#bts echos

** indicates mature content

Echos | JJK Soulmate AU

Meet OC! Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four Part Five Part Six. Part Seven

Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven

Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen** Part Nineteen Part Twenty

Part Twenty-One Epilogue

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Soft Places to Land | MYG Soulmate AU

This is a spinoff of Echos but can be read as a standalone

Meet OC! Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven

Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven

Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen** Part Nineteen Epilogue

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The Things We Carry | PJM Soulmate AU

Prequel to Echos and Soft Places to Land but can be read as a standalone

Meet OC! Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven

Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven

Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen Part Nineteen** Part Twenty

Part Twenty-One Part Twenty-Two

Part Twenty-Three Part Twenty-Four

Epilogue

——————————

So I Won’t Forget | KNJ

Soulmate AU

My soulmate universe-but can be read as a standalone

Meet OC! Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven

Avery Monroe had spent half her life learning how to survive Jeon Jungkook. Not avoid him. Not hate him—Survive him. There was a difference because you couldn’t hate the voice that had unknowingly shaped you. Couldn’t resent the boy whose midnight vocal runs had taught your body rhythm before you ever understood why. Couldn’t truly escape someone whose emotions had bled through your soul since you were thirteen. But you could adapt. So Avery did.

First with oversized headphones that made her look antisocial in every American dance studio she’d ever trained in. Then, when she became professional enough to afford custom stage gear, with in-ear monitors specifically tuned to protect her from him. By twenty-six, her silver molds were as essential as muscle memory. To other dancers, they were just precision equipment. To Avery? They were survival because no one else on the ARIRANG World Tour understood what it meant when Jeon Jungkook sang live within fifty feet of you.

————————————————

BTS’s 2026 comeback album, ARIRANG, had already detonated globally before rehearsals even began.

Their first full group album after military service, featured 14 tracks and marked a dramatic shift for the members— they were more mature, more secure, ready to show the world a new side of them. The upbeat dance songs like “Body to Body,” “Aliens,” and “FYA” were loud, high energy songs meant for the crowd to dance. The second half of the album showcased their softer side, a more emotionally mature side with songs like “they don’t know bout us,” “Like Animals,” and “Into the Sun”

And now Avery had to dance to all of it…..Nightly….On the biggest tour of her life. And from the very first rehearsal, Avery realized one horrifying truth: This album was going to kill her. Because ARIRANG wasn’t soft. It wasn’t “ease back into group promotions.” It was confidence, swagger, Seduction, identity, A reclamation.

And Jungkook? Jungkook sounded like every year of separation had sharpened him into something lethal.

——————————————————-

“Places!” Avery adjusted her custom in-ears immediately.

Track loaded: “Hooligan”

Her personal nightmare. The opening song was explosive—bass-heavy, physical, intimate. Choreography was all power lines, body rolls, formation shifts, and relentless stage chemistry. Perfect. Just… perfect. Because Jungkook’s live delivery on “Hooligan” was a direct assault on her nervous system. Even muffled through click track overlays, she could feel him. Adrenaline, confidence, The razor-edge focus of comeback pressure.

And underneath it—Excitement. He loved this. God, he loved performing. That part was always the hardest. Feeling how genuinely happy he was onstage made it nearly impossible to resent the chaos he caused inside her head. So Avery did what she always did: Counted. Five, six, seven, eight—Turn. Drop. Slide. Ignore the way his voice curved around your spine.

————-

By “FYA,” things got worse. The song was reckless, swagger-heavy, almost feral in rehearsal staging. Taehyung thrived in it. J-Hope looked terrifyingly cool. Jimin somehow made sharp aggression graceful. Jin, naturally, kept making the dancers laugh during resets by overcommitting facial expressions.

“Kim Seokjin,” Namjoon sighed at one point, watching Jin dramatically snarl into a camera blocking rehearsal, “why are you like this?”

“Because I am art.”

Yoongi, without looking up: “Debatable.”

Even Avery laughed at that. And she hated how easy it was becoming. Being around them. Knowing them. They weren’t untouchable legends in rehearsal. They were exhausted men rebuilding something enormous together. And that made Jungkook even more dangerous. Because every day he became less of a myth…And more of a person.

————————————-

“SWIM” rehearsal nearly took it out of her. Not because of choreography, because of resonance. As “SWIM” had everyone’s full attention—production, cameras, choreographers, label executives. This was the song. The center. The statement. Its staging was massive: water imagery, shifting blue LEDs, storm visuals, and choreography built around surrender versus control. And Jungkook’s parts…Avery physically turned her vocal feed down 20%…..Still not enough, because soulmate bonds didn’t care about sound engineering. His voice hit anyway…..Drowning, Wanting, Need. It crashed through her chest so hard she visibly faltered during a center transition.

“Hold!” Son Sungdeuk’s voice echoed.

Avery froze….Damn it.

“Again from chorus.”

She nodded quickly, not meeting anyone’s eyes. But Hobi noticed. Of course he did. He always noticed. During reset, he stepped beside her, voice lower.

“You good?”

“Yep.”

“You keep saying that.”

“I am.”

J-Hope looked unconvinced… but let it go….For now. Across the stage, Jungkook pulled out one in-ear and frowned slightly. Watching her….Again. Avery immediately pretended to be deeply fascinated by her shoelaces.

——————————-

It became a pattern….She avoided, He noticed. Not aggressively. Not ego. Curiosity. Because Avery Monroe was the first woman in years who seemed genuinely committed to not getting closer to Jeon Jungkook…No flirting. No accidental touches. No backstage hovering. No wide-eyed awe….Just discipline. Distance—And an almost obsessive reliance on professional audio gear.

Taehyung clocked it first, obviously. During “Like Animals” blocking, he casually appeared beside her while everyone reviewed playback.

“You know,” he said, far too innocently, “most people try to hear Jungkook better.”

Avery nearly choked on her water. “I like protecting my hearing.”

Taehyung grinned. “Sure.”

Jimin, from the other side: “Taehyung, leave her alone.”

“I’m being supportive.”

“You’re being weird.”

“I contain multitudes.”

Yoongi, seated nearby: “You contain problems.”

Jin’s windshield-wiper laugh echoed through the stage.And despite herself—Avery smiled.Which was unfortunate. Because Jungkook saw that, too. And something about seeing the elusive blonde dancer—his mysterious headphone girl—finally laugh made his chest do something… strange.

———————————————

By week three, “headphone girl” had become an actual thing, Not malicious. Not even teasing, really. Just… BTS. Which somehow made it worse.

“Where’s headphone girl?”

“Did headphone girl eat?”

“Somebody tell headphone girl we’re resetting from verse two.”

“Headphone girl, Jin-hyung stole your protein bar.”

“IT WAS UNATTENDED!” Jin yelled immediately from across stage. Avery had never in her life expected Kim Seokjin to become her loudest workplace problem, and yet here they were. She should’ve hated it. The nickname. The attention. The way Jungkook’s members had effortlessly folded her into rehearsal life without asking permission. But mostly…She hated how much she didn’t hate it. Because despite everything she’d spent years telling herself, BTS—offstage, in rehearsal, stripped of polish—felt disarmingly real.

Namjoon remembered people’s names and checked if backup dancers had eaten during twelve-hour production days. Jimin quietly complimented people after difficult runs. Hobi was terrifying in precision but equally quick to praise improvement. Taehyung was a menace wrapped in Gucci. Yoongi said little, but Avery had noticed he always positioned himself near dancers struggling with new transitions, offering unexpectedly sharp advice. Jin was chaos. And Jungkook Jungkook was becoming impossible.

—————————————————

“Again.” The pounding opening synth of “2.0” shook rehearsal hall C. Avery rolled her shoulders, adjusted her custom in-ears, and inhaled. This number was brutal. Fast, Technical, Aggressive. A choreography monster. Thank God. Songs like “2.0” were safer because speed gave her less time to feel him. She could lock into counts, Into muscle, Into survival— Eight-count. Formations. Drop. Pivot. Travel….No space for resonance, until—“Partner shift!”

Oh, no. No no no—The formation changed on Son Sungdeuk’s call, and suddenly Avery’s line shifted from Taehyung’s side—To Jungkook’s. Her entire soul left her body.

“Let’s go, quickly!” Hobi called. There was no time to protest. Music restarted. Avery moved automatically, years of professionalism saving her where sanity failed. Slide. Turn. Cross. And then—Contact. Jungkook’s hand caught her waist during rotational stabilization. Standard. Brief. Purely choreographic. But soulmate resonance was not standard. The second his palm connected, Avery’s breath vanished. Emotion detonated. Not surface-level. Not stage persona. Jungkook. A flash so vivid it nearly dropped her where she stood—A younger Jungkook, trainee-era, alone in a practice room after midnight, voice cracking, Legs trembling, Too exhausted to stand—Whispering in Korean: “Just a little more.” Then—Fear. Not of failure….Of being forgotten. Avery physically gasped. Music stopped instantly. This time, everyone noticed and the room went silent enough to hear stage hydraulics humming.

Jungkook stepped back first, startled. “You okay?”

Dangerous question. Because his actual voice, paired with emotional aftershock, was nearly enough to unravel twelve years of self-control. Avery yanked one in-ear halfway out, pretending audio malfunction.

“Static shock,” she lied. Silence.

Son Sungdeuk blinked. “…From a hand?”

Jin snorted so hard he almost fell over. “Powerful.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook muttered, clearly trying not to laugh despite concern.

Avery wanted the stage to collapse and take her with it. But then—

“Oh!” Jimin clapped once, mercifully jumping in. “Costume rings maybe? Metal contact?”

Bless Park Jimin forever. Hobi accepted that explanation with visible skepticism, but nodded. “Fine. Five-minute break.”

The room dispersed. Avery immediately speed-walked toward the farthest water station like a woman fleeing divine judgment….Unfortunately.

“Hey.”

Her spine locked… Jungkook. Of course. He stood there holding out her dropped in-ear monitor pack. She hadn’t even realized it had fallen.

