444 (BTS Hyung Line x OCs)

Eleven: Unspoken Truths

The warm afternoon sun bathed the backyard in a golden hue as the girls lounged lazily on the outdoor furniture, sipping cold drinks and chatting about everything and nothing. The events of the last few days had brought them closer, though each of them still held tight to their personal struggles.

Morgan stretched her legs out in front of her, eyes closed behind her sunglasses as she soaked up the warmth. A part of her felt lighter than it had in a long time—being away from home, away from her father, was like a weight lifted off her chest. She wasn't ready to go back. Not yet.

"So," Julissa said, her voice breaking through the peaceful silence, "what do you guys think about staying a little longer? We've still got a few days, but... I'm not ready to leave yet."

Justice nodded, looking thoughtful. "Honestly, me neither. I feel like we're finally starting to relax. Plus, we've met some... interesting people." She smirked, thinking of the guys next door.

Lola, who had been lying back with her eyes closed, opened one eye and grinned. "I could definitely use a bit more time here. The peace is nice... when I'm not completely embarrassing myself." She let out a soft laugh, but there was something guarded in her tone.

Morgan opened her eyes and sat up slightly, her heart fluttering with hope at the idea. "You guys really want to extend the trip?"

"Why not?" Julissa shrugged, her eyes twinkling. "It's not like we've got anything pressing waiting for us back home."

Morgan felt a rush of relief at those words. For her, going back home meant going back to a life of fear and control. Staying here was freedom. "I'm all for it," she said, trying to keep her voice casual, though the excitement bubbled just beneath the surface. "We should do it."

The girls exchanged glances, a shared understanding passing between them. Extending the trip felt like the right decision. They all had their reasons for wanting to stay, even if they hadn't voiced them out loud.

What they didn't know was that they weren't alone in the backyard.

Just beyond the trees separating the two houses, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook had been hanging out, tossing a ball back and forth. They weren't trying to eavesdrop, but when the conversation drifted over the soft breeze, their ears perked up.

Jungkook caught the ball mid-throw, his eyes widening in excitement. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Taehyung said, grinning. "They want to stay longer."

Jimin smirked, glancing over at his two friends. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If the girls are staying longer, we should try to convince the hyungs to do the same," Jungkook said, bouncing the ball in his hands. "We've got the time off, and it's not like we have any other plans."

Taehyung's smile widened. "And I bet the hyungs will be more than happy to stay once they hear about the girls' plan."

Jimin chuckled, his mind already racing with ideas. "Let's plant the idea later. They're bound to go along with it."

The three of them exchanged sly grins, the perfect excuse to extend the break already forming in their minds.

𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange, Namjoon knocked on the girls' door. He felt a little anxious but also excited. There was something about Morgan that intrigued him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. They had clicked easily, their conversations flowing naturally, and he wanted to spend more time with her.

When Morgan opened the door, she smiled, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. "Namjoon, hey. What's up?"

"Hey," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out? Maybe take a walk or something? It's a nice night."

Morgan's smile widened, and for a brief moment, the heaviness she carried with her seemed to lift. "I'd love to."

As they walked down toward the beach, the conversation between them flowed easily, as it always did. Namjoon loved that about her—how comfortable she made him feel, how natural it was to just be around her. But tonight, there was something different, a heaviness to her voice when she spoke about home. She didn't go into much detail, but it was enough for Namjoon to sense that her home life wasn't ideal.

As they walked side by side, he glanced at her, noticing for the first time the faint, shadowy bruises along her arms, just peeking out from beneath the sleeve of her shirt. His stomach tightened. The bruises were old, fading, but unmistakable.

He didn't say anything right away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable or push her to talk about something she wasn't ready to share. But the sight of those bruises gnawed at him, a quiet warning that something wasn't right.

Morgan must have caught him looking because she quickly pulled her sleeves down, her face flushing slightly. "It's nothing," she said, her voice light but unconvincing. "I bruise easily."

Namjoon nodded, forcing a smile, though his mind was already racing. "Right."

They continued their walk, and Namjoon didn't press her on it, but the image of those bruises stayed with him long after their conversation shifted to lighter topics. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that something wasn't adding up. First, there had been the incident with Lola, and now Morgan, with bruises she clearly didn't want to explain.

As they headed back to the house, Namjoon's heart felt heavy. The girls were hiding something. He didn't know what, but there were pieces of a puzzle forming in his mind—Lola's erratic behavior, Morgan's bruises, the occasional look of fear that flashed across Justice's face when she thought no one was looking. Something was off, and it was deeper than they were letting on.

𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛

After walking Morgan back, Namjoon made his way home, his mind spinning with questions. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, piecing everything together.

Lola's slip-up at the party had been more than just too much alcohol. He had felt it. The panic, the desperation in her eyes when Hoseok went after her. And now Morgan, with bruises that didn't look like they came from something as innocent as bumping into furniture. She was hiding something, too.

Namjoon leaned back, running a hand through his hair, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't want to push any of them to talk about things they weren't ready to share, but he also couldn't ignore what he was starting to see. The girls had come here for a break, for an escape, but it was clear that they were carrying more than just luggage with them.

And then there was the fact that none of the girls knew who they really were. When they had found out about BTS at the afterparty, they hadn't seemed to care, which had been a relief. But now, Namjoon wondered if it wasn't just indifference—maybe they had bigger problems to worry about than the fame of the guys next door.

As he sat there, thinking about everything, one thing became clear: the girls were keeping secrets. And if they were ever going to get close—really close—they needed to find a way to break through the walls they had built around themselves.

𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛❀𖤛

Across the hall, the maknaes were huddled together, talking excitedly about their plan. Jimin had already floated the idea to Taehyung and Jungkook, and they were all on board.

"They want to stay longer, so why don't we?" Jimin said, his eyes gleaming. "We've got the time, and it'll give the hyungs a chance to figure out whatever's going on with those girls."

Jungkook grinned. "Plus, it'll be fun."

Taehyung chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "I have a feeling things are about to get a lot more interesting."

They didn't know what secrets the girls were hiding, but one thing was certain: this trip was far from over. And whatever was coming next, the maknae line was more than ready for it.