Fire On Fire [TK]

(17) Turn and Run

"But I can't help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run"

- Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead

❀

- V -

BTS.

Bangtan Sonyeondan.

That is who they were supposed to be now....supposedly bulletproof.

The name echoed in Taehyung's head long after the meeting ended, bouncing around the practice room like a word that didn't yet belong to them.

Bulletproof.

It sounded brave like something you said when you were trying to convince yourself that nothing could hurt you.

They had argued over it, gently at first, then louder, then tiredly, tossing ideas around until everyone was too exhausted to care anymore. When Namjoon suggested their youth would be the centre to it, everyone agreed. The anger, the confusion, the hunger to be seen, raw and unfiltered. Their story.

And somehow, this was the name that survived.

Taehyung stared up at the ceiling, lying flat on the practice room floor, arms spread wide like he was trying to disappear into the ground. The lights buzzed faintly overhead. His ears rang with the aftertaste of discussion, laughter, and uncertainty.

With their team's name finalised, stage names came next. Namjoon was already known as Rap Monster, or RM, a name that fit him so perfectly it felt inevitable. Yoongi went with Suga, short and sharp, an acronym for his position in his basketball team. Hoseok leaned towards a play on words with J-Hope, optimism stitched into every syllable, inspired by a rapper he had looked up to since his childhood.

Seokjin, with his no-nonsense attitude, simply chose his nickname Jin, and Jimin loved his name too much to abandon it. Plus, he was too occupied with worries of being kicked off the team at the last minute to think of any fancy call signs. And the maknae went with the Americanized version of his name, Jungkook.

Taehyung closed his eyes. What was he supposed to choose? He wondered if he should just stick to his original name, but he was not entirely sure people would be able to pronounce it properly. He could go with his initials, but that just seemed too cliché. He wanted something simple yet meaningful. Something that would be easy but also-sexy?

Maybe sexy wasn't the right word.

But he wanted it to have an edge.

A soft thud beside him made him turn his head to find Jeongguk collapsing down beside him with a dramatic huff, arms flung over his eyes.

Taehyung's heart swelled instantly

It always did, when Jeongguk chose him.

"Tired, eh, Jeonggukshi?" He teased lightly.

"Ah, hyungnim," Jeongguk groaned. "I think we are all dead, and this is hell."

Even with the dropping temperatures outside, their practice room was sweltering. September nearing its end had everyone donning their jackets and hoodies, but at present, none of the members had anything more on than a Tee or a vest. 'Baby Jeon,' as Yoongi called him, lifted his T‑shirt to wipe his face, exposing skin that was no longer soft with childhood, their endless training forming prominent muscles. Taehyung's gaze lingered a little too long on the faint lines of his oblique.

Heat crawled up his spine.

That was completely unrelated.

Obviously.