it when I said that you haven't done anything wrong. I'll cut to the chase. This is about Jungkook actually," he said in one rushed breath.

"What about him exactly?" he asked nervously with a confused frown.

"When we were leaving the fanmeet last Sunday, I asked Jungkook to wake you up so we could go home. And I overheard what you said to him as you woke up," explained Namjoon, getting straight to the point. "Do you remember what you said?"

"No," he answered after a few seconds of silence, unable to recall what he had said.

"You said something along the lines of 'don't hurt me again Hyung' when you saw who had woken you up," said Namjoon with a serious expression, his eyes flickered over Chan-woo's face as he took in the information.

Upon hearing what he had accidentally said in front of Namjoon, Chan-woo's heart increased in speed. His palms felt even more clammy then before. How could he have slipped that out? The last thing he wanted to do was jeopardise the newly built relationship between him and Jungkook over something that happened weeks and weeks ago. Although he had long forgotten about the incident in the living room of the old apartment, perhaps his subconscious mind had not.

"Now knowing what I do of your home life, I understand that this could all be a big misunderstanding, and what you said after you woke up could have been out of instinct," pushed Namjoon as soon as he realised Chan-woo didn't know what to say. "But the only thing that doesn't make sense is why you'd say 'Hyung' if it was instinct. So that's what has led me to believe maybe something has happened between you and Jungkook in the past for you to say that."

As the leader continued to talk, the younger felt as if he was being backed into a corner with no way out. It felt like no matter which direction he went, he would hurt someone. If he lied to Namjoon and said nothing happened, he would be building a foundation upon lies and mistrust. If he told him the truth, he could potentially damage everything he had worked for between himself and Jungkook. Chan-woo didn't know what to say.

"Like I said, no one is going to get in trouble. Unless of course something serious has happened between you two. But if it's something small that I can hold him accountable for without taking it to anyone higher, then I'd like to do that," Namjoon said with a frown. "Would you like to tell me if I was spot on? Or if I was reading into something that wasn't there?"

"I don't know what to do Hyung," admitted Chan-woo with a defeated sigh. "I don't want to lie to you. But I also don't want to risk what I've worked so hard to build with Jungkook. I've come so far with him and I still have a long way to go with him. I would hate for something to ruin it and set me back to the start again."

"I can't promise what will happen after I talk with him. But whatever happened needs to be addressed. Okay? We need to be a team and feel physically safe around each other," he said, trying to pry the information out of him which he could tell he was close to doing.

"It happened on one of the first few days I had arrived. One morning, I was asleep on the couch when suddenly I had been pulled off and hit the ground pretty hard. I landed on my arm which dug into a really big bruise I had on my ribcage. When I looked up, I saw that it was Jungkook that had done it. It's really not a big deal and I really don't want him to get in trouble because of it," Chan-woo admitted quietly before he said the last sentence in a bit of panic.

"And you didn't tell anyone what he did?" he asked with a deep frown.

"No?" he asked in return with hesitancy. "Was I meant to?"

"Well yes, you are meant to. If you ever are physically manhandled or hurt in any way, you tell someone so it can be dealt with accordingly," Namjoon explained.

"You don't get it," he huffed with some hurt.

"What don't I get?" he asked slightly taken aback.

"Do you think I had anyone to tell back then? I couldn't have turned to you because you probably would have shrugged and walked away. I couldn't tell Bang PD-nim because it could have tainted my chances of debuting with you. Let alone how mad all of you would have been with me if I had told him," he reminded Namjoon about the circumstances when he had first arrived. "Who do you think I should have told when that happened? I was all alone."

"Fuck I'm sorry," Namjoon looked down at his lap in shame.

"I just don't want him to get in trouble Hyung, okay? I don't want everything to be destroyed because of me," tiredly said Chan-woo while he looked towards the door with sadness in his eyes.

"I promised you no one would be in trouble and I stick to that. All I'll do is pull Jungkook aside and talk with him. I'll give a warning that if he repeats that behaviour towards you or anyone, then it will be taken higher. Are you okay for me to do that?" he asked as he reached forward and patted the younger's knee in comfort.

"Yeah I guess you can," he sighed before he turned his head back to the leader and gave him a tight lipped smile. "Just can you not do it today? I already feel like I'm intruding on his game time with Jimin so I don't want this to ruin his day."

"Alright, I'll compromise with you since you were so honest. Which by the way, I really appreciate that. If anything ever happens again I want you to feel comfortable coming to me," Namjoon said with a much more relaxed smile. "Should we go rejoin the party?"

"Yeah. Thank you for this Hyung," said Chan-woo as he stood up.

"Of course, it's okay. And I'm sorry this happened. I don't want you to feel like you are alone with no one to turn to. But more importantly, I don't want you to be afraid to talk if someone ever does something to you," Namjoon said as he hugged Chan-woo to him and then led him out of the room with an arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"I don't feel alone these days. I feel like I can turn to a few of you," he answered truthfully as he looked up to Namjoon with a calm smile.

"I'm really glad to hear that, Chan-woo," he replied with a wide smile that made his dimples reappear.

"Guess who I managed to drag down," excitedly said Jimin as he saw the pair enter the living room once more.

"Only doing it for you, Channie-ah," grumbled Yoongi as he slumped further into the middle couch and patted the empty spot beside him. "Come here and tell us what you want to watch."

"Yeah, what do you want to watch?" asked Hoseok with a bright smile.

Chan-woo smiled as he separated from Namjoon after one last hug and made his way to the empty space between Yoongi and Taehyung. The second he had made contact with the couch, Taehyung had immediately clung onto his arm,  linked their fingers together, and cosied up to his right side. A small, lighthearted giggle left him as a second later his left hand was also taken captive by a certain grumpy looking boy next to him.

After sharing a smile with the two beside him, he looked around the room as he noticed how quiet it was. He looked to the right to find Namjoon and Jin cuddled together on the couch with a blanket thrown over their laps. His eyes then looked to the left to see that Jungkook, Jimin and Hoseok were settled close beside each other on that couch. All eyes were on him as they waited for him to answer the question.

"What about a comedy or a horror?" he asked the group, not sure what they would normally watch.

"Could not have chosen two more different genres," chuckled Jin as he shook his head.

"Why not a horror comedy?" gasped Taehyung with joy as he squeezed Chan-woo's arm and rested his head upon the younger's shoulder.

"Sure," agreed Jimin with a nod.

"I don't really care as long as I get to sit here next to Chan-woo," shrugged Yoongi nonchalantly.

"Who has the remote?" asked Namjoon which caused all eight of them to look around.

"I saw Taehyungie grab it just before Namjoon Hyung pulled me away," Chan-woo spoke up.

"That's right! I had it last. Now, next question is where did I leave it?" said Taehyung as he moved the cushions around that were on his other side. "Aha! Found it!"

Chan-woo giggled as he looked at Taehyung with fondness. He settled back into the couch and gripped Yoongi's hand a little tighter. He felt the older boy look at him so he turned his head towards him. Any prior awkwardness or guilt for disrupting Jimin and Jungkook's quality time had disappeared. He noticed that all of the other boys seemed excited at the prospect of having a movie marathon. He smiled at Yoongi as he leant to the side and rested his head on Yoongi's shoulder.

The living room was clouded in darkness, which didn't trouble the eight occupants as their attention was drawn to the tv. The light from the tv was the only source that illuminated the now dark room. Hours ago the sun had set for the day, yet none of the eight boys seemed to take notice, as they were truly engrossed in the movie marathon they had embarked on. The only sounds were that of the tv, the reactions from the boys, and the snacks they munched on that they had spread out on the coffee table hours ago.

Chan-woo had stayed nestled between Yoongi and Taehyung for the entire time. He had found that Taehyung, in particular, had been extra clingy ever since the pair had a deep conversation earlier that day. There had barely been a second that the other had let go of his hand or arm. They had basically become joined at the hip. When Chan-woo would go for a water break, Taehyung would go for one. When Chan-woo would go for a toilet break, Taehyung would whine as he got up and then immediately attached himself once he had sat back down.

All of a sudden, Chan-woo's attention had been drawn away from the movie as he felt his phone begin to vibrate on silent in his pocket. He managed to wiggle his right hand from Taehyung and fish out the device. He frowned as he noticed the 'no caller id'. His instinct was to let it go to voicemail and ignore it in favour for the movie. However, not even a second after it had rung out, it started to vibrate again. He had no clue who was trying to contact him that late at night through a hidden number.

"Are you going to answer it? We can pause the movie for you?" whispered Taehyung as he looked over his shoulder down at the phone.

"No it's okay. I'll just go outside, no need to pause it," he sighed before he stood up.

With an uneasy feeling, Chan-woo walked over to the glass sliding door and opened it up. He stepped out into the cold night air as the phone stopped ringing. He stared down at the screen in anticipation, only for it to start vibrating at the incoming call yet again. He closed the glass door behind him as he turned to face the dark backyard. But what he failed to notice was that it hadn't closed all the way and was still open a slither. He took a few steps away from the door and answered the calling, putting it cautiously to his ear as if it could hurt him.

"H-Hello?" he answered with an air of uncertainty.

"I thought you were never going to answer," a familiar voice whispered through the phone that immediately sent shivers down his spine and caused the hair on his arms to rise. "You know, I've been seeing pictures of you over the internet the last few days. Where are you?"

"You're not meant to call me," he somehow managed to say without a shake in his voice.

"I am your Mother! Of course I'm allowed to call you!" she yelled into the phone, full of fury, full of rage. "Who do you think you are? Huh? Running off from under this roof we've fought so hard to keep over your head! You ungrateful little brat!"

"You gave me no choice!" he suddenly snapped at her from all the years of repressed emotions. "It was either I stayed there with you two and fucking died or escape the absolute hell I was put through!"

"How dare you," his mother seethed.

"I had enough of all the shit you put me through. I couldn't stand to be around you any longer. Or him. Both of you made my life hell. Leaving was the only option I had. And I don't regret it. Maybe I'll actually be able to do something useful with my life instead of barely making enough income to feed my parent's alcoholic tendencies," he snarled angrily into the phone as he walked closer to the edge of the verandah.

"You won't get any where in life, you talentless piece of crap! They'll soon see you aren't good for anything! Won't be able to make a cent off your name because you can't do shit! And then what? Huh? Think you can come crawling back to us? Begging for us to take back in our only son who abandoned us?" she shrieked into the phone, a slight slur to the edge of some the words, obviously drunk like normal.

"I would never dream of crawling back to you!" Chan-woo spat as he felt angry tears brim in his eyes. "I'd rather die than ever have to live with you two again! I wouldn't be caught dead begging to you two!"

"That's rich coming from someone that wouldn't have anything in this world without us! We provided you with everything you ever needed growing up and more! Some kids aren't lucky enough to even have the basics necessities and here you are throwing it right back into our faces! We even went above and beyond to give you money for all those lessons! And how do you pay us back? By this? You are nothing but an entitled little fuck!" she screamed.

"Did you ever stop and think that maybe the reason I left was because of you two and the way I was treated? Did you maybe consider that if I hadn't been fucking abused that maybe I would be grateful enough to pay you back more than you ever gave me? Did you ever contemplate that you're the problem here?" he said with a bite to his words that he had never heard from himself before.

"You fucking little shit! How fucking dare you to talk me like that!" she gasped in shock. "Either you tell me where you are right now or you come home this instance! I will not have you acting this way!"

"You don't fucking control me anymore!" he yelled in pure rage as the tears finally began to fall. "And you know what? You're not meant to contact me according to the Non-Disclosure Agreement! You were paid to keep your distance and to keep quiet to the media! Any breach of it and you can get in trouble!"

"What they don't know won't hurt them," she huffed and he could tell, he knew, that on the other end of the phone she was smiling with a dark glint in her eyes.

"If you ever, ever, contact me again... I will tell the fucking CEO without hesitation! And guess what? He will do something about it. He will take the breach seriously," he threatened with an air of seriousness.

"You're a fucking piece of shit! You know that right?" she yelled again. "You're a waste of space! I regret the day you were born! You deserved everything that happened! We should have done it more if this is the way you behave! How fucking dare you show this type of disrespect to your own parents! How fucking dar-"

"No stop! I've had enough! Fuck you! Just fuck off! Never contact me again!" he yelled into the phone, over the top of her continued screaming, before he pulled it away from his face and pressed the hang up button.

The moment the line went dead, Chan-woo let out a chocked sob as he felt the tears stream faster down his face. With a primal grunt from years of suppressed rage, he blindly threw his phone off the end of the verandah and into the dark backyard. In that moment he didn't care for the welfare of his phone. All he wanted to do was get distance between the object that had brought him so much hurt and misery in the past few minutes.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his shaking body as loud sobs left him. He instinctively turned his head into the chest and buried his face there for comfort. A few seconds passed before he felt his knees give way. All of his energy had gone to finally stand up for himself and now he couldn't even stand on his two own feet. Whoever tightly held onto him didn't seem to mind as he soon found himself knelt on the hard, wooden deck, arms still firmly around him.

Why did life always have something in store for him? Why couldn't he have some peace and harmony for once? After all that time, he thought he had finally escaped the clutches of his abusive parents. Turns out they had been lurking in the dark and were waiting for the right moment to strike. He should have expected that from them. He supposes that's what he gets for allowing his guards down.

In amongst the uncontrollable crying, he felt at least another pair or two of hands softly touch him in various places. From his head, to his back, to his arms. He knew he wasn't alone and wouldn't be surprised if the entire group was stood around him. A wave of embarrassment washed through him at the prospect that the whole group had witnessed his outburst. He didn't have a clue how he would explain any of this to the ones that knew nothing of his past.

