Pop Star || Yoongi x Reader

28. We're in the LA Spirit

(This chapter was previously titled 'Party and Party Poopers')

"Hey, Monica! How's that loophole working out?"

You flop down on the plush bed at the hotel. LA is a sun-kissed beauty outside your window. New year's going to be fun, especially if the loophole Monica found in your old contracts with Ribbon works out in your favor and you get your songs back.

"Legal is still working on it," Monica sighs. There's a little more to that, but she doesn't let you in on it. No point in spoiling your mood today.

"Mmhmm," you reply, not quite hearing her. It's not that you're not interested in what she's saying. You are. Very much so. But in your hand is your phone, and in the phone is a Kakao Story of Rude Guy - a photo of Suga snuggled up asleep on a poolside chair. Even though it is from his account, the caption reads "hyeong" and a few laughing emojis. It's probably one of the boys using his phone.

"Did he finally text you?" Monica asks.
"No - hey - I mean - who are you talking about..." your protest trails away because it's no use lying to her anymore.
"I was just watching his story," you reply in a small voice, "how do you always know?"

"You make that face," Monica scrunches up her nose. "Don't get hung up on him too much."

"Hung up on who? Oh, are we talking about you-know-who?" Lily barges into the room with bags full of clothes.
"I swear Lily, it was my biggest mistake to talk to you about it," you bury your head in your pillow.
Lily giggles. "It's okay, Y/N. You're not alone - all you need to do is make a fake account and you can join a worldwide gang going crazy over Min Yoongi. Make your own group chat even. In any language of your choice."

"Can we go back to the time you used to nervously call me "ma'am" and didn't dare to make a joke, let alone make one on me?"
"Nope," Lily giggles again.

"It was quite the drunken confession," Monica says.

"'I'm not saying I like him but he's just got this thing that made me want things -'"Lily tries to mimic the drunk you in a sing-song voice, "-really poetic it was Y/N," she finishes, giggling. You pout but don't reply, hoping they'll drop the topic.

Well. It wasn't too far off an expectation to expect him to text you after the day you spent in Daegu. But he didn't. And you were having a hard time putting him out of your head for now. Two days ago, you got a little drunk with Lily and ended up telling her all about it.

"Don't get too lovesick, Y/N. There's a long line of people outside your door too. Go out with someone. Dance," she flaps her arms, causing you to burst out laughing.

"Bleh. Anyway, I'm free until evening right?" you ask.

"You have your Korean class this afternoon," Lily answers, opening up your schedule in the tab, "there's the costume fitting..."

You grunt and roll over in your bed like a panda.

"Get up and get out," Monica advises. "Just don't drink or trip over things, we can't afford you to be broken right now."

"Aaaagh," you wail. It's a mood swing. You know yourself enough to know when those kick in. On one hand, things aren't moving fast enough in your life. Especially your album since your head is as blank as a fresh sheet of paper every time you try to write music. But on the other, you are in LA for the most exclusive new year's party of the music industry.

Universal had decided to revive the Studio 54 spirit - albeit a tad bit more formally. They had invited the biggest names in the whole wide world - Swift, West, Eilish, Bieber, Rihanna, Blackpink, BTS - and a few from the middle order including you. Well, it had taken an insane amount of lobbying to be included, but you wanted to go so badly that you pulled in all your connections and made it happen. It wasn't just artists - the biggest industry execs were coming too. You were hoping for a giant chaotic blast of a party, the perfect start to 2022.

But right now, you felt lazy as fuck. You would slide from your bed to the makeup chair directly in the evening.

Monica practically kicks you out of the room since you've already slept enough on the flight and in the room. You stretch yourself as you walk down the corridor. The lower floors are swarming with people. It's the festive season, and the Plaza is home to a bunch of foreign VIPs and staff for the next few days. You take an extra-long cut around the huge atrium. As you pass through the entrance leading out to the lawns, a tall guy in a gray outfit catches your attention. He's got his face covered with a towel and round sunglasses, on the whole looking like some character out of Tom and Jerry. While you hold back a giggle, he pauses to look at you and then waves,

"Y/N shi!"

You pull down your mask and raise your hand uncertainly. Who on earth is that?

"Wait. V? Is that you?"