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Pressure...

Work went smoothly today, though it was a long, busy, day, it was nothing I couldn't handle. My clients ranged from a middle-aged man dealing with the stress of being laid off from his job and the loss of his role as the breadwinner for his family, to a young couple trying to work on their marriage. They were trying to decide if it was worth the work or whether they should just divorce. I had a woman, about my age, struggling with social anxiety and a teen struggling with their sexuality wondering what's the best way to bring this up to their parents. Also, a young girl who has ADHD and an older woman struggling to navigate life after the loss of her husband.

As I'm sitting at my desk notating my client's files and researching information for their treatment plans, Namjoon rubs my shoulders. The fabric of the lilac wrap dress allows his fingers to glide across my back, relieving the tension. The others sit around, here and there, looking through books and busying themselves with whatever else they can find. They are all so quiet, minus Jungkook and Jimin humming to themselves quietly. It's soothing, having them here, listening to them hum and shuffle around. The clock reads 5:30 p.m. 

"I'm physically and mentally exhausted. I think I'll stop here for the day."

At that, Jungkook bounces over to help me pack up. There's a knock at my door and my laptop hits my desk with a thump. He dropped it so as to not have someone walk in to see electronics floating in the air. With a chuckle, I yell, "come in''. The receptionist tells me that they are leaving for the day and to give me a quick rundown of what my schedule will look like tomorrow. I thank them before they leave and continue to gather my things.

"Noona, I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't damage it."

"No worries. I'm sure it's fine. I've had this laptop for a while, and I've dropped it myself quite a few times. It's about time that I upgrade anyway," I reassure him and slide the device into my work bag. 

We make our way to the car and decide to stop at the grocery store before going home. I pull out of the parking lot with Taehyung's hand on my thigh.

"Let's make something quick as you haven't eaten all day, babe."

I glance at Jin through the rearview mirror, "I had some pistachios earlier and a protein smoothie, remember?"

"That's not enough. I know you were busy, but please make time to eat."

"Yes, sir, you're right. I'll do better." 

I have always put everything and everyone else before myself, so this was nothing new. I smile at him, grateful to finally have people in my life that prioritize me and my wellbeing, even when I don't.

We pull up to the supermarket and I get out leaving the driver's door open before opening the back door, pretending to get something from my work bag. This allows all of the guys to climb out. I'm thinking I'll have to do the same thing when we get done shopping to let them back in but we'll figure it out once we're done.

Inside, I pull my ear buds from my purse and pop them in. By having them in, I can talk to the guys without looking like I'm hallucinating by pretending I'm on a call. After grabbing a cart, we begin our journey up and down the aisles, grabbing the ingredients needed for a beef, stir fry type dish. Of course, the guys want to add things that aren't on the list, and I happily oblige. As they are being chaotic, as usual, I think to myself that I've never seen them eat, so, I ask, "Do you guys even need to eat? I haven't seen you eat anything."

"Yes, we can eat, just not in the way that you do. You know how food and drink is offered to the dead during ceremonies, right? It's the same thing," Jungkook explains to me as he discretely drops ramen into the cart.

"We eat you, don't we?" Hoseok's breath tickles my neck as he hugs me from behind, sending shivers up my spine. With tongue in cheek, I can't help but smile at his boldness.