"H-How much did you guys hear?" he asked as he slightly pulled away from the chest, barely coherent between his sobs.

"Most of it," admitted Namjoon quietly. And even through his blurry vision, Chan-woo could see the pity in Namjoon's eyes. "Are you okay?"

"No," Chan-woo sobbed out and felt the person cradle his head back into his chest. He desperately grabbed onto the soft fabric of the other boy's shirt and pulled him closer as endless sobs continued to escape him. "I hate them."

"It'll be okay," a voice whispered into his ear.

It was only then that he realised who held him. Out of all of the group members, Jimin had been the one to hug him. If he hadn't been so emotionally drained, he would have jumped away in shock. But he couldn't even muster the energy to move a muscle after the realisation. The two knelt awkwardly on the cold, hard wooden deck, arms firmly around one another with hands that desperately pulled the other closer. In that moment, it was exactly what he needed though and he didn't care who it was that held him.

"Do you want to go back inside? Get out of the cold?" asked Namjoon after some crying filled silence elapsed.

"N-Not yet," softly hiccupped Chan-woo and shook his head. "I want to stay out here on my own for a bit more. Clear my head, you know?"

"Can I stay with you?" Jimin asked softly.

"Sure," he whispered as he closed his eyes again. If he was being honest, he was too tired to put up a fight.

"Come get us if you need anything," said Namjoon before he herded the rest of the group, albeit reluctantly, back inside.

Chan-woo slowly calmed himself down as Jimin and him continued to awkward kneel on the hard deck. He shivered as one of Jimin's small hands rubbed soothing circles on his back and the other gently massaged his scalp. Every few seconds the other boy would whisper calm words into his ear. Despite feeling exhausted, he couldn't help the uneasiness he experienced due to the sudden nice demeanour used towards him.

"How about we move to the steps? Hmm? Get more comfortable?" Jimin softly asked as he begun to shuffle his way towards the back steps that was only a ruler's length away.

Without saying a word, Chan-woo forced his weak body to follow along. The pair settled down beside each other, arms and legs against each other, as they looked out into the pitch black backyard. Jimin shuffled that inch closer as he wrapped his right arm around the younger's shoulder and grabbed onto Chan-woo's hand with his left. The younger wiped away his remaining tears with his right hand as he hung his head in shame.

"That was your parents?" Jimin asked quietly with a deep frown.

"Y-Yeah," he answered and nodded.

"They sound toxic," he whispered while his thumb rubbed a soothing pattern upon Chan-woo's hand.

"You have no idea," he whispered as he bit his lip in an attempt to stop further crying.

"I have some idea," Jimin responded. "I don't know what your parents are like. But I also came from a bad home life."

"You did?" he gasped softly as he looked up into the sad brown eyes of Jimin.

"I did," he nodded while he gave him a sad smile. "My parents were horrible to me. They made me feel inadequate. I felt like I could never be my true self, let alone think I could chase my dreams. They truly did say terrible things to me. It wasn't until I joined this group that I found some confidence in myself and was able to become my true self. I haven't spoken to them in many years now."

"M-My parents also say horrible things to me," he stuttered and looked at his lap in shame.

"They do? Like what?" he asked and gave a comforting squeeze to both his hand and shoulders.

"Like... Like I'm a pathetic waste of space," Chan-woo said which caused Jimin to softly gasp and his eyes to widen. "A-And that I'm not talented and will never do anything with my l-life. They told me they wished they never had me. That I-I'm ungrateful. That I'm stupid and disrespectful. That I don't d-deserve to be happy. T-T-That I deserved what they did to me."

"Chan-woo... What did they do to you?" whispered Jimin with tears in his own eyes.

"You mean what didn't they do," he couldn't look the older in the eyes as he whispered his answer. "They hurt me."

"They hurt you?" he repeated in a whisper.

"Yes," he nodded as a stray tear fell down his face.

"Chan-woo," whispered Jimin as he pulled the younger to him and cradled his head against his chest.

Chan-woo didn't mean to cry anymore. He didn't. But to hear Jimin say his name in a broken whisper full of pain, it hurt him. It didn't help that his brain already had mixed emotions from the sudden compassion, warmth, and kindness being shown towards him. Out of all the members, he assumed Jimin would have been the least understanding and empathetic of his previous life. Maybe he had judged him wrong.

But who could blame him? After all, Jimin was the only member that had yet to make a connection with him. The entire time he had been there the pair had never connected on any level. Jimin's eyes were always full with hatred, coldness, jealousy, despise, and resent whenever he looked at him. It was completely reasonable for Chan-woo to be so taken aback by the current interaction and have a seed of doubt as to how genuine Jimin's affection was.

"I'm sorry," Jimin whispered with a wave of raw emotion in his voice.

"Hyung," he chocked out as he felt the wetness on Jimin's cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said louder as he held onto the younger tighter.

"Hyung," he cried as he finally pulled away, both boys had tears that ran down their faces. "Y-You didn't know."

"But that's not an excuse," Jimin sobbed as he pulled Chan-woo back to him and practically squeezed the life out of him. "I should have seen the signs. I should have recognised another broken person. I'm sorry."

Chan-woo listened to the words and felt his heart break. While he empathised with whatever Jimin had been through, he felt torn with the treatment he had received. It had been cruel. He could not ignore that fact. All seven of the boys had been cruel to him at some point. Yet he had always understood where they were coming from and tried to move passed it in hopes of a better future. He had a very understanding nature which at times had caused others to exploit that side of him. It was only in the last year that he had decided to put up some barriers to protect himself from the inevitable hurt.

Could he do that with Jimin? The last member of the group to come around? Surely out of everyone, Chan-woo could relate to him the most with coming from a rough past. Maybe he needed some time to be able to move passed the hurt and awkwardness. Of course he would like to hope that one day everything between him and Jimin would be fine. In fact, he hoped that with all the members. But he just needed time to heal. He just hoped that they would all understand that and take it slow and easy with him.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to go over it tonight, but I'd like to hear your story," finally Jimin said to break the silence that had been filled with the both of them crying.

"Sometime soon Hyung," he nodded as he wiped his tears with the back of one of his arms.

"I'm so sorry for the way I acted and treated you," said Jimin as he pulled away and held onto both of Chan-woo's hands. "There's not enough apologies in the world that I could give to make up for the past month. I hate the way I conducted myself."

"I would be lying if I said it's okay. But I understand where you all came from. I understand how hard it would have been to accept a new person into the group after all the hard work you all have put in over the years. To get to where you are today and to have someone come in all of a sudden. It would have been hard to come to terms with. But in saying that, I wasn't given a chance. I was immediately casted aside for a decision I had no power or say in," Chan-woo told him as he stared deeply into the sad brown eyes.

"But even then, we acted immaturely and, it wasn't even borderline, it was intimidation and bullying. What we did, what we said, it was so fucking wrong," Jimin shook his head in shame. "We were so caught up in our own emotions that we took it out on you without even getting to know you. We should have treated you with the decency like any human being deserves."

"Hyung, I appreciate what you are saying. I really do. And if I didn't come from the home life that I had, I would have run for the hills weeks ago. But I was so used to being treated the way I had that I was able to handle it all. I said to myself that it felt like I went from one hellhole to another, but for different reasons," softly explained Chan-woo.

"For my part in it all, I'm so sorry," Jimin whispered as he pulled Chan-woo closer again.

"Thank you Jimin Hyung," whispered Chan-woo.

"Should we go inside before we catch a cold?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Good idea," he nodded. "I regret rushing out here without shoes."

"Let's get you warmed up," Jimin moved to stand and pulled the younger up with him.

The two boys walked back inside with Jimin's arm around Chan-woo's shoulders. They entered a completely silent living room, movie long abandoned, all six pair of eyes were trained on him. Jimin guided him until they were on the only couch that was unoccupied. Chan-woo barely was able to sit down before he felt another pair of arms attach to him. He blinked and locked down to find Taehyung suddenly staring at him with questioning, sad eyes. He hadn't even seen the other boy move across the room. He smiled sadly in return as Jimin, Taehyung and him settled on the couch.

"How are you feeling?" Namjoon was the first to ask, the ever concerned leader side of him showing.

"I don't know," quietly said Chan-woo as he noticed the sadness on all of their faces.

"We got your phone for you," mentioned Taehyung. "It kept ringing so we turned it off."

"I see," nodded Chan-woo as he nervously looked down in his lap. "Thanks for getting it for me. I didn't even think of it while I was out there."

"No need to thank us. Here you are," Jin said as he stood up, walked across the room, and passed the device to Chan-woo. "There's a crack in the top corner now though."

"It doesn't really matter. It's replaceable," he shrugged as he accepted the dreaded device.

As Jin walked back to the couch, the silence continued to persist. Chan-woo looked down at the phone in his hands. His thumb traced the new crack on the top right corner of the screen that ran a few centimeters downwards. It didn't matter to him. His phone was an item that could easily be replaced. His anger at his parents had caused that uncharacteristic outburst, but it was long overdue. It just so happened that the target of his rage had been his phone unfortunately.

"Would you like to talk about it?" tentatively asked Namjoon.

"Not tonight," he answered with a small shake of his head. "I-I can't..."

"It's okay. We just want to make sure you are okay," said Taehyung as he slipped his hand into Chan-woo's right hand.

"I'll be okay," he said with a frown.

"Are you going to talk with Bang PD-nim about this?" Yoongi asked, his face mirrored the frown.

"I think so," he stuttered and nodded as he looked at the other across from him. "She violated one of the terms in the contract. And I can't keep letting them get away with it otherwise they will continue."

"You're doing the right thing and we will be right here to support you in any way that you need," spoke up Jimin as he squeezed Chan-woo's shoulders.

"I appreciate that," quietly said Chan-woo as he looked up at Jimin with a sad smile.

"Would you like to keep watching the movie? Or would you like to go to bed?" asked Hoseok from where he sat beside Yoongi.

"Keep watching the movie," he answered. "I don't want to be alone right now and there's no way I could sleep after all that. I just want something to distract myself from what just happened."

"That's completely understandable. We'll help you however you want tonight," smiled Namjoon as he stood up and picked up the tv remote from the coffee table. "Are you cold? Do you want a blanket before I sit down?"

"Yes please," he nodded shyly, his feet freezing from the bitter coldness of the night.

"One blanket coming right up," chuckled Hoseok as he rushed from his spot, before Namjoon had a chance to react, and brought the spare blanket over to Chan-woo. The brightly smiling Hoseok threw the blanket onto Chan-woo, Jimin and Taehyung before he then tucked the edges around the three of them. He leant down and placed a gentle kiss on the youngest's temple. "There you go."

"Thanks Hyung," he whispered with a shy smile on his face, cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"My turn!" loudly proclaimed Taehyung as he leant over and placed a peck on Chan-woo's right cheek.

"Taehyungie," Chan-woo whined as he sunk further into the couch and hid his face beneath the blankets, only his eyes and forehead poked above it.

"So cute," whispered Taehyung as the rest of the boys chuckled while they settled back into the couches and turned their attention back to the tv.

His eyes stared at the tv unfocused as Chan-woo allowed himself to get comfortable in the arms of Jimin and Taehyung. He reflected upon the events that had just transpired and unfolded before him. It had felt like an uncontrollable dumpster fire that burned before his eyes. While he had been broken by the conversation with his mother, a small part of him had been utterly grateful that he had the seven boys around him to lean on him and pick him up during the aftermath of it all.

He just hoped it stayed that way...

Chapter Text

The large conference room seemed impossibly quiet with all eight of the boys sat shoulder-to-shoulder. Chan-woo nervously bounced his right leg from where he sat in the middle of Yoongi and Namjoon. He had asked to sit between the pair before they had sat down since he knew they could offer him the greatest comfort during his first official meeting with some of their managers and other important staff members.

Being between the two meant that he could easily grab their hands under the table - without being seen - if he felt overwhelmed at any stage. He kept the thought in the back of his mind and in the meantime he had resorted to anxiously bouncing his leg. He didn't know what to expect for his first meeting with the team. He fully intended to sit back and observe as much as he could. Hopefully he wouldn't have to talk that much, he still felt emotional after the previous night's experience.

Currently, all eight were gathered on one side of the conference tables. Four long tables were set up in the middle of the room in a square formation, with enough seats to comfortable sit a large number of people. Chan-woo guessed the number to be somewhere around 30-35 seats. Upon seeing the sheer size of the expected meeting, he had felt his insides twist with nerves. He had yet to officially meet any of the management teams.

When they had first arrived, Namjoon had placed copies of their updates all around the tables for the staff members to read between each other. He said there should be enough for everyone to share a copy, one for every two people. Ever since then, they all had sat in silence as they patiently waited for the staff members to join them. Only the sound of the clock ticking filled the silence in the room.

"Are you going okay?" asked Namjoon as he reached down and settled his hand on Chan-woo's rapidly moving leg.

"Mmm not really," he answered in a whisper, eyes downcast.

"You'll be okay," the leader reassured with a sad smile.

Chan-woo hoped so because his anxieties were off the Richter scales. He had been on edge ever since the phone call with his mother. Unfortunately he hadn't had the best sleep, his thoughts constantly plagued by the nasty comments thrown his way. He couldn't help but to replay the entire conversation over and over instead of getting much needed rest. By the time the sun had risen the next morning, he had barely slept a wink.

"Boys, thanks for waiting," Bang PD-nim announced as he entered the room.

