𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐒 | 𝐊- 𝐏𝐎𝐏

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗒

Chapter 31: Live

The men greet the people working in the space as they enter and Taehyung keeps her close to him. She is hoping to make sense of what he's just told her. He's hoping that she can relax and feel comfortable here, although he knows it must feel unusual.

"You all live here? Together?" she asks. He nods. It's true they all have their own properties separate from the dorm, but they are often here, together, when anything is planned to be recorded, and sometimes just to be together. He hopes he can explain this without it seeming too unusual. He shows her to a seat and sits down beside her. Some of the men are getting make-up done in various parts of the large living room.

"We have lived together since before we debuted." He thinks about it and chuckles to himself. "I was only a teenager when we started living together." She looks at him surprised. "We lived in a tiny apartment and all slept in one bedroom." He gets a far off look as he recalls the first very cramped dorm. The idea that he slept in a room with all of them makes her suddenly feel a little less embarrassed about her small apartment. "When we moved into this dorm, we knew we would have enough space to stay put and we all lived together for many years, even when we got our own apartments, we stayed together." She nods, understanding a little better. "I never liked living on my own, it was nice to have all my brothers around me."

"But you don't live here now?" He shakes his head.

"Now, this is our 'come together' place, when anything special is happening." She looks up and catches Jungkook watching them, he looks away when their eyes meet.

"Is Jungkook alright with me being here?" she asks, hoping her presence isn't making him uncomfortable.

"He was against me meeting you at first, but I think Jimin's spoken to him since," he says causally. It makes her instantly worry. She decides at some point she should make sure to speak to him, specifically, so he can hopefully know more about her. "I've got to get my make-up done." She nods and he kisses her cheek. "Will you be OK here?" He keeps hold of her hands.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Do what you need to do." She smiles as she sees Jungkook stand and move a little closer as Taehyung backs away toward a chair to sit down for make-up. As she expected, Jungkook comes right up to her and takes a seat beside her. They both sit silently watching the activity in the room for a long moment before he speaks.

"Where are you from originally?" he asks. She has the sense that he might have a list of questions to ask her.

"Seattle. In the United States." He nods.

"We've been there, it's nice. Is that where your family is?" She sighs, wishing she didn't have to answer this question.

"I don't have any family left." She looks down, fighting a tear at having to admit she has no one. He realizes he's upset her and he looks at her concerned.

"No one, really?" She shakes her head, 'no'. She wipes the tear away before it falls but he notices.

"I lost them, my parents when I was young, then my Grandfather. It's been a few years, but you don't get over losing your family." She apologizes for her tears. He frowns realizing he shouldn't have asked.

"I'm sorry. I think I've said something wrong." She looks up into his eyes and tries to reassure him.

"You couldn't have known. I've just been thinking about family a lot the last few days." She wipes a second tear from her eye before it can fall to her cheek and she looks away to hide it.

"Since meeting Taehyung?" he asks. She wonders if he's doubting her.

"Yes, actually." She thinks for a long moment. "It's funny how someone can step into your life, totally unexpected, and it feels a little like they should have been there all along." Jungkook watches her, quietly taking in her words and thinking to himself about how Taehyung was so instantly sure she was 'the one.' A little voice inside him wonders if there isn't something to this soulmate idea.

"Jungkook," she distracts him from his thoughts. "What is this recording for? What will happen tonight?"

"We are going to sing one of our latest songs for ARMY- that's what our fans are called." She doesn't understand but she's surprised they will be singing. She looks around the space and the chairs being moved into place in front of the bank of cameras.

"There are no instruments," she offers unsure. He nods, realizing what she's thinking.

"They play a backing track and we sing, just one song, and it will be live, a sort of treat for the fans. I hinted at it online yesterday. We're hoping to get 30 million people to log on live." Her mouth drops open at the words.

"What?! How many?" Her eyes are wide. He smiles.

"Yes, that's not unusual. We get close to that number for all the lives."

"But how can that many people know to come watch you?" She sits in disbelief.

"Just because you don't know who we are doesn't mean no one else does Hana." He laughs and smiles warmly at her as Yoongi steps up to join them.

"What did I miss?" he asks, wrapping his arm around Jungkook and leaning over his back casually.

"Hana really doesn't know who we are," he teases.

"Jimin told me she thought Taehyung was some sort of creep when she met him." He laughs. Jungkook looks at her surprised, his smile spreads from ear to ear. She blushes a little.

"I was just being cautious," she explains herself, but, as they both stare at her, each with one eyebrow raised in expectation, she continues, "And he was pressing his face against the window trying to see into the classroom. He did look pretty suspicious," she admits. They both burst out laughing. She glances up and meets Taehyung's eyes from across the room. He's staring at her, at them, and he grins knowingly. She feels a little more relieved at seeming to pass the first test.