Chapter Text
The tinted, floor-to-ceiling windows of HYBE’s top-floor executive conference room overlooked a sprawling gray Seoul skyline. From this height, the city resembled an intricate circuit board, pulsing with an energy that the people inside this room helped shape. Yet despite the breathtaking view, every ounce of attention remained fixed on a single, unassuming folder resting at the center of the polished mahogany table.
Bang Si-hyuk leaned back in his ergonomic leather chair, fingers steepled as he looked across the table at the seven members of BTS. Dressed in faded hoodies, oversized sweatpants, beanies, and worn-in slides, they looked less like global superstars and more like lifelong friends gathered after a late studio session. To the outside world, however, they were the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar empire.
“The board has been discussing a legacy project for the upcoming quarter,” Bang PD began calmly, his voice carrying the steady authority of a man who had built the company from a cramped basement studio. “A full-scale, deeply integrated collaboration. We’re looking at a joint album, a title track performance, and shared promotional content. The goal is to create something that feels historic for the label — something that bridges generations.”
Namjoon adjusted his glasses, fingers tapping thoughtfully against his thigh as his mind immediately began calculating the logistics. “A collaboration within HYBE?” he asked. “Are you presenting us with specific options, PD-nim? Or does the creative team already have a direction planned out?”
Bang PD smiled faintly and shook his head. “No drafts. No prepared choices. We’re giving you complete executive freedom.” His gaze softened with unmistakable pride. “You’ve earned full autonomy over your art, and if a project like this is forced from the top down, fans will notice immediately. If this happens, it needs to be with artists you genuinely want to work with. The decision is entirely yours.”
A contemplative silence settled over the room as the weight of the decision sank in.
Yoongi shifted in his seat, resting his chin against his knuckles as he mentally sorted through HYBE’s roster. “If we’re talking familiarity, TXT is the obvious option,” he said. “We’ve known them since they were trainees. We’ve already done photoshoots and challenges together. We understand their vocal colors and group dynamics, so the process would be smooth.”
“TXT would definitely be the safest choice,” Hoseok agreed, absentmindedly spinning an unlit pen between his fingers. “The chemistry already exists. We wouldn’t have to spend weeks breaking the ice or navigating awkward formalities.”
“But do we really want safe?”
The question came from Taehyung.
Until now, he had remained unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on the folder in front of them. But as he leaned forward, a familiar spark lit his eyes — the same unpredictable glint that usually signaled one of his unconventional ideas.
Jungkook tilted his head curiously. “What are you thinking, Taehyungie hyung?”
“TXT are our younger brothers,” Taehyung said, his deep voice steady as it carried through the room. “We love them, and we always will. But because we already know them so well, we can predict exactly what that collaboration would look like. Comfortable. Familiar. Expected.” He paused, glancing around at his members. “We’ve always done our best work when we push ourselves into unfamiliar territory. We take risks. So… what about ENHYPEN?”
The name instantly shifted the atmosphere.
Jimin blinked in surprise before an intrigued smile slowly appeared on his face. Seokjin straightened slightly in his chair, eyebrows lifting with interest.
“ENHYPEN?” Yoongi repeated thoughtfully, leaning back. “We barely know them. We’ve passed each other in hallways, exchanged greetings at award shows, and filmed a few challenges here and there, but we’ve never actually sat down and talked properly.”
“Exactly,” Taehyung replied, growing more animated. “I took them out for dinner once, and they seemed genuinely passionate about music. They care deeply about ENGENE, just like we care about ARMY.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “That’s why it’s interesting. Their musical identity is completely different from ours. Dark, conceptual, theatrical — lots of heavy synths and rock influences. Their rhythm is different. I’m curious about what would happen if our styles were forced into the same space.”
He leaned back slightly before adding with amusement, “And honestly, I want to get to know them better. Every time they see us in the building, they become so polite it looks like they’re scared of breathing too loudly near us. I want to break that wall down.”
Laughter spread around the room.
“He’s not wrong,” Seokjin admitted between laughs. “Last week one of them practically flattened himself against the elevator wall when I walked in. I thought he was trying to disappear into it.”
Namjoon looked around the table carefully, reading his members’ reactions with the instinct of a leader who had spent over a decade understanding them. He saw genuine curiosity in Yoongi’s expression, creative excitement building in Hoseok’s eyes, and quiet agreement from the others.
“Taehyung makes a good point,” Namjoon finally said, turning toward Bang PD. “Some of our best work has come from stepping outside our comfort zones. If ENHYPEN is willing to take on the challenge…” He glanced briefly at his members before smiling slightly. “Then let’s make it happen.”