"Hello PD-nim Hyung," Namjoon smiled as he stood up from his chair, the rest of the group copied him.

As all eight boys bowed to their CEO, more staff members entered the room behind him. Slowly, the large conference room steadily filled out until the once unoccupied tables barely had a seat empty. Chan-woo and the rest bowed repeatedly to all of the new faces that walked in. Bang PD-nim gestured for the boys to take their sits once more, and then the room settled with all of the many people around the conference tables.

Directly across from Chan-woo sat Bang PD-nim. As the room full of people got themselves comfortable, the shy boy made eye contact with the CEO from where he sat. The older of the pair sent a reassuring smile his way. Chan-woo appreciated the gesture and returned the smile, even if it was a tiny smile. He gulped as he nervously looked down at his lap before he felt Namjoon's hand reappear on his leg, another gesture he gratefully appreciated.

"Good morning everyone," said Bang PD-nim as he adjusted the paperwork in front of him and slowly scanned the faces from left to right as he continued to speak. "Thank you all for coming. We have a lot to get through this morning. However before we begin, I'm sure many of you have noticed the new face that has joined us today."

Suddenly, all of the attention was drawn towards Chan-woo. He felt his heart pound harder at all the pairs of eyes on him. He bit his lip in an attempt to stop himself from fidgeting under all the gazes. As he slowly looked around the room, he saw another familiar face amongst the other people. Choi Hye, the vocal coach, sat on the table to Chan-woo's right. The older male smiled warmly at him the moment they made eye contact. But apart from that, he didn't recognise anyone else.

"Some of you already know who this is, and some of you don't. This is Jung Chan-woo," continued Bang PD-nim. "He will be joining the group as a new member. No one outside of this room is to know of his presence until it is released to the public. You must seek approval from me to talk about him with other staff members first. Am I understood?"

A round of murmurs went around the group while others silently nodded in agreement. From where he sat, Chan-woo could see a few of the staff members size him up. They blatantly checked his appearance out and some even made notes on their papers in front of them. He was glad that Namjoon still had his hand on his knee. He just couldn't handle the intense looks and made a move to grab it. The physical contact immediately calmed some of his nerves he felt under the judging looks.

"While we don't have the proper amount of time for everybody to introduce themselves with Chan-woo, we do have some to quickly go around the room. Just state your name and what position you are. Starting from this end," said Bang PD-nim as he pointed to the staff member that sat to left side of Chan-woo, near Hoseok's end of the table.

Slowly, the staff members introduced themselves one by one. Chan-woo knew that he wouldn't remember all of the names and faces. There were simply too many people in that one meeting. He noticed that they all sat in clusters of the same department and most of them were the heads or seniors of that department. Four people from the creative team, four choreographers, four producers which include Hye, four of their most involved managers, the head of make-up, the head of wardrobe, and of course there was also Bang PD-nim.

"Chan-woo will be involved in the next comeback. So moving forwards, all plans and everything else needs to be organised for a group of eight members. If any of you need to acquaint yourself with him, please do so after this meeting or contact Namjoon who can make time amongst their schedule," continued Bang PD-nim. "Moving on, we have a lot to cover today. I'll just go over it quickly before we begin. I need a progress report from the boys. We need to cement deadlines before we leave. Have a rough production schedule which is agreed upon by all departments. And then we'll finish up with an open floor for everyone to make comments or share concerns."

Chan-woo noticed a few of the staff members wrote notes on their paper as the CEO spoke. He wondered if he should be doing the same. But the second he had that thought, he noticed Namjoon flip the back of his papers over and began to write on the back page. He looked around him to the rest of the boys and noticed that none of them made a move to write any notes. He would hate to make a mistake in the very first meeting. So he leant to his left and tapped Yoongi's thigh.

"Should I take notes?" he whispered into Yoongi's ear the moment the other had leaned in.

"Don't worry about it. Namjoon will take all the notes, then type them all up and send it to us tonight," Yoongi whispered back and smiled at him.

"Okay," he whispered back with a nod and intertwined his left hand fingers with Yoongi's, who happily accepted the physical contact.

"Alright, Namjoon-ah? What do you have for us?" prompted Bang PD-nim as he turned expectant eyes their way.

"Before we start, I just wanted to see if you had some spare time after this meeting to stay back with just us to discuss something important?" Namjoon asked the CEO, a request Chan-woo had asked him to make on his behalf.

"Of course," he nodded before he gestured for the leader of BTS to take over.

"I've laid a copy of everything we have worked on so far in front of everyone," said Namjoon as he flipped open to the first page, everyone else followed him. Chan-woo shared his copy with Yoongi. "On the first page I've outlined all of the potential songs that could be included in the next track list, they just need to be approved before it's final. I've put all the songs that could potentially have choreography in underlines. All the songs that could have a music video in bold. And the song we think would make a good lead single has the asterisk at the start."

Chan-woo's eyes scanned the page as he listened to Namjoon explain the layout. He saw four of his songs were on that list. However, his heart almost skipped several beats as he saw that one of his song, Fake Love, not only was it in bold and underlined... But it had the asterisk at the start. He almost couldn't believe his eyes nor what he had heard. Namjoon had neglected to mention that he thought his song could have the potential to be the lead single for the entire album. He never thought something like that would ever be remotely possible.

"I can send lyric samples and rough demos to any departments that need them later today. I just need to be told so I can add you to the team project folder," Namjoon continued before he turned the page over. "On the next page, I have outlined the progress of each song that was included in the previous list. The first bar has the overall completion, then the lyric completion, and then the rough demo completion. As you can see, they are all over 50 percent done."

Upon the page, was a list of each song with three bars underneath their working titles and a number of percentages for each category. All of the songs had an overall completion of 50 percent, and majority of them had the lyrics completion status at over 75 percent. The rough demo was where most of the songs needed the work to be focused on. From what he knew of the songs, he knew they wouldn't be too hard to finish. The main work was to clean and tidy up the tracks before they recorded and mixed the vocals and raps.

"We have already done most of the work. So I'll happily pass on the tracks to the producers to finish the small details. I have extensive notes on all of the songs for them to follow. And I suggest we split up into two teams of four, the vocal and rap team, and schedule recording sessions some day soon. I will happily coordinate the schedule with the managers and producers once the track list has been approved," said Namjoon as he looked towards the eight members of staff, and all of them nodded in approval.

"Over the following four pages is a small mood board for each song," explained Namjoon as he turned the page. "Even if the songs don't get a music video or choreography, I've created a general mood board so everyone can understand the feel for the song. But for the songs that do get a music video or choreography, this can be a starting point for the creative team, make-up team, and wardrobe team. You can sort of see what feelings we would like each song to convey."

Yoongi slowly turned each page over after both him and Chan-woo perused the different mood boards for each song. Namjoon had included about four to eight different pictures for every single potential song. He nodded his head in approval as he scanned the images. He agreed with what Namjoon had envisioned for the songs he had heard and even the ones that he, himself, had made. He had managed to find pictures or themes that captured the feelings for each song.

"And on the last page, I have the proposed deadline and schedules from our side of things. We can make adjustments after we've gone through it," said Namjoon as he looked around at the different departments. "These deadline accommodate for the production of the more important songs to be done first, with the attention to the rest being left to producers. And I think the time I proposed allows enough time for the music videos to be shot with additional time for reshoots and post production to be done."

"Thank you, Namjoon," smiled Bang PD-nim as he wrote a few notes on the paper in front of him. "We'll make our way around through the different department heads. Let's start with creative team first."

Relief flooded through Chan-woo as the meeting had finally wrapped up for the morning. It had been a massive two hours worth of information and dates that had sometimes gone in one ear and out the other. He was glad that Namjoon would convert the notes and send them to everyone later. Perhaps next time, he would write his own notes. He felt as if he would retain a lot more if he actively wrote information down. But at least he knew what he could improve on, after all, that was his very first production meeting in his career.

Although the relief was short lived as he soon realised what would happen next. The members of staff slowly filtered out of the conference room as only the boys and Bang PD-nim remained behind. He barely managed a strained smile towards Hye as the older male waved his goodbye to him. The previous nerves had returned in the form of his stomach clenching and palms sweating. He gulped as the room grew more quiet. Thankfully, he wasn't all alone. Both Yoongi and Namjoon reached over and grabbed one of his hands. Their physical contact helped ground Chan-woo and offer him the support his needed ahead of the difficult conversation.

Bang PD-nim looked around the room and noticed the shift in the atmosphere. He noticed the tension that seemed to have taken over many of the boys. A frown appeared on his face as he looked across the room from where he sat. All of the silent boys seemed to flicker their eyes towards one member in particular. Upon noticing it, he too looked at Chan-woo only to find the youngest boy with his head hung low. His gut feeling was that this conversation he had been asked to stay behind for would not be easy.

"You wanted to talk with me?" prompted Bang PD-nim as none of the boys made a move to speak.

"Channie-ah? Do you want to tell PD-nim what happened?" Namjoon asked softly with a sad smile sent towards the boy in question.

"Can you?" quietly asked Chan-woo as he looked up to Namjoon with worried filled eyes.

"Sure," nodded Namjoon before he squeezed his hand in support. "Hyung, last night something happened that we really need to bring to your attention."

"Okay," said Bang PD-nim with concern. He sat a little straighter in his chair and frowned a little deeper.

"We were all together last night watching a movie when Chan-woo got a call," started to explain Namjoon. All eight of the boys unconsciously shifted in their chairs as they recalled the events while they were being told. "He went outside to take the call. And at first we didn't think anything of it. But then we heard some shouting and paused the movie."

"Shouting?" repeated Bang PD-nim with surprise.

"Yeah. We heard Chan-woo shouting at the person he was on the phone to. We ended up going outside when it got worse. We could tell whoever he was speaking to was making him really upset. Eventually he ended the call and broke down crying afterwards," Namjoon continued to explain.

"Well I have an idea about who was on the phone. But can you tell me who it was Chan-woo?" asked Bang PD-nim as he sighed sadly, a small headache formed as he began to think of possible solutions to the problem.

"My mother," Chan-woo managed to say loud enough to be heard.

"So it didn't take long for them to breach their contract," sighed Bang PD-nim as he ran a hand down his face. "Was it just the one call?"

"No," he answered and shook his head as he lifted his teary eyes up to meet with the CEO. "I haven't turned on my phone ever since last night. She wouldn't stop calling me."

"Alright. Well off the top of my head, I can propose four solutions to this situation," he said before he clasped his hands together on the desk in front of him.

Chan-woo nodded his head as he listened to Bang PD-nim talk. Part of him was nervous to hear what the other was about to suggest. Another part of him also hated that this conversation was in front of the rest of the group. But at the same time, he knew most of them were equally concerned after last night's events. And it showed how much he now trusted them all for him to allow them to be there. It showed he felt a certain level of security to be able to share a hidden part of himself with the rest of them.

"First option is I can get the legal team to send a desist letter and a warning that any further breach of the contract will result in legal repercussions. Second option is to simply wait and see if any more contact or breaches occur. Third options is we change your number while also sending a desist letter and if anything else happens we continue down the legal route. And the fourth option is we just go straight into the legal route without giving them any warning," he explained them all.

"Wow, okay," breathily replied Chan-woo as he took it all in.

"I know it's a lot, but if we don't show them we are serious, I'm sure you know best out of everyone that they will continue to breach the contract," he said with a sad smile. "What would you like to do? I will listen to whatever your wish is."

"I think," he said before he paused and took a deep breath in, unconsciously his grip tightened on the two hands he held. "I think I want to change my number and send the letter to them. I hope that will be enough to stop it all. I don't want to go down the legal route if I don't have to."

"Of course. I will organise that for you and get one of the managers to deliver it to you before you leave today. I believe you all are meeting with the choreographers now?" Bang PD-nim asked as he wrote down another note on the paperwork in front of him.

"Yeah, we'll be here in the dance rehearsal rooms until five pm," commented Namjoon.

"Alright," he nodded as he lifted his gaze up. "And how are you going after that call?"

"It was really hard," Chan-woo answered as he dropped his gaze to his lap.

"If you need someone to talk to about it, my door is always open, okay?" he offered, understanding it would be hard to talk about in front of the entire group. "And I'm always one phone call away, day and night. You just let me know if anything like this happens again. We'll take it one step at a time, alright?"

"Okay," he nodded as he forced himself to look up and give the CEO a tearful smile.

"Thank you for being brave enough to tell me all of this. You are doing such a great job and you're already making me proud," genuinely smiled Bang PD-nim.

"T-Thank you," he shyly said while he nodded his head, no doubt a blush had formed upon his cheeks at the praise.

"Of course. Now I won't hold you boy's back any longer. I know you need to get going for your session with Sung-deuk," Band PD-nim said as he stood up with a kind smile on his face.

"We appreciate you staying behind so we could talk," Namjoon said on behalf of the group as everyone stood and bowed respectfully towards their CEO.

"It was no problem at all. Good work this morning, I'm pleased with the progress," he said before he began to make his way out of the room.

"Alright, one meeting down. We have twenty minutes to have a quick lunch before we need to be in dance practice," Namjoon spoke as he finished collecting all of his belongings.

The boys nodded silently as they started to walk out of the room. Chan-woo didn't follow the group, but instead, waited behind for the leader. He stood still next to the door with his hands clasped in front of him. His backpack hung off his right shoulder, heavy with a water bottle, some snacks, his laptop, and a spare hoodie. He couldn't wait until they had his first dance session with the group. Although he had purposefully worn a long sleeved shirt since he still wasn't ready to talk about that side of things with most of the group yet.

