Ķöpke

- Kim Areum -

/ BTS 8th Member AU

■ Who is Kim Areum

■ Areum's Dating History

■ No One Expected (Areum, who successfully passed the auditions, moves into the dorm.)

■ Crises emerge in the most unexpected ways. (Areum tries to get to know herself.)

■ Our paths are the same.

(2017 Wings tour- Jungkook and Areum can't take it anymore.)

■ LET'S TALK (BTS do their first OT8 live stream after their military service. However, Areum clearly has serious problems.)

■ I'm Trying but... ( Taehyung tries to fix things. Above all, he misses his precious Areum very much. / Let's Talk part 2 basicly)

■ So What? (Taehyung and Areum spend the night together. Someones aren't happy about this.)

(BTS' world tour begins, and Jungkook is on the border. - April 2026)

❗️TW/ Jungkook shows some violent tendencies.

A few deep breaths... Move. Turn... Breathe...

When the last dance practice ended, Areum immediately sat down right there on the floor. She leaned her head against the wall...

She hated feeling all sticky from sweat.

You’re not the old Areum, huh? You run out of energy so quickly...

She was a bit irritated. She used to handle much heavier concert schedules so easily... clearly she can’t anymore.

“When is Riley coming?” Taehyung asked as he sat down on the floor next to Areum. He looked tired too.

“Her plane lands in a few hours. I’ll take a shower and go to the airport to pick her up.”

Taehyung nodded. No one except Jimin had met her. It was like Areum was doing it on purpose... she didn’t want her and BTS to meet.

“So... are you going to introduce us this time?”

Areum smiled slightly and took a sip from her water bottle. “Sorry, I still haven’t taught her Korean.”

“She still met Jimin though.” Taehyung was curious. After fixing things with Areum, he was being extra careful around her, but there were still some things he didn’t fully understand.

“It just happened. It wasn’t anything special. Don’t worry, you’ll meet tomorrow.”

Taehyung had a lot he wanted to say. Still, he kept his mouth shut.

Airports were always chaos... Media waiting for idols, fans, people running, suitcases...

Too many stimuli...

Areum thought she wouldn’t be recognized. She was wearing her mask and sunglasses.

You’re amazing, Ara, I’m sure people won’t suspect you at all for wearing sunglasses indoors.

She could have sent one of her staff to pick Riley up, but she wanted to welcome her girlfriend herself...

Her fingers fidgeted on top of her legs.

Why are you still getting excited like the first time...

It took about half an hour for Riley to come out from arrivals. Areum stood up excitedly, walked toward her, and hugged her.

“Ah... Areum scent...” Riley murmured, resting her nose against her neck. Her precious Areum...

As Areum started driving toward the hotel room, Riley was full of energy. Areum, who was exhausted from the intense concert preparations, was having trouble keeping up with her.

“Where will I be during the concert? What should I wear?” she asked one after another. When they first met, Riley used to avoid being seen together in public. Now she seemed to have gotten over that.

“Wherever you want. You can go to the VIP section or stay right in front of the stage with the staff. And what you wear doesn’t matter at all... but make sure it’s warm. It’s going to rain tomorrow.”

Riley nodded... she would need to put on a good expression tomorrow...

On the morning of the concert, Areum left Riley at the hotel so she could sleep a bit more and went to the concert venue with her team.

She started doing some stretching. She didn’t want to get injured in the very first show... and the rain and heeled boots wouldn’t exactly help.

“Good morning, aegi.” Jin came over and hugged her. Even though this kind of hugging isn’t very common culturally in Korea, that never really applied to them.

“Are you okay, Jinie? I’m worried about you. You never get any rest.”

Jin sighed. Areum had always been the one who cared about him the most, even though she was younger. When Jin couldn’t fully learn the choreography, it would be Areum staying in the studio with him for hours, practicing... or whenever Jin kept his sadness to himself, she was always the first to notice... “I’m fine, Aegi, I’m taking it slow.”

Areum nodded. Still, she would keep a close eye on him.

Before the group went out for soundcheck, Riley walked backstage with security and a few staff behind her. There was no expression on her face. Completely poker face... but ah... Areum knew her... she only did that when she was nervous and wanted to intimidate people... she smirked at the thought.