“You forgot this.”

“Thanks.” She reached. Their fingers brushed. Tiny contact. Still enough. Another flash—Jungkook laughing breathlessly in the military barracks. Jungkook writing lyrics alone. Jungkook staring at a ceiling at 3 a.m., feeling… empty. Avery jerked back so sharply it was almost rude. Jungkook froze….Okay….bad….Very bad. Because now she looked less mysterious and more actively terrified of him.

“…Did I do something?” he asked. And there it was. Not ego, Not offense, Something far worse..Genuine confusion. Because Jeon Jungkook—global superstar, once-in-a-generation artist—was standing in front of her looking sincerely puzzled by why one specific woman treated accidental hand contact like electrocution. Avery’s chest twisted. This was exactly what she never wanted. For him to think he was the problem.

“No,” she said quickly. Too quickly. “No, sorry. I just—zone out after rehearsals.” Jungkook studied her. For someone so often described as golden, there was something deeply dangerous about how quietly observant he was. He noticed details. Patterns. Avoidance.

“Right…” he said finally. But his tone said: ‘I don’t believe you.’

From the bleachers, Taehyung—who absolutely should’ve minded his business and absolutely did not—leaned toward Yoongi. “Interesting.” Yoongi didn’t glance up from his phone.

“Don’t.”

“She reacts to him like she’s in a K-drama.”

“Taehyung.”

“I’m just saying.”

“You say too much.”

Namjoon, unfortunately within earshot, sighed the sigh of a man who had survived a decade of this exact behavior. “We are not speculating about staff.”

“Technically dancers are contracted performers,” Taehyung corrected.

“Kim Taehyung.”

“Fine.” Pause. “…But you’ve noticed too.”

Yoongi finally looked up, and because Yoongi missed very little—His gaze shifted to Avery…Then to Jungkook…Then to the custom in-ears…Then back. “…Yeah,” he said quietly. And for the first time—Min Yoongi looked concerned.

That night, Avery made a new rule: No touching Jungkook. None—No partner catches. No stabilizations. No hand transitions. If choreography required it, she’d request reassignment or adapt spacing. Extreme? Absolutely. Necessary? Also absolutely. Because the bond was escalating. For years, distance had protected her. Now proximity was sharpening things. And the scariest part? It didn’t feel one-sided anymore. Not fully. Little things had started happening. Moments where Jungkook turned before she spoke. Glances that landed too precisely. A strange pause whenever she danced full-out near him. Like some subconscious part of him was hearing static from the other side of a wall. He didn’t know. He couldn’t. But maybe… Maybe his soul did.

——————————————-

Two days later, full-camera rehearsal for “SWIM” changed everything. It was one of the tour’s most ambitious performances—rain projection, moving platforms, storm choreography, soaked lighting effects. And midway through the second chorus, Son Sungdeuk made an adjustment.

“Avery center wave line. Jungkook pull-through.” Her blood went cold. Pull-through meant direct grip. Extended contact. No.

She raised her hand instantly, “Can I switch with Dani?”

The room paused. First time she’d ever challenged blocking.

Son Sungdeuk frowned. “Why?”

Think. Think fast….“Height symmetry?”

A beat. Then, from directly center stage:

“She’s right.” Everyone looked at Jungkook. Avery included.

He shrugged once. “Dani’s shoulder line matches mine better for camera.”…..Silence.

Son considered. “…Fine. Dani switch.”

Avery forgot how oxygen worked. He had saved her. Without question. Without ego. Without exposing her. And somehow… That was worse. Because now she had to deal with a whole new problem: Jeon Jungkook, completely unknowingly, was becoming the safest danger she’d ever known.

———————————————

The switch should’ve fixed everything. That was the point. No contact. No resonance spikes. No accidental emotional bleed-through. Avery should’ve been able to go back to what she did best—blend in, execute perfectly, leave unnoticed. Instead… It got worse. Because now Jungkook was paying attention. Not in a spotlight way. Not obvious….But consistent. Subtle glances during resets. Watching her placement shifts. Clocking when she adjusted her in-ears. Noticing when she drifted just slightly farther from his side than choreography required. It wasn’t ego-driven curiosity anymore. It was… interest. And Avery had absolutely no idea what to do with that.

“Again from top!” “SWIM” thundered through the arena, bass vibrating under Avery’s feet. She locked in immediately. Count. Breathe. Move. This version was tighter now—camera-ready, transitions sharpened, spacing corrected after the pull-through adjustment. Safer. Except—Even without touching him, Jungkook was still close, and proximity alone was enough to feel him. Not overwhelming like before. But present, like standing near a low current of electricity humming just beneath your skin. She could feel his focus. The way he anchored himself before center lines. The split-second breath he took before difficult notes. The instinctive shift into performer mode when cameras rolled. And then—Something new. Not strong. Not clear. But there—A flicker…..Confusion. It brushed against her mind so lightly she almost missed it.

Avery faltered half a beat. No…..No no no. That was not supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to feel his thought patterns. That had never been part of it. It had always been one-way—his voice, his emotions bleeding into her. But this? This felt… reciprocal. Her stomach dropped.

Across the stage, Jungkook’s timing slipped. Barely noticeable. Anyone else would’ve missed it. Hobi didn’t.

“Hold!” Music cut. J-Hope walked forward slowly, eyes narrowed. “What is going on today?”

Silence……Because both of them knew the answer. They just didn’t know how they knew.

“I’m good,” Jungkook said quickly

Hobi raised his eyebrow, “You’re not off physically.”

Jungkook hesitated. “…I know.”

“Then what is it?”

A pause….A long one. Jungkook glanced—briefly, almost involuntarily—toward Avery. And that was enough. Taehyung saw it immediately. Of course he did. He leaned back against a speaker, arms crossed, watching like someone who had just been handed the first piece of a very interesting puzzle. Yoongi, beside him, sighed under his breath. “Don’t.”

“I haven’t said anything.”

“You’re thinking loudly.”

“I’m observing.”

“You’re plotting.”

Taehyung smiled. “Same thing.”

Avery kept her head down. Do not engage. Do not react. Do not— “Avery.”

She froze. Hobi again. Always Hobi.

“Yes?”

“Center line reset with Jungkook. I want tighter timing between you two.”

Her soul left her body for the second time that day. “I—thought we adjusted that section?”

“We did,” Hobi said. “Now I’m adjusting it again.” Of course he was. Because perfection demanded proximity. And Avery was about to lose her mind.

“Positions.”

She moved automatically. Every instinct screamed at her to refuse. But she couldn’t. This was her job. Her career. Everything she had built without him knowing. So she stepped into place. Directly in front of Jungkook. No escape.

“Five, six, seven—” Music hit. The choreography unfolded fast. Turn. Drop. Sweep. Closer. Closer— The formation collapsed inward. And suddenly they were aligned again. No contact this time. Just inches apart. Facing each other. And for one dangerous second—Avery looked up. Big mistake. Because Jungkook was already looking at her. Not casually. Not passing. Directly. Like he’d been waiting for her to meet his eyes. And when she did—It happened….Not touch. Not sound….Something else. A sharp, disorienting pull, like two frequencies snapping into alignment.

Avery’s breath caught. And in that moment—Jungkook felt it too. His expression flickered. Confusion. Recognition. Something dangerously close to knowing-The music kept going. But neither of them heard it. Because suddenly—There was silence. For the first time in thirteen years…Avery couldn’t hear him. No echo of his voice. No emotional bleed. No overwhelming presence. Just—Stillness.

Her heart pounded. What—What just happened? Across from her, Jungkook blinked. Once. Twice.Like he’d just lost something he didn’t realize had always been there. And then—The music crashed back in. Sound slammed into her again, weaker but present. The bond snapped back into place. Avery stumbled. This time, she didn’t even try to cover it.

“Stop.” —Not Hobi. Jungkook. The room froze. Everyone turned. Jungkook rarely interrupted rehearsal.

He stepped forward, eyes still locked on Avery. “…What was that?”

The worst possible question. Because he wasn’t asking about choreography. He was asking about that moment. And Avery had no lie prepared for something she didn’t even understand herself. “I don’t know,” she said honestly.

Silence….Jungkook searched her face. And for the first time— There was no confusion. Only certainty that something was very, very wrong.

“Break.” Namjoon’s voice cut through the tension smoothly, leader instincts kicking in. “Ten minutes.”

The room exhaled..Movement resumed. But the energy had shifted. Something had changed. Everyone could feel it. Even if they didn’t understand it. Avery turned immediately, ready to get as far away as possible.

“Avery.”

She closed her eyes briefly.Of course. Slowly, she turned back. Jungkook was closer now. Too close. No stage lights, No choreography, No distractions. Just him.

“You didn’t hear me.” It wasn’t a question. Her chest tightened.

“…What?”

:…just now,” he said quietly, “You didn’t react.”

Because for the first time in her life—She hadn’t heard him at all. “I—was focused.”

Jungkook shook his head slightly. “No.” Soft. Certain. “I’ve been watching you.” Dangerous sentence. “You always react.”

Avery’s pulse spiked. Abort. Abort immediately. “I think you’re overthinking—”

“You wear those all the time.” He nodded toward her in-ears. “Even when you don’t need to.” Not a question. An observation. “And when I sing…” he continued slowly, like he was piecing something together in real time, “you block it out more.”

Her throat went dry. This was bad. This was so bad. Because Jeon Jungkook might not know what a soulmate resonance felt like— But he knew patterns. And Avery had become one.

“Why?” The question landed softly. But it hit harder than anything else. Because there was no version of the truth she could give him that wouldn’t change everything. So she did the only thing she could. She stepped back. Rebuilt the distance. Put walls back where they belonged.

“It’s just sound sensitivity,” she said, calm, controlled, practiced. “Nothing personal.”

Jungkook didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just watched her. And in his silence—Avery realized something terrifying. He didn’t believe her. Not even a little.