Bang PD’s smile widened, wrinkling the corners of his eyes. He tapped the table authoritatively. "Then it’s settled. I’ll notify Belift Lab. Get ready, boys. Things are about to get busy."
---
Three floors below, inside a massive practice room that smelled faintly of industrial wood cleaner and intense, hours-long sweat, the seven members of ENHYPEN were completely collapsing.
They had just finished a grueling, five-hour run of their latest title track choreography, pushing for absolute, razor-sharp synchronization. Jungwon was leaning heavily against the mirrored wall, his chest heaving violently as he gripped a cold water bottle, trying to stop the room from spinning. Beside him, Ni-ki was already on his knees, staring intently at an iPad displaying a video of their last run, his brow furrowed as he analyzed a millisecond delay in their arm movements.
The heavy, soundproof glass door of the practice room suddenly swung open with a sharp click. Their head manager Yuki walked in. His expression wasn't angry, but it possessed a strange, breathless intensity—a mixture of profound shock and corporate urgency that instantly made all seven boys sit up straight. In the K-pop world, a manager entering a room with *that* specific look meant life was about to change.
"Everyone, put the water down, stand up, and listen up," Yuki said, clapping his hands together to gather their scattered attention. He looked directly at Jungwon, his voice dropping to a serious, low register. "We just received an official directive from upper management. A massive joint project has been officially approved."
"A joint project?" Heeseung asked, pulling a white towel from his neck to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "With who? Is it a webtoon OST? Or a collaboration with the TXT Sunbae?"
Yuki took a deep breath, looking around at the seven young idols who had worked tirelessly since their survival show days. "With BTS."
The room fell into an absolute, suffocating silence.
The background hum of the air conditioning suddenly felt incredibly loud. Sunghoon, who had been in the middle of a deep hamstring stretch, completely froze, his muscles locking up mid-pose. Sunoo’s eyes went as wide as saucers, his jaw slightly slack. Jake literally choked on the sip of water he had just taken, coughing violently into his elbow while Jay frantically, blindly patted his back—though Jay himself looked like he had just been struck by lightning.
"Wait... what?" Jungwon stammered. His mind, usually so organized and quick to react as a leader, completely short-circuited. His vocal cords felt temporarily paralyzed. "BTS... Sunbaenim? *The* BTS sunbaenim? Like... a challenge video or something?"
"No," Yuki said, a small, proud smirk finally breaking through his serious expression. "A full-scale collaboration. A album, a joint title track, and variety content. And it wasn't a corporate command from the board. BTS was given the choice of any group under the entire HYBE umbrella, and they personally selected ENHYPEN. They explicitly stated they want to work with you."
"They... they chose us?" Ni-ki whispered. The usual cool, unshakeable confidence of ENHYPEN's main dancer vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by the raw, wide-eyed awe of a young boy who had grown up in Japan with posters of SHINEE and BTS plastering his bedroom walls.
"This is insane," Jay muttered, staring down at his trembling hands as if trying to verify that he hadn't passed out from exhaustion and dreamt the whole thing. "We’re going to be in a room with them? Working on music? How am I supposed to even breathe normally in front of them?"
"I think I’m actually going to throw up," Sunoo whimpered, though a massive, panicked, ecstatic smile was breaking across his face. "What if I trip over my own feet during a dance run? What if I forget how to speak Korean?"
"You won't," Heeseung said, though his own voice carried a distinct tremble. He looked over at Jungwon. A silent, heavy wave of profound pressure passed between the oldest member and the young leader. They both knew the stakes. This wasn't just an honor; it was a test. "We just... we have to be absolutely flawless. We can't make a single mistake. They are living legends."
"Go to the dressing room, wash your faces, and change into clean, presentable clothes," Yuki instructed, checking his watch with a tense nod. "The first official meet-and-greet is scheduled in exactly thirty minutes in Meeting Room 4B. Do not be late. Let's go."
---
The walk down the long, minimalist hallways toward Meeting Room 4B felt like a slow march to a high-security tribunal.
Jungwon walked at the very front of the formation, his heart hammering against his ribs so violently he was certain the others could hear it. His palms were slick with nervous sweat. Behind him, the members were in a state of quiet, manic panic, furiously adjusting the collars of their denim jackets, smoothing down hair that was still damp from the practice room, and whispering frantic, hyper-focused reminders to one another.
"Remember, absolute bows," Jay whispered aggressively from behind Jungwon's shoulder. "Keep your voices clear, don't mumble. Address every single one of them respectfully. Don't speak unless one of them asks a direct question."
"Should we do our official greeting?" Jake hissed back, his Australian accent slipping through in his anxiety. "1, 2, Connect? Or is that going to be too loud and disruptive for a private meeting room?"