“My baby! Good morning. You just woke up, huh?” They hugged.

“Jetlag...” Riley shrugged. She was pretty tense. She had no idea what was being said around her, a country she didn’t knew a language she didn’t knew. Strange people all around.

The other members who were getting ready turned their heads toward the two of them...

Jimin gave Riley a small smile. She smiled back at him, then glanced over the members—there was only one person she was expecting to see. Jungkook.

She had promised Areum she would be polite. Still, stepping into the ring with that guy just once wouldn’t be so bad. As Jungkook and Riley sized each other up, Areum noticed and stepped in between them: “Riley, you promised...”

“I know, I know. Your members are important to you, I’ll be nice...”

Namjoon approached them with a polite smile. “Hi, we’re happy you came to the concert. I wish we could have met in a calmer setting.”

Breathe in... Turn... A few breaths... Repeat...

Come on, Ara...

Throughout the concert, Areum did her best not to lose control. If she messed something up—a choreography or a note... god, it would become a scandal.

“If she’s sick, she should have left BTS.” “She’s just gotten old. Time to retire.”

Luckily, tonight Areum didn’t give anyone anything to talk about... well, except for a few moments of flirting with Riley watching her from the stage.

Putting all the anxiety aside... Areum felt like the old days. Her silly group members... she would always choose to go on stage with them rather than be alone. She even did part of the “I Need You” choreography with Jimin and Tae. Nostalgic... everyone was happy... they were finally together.

As they went backstage after the concert, Hoseok walked with his arm around her shoulders, laughing. “What was up with the heeled boots? I told you they wouldn’t work.”

“Don’t say that—”

“She ran off to change them through the show,” Jimin added, laughing.

“If I hadn’t held you, you would’ve fallen,” Tae giggled.

They were all sweaty, exhausted, but it was all worth it.

A message from Jimin: “Ara, I’m sorry. I let it slip.”

Areum was at the company the next day for a few minor tour meetings. She couldn’t make sense of the message from Jimin during the meeting. She showed it to her manager Jihoon, who was sitting next to her. Jihoon had been her personal manager for about seven years. Their bond was unshakable. Still, he seemed like he didn’t understand the message either.

“What do you mean?”

While waiting for a reply from Jimin, she shifted restlessly during the meeting. After half an hour passed, she stopped expecting an answer.

What the hell is going on in Jimin’s head?

After the meeting, Areum went to her room to pull herself together. Then she would probably have to go to Jimin’s house.

But before she could even leave the room, someone opened her door without knocking. Areum turned around to confront whoever had entered so disrespectfully—and saw Jungkook at the door.

His eyes were dark.

Right behind him, Jimin appeared, rushing forward as if to grab him, but the boy, breathing heavily, crossed the room in a few quick steps and stopped right in front of her. He grabbed both of her arms and shook her as he shouted:

OT7 x Areum

AN/ When I watched the new video, all I could think was how much fun it would be if they did this with Areum, and here we are!

The camera turned on, lights soft but bright enough to catch every expression. All eight of them were sitting side by side, relaxed…

“Alright,” Areum smiled.

When it was her turn, she was holding a large cardboard card with the questions written on it.

She glanced at the screen and removed the tape covering the question.

“Where does Areum live?”

All eyes immediately turned to her. Areum blinked, then shrugged casually. “Los Angeles.”

---

“How old is Areum?”

“Twenty-seven.” Jin immediately clutched his chest. “My baby... Time flies…”

“You act like I’m 50,” she said.

“You have the soul of a 50-year-old,” Taehyung added.

“Especially when she complains,” Jimin laughed.

“I don’t complain,” Areum shot back.

“You complained this morning,” Jungkook said.

“…That doesn’t count.”

---

“How many albums does Areum have?”

“Three,” Areum answered quickly.

“She produced all of them,” Yoongi added, nodding slightly.

Hoseok leaned forward. “And they’re actually really good. Like… really good. a Rockstar!”

Areum turned a little bit red. “Wow. High praise. Don't make me shy.”

---

“Does Areum have a boyfriend?”

