It was the third week of August, with 5 days remaining.
The company is putting the final touches on Jin's special event set for the 25th.
"Are you feeling nervous?" asked Jin's producer. "A little, but—" replied Jin, feeling anxious. "But something is troubling you? Is it y/n? Is your relationship okay?" "My relationship with y/n is great; it's just that Namjoon is planning something to hurt her." "Namjoon? I haven't heard his name in ages. What is he planning?"
"He's scheming something so malicious that it could ruin his reputation and our group's career. The other members and I know about Namjoon's plan, but we fear we won't make it in time to protect y/n." "If Namjoon is up to something against y/n, please let me know, and I might be able to assist you. Without y/n, you wouldn't be here alive," said Jin's producer before leaving.
Jin took his producer's advice seriously and went to the elevator. He arrived at the rooftop and looked out over the city. He began to sing his special song for y/n, only to notice he wasn't by himself.
"I didn't realize you were already singing a song from your album this early," Suga said. "Gah, Suga, you scared me, man. How long have you been standing here?" Jin asked, placing his right hand on his chest after being frightened by Suga. "Just a few seconds. And I came here for a reason." "Do you need to say something or what?"
"I never noticed that we weren't on good terms regarding y/n. You and I were the only ones in the group who got into heated arguments, and the other members had to step in because they knew it would get ugly. Sure, me dating y/n behind your back, like Namjoon did, made you even more jealous. But I was more envious of you because you had such a close friendship with her. That day when you took her to the bookstore, J-Hope asked why I didn't go with y/n, and I gave a stupid answer. Deep down, it was pure jealousy, but I wanted to keep it a secret. The members were aware that I wasn't the jealous type of person; thus I have never expressed it. After y/n and I had that bitter breakup, I was hurting inside while appearing happy outside. I never shared the real reason I dated y/n. The truth is, I dated y/n to protect her from Namjoon because you weren't the only one aware of what he was capable of. I was her protector, but my feelings for my ex were buried deep, and when I saw her again after so many years, I couldn't make up my mind. As your friend and a member, I hope we can move past this and be on good terms."
"Wow, Suga. I didn't expect such a lengthy confession. Yes, our arguments were fueled by both of us having feelings for y/n. I even promised myself to support your relationship with her from a distance, but I ended up being the one who was hurting more than you. Seeing y/n with you felt overwhelming compared to her time with Namjoon in high school. I'm not angry with you; rather, I'm glad you were able to keep her safe from Namjoon. Since you mentioned, 'we can move past this and be on good terms,' I believe it's time to do so.
Jin extended his arm as Suga mirrored the action, and they both shook hands.
This signified the conclusion of their conflict after several months of fighting.
In the practice room, Namjoon, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung were all sprawled out on the floor.
The atmosphere felt quite uneasy. The members were already aware of Namjoon's plan set to unfold in less than 5 days, which Namjoon himself did not know about.
No one wanted to start a conversation with Namjoon because they were simply afraid of him. Jimin was about to speak up when he was interrupted by Jin's producer.
"That's new," laughed Jin's producer. "What's new? Us lying here on the floor doing nothing?" Jungkook replied. "Yeah, shouldn't you guys be doing something?" Jin's producer suggested. "We are waiting for Jin and Suga to return, but today is our day off, so we are just lying on the floor and daydreaming," Jungkook explained, shutting his eyes.
Jin's producer came by and informed the members that he had brought some snacks. Before leaving, he briefly looked at Namjoon and then turned away, only to run into Jin and Suga at the door.
Jin and Suga walked into the practice room, mentioning that they are now on good terms. J-Hope cheered with joy, and the rest joined in. They both lay down on the floor with the others and shut their eyes for a short nap.
Y/n went to the 7-Eleven where she used to work to catch up with her former coworker. "Hey, y/n, it's been a while. How's everything?" asked Ju-won, thrilled to see y/n. "Well, things got complicated with my ex, Namjoon, but I'm doing better now," y/n replied as she browsed the snacks aisle. "Thank goodness you broke up with him. I never liked him. Let me finish my shift so we can chat more. I have some good news about POSTECH."
Ju-won decided to wrap up his shift early since another coworker showed up unexpectedly. After clocking out, he joined y/n, left the 7-Eleven, and they walked to a nearby bench to sit.