"You did good today, my little shadow," cooed Namjoon as he placed his arm around the younger's shoulder.

"Oh," startled Chan-woo with a small flinch. "I couldn't have done it without you Hyung. So thank you."

"We will always be here for you. But you were very brave," he warmly smiled down at Chan-woo as he led them out of the room.

Chan-woo nodded his head in response. For the most part, the statement had warmed his heart. It meant so much to him that he now had Namjoon as well as the majority of the group to rely on in moments like this. Never in the past had he had so much support from any person, let alone several at once. But in saying that, he still needed time to come to terms that he could fully trust them. It had been a hard road to get to this point with them. And he'd be a damn fool if he allowed himself to easily put his trust in them.

Laid on the cold vinyl floor gave Chan-woo's aching, hot body some form of relief. His limbs were spread in a starfish position while his chest heaved rapidly in an attempt to catch his breath. It had been weeks since he had last danced. Probably the last time had been just before they moved houses. That time he had over done it with the dancing last time, so much so that his symptoms from his anemia had returned and he had been forced to rest for a few days afterwards.

The session with Son Sung-deuk had been interesting to say the least. Both him and Hoseok had started to teach them the new choreography for the demo of Fake Love. It had been a mostly positive experience for Chan-woo, his first time dancing as a unit with BTS. They had been rather coherent when they had learnt the dance. It hadn't been that much of an adjustment for the boys, considering it was an entirely new one, so they didn't have to change positions to accommodate him. Relearning the old choreographies would be an entirely different story though.

Despite all the commotion around him, he didn't get up. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above him as he thought how gross he felt from all of the built up sweat. He didn't care how tired his body was, he would be dragging his sorry ass into the shower once they got home. At least he didn't feel sick or dizzy as he continued to calm his breathing. He looked at the positive in the aftermath of such an intense dance session.

"You doing okay there?" asked Hoseok as he appeared, upside down, in Chan-woo's line of sight.

"Yeah," a genuinely tired smile took over his face as he stared up at the other that loomed above him.

"Tired?" he asked as he squatted down and pushed the sweaty hair off of Chan-woo's forehead.

"That's an understatement," huffed Chan-woo with amusement.

"Does Hyung need to help you up?" asked Hoseok as his hand continued to play with the damp hair.

"Can you?" he shyly asked with pleading eyes.

"Come here," chuckled Hoseok as he stood up and moved to the younger's left side. After Chan-woo tiredly lifted his hands up into the air, Hoseok reached down and easily pulled the lighter and smaller male up onto his feet. "You did good today, Channie-ah."

"Thanks Hyung," he smiled and gently hugged his arms around the other's waist. The hug had caught Hoseok off guard for a moment before he reciprocated the hug. "That was intense."

"You'll get used to it. But I'm confident you'll be able to keep up with us. You're a natural," he complimented as he hugged the younger to him.

"Chan-woo?" called Namjoon, which interrupted the pair. "Can you come here for a moment?"

"I'll get your bag for you, don't worry," said Hoseok as he separated himself from Chan-woo.

"Thank you, Hyung," he bowed his head slightly before he walked over to Namjoon who was stood next to a female staff member.

"Chan-woo, this is one of our managers. She was present during the meeting this morning. Manager Yoon hubae, this is Chan-woo," introduced Namjoon as he placed a comforting hand on Chan-woo's shoulder.

"Nice to meet you manager Yoon seonbaenim," respectfully bowed Chan-woo towards the smartly dressed female.

"Nice to meet you too, Chan-woo," she smiled kindly with a small bow back. "Please call me noona, no need to be so formal with me. I'm sure we'll get to know each other better as time goes on."

"Alright noona," he replied with a small smile, glad that the other seemed to be so welcoming to his presence.

"Sajangnim wanted me to get this for you," Yoon said as she passed a small package over to him. "It's already been registered and has credit on it for you. So all you need to do is put it in the phone. If there's any problems with it, just get Namjoon-ssi to contact me."

"Thank you so much for going to the effort of getting this for me," he bowed as he accepted the brand new packaged sim card.

"No worries at all," she smiled at him. "I do wish I could stay and talk some more, but I have a large pile of paperwork that requires my attention. It was lovely to meet you. I look forward to getting to know you more in the future."

"And you noona," he smiled and bowed as she walked away with a final wave.

"Would you like to put it in your phone now or when we get home?" Namjoon asked as he draped his arm over Chan-woo's shoulder.

"When I get home," he answered with a tired sigh.

"Sounds good. Well we are just about to leave by the looks of it. Hang in a few more minutes and then you can collapse, alright? You look exhausted," he chuckled as he ruffled the damp hair.

"Hyung," he whined tiredly and ducked his head in embarrassment.

Although Chan-woo whined at the attention, he secretly loved it. There was nothing better than feeling physically close with the other boys. As time passed, he started to think that his love language was perhaps touch and words of affirmation. Two things he had been denied and deprived of throughout his childhood. Receiving both of them from the boys, and others, made him feel cared for. In a way, through the physical affection, he could tell if it was a good day or a bad day with them.

"Chan-woo!" suddenly yelled a voice close by.

"Sung-deuk Hyung," he responded kindly as he respectfully bowed towards the older male.

"How do you think today went?" the in-house choreographer asked.

"In all honesty, today was a lot harder than I thought it would be. But I think I managed to keep up with the group," he bashfully admitted as he looked down at his shoes.

"Have more faith in your abilities, Chan-woo," chuckled Sung-deuk as he gently patted Chan-woo's left bicep. "No, you did really well. Seriously it was a pleasure to teach you. I think in no time, you'll be up to the standards I hold the rest of the boys to. I spoke with Daniel the other day and he told me how good you were. But I didn't expect you to be this good."

"Oh wow, thank you so much," he blushed as he had trouble maintaining eye contact. The compliment cut deep mainly because of the other name that had been mentioned.

"Get some rest tonight. You'll probably need a day to recover since your body isn't used to the demanding choreography. I'm sure the boys will have some good tips to help you," Sung-deuk suggested before he waved and walked off.

Namjoon chuckled as he pinched Chan-woo's flushed cheeks. He cooed as he smiled down at the younger, wanting to squish his cheeks forever. It always made him happy to watch the other get all flustered from praise. It made his heart both melt and ache, knowing that he probably rarely had received compliments before he had joined them. That's why a part of him wanted to make it a new habit to remind the shy boy just how well he was doing as much as possible.

"Ready to go?" Namjoon managed to pull his hand away from the tempting cheek and turn his attention to the rest of the group.

"Ready," said Jin on behalf of the others.

A tired silence befell the group as they made their way out of the dance practice room and down to the back parking lot. Chan-woo walked nestled into the side of Namjoon, the long arm wrapped around his small shoulders. He felt tiny and small beside the tall tree of a man. But in a safe and secure way. Not an intimidating way thankfully. He enjoyed being close to the leader, ever since they had made amends and turned a new leaf over, he always felt safe with him.

As the group had walked throughout the company, people would move out of their way. Some would bow, while other people would wave with a kind smile. It felt extremely out of Chan-woo's comfort zone to have so many strangers looking his way. He knew, obviously, that most of the attention was directed towards the boys. But in some instances, he caught the odd person staring questioningly his way. Eventually, they would know that he was a member of the group. But for now, he just remained a forgettable name and new face published on the company's social media.

The eight boys all crammed into the - for a change - white van that had been awaiting them. Chan-woo had climbed into the back row and settled into his seat. Namjoon had sat to his left while Hoseok had sat to his right. Hoseok had insisted he hold his bag and carry it inside for him when they got home. It had endeared him that the older would look after him like that after such an intense day. While it was a small gesture, it meant a great deal to him.

Before the door to the van had even been closed, Namjoon had been inciting him to rest his eyes for their drive home. And in all honesty, it hadn't taken that much to convince Chan-woo. A soft pout formed on his lips as he pulled Namjoon's arm into his hold and gently laid his head on the leader's shoulder. His eyes closed automatically and he felt his body slowly unwind now that he was sat in a comfortable seat. Unbeknownst to him, the two boys beside him couldn't take they eyes off of his face as the driver finally took them home.

"Hey Hyung?" Jungkook was the first to break the silence as the van entered the early evening city traffic.

"Yeah?" he answered without taking his eyes off of Chan-woo's relaxed face.

"Do you think now that we have the room, we could buy our own cars? Like, I mean, imagine how nice it would be to not rely on the company vans anymore," he explained his idea that had been on his mind for a while.

"Well we do have the space for it now," Namjoon nodded thoughtfully as he pried his eyes from Chan-woo.

"I know exactly which car I'd buy first," mused Jin which caused the others to chuckle.

"Honestly, I don't see it being a problem at all. It would be awesome for those of us that can drive to have our own cars," he said. "It would give you guys a lot more freedom on days off too."

"Yeah, definitely not you though, Joonie," commented Yoongi from the front row.

"Thanks Yoongi Hyung," Namjoon rolled his eyes at that. "I'll bring it up with Bang PD-nim Hyung when I talk with him next. But I seriously don't think he'll have an issue with it. In fact, I think he'd encourage it."

"Better to check first before anyone, cough cough Jin Hyung cough cough, buys a car," cheekily added Hoseok which resulted in everyone, even Chan-woo, laughing from the comment.

"I'll wait, I promise," chuckled Jin with his hands held up in defense.

"Sure you will," sarcastically said Yoongi.

Chan-woo couldn't help the fond smile that spread across his lips as he listened to the banter between the Hyung line. He closed his eyes again and hugged Namjoon's arm closer to him as the group settled back into a comfortable silence. The rest of the journey home was filled with the quiet noise from the radio and the gentle rocking of the car. Chan-woo used the time to unwind from the emotionally draining, physically exhausting, and mentally demanding day he had.

Soft sheets, clean clothes and a fresh fragrance surrounded all of Chan-woo's senses as he laid in his bed. His body had practically shut down after he had finished his shower. Once again he decided not to have dinner, and instead, he chose to wrap himself amongst his duvets. The moment he had slipped under the covers was when his body had decided to not move for the rest of the evening. He had spent the last hour scrolling on his phone as his room darkened with the oncoming night. He could bet that he would accidentally fall asleep at any given moment.

That was until a knock interrupted his descent into dreamland. He barely managed to call out to the person on the other side of the door, his head half covered by the heavy duvet, which further muffled his quiet voice. He locked his phone screen as his bedroom door opened. Intrigue filled his tired eyes as he saw Namjoon enter the room with two bowls in his hands and a sheepish smile on his face.

"Sorry to disrupt you. But I come bearing gifts," Namjoon offered as he turned the light on with his finger, held the two bowls up, and closed the door behind him with his foot.

"Gifts?" he asked quietly without moving an inch, his brown eyes curiously looked out from under the covers.

"Ice cream," chuckled Namjoon as he stood at the edge of the bed and smiled down at Chan-woo's adorable little face.

"Ice cream for me?" he asked with hope laced throughout his voice and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, for you. You better eat it before it melts," Namjoon said as he held one of the bowls towards the younger in an attempt to coax him out of the cocoon.

That was all it took for Chan-woo to finally force his tired body to move. He could and never would turn down free ice cream. With the last of his energy, he manoeuvred his body into an upright position and shuffled until his back rested against the headboard. The duvet pooled on his lap. One final shy glance and he gratefully accepted the offered bowl. He honestly didn't care for the flavour, it was the gesture that meant more than anything.

"Can I sit?" asked Namjoon before Chan-woo was able to lift up his spoon.

"Of course," he nodded in response and wiggled to his left to allow for the older to sit on his right side.

A content and comfortable silence settled over the pair as they slowly consumed their bowls of Neapolitan ice cream. It took everything within Chan-woo not to moan as he took his first bite of the special treat. The way the sugary flavours melted onto his taste buds felt like a slice of heaven. He wouldn't even be able to tell someone how long it had been since he last had any type of ice cream. It had probably been over a year. The last person to surprise him with the treat had been Minho.

"You can see the group chat again?" Namjoon was the first to break the silence. "Did you receive the notes for today?"

"Yeah," Chan-woo nodded. "I did. The new sim card is working perfectly. It took me a bit because I had to enter all of my contacts again, but at least I know that outgoing texts and calls are working."

"Do you even have many people that you had to do that for?" asked Namjoon. Before he rushed to clarify what he meant. "I just meant since I don't really know who you were close to back home. I'm just curious if you are in contact with many people. Sorry. I worded that wrong. I don't know why it came out like that."

"It's okay Hyung. I know what you mean," reassured Chan-woo with a soft smile before he took another bite. "To answer you, no not many people. Honestly it's just my old boss and everyone I've made connections with since moving here. That's it."

"So apart from your old boss, you didn't have any friends or any other relatives?" he asked with a deep frown.

"Nope," he answered simply.

"Wow," breathed Namjoon with a shocked look. "You really were all on your own before you came here, huh?"

"Yeah," he nodded before he turned his attention back to the ice cream, unsure what else he could or wanted to say on the matter. He was grateful when Namjoon didn't ask any more questions on that topic.

"You know I'm proud of you for today, right?" meaningfully said Namjoon, an intense look matched in his eyes. "I know I already said it. But you know that yeah?"

"For what?" he asked with confusion.

"You were able to talk with Bang PD-nim in front of the entire group," he explained.

"I mean, they all knew what happened the night before. So I suppose there's no use in asking to speak to him in private," shrugged Chan-woo.