———————————————————

From across the room, Taehyung leaned into Yoongi again. “…Yeah,” he murmured.

Yoongi didn’t ask what he meant. Because he already knew.

Taehyung’s gaze flicked between Avery and Jungkook, something unreadable settling behind his eyes. “That’s not one-sided.”

Yoongi exhaled slowly. “No,” he said, “It’s not.”

———————————————————

Okay here is part 3! I tried to make it a little longer… working on part 4. Imma be real with y’all…. English may be my first language but my grammar sucks… i try to write how my brain process conversation? If that make sense, but if anything doesn’t make sense to yall, please let me know. :)

Avery needed quiet. Not silence….silence had become dangerous now. She needed something that was hers. So she found an empty practice room on the far end of the building, one most of the main production team didn’t use. Smaller. Dimmer. No massive LED walls. No stage markings taped into the floor. Just mirrors. Wood. And space.

She didn’t bother with choreography. Didn’t queue any tour tracks. Didn’t even load a playlist. Instead, she pulled out her phone, scrolled for a second, and hit play on something soft—instrumental, ambient, almost hollow. Then—She took out her in-ears. And set them on the floor…..A calculated risk. But she needed to feel something that wasn’t filtered.

The first movement was slow. A breath. Her arms lifted like they were carrying weight, shoulders rolling back as if trying to physically open space in her chest. It didn’t work. The pressure was still there. So she moved again. This time sharper. A turn that cut through the air. A drop to the floor, knees hitting harder than necessary. A reach that stretched too far—like she was trying to grab something just out of reach. Her reflection stared back at her. Blonde hair loose, slightly damp from earlier rehearsal. Green eyes too focused. Too tight.

“Get it together,” she muttered under her breath. Then she danced again.

Contemporary had always been her outlet. Not structured. Not counted. Emotion over perfection. And right now—She had too much emotion. Frustration. Fear. That moment of silence replaying over and over in her head, Because it shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t how the bond worked. It had always been one-way. Always. So why—Her movement snapped. A sharp contraction through her core, breath stuttering as she folded in on herself. Because deep down…She knew. Things weren’t one way anymore.

She pushed up from the floor, spinning into a sequence she hadn’t planned. Her body just… knew. Years of dancing to his voice had built something instinctive in her muscles. And now, without thinking—She was moving like she always had when he sang. Except, there was no music guiding her. Only memory. Only feeling. Only him. Her chest tightened. She turned…And for a split second….She felt him. Not the usual resonance. Not the overwhelming flood. Something quieter. Closer. Like he was… near.

Her movement faltered….No. That wasn’t possible. He was probably still in the main building with the members….with everyone…..She was alone.

Avery shook her head and forced herself to keep moving. Faster now. More desperate. A leap that carried too much force, A landing that barely held. A turn that nearly threw her off balance.

“Focus,” she whispered harshly. This wasn’t about him. It couldn’t be about him. She needed to stay grounded. Stay separate. Stay—

The door clicked. Avery froze mid-turn. Her breath caught. Slowly, She looked up. And there he was—Jeon Jungkook. Standing in the doorway. Watching her.

For a long second, neither of them moved. The room felt smaller. Quieter. Too quiet. Because without her in-ears…Without the usual buffer…She felt him immediately. Not overwhelming. Not crashing. Just… there. Present. Like a steady pulse. And judging by the way Jungkook had gone completely still—He felt something too.

“….Sorry,” he said finally, voice softer than she’d ever heard it.

But he didn’t leave. Didn’t even step back. Just stayed there. Like he couldn’t.

Avery swallowed. “It’s fine.” Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.

Jungkook glanced briefly at the speaker, then back at her. “That’s not tour music.”

“No.”

Silence stretched again. He stepped inside. Closed the door behind him. Avery’s heart immediately started racing. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, trying for casual and failing slightly.

Jungkook shrugged. “I was walking.”

That was not an answer. But it also somehow was. Because whatever he’d been following—It had led him here. To her. Again.

His gaze drifted back to her. Not assessing. Not critical. Just… watching…..“You dance differently when you’re not performing.”

Avery’s throat tightened. “Everyone does.”

“Not like that.”

Of course he would notice. Because this…this was the version of her that had been built around him. Years of dancing to a voice no one else could hear. Years of translating emotion into movement just to survive it. And now he was standing here, seeing it without context. Dangerous.

“It’s just contemporary,” she said, brushing it off.

Jungkook shook his head slightly. “No.” Soft. Certain. “It’s not just that.”

Avery looked away. She couldn’t let him see too much. Couldn’t let him connect anything, “why are you really here?” she asked instead.

Deflect. Redirect.

Jungkook hesitated. For the first time since he walked in—He looked unsure. “I don’t know,” he admitted. Honest. Too honest, “I just… ended up here.”

Her chest tightened. Because she knew why. Even if he didn’t.

———————————————————

Silence fell again. But it wasn’t empty. It was full, heavy with everything neither of them understood. Jungkook took another step closer. Not enough to touch. But enough that the air between them shifted. And Avery felt it—That pull again. Stronger now. More stable than before. Like something was trying to lock into place.

Her breath hitched. “Don’t,” she said quickly.

Jungkook blinked. “…Don’t what?”

She didn’t have an answer for that. Because what was she supposed to say? Don’t come closer or you might accidentally realize we’re soulmates? Yeah. No. So she did the only thing she could. She stepped back. Rebuilding distance….Again.

“I just need space,” she said instead.

Jungkook studied her. Long. Careful. And this time—He didn’t push. Didn’t step forward again. Just nodded once. “Okay.” But he didn’t leave.

Avery exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. “This isn’t—” she started, then stopped. Because she didn’t even know how to finish that sentence. This isn’t what? Safe? Normal? Sustainable?

Jungkook leaned lightly against the mirrored wall, arms crossed. “…That thing from rehearsal,” he said quietly.

Of course. Of course he wasn’t going to drop it.

Avery closed her eyes briefly. “Jungkook—”

“You felt it,” he repeated. Not aggressive. Just… persistent.

Avery opened her eyes again. Met his gaze. And for one dangerous second—She considered it. Telling him. Ending this. Letting the truth exist outside of her own head for once. Her chest tightened painfully. Because she knew what would happen. Everything would change. He wouldn’t be able to ignore it. He wouldn’t be able to stay unaffected. And she—She would lose the one thing she’d fought so hard to keep. Normalcy. Distance. Him… being just him. Not hers.

So she shook her head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lie. Clean. Controlled.

Jungkook didn’t react immediately. Just watched her. And then— Something in his expression shifted. Not disbelief. Not frustration. Something quieter.

“…You’re a really good liar,” he said.

Her stomach dropped. “I’m not lying.”

“Right.” But he didn’t argue. Didn’t call her out. Just… accepted it. On the surface. And somehow—That felt worse.

Jungkook pushed off the wall, walked toward the door….Paused….Then glanced back at her. “And you’re also trying really hard to stay away from me.”

Avery’s breath caught.

“Which makes me want to understand why.”

There it was again. That determination. That refusal to let something go once it mattered. He opened the door. Stepped out. Then, just before it closed—

“Avery.”

She looked up, “Yeah?”

A beat.

“I’m not going to ignore this.” The door shut.

Avery stood there for a long time. Heart racing.Mind spinning. Body still buzzing from everything that had just happened. And for the first time since this all started—She realized something she hadn’t wanted to admit. Avoiding him wasn’t working anymore. Because Jungkook wasn’t the kind of person who let things remain unexplained. And now….He was actively looking for answers. Which meant her secret was on borrowed time.

——————————————————————————

Avery Monroe was good at managing…She managed everything else in her life with discipline—her body, her career, her emotions. So she refused to panic over one Korean pop star who just happened to be her soulmate. Even if that pop star was now actively trying to figure her out. Even if that pop star was standing in the same building, breathing the same air, looking at her like she was a question he wasn’t going to stop asking.

No. She did not panic. She adapted. She managed.

The problem was Korea wasn’t like home and Avery had spent the last three weeks realizing just how much she didn’t know. It wasn’t just the language. It was everything. The bowing, the hierarchy. The invisible rules that everyone else seemed to understand without speaking. Who spoke first. Who didn’t interrupt. When to be casual. When to be formal.

Back in the U.S., she was confident. Grounded. She knew exactly how to move in every room she entered. Here? She felt like she was constantly one wrong step away from embarrassing herself.

“Annyeonghaseyo.” Avery bowed slightly as she entered rehearsal the next morning, voice careful, pronunciation practiced. Too practiced.

One of the staff members smiled politely. “You don’t have to be that formal,” they said in English.

Heat creeped up Avery’s neck, embarrassment. “Oh—sorry.” She straightened too quickly.

Was that rude? Did she bow too deep? Not deep enough? God. This is why she kept her headphones on. Less talking meant less chances to mess up.

“Good morning!” Jimin appeared beside her like he had been summoned by social anxiety itself.

“Morning,” she said, relieved. At least with him, she didn’t feel like she was constantly guessing. He switched easily between Korean and English, softening the edges of everything.

“You slept?” he asked.

“Kind of.”

He nodded like he understood. “You’re still adjusting.”

That was one way to put it…..“Yeah.”

Jimin smiled gently. “You’re doing well.”

Avery blinked, “I am?”

“Mm,” he nodded. “You’re respectful. People notice that.”

Relief flickered briefly— Then doubt immediately followed.

“Am I… too formal?” she asked.

Jimin laughed softly. “Sometimes.”

Of course she was.

“But it’s okay,” he added quickly. “Better than the opposite.”

Okay, true. She huffed a small laugh, “I feel like I’m guessing all the time.”

“That’s normal.”

Easy for him to say. He belonged here. Avery was just… trying not to stand out. Which was already failing, considering—

“Headphone girl!” Jin. Of course. She turned, already smiling despite herself.

“Did you eat?” he asked, pointing a finger at her like this was a matter of national importance.

“Yes.”

“Protein?”

“…Yes.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Carbs?”

