I watch with amusement and intrigue as Namjoon does his speech, finishing up the Simply K-pop stage. I've never been particularly good at English, so watching Namjoon up there speaking the language he taught himself is genuinely really interesting. As I catch a final "thank you," the boys bow and turn to walk offstage, where they're going to encounter me and their manager.

Jungkook is the first person to make it all the way backstage, and also the first person to get his mic off. I smile and wave brightly to all of them, beaming at Jungkook and congratulating him in a soft voice. I hear a quiet word of thanks from him as he hands his mic to a staff member, all of his bandmates in tow. From next to me, Bangtan's manager rolls his eyes and smirks. Yeah, I guess I would too if I were him. I mean, who'd expect me to act like a kid in a candy store seeing idols, of all people?

When Yoongi comes into my direct line of sight, I can see that he looks a little off. He tenses up when he sees me, but still smiles at me anyway. I wave again and he waves back, revealing that the palms of his hands are red and raw. Confused, but not wanting to make a scene, I come over to him and pretend I don't notice.

"Nice job," I say brightly. "You all did great out there."

"Thanks," Yoongi replies with a soft smile. "We're trying."

"It's paying off," I say. Then, addressing everyone, I add a little more. "Now, hurry up and get changed, okay? I'm sure you all want to go home sooner rather than later."

"Yeah, gotcha," replies Hoseok, nodding dutifully. He then proceeds to herd everyone else further backstage to the dressing rooms.

"You're doing my job for me, y'know," states the manager, still in his position beside the door.

"Sorry, Manager-nim," I reply, bowing a little. "I didn't mean to."

"Hey, I don't mind. Less for me to do, after all. And they seem to listen to you pretty well, all things considered. Maybe even better than they listen to me sometimes."

"That's a little surprising, actually. I mean, I don't know them all that well."

"A friend of Yoongi's is a friend of theirs," is his response. Then he pauses, collecting his thoughts before speaking again. "Speaking of Yoongi, when will you two be back at the dorm?"

"Probably no later than 9:30, if we can get out of here soon. And then we'll be up storyboarding until God knows how late, but we'll be back."

"Okay, that works. I'll go hurry them up, then. Here." He tosses me a ring of keys that I barely end up catching.

"If you want, you can grab Yoongi's stuff out of the van, make things move a little faster. I don't mind, just make sure you lock it back up and that the keys get back to me."

Surprised by the manager's act of kindness, I nod quickly. "Yeah, will do. Thank you, Manager-nim."

"Anytime, Rin-ssi," he replies. Then he disappears through the door and leaves me to find the company van.

I make my way through the winding hallways of the Simply K-pop building and finally emerge in the parking lot. The weather today has gotten a lot better. Despite my work with Sangmi being done inside today, everyone was aware of the thunderstorm that had hit earlier. Now, though, the sky's started to clear up and the wet asphalt reflects back small areas of patchy sunlight. Taking a deep breath and relishing in the scent of the post-rain air, I click the keys a few times to get the headlights in the van to go on. Once I've distinguished it from similar others parked nearby, I open up the vehicle and find a duffel bag with a tag displaying Yoongi's name. I grab it and put it in my car before relocking the van and heading back inside. I make it all the way back to the dressing room, and I'm about to knock on the door when it opens and the members of Bangtan spill out one after the other.

"Hey, Rin!" Jimin says brightly. "How was modeling today?"

"Good!" I chirp, smiling. "I'm actually really starting to like it."

"I'm glad. You know how much Sangmi wants you on her label."

"Yeah, I do. I'm still considering it, though."

Jimin's about to keep talking when Yoongi comes over to me. "Hey," he says with a tired smile. "What's going on? How was work?"

"Good, I was just telling Jimin about it. Look, we've gotta go. Jimin, can you tell everyone else Yoongi and I are heading out? We've got a little work to do. Manager-nim knows, but I don't think any of you do."

"Uh, okay? When will you be back?"

"In a couple hours. We won't be long. C'mon, Yoongi, we need to leave."

"O— Okay? Bye, guys!" Yoongi exclaims, waving to his bandmates before turning around to follow me.

