The light from my phone reflected in my eyes as I stared at the countdown. Five seconds. Four. Three. I adjusted my hoodie, checked the framing, then smiled as the "LIVE" symbol appeared. The comments started flooding in before I could even say anything.
"Hi everyone," I said, waving lazily. "It's been a while, huh?"
Hearts floated up the screen. The fan chat exploded with greetings, inside jokes, and emojis. I laughed softly. The noise was comforting in its own chaotic way. I leaned back in my chair, letting the calm of my small apartment blend with the energy from thousands of people watching me.
Someone asked if I'd eaten. Another asked about practice. The usual.
Then came the wave of questions I expected but still didn't know how to handle.
"Where's Jungkook?"
"Did Taehyung come over?"
"Are you guys together right now?"
I chuckled quietly, reading them without reacting too fast. I knew how to dodge. Years of doing this made it second nature.
"He's probably sleeping," I said lightly. "Or gaming. You know him."
The chat erupted again. Some fans posted hearts, others teased, others read too much between the lines. I smiled through it all. My job wasn't to confirm or deny. My job was to keep the peace, to keep the warmth alive without feeding chaos.
But something in me wanted to talk honestly, just a little. I stared at my reflection on the screen. "You know," I said after a pause, "sometimes I think you all know us better than we do."
The fans filled the screen with question marks. I smiled. "I mean, you notice everything. The small things. The looks. The laughter. Even things we think no one sees."
My heart beat faster as I said it. I wasn't naming names, but I knew they'd hear the weight in my tone. "It's not bad," I added quickly. "It's… kind of beautiful. To be seen like that."
A comment caught my eye. "We love you guys. No matter what."
That one stayed on the screen longer than the others. I exhaled and smiled wider. "Yeah. No matter what," I echoed softly. "That's the part that means the most."
The conversation shifted. Fans asked about my upcoming solo work, my favorite food, my skincare routine. I answered them all, teasing and laughing again. I talked about music for a while, even played a few soft notes on the keyboard next to me. It was peaceful, real. For a moment, I forgot the pressure. I forgot the fear of headlines and screenshots.
But deep down, a quiet pride bloomed. Pride for my brothers. Pride for their courage. Pride for the way love had found its place even in chaos.
After an hour, I yawned dramatically. "Alright, I think I should sleep before Namjoon-hyung texts me again about resting."
The comments begged me to stay longer. I grinned. "Next time," I promised. "You'll see more of us soon."
I ended the live, the screen fading to black. For a moment, the silence of my room pressed close. The hum of the air conditioner, the faint buzz of my phone—it all felt smaller now.
I leaned back in my chair and smiled to myself. Even though I hadn't said anything directly, I felt lighter. The fans weren't dumb. They saw what they saw, and they still stayed. That kind of loyalty was rare. Precious.
My phone buzzed. A message from Taehyung. You went live? Jungkook's watching.
I laughed, shaking my head. Tell him to go to bed, I replied.
Then another message came. He said he liked what you said.
That made my smile widen. I typed back, Good. He should know we've got him.
As I crawled into bed, pulling the covers over my head, I thought about the group again. About how much we'd all grown, how the walls between us were thinner now. The world outside might never fully understand, but inside—inside, we were solid.
And that was enough.