Love Maze | BTS 8TH Member

Lost

May 24, 2010

*Arin POV*

"Welcome to the Big Hit family," Bang PD's voice broke through the deafening silence. A weight, both exhilarating and terrifying, lifted from my shoulders. I blinked, trying to process my earlier actions which would change my life forever.

His expectant gaze held mine. "If you are free right now, how about a tour of the place?" he asked with a warm smile. I nodded enthusiastically. He then turned to Sejin and instructed, "Show her the building." 

Sejin hummed and led me out of the room. "The building might not be grand," he admitted with a chuckle, "but it holds our artists' big dreams."

We reached a room and entered it. Sejin spoke, "This is the dance studio." I looked around to see the room filled with mirrors and dance equipment. He continued, "Many of our trainees spend countless hours here, practicing their dancing. You'll do too."

Next, he led me to a recording studio. The room was soundproof and filled with high-tech equipment. "This is where the magic of music comes to life. Many of our trainees compose their own music here. Unfortunately, we only have a few of these rooms in the building because we can't afford more, so our trainees share them," he explained.

As the tour continued, we passed by small practice rooms, offices, and a cafeteria. Soon, we left the building and began walking down the pavement. Curious what he had to show me outside the company building, I asked, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he simply replied. After a few minutes of walking, we reached an apartment building and stepped inside. Using the elevator, we reached the first floor and he led me to an apartment.

Opening the door, he announced, his voice echoing slightly in the small, empty apartment, "This is just one of our dorms." The dorm was quite simpler than I'd imagined. My eyes scanned the room, taking in the bunk beds, the shared desk, and the small closet tucked into a corner. It felt...intimate.

Sejin seemed to read my mind. "I know it's not much," he began, "but it's a place to call home while you're here. We want our trainees to focus on their training, and commuting can be time-consuming, especially when you're coming from a far place like Gwacheon. Plus, there's something about living together that fosters a sense of connection."

He paused, giving me a moment to absorb the information. "But in the end, it's up to you, Arin-ah. No pressure."

I felt a surge of conflicting emotions. On one hand, the idea of living away from home was daunting. On the other, the opportunity to immerse myself completely in this world was alluring.

"I...I'll need some time to think about it," I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.

***

When I returned home in the afternoon, Sejin's words still loomed around my head. I was contemplating between the options he had given me. Seeing as I couldn't resolve it, I chose to call my best friend, Seokjin.

"Hey oppa, are you free now? I think your classes must have ended, right?"

"Rin-ah! How was your visit to the company today? Did you sign the contract? And yeah, my classes ended and I'm back at home already. You want to meet up?"

"Woah woah chill. I signed the contract! Also, they gave me a tour of their building. But I have to make an important decision now. They asked me if I wanted to live in the dorm or not. But I can't decide. I need you to advise me on this."

"Hmm okay. You want me to come over to your place?"

"Yup! If you're okay with it?"

"I'll be there in five."

***

I told Seokjin everything that happened at the company—the contract, the CEO, the tour, and the decision Sejin told me to make.

"It's a tough decision, Rin, but you know I can't decide for you," he declared. 

"I know oppa, but if you were in my place, what'd you do?" I asked for his opinion.

"Hmm...let's see...well, if I were in your place, I'd live in the dorm because I would be able to save time that is lost in the daily commute. You know that it takes almost an hour to reach Seoul from here! Also, when you'll debut, you will have to live in the dorm with your group members. So it won't be very unfamiliar or awkward during that time if you start living in the dorm from now only," he adviced, giving me his take on the situation.

I sighed. "I know that. But staying at the dorms means that there will be less time to meet you and my parents because I'll be busy. Plus it will take time to travel here when I want to meet up with you. I don't know how I can survive without you guys."

"Arin, look at me," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders. I angled my head to look at him. He continued, "We all have to sacrifice something or the other to be able to achieve our dreams. And if I have to separate from you for your dreams to come true, I will do it. Because when your dreams come true, you'll be happy. And seeing you happy makes me happy. As simple as that. So don't be afraid of taking this big step."

Hearing this, my eyes welled up with tears. He was right. I'd have to take risks and sacrifice my happiness for success. I'd have to reduce my time with my family and friends and focus more on practice.

"C'mon now, call Sejin-ssi and inform him of your decision. You better start packing too," he instructed me. As soon as he said that, I hugged him tightly and said, "I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"Hey hey hey, save the waterworks for later," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, I'll be visiting. You can't get rid of me that easily." I giggled.

The golden rays of sunset painted the room in a warm glow as our laughter danced in the air. It was as if the world outside faded into insignificance, being replaced by the simple joy of our laughter and friendship.

A/N: Hey.....i know I'm updating every few hours but its mostly bcuz i cant stop myself from writing ig? I'm so eager to make her meet the rest of the members that I can't wait. I just have 10 readers right now but its ok. Though I would appreciate it more if even those 10 readers will comment and vote. I want to know how my story is for them. So please tell me if I need to improve or you can just comment. It would make my day. Also some pics I use are edit photos made by fans, but if I cant find any, I will use random pics of people. So for those pics, ig u just gotta imagine its Arin and the members. 

EDIT: I found out that the 10 ppl who read the story was me only all this time. I'm new to writing stories on Wattpad and i didn't know it included my number of reads too :(