“…Working on it.”

“Unacceptable.”

Namjoon, walking past, sighed, “Hyung, you’re not her nutritionist.”

“I could be.”

“No.”

“Think about it.”

“I have thought about it.”

Jin looked genuinely offended. Avery laughed. And then, She felt it. That shift. That awareness…..Jungkook. Across the room. Watching again.

Her smile faltered just slightly. Not enough for most people to notice. But enough for him. Always enough for him.

——————————————————————

Jungkook leaned against the far wall, towel around his neck, trying very hard to look like he wasn’t paying attention. He was failing. Badly. Because every time Avery moved, He felt it. Not clearly. Not in a way he could explain. But enough to notice. And now……Now he was noticing everything else, too.

The way she bowed—slightly delayed, like she was double-checking herself. The way she hesitated before speaking Korean, even simple phrases. The way she defaulted to English unless someone spoke to her first. And The way she seemed more comfortable when she didn’t have to talk at all. His brow furrowed.

“You’re staring again.”

Jungkook didn’t look away. “…I’m observing.”

Taehyung snorted. “Same thing.”

Jungkook finally glanced over. “Why does she look like that when she talks?”

Taehyung blinked. “…Like what?”

“Careful.”

Taehyung’s expression shifted slightly. “Because she is.”

That didn’t help. “Why?” Jungkook pressed.

Taehyung shrugged. “She’s not Korean.”

“I know that.”

“Then you know the answer.”

Jungkook frowned. He didn’t. Not fully. Because from the outside, it didn’t seem that complicated. But watching her, It clearly was.

“She’s probably worried about being rude,” Jimin added, joining them.

Jungkook looked over. “Rude?”

“In Korea, there are… a lot of small rules,” Jimin explained gently. “Respect, hierarchy, language levels.”

“Oh, right,” Jungkook glanced back at Avery.

She was talking to one of the choreographers now, nodding slightly too much, bowing again at the end of the conversation. Too formal. Even he could see that. And suddenly, It clicked. She wasn’t just being distant. She was navigating something unfamiliar, Carefully, Constantly.

“Does she understand Korean?” Jungkook asked.

Jimin tilted his head. “Some. Not fluent.”

Taehyung smirked. “She understands more than she lets on.”

Jungkook looked at him sharply. “What do you mean?”

Taehyung shrugged, but there was something knowing in his eyes. “Just a feeling.”

Yoongi, from nearby, added without looking up: “She reacts to things she shouldn’t understand yet.”

Jungkook’s stomach dropped slightly. “What kind of things?”

Yoongi finally glanced over. “Tone. Emotion. Timing.” A beat. “Not words,” he clarified. “But close.”

Jungkook went very still. Because that….That sounded familiar. Too familiar.

—————————————————————

Across the room, Avery laughed softly at something Jin said. It was small. Unfiltered. Real. And for a second, Jungkook felt it. Not through sound. Not through proximity. Something else…..Warm. Bright. Gone just as quickly as it came. His breath caught…..What—

“Ayah.” Jimin nudged him, “You’re doing it again.”

“…Doing what?”

“That face.”

“What face?”

“The ‘I don’t understand but I’m going to figure it out anyway’ face.”

Jungkook blinked, “…Is that a face?”

Taehyung grinned, “Oh yeah. It’s your main one right now.”

Jungkook looked back at Avery. She had her headphones halfway on again, retreating slightly into herself as rehearsal reset. Guarded. Careful. Distant. But not cold. Never cold. Just… contained. Like she was holding something in. Something important. Something she didn’t want anyone to see.

“I think she’s hiding something,” Jungkook said quietly.

Taehyung lit up immediately, “Yes.”

Namjoon groaned, “We are not starting a conspiracy.”

“It’s not a conspiracy,” Taehyung argued. “It’s observation.”

“It’s speculation.”

“It’s accurate speculation.”

Yoongi sighed, “Taehyung.”

“I’m just saying—”

“No.”

Jimin laughed under his breath.

Jungkook didn’t join in. Because for him It wasn’t speculation anymore. It was a feeling. The same feeling that had been building for days. That something about Avery Monroe was connected to whatever was happening to him.

“Places!” Hobi’s voice cut through everything

Rehearsal reset. Everyone moved. Avery took her position. Outer line. Further away. Deliberate. Jungkook noticed. Of course he did. Music started. Choreography resumed. Everything should’ve fallen back into place. Routine. Control. Precision. But Jungkook couldn’t stop thinking about it. About her. About the way she moved when she thought no one was watching. About the way she avoided him like he was something dangerous. About the way, for one single moment, everything had gone quiet. And somehow she had been at the center of it.

Across the stage, Avery hit every count perfectly. Expression controlled. Movement sharp. In-ears locked in. Everything exactly how it needed to be. But inside, Her thoughts were spiraling. Because now she wasn’t just hiding a soulmate bond. She was navigating a foreign culture. A language she half-understood A group dynamic she wasn’t part of. A man who was slowly, steadily, getting closer to the truth. And she didn’t know which mistake would expose her first—Saying the wrong thing. Doing the wrong thing. Or feeling the wrong thing… At the exact wrong moment…….And the worst part? She was running out of ways to hide it.

———————————————————————

Here we go!!!! Part 5! Let me know what you think! Please interact! Comment, likes, reblogs! DM me! Whatever, just let me know you like it and I’ll keep going.

DMs are open, i love chatting with y’all! :)

Avery Monroe did not panic. She refused to panic. Panic meant mistakes. Mistakes meant attention. Attention meant questions—and questions were the one thing she could not afford. So she did what she had trained herself to do for over a decade. She compartmentalized.

By the next rehearsal block, she was perfect again. Counts hit clean. Lines sharp. Expressions controlled. Her in-ears were tuned higher than ever—click track loud, instrumentals layered, vocals buried as deep as the sound team would allow. From the outside, nothing was wrong. Inside? She was holding her entire world together with sheer willpower, because something had shifted. That moment— That silence—It hadn’t just been her…..Jungkook had felt it too. And now he was watching her like she was a problem he intended to solve.

“From chorus!”

Music blasted. SWIM again. Of course it was. Avery moved automatically, body flowing through the choreography Nike second nature…Turn, Sweep, Extend. Don’t look at him, Don’t feel him. Don’t— The bond brushed her again. Lighter now, Unstable. Like static instead of a steady current. It flickered in and out, unpredictable. That was new. That was terrifying because unpredictability meant she couldn’t control it anymore. She clenched her jaw and pushed harder, forcing her focus into the physical. Dance louder than him. Move stronger than him. Be more present in your body than in the bond. It worked….Barely.

“Cut!”

Avery didn’t even flinch this time. She stayed in position, breathing steady. Progress.

Hobi nodded once. “Better.”

Small victories. She’d take them.

“Water.”

The room relaxed again, people dispersing. Avery turned immediately toward the side exit. Distance. She needed distance.

“Avery.”

She almost swore out loud. Jimin this time. Safer. Softer. Still observant.

“Yeah?”

He smiled gently, handing her a bottle before she could grab one herself. “You’re pushing too hard.”

Her grip tightened slightly. “I’m fine.”

Jimin tilted his head. “You say that like it’s part of your choreography.”

She huffed a quiet laugh despite herself. “I just don’t want to mess up.”

“You won’t.” —Easy for him to say.

He studied her for a second longer, then added, softer: “You don’t have to fight everything alone, you know.”

Avery’s chest tightened. Because that—more than anything—was dangerous. Kindness made cracks. And she couldn’t afford cracks.

“Thanks,” she said, keeping it light. “But I’m good.” Jimin didn’t push. But he didn’t look convinced either.

Across the room, Jungkook was still watching. Not constantly. Not obvious. But enough. Every time Avery glanced up, even accidentally, his gaze wasn’t far off. Like he was waiting. Like he expected something to happen again. And the worst part? A part of her did too.

———————————————————

She changed her strategy that night. If proximity made the bond unstable……Then she’d reduce proximity. Simple. Logical. Necessary.

The next morning, she approached the assistant choreographer before warm-ups. “Hey—can I stay on outer formation lines when possible?”

The assistant blinked. “You’re one of our strongest center supports.”

“I know,” Avery said quickly, already prepared. “But camera balance—I think I actually read better from the side with this group.” It wasn’t a terrible lie. Not a good one. But not terrible.

The assistant hesitated, “…I’ll check with Sungdeuk.”

“Thank you.” Avery walked away before further questions could follow. Her pulse was racing. Every adjustment mattered now. Every inch of distance.

“Positions!”

She exhaled slowly as she stepped into her new mark. Outer right. Further from Jungkook. Safer. For now.

Music started and for the first time since that moment—the bond stayed quiet: not gone. Never gone, but… manageable. Avery almost sagged with relief. Yes, this could work. Keep space. Keep control. Keep everything contained….Just dance.

“Switch lines!”

Her relief lasted exactly one minute. The formation rotated. Of course it did….Because nothing in choreography stayed fixed. Avery moved with the shift—and ended up one diagonal away from Jungkook again. Not as close. But not far enough. The bond flickered. Weak. Unsteady. Still there. Her focus slipped half a second—and Jungkook’s timing slipped with her.

Hobi’s head snapped up. “Stop.”

Silence…….Avery’s stomach dropped. Not again.

J-Hope walked forward slowly, gaze moving between them. “Why do you two keep drifting?”

No one answered. Because no one had an answer that made sense. Except— They did. Just not one they could say.

“I’m fine,” Avery said quickly.

“So am I,” Jungkook added immediately. Too quickly.

Hobi crossed his arms. “I didn’t ask if you were fine. I asked why your timing is off together.”

Together. The word landed heavy. Because that was exactly the problem.

Avery kept her expression neutral. “I’ll fix it.”

Jungkook glanced at her. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes. “…We will,” he corrected quietly.

We. Avery’s pulse stuttered. No….No, he did not get to say that. He did not get to unknowingly include himself in something he didn’t even understand

She forced a small nod, professional, detached, “Yeah.”