"About what we were discussing earlier, that day you and Namjoon came in, he just gave me an unsettling look. Was he always jealous?" Ju-won said while munching on a sandwich.
"He was, and he still is. Let's just say he has turned into a controlling, abusive, and obsessed person," y/n said while sipping from a water bottle. "I heard about what he did to you. Jimin filled me in on everything. He would often stop by here to grab something, chat with me about what was happening, and he always left like he was being watched. I also heard about your relationship with Jin, which is wonderful."
"Thanks, but I had no idea Jimin was discussing this sensitive issue with you." "Oh, my mistake. I can tell Jimin that he was being disrespectful on his part." "No, don't. Since you are my friend, I believe those closest to me should be informed."
"So, what exciting news do you have about POSTECH?" "Well, the good news is that I will be your advisor for your first year."
Y/n leaped off the bench, hugged Ju-won, and twirled before sitting back down.
"Sorry you had to witness that, but how did this happen?"
"Oh, it's a funny story. I was just wandering the halls while you and the other students were on tours. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into the office. It was the head of the advisor council, asking if I wanted to be an advisor for a new student. I was quite skeptical until they showed me your name. At that moment, I said, 'Yes, I'll do it,' and that's how I became your advisor. So if you have any issues or are confused about anything at the university, feel free to come to me," stated Ju-won, all mighty.
Ju-won looked at his watch and informed y/n that he had to go home before his older sister yelled at him again.
Y/n got up from the bench, nodded, and told Ju-won they would see each other again when the semester began, and then she walked away.
As she walked, she pulled out her headphones and made her way to the subway station. Upon arriving, she looked at her destination, entered the subway car, sat down, and started her playlist to enjoy during the ride.
Back at the HYBE building, in the practice room, everyone woke up.
All the members began to stretch, got up from the floor, and checked their phones for any updates from y/n or other news.
"Wow, look at the time! We all slept for 2 hours; I need to go back to my apartment," said Jungkook, pointing to the door. "2 hours? That's nothing; I can sleep all day," replied Suga, rubbing his eyes. "Oh no, I have less than an hour to get back and do a LIVE stream," said J-Hope, putting on his shoes. "Oop, I'm getting a call from my friend, so I'll be the first to leave," said Jimin, heading towards the door.
One by one, they approached the door and went their separate ways.
Y/n dozed off in the subway car until a sweet elderly lady woke her up, asking if this was her stop.
Y/n opened her eyes right away, saw the sign for her destination, thanked the kind old lady, gave her seat to her, and hurried out before the doors closed.
She made it out and went to the stairs. She put her headphones in her backpack, took out her phone, and checked the distance from her current location to Suwon.
"Okay, it's only 1 hour away, so taking the bus with a few stops won't hurt anything," y/n said, looking for a nearby bus stop. The bus came 5 minutes early since there wasn't much traffic today.
Y/n hopped on and sat in the nearest seat by the door.
Y/n gazed out the window, enjoying the view and her quiet thoughts.
She started getting messages from Jin, which she had completely forgotten to inform Jin about her plans for today.
[Jin & Y/n's chat]
Jin: Hey!
Jin: Hey!
Jin: Are you there?
Jin: ☹️
Jin: Where are you?
Y/n: Hey, take it easy with those texts, knucklehead. What's up?
Jin: That's not a nice way to speak to me. It hurts that my girlfriend is calling me names. ☹️
Y/n: Let me guess, you want some cuddles?
Jin: 😏 Yes, I do.
Y/n: 😂 Too bad, I can't, but you can hug yourself.
Jin: What? Hug myself? No, that's weird.
Y/n: 🧍♀️
Jin: Anyway, where are you? You had breakfast and then left. Where did you go?
Y/n: Oh, that! I went to the 7-Eleven to meet Ju-won. Do you remember him? Of course, you do; he's Jimin's friend. We talked for a few minutes, and he mentioned that he will be my advisor when I start at POSTECH—pretty cool. After that, we went our separate ways, and I made my way to a subway station to reach my destination.
Jin: Ah, so you're going to Suwon?
Y/n: Yup, but please don't tell the others; I don't want them bothering me. If they ask where I went, simply tell a lie.
Jin: I remember SOMEONE snitched on you, and we all ended up where you were. Don't worry, I won't say anything.
