In the practice room, y/n sat on the floor, observing all the members as they practiced the choreography with the track they had set up an hour earlier at the recording studio.
When the session ended, J-Hope scolded Jin and Namjoon for the small mistakes they kept making at the start and finish.
At that moment, y/n got up from the floor to mediate between the three members.
"Hey, hey, let's not start fighting or yelling again. This is why I'm here to help. I know J-Hope can be a tough instructor; I experienced that when he taught me. But let's all take a moment to relax.
J-Hope, I can take over from here. You and the others can sit down while I take your place," y/n said. J-Hope agreed and instructed the members to sit out.
"I know you both are seen as the weaker dancers, but that's alright. Everyone in this group has their own dance style. Sure, this single is a blend of hip hop and pop, something new, but don't give up hope," y/n added encouragingly.
Y/n asked Jin and Namjoon which parts they were having trouble with. They both replied that the foot part and a certain move that seemed like an illusion were difficult for them.
Y/n began demonstrating the foot part and the illusion move to check if it was correct or not.
"Yes, that's the one we both struggle with, but you make it seem so easy," Jin said. "I agree with Jin. Please teach us the foot part and that illusion move so J-Hope won't keep scolding us," Namjoon pleaded. "Alright, I'll show you slowly, if that's okay with you both," y/n replied. They both nodded and smiled.
Y/n carefully demonstrated the foot part and the illusion move step by step. After five attempts, they mastered it.
"J-Hope, don't be sleeping on the job. I think I fixed their mistake. It seems you were trying to make them dance like you, but remember that everyone has their own style. Don't force them to be like you. Without all seven of you, this dance won't be complete. You all create perfect synchronization," y/n said proudly.
J-Hope and the other members got up from the floor and danced the choreography one last time to wrap up for the day.
Meanwhile, y/n received a message from her parents; she grabbed her backpack and headed for the door.
"Hey y/n, where are you going?" Jimin asked, catching his breath after dancing. "I got a message from my parents saying I need to go home right away, plus I have homework to finish, and I start my first job tomorrow. I don't have cram school anymore, and my final class is tomorrow. So, by the time I finish my lesson in the morning, I'll be heading to the 7-Eleven near my house to begin my shift," y/n shouted back.
Y/n left the building and ran home as fast as she could.
Suga observes from afar.
"I was supposed to take her home today; she didn't even say goodbye to me," Suga murmured with a sad expression. "Did you say something, Suga?" Jungkook inquired. "No, I didn't say anything," Suga replied with a shrug.
Everyone began to gather their things and left the building as Namjoon locked the door. They started to go their separate ways.
Namjoon and Taehyung followed their usual path together.
"What's step 3 of your plan? I haven't heard anything from you at all," Taehyung said nervously. "You seem worried about it. I'm still figuring out what step 3 should be. Step 1 was distracting Jin from y/n, check. Step 2 was pretending to be nice to y/n, and with the file you sent me, I posted it and revealed her true self last Sunday, check. So maybe you can help me decide on step 3," Namjoon asked, glancing at the ground and avoiding eye contact with Taehyung. "Hmm, this is tough to think about. Why did you choose a 5-step plan if you can't even think ahead?" Taehyung said angrily.
Namjoon paused, turned around, and grabbed Taehyung by the t-shirt.
"Listen, don't make this harder. If you don't want to be part of my plan anymore, you can leave. You've already done enough, so let me figure out the next step. Do you really think coming up with these steps is easy? It's not easy at all. I haven't told you yet, but I'm obsessed with y/n."
"So you like her then?" "No, gross. Sure, she's attractive, intelligent, and a talented dancer, but I don't like her. What I mean is, I want to control her life the way I want it." "Control her life? Wow, you're not even her boyfriend to start with." "Of course, I'm not her boyfriend, or should I be? Either way, it could work."
"First, can you let go of my t-shirt so we can talk face-to-face? And second, let's go to your place because it seems you've dropped a bomb about your next step."