"But it still takes immense courage to do such a thing. Especially since some of them still don't know everything," continued Namjoon with sincerity. "Not only that. But then you managed to keep up with us in dance practice. I don't think I could have concentrated on such an intense session after such an emotional situation. You are really strong and you make me proud."

"Hyung," he shyly said with a blush and turned his gaze down to the partially melted bowl of ice cream.

"Chan-woo you have to get used to compliments, come on," cooed Namjoon as he placed his arm around the younger's shoulders and pulled him closer to his side. "You're going to kill me if you keep blushing anytime I praise you. Hyung's heart will hurt so much from your cuteness overload."

Instead of responding, Chan-woo hung his head and fed himself another spoonful of ice cream. He could tell that his cheeks were flushed with a red colour. His heart skipped several beats as he thought back on the compliments and what Namjoon had just said. He didn't know how to reply to that. Whenever someone refered to him as cute, it was like his mind would always malfunction and he'd always be left a blushing mess. Not that he was complaining. He did quite enjoy being called that.

"That has me thinking, though," Namjoon said as he balanced the bowl in his lap and paused eating momentarily. "Do you think one day you would be comfortable enough talking to the rest of the group about your past?"

"I have definitely thought about that ever since last night," slowly nodded Chan-woo. "I'm sure everyone has questions about why my mother upset me so much. A-And I think it could give them all an explanation as to why I react the way I do in certain situations and how they can support me moving forwards."

"Obviously there's no pressure to do it, Channie-ah. I don't want you to be forced into any type of situation that will make you uncomfortable," reassured Namjoon as he pulled the younger closer.

"Oh I know, but thank you Hyung," said Chan-woo as he twisted his head and gave the older a smile. "If you had asked me this even three nights ago, I would have adamantly refused. But ever since that phone call that everyone overheard, it's been playing on my mind. I think I would have come to you sooner or later proposing a talk with everyone."

"Well I won't bring it up again, okay? I'll let you come to me when you are ready to talk with everyone. And then once you are, I'll schedule an afternoon or evening for us all to sit down and talk. You can tell them as much or as little as you like. Yoongi and Hoseok Hyung as well as myself will be right beside you the entire time," comforted Namjoon.

"I appreciate that," he smiled before he turned his attention back to the food.

As the pair returned to their ice cream, Chan-woo couldn't help but feel a warm sensation spread throughout his chest. It truly did mean a lot to him that Namjoon took his feelings into consideration and wouldn't force him into anything he wasn't ready for. It took a real leader to recognise how important emotional sensitivy could be in certain situations. Especially when it came to Chan-woo's past, he needed everyone to tread the topic with delicacy and understanding. It would be the only way for them to learn how it shaped him into the person he was today.

"Thank you for the ice cream. It's been forever since I last had it," Chan-woo sighed in content as he licked the spoon clean of any last traces of the treat.

"Of course, it's the least I could do. I wasn't sure what flavours you liked, so I just went with a hopefully safe option from what we have," lightheartedly chuckled Namjoon as he grabbed the empty bowl from Chan-woo and put it on top of his empty bowl.

"When it comes to ice cream, there's rarely a flavour I will turn down," Chan-woo chuckled as well.

"That's good then. I'll keep that in mind," nodded Namjoon before he frowned. "Wait, I didn't see you have dinner. Were you going to go to bed without eating?"

"Oh," he grimaced at being caught. "Uh."

"Chan-woo," cautiously said Namjoon as he leaned away so he could properly look down at the younger beside him.

"I was tired?" he said with an edge of uncertainty.

"In the future I don't want you going to bed on an empty stomach. The last thing we need is for you to get sick again if you aren't looking after your body," softly said Namjoon with concern, he made sure not to scold him, but gently reprimand him with concern. "If you ever feel too tired to make yourself food, I want you to text the group chat. Okay? I can get you something quick to eat. Or one of the others would probably be more than happy to help you out. Deal?"

"Deal," he nodded with a small, grateful smile.

"Alright, I'll let you get rest. We have an early start with a lot to fit in tomorrow," Namjoon smiled as he ruffled Chan-woo's already messy hair.

"Thank you Hyung," said Chan-woo softly while he shuffled down in the bed until his body was mostly under the covers once more.

"It's okay. Goodnight, Channie-ah," he spoke softly before he flicked the light off and retreated out of the bedroom.

Chan-woo couldn't help the smile that overtook his lips as he settled back into the comforting duvets in the dark room. He had truly meant it when he had thanked the leader before he had left. He was thankful for the kind gesture, the compliments, the praise, the concern, the delicate way of going about things. He felt extremely lucky to have made amends with Namjoon and was able to form such a strong authentic relationship with him that was full of concern, trust, and sincere. One day he hoped to feel the same way about each and every single boy in the group.

Chapter Text

Despite having gone to bed rather early, Chan-woo had barely been able to sleep. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning as he thought about his parents, the situation at hand, overthinking the future, and generally just being a ball of anxiety. Had he been close to working himself into a panic attack? Definitely. But he had somehow managed to avoid a full blown panic attack throughout the excruciating sleepless night.

By the time the sun had started to rise he had barely slept a wink and had forced his sleep deprived body out of bed. His muscles had ached from the intense dance practice from the day prior and his eyes burned from tiredness as he made his way to the bathroom. The shower hadn't managed to wake him in the slightest and it hadn't soothed his sore body. He had skipped breakfast in favour of laying in bed until they had to leave.

Chan-woo hadn't spoken a single word the entire drive into the company building. Instead, he had sat with his head against the window, eyes closed, and drifted off into a light sleep. He had missed all of the concerned looks thrown his way. It was evident to all the other boys that he was exhausted, the bags under his eyes were darker than they had ever seen them before. Of course they were worried for how he was holding up - mentally, physically and emotionally - after the last few days.

Namjoon had scheduled a recording session for the entire day since two of the producers were free to help out. Jin, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook (or the vocal team) would be going with those two producers to work on recording their portion of lyrics for the songs that had been lyrically completed. While Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon and Chan-woo (or the rap team) would be in a separate studio recording and mixing their portions of lyrics. Since all four of them had the ability to produce and mix, they didn't need a producer to supervise them.

"Chan-woo," lightly spoke Taehyung from beside him as he gently shook his bicep. "We are here."

After a deep inhale followed by a deep exhale, Chan-woo forced his eyes open. He felt the van roll to a slow and blinked to adjust to the darker lighting within the carpark. He threw his hoodie up and brushed the hair aside that fell into his eyes. He unbuckled the seatbelt, brought his face mask up over his nose, and then grabbed his backpack from in between his legs. He waited for everyone else to exit before he got out last and closed the van door behind him.

The entire walk to the studios had been a great effort for Chan-woo. His legs burned as his fatigued body tried to keep up behind the group. All he wanted to do was sit down and close his eyes for a few minutes. He honestly had no idea how he was going to get through the day ahead. But he knew he would push himself to breaking point if he had to. He wouldn't let the group down, not when he had so much to prove to not only them, but also to Bang PD-nim and himself.

The group spilt in half as the vocal team entered one studio and the rap team walked down a few more doors before they entered their studio for the day. Chan-woo closed the door behind the four of them before he immediately plopped his aching body down onto the couch that was set up opposite to the soundboard desk. Hoseok sat on the same couch while Yoongi and Namjoon both sat down on the chairs behind the desk.

While the other three got themselves set up, Chan-woo's eyes closed as he leaned his elbows onto his knees and held his head into his hands. He had yet to take his backpack off. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his temples. In the quiet of the room, he tried to psych himself up to be able to participate with everything that was left in his being. He needed to prove that he had what it took.

"I brought the print outs-," Namjoon started to say before he turned around and saw Chan-woo in his current position. "Are you okay, Channie-ah?"

"Yeah," Chan-woo answered quietly as he lifted his head and gave a small nod. He then proceeded to take his face mask off and push his hoodie back. "I'll be fine."

"Just let us know if you need a break," worriedly frowned Namjoon before he proceeded. "Alright. Order for today is as follows. Hoseok Hyung, you'll be up first. Then Chan-woo can go next. I'll go third, and maybe Channie-ah you can learn how to help out with mixing while I'm in the booth. Then Yoongi Hyung will be up last. Questions?"

None of the other three had any questions as they shook their heads. Namjoon handed out a fifteen paged document to each of them, their respective parts for line distributions had already been highlighted by the leader. Chan-woo accepted his copy and briefly flicked through the pages. The amount of work required from him didn't seem to be that much compared to the others. He had less lines compared to most of the other boys which was fair. But he did appear to have many backup vocals and adlibs in contrast. He could do this.

"Seok-ah, go warm up. We'll only need a minute to set up," Yoongi instructed while his eyes were glued to the computers in front of him.

Chan-woo shrugged off his backpack before he finally settled back against the couch as Hoseok walked into the recording booth. He didn't need to pay too much attention to what was happening since he had already witnessed how the boys usually ran their recording sessions. That didn't mean that he wasn't nervous even if they had already heard him sing. After all, it was going to be his very first time recording with them. But that's what his lessons with Choi Hye had prepared him for.

However, despite trying to psych himself up, the urge to close his eyes became a new obstacle for Chan-woo to fight. He could feel that the plush cushions of the couch relaxed his aching body a little too much. He started to sink back into the cushions and his eyes started to droop, the focus rapidly going in and out. He dropped the documents beside him and rubbed both of his eyes in an attempt to fight the sleepiness.

It was a loosing battle. Maybe he could get away with closing his eyes for a few minutes? Would the other three be mad at him for it? Chan-woo debated the risk versus the reward for a few minutes as his eyes continued to stay unfocused. Eventually he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer despite trying so desperately. He propped his head into the palm of his left hand which rested against the arm of the couch. Within seconds all the surrounding sounds faded away.

From where Hoseok stood in the booth, he could see out into the studio through the small glass window. After he had finished warming his voice up and had put the headphones on, he had looked past where Namjoon and Yoongi were only to notice the way Chan-woo's eyes had started to droop. He smiled fondly before he listened to the instructions that came in through the headphones.

After a few practice run throughs to get him used to the new track, Hoseok had been ready to start recording his lines. The track started to play through his ears ten seconds before his part and he started to rap on the right beat with ease. The music faded off as he finished, praise coming through the headphones from Namjoon, and Hoseok looked up to give him a thumbs up. Only to look over their shoulders and started to chuckle.

"What?" Namjoon asked through the microphone on the soundboard desk.

"I think he's asleep," Hoseok managed to explain through his light chuckles.

Both Yoongi and Namjoon turned their heads to look over their shoulders in unison to spot Chan-woo. The youngest was definitely asleep. His mouth hung open slightly, his chest fell and rose in an even rhythm, and a peaceful expression was on his face. While Yoongi shook his head in amusement, Namjoon pulled his phone out and took a quick picture. It was another one to add to his ever growing collection of finding the youngest asleep.

"We'll try to be quiet and let him rest," said Namjoon into the microphone after he turned back around, continuing after Hoseok gave a thumbs up in acknowledgement. "Maybe I'll go next so he can sleep some more. He looked exhausted this morning."

"I don't think he got much sleep," added Yoongi. "I heard him shower this morning and then just go straight back to bed until we had to leave."

"So you don't think he had breakfast?" asked Namjoon.

"No clue," he shrugged. "I mean, maybe he just got up very early before anyone else and had something to eat."

"We'll have to ask him later when we have a lunch break," he hummed with a nod, threw a concerned look at the youngest, before he turned back towards Hoseok. "Let's try that part again but when you say 'route' try to emphasise it more."

"Sure," nodded Hoseok as he cleared his throat and waited for the music to start again.

Chan-woo's exhausted body dropped back onto the couch with relief. He had used every last bit of energy from his small nap to push both his mind and body through his first official recording session. He had been woken up by Hoseok sitting down on the other end of the couch after he had finished his recording, and Chan-woo had immediately started to apologise to all three for falling asleep with tears of shame blurring his vision.

After the all three had rushed to reassure him that it was okay, Chan-woo had calmed down and insisted that he would go next like they had originally planned for. Of course, they had tried to convince him to rest some more, but he had been too stubborn to listen. He had already felt bad enough that he had fallen asleep, so he had pushed his body to its limits all in the quest to prove himself.

It surprised Chan-woo how comfortable he had felt while recording. After a bit of anxiety, he had relaxed enough that his voice wasn't tense or shaky anymore. He owed it all to the nurturing and encouraging environment that both Yoongi and Namjoon created as they directed and guided him the session. By the end, he almost wished that he had a few more lines, harmonises, and adlibs, despite how he could feel his legs ready to give way. He looked forward to the next time he could be back in the studio once the rest of the tracks were ready.

"You did amazing," cooed Hoseok as he reached over and gently squeezed his right shoulder. "I kind of really like your voice. I don't know if I've ever told you that before."

"You do?" shyly asked Chan-woo with a small blush.

"I do," he chuckled as he moved the items in between them to the floor and shuffled over so he could wrap his arm around the youngest's shoulders.

"I agree, I like you voice too," smiled Namjoon as he spun around in his chair and faced the pair on the couch.

"Same," nodded Yoongi without tearing his gaze from the computers in front of him.

"How does lunch right about now sound before we continue?" asked Namjoon as he clapped his hands together.

"Please, I'm starving," answered Hoseok with excitement before he looked down at Chan-woo. "You hungry too, little one?"

At the endearing pet name, Chan-woo blushed furiously. He knew he couldn't voice his answer in that moment without it giving away how flustered he was. Instead, he just nodded his head as he played with his hands in his lap. The two that were paying attention to him chuckled at his shy nature and Hoseok reached over with his free hand to pinch his cheeks.