There was a small pause.

Jimin made a soft “oooh” sound.

Taehyung covered his mouth, already smiling.

Areum rolled her eyes. “No.”

“Just ‘no’?” Jin asked. “That’s it?”

She glanced at him. “That’s it.”

---

“Will Areum join the BTS world tour?”

Namjoon looked at her this time instead of answering. Areum tilted her head slightly. “I'm working on it.”

“That means yes,” Hoseok said immediately.

“That means yes,” she shot back.

“It means yes,” Taehyung repeated, grinning.

She laughed. "There is no way I'm missing this."

---

“Last one… If you had to describe Areum in one word?” The room quieted slightly.

“Hm,” Namjoon hummed.

Yoongi spoke first. “Honest.”

“Hilarious,” Jin said.

“Warm,” Jimin added softly.

“Stubborn,” Taehyung smirked.

“Passionate,” Hoseok said.

Jungkook looked at her. “…Home.”

There was a brief silence.Areum blinked, caught off guard for just a second. Then she looked away, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Alright,” she muttered. “That’s enough questions.”

Haeun x High School Love

?

(2015)

First of all, there was Haeun. They were best friends in high school... Until Areum felt this way about someone for the first time. They were both young, and nothing serious happened. Small, sweet memories that Areum now remembers with a smile...

----------------------------------------------------------

Jungkook x First Love

(2017-2022)

Jungkook and Areum were just friends at first. Over time, Jungkook was the one who started developing feelings. In his eyes, Areum was perfect. She was everything he had ever imagined. For a while, it felt like he was living just for her attention. As they spent more time together, Areum began to develop feelings for him too.

By 2017, things had gotten serious.The first time they were caught was by Yoongi — but as the older member, he chose to keep their secret. Later on, the rest of the group found out, one by one.

Management learned about it in 2020, but by then, they were already major artists. There wasn’t much they could do to control them anymore.

ARMYs had been shipping them for a long time anyway. They picked up on the smallest details, the quiet whispers, the subtle moments. But the moment the public became certain was when paparazzi photos of them kissing backstage at the Grammys were released.

There was never an official statement — not from them, not from the company. But everyone knew.

By 2022, their disagreements had grown worse. Areum kept trying to fix things, but Jungkook was overwhelmed and run away. After a fight, they broke up. And the very next day, a video of Jungkook at home with another girl was leaked to the press.

That was the end of everything.

----------------------------------------------------------

Diego x Just a Distraction

(2023)

The group’s hiatus, along with the betrayal she experienced from Jungkook, pushed Areum into a deep depression.

At that point, she was only trying to heal herself.

It was during that time that she met Diego at a horse ranch. Diego, who came from a Spanish family, was a very cultured man. His family was involved in high-end jewelry design. They spent a few months together, casually. But in the end, Areum didn’t want anything more — it had only ever been a distraction for her.

Fans spotted them a few times at well-known places, having breakfast or horseback riding together.

And then… just like that, they disappeared.

----------------------------------------------------------

Seonghwa x Wrong Time

(2023-2024)

Seonghwa was different for her.

They met during ATEEZ’s U.S. tour, when Areum attended one of their concerts. That’s how it started.

After that, they spent time together and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. But Areum was in a deep depression, dealing with serious health issues. She kept warning him not to expect anything serious. She didn’t want to hurt someone as gentle as Seonghwa. Still, Seonghwa stayed by her side without expecting anything in return. They never called it a relationship.

And yet… Areum could see it — he was getting hurt.

Because he truly loved her.

So she quietly pulled away.

No one ever saw them together.

----------------------------------------------------------

Emily x This is Playgirl Time

(2024)

Areum eventually found a different way to cope with all that depression. She stopped worrying about her health. If she was going to die young, she figured she might as well live fast.

One night in Los Angeles, she met Emily, an influencer, at a nightclub. Areum liked her right away. But she still didn’t want anything serious. They spent time together, had fun.

Still, Emily started getting too attached. She expected too much attention from Areum and would get jealous easily. So Areum cut things off.

After that, Emily — who already had a decent following — leaked their secret relationship to the public and started talking about how Areum had played with her.

