A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 42

Hoseok handed Reader a towel which she took gratefully. From her position, flat on her back on the floor with lights flashing in front of her eyes, she could just make him out, frowning at her. He squatted, both his feet flat on the floor. This was another skill Reader just wrote off as something only Koreans and yoga teachers could do. Nine months on and she still lost her balance on the balls of her feet. Unaware of her admiration, he felt her forehead.

"Yes, hot." He concluded. He walked over to where the stereo was still playing and silenced it, deciding on her behalf that their lesson was over. "I take you home." He decided and stood over her with his hand outstretched. She took it gratefully and wrenched herself up to a standing position.

Reader knew it was pointless to argue. Going into this rehearsal two hours ago, she'd felt pretty bad, hoping it was the last couple of late nights catching up to her but with one eye on the flu Yoongi and some of the backing dancers had had a few days back. Now she felt like crap. As usual, she was sweaty and flushed from dancing, although she'd worked far less hard today than she normally could. And though the August heat was permeating the whole of the HYBE building, Reader felt a shaking cold building inside of her and as Hobi packed up their few bits and pieces, she wrapped Jungkook's large denim jacket tightly around herself. "Here." Hoseok said, as they began to leave, handing her the beanie hat he'd worn in and she put it on, walking behind him, in a daze, down the hallway.

By the time the car was at their building, Reader was shivering with a bone-deep chill and she hurt all over like she'd just finished one of Jungkook's early days workouts.

At the entrance to the apartment, Reader limping along behind him, Hobi let them in.

"I can go to mine, I'll be fine there." She offered pathetically, not wanting to imagine that she was endlessly welcome in space that didn't belong to her, especially when she brought germs. Hobi ignored her and stepped aside for her to enter.

He called out generally to whoever might be around and spoke a few words, the only one of which Reader recognised was her own name.

Namjoon came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dish towel. "Is it the same thing Suga had?" He asked as Reader took off her bag and headed to the sofa. She stood still dutifully while Namjoon felt her forehead and concluded as Hoseok had, that she was running a fever.

"Sit down. How do you feel?" Namjoon asked.

"Like death!" she groaned, hugging her knees. "Stay back, I don't want you getting sick too."

"Do you want to lie down? You can go to Jungkook's room." He pointed out but Reader shook her head, still not over her initial anxieties about moving lock, stock and barrel into Jungkook's private space without his permission; something which she knew he'd both laugh at her for and appreciate. "Okay, stay out here then, I'll bring you some tea. How do you feel about tomorrow?" He called over his shoulder re-entering the kitchen. Hobi had left them but Taehyung had made his way out and sat down next to her, feeling her brow for himself.

"Hot." He surmised and Reader gave him a weak smile, wondering if all seven of her compatriots would be assessing her condition for themselves.

She thought about her answer to Namjoon's question, which she could see lurking behind Tae's eyes too. Tomorrow they were due on a flight headed for the UK, where, in a few days, Reader and her Indian counterpart would perform in a charity concert hosted in honour of the World Exchange Project. The concert was much smaller than a stadium, but it had only been scheduled over the Summer because, in part, of her own international success.

Although the feelings of those in the UK music community weren't necessarily shared with the Korean or even the UK ARMYs, where Reader was decidedly divisive. Ever since the first rumours had started to turn over months ago, there had been a growing feeling of resentment towards Reader. It had started with a few harmless videos and gossip vloggers pointing to unsubstantiated coincidences. Shipper videos either with malice behind them or not showed the various touches caught on camera between Reader and Jungkook in the early days and on the American tour.