"Did you have breakfast this morning?" asked Namjoon as he scooted closer with his chair.

"Well," Chan-woo nervously cleared his throat and flinched slightly as Hoseok reached down to intertwine their hands. "No, I slept in instead of eating."

"You didn't sleep well?" Hoseok asked quietly with concern.

"No," he whispered and squeezed Hoseok hand, afraid what Namjoon was about to say. He really didn't want to be reprimanded for skipping meals. He didn't know if he could handle it. "I'm sorry. I had a lot on my mind last night."

"It's okay, we understand. How about you stay here and get some rest while I pick lunch up for all of us?" Namjoon soothed with a reassuring smile that Chan-woo missed because he was too busy looking down at his lap.

"I'll come with you," excitedly said Hoseok as he let go of Chan-woo and stood up to fetch his coat. "I need to stretch my legs anyway."

"We'll be back soon," Namjoon shot a smile towards Chan-woo, who sheepishly nodded in response, before he and Hoseok left the studio.

The sudden silence was too much for Chan-woo to handle. He was afraid that his mind would start to overthink and worry. Despite the fact that all three had reassured him for falling asleep, he was worried they secretly disapproved of his actions. On top of that, he was worried that Namjoon would pull him aside later and scold him for missing a meal.

Even though his mind and body needed rest, Chan-woo pushed himself off the couch and walked up to the soundboard desk. He sunk into the chair that Namjoon had been in previously and pulled himself in front of the computers. His movement had caused Yoongi to turn to look at him with a frown. The other had the headphones on still, the left side on but the right side pushed behind his ear. Chan-woo gave a strained smile before he pointed at the computer.

"Can I do some work?" Chan-woo asked quietly.

"Aren't you tired?" asked Yoongi with a frown.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I am but I need to do something right now to keep my mind distracted."

There was a pause as Yoongi's eyes scanned Chan-woo's face. Chan-woo hoped he wouldn't be forced to talk about it. He didn't want to at the moment. He just needed to do something, anything, to keep from thinking about all of his anxieties. If Yoongi tried to question him further, he may just fall apart.

"I'm not going to stop you, go ahead," Yoongi said with a nod, as he continued to look at Chan-woo with a frown. "Are you okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he shook his head as he looked away.

"That's okay," sighed Yoongi as he turned his attention back to the screens in front of him. "Just let me know if you do want to talk. Any of us will listen to you."

"Thank you," softly said Chan-woo before he picked up the headphones and looked at the open project in front of him.

As Chan-woo picked up the headphones and listened to the arrangement Namjoon had been working on, he already felt better with his mind being distracted. He realised that he had been working on the mixing for Fake Love. His focus went onto the placements of the newly recorded lines, surprised to hear how it included not only his and Hoseok's, but also some from Jimin and Taehyung. He wondered how they were able to share files and would have to enquire about it later.

Before long, Namjoon and Hoseok were back with lunch. Chan-woo only noticed as he saw someone sit down on his right side. He took off the headphones and looked over to see Namjoon on another desk chair with two small plastic containers and a can of soft drink. They shared a smile as one of the containers and cans were pushed towards him.

"Working already?" Namjoon asked, the smile still there, eyes down on his own container as he opened it. "Didn't want to rest?"

"I can rest later," said Chan-woo as he opened his own food to see a kimchi fried rice. "How did you get copies of Taehyung and Jimin's recordings?"

"Just downsize the program," he instructed as he looked back up at the screen, Chan-woo followed him and did as he was told. "Now this folder here gives live updates. So all of the producers have access to this at anytime. They'll have everything we record in here and we'll have everything they record over there without us having to leave the room. Although, we only put the recorded takes that we think should be used, it saves space."

"Oh," he said in understanding as he investigated the different folders labelled with each members name. "And what if you think the recording is good, but you want it done with a different tone or octave?"

"Downsize the window again," chuckled Namjoon as he leaned in closer. Chan-woo smiled as he followed the instruction. "This is our group chat between producers. Any requests for the recordings or tracks, they can see it. We all use the same account, Yoongi, Hoseok, and I, to communicate our requests through. And now I guess you, since you are a brilliant little producer."

"A-Alright," Chan-woo blushed at the compliment as he navigated back to the first program before he turned his attention to the food. "Thank you for lunch."

"It's okay," smiled Namjoon before he shoved another mouthful of the delicious meal into his mouth.

After giving himself some much needed energy from the meal and drink, Chan-woo was able to work for the rest of the afternoon. He settled into the role quite easily after Yoongi helped show him the ropes. Soon, he was making suggestions as Namjoon was in the booth to record his parts. Chan-woo was contributing to the process instead of simply arranging what had been recorded. To say the least, he had definitely enjoyed the whole process of recording in a studio rather than at home with his stingy laptop. It was something he couldn't wait to do more of in the future.

At the end of the day, the group converged into the rap lines studio. Chan-woo and Namjoon were behind the soundboard, working on the computers, as Yoongi was in the recording suite and the rest were spread out on the two couches behind. The other four had finished earlier, not by much, and they were all waiting for Yoongi to finish so that they could head home in one group.

"You're all done," Namjoon said into the mic and Yoongi held a thumbs up in response.

Chan-woo knew they would be leaving soon and prepared by saving the project, exported it, and uploaded it to three back-up places in case one or two of the files got corrupted. Namjoon, Yoongi and him had made significant progress on the most important songs while the producers who had worked in the other studio had made some decent progress on the less urgent ones. He had even heard the tracks that they had uploaded to the project folder.

All of a sudden, two arms were being wrapped around him and he froze. He twisted in the hold only to find Hoseok behind him. He frowned as he turned back around and continued packing up. Ever since they had talked things out, Hoseok had been eager to hold him or shower him in affection. He wouldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed it. After all, having physical affection from Hoseok was far better than being ignored.

"You did such a good job today," quietly said Hoseok as he continued to hold him from behind. "You're a natural producer."

"Oh, thank you Hoseokie," he replied quietly, already blushing from the compliment. It honestly didn't take much to get him flustered.

"It's going to be great to have you on the team. Especially with the new interesting perspective that you bring to the table," Namjoon commented without looking over, busy also saving and backing everything up.

"Thanks Hyung," he mumbled as he shrunk slightly from all the positive attention, Hoseok chuckled and just hung onto the back of him tighter.

"Are you ready to go home and rest?" asked Hoseok as he stood up straight and massaged Chan-woo's shoulder gently. "You worked so hard today even though you were tired."

"Mmm," he hummed in response instead as he tried not to fall apart from the simple touch. He needed to stay focused as he double checked everything had been completed for the day.

Somehow Chan-woo managed to successfully pack up despite the small massage Hoseok had given him. He passed the hard drives over to Namjoon for safe keeping and turned around in the chair, breaking Hoseok's contact. But before Hoseok could step away Chan-woo leaned forward in his chair, wrapped his arms around Hoseok's waist, and placed his head against his stomach.

"Got everything in your backpack, Channie-ah?" asked Namjoon as Hoseok started to run his hands through Chan-woo's soft hair.

"Yeah," he answered with a nod without moving away.

"Alright, we can head off to the van. The driver is ready for us," Namjoon smiled and as he stood up the rest of the group followed suit.

Chan-woo reluctantly pulled away from Hoseok as Yoongi passed both of their backpacks to them. After he put his backpack on, his hands were itching to hold onto something. He didn't know why, but he just really craved some form of physical affection from anyone that was willing to give it. Before any of them started to move, he grabbed onto Hoseok's hand and softly interlocked their fingers. He didn't make any eye contact as he did it. Instead he found the floor suddenly really interesting.

"Let's get you home, my hard working baby," quietly cooed Hoseok as he reached over with his free hand and pinched Chan-woo's cheek.

It was inevitable that Chan-woo's blush would grow even deeper. The group laughed as they started to make their way out of the studio. Chan-woo stayed connected with Hoseok the entire journey home, holding hands and resting his head on his shoulder during the car ride. His mind and body were equally exhausted. It was only Tuesday and he already looked forward to his next day off, not sure when that would be.

All he knew was that he was going to sleep like a rock that night.

Chapter Text

After such a busy week, mixed in with all the volatile emotions from clashing with his mother, the weekend couldn't have come any sooner for Chan-woo. Thankfully Namjoon had allowed him to have both days off. The other members were given time off too, but only for one or half of the days. His body and mind had been absolutely drained that by the Friday night, he hadn't even bothered to set an alarm.

Chan-woo was in a deep, peaceful sleep, completely unaware of the intruders in his room. It was still rather early in the morning, not late enough to be considered a proper sleep in. But he was startled from his sleep when he suddenly felt a hand shaking his upper arm. He jumped, scooted away from the unwanted touch until his back hit the wall; his eyes flew open in panic. He only calmed down as he noticed three sets of familiar faces staring right back at him. Thankfully none of them belonging to his two relatives that haunted his world.

"Sorry! We didn't mean to scare you!" cooed Taehyung as he retracted his arm that was still outstretched.

"It's okay," he mumbled as he pushed himself into a seated position and sleepily rubbed his eyes.

What he failed to realise was the way the covers had fallen further down his lap and his shirt had drifted up as his arms had lifted. As he rubbed his eyes, he missed the three sets of eyes that shifted down to the slither of skin now exposed on his stomach. The moment Jimin opened his mouth, Taehyung hit his abdomen to silence him and shook his head in a 'no' motion. By the time Chan-woo had finished trying to rub the sleep from his eyes, he had missed the entire exchange and was none the wiser.

"Why were you waking me up?" Chan-woo asked quietly as he looked up with a small pout. "Did something happen? Did you need something?"

"We have the morning off and we are going shopping. But we were hoping you would come with us," Taehyung smiled sweetly at Chan-woo. "No pressure if you don't want to or not up to it."

"Oh," he said as he sleepily stared up at them.

They wanted him to go? It was the first time any members had asked him to do an activity with them outside of any group work or activities. Even though it was a momentous occasion for Chan-woo, he was conflicted. On one hand, it was a chance to get to know them better and feel included. But on the other hand, he would be going out with two members he still wasn't close with and he was still so exhausted.

"You really want me to come along?" he asked after he had paused to think about it.

"Yes," immediately answered Jimin, much to Chan-woo's surprise.

"Of course," softly chuckled Taehyung in a silky tone. "We really do."

"Mmm," Chan-woo hummed as his left hand rubbed at his left eye again. "When were you thinking of leaving?"

"In an hour. We were going to skip breakfast and just get something while we are out," Taehyung said.

"So are you coming then?" asked Jimin with a bit of hopefulness in his eyes and tone.

Chan-woo paused as he turned his gaze to his lap where he anxiously played with his hands. He was heavily considering it. The three of them seemed to really want him to go. He supposed it would be a good chance to unwind, doing something completely normal outside of the house, get his mind off of work before he accidentally ended up working again on his day off.

"Sure, I'll come with you," Chan-woo finally said with a single nod.

"Oh my god yes! I'm excited!" Taehyung said as both him and Jimin slightly bounced. They looked as if they were about to jump on the bed, but didn't. "Okay right. Everyone needs a shower and to be dressed downstairs in fifty minutes. Let's get moving people!"

"Uh, you three can shower first," he said before they could leave. "Just, after one of you finish, let me know?"

"Alright," nodded Taehyung as he started to push Jungkook and Jimin out of the room.

Once the door was closed, Chan-woo flopped back onto his pillows and let out a tired sigh. He was somehow going to have to pull some energy out of his ass. At least his body had seemingly recovered enough to the point he was able to walk again without feeling extreme fatigue or light headiness. He didn't expect to run into any issues stemming from that during the outing. He should be alright.

With another sigh, he rolled his tired body off the bed and headed over to his wardrobe to pick out some clothes prior to his shower. He stood there as he rubbed at his eyes some more, hoping to wake himself up even more. It didn't take him long to decide on what he would wear. He wanted to go with something simple to help him blend into the crowd. He didn't want to stand out or draw attention to them as they walked.

On his bed, he laid out a black hoodie - the front had a small pokeball on the top left side, the back had a rather large Charmander - a plain black, long sleeved t-shirt, black skinny jeans, a pair of black socks, and a black baseball cap. He sat back down and waited patiently for his turn in the one of the three showers. Why did he have a feeling it was going to be a long day?

In the back of the car, Chan-woo felt a little out of place in the middle of Jimin and Taehyung. He didn't know why he had been told to sit in between them when he would have preferred the window seat. Or better yet, the front seat so that the other three could share the back. Since it had just been the four of them, the company had sent a normal SUV instead of a van. The driver allowed them to control the playlist as he silently drove.

As he tried to keep his eyes on the road ahead, he also tried not to let his legs touch either of them beside him. However with the turns the car took, it seemed to be a rather impossible task. His hands nervously played with the sleeves of his hoodie in his lap. Thankfully, on the navigation, he could see that there was only five more minutes left to the journey. Almost there.

"What are we eating when we get there?" Jimin asked.

"I really want cold noodles," Jungkook said in an almost half whine, half plea.

"That sounds good to me," said Taehyung from beside him. "What about you, Chan-woo?"

"Huh?" Chan-woo said. He hadn't expected them to ask for his input. "Oh yeah, that's fine. I don't mind."

"Alright, cold noodles it is. Hyung is going to treat his dongsaengs," Jimin smiled with a nod.

While Taehyung and Jungkook looked ecstatic from what Jimin had said, Chan-woo felt a sadness wash over him. He knew that had only been in reference to the older two. Perhaps he shouldn't have joined them on this outing. He would be stuck feeling like the odd one out most of the time. He didn't have a relationship like they did. It would just be so awkward. He started to regret his decision, but unfortunately there was no turning back as they neared the shopping centre.