It didn’t end well.

----------------------------------------------------------

Riley x Safe Place

( November 2024 - nowadays)

Before she died, Areum had started a doctoral program in the U.S. — part of her “things to do before I die” list.

That’s where she met Riley, an engineer.

Areum made the first move, and for the first time, she was rejected. Riley told her her priority was her career and that she didn’t want a relationship. That only made Areum more curious. More intrigued. She kept trying to win her over for a while… and eventually, here they were.

In a few interviews, Areum mentioned that Riley was the only person who loved her exactly as she was. They’ve been together for about a year and a half. They don’t hide from the media, but they don’t openly display their relationship either.

With Riley’s help, Areum managed to pull herself out of her depression — and, to some extent, her alcohol addiction. Riley no longer lets her go out to clubs and party. And she’s especially uncomfortable with the idea of Areum going back to BTS.

Riley tries to keep her away from the her members as much as possible.

----------------------------------------------------------

(2017 Wings tour)

• Jungkook and Areum can't take it anymore.

❗️Slight NSFW

The Wings world tour had reached its Sydney stop.

Backstage, it was chaos.

Areum couldn’t really see… or hear much. The last thing she remembered was feeling dizzy… then her nose started bleeding. No… she thought. Not now.

She had left the choreography midway, holding her nose as she made her way backstage — but she collapsed before she could make it.—And now she was here.

A medic was trying to stop the bleeding while someone else checked her blood pressure.

The show had to pause for a short break. One by one, her bandmates rushed backstage, sweaty and panicked, all looking for her. Jin was the first to find her and immediately ran over. “Is she okay? Did she hit her head when she fell?”

Areum stirred slightly. She could only imagine how worried they all were. “Hey… I’m fine. It was just a bit of low blood pressure…”

Jungkook was already by her side, holding her hand. “Don’t go back on stage. Let’s take you to the hospital.”

When Areum tried to protest, the others shut her down immediately. There was no way she was going back on stage until she was actually okay. Jimin leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Please, Makdungie… stay here.”

Jungkook squeezed her hand reassuringly.

By the time the concert ended and they returned to the hotel that night, Areum was already resting in her room. Jungkook walked into the room they shared — after having to argue with Jimin just to stay with her.

“Ara, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. You guys overreacted. It was just a moment.”

Jungkook let out a sigh and dropped himself onto the bed, right on top of her.

“You’re disgusting, go take a shower, you’re all sweaty!” Areum laughed, trying to push him off.

“Make me… I’m tired.”

“You’re impossible, Kook…”

“Only for you. Come on… let’s just stay like this for a bit. You really scared me today…”

No matter how much he tried to hide it, seeing her like that — covered in blood — had terrified him.What if something had happened to her…?

“I can’t live without you, Ara. Please take better care of yourself… or you’ll ruin both of us.”

Finally, he moved off her and sat beside her, gently brushing his hand against her cheek. They were both at their limit.

For years, they had been inseparable. They knew each other better than they knew themselves. They had won, lost, cried, laughed, fought… together. They existed for each other.

“We’re already ruined…”

Areum let out a quiet sigh. She wasn’t supposed to feel this way about one of the members. The group. Professionalism. Managers. ARMYS.

There was no way to explain something like this. They moved a little closer, now sitting side by side on the bed.Jungkook’s arm wrapped around her waist, his grip firm, comforting. He gently traced his hand over her side. “We’ll get through everything… we always do.” He looked into her eyes, waiting.Waiting for her to say it. If she just gave him that one bit of approval…if she said we’ll figure it out together—He would do it.

Right now.

Areum turned her head away. All of this… it was too much. If Jungkook kissed her now, she knew there would be no going back. “Jungkook… you know there’s no going back from this. Are you sure this is what you want—”

But Jungkook didn’t want to stop anymore. He cupped her chin, turned her face toward him, and kissed her like she was something fragile — like a piece of art that could break at any second.

And in that moment, time stopped.

They were playing hide and seek…

Washing dishes together…

Practicing choreography…

Crying…

For years, it felt like they had existed only for each other. Same path. Same direction. How were they ever supposed to stay apart? They finally pulled away, breathless. “Ara—”

But this time, she didn’t let him finish. She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back into a deeper, more desperate kiss.