Namjoon let go of Taehyung's shirt, apologized for his unreasonable actions, and they both agreed to go to Namjoon's apartment to discuss step 3 further.
As they made their way to Namjoon's apartment, Taehyung felt a lingering sense of discomfort. He had never witnessed his friend being so possessive and controlling before.
When they reached Namjoon's apartment, they sat on the couch and started talking about what step 3 would involve. Taehyung couldn't help but wonder if he should jump in and help before things got out of control.
At y/n's apartment, she experienced a tingling feeling. "Is someone talking about me?" she wondered.
Y/n chose to shake it off and concentrate on her homework in her room before being interrupted by her parents.
"Sweetie, we apologize for interrupting your studies. We know you're busy finishing your last homework before tomorrow," stated y/n's mother. "And we know you were with the members at the studio. Jin asked about your whereabouts, and we had to tell him. Are you going to stay upset with us?" y/n's father asked.
A few hours before, y/n had been rushing home after receiving a message from her parents to return because of an emergency. When she arrived, she dropped her bag and began to figure out what the emergency was. It turned out there was no emergency; it was just a way to get y/n home early. This led to a big argument between y/n and her parents, where y/n had to start making serious decisions about her future.
"Mom and Dad, are you serious now? You can't force me to choose between dancing for a team and not hanging out with the members. When did you both start interfering in my life?" "We only want the best of you, sweetie. You've been coming late to the apartment for the past few days, and we're worried about you. Don't you remember you have your first part-time job starting tomorrow?" "Yes, Mom, you do not need to remind me of it. The group, including my boyfriend Suga, is aware that I'm starting to work for the first time."
"You're dating Suga? Since when?" "We started dating a few days ago, Dad. Why are you so surprised?" "I'm not surprised; I'm just shocked to learn you have a boyfriend at your age." "Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm in my final year of high school. I can manage a relationship. Suga is very supportive of my decision to start working and has been encouraging. Let's forget this conversation; I need to get back to my last homework."
"This isn't like you. I didn't raise you to be this way." "So now you're saying it's my fault I'm acting like this. Have you forgotten that I'm still getting hate for the incident from six years ago? Just yesterday morning, my friends stood up for me because of a leaked audio clip involving me, Jin, and a fake fan at a convenience store near Jin's place. The entire school believes I'm the villain for almost ruining Jin's career. The evidence has been destroyed and is nowhere to be found. I guess you're unaware of what's been happening in my life, so-called parents."
Y/n grabbed her backpack and went to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Let us now move on to the present.
Y/n's parents eventually apologized to her for not knowing what was happening in her life, and they promised to stop interfering in her business again. They realized, especially her dad, that she's not a little girl anymore; she's maturing, and the choices she makes for her future will be her own responsibility.
Y/n embraced her parents and accepted their apology.
"Now that we've sorted this out, I would appreciate having my space, if that's okay. I appreciate your care and affection, but I need to make my own choices and mistakes to learn and grow. I promise to keep you informed about my life, but I need some independence. I hope you can understand and respect that."
With tears in their eyes, y/n's parents nodded in agreement and accepted to give her the space she required. They felt proud of the mature and responsible young woman she was becoming.
At Suga's apartment, still sad that y/n didn't say goodbye to him when she left in a hurry. "We haven't really been dating that long, come to think of it. This is disappointing. I won't get to spend more time with her this afternoon since she'll be working, but visiting her might be nice. Just to check in. Does a first kiss feel rushed even after a few days of dating, or is it just bad timing? We held hands, and I was the one kissing her cheek. I'm not sure why I'm thinking about this; maybe I should go LIVE. That might help clear my mind," Suga thought.
He goes LIVE, and within minutes, his viewers jump from 0 to 1M. Suga begins talking about his day to distract himself from overthinking the first kiss with his girlfriend. He answers fan questions and shares funny stories, slowly feeling more relaxed. Then, one comment caught his attention.