"Oh, Jimin! Give these to your manager!" I toss the boy the keys before he can react, then grab Yoongi by the sleeve and get moving back to the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" Yoongi asks.

"The foster home," I explain. "Minkyeong emailed me back and said she'd like us to ask the kids in person if possible, so I talked to your manager about getting you out there after the performance today. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to tell you about it, but it took her a little while to get back to me."

"Oh, alright." He walks beside me and looks nothing less than exhausted. Sure, promotions are starting to wrap up, but he just looks far more worn out than usual today. As we get into my car, I finally decide to ask him.

"Are you feeling okay, Yoongi? You don't look so good."

"I'll tell you later— when we get back to the dorm. We should focus on this right now."

"Okay, I guess. But are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It'll make sense once I tell you, I swear."

I pause, thinking very carefully about what Yoongi just told me, and then thinking about how raw his hands looked when I saw him coming offstage earlier. "Okay," I say, trying not to sound excessively worried. What could've happened to him today?

We drive to the foster home in a comfortable silence— for a little while, at least. While I'm stopped at a red light, I look over at Yoongi again, just to make sure he's doing okay, and I end up really just taking him in for a moment. I've got a great view of his profile; his defined jawline presenting itself before me, complemented by his smooth, pale complexion and also showcasing his cheekbones. Yoongi's lost a lot of weight since his days as Gloss, for sure. Not that he was anything less than attractive before, but his face has really thinned out these past few years. Guess it's the company diet, but he really does look great. That, and with his faded gray hair poking out from under a black beanie, I find myself a little lost in him.

"Why're you staring at me?" Yoongi questions, laughing.

"Oh, shit. Was I?" I ask. I mean, I know I was, and I know Yoongi knows I was, but that doesn't stop my face from turning red on the spot.

"You know you were," Yoongi replies, reading my mind. "C'mon, tell me I'm cute."

"I mean— Well, yeah. You are, for sure. A little more on the 'hot' side now that you're older, but you're an attractive guy."

Now it's Yoongi's turn to blush. "I didn't expect you to actually say it," he breathes. I just roll my eyes, hitting the gas as the light turns green.

"You're pretty stunning yourself, Rin," Yoongi says after a few moments of silence. I smile, feeling a little tugging sensation in my gut— that damned, addictive little feeling that means you're in too deep.

"Thanks, Yoongi," I manage, not knowing what else to say. I just keep smiling, and we fade back into comfortable silence until we reach the foster home.

Walking into the building, we find a receptionist at the front desk. Before either of us can speak to her, however, she checks something on her computer and emerges from behind the piece of furniture, bowing to us politely.

"You must be Rin and Yoongi, correct?" She asks.

"That's us," I respond. "We're here to see Minkyeong, and the kids, too."

"Yes, of course. Director-nim's office is right this way, let me take you there."

"Thank you," Yoongi replies, bowing slightly. I do the same and then follow the receptionist through the building. It's not an old building, and it definitely doesn't seem underfunded or anything like that. A deep blue carpeting covers the floor and light gray paint lines the walls, with white wooden moldings tying everything together. Framed photographs of flowers and beaches are placed every few meters, and more open areas decorated with lavish wooden furniture provide ample space for play and relaxation. At the end of a hallway is a white door like many others we've passed. The brass placard on this one has the name Bang Minkyeong engraved on it in black, and the receptionist knocks on the door quickly.

"Who is it?" I hear the voice of a middle-aged woman on the other side of the door.

"Ah Rin and Min Yoongi, Director-nim," the receptionist replies.

"Ah, yes. Come in, then," she announces. The receptionist opens the door and gestures us inside the office. Yoongi thanks her again before we step inside. Bang Minkyeong's office has the same aesthetic as the rest of the building: blue carpet, gray walls, white woodwork, and dark wooden furniture. Above her desk is a framed photo of her with what I imagine are all of the kids in the home. There are about thirty-five of them in that picture, but I don't see Jieun or Jintae in it upon looking it over, so it's likely on the older side. A window with white sheer curtains lets the light of evening stream into the room, providing a warm atmosphere.