God… it felt like heaven.

He held her by the waist, helping her climb onto his lap.His hands moved everywhere—Until the door suddenly burst open.

Yoongi walked in to check on her.

• Taehyung and Areum spend the night together. Someones aren't happy about this.

It was a sunny day. You could tell spring had finally arrived.

When she woke up, Taehyung was still asleep beside her. God… she was so thirsty. Areum usually didn’t get hangovers. Alcohol didn’t affect her much. But this time, the thirst and the headache felt unbearable.

Taehyung was so warm, too. She had been sweating all night because of him.

Girl shifted slightly, letting out a small groan.

“Tae… you need to wake up… we’re going to be late for the shoot.” Taehyung didn’t react. He didn’t even bother opening his eyes.

Right now, nothing mattered to him except being here with Areum. After all those years apart… His precious Areum…

She reached for her phone. “We’re not going to be late — we’re already late!” She rushed out of bed. She had fallen asleep in the same clothes she’d worn all day yesterday.

“Ah, Tae, come on! They’ve called us like a hundred times!” Taehyung finally got up with a groan.

“It’s fine, I’ll get ready.”

It didn’t take long for Areum to get ready. Still, she had to sit on the couch and wait for Taehyung.

“Okay, okay, let’s go!” Taehyung didn’t do much — just changed his clothes, washed his face — and then they got into the car waiting for them and headed to the set.

Areum muttered nervously, “Everyone knows we were together…” Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Why are you so worried about it? It’s not like we did anything wrong.” Areum knew they hadn’t done anything wrong… She just didn’t want anyone to assume something like that.

Especially not one person…

“If you’re worried about Jungkook, I don’t care,” Tae muttered.

“You matter to me just as much as you do to him. Jungkook made a mistake. He has to deal with the consequences.”

Areum didn’t say anything. Being part of BTS again was pulling her out of the fragile peace she had found… and dragging her back into chaos. "It’s fine, she told herself. I can handle it. I can do this.—

When they arrived at the company, Manager Min was already waiting to scold her. “Ara! You could’ve at least picked up your phone. I could’ve kept the team busy until you got here! Now everyone’s complaining!”

Areum shrugged. “I didn’t hear the calls. And honestly, who cares if they’re complaining? Just ignore it.”

“Did you even eat?”

“No… I’m starving.”

“I’ll get you something.”

When Namjoon joined them, they were already eating. “At least the talk went well?” he asked.

Tae nodded, smiling. “You know us, hyung. We figure things out… as long as Ara’s willing to talk!” he added, nudging her lightly. Areum let out a small laugh. “Sorry, Joonie… you know I’m usually not this irresponsible.”

Namjoon didn’t seem too bothered. If being a little late meant easing the tension within the group, he could tolerate it.—

The group was ready for the shoot, choreography was already set — just like those dance practice videos.

Areum was in her element. She loved dancing more than anything. After all, everything had started with her passion for dance when she was a child.

“So… you spent the night together, huh?”

She hadn’t even noticed Jungkook coming up behind her during the break. “Did you have a good time?” Areum took a deep breath.“It was good. We talked a lot… about the past, about now.”

Jungkook didn’t look pleased — not like the others.

“So I’m the only problem left now, huh?”

“Jungkook, there’s no problem between us. Just let go of the past. I did.”

Jungkook gently grabbed her arm. “That’s exactly what bothers me… that you let go.”

At that moment, her phone started ringing. “Sorry, Kook… I need to take this.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and walked away, heading back to the others. What could he even do? Areum only made time for the people she wanted. She only talked to who she wanted. And clearly… she didn’t want either with him. Still, she always seemed to care when it came to the people she casually flirted with…

Areum walked to the other side of the room and answered the call.

i've released "Lets Talk Part 2" now and also made a masterlist. I'm writing a lot these days...

• Taehyung tries to fix things. Above all, he misses his precious Areum very much. / Let's Talk part 2 basicly

❗️TW: health problems, addictions

Talking was the last thing she wanted.

She had tried before, many times. And back then, the one who had turned his back on her was the same man now sitting beside her, driving her home.