———————————————

Break was called early. Probably for the best. Avery grabbed her things and made a beeline for the exit. If she could just get out—

“Avery.”

She stopped. Of course she did. Running would only make it worse. Slowly, she turned. Jungkook was already there. Closer than she liked. Closer than she could safely handle.

“Can we talk?”

No. Absolutely not…..“…About choreography?”

He studied her for a second. Then shook his head. “No.”

Her chest tightened. This was it. The moment everything unraveled, because Jungkook might not know what this bond was— But he knew something wasn’t normal. And he wasn’t the kind of person to ignore that.

Avery forced calm into her voice. “I really need to—”

“That thing that happened yesterday,” he said quietly, cutting her off.

Her breath caught.

He took a step closer, not aggressive, just…certain, “You felt it too.” —Not a question. A statement.

Avery’s entire body went still. Lie. Lie now. Say anything. “It was probably just—”

“It wasn’t.” His voice was soft. But unwavering, “I’ve never… felt something like that before.”

That made two of them. Silence stretched. Heavy. Dangerous.

Avery swallowed. Every instinct screamed at her to shut this down. End it. Deflect it. Protect him from the truth. Protect herself.

“It was nothing,” she said finally. Careful, Flat, Final.

Jungkook didn’t move. Didn’t argue. Just looked at her. And somehow that was worse. Because in his eyes— There was no dismissal. No acceptance. Just quiet, growing certainty.

“You’re trying really hard to pretend it was,” he said.

Her heart pounded. “You’re overthinking.” Maybe if she said it enough times, it would become true.

Jungkook exhaled slowly. Then nodded once. “Okay.”

Relief flickered— Too soon.

“Then stop avoiding me.”

Her stomach dropped. “…I’m not—”

“You are.” Still calm. Still certain. “And now I want to know why.”

Avery froze. Because that—That was the question she could never answer. Not without breaking everything. She held his gaze for exactly one second longer. Then stepped back. Rebuilding the distance again.

“I’m here to dance,” she said quietly. Truth….Just not all of it.

Jungkook watched her. Something shifted in his expression. Not anger. Not frustration. Something far more dangerous. Decision.

“Then dance,” he said.

Avery nodded once, turned and walked away….Didn’t run, didn’t look back. But she felt it—His gaze on her the entire way. And for the first time since she was thirteen years old—Avery Monroe realized something that truly terrified her. She wasn’t the only one trying to figure this out anymore. And she wasn’t sure she could keep the secret if Jungkook decided he wasn’t letting it go.

—————————————————————

That night, the arena was finally quiet. No music, No choreographers, No dancers. Just the seven of them. They were sprawled across the rehearsal floor in various states of exhaustion—water bottles, towels, and discarded jackets scattered like evidence of another brutal day.

Jin was flat on his back. “I think I died during ‘2.0,’” he announced.

“You say that every rehearsal,” Namjoon replied, sitting cross-legged with a tablet in his lap.

“This time I mean it.”

“You also meant it yesterday.”

“I was resurrected.”

Yoongi didn’t look up from his phone. “Tragic.”

Jin threw a towel at him.

Taehyung, stretched out beside Jimin, hummed absentmindedly. “Hyung,” he said after a moment, voice deceptively casual, “you ever feel like something’s… off?”

Namjoon glanced up. “Define off.”

Taehyung didn’t answer immediately. His eyes drifted toward Jungkook, who was sitting a little apart, elbows on his knees, staring at nothing.

“That,” Taehyung said lightly. All eyes followed. Jungkook didn’t notice. Or pretended not to.

From Jungkook’s perspective, everything felt… wrong. Not externally. The album was solid. The choreography was tight. The team was strong. They were ready. He was ready. So why—His jaw tightened. Why did everything feel slightly… out of sync? Not the music. Him. Like something was just a fraction off-beat, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t lock it back in place. And it always happened near her.

“Ayah.” A hand snapped in front of his face. Jungkook blinked.

Jimin crouched in front of him, brows drawn. “You’re doing it again.”

“…Doing what?”

“Disappearing.”

Jungkook frowned slightly. “I’m right here.”

“Physically,” Jimin said. “Mentally? Questionable.”

Taehyung sat up, grinning. “He’s haunted.”

“I’m not haunted.”

“Then explain the staring.”

“I wasn’t staring.”

“You were absolutely staring.”

“At what?”

Taehyung’s smile widened. “…Blonde.”

Jungkook’s expression went flat. “Stop.”

“Oh,” Jin perked up, suddenly very interested, “are we talking about headphone girl?”

Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose. “We are not calling staff that.”

“Her name is Avery,” Jimin added helpfully.

“Right, Avery,” Jin said. “Headphone Avery.”

“Hyung.”

“What? It’s descriptive.”

Yoongi finally spoke, voice quiet but pointed. “She messes with your timing.”

The room stilled slightly. Jungkook looked over. “…No, she doesn’t.”

Yoongi met his gaze evenly. “You’ve been off every time you’re near her.”

Silence……Jungkook’s instinct was to deny it. But—He couldn’t.

“…It’s not her,” he said instead.

Taehyung tilted his head. “Then what is it?”

Jungkook hesitated. Because he didn’t have an answer that made sense. “…I don’t know.”

That alone was enough to shift the mood. Jungkook not knowing something about his own performance? That was rare.

J-Hope leaned forward slightly, more serious now. “Then figure it out.” Not harsh. Just… firm. “You can’t go into tour like this.”

“I know.” And Jungkook did know. That was the problem.

He leaned back on his hands, staring up at the ceiling. “…Have you ever felt something,” he started slowly, “that doesn’t make sense?”

Taehyung snorted. “All the time.”

“I mean physically,” Jungkook clarified.

That caught their attention. Jimin’s expression shifted first. “What kind of physically?”

Jungkook hesitated again. Because saying it out loud made it sound insane. “…Like something’s there,” he said finally. “But not really there.”

Silence. Even Jin stopped joking.

Namjoon watched him carefully. “When does it happen?”

Jungkook didn’t answer immediately. Because the answer was obvious. “…Around her.” —There it was. Out in the open.

Taehyung leaned forward, eyes lighting up with something dangerously close to excitement. “I knew it.”

“Sit down,” Yoongi muttered.

“I am sitting.”

“You’re leaning.”

“It’s a seated lean.”

“Taehyung.”

“Okay, okay.”

Jimin looked between them, then back to Jungkook. “…What does it feel like?”

Jungkook exhaled slowly. “…Like I’m missing something.” That made less sense out loud. But it was the closest he could get.

“Missing?” Namjoon repeated.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Like there’s… something I’m supposed to hear, or feel, or—” He stopped. Because suddenly— It clicked.

His eyes sharpened. “…Wait.”

The others leaned in slightly. “What?” Jimin asked.

Jungkook sat up straighter. “That moment yesterday.” Avery. The silence. His pulse picked up…..“I couldn’t feel it then.”

“Feel what?” Jin asked.

Jungkook shook his head slightly, trying to piece it together. “I don’t know, it’s just—usually it’s there.”

“What is?” Taehyung pressed.

Jungkook frowned. “I don’t know what it is.”

That was the problem. He couldn’t define it, couldn’t explain it. Just—felt it. Except for that one moment when it disappeared completely. She’d reacted at the same time. His stomach dropped.

Across from him, Yoongi watched quietly. Thinking. Always thinking. “…And she reacted?” he asked.

Jungkook nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

“How?”

“Like she lost balance.”

Taehyung’s grin faded slightly. “Oh.”

Jimin’s brows furrowed. “That’s… weird.”

“Very,” Yoongi agreed.

Namjoon leaned back, arms crossed. “Coincidence?”

“No,” Jungkook said immediately. Too fast. Too certain. Everyone noticed.

Jungkook exhaled, trying to rein it in. “…It didn’t feel like one.”

Silence settled again. Heavy this time. Because whatever this was—It wasn’t simple.

Taehyung broke it first. “You should ask her.”

Jungkook shot him a look, “I did.”

“And?”

“She said it was nothing.”

Taehyung scoffed, “It’s obviously not nothing.”

“Thank you, detective,” Yoongi muttered.

“I’m just saying.”

Jimin looked thoughtful, “…She does avoid you.”

Jungkook glanced over, “You noticed that too?”

Jimin nodded, “Not in a normal way.”

That stung more than it should’ve. “…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Jimin said carefully, “it’s not like she dislikes you.”

Jin chimed in immediately, “Impossible.”

“Hyung.”

“What? He’s very likable.”

“Focus,” Namjoon cut in.

Jimin continued, “It’s like she’s… careful.”—That was the word. Careful.

Jungkook leaned forward slightly, “Exactly.”

Taehyung snapped his fingers, “Yes! Careful like you’re dangerous.”

“I’m not dangerous.”

“Emotionally?” Taehyung shrugged. “Debatable.”

Yoongi snorted quietly.

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair. This wasn’t helping. If anything, it was making things worse. Because now—Now he couldn’t stop thinking about it. About her. About that moment. About the way everything had gone quiet for the first time in his life. And how wrong that silence had felt.

“…I’m going to figure it out,” he said finally.

The room stilled again. Because that tone— They all knew it. Determined. Focused. Unmovable.

J-Hope nodded once. “Good.”

Taehyung smiled slowly, “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

“It’s not fun,” Jungkook muttered.

“For you,” Taehyung corrected. “For me? Extremely fun.”

“Please don’t make this weird,” Namjoon said.

Taehyung gasped, “I would never.”

Yoongi didn’t even look up, “You already have.”

Jungkook stood, grabbing his jacket.

“Where are you going?” Jimin asked.

“Home.”

“Alone with your thoughts?” Jin said ominously, “Don’t do that.”

“Too late.” Jungkook shook his head, but there was a faint hint of a smile there. Then it faded. Because the second he stepped out into the hallway— He felt it again.That quiet, persistent pull. Faint. Unsteady. But there. Like something calling him from just out of reach.

