"Goodnight, Min Yoongi," I say into the phone, feeling just a little dumb as the words leave my lips. It is a pretty stupid thing to do, say goodnight before it's even noon, but the smile on my face overrides the oddness of the statement itself. Well, either way, I hadn't been expecting a schedule change with Yoongi, but at least I'm still getting to hang out with him. I've still got quite some time before I need to be over at his dorm, so I decide that a nap is probably in order. I've been up late these past few nights working on music, so some sleep is well-deserved.

As I lay down in my bed, though, sleep evades me. My thoughts fill with the members of Bangtan Sonyeondan and the craziness they're known for. I worry about what they'll think of me. Will they like me? Will I like them? Thoughts torment me until about eleven in the morning, which is when I finally give up on trying to sleep at all. I throw the black comforter off of me and head out of my room to get something to eat. Four hours until I have to be at the Bangtan dorm. Four hours until I have to face my fears.

I pass the time idly by watching TV and distracting myself from my near future. I wish I knew why the prospect of meeting Yoongi's bandmates is so stressful to me. I mean, they're just his friends, right? If they're Yoongi's friends, there's no reason for them to not like me, or vice-versa. Yoongi's known as the colder one in Bangtan, right? If he wants me around, the other members should be just as welcoming. Still, though, even logical encouragement won't set my mind at ease. Guess I'm just going to have to torture myself until three.

And then two-thirty comes and my stomach officially knots itself. I lace up my black Converse to match the rest of my monochromatic outfit for the day and then head out the door. The radio plays two Red Velvet songs over the duration of my commute, one in the "Red" style and one in the "Velvet." Neither can hype me up nor calm me down. At this point, I'm too nervous to do anything other than be nervous. The drive ends not too long after Dumb Dumb hits its closing chord. My feet hit the pavement autonomously as my mind spins around the concept of meeting these six boys. Why the hell can't I do this?

I check my phone as I enter the lobby of the apartment complex. It's quite nice, I'll certainly say that much. The lobby itself isn't extravagant or anything, but it's got a homey and welcoming vibe to it. My heart thuds to the beat of the intentioned soothing elevator music as I ride up to the third floor. When the elevator stops, my heart shoots into my throat for a moment. This is awful.

No turning back, I have to remind myself. I step out of the elevator and head left, making my way to the loft that houses both my friend and my fears. I put one foot in front of the other with conscious effort and finally stop in front of the door with the correct number plated on it.

I take a deep breath.

I knock.

Immediately, noise fills the room from behind the door. Rather, the noise amplifies; there had been sounds coming from the loft beforehand. Something tells me Bangtan's dorm is rarely quiet, let alone silent. The commotion continues for about twenty seconds. I'm about to knock again when the door swings open.

"Hello!" Greets a bright voice from a red-haired boy. V, of the maknae line. Well, he seems nice enough.

"Hi," I begin. "I'm Rin. Did Yoongi tell you guys I'd be coming?"

"Yeah, he did!" V says, that same enthusiasm coating his voice. "He's in the bathroom right now. Come on in!" He waves me inside with an infectious smile and I can't help but return it. The unease is starting to go away.

"You can call me Taehyung, noona. If you'd like." He's still beaming.

"Right. And Rin is fine by me," I add. "I don't know if Yoongi's been using my stage name at all, so Rin is fine."

"He's been calling you Rin; I didn't even know you had a stage name."

"Oh— Yeah, I do. It's Silver."

"Nice, I like that."

Silence between us follows. I look around the dorm to see one person watching a drama on the living room couch and one just laying on the floor. Then, there's a welcoming hand on my shoulder and I turn around to see a boy about my height.

"Hi, there! You're Rin, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," I chuckle. This is definitely Park Jimin, but I could've sworn his hair hasn't been black in years. Come to think of it, how long has Taehyung's been red?

"I'm Jimin," he says and shoots me a wink. Quite the flirt, this one. "Though I think you might've known that."

"Well, yeah, I know who you all are," I say, keeping my voice smooth so not to egg Jimin on. "The new hair's a bit confusing, is all."

"Ah, yes, the hair," Jimin muses. "We had a concept shoot today for our next comeback, so everyone's hair is different."

"Yoongi's is—"

"Don't tell her," Jimin interrupts Taehyung without a second thought. "She should see for herself."

"Right," affirms Tae. I stand between the two boys awkwardly, wondering when Yoongi will make himself known and free me from this duo. They're friendly, but I'd be dead if awkwardness could kill.

"So," Taehyung begins, trying to make conversation. "What's it like being Yoongi-hyung's girlfriend?"

I almost choke on nothing right then and there, but somehow manage to keep my cool. "I'm not Yoongi's girlfriend," I say with a careless laugh. "We're just friends, honest."

"Ever wanted to be?" Jimin pries. Again, I keep my composure so well I might as well be made of stone. "I've never really thought about it," I answer honestly.

That's when my saving grace arrives, but he isn't alone. A gray-haired Yoongi accompanied by a blonde-haired Jin enter the foyer side-by-side. Hyung line, typical.

"What did I say about leaving Rin alone?" Yoongi asks. It's not phrased in a hostile way, but I can tell Yoongi is actually annoyed by his younger bandmates.

"Nothing, actually," Jimin says, smooth as ever. "And what were we supposed to do, let her wander the dorm by herself?"

"It's fine, Yoongi," I say. "They were just being hospitable."