No matter how much Areum suggested talking in a small pub, Taehyung was determined to take her to his place.

“You know…” he said, “we won’t be comfortable talking outside.”

Areum let out a deep breath.

“I know,” she said. “But I still want a drink. I can’t have this conversation like this.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes at her words.

“You keep saying you’ve gotten over your addiction. Clearly, you haven’t.”

Areum shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Please… don’t come at me like that.”

When they pulled into the garage, Taehyung shook his head in disapproval.

There was some alcohol in the house, and it was clear Areum would want them.

Within ten minutes, she had what she needed and was sitting on the couch and glanced around the house.

It felt like she hadn’t been here in years… Not since their arguments.

And just like that, it all flashed before her eyes—

A few years ago, right there at the corner of the hallway, Areum had been crying and shouting at the same time.

“I can’t keep cleaning up after you, Tae! I haven’t even seen you for months! I didn’t think you wanted to distance yourself from the group this much!”

…

Anyway—

Areum knew she couldn’t change the past.

She called out to him as he changed in the other room,

“Do you remember how old I was when I met you?”

Taehyung came back in and sat down beside her.

“Thirteen, maybe?”

Areum took off her jacket and leaned back further into the couch.

“Yeah…” she smiled, “Back then, I loved you more than anything.”

She paused.

“Then we all made some mistakes. I don’t know… maybe it’s my fault. Building my identity around BTS… that was my mistake.”

Her voice softened.

“It wasn’t right. But I was so young… and you guys were all I knew.”

“After that… everyone going their separate ways hurt more than anything. I hadn’t learned how to be anything other than BTS. An identity crisis…”

Areum let out a small laugh, but even talking about this now felt unbearable. Taehyung wouldn’t understand.

Taehyung was careful not to interrupt her, but when she stopped, he asked quietly,

“Is that all?”

Areum shrugged.

“That’s all that concerns you.”

Taehyung poured himself a drink.

“Ara, why do you refuse to get treatment? Your heart failure is getting seri—”

She cut him off immediately.

“Shh. We’re not talking about that. I’m fine.”

Of course, she wasn’t going to let that topic come up.

Areum had been living with heart failure for years. Only temporary treatments had been keeping her going — for as long as they could.

The definitive treatment… she refused it.

She had been dealing with health problems like this for so long that, even if she were going to die… she just wanted it to be in peace.

Taehyung took a sip of his drink before speaking.

“Ara, that was just a phase… We’re together now. It’s over. I’m not leaving your side again.”

Areum shook her head slightly.

“While we were apart, I was trying to find myself… and I drifted too far away from BTS.”

She looked at him, her voice softer.

“Now it just feels… strange. Please try to understand me, Tae…”

By now, it was evening. Taehyung was trying to understand her.

Areum had always had a unique mind. Sometimes, he knew, that mind was what made things harder for her. She had been crushed by fame and pressure at a young age and had never really managed to find herself.

Still, he believed things would get better. He would try his best for that.

Back when they were still in BTS, they used to be practically glued together. But now, Areum tried her best to avoid physical contact with anyone.

Still, the boy decided to try his luck.

He reached out his hand to the girl sitting next to him.

Areum looked surprised, but didn’t question it too much.

This was her silly Taehyung, after all.

No matter what, they had been through so much together.

Taehyung had become a little more courageous.

▪︎Areum tries to get to know herself.

September 2015.

Areum stared for a long time at the scribbled girl’s face on the torn, worn-out piece of paper… While drawing it, she had pressed too hard on certain parts, leaving dark, heavy marks.

Things were going well for BTS. After two years, the media and the public had finally started to accept them, little by little.

But now, everything had been pushed into the background by personal problems…

By her problems.

Haeun…

A hand touched her shoulder, and she flinched.

“Ah, Jiminie… you scared me.”

“Keep frowning like that and your eyebrows will stay like that forever,” Jimin chuckled, lightly tapping the tip of her nose with his finger.

In her surprise, Areum didn’t even realize the paper was still visible in her hand.

She quickly tried to hide it.

