Evenstar

28. Huddle

"What do I do?" Taehyung thought out loud as he stared at the rehearsal room floor where he was seated with the members. They were done practicing and everyone else had left.

"I see only two options," Suga said frankly. "Either you keep trying to hide her from the limelight or you bring her out in the open."

"I traced the video to Geumsan." Jungkook informed them.

"Did you know about this?" Taehyung asked their maknae and Jungkook nodded.

"When you brought her here I already saw the video and we were tracing it."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to ruin your time with her." Jungkook could sense Taehyung panicking. "Look, I think Yoongi-hyung is right, you just have to decide which road you'll take and we'll make it work."

Taehyung stared into the mirror at his own worried expression. "It's not my decision to make." He had not even broached the subject with Dae Eun yet, afraid of the consequences that could turn her life upside-down. And here he was, soon to be overtaken by events. His relationship with her could end even before it had a chance to start.

"Hey, there's nothing to worry about yet. The quality of the clip is not that good. That could be anybody. It's just that your name was mentioned." Jimin was getting worried about his friend. This was really important to him.

"Taehyung-ah, you don't have to do anything but be true to yourself and to Dae Eun. If she backs off... well, maybe she's not the one." Hobi knew they would all be encountering the same thing and he firmly believed in facing things head on. Let the world adjust. They shouldn't stop living their lives, especially Taehyung who almost lost his.

"It's not that simple, hyung. Anyone will walk away if they knew what they would be up against. And Dae Eun... she doesn't even like to step out of Geumsan. She stays mostly at home. She knows nothing about this world we've lived in for so long."

"That's tough, Taetae, but this is not your fault. You've been very careful." Namjoon understood very well what Taehyung was afraid of. They really couldn't bring anyone into their lives. The girl had to be very strong, and no one was that strong. Only BTS could survive the hate they constantly received with the adulation. And they were able to do it only because they had each other to lean on.

"If she's that sheltered, what's coming could be traumatic for her." Jin said.

That truth settled in Taehyung's mind and would make its home there. He had no answers. The thought gave him a pain he had not felt in years.

"Have you told her?" Jungkook asked.

"No. I'll call her tonight. I have to prepare her for what may be coming."

"Whatever happens, we're here to support you. This will never be easy, for any of us, but don't back down. If this is what you want, just keep going. We have your back." Suga assured him.

Everyone stood up and gathered around Taehyung in a group hug before heading out. Jimin held his hand as they walked out of the rehearsal room and Taehyung felt that, despite all his fears and all their previous experiences about how these things turned out, everything would be alright. He knew he couldn't - shouldn't - let go of that hope.

*****

Dae Eun had just arrived home at 6 PM when her phone started ringing. She was seated on their living room couch, her legs resting on an ottoman, and she was still reliving her morning with Taehyung. She was surprised to see that it was June.

"Hey, what's up bestie?" Dae Eun greeted her.

"Eun-ah, you're going viral."

"What do you mean?"

"You're in ARMYs radar." June's voice was shaky and grave. Dae Eun never heard her friend sound this way before.

"June, in English please."

"A video clip of your birthday was uploaded online. It was Taehyung singing two songs and then going back to your table. The OP said it was Kim Taehyung."

"Maybe some of our guests took videos. I didn't really tell anyone not to. I didn't know he was coming." Dae Eun wondered what the big deal was.

"Eun-ah, last I looked before the video disappeared, it had almost 10 million views. And this was in less than 2 hours. There were so many comments, and the OP was answering them! The video has been remixed and it's now going around in different platforms."

Dae Eun suddenly remembered the phone call Taehyung received as they were going down the mountain. After that call he seemed tense for the remainder of the morning until they dropped him off at his apartment.

"Eun-ah, for now ARMY thinks Taehyung is shooting a historical series because you were all wearing hanbok. When no series of that sort comes out, they'll be wondering what that clip was all about. They'll be looking for you."

"Am I supposed to be afraid of this?" She didn't understand what the problem was. He was a friend who sang on her birthday.

"I'm not trying to scare you, beshie. But this is what I've been talking about. You have to be careful and you have to be prepared. You have to ask the people around you never to talk about you and Taehyung to anyone outside your circle, let alone take pictures or videos."

"June, I can't control that."

"You have to find a way to keep your activities with Taetae private, Eun-ah. I'm telling you, if this breaks out - that you may be Taehyung's girlfriend - ARMY will be showing up in Geumsan and they'll try to see who you are. They'll take pictures and videos of you and upload them on social media where everyone will weigh in on who you are and if you deserve to be with Taehyung."

"What! You're exaggerating!"

"I'm not! I've seen this before, Eun-ah."

"We're just friends. He hasn't said anything to me about being more than that. At least not yet."

"He's probably afraid of what will happen if he does ask you to be his girlfriend."

Dae Eun remembered how tightly he had held her on the trail, and his confession.

"How bad can this be, June?" She had to know how to handle it. She was sure she could handle it.

"ARMY is a diverse group. There are solo stans and shippers, there are sasaengs - fanatics, stalkers who will stop at nothing to get near their idol and invade his privacy or control his actions. Most ARMYs genuinely love and respect their idols, but just a few of the bad ones can turn your life into a nightmare. I'm sorry for saying this, Dae Eun, but I'm worried. I know you. You've always maintained a low profile, even with your UN projects. You hate being the center of attention. Besh, your privacy can fly out the window in a flash. These ARMYs have high-powered cameras and a lot - and I mean a lot - of money. They can buy information and bribe their way into your walls."

"That's not possible. This is Geumsan. We love our own. No stranger can come here and ruin us, June. Our family goes back several centuries on this land."

"I sincerely hope so." June felt relieved that she was getting a rise out of Dae Eun. She needed her friend to take this seriously and be ready to fight for Taehyung. "Do you love him?"

"Yes!" She didn't even hesitate to answer anymore. She knew it in her heart. She would never tell him until it was time to tell him, but she cared about him so much now. And her feelings were growing with each day she spent with him, and each time she heard his voice.

"Then prepare yourself, my friend. He would never go to the lengths he has gone to be with you if he didn't feel something. You need to be strong for him. I'm telling you, if this happens the way it has happened in the past, you'll get hurt. You'll need to gather all the support you can to help you through it. Don't hide it from your family. Gosh, I really hope they'll suppport you. But you will always have me. Whatever happens, I will muster all the power I can wield with my 150,000 followers to root for you."

"June, I just had a very nice morning. You're scaring me and now you're making me cry."

"Believe me, besh, this is going to be the greatest fight of your life."

"Stop being so dramatic!"

"I love you, beshie! Fighting!"