Y/n: Thanks, my WWH ❤️
Jin: Anytime, my smarty pants ❤️
[End of chat]
The bus came to a halt, y/n got off, and began walking towards a rental bicycle. Y/n rented the bike and quickly rode off to reach Suwon Yeonhwajang Funeral Hall in under 10 minutes. Exhausted, she parked the bicycle on the rack, secured it, and entered the building. She continued walking until she located her grandma's resting place. In a gentle voice, she began to whisper to her grandma, who was still there, listening attentively: "I can't express how much I've missed you, Grandma. A lot has happened while you were gone. I dated Suga for about two months before we also ended things. I started my second relationship with Namjoon, but we broke up for good. Now, I'm with Jin. I worked at a 7-Eleven and made some friends among my coworkers. I joined a dance team that respected my boundaries, and we competed and won awards, just like you always said I would. I got accepted into my dream university, and in a few months, I'll be graduating from high school and starting my first year at university. I will proudly represent your alma mater. One thing I regret is not listening to your warning about Namjoon. I realized you didn't like him when I brought the whole group to your beautiful home that day, and you picked up on it. I'm truly sorry for pushing you away when you only wanted what was best for me. You were the only one aware of how Namjoon treated me in high school. My parents are unaware that Namjoon and I were together; they only know about my relationship with Suga, and I assume they are aware I'm now with Jin. I still terrified about telling them the truth, but as you always say, 'the truth will come out eventually.' Here I am, already tearing up over this heartfelt speech. Anyway, I will do my utmost, no, my very best, to prove to you that I carry my grandma's roots within me."
Y/n took a tissue from her backpack and began to wipe her tears while saying goodbye to her grandma.
She left the funeral hall, made her way to the bicycle rack, and started riding the bike she had rented back to the rental shop.
What she didn't see was that Jin, Jimin, and Taehyung were waiting for her from a distance.
Y/n arrived at the bike rental shop and returned the bicycle before stepping outside to face the three of them.
"Jin, I warned you not to reveal where I was," y/n pestered Jin. "Look, before you get mad at me, I didn't snitch this time; the members were unaware of where you are except Taehyung knew where you were," Jin attempted to calm y/n down before she began fighting with him.
"Y/n, if you feel like hitting someone, hit me. But I want you to know that nobody, as Jin mentioned, knew your whereabouts, except for me. I remembered that every year on August 20th, you visit your grandma in Suwon," Taehyung said, shutting his eyes and bracing for the punch. "And what's Jimin doing here? No offense," y/n responded, pointing to to where Jimin was standing. "None taken, I just wanted to come along, that's all," Jimin replied with an adorable smile.
Taehyung recommended that y/n take the front seat while Jimin and Jin sat in the back, with Taehyung driving.
The four of them then left Suwon to head back to Jongno-gu.
When they reached Jongno-gu, Taeyung asked Jin if he could have a private conversation with y/n. Jin said, 'sure,' and grabbed Jimin's arm to let him know that Taehyung and y/n needed some privacy.
"Hey, you don't have to grab my arm so hard," Jimin replied, stroking his arm. "Sorry, it was either that or pull your hair," Jin laughed.
While Jin and Jimin chatted outside the vehicle, Taehyung and y/n were inside.
"I know there are only 5 days left until Namjoon's evil plan goes into effect, but do you remember the souvenir you lost after all these years?" Taehyung asked, one hand on the steering wheel. "You mean the volcanic stone dol hareubang statue? Yeah, what about it?" y/n replied, looking startled.
Taehyung pulled out his phone, opened the gallery, selected the photo he took at Namjoon's place, and showed it to y/n. Y/n took Tae's phone, noticed the picture, and was stunned.
"How did Namjoon get my souvenir? I've searched for it so many times; I even tore my room apart to find it. But why?" "I'm not sure. I asked him why he has it, and he said he plans to use it as your weakness for the LIVE stream." "Weakness? That was my lucky charm because I had a great day that day until the incident occurred. If you claim Namjoon has it, it means I could get it back in 5 days."
Taehyung and y/n talked for a while before Tae stepped out of the driver's seat to approach Jin and Jimin.
He spotted them dozing off next to each other, upright, until he yelled very loudly. Both of them woke up, glanced at each other, and entered the vehicle in which y/n had fallen asleep.
After everyone was in the vehicle, Taehyung started driving and took Jin and y/n to y/n's apartment, with Jin having to carry her on his back.
Once they exited, Tae continued driving until he reached the apartment he shared with Jimin.