“I’m sorry. I already saw it,” Jimin said softly. “And I’m curious… who you drew, and why you were looking at it so thoughtfully.”

“Please don’t ask…” she whispered. “I can’t give you an answer.”

Jimin wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“Okay… but still, seeing you like this makes me worried. Are you having trouble with your friends at school? Are they bullying you?”

At that thought, Areum let out a small laugh.

“Ah, Jiminie… nobody can bully me. Just look at these eyebrows. Don’t I look scary?”

She pointed at her furrowed brows with her fingers, and they both ended up laughing together.

She took a deep breath, relieved that she had managed to dodge yet another person worrying about her.

What could she even tell them?

No one would understand.

She didn’t even fully understand it herself.

The real problem was just her close friend from high school — Haeun.

She liked her. She couldn’t keep it inside anymore, so she confessed… She almost wished she had been rejected outright. They even dated for a few days… Haeun had been her first kiss. But in the end, Haeun wasn’t sure. She said she was just curious, and after everything, she didn’t want to continue seeing Areum because it made her feel uneasy.

Areum didn’t blame her. She just kept thinking…

Jimin noticed her drifting off again. “Hey,” he said softly. “Come on, let’s go have dinner. The others are waiting for us.”

At the small table in the dorm, covered with delicious-looking food, all the members were already sitting together. They joined them.The only topic being discussed was Namjoon’s new hairstyle.

“I think it looks pretty cool,” Hoseok said, talking with his mouth full. Living with them was like living with a pack of wolves — they were always so hungry.

After dinner, she and Jungkook cleaned up the dishes together. When Seokjin tried to help them, they immediately refused and sent him off to rest. Still, before Seokjin went to his room, he gently ruffled her hair and said, "Makdungie, there’s a glass of milk in the fridge… I saved it for you."

Areum moved into the dorm. Things felt a little strange.

(2013)

AN/ I chose to go back into the past to connect the story. These parts might not seem very interesting, but they are necessary for you to build a connection with Areum.

No one expected Areum to succeed when she joined the auditions — but she already knew she would.

She was born into one of South Korea’s most powerful families. Everything about her life had already been planned in quiet, elegant certainty. She was the only grandchild, especially cherished by her grandfather, who had always seen her as the one who would eventually carry the family legacy.

Her parents were more distant in their approach. They never openly refused her anything, but they also refused to let her grow up spoiled. Instead, they made sure she learned independence in their own way — even if that meant quietly supporting her financially without hesitation. They didn’t want her to become a useless rich girl who never built anything of her own. And in the end her families approval quietly opened the door to everything that would follow in her career.

What she didn’t expect, however, was that Bang Si-hyuk would place her in a group dominated by boys.

Unusual, wasn’t it?

The first day at the dorm felt strange.

She had only spoken to Hoseok and Seokjin. They were sweet, welcoming even — but far too loud for her liking. Yoongi’s expression made it very clear that he did not approve of this situation at all. He thought to himself, “There’s no way she’ll survive even two days here.”

Taehyung and Jimin kept to themselves, occupied in their own little world. But the real strangeness was Jungkook. He was avoiding her like she was contagious. At that moment, Areum was already certain — things between her and Jungkook would never be normal. She settled into the small room. Overstuffed closets, messy beds… everything felt chaotic.Still, she was ambitious. And she knew exactly what she wanted...

(a few months later)

Despite the terrifying storm outside, the dorm was warm and quiet inside. Areum kept turning from side to side in her small bed, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, she gave up on trying to rest. She wanted to play something for a while. Even if it meant sacrificing sleep, she didn’t care anymore. So she got up and made her way to the living room.

It was around 3 a.m.

If anyone saw her awake at this hour, they would probably worry that she wasn’t getting enough sleep. She was hoping no one would come into the living room. While thinking that, she suddenly heard Jungkook’s voice from the doorway.

“You know… I could totally beat you at this game.”

▪︎BTS do their first OT8 live stream after their military service. However, Areum clearly has serious problems.

BTS x eighth!memberOC

That's a hard day for Areum.

After all those years apart from the group, it felt just... weird... Why? She had spent so many years with boys... They were a family isn't it?