His chest tightened. And for the first time since all of this started—Jungkook didn’t try to ignore it. He followed it. Without fully realizing…It was leading him straight back to her.

—————————————————————

Hope you like, here’s a little more of the guys pov… i hope i captured them well enough? Let me know if it feels to artificial? Idk what I’m doing lol

Avery didn’t answer, because there was no version of the truth that didn’t shatter everything. And every lie she could think of felt too thin. Too easy to see through. The silence stretched. Too long. Too loud.

“How do you know that?” Jungkook repeated, softer this time. Not accusing. Just… searching.

Avery forced her brain to move. Think. Think fast.

“I—” she started, then stopped. Wrong start. Reset.

“I heard it somewhere,” she said instead…Weak. God, that sounded weak…Fuck…

Jungkook’s brows pulled together slightly. “Where?”

She swallowed, “I don’t remember.” Worse. So much worse.

Because now it didn’t even sound believable to her.

Across the room, Taehyung’s head tilted. “Oh,” he murmured under his breath.

Yoongi didn’t look up. “What.”

“That’s new.”

Yoongi glanced over and watched the two of them for exactly three seconds. Then, “…Yeah.”

—————————

Back at center stage, Jungkook didn’t move. Didn’t push closer. Didn’t raise his voice. He just stood there, eyes locked on hers.

“You don’t remember,” he repeated.

Avery held her ground. “I hear a lot of music.” Technically true. Just not in the way he thought.

Jungkook’s gaze sharpened. “That wasn’t released.”

Her chest tightened. “I know.”

The second the words left her mouth—She wanted to take them back.

Jungkook went still. “…You know?”

Fuck, a trap….She walked straight into it. Abort.

“Like—you know, unreleased stuff gets leaked sometimes,” she said quickly…Too quick. Too defensive. Not good.

Jungkook didn’t respond immediately. And that silence….That was worse than anything else. Because it meant he was thinking. Connecting. Replaying.

“…I never recorded that,” he said quietly.

Avery’s heart stopped. Not recorded. Not shared. Not leaked. Nothing. It had only ever existed In his head. In those late nights. In those quiet, unseen moments. And somehow, She had just hummed it….Perfectly.

“I—” Nothing came out. Because there was no explanation left. None.

Jungkook took a slow step forward. Not aggressive, but intentional. “How do you know something I’ve never shown anyone?”

The question landed heavier than before. Because now It wasn’t curiosity. It was certainty that something wasn’t right.

Avery’s pulse roared in her ears. Say something. Anything.

“I guessed?” she tried. Even she winced. That was the worst one yet.

Jungkook blinked once. Then, A breath of disbelief escaped him. “…You guessed.”

Not a question. A statement. Flat.

Avery nodded anyway. Commit. Commit to the lie. “Yeah.”

————————————————————

From the sidelines: “That’s a terrible lie,” Taehyung whispered.

Yoongi nodded, “She’s panicking.”

Jimin frowned, “Should we—”

“No,” Yoongi said immediately.

“Why not?”

“Because if we step in, it gets bigger.”

Taehyung’s eyes didn’t leave the scene, “…It’s already big.”

—————————————————————

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair. He should drop it. He knew he should. This was going somewhere messy. Unclear. Complicated. But….He couldn’t. Because this wasn’t just weird anymore. It wasn’t just coincidence. It was something deeper. Something that had been building since the first rehearsal. Something he could feel, even if he couldn’t explain it. And Now there was proof. Right in front of him.

“You knew it exactly,” he said quietly.

Avery didn’t respond.

“You didn’t hesitate.”

Still nothing.

“You didn’t even think.”

Her chest tightened painfully. Because he was right. She hadn’t thought. It had just… come out. Like it always had. For years. Without her realizing.

“Avery.” Her name, softer now. Careful. Like he was approaching something fragile.

She looked up. Big mistake. Because his expression, It wasn’t confusion anymore. It wasn’t curiosity. It was understanding. Not complete. Not clear. But enough to be dangerous.

“You hear me,” he said. Not a question. A realization. The room went still. Completely still. Because even the members….Even they felt that shift. That moment. That line being crossed.

Avery’s entire body locked…No…..No, no, no…..shit….He wasn’t supposed to get there. Not like this. Not now. Not ever.

“That’s not—” But the denial died in her throat.

Because her voice shook. And he heard it. Of course he did.

Jungkook’s breath slowed. Everything suddenly clicking into place in fragments….Not a full picture, but enough pieces to see the outline. The reactions. The avoidance. The headphones. The timing. The silence. And now…This.

“…Since when?” he asked quietly.

Avery shook her head immediately. “I don’t—”

“Since when?” he repeated. Not louder. But firmer.

Her vision blurred slightly. She couldn’t do this. Not here. Not with everyone watching. Not with him looking at her like that….Like she was something important. Something connected to him in a way he didn’t understand yet.

“I can’t,” she whispered. Honest. Finally honest.

That stopped him. More than any lie. More than any deflection. Because that—That wasn’t avoidance. That was fear. Real fear. And Jungkook felt it. Not through the strange, unexplainable thing between them. Just….Human. Immediate. Clear.

He stepped back. Just slightly. Giving her space. Not pushing. Not pressing.

“…Okay.” The word was quiet. Controlled. But not dismissive.

Avery blinked. She hadn’t expected that.

“We’ll talk later,” he added. Not a threat. Not a demand. A promise.

Her chest tightened. Because that was worse. Much worse.

He turned. Walked away. Leaving her standing there. Heart racing Mind spinning Secret hanging by a thread.

————————————————————-

“…Well,” Taehyung said.

No one answered immediately, because there was nothing casual left about this. No jokes. No teasing. Just tension. Real. Heavy.

Jimin exhaled slowly, “That’s not normal.”

“No,” Namjoon agreed quietly.

Yoongi’s gaze stayed on Avery. Sharp, Focused. “…We need to be careful.”

Taehyung glanced at him. “About what?”

Yoongi didn’t answer right away. Because the truth was He didn’t know exactly what this was yet. But he knew one thing for certain. This wasn’t small. And whatever was happening between Jungkook and Avery, It wasn’t going to stay hidden much longer.

At center stage, Avery finally moved. Slowly. Mechanically. Like her body was catching up to everything that had just happened. Because the one thing she had feared most, The one thing she had spent years preventing, had just begun. Jungkook wasn’t guessing anymore. He was figuring it out and she had no idea how to stop him.

—————————————————————

Avery avoided Jungkook for exactly six hours. Which, honestly, was a personal record at this point.

The second rehearsal ended after the humming incident, she disappeared. No lingering, no dinner, no “good work today.” Nothing. She bowed quickly to staff, grabbed her bag, and left the building before anyone could stop her. Or worse, ask questions. Because the look on Jungkook’s face before he walked away kept replaying in her mind. You hear me. Not confusion. Recognition. And Avery had absolutely no idea how to recover from that.

—————————————————————

Seoul at night blurred past her through the taxi window. Neon signs. Rain-slick streets. Crowded sidewalks. Normally, she liked the city after dark. It felt easier somehow less pressure to understand everything perfectly. Tonight, it just made her feel far from home. Far from herself. She leaned her head against the cool glass and closed her eyes. Huge mistake. Because without distraction, there he was again. Not singing. Just… present. A low emotional hum at the edge of her chest. Restless, Thinking, Focused entirely too hard…..On her.

Avery groaned quietly. “Please sleep,” she muttered under her breath.

The taxi driver glanced at her in the mirror.

She immediately straightened. “Sorry.”

Why did she apologize to everyone in this country?

—————————————————————

Meanwhile, across Seoul, Jungkook was very much not sleeping.

“Hyung.”

Yoongi didn’t look up from the kitchen counter where he was making tea, “What.”

Jungkook stood in the doorway of the dorm kitchen, hair still damp from a shower, expression tight with frustration, “…Can I ask you something weird?”

Yoongi snorted softly, “You already are.”

“Hyung.”

“Ask.”

Jungkook hesitated. Which immediately told Yoongi this was serious. Because Jungkook usually just… said things. Now he looked like he was trying to organize thoughts that refused to cooperate.

“That dancer,” Jungkook started slowly.

Yoongi took a sip of tea, “Knew we’d get here eventually.”

Jungkook ignored that, “She knew a melody I never released.”

“Mhm.”

“And she reacts every time I sing.”

“Mhm.”

“And when we’re close—”

Yoongi lifted an eyebrow, “Careful.”

Jungkook exhaled sharply, “Something happens.”

There it was. Out loud. Real.

Yoongi set his mug down, “And what do you think that means?”

Jungkook went quiet. Because that was the problem. He didn’t know. Not fully.

But there was one thought—one impossible, irrational thought—that kept pushing to the front of his mind no matter how hard he tried to shove it away.

“No way,” Jungkook muttered to himself immediately.

Yoongi’s gaze sharpened. Interesting, “Say it anyway.”

Jungkook looked over. Then away. Then finally: “…Soulmates are real, right?”

The kitchen went silent. Not because Yoongi didn’t believe in them. Everyone did. Soulmate resonance bonds were rare, but real. Stories existed. Cases existed. People hearing emotions. Music. Dreams.

“Those bonds are usually mutual from the beginning,” Yoongi said carefully.

“I know.”

“And they’re unstable when ignored too long.”

Jungkook’s stomach dropped slightly. Because that….that sounded uncomfortably familiar.

Yoongi studied him, “…You think she’s your soulmate?”

Saying it out loud sounded insane, Completely insane. And yet, Jungkook couldn’t deny the way his chest tightened at the possibility.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. Honest. Raw. “But something about her feels…”

He stopped. Because he didn’t have language for it.

Yoongi watched him for a long second then sighed softly, “Well.” That was not reassuring.

Jungkook frowned, “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Yoongi said calmly, “if she’s hiding it, there’s probably a reason.”

That hit harder than expected because Jungkook hadn’t really thought about that part yet. If she knew….If she’d known before him…..Then why hide it? Why avoid him? Why panic? Why look terrified every time he got close?

His chest tightened, “…Do you think I scared her?”

Yoongi’s expression softened almost imperceptibly, “Probably.”

Jungkook looked stricken immediately

“Not intentionally,” Yoongi added, “But you are Jeon Jungkook.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“It means a lot, actually.”

Silence. Because unfortunately, Yoongi was right. Jungkook wasn’t just a man to most people. He was global, Public. Constantly watched. And if Avery really was connected to him in some rare, deeply personal way… The pressure of that would be enormous. Especially if she never wanted attention in the first place.

—————————————————————

Back at her apartment, Avery sat cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom with her headphones on at full volume. No music playing. Just noise cancellation. Just pressure. Something solid around her ears. Because she needed distance from him somehow. Even fake distance.

Her phone buzzed. She ignored it.

Buzzed again. Ignored it harder. Before she sighed.

DANI:

you okay???

Avery exhaled. At least not Jungkook.

She texted back quickly:

AVERY:

yeah just tired

Three dots appeared immediately.

DANI:

girl u vanished like a criminal

AVERY:

dramatic

DANI:

says the woman fleeing rehearsal at olympic speed

Despite herself, Avery smiled faintly. Then the next text came through.

DANI:

…jk asked where you went btw

Her smile vanished instantly….Absolutely not.

AVERY:

why

DANI:

idk??

he just looked weirdly concerned

Concerned…God. That made it worse. Because concern meant he cared enough to keep looking. And Avery was running out of places to hide.

———————————————————-

Across the city, Jungkook stared down at his own phone. One contact open. No messages sent. Because asking a dancer for her number through management definitely crossed professional lines. But also, Taehyung had absolutely already obtained it somehow.

“Don’t,” Namjoon warned from the couch without even looking up from his book.

Jungkook blinked. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking loudly.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“It is when you look like that.”

Jungkook sighed and dropped onto the opposite couch. “This is insane.”

“Probably,” Namjoon agreed calmly. Not helping.

“What if I’m wrong?”

“Then you’re wrong.”

“And if I’m not?”

Namjoon finally looked up. And unlike Taehyung’s curiosity or Yoongi’s caution, Namjoon’s expression held something steadier: Understanding.

“Then let her tell you in her own time.”

Jungkook frowned. “But she’s clearly struggling.”

“Yes,” Namjoon said gently. “Which means pushing harder probably won’t help.”

Jungkook leaned back against the couch cushions. Frustrated. Restless.

Because every instinct in him wanted answers now. But another part, A quieter part, Remembered the fear in Avery’s face earlier. Real fear. Not of him hurting her. Of being known. And somehow…That felt important.

———————————————————

Much later that night, Avery finally drifted off sometime after 2 a.m. Headphones still on. Exhaustion finally winning.

And across Seoul, Jungkook sat in his studio alone, absentmindedly humming under his breath while working through melodies. Then suddenly—He stopped. Because for the first time since he was thirteen years old himself—He felt something unfamiliar. Not his own emotion. Not his own thoughts. Something soft. Warm. Sleepy. Like someone falling asleep while trying not to be afraid.

Jungkook went completely still. His pulse quickened. And somewhere deep in his chest…..Something answered.

—————————————————-

Eeeeek! He’s figuring it out!!

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BRAZIL— 1:13 A.M. — POST SHOW

The high from the concert lasted exactly forty-three minutes. Then management arrived.

The backstage hallway outside the dressing rooms buzzed with exhausted adrenaline. Staff packing equipment. Dancers changing out of stage clothes. Members still riding post-show energy. And for one brief moment, Avery let herself feel happy. The show had gone perfectly. The bond stayed stable the entire night. Jungkook looked alive onstage again. Everything felt okay.

Until she saw Director Kim waiting outside the private lounge.

Her stomach dropped immediately. The bond reacted with a sharp flicker of anxiety. Across the hallway, Jungkook felt it instantly. His attention snapped toward her automatically. Too quickly.. Director Kim noticed.

“Avery-ssi.” Professional smile. Calm tone. Avery already hated the conversation before it started.

“We’re very pleased with tonight’s performance.” Corporate praise.

Avery folded her arms instinctively. “Okay.”

The manager sighed softly, “However… the current visibility between yourself and Jungkook-ssi remains a concern.” There it was….Again.

Avery looked away briefly, because she understood. The airport photos alone had exploded online. Fans analyzing every interaction. Every touch. Every glance. While they were careful in public, they were still always together. Avery was always with the guys. She was seen getting in one of their vans, she was seen in the airport, she was in the background of behind-the-scenes videos.

“We need more caution moving forward,” Director Kim continued carefully. “Especially during travel days and backstage access.”

The bond shifted uneasily beneath Avery’s ribs, because suddenly all the old fear came rushing back again. The fear of becoming damage. Distraction. A threat to the tour.

“You’re both very important to ARIRANG right now,” the manager added.

The wording made her chest tighten painfully. Not important to each other. Important to the tour. Products.

“We’re not asking you to deny anything explicitly,” he continued. “But maintaining ambiguity publicly is best for everyone.” Ambiguity. Avery almost laughed. As if Jungkook didn’t already look at her like she hung the moon.

The conversation ended politely. Too politely. They just reminded her quietly that love became dangerous once cameras saw it too clearly.

—————————————-

By the time Avery slipped away toward the quieter backstage corridors, exhaustion sat heavy in her chest again.

She found Yoongi exactly where she expected, sitting alone near one of the equipment loading doors with a half-finished iced coffee and his phone. Quiet. Still. Safe.

He looked up once when she approached. Then immediately held out the second coffee beside him. No questions first. Just understanding.

Avery sat heavily beside him on the floor. The concrete backstage hallway felt cool against her legs.

For a while neither spoke. That was the thing she loved about Yoongi. Silence never felt uncomfortable with him.

“They talked to you again.” Not a question.

Avery stared tiredly at the opposite wall. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes.” Blunt…Classic Yoongi.

Avery laughed weakly despite herself. Then quieter: “They’re not wrong though.”

Silence…..Yoongi took another sip of coffee. “You know what I think?”

Avery groaned softly. “Everyone in this group says that before emotionally ruining my life.”

“I think you’re trying to carry responsibility that isn’t yours.”

Avery rubbed tiredly at her eyes. “If this turns into a scandal during the tour—”

Yoongi interrupted instantly, “Then it becomes management’s problem.”

Avery blinked. “…That’s your advice?”

“My advice is stop acting like loving you is a career-ending tragedy.” The bluntness punched straight through her chest.

Avery looked down quietly, “It affects all seven of you.”

Yoongi nodded once, “Yeah.”

The simple agreement startled her. No dismissing her fears. No pretending the industry wasn’t brutal. Just honesty.

Then quieter: “But we’re grown men, Avery.”

The hallway stayed silent as Yoongi leaned back against the wall slightly.

“We know what this industry costs…..We know what choices mean.”

The words settled heavily in her chest. Truth over comfort.

“And Jungkook?” Yoongi gave a soft smile, “He already chose.”

Avery’s throat tightened immediately. He had. Over and over now. Publicly. Privately.

Without hesitation, he chose her.

Yoongi looked at her carefully. “You’re still waiting for him to regret you.”

The sentence hit like a physical blow, because she hadn’t realized that some terrified part of her still expected the moment Jungkook finally looked at the pressure, the headlines, the risk….And decided she was too much to love.

Avery stared at the floor silently trying to process her thoughts.

Yoongi sighed softly, “You know what your actual problem is?”

Avery eyed him suspiciously, “I’m afraid this answer is going to hurt my feelings.”

“It probably will.” Blunt, as always.

Yoongi looked completely serious now. “You still think love is something you earn by sacrificing yourself first.”

The breath caught painfully in her chest.

Oh…damn…That one landed too cleanly.

The hallway suddenly felt very quiet. Yoongi looked away toward the distant stage area before speaking again.

“You almost collapsed trying to protect seven men who would burn down an entire tour before letting you die.”

Avery’s eyes burned instantly. He meant that literally, especially Jungkook.

Yoongi glanced back at her finally, “So maybe stop deciding what everyone else can survive for them.”

That was exactly what she’d been doing all along.

———————————————

LEAVING BRAZIL —TWO DAYS LATER

Yoongi’s words stayed with Avery longer than she expected. Stop deciding what everyone else can survive for them. The sentence sat quietly inside her chest. And sometime during their rest day in Brazil, Avery finally got tired of hiding love like it was shameful.

The airport proved it immediately. Normally by now management would’ve hid her from the press. Large bodyguards in front of her, putting her on the side farthest from the fans. Hats, masks, hoods. Jungkook and Avery never held hands when they were seen in the airport or traveling to a new locations. A Slight hand on her back to get through a tight space was as much as the public would see. A gentlemanly thing to do.

No, the comfort soulmate touches were saved for the safe space of the rehearsal rooms and backstage with people who were used to them. Even then, management expressed their concerns. There was no pleasing them, no pleasing everyone

She finally decided enough was enough. The second Avery stepped out of the van, Jungkook reached for her hand automatically to help her out of the car. Such a gentleman And this time, She didn’t let go when her feet were safely on the ground.

The bond warmed instantly. Steady. Complete. Safe. Jungkook looked down at her briefly like he was checking she was still comfortable with it.

Avery squeezed his fingers once in answer. No more hiding from him.

The airport exploded. Fans screaming. Phones recording. Paparazzi practically sprinting backward trying to get footage.

But for the first time since ARIRANG started, Avery didn’t step away. She stayed beside him.

The members noticed immediately and didn’t seem phased. Yoongi might have even given a slight nod of approval. Management, unfortunately, looked seconds from cardiac arrest.

“Avery-ssi—”

She didn’t move. Jungkook didn’t move either.

—————————————

AMSTERDAM

By the time they landed in Amsterdam, social media was already exploding. Videos everywhere. Jungkook shielding Avery through crowds. Their hands intertwined naturally. The way he looked down at her constantly without realizing cameras were catching every second.

But the reaction wasn’t what management expected. Not outrage…Support.

Fans posting old clips from the tour. Compilations of Jungkook stopping the Milan concert. Moments Avery protected the members backstage. The visible improvement in Jungkook after Barcelona.

People noticed. Most of them understood.

“He looks happier.”

Avery blinked down at the translated tweet on her phone.

Another post beneath it: I watched him panic when she collapsed. Leave them alone.

Then: If that girl survived Yoongi, Taehyung, AND airport chaos, she deserves a medal honestly.

Avery snorted softly.

“What?”

“Your fans are weirdly funny.”

“Our fans are terrifying detectives.”

Fair. Very fair.

—————————————

The Amsterdam interviews went exactly how management feared. Not explicit, but not subtle.

“Jungkook, you seem especially happy this tour.” The interviewer smiled brightly

Avery sat off-camera beside staff and dancers while BTS prepared for the next segment. Jungkook glanced toward her instinctively before he could stop himself. The interviewer noticed immediately.

Warm embarrassment flickered through the bond….then affection, then acceptance.

At this point what was the point pretending anymore?

“I’m happy because the people around me are healthy,” Jungkook answered carefully. Professional enough. Management hated every second.

——————————————

AMSTERDAM — SHOW DAY

The disaster happened a few minutes before stage call. Dancers rushing final positions. Stylists doing last-second mic checks. Managers shouting over in-ear comms while seventy thousand fans screamed beyond the stadium walls.

The air itself vibrated with adrenaline. Avery was laughing quietly at something Taehyung said while adjusting the straps of her in-ears when a staff member approached looking pale….too pale.

“Avery-ssi.”

She looked up slowly.

“We need a word.”

Thinking nothing of it, she bid a goodbye to Taehyung with a wave and walked over to see what was needed.

Avery walked over to the side stage monitors, “What is it? Are my in-ears not working?”

“We need to change formations tonight.”

The world around her blurred slightly beneath the stadium noise.

“What?”

The answer came too fast. “Management made a decision regarding your position.”

No—wait, what?

“You’ll sit this performance out.”

The sentence hit like physical impact. Cold and sharp straight through her chest.

Minutes before stage. Minutes before Jungkook went out there expecting to dance with her.

The completed bond reacted instantly; violent emotion tore through it immediately.

Too late to figure out what was happening, the count down to places had already started. The VCR was coming to an end. The fans were getting louder in anticipation and the dancers were hyping each other up, ready to go out for another show.

“What do you mean sit it out?”

The choreographer swallowed hard. “There’s another dancer stepping into your position.”

The hallway suddenly felt too bright. Too loud.

After everything—They waited until right before curtain to pull her.

So Jungkook couldn’t fight it without delaying the show. Control.

“You can explain after the show,” the choreographer rushed out. “We don’t have time now.”

The bond reacted sharply with her hurt. Jungkook immediately felt it. Confusion flickered through the connection…concern. He couldn’t leave stage positions now. Couldn’t come backstage. The opening VCR was nearly over.

The bond brushed warm and questioning against hers even across the stadium. Where are you? The emotion nearly wrecked her instantly.

Then the lights dropped. The concert began. And Avery got pulled away from stage positions before Jungkook even realized she wasn’t there.

———————————————-

AMSTERDAM — LIVE ONSTAGE

The opening set passed in a blur of lights and screaming fans. Each time

Avery’s spot was filled with a different dancer. Someone who was not her was in her spot.

“Hooligan”

“FAKE LOVE”

“Mic Drop.”

Jungkook performed automatically. Professionally. But the bond kept pulling strangely at his attention. It felt wrong like Avery felt upset somewhere behind the stage walls and he couldn’t physically reach her.

During the first water break, Jungkook immediately looked toward the dancers’ tunnel. Searching automatically. No Avery.

His smile faltered slightly. Tiny enough most people wouldn’t notice, but the members did.

Namjoon looked over immediately.—Where is she?

————————-

The stage manager in his ear was already counting them back into positions before Jungkook could ask anything. “Thirty seconds!”

He looked backstage again anyway. Still nothing.

The second set started. And suddenly Jungkook couldn’t focus properly anymore. Not because the bond hurt. That was probably the only reason he wears still performing, she didn’t feel hurt or in pain. But something was still wrong.

During transitions between songs, he kept looking toward backstage openings. Searching for her.

The cameras caught some of it accidentally. Fans noticed immediately online.

Why does Jungkook keep looking backstage?

——————————————-

By the midpoint of the concert, Jungkook was visibly distracted enough that even the members started getting worried. During a fast costume change backstage, he immediately grabbed the nearest staff member.

“Where’s Avery?”

The staff froze. Wrong reaction. The bond went cold with realization.

“She’s still backstage,” the staff answered too quickly.

Jungkook’s expression hardened instantly. “Why isn’t she onstage?”

Silence.

“Management changed the formations tonight.”

The world inside Jungkook went completely still.

“What!?”

The stage manager shouted loudly from nearby: “JK, stage in twenty!”

But Jungkook barely heard him. The bond surged hard with anger now. He was furious. And underneath it….Hurt. They did this without telling him, without telling Avery properly either. Like she was removable…Replaceable.

“She’ll explain after the show,” the staff member rushed.

Jungkook looked genuinely dangerous suddenly. “You pulled my soulmate from choreography in the middle of a concert?”

The hallway went dead quiet. Even nearby stylists froze.

“I—No, I didn’t. They—It was—“

“Jungkook, we have to go now,” the stage manager said urgently.

“No.” The answer came instantly. Cold.

Jungkook turned toward the backstage corridors instead. Trying to go find her.

The bond pulled hard in that direction immediately. Avery…Upset….Trying to stay calm for him.

Then management physically stepped into his path. “Jungkook-ssi, you need to stay onstage.”

The sentence snapped something final inside him. Because the implication underneath it was clear: The performance mattered more than Avery did right now.

Wrong answer.

“You waited until I was already onstage.” His voice dropped quieter, which honestly sounded more terrifying than yelling.

Nobody answered. They did, specifically so he couldn’t stop it.

The crowd screamed loudly beyond the stage entrance. The next VCR ending and thousands waiting for him. Jungkook stood there visibly shaking with anger while the bond pulsed with Avery’s hurt somewhere deeper backstage.

Namjoon appeared first, then Yoongi right behind him. One look at Jungkook’s face and both immediately knew something was wrong.

“What happened?”

Jungkook laughed once. Cold. Disbelieving.

“They pulled Avery.”

Silence.

Then Yoongi’s expression went absolutely blank.

Namjoon swore quietly under his breath.

“Stage now,” the manager pressed again desperately.

Jungkook looked like he wanted to burn the building down.

“Kook, She didn’t come and find you, she didn’t want to make a scene so you could do your job.” Namjoon, the leader, spoke quietly to him.

“She’d want you to finish the show. Then we will deal with this.”

Jungkook closed his eyes briefly, then finally walked back toward stage position.

—————————

And then SWIM started, the entire arena exploded screaming immediately.

Fans already emotional from the setlist. The lights. The atmosphere. Those who knew, were ready to see the connection between Avery and Jungkook for their own eyes. Ready to see their chemistry live and not on a fancam.

But backstage, Avery couldn’t breathe properly because this choreography belonged to them now. Not officially. Emotionally. This was theirs. This was how they found each others and they took it away.

Onstage, Jungkook moved through the opening formations automatically. Professional. Perfect. Until the partner transition arrived and instinct betrayed him instantly.

He turned automatically toward Avery’s usual position and found another dancer instead. For one split second, His composure broke. Humanly.

The confusion hit first, then hurt. Tiny changes across his face visible only because the stadium cameras were zoomed in too closely. But fans saw it immediately. The entire arena felt it. Jungkook looked genuinely lost.

The next formation came late by half a second because he kept looking again. Like some instinct inside him still expected Avery to appear. The replacement dancer looked nervous immediately. The energy felt wrong…Disconnected.

Jungkook hated this….Hated performing something tied so deeply to her while she stood hidden backstage instead.

————————————————

Social media exploded before the song even ended.

WHY ISN’T AVERY THERE?

HE KEEPS LOOKING FOR HER.

Oh my God he didn’t know.

You can literally SEE the moment he realizes she’s gone.

The clips spread everywhere instantly. Millions of views within minutes. And the reaction? Pure outrage on their behalf.

By the time the concert finally ended, Jungkook barely waited for the lights to go down before disappearing backstage. Ignoring managers calling after him. Ignoring staff trying to redirect him.

The bond already pulling him straight toward Avery.And the second he finally saw her standing near the monitor station, the anger inside him cracked instantly into relief. The kind that softened his entire body at once.

The cameras backstage unfortunately caught that too. More viral clips. More headlines. But Jungkook didn’t care anymore. Not even slightly. Because the second Avery looked up at him, he felt at home.

——————————————-

A bit more drama!! Hope you like it! I’m working on the next part don’t worry!

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Jungkook didn’t sleep after that. He stayed in the studio until nearly four in the morning, elbows on his knees, replaying the feeling over and over again. It had only lasted a second. Barely even that, but it had been unmistakable. Not his. Someone else. Soft exhaustion, Warmth. A strange ache wrapped around loneliness. And underneath it—Her.

Avery. He knew it with terrifying certainty.

——————————————————

Thhe next morning, he was late to rehearsal. Not dramatically late, but enough that everyone noticed.

“Wow,” Jin said as Jungkook walked in. “The apocalypse approaches.”

Jungkook ignored him and grabbed a water bottle.

Taehyung looked delighted, “You look terrible.”

“Thank you.”

“No, genuinely. This is exciting.”

Jimin frowned slightly;“Did you sleep?”

“Not really.”

Namjoon looked up immediately from reviewing stage notes, “Jungkook.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re saying that a lot lately,” Yoongi muttered.

Jungkook opened his mouth to argue….And