Love Maze | BTS 8TH Member

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Routine was supposed to be a comfort. It had been a week since Arin had stepped into Seoul, but the only thing her mind concentrated on was the shadows. Her eyes searched every corner of the streets she previously used to walk in without a thought. Any accidental eye contact with a man on the road made her anxious. Every time she left the dorm, the buildings seemed to close around her.

Dancing was exhausting for her—her body begging to relax, but the comeback was near, and she couldn't take a break now. She couldn't be the reason BTS disbanded. No—she would never forgive herself if that ever happened.

Everyone was working hard on the album—writing lyrics day and night, practicing choreography whose steps changed every day, and attending meetings with the staff to discuss the album's theme.

Everything was so hectic around Arin, yet why did it feel like she was the only one doing nothing? Why did she still feel so empty, no matter how many times she heard Seokjin's dad jokes and his windshield wiper laughter? Why did her smile not reach her eyes when Jimin asked her how she was doing? Why did she feel ugly and disgusting even when Jungkook told her how pretty she looked in a stage outfit? Why did flashbacks of that horrid night haunt her mind whenever Yoongi touched her like she was a delicate thing to be handled with care? Why did her body shudder with that stupid memory when Hoseok guided her through a dance step? Why did she freeze when Namjoon called her 'Arin-ah'? Why did she flinch when Taehyung just wanted to hug her?

Why was she like this? If only she hadn't aggravated her fan that night, maybe he would've left her alone. She should've fought back harder. Or maybe...she deserved everything that had happened to her.

Arin's uncontrollable thought loop was broken when the door to the studio clicked open. In walked Yoongi, his hair dyed bright orange, resembling the glow of a bonfire.

"What are you doing here?" Yoongi asked, looking at Arin, who was on the couch, clutching her knees to her chest. "Everyone needs to be in the conference room within five minutes. We're having another meeting about the album's theme."

When Arin didn't reply and just kept rocking herself, Yoongi sighed. Walking closer to her, he knelt on the floor in front of her and looked her in the eyes. "Rinnie...what's wrong again?" he asked, placing a hand on her knee. She flinched, so he immediately retreated.

When five minutes had passed by in silence, Arin stood up. "There's a meeting, right? Let's go," she spoke, pretending as if Yoongi had never asked the question.

Yoongi nodded. He felt the urge to ask, but he held back; her boundaries were something he would never cross.

They walked side by side until they reached the room. Opening the door, they saw that everyone had arrived, and they were the last ones.

"Sorry for being late," Yoongi apologized before occupying an empty seat. Arin sat across from him.

"Alright, let's begin," Bang PD addressed.

The once-quiet room was now overflowing with noise and creative expression. The boys would come up with an idea, discuss it with the creative team, only to have it rejected due to the company's dwindling financial resources.

Arin just sat there, spacing out, her thoughts louder than the chatter in the room. She wanted to start over. Start fresh with no memories of that night haunting her. She wanted to be somebody else—somebody who was lucky enough to have never encountered that man. She wanted—

"Arin?" Bang PD asked, breaking her free from her inner cage. "Do you have any ideas to share?"

The whole room was engulfed in silence as everyone looked at her eagerly. Their stares weren't piercing—rather, they were inviting—but her mind twisted almost everything nowadays.