All three started to mask up even though they hadn't arrived. They were all wearing low sitting hats with their hoodies up. Only Jimin and Jungkook wore sunglasses. Chan-woo guessed their choices were an extra way to try to conceal their identities while they walked around the shops. A chance to be somewhat normal without getting stared at by the public. Luckily, before Chan-woo had left, he had grabbed his mask along with his wallet and phone. He didn't want to feel out of place and also put his mask on.

The car rolled to a stop outside of the shopping centre, in the pick-up and drop-off zone. Jimin, being on the left side, got out first. He held the door open for Chan-woo and Taehyung as they slid out. Jungkook had also gotten out of the front passenger seat and closed the door. The driver rolled the window down and leaned to his left over the console.

"Just give me a call when you are finished," he said. "I'll only be five to ten minutes from here."

"Thank you," Jungkook said on their behalf with a small bow.

All four of them watched the driver take off, the front passenger window went back up as he left. Chan-woo nervously adjusted his mask, cap, and hoodie as he turned to the other three. He would follow wherever they went, never having visited the rather large shopping centre before. There was nowhere he wanted to go or visit, not like he had the spare money to buy much anyway. He was just along for the ride.

Without a word, they started to walk towards the double sliding door entrance. Chan-woo fell into step beside Taehyung, his hands stuffed into the pocket of his hoodie, while Jimin and Jungkook led the way. They had only took a few steps when Chan-woo suddenly felt a hand wrap around his right bicep. He looked over to Taehyung only to see him continue to walk without looking at him. He supposed it was fine. He didn't mind the small touch.

It didn't take them long to make their way to the food court, the journey quiet as they walked. The shopping centre was already busy, people walking around by themselves, in pairs, or small groups. Chan-woo was rather relieved that Taehyung had his hand on him. It stopped his anxiety from exploding when he abruptly found himself in a crowded place, since he knew he wasn't alone. He was still anxious, but not as much with someone beside him. Subconsciously, he moved even closer to Taehyung's side.

"Mmm," hummed Jimin as he slightly turned his head so that Chan-woo and Taehyung could also hear him over the crowd. "Smells so good in hear. I'm starving."

"Me too," excitedly said Jungkook before he pointed to one restaurant with a dine-in sitting area. "How about that one?"

Both Jimin and Jungkook led the way towards the fairly empty indoor restaurant. There was no line at the counter and there were only two other patrons that were sitting down at a table with some food in front of them. It was probably for the best that they went to one of the less busy places. Especially if they needed to take off their masks to eat. It would a risk for them to be recognised if they went to a busier restaurant. Although, he knew it wouldn't be a problem for him since no one really knew him yet.

They walked to the very back of the store, all the way to the booth in the corner. Jungkook and Jimin slid into the booth with their backs to the entrance, while Taehyung gestured for Chan-woo to sit down first, both of them facing the front. Chan-woo felt small next to Taehyung, boxed in the corner. He wished he could curl up to his side, feeling anxious, but he settled for tentatively reaching out and grabbed his hand.

It came as a relief to Chan-woo when Taehyung didn't reject his touch. Instead, he shuffled closer to Taehyung and laced their fingers together. He looked up at him and could tell that behind the mask, Taehyung was smiling. He also smiled, he couldn't help it, and hoped his eyes conveyed his gratitude. Hopefully he wouldn't be too much of a hassle while they were out, but he really did need some physical reassurance just then.

"Here," Jimin said softly as he passed one of the two menus over to them, he shared the other with Jungkook.

"So many options," hummed Taehyung as he started looking over the menu.

Chan-woo gave it a brief glance, perhaps regretting not eating before he left home. While he now had money from the fortnightly payments, and he could technically afford it, he was trying to save up money for all the new things he needed since he had moved to a new city with virtually nothing. He weighed it up and decided he could wait until they got back to eat. He leaned back and stared down at his and Taehyung's hands as he pulled them into his lap.

"Who's having what?" Jimin asked after a few moments of silence.

"Can I please have the Pyongyang naengmyeon," excitedly asked Jungkook.

"Can I have the Gungjung Tteokbokki, pretty please Minnie Hyung," sweetly asked Taehyung.

"I think I'll have the same as Jungkookie," nodded Jimin. "What about you Chan-woo?"

The question caught him off guard. Did they really expect him to eat with them? He didn't want to let them down but he was so anxious he didn't know if he could. He would have much rather saved his money and put it towards something else. He looked at Jimin, then Jungkook, then Taehyung. They all waited and looked at him expectantly.

"It's okay... I'm okay..." he said quietly, looking down at the table.

"But Hyung is treating you," softly said Jimin, leaning forward slightly which made Chan-woo look up. "I'll get you whatever you want, okay?"

Chan-woo's eyes widened. Jimin was paying for him? He was one of his dongsaengs now? But it didn't make sense. They had barely talked, hung out, got to know each other since the other weekend when everything happened with the phone call with his mother. Of course he had noticed how Jimin had changed towards him, making more of an effort. But the change had happened so fast. One day Jimin couldn't even look at him without disdain in his eyes, the next he was checking up on him. The only explanation he had been given was that Jimin was sympathetic to Chan-woo's situation because of similar-ish upbringings.

"Kongnamul Japchae please," he said quietly, not wanting to make a big fuss and potentially upset them more by refusing food.

"Good choice. I'll be back," hummed Jimin with a nod as he pushed himself out the booth.

All three were silent as they waited for Jimin. Chan-woo tried to distract himself by focusing on the hand he was holding. Thankfully, Taehyung had seemed to pick up to some degree what he needed. He shuffled closer while his thumb started to caress Chan-woo's hand. He sighed softly in relief. It was a nice distraction. He could forget for a moment that he was out in public and the upcoming walking around they would do.

"So," Jimin said as he walked back to their table but didn't sit down. "They said it should be about fifteen to twenty minutes. Uh, Taehyung, want to go do that thing real quick? The store is just around the corner."

"Uh," Taehyung hummed uncertainty as he stared down at Chan-woo beside him. "Will you be okay here with Jungkook for a few minutes? I promise I'll be back soon and you can keep holding my hand."

Chan-woo, alone, with Jungkook? No he wouldn't be okay. But he supposed he could do it. After all, he had been through a lot worse than a tense silence while Jimin and Taehyung went to do something. Slowly, he nodded his head and retracted his hand from Taehyung's. He could do it. He would be fine. He was sure Jungkook would just get on his phone anyway, so he could simply sit in an awkward silence and pick his fingers or something.

"We'll be back," Taehyung smiled as he started to stand up. "Hopefully before the food is ready."

The regret was almost instant. He watched as the other two left, they disappeared to the right, and he moved his gaze opposite to him. His heart raced as his stomach clenched in nervousness. Jungkook eyes were unnerving, unwavering, as he stared back at him. It didn't help that he had his face mask on, with a low sitting hat, and hoodie up, sunglasses hanging from his hoodie. He looked rather intimidating. He couldn't read the look in his eyes and suddenly felt extremely anxious. Chan-woo turned his gaze down to his hands in hopes that time would go quickly and he wouldn't be alone for long.

Chan-woo didn't know what Jungkook was thinking, or feeling, or why he was staring at him. He was just trying his best to avoid all eye contact. He hoped that if he didn't do anything that could further upset him, then he would be fine. It wasn't like he was going to attempt to initiate any conversation. He'd much rather sit in silence then try to talk with him.

"I had a talk with Namjoon a few days ago," suddenly said Jungkook. Chan-woo's heart dropped. He was regretting his decision even more now. His hands shook, fear slowly creeping up his spine. "I wanted to apologise for my actions."

All he could do was stare down at his lap with wide eyes. Chan-woo didn't want to look up in case Jungkook was about to start laughing. Or tell him he wasn't actually sorry. He didn't want to get false hope only for it to be pulled from straight beneath him. While he didn't think Jungkook would be that cruel, he truly didn't know him that well. He just assumed he would be angry at him for telling Namjoon about what had happened.

As neither of them spoke, Jungkook could see clearly how anxious, and almost scared, Chan-woo looked. He frowned as he stared at him. He felt guilty, and not just because it had come to light what he had done. The fact he had made someone feel scared and unsafe weighed on him heavily. Before Namjoon had even approached him, he had honestly wanted to talk with Chan-woo about it and apologise. He had just never found the right time or moment to, perhaps also the courage.

"I should have never put my hands on you and I should have never pushed you off the couch," he continued quietly after a moment of silence between them. "I am really sorry for that. But I get it if you can't forgive me. I'll... I'll try to earn your forgiveness and trust moving forwards if that doesn't make you uncomfortable."

The words sounded sincere as Chan-woo listened to him. He silently stewed on the apology for a little while longer. He knew he was going to accept the apology, but he didn't want Jungkook feeling like he had to earn forgiveness. He didn't want things to be forced between them either. All he wanted was to develop a natural connection with each of the boys because they wanted it. If they did hate him, he could live with it.

"Thank you," he spoke quietly, eyes still on his lap. "I didn't go to Namjoon and just tell on you, just so you know. Uh, he approached me and asked about things between us that he had noticed. I wasn't going to say anything, I didn't want you to get in trouble."

"I know, he told me. But I'm glad Namjoon went to you about it. I was eventually going to approach you myself. But I honestly needed to have that conversation with him and be held accountable for my actions," Jungkook said, frowning still. "I did something no one deserves. Let alone the way I, and the rest of the group, have been treating you since the day you arrived. There's simply no excuses. And I really am sorry."

"I accept your apology. I understand it. You know, you were the youngest of the group, you had someone join after all this new gained success you have all worked hard for, you didn't want it just as much as me. Did it make what you did okay? No. But I'm glad you are apologising now. Please, I just want to move forwards with a mutual understanding. I don't want to be nervous around you anymore. But I don't want you to force yourself to like me. Or to treat me nicely just because everyone else is. And I don't except you to earn or work for forgiveness, alright?" Chan-woo managed to say at a more reasonable volume and making eye contact.

"Alright, yeah. I'd like to move forwards like that," he nodded, and Chan-woo could tell he was smiling behind his mask. It made him smile in relief as well, sure his eyes were showing it despite it also being hidden by the mask. "You're holding Taehyung's hand because you're feeling anxious, right?"

"Yeah. Crowded place, so, heightened anxiety," he answered, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject.

"We don't have to stay that long. Taehyung and Jimin are getting the main thing they wanted right now. And then they just wanted to window shop. If it's too much, let us know," he said with a small nod of his head.

"Thank you, Hyung," he nodded his head back, a shy smile on his face, relieved to know he did have the option to leave sooner and they would understand.

Taehyung and Jimin stood side-by-side as they stared down at the selections the employee had pulled out for them. There were a few different options to choose from along with varying colours. It was a tough decision, going back and forwards between a few ones. In the end, they both agreed to get the most recently released one in a black colour. If it wasn't the right one, the employee reassured them they could bring the receipt back and easily swap it. Within fifteen minutes since they had arrived at the store, they had successfully purchased it and had it bagged in a plain gift bag.

The pair quickly walked back to the food court and hoped that the food either hadn't been brought out yet or hadn't been out for long. Jimin clutched onto the gift bag as if his life depended on it. He would be dammed if someone tried to snatch it from him. Luckily it was only a short journey back to their original destination. They re-entered the restaurant and headed straight for the booth in the back corner where Chan-woo and Jungkook were.

"We're back," quietly announced Taehyung while Jimin sighed in relief when the food hadn't been brought out yet. "Miss us?"

"No," huffed Jungkook as he straightened up, his hand still held onto Chan-woo's hand, where they had been in the middle of the table. "Did you get it?"

"Success," smiled Jimin as he proudly showed off the plain gift bag.

Taehyung smiled as he slid into the booth beside Chan-woo, he caught sight of the other two holding hands on the table. Chan-woo must have been in a real bad way if he couldn't go just over fifteen minutes without someone by his side. He made a silent promise to himself that he wouldn't leave the youngest's side until they were safely back in the car. He didn't say a word as he slipped his arm around Chan-woo's shoulders, almost protectively.

While Jimin sat back down next to Jungkook, Chan-woo could feel his curiosity grow surrounding the mysterious item or items they had purchased. But he didn't think it was his place to inquire. He couldn't even try to guess what it could be since there was not a single logo anywhere on the gift bag. He didn't think much more of it as he suddenly felt an arm around him.

"You were okay while I was gone?" Taehyung asked quietly, and Chan-woo could see the concern in his eyes as he turned to look up at him.

"Yeah," he nodded in reassurance and leaned into his side. "Jungkook Hyung and I had a nice chat. Then I started to get anxious, so he offered to hold my hand."

"That's right. You don't do with crowded places," Jimin said with a frown.

Chan-woo nodded in response, he didn't want them to leave just because of his stupid fear and anxieties he experienced in crowds. All he really needed to do was remind himself he was safe and he wasn't alone, and that would hopefully get him through most of the outing. Maybe hold onto one of their hands while they walked, or at the very least stuck close to them. He didn't want to ruin this potentially much needed bonding time.

"You just let us know if it's too much for you, okay?" Jimin continued after the silent nod.

Hearing pretty much the same reassurance, it caused him to smile and let out an amused huff. He looked across from him to Jungkook, silently sharing the amusement with him. He could tell from the look in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing. He started to blush a little as he felt Jungkook squeeze his hand. It felt nice, it felt better like this, having cleared the air and no animosity between them.