"We do the greeting," Jungwon decided firmly, his voice tight as he stopped right outside the heavy wood-and-glass door of Meeting Room 4B. He took a massive, chest-expanding breath, closed his eyes for a split second to steady his racing thoughts, and looked back at his team. They all looked terrified, but their eyes were sharp. Jungwon nodded once, gripped the handle, and turned it.
The meeting room was spacious and bright, dominated by a large, frosted-glass conference table. And there they were. The seven men who occupied global billboards, history books, and the highest tiers of the music world.
The absolute second the ENHYPEN members stepped over the threshold, their training and survival instincts took over completely. In perfect, synchronized unison, they bent forward at the waist, forming rigid, military-grade , their hands pinned firmly to the seams of their trousers.
"1, 2! Connect! Hello, we are ENHYPEN!" they chorused, their voices exploding into the quiet room with a precision that was terrifyingly intense. "It is an absolute honor to meet you, Sunbaenim!"
They held the bow. One second passed. Two seconds. Three seconds. The silence stretched, and Jungwon’s heart leaped into his throat, wondering if they had somehow offended them already.
Instead of a formal, dignified corporate response, a loud, dramatic, theatrical groan echoed from the other side of the frosted table.
"Ah, look at this! I told you so!" Seokjin’s voice whined playfully, slicing through the thick tension like a stone shattering glass. "Namjoon-ah, look what you did! Your serious leader aura is scaring the kids! They think they’re in trouble!"
"Why is it always my fault?!" Namjoon laughed loudly, immediately standing up from his chair and shaking his head.
ENHYPEN slowly, cautiously straightened up, blinking in utter confusion. BTS wasn't standing in a formal, intimidating line. Jimin was practically falling off his chair from laughing, his shoulders shaking; Taehyung was grinning from ear to ear, leaning back with his hands behind his head; and Yoongi was just shaking his head with a fond, tired, older-brother smile.
"Aigoo, look at them, they’re so stiff," Hoseok said, immediately rushing forward with his arms wide open, completely bypassing the corporate barrier. He walked right up to the line, warmly patting Jungwon and Heeseung on their shoulders. "Relax, relax! Put your shoulders down! You guys look like you’re about to enlist in the military. Breathe!"
"Sunbaenim, we just wanted to show proper—" Jungwon began, his voice still tightly wound.
"Stop right there," Jimin interrupted, walking over with his hands on his hips, though his eyes were crinkled into soft crescent moons. "What did you just call us?"
"Uh... Sunbaenim?" Jungwon faltered, his confidence wavering as he looked around to his members for backup. But Jay and Jake looked equally paralyzed, looking like statues.
"No, no, no," Taehyung said, wagging a scolding finger. He stepped forward, walking right past the older members straight to Ni-ki. With a gentle, fond grin, Taehyung reached out and lightly ruffled the younger boy’s hair. Ni-ki flenched slightly in sheer shock before his entire face and neck turned a brilliant shade of crimson. "We didn't agree to this collaboration to be called 'Sunbaenim' for the next three months. It makes us feel like grandpas. Call us *hyung*."
"Hyung?" Heeseung repeated the word. It felt completely foreign, dangerously informal, and almost sacrilegious coming out of his mouth.
"Yes, hyung," Seokjin said proudly, puffing out his chest and striking a dramatic pose. "Specifically, I am Worldwide Handsome Jin-hyung. You can call Yoongi over there 'old man' if you really want to, but I am your hyung."
"Hey! Watch it!" Yoongi complained from the back of the room, though a genuine gummy smile broke across his face.
The warmth radiating from the older group was palpable, washing over ENHYPEN’s thick wall of anxiety like warm water melting ice. Jungkook walked over next, standing directly beside Ni-ki and comparing their shoulder heights with a wide, bunny-toothed grin. "Wow, you’ve grown so much since I saw you on I-LAND. You’re almost taller than me now. So cute."
Ni-ki looked like he was about to evaporate into thin air from sheer, unadulterated happiness.
"Come on, sit down, let's not stand around," Namjoon urged warmly, gesturing to the empty chairs directly across from them. "We have a lot of things to talk about, but before we even look at a single lyric or chord progression, let's get one thing clear. We chose you because we genuinely respect your talent and your drive. So let's drop the stiff formalities. From this moment on, we’re a team."
Jungwon looked down the row at his members, seeing the visible, profound relief washing over their faces. The lingering awe and intimidation were still there—after all, these were the idols who had shaped their dreams—but beneath it, a new, electric, and unstoppable excitement was finally starting to spark.
"Yes... hyung," Jungwon said softly, a genuine, bright smile finally breaking across his face.