She was in the production process for the Arirang album era, but she tryna stay away from them as much as possible. But not today. They have to do a live for Armys. So she should sit next to them and talk about their upcoming comeback.

When the live started she put a smile on her face. This moment was important for ARMYs. It was their first OT8 live after boys military service. If Armys feels something wrong they wouldn't let this go. So many speculation, pressure, and misinformation.

BTS have been through a lot of things behind the scenes. Nobody knows.

Areum sighed, spoke quietly : "Okey... Areum. Just focus on Armys. Act normal. Watch your mouth."

Areum was known for her frankness. So thats seems not possible...

Jimin was sitting next to her and ofcourse he knew she was nervous. He placed his hand on her leg and gently stroked it: "It's okay. I will be right here. Next to you..."

She smiled: "You always do."

Everyone was start to talk about how they are excited for the Arirang. The other BTS members had been eagerly awaiting this moment. They had been apart for a long time, but now it was all left behind.

Jin made a joke: "Oh, I wish you guys hadn't come back. Areum and I were fine on our own."

Everyone, including ARMY, knew Jin was joking. The boys laughed. But Areum seemed very distant now; she just maintained her poker face.

Yet there was one person who couldn't take their eyes off Areum throughout the entire live... Jungkook... He was caught looking at Areum from time to time with a hurt expression.

Nobody knows... nobody can know.

Areum breathed a sigh of relief when they said goodbye to the ARMYs and ended the live.

She was desperate to pack her things and leave the company as quickly as possible, but... Taehyung stopped her : "Ara... How long will this go on? Why are you still running away? You're acting like a child."

Oh, here it comes... Namjoon, with his years of leadership experience, knew this dialogue would lead to an argument. He wanted to intervene.

"Taehyung i think you shouldn't say like that."

Areum said: "Nevermind Joon. I don't have the energy to argue anymore. I'm not running away either. It's just been a very tiring day. I want to rest."

When the group went on hiatus, Areum sold all their properties in Korea and moved to Los Angeles. Her familys home was not in Seoul. That's why she was staying at the hotel during the process of releasing new album.

Taehyung reached out to her: "I just want to talk."

Areum knew she needed to sit down and talk. If she continued like this, she would only continue to torment herself and her members.

Name: Kim Areum

Date of birth: June 20 1999 (27 years old.) Gemini

Position in the group: Main dancer, Rapper

• The youngest in the group.

• She joined the group as a rapper, but if you look at her now, she's actually focused more on her vocal skills.

• She has three solo albums, she produced all of them. (In the alternative rock genre.)

• She's a much more masculine woman. (Most people think this is because she lived with seven men over the years.)

• She is bisexual.

•People often describe her as cold and arrogant. But when you get to know her... come on... she's just a teddy bear.

•She's not the type for serious relationships.

•During boys in the military, she developed a serious alcohol addiction.

•She currently lives in Los Angeles.

• She has a cat named Hera.

Backstory: Areum belongs to one of Korea's wealthy families. They are mainly involved in banking in the South Asia. Her father didn't want to follow family business; he turned to science. He is now a respected geology professor. That's why his grandfather raised his only grandchild, Areum, from a young age telling her that one day she would run the company. Her mother is a more quiet, and calm woman who is well-educated.

As someone from an prestigious family, she was guided towards the arts by her family. When she wanted to auditioning for BigHit, her family thought it as a passing phase. They didn't want to disappoint their only heir and allowed her to do, only on the condition that she keep her families' identities a secret. Nobody thought things would get this serious. Not even Areum herself...

■ Omg I have so much to write about this OC! I tried not to give too many details because if you want to truly know Areum, you'll need to take a closer look at her life, and don't worry, I'm here! I'll be sharing my first story in a few hours.

First of al I am very excited. I have been using tumblr for a long time, but i have never tryna write before.

If I have to talk about myself, you guys can call me Kopke... Im 21 and I am studying International Relations.

As you can understand, English is not my first language. I'm sure I'll make many mistake. Please let me know. I appreciate it.

I stan BTS. So i primarily came here to write fiction about OC!eighth member of BTS.

But I'm open to other suggestions as well, and I'd like to write for member x y/n.