"Here, take a seat. Thank you two so much for coming out on such short notice," Minkyeong announces, bowing deeply to us. We return those ninety-degree bows before taking our respective seats in two leather armchairs opposite the desk. Looking at the director of the foster home, it seems she's in her mid-forties. She's wearing a black pantsuit and her black hair is up in a ponytail, revealing the slightest hints of wrinkles beginning to form on her face, the most prominent of which are smile lines.

"So, what exactly do you want to use Jieun and Jintae for?" She asks, folding her hands on the desktop.

"Right. The two of us are shooting a music video the day of Jieun's party, and we'd been searching for an idea for awhile. We finally came up with a simple one. See, the song we're going to release is pretty autobiographical, so we figured just telling the story would be the best way to go. But, we need actors to play us as kids. So, we figured that maybe we could work with Jieun and Jintae on that day and have them play those parts."

"That way we'd get to hang out with them on Jieun's birthday and they would get to do something special then, too," Yoongi adds.

"Well, we'd need Jieun home on her actual birthday."

"It's a two-day shoot," I explain. "So we could just do some shots without them on the first day and work with the kids on the second day."

"Well, then I don't have a problem with it. If possible, could you throw in a little information about this place in the video? We're trying as hard as we can to get these kids adopted."

"I don't see why not," Yoongi replies.

"Then as far as I'm concerned you're in. You will have to ask the kids if they'd be interested, though. I don't see why they wouldn't be, but I don't want them to do anything they're not comfortable with."

"Yeah, I understand that. Can we ask them now?" I question.

"Sure, I can get them for you. Hang on a second," Minkyeong states. She then picks up a phone from her desk and speaks into it, activating a PA system.

"Can Yook Jieun and Song Jintae please come to my office? You aren't in trouble, but it's important."

"Wow, just like school," Yoongi says under his breath. I chuckle. A few minutes pass and the office door opens again, revealing my two favorite reading companions on the other side. Despite being told that they weren't in trouble, they look like lambs being led to the slaughter. I can't help but think that that's a little odd. Wouldn't being called to the office maybe have something to do with adoption? Wouldn't that be a good thing?

Questions aside, the kids' faces light up when they see us.

"Yoongi! Rin!" Jieun announces, running over and giving me a hug.

"Hey, guys!" I exclaim, smiling and hugging the kids back.

"Why are you here?" Jintae asks Yoongi, tugging at his sleeve.

"We've got a question for you," Yoongi responds. "How would you like to be in a music video?"

"That sounds cool!" Jieun says excitedly.

"Totally!" Jintae agrees. I look to Minkyeong and she nods, addressing the children again. "Alright, that's all we needed. You two can go back and play now, okay?" Her voice is sweet and calming, but it doesn't seem to have an effect on the kids.

"Can't we stay with Rin and Yoongi?" Jieun asks. "I wrote another book! Can you read it to us?"

Yoongi's about to respond when Minkyeong does it for us. "They'd love to, Jieun-ah, but they can't stay very long. I'm sorry, but they've got to go."

"Oh, okay," Jintae says, sadness seeping into his voice.

"We'll come back and hang out soon, okay?" Yoongi says, comforting the child at his side.

"Promise?" Jieun asks.

"Promise." This time Yoongi and I respond in unison, and I smile again. The kids then say their goodbyes and leave the room. Yoongi and I do a little bit of paperwork before we leave the home, and Minkyeong walks us to the door.

"Thank you both so much for everything you've done for these kids," she says with a smile. It looks like tears are starting to form in her eyes, and she bows deeply to us again. "You really have had such a positive effect on them; they've been so much happier lately and it's all because of you, so thank you."

"We're happy to help, Minkyeong-ssi," I reply, bowing again.

"Of course. We'll see you soon, okay?" Yoongi adds.

"Yes, I'd hope so." Finally, a tear falls from Minkyeong's eye and she waves at us as we leave the building.

"That went well," I say to Yoongi as we cross the parking lot and get back in my car.

"Yeah, I'm glad we finally have our concept solidified. It's a weight lifted off my shoulders."

"Mine, too. And I'm glad those kids aren't living in bad conditions, too— I was worried about that going in."