"What?" Jimin asked with a frown as he looked between Chan-woo and Jungkook.

"Oh, it's nothing really," Chan-woo said quietly with a shake of his head. "Jungkook Hyung basically said the exact same thing you just did."

All four shared a small laugh before they were interrupted by one of the workers walking over with a tray in hand. They sat up straighter as the four dishes were served to the correct person and the napkins and chopsticks laid out. Both Jungkook and Taehyung retracted their hold from Chan-woo as they began to eat. He didn't mind, he was alright for the moment anyway. And as he took his first bite of the Japchae, he was honestly glad he had ordered food.

As the morning had progressed, Chan-woo had found that he didn't actually mind walking around and window shopping. While he definitely had still been anxious, with Taehyung stuck to his side the entire time, holding his hand, he had found himself able to relax enough to enjoy it. Even though he hadn't purchased anything for himself, he happily watched and looked around as the other three shopped.

There had been a few times they had been caught up in a clothing store as the other three had taken photos of clothing they would want to own in the future. Sometimes he would have to wait as they tried on clothes, which he didn't mind. Chan-woo had quickly noticed that all three tended to gravitate towards branded clothing, all which were far out of his budget. The pile of bags slowly grew with each store they visited. They even brought things from stores that weren't clothing based.

While it was nice to leisurely stroll through the isles and picture himself one day being able to buy whatever he wanted, it also made him a little uncomfortable. More so because it was a stark reminder that he didn't deserve to be standing next to seven talented men that had worked so hard to get where they are. He didn't feel like he deserved to buy himself nice things yet. Not went he technically hadn't earnt any of it.

By the time they had unanimously decided to call it quits and asked the driver to come collect them, Chan-woo's body had been on the verge of collapse. In fact, as he looked down at his phone, he realised it was almost 5pm. The other three definitely knew how to 'shop till you drop'. While he settled into the back seat behind the driver's seat, the other three - with the help of the driver - stuffed the bags from their shopping trip into the boot. His body melted into the much needed seat, relieved he was no longer standing or walking around.

"Tired?" asked Taehyung as he slid into the middle seat.

"Very," he said after he had startled from the sudden voice.

"Close your eyes and rest on the way home, we'll keep the noise down," he instructed as he buckled himself up, before he reached over and grabbed his hand.

All Chan-woo could manage to do was hum as he readjusted his position. He leaned into Taehyung's side, rested his head on Taehyung's right shoulder, closed his eyes, and pulled their intertwined hands into his own lap. He didn't even remember when the other two and the driver got into the car, nor did he really remember when the car take off. He relaxed further, occasionally he was roused by the soft bump in the road, but he ended up sleeping for most of the trip back to the house.

"Woowoo, wake up," softly cooed Taehyung as he shook their connected hands.

"Mmm," he tiredly hummed as he forced his eyes open.

Sleepily, he looked out of the window and tried to get his bearings as the car still moved. He noticed they had just pulled past the secure gates at the entrance and would arrive within the next minute. He stretched his body as much as he could in the car and let out a tired sigh. He had definitely needed that rest. There was no doubt in his mind that he would most likely head straight to bed for another nap once they got inside.

"Let's get you inside," quietly said Taehyung with a fond smile, his face mask had been taken off, in fact all three of them had at some point and now it was only Chan-woo with his still on.

Chan-woo nodded as the car entered their driveway and rolled to a stop out the front of the stairs. All five of them unbuckled and exited the vehicle. The driver helped unload the bags, he even carried a few of them onto the front marble patio. Chan-woo had offered to help but the other three had told him not to worry about it since nothing belonged to him. He awkwardly stood on the patio as he waited for them to finish. They all bowed to the driver and watched as he left, he was one step closer to being able to lay down again.

"Hey Channie-ah?" called out Jimin as they walked into the house together.

"Yes Hyung?" he responded as he kicked off his shoes and picked them up.

"What are you planning on doing for the rest of the night?" he asked with a smile.

"Sleep," he mumbled quietly with an embarrassed blush. "Why?"

"Is that the young ones that I hear? Are you finally home from your shopping trip?" suddenly yelled Jin from somewhere down the hall in the living area.

"Yes Hyung!" yelled Taehyung in answer. "We just got home! What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking dinner! All four of you come here and stop shouting across the house!" he yelled back in return which caused the other three to chuckle as they made their way down the hall.

For a second, Chan-woo paused. He looked at their retreating backs before looking upstairs with longing in his eyes. He quite honestly didn't have enough in his social tank to keep going. His bed called his name. But he didn't want to disrespect Jin, especially when he had included Chan-woo in the statement for a change.

Begrudgingly, he placed his shoes down next to the shoe rack to collect later on his way upstairs. He walked down the hallway, towards the living room, and saw how Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook had unloaded all their shopping bags onto the kitchen table. As he entered, he spotted Seokjin in the kitchen and the other three spread out on the couches. He returned the smile that Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi gave him.

"How was it? Show me everything," Jin said, looking up briefly from where he was chopping onions.

"It was so busy but we had a good time," excitedly said Jimin, as all three started to pull different things from their bags to show off.

Chan-woo tuned them out, he knew basically everything they had brought anyway. He shuffled his way over to the couches and decided to sit next Hoseok. He tentatively reached out and grabbed his hand. A soft, relieved smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Hoseok immediately reciprocated the touch and his thumb started to caress Chan-woo's hand.

"How are you?" quietly asked Hoseok as he looked down at him with a smile.

"Tired," he replied, equally as quiet. "Ready for bed."

"Have something to eat when it's ready and then you can go to bed, yeah?" he said and leaned over to place a kiss to his forehead. "Jin Hyung said it's almost done."

"Okay, yeah," he whispered, blushed, and hung his head.

"So cute," cooed Hoseok as he turned his attention back to his phone in his other hand.

Chan-woo didn't respond, instead he lifted both his legs up, folded them underneath himself, and settled further against Hoseok's side with his head on his shoulder. He was rather glad when Hoseok didn't protest. If anything, he seemed to hold his hand tighter and lean towards him. He released a long sigh as his eyes fluttered.

Quite easily, he tuned out all of the excited talking in the kitchen, it became background noise to his tired brain. He tried to keep his eyes open, but his mind and body were exhausted. It was a losing battle. And before long, he had relaxed enough into the couch that his eyes slipped shut.

"Did you get it?" Chan-woo suddenly heard Yoongi's voice breakthrough. It made him startle and open his eyes.

"Of course," Jimin replied as he walked from the kitchen table towards the couches with a bag in hand. "It was the first thing we got."

None of it was making any sense to Chan-woo's sleepy mind. He was just about to close his eyes again when he noticed the bag Jimin held. It was the plain gift bag. His curiosity had been piqued again, he wanted to know what was in the bag. His eyes remained open as he watched Jimin move, wondering if he was about to pull out whatever it was.

However, Jimin looked at him and started to walk towards him. Chan-woo watched him cautiously. Maybe he would sit down next to him and open it? But no. Jimin moved closer until he stood in front of him. There was an excited twinkle in his eyes as he gazed down at him. Chan-woo frowned as Jimin held the gift bag out to him.

"Here. We all chipped in to get you this," Jimin said and jiggled the bag as Chan-woo simply stared at it like it would suddenly come to life and bite him.

"For me?" Chan-woo asked quietly, his frown deepened, as he moved to sit cross legged and let go of Hoseok's hand.

"For you," said Jimin with a firm nod.

The entire room, including Jin in the kitchen, watched Chan-woo. He blushed slightly from all the attention as he slowly took the bag and set it down in his lap. His hands shook slightly as he opened the bag and peered inside. There was only one item. A small white rectangular box. He wasn't a fool, he knew what it was immediately. His eyes widened as he inhaled sharply. He snapped his head up, looking up at Jimin who smiled excitedly down at him. He moved his gaze to Hoseok, before he slowly looked around at each and every one of them. They all had done this?

With shaky hands, Chan-woo reached inside and pulled out the box. He moved the gift bag to the side and placed the box in his lap. He simply sat in silent shock for a moment, eyes locked on the item. He couldn't believe it. Slowly, he lifted the lid, and revealed exactly what he knew it would be. A brand new, shiny phone.

"You guys got me a new phone?" Chan-woo asked in a whisper as he looked around the room in shock, tears started to cloud his vision.

"We got it because your one has a crack in it now. We hope you like it!" Jimin said with a small bounce before he moved the gift bag and sat down on the other side of Chan-woo. "If you want a different colour, we can go back and swap it."

"No it's okay," he shook his head furiously as he blinked away the tears. "It's perfect. Thank you all so much."

No one had ever done something so thoughtful for him. They had all gone out of their way to pitch in and buy him a new phone? Just because his had a crack after he had thrown it? Chan-woo couldn't hold the tears in any longer as he hid his face in both his hands. He heard the whole room coo before two pairs of arms wrapped around him. He was in shock at the kind act, the gift meant so much to him.

"Don't cry, it's okay," soothed Hoseok quietly.

"Awe Channie-ah," cooed Jimin with a soft chuckle.

"I can't believe you did this for me," he sniffled as he started to wipe away the tears.

"It's okay. Think of it as a joint apology gift," Namjoon spoke up, to which the others nodded and verbalised their agreement.

It was all too much. Chan-woo carefully replaced the lid on the phone box, the last thing he wanted to do was accidentally knock or break the new phone. Once it was secured, he turned to Jimin first and hugged him tightly. After a few seconds, he turned in his seat and hugged Hoseok. Without saying a word, he silently got up from the couch and attached himself to the closest person, which was Taehyung.

Slowly, Chan-woo made his way around the room. He hugged each and every person, heading to Seokjin last. He couldn't speak because he knew his voice would betray him and he might have ended up sobbing. So he hoped they would accept his hug as a thank you in the meantime. He didn't know what he did to deserve such a thoughtful gift, but he appreciated it immensely.

They all cooed at him as they returned the hug, chuckling and laughing at how cute he was. It was evident to them all that the phone had meant a lot to him. For most of them, it was the first time they had given Chan-woo something. Even if it was a joint gift, they were relieved it had made him happy. For those that had already given him things in the past, they were just happy they could do something for him. All seven of them knew that he deserved it.

"Let's eat and then you can go to bed, hmm?" Jin said as he continued to hug Chan-woo, even when he went to pull away.

"Thank you," whispered Chan-woo. Instead of putting up a fight, he turned to bury his head into Seokjin's chest and wrapped his arms tighter around him.

"It's okay," he whispered in return, also tightening his hold. "You deserve it."

While Chan-woo disagreed with that last part, he was still greatly appreciative of the gesture. He had never imagined that they would do something like that for him. If someone had suggested the idea of them doing it even three weeks ago, he would have laughed hysterically. It just proved the leaps and bounds they had all made ever since he had first joined them. It had been a rollercoaster of tense and flared emotions. And even though they still had a long way to go to fix their relationships, it was a massive step in the right direction.

Chan-woo just hoped they wouldn't take any steps backwards because he couldn't mentally and emotionally handle it.

Chapter Text

Hello dear readers,

I am sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure you got super excited to see that I finally posted a new chapter. I'm sure you were all like "Oh my god, no way! Did Author Bangtan/Tannie/Felix just post? It's a Christmas miracle!". Perhaps the excitement quickly disappeared as you then saw the chapter title had been named '! Important !'. And before you freak out... No, I am not abandoning this story. So please take a deep breath. Everything is alright. Chan-woo told me to tell you that he will be back very soon.

Actually, I came here to keep you in the loop. Something important is about to happen and I don't want people to get confused when the next chapter comes out. Maybe grab a snack while I explain myself.

I've had the biggest writer's block ever since July. At first, I thought it was because my mental health had been spiralling severely since May and I also had a bit of burnout from writing so much over the last few years. But even when I was starting to feel better in November after starting a completely new medication, my writers block was still very much present. It was absolutely so frustrating that I couldn't figure out why I couldn't write to save myself. That was until last week when it all clicked for me!

Something felt wrong ever since I rushed to post that last chapter and put in the Chobi scene (you'd get the reference if you were in my discord server - a shameless plug). But it finally clicked five months later that that particular key event had been plucked from amongst all my other plans for the future of Hidden. I had taken a while to update and rushed the chapter in a few big writing sessions, sometimes I go with the flow and in this case I added that Chobi scene because it felt right in the moment.

I had always planned for Chan-woo to be kissed by a member, but I had planned for it to happen down the track instead of where we are at currently (I'm not saying when because I don't want to spoil any future details). In my head when I thought of the future plot within the story, I started to notice this then affected some of the other plans, the dynamics were shifting too drastically way too soon, and most importantly the timing was wrong. I realised my plot had been thrown out of balance and that's why I couldn't write a single sentence down.

So! To counter this and hopefully clear my writers block, I took down chapter 31 today. I shall be taking out everything I'm not happy with, rewriting the majority of the last half, and re-publishing it when I'm ready so that the balance can be restored... Just don't expect the kiss to be between Chobi again 😏😈💅
*(For all the ao3 readers the emojis are: /smirk/ /smiling imp/ /painting nails/)

So worry not, my loyal readers! I'll be back next year for my 10 year writing anniversary (publishing stories online)! Thank you so much for getting this book to 75k reads on Wattpad and 11k hits on Ao3! I truly appreciate your support for this story! Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year! Stay safe! Chan-woo and I will see you all in 2024!

Author Bangtan/Tannie/Felix (whichever one you call me) is going back to sleep. Peace.

P.s. I'll delete this after I have published the new version of chapter 31.