"If you say so," Yoongi says. He brushes his hair out of his eyes while simultaneously waving the younger boys away. I really like the gray hair, but I can't help but remember what Yoongi said about it falling out. I smile slightly at the thought of Yoongi suing his company for his hair loss as Taehyung and Jimin disperse to other areas of the dorm. That leaves just me, Yoongi, and Jin.

"So," Yoongi begins. "I know we kinda had a plan, and it kinda got all messed up, but we're still gonna have late lunch if that's cool."

"Sure," I reply. "Where are we going?"

"The food will be coming to you, actually," Jin speaks up. He extends his hand to shake mine with a radiant confidence I didn't know a person could have. "Kim Seokjin, dorm mother. Pleased to meet you, Rin."

I shake his hand and bow slightly before smiling back at him. "Good to meet you, too. But, what do you mean 'the food will be coming to us?'"

"I'm quite the chef if I do say so myself," he says, brushing his free hand on his pant leg before letting go of mine. "So I'll be cooking some Pajeon for you two today."

"I love Pajeon! That sounds amazing. Thanks, Jin-ssi, that's really kind of you."

"No trouble at all. And just Jin is fine."

I nod in affirmation before Jin speaks again. "Yoongi and I share a room, but I'll be cooking, so feel free to spend your time in there. I won't interrupt, I swear. Can't speak for the younger guys, though."

"I'm not too worried about them," I chuckle. "Seriously, though, Jin. Thanks."

"Of course! Welcome to our dorm," he concludes with a bright smile and enters the kitchen, leaving just Yoongi and myself.

"Seokjin's got a ton of video games and stuff in our room if you want to play or something," he suggests.

"Yeah, let's do it!" I exclaim, jumping a bit. It's been quite awhile since I've played video games with Yoongi, and I'm excited to play him again. Usually, he beats me, but it's never really been about winning.

"To my room it is, then," Yoongi says with a smile, and he leads me further into the dorm. At the sound of those words, Jimin utters an "ooh" from somewhere I can't identify. Pervert.

Upon entering the hyung line's room we plop down on the floor in front of a TV with a Wii and an X-Box sitting beside it. Yoongi looks to me with a smile. "Mario Kart or Borderlands?"

"If you don't end with the racing game, then what are you doing?" I answer his question with another, and he laughs. "Cool, Borderlands it is."

He boots up the game and apologizes for the change of plans again while it's loading.

"It's fine, Yoongi," I say. "Look, I was going to have to meet your bandmates sooner or later, right? And they've all been nice. Jimin's a bit flirtatious, but I've got the feeling that's just who he is. I'm just happy we didn't have to cancel today."

"I know, I just feel bad because I finally had something good planned for the both of us and it fell through. Makes you feel like you can't do anything right, y'know?"

"Yeah, I've been there," I say with a somber smile. Weird how that happens.

With that the game is ready and we get ready for a 1v1 match. It does not take long for Yoongi to beat me. When I call for a rematch, it takes even less time for him to beat me again. I'm very rusty on my shooters, it seems.

After Yoongi destroys me in Borderlands a few more times we decide to switch over to Mario Kart. I've always been apt at racing games, so I've got a feeling I have the upper hand here.

When it comes to kart and character selection, I go for Yoshi and his classic kart while Yoongi chooses Bowser with his. I'll have the advantage there; Bowser's kart is far slower and heavier than my own. We get started on the Flower Cup and I'm met with more of a challenge than I was expecting. Yoongi seems to play this game fairly often, as he knows the ins and outs of the maps and how to use his heavier car to his advantage. The first race ends with Yoongi in first, a CPU Dry Bones in second, and me in third. Yoongi had insisted we set the CPUs at their most difficult.

The second race is better, and I get more control of myself and my kart. I end up winning that one with Yoongi following up much later in fourth. He proceeds to curse about this for quite some time.

The third race is just as close as the first, but Yoongi pulls through there, too, coming in second to my third and acting very smug about it.

"I'm going to finally beat the Ah Rin at Mario Kart. This is a miracle," he muses.

"Yeah?" I question as the stats board comes up. "If I beat you in the last race I can still win. Don't get your hopes up." A sly smile creeps its way onto my face and the battle finally begins.

The fourth race is neck-and-neck the whole way through. Yoongi gets knocked off the edge of the map with a red shell while I take a hit from a blue one. We're constantly passing and falling behind each other in an intense flurry of motion. In the final lap, right before the finish line, Yoongi passes me and I release the green shell I'd been holding onto, praying that my aim is true.

It is.

Yoongi's kart spins out of control and I pass him, crossing the finish line and winning the cup. I put my controller down and jump up, cheering for my victory. On the ground beside me, Yoongi hangs his head and mutters something under his breath. He doesn't seem sad, but I can't hear what he said over the din of my own voice.

Yoongi stands and smiles, extending a friendly hand. "Good God, you've still got it," he jokes, shaking my hand. "Good game, Rin."

"No one says good game after Mario Kart, Yoongi," I say. He just shrugs. "It was a good game," he counters.

"Alright, alright. Good game," I say, rolling my eyes.

At that moment there's a knock on the door and Seokjin pops his head in.

"Pajeon's done!" He announces.

"Sweet, let's go!" Yoongi exclaims and begins to tug me out the door.

I follow him outside with the biggest smile on my face.

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hello!

i hope you're all doing well!

sorry if this chapter's not the best, i've been rather distracted and busy this weekend. i still wanted to get an update out, though, so i hope you still enjoyed! whether you did or didn't, comments as to why would be appreciated. i love constructive criticism, so hit me.

thanks, and see you next week,

sam

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