"Oh, for sure. They're getting a real living in there. It's clear Minkyeong really put her whole heart into it."

Closing the door to the car and buckling my seatbelt, I turn to Yoongi. "Okay, now we're alone, and I don't want to wait until we get back to the dorm. What happened to you today?"

Yoongi sighs, apparently hoping I'd forgotten his earlier behavior. "Right, that." He clicks his seatbelt into place and gives me a look that screams "I really don't want to do this," then begins.

"So, I went over to your place to get your stuff for tonight, and when I pull in the driveway, there's a car there that's not yours. I get out and Juyoung comes out from around the side of the house, and he's drunk."

My hands grip the steering wheel tighter as I listen to Yoongi continuing. "I ask him what he's doing, and all he wants to know is where you are. I give him kind of a vague answer on purpose, but then he blows up on me— yelling at me and telling me that it's my fault you aren't spending any time with him anymore."

"It isn't you, though," I manage. "If anything, it's him."

"Well, he didn't seem to get that. I said that it's up to you to decide who you want to spend time with, and then he's going to leave me alone. Admittedly, I should've just let him go, but I was feeling a little high and mighty and I provoked him. So, he knocked me down and I scraped my hands pretty badly. Hurt my head, too. I'm feeling better now, but it was bad earlier in the day."

"You're sure you're okay? Not concussed or anything? Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't want to worry you. And I checked the house; Juyoung didn't get in or anything, but I kept the spare key just in case."

"Good idea," I manage. I just take a few minutes to think about everything Yoongi just told me, not exactly sure how to process it. The friend who was by my side when Yoongi wasn't has just crossed the line in a way I never thought possible. What am I supposed to do?

"I'm sorry that happened, Yoongi," I say. "I shouldn't have sent you."

"Hey, I'm glad it was me over you. I'm really worried about what he might have done if you were there."

"I don't want to think about it, either. Drunk Juyoung is Angry Juyoung, and Angry Juyoung is never fun to be around."

"I can imagine."

"What should I do? If Juyoung's just going to show up like that out of the blue, can I even stay there? It's going to be awhile until he sobers up, and I don't know what I should do until he calms down enough for me to talk to him."

"If I explain the situation to CEO-nim, he might let you stay with us," Yoongi says after a moment of thought. "Worst case scenario, I'll pay for a hotel room for you so you don't have to stay home."

"You don't have to do that, Yoongi, really. I'd feel awful."

"Rin, the thing I care about the most is that you're safe. I couldn't care less if I lose a little bit of my paycheck keeping you safe. We can talk to him in the morning, okay? He likes you; I bet he'll let you stay in the dorm with us." He places his hand on mine as he speaks, comforting me.

"If you say so," I say with a sigh. "Really, though, Yoongi— thank you. God, where would I be without you?"

"Funny, I wonder the same thing about you all the time," he replies. Damn. For being an idiot most of the time, that was pretty smooth.

The rest of the car ride home is spent in comfortable silence. We ride the elevator up to our floor and I catch myself staring at Yoongi again.

"Really? Twice in a day?" He says, laughing.

"You look really cute in a beanie," I manage.

"Whatever," he says, taking my hand gently and leading me from the elevator when it stops. "I was wearing a snapback earlier. Is this a better look for me?"

I squeeze his hand and smile. "I'd say so." With that, we enter the dorm and take to the couch, immediately getting out my laptop and settling in for a productive night.

"Let's get to work."

☽☼☾

yo!

so, this chapter was way longer than i anticipated. that's alright, i guess. i mean, i think i got a lot out of it. so, if you got a lot out of it, please leave feedback! a vote, a positive comment, or a piece of constructive criticism mean the world to me. after all, they help me improve my writing so i can entertain you all more!

also, THANK YOU FOR 3,000 READS! it means a ton, and it only makes me more excited to continue this book! i've still got about eight more updates before it's finished, so i'm hoping you like each upcoming one as much as you like these!

that, and things in my life have finally started to calm down, meaning updates /might/ be more frequent. after the first half of may, i know i'll be updating nonstop, but right now it's crunch time for ap students like myself— one month till exams!

so thanks, and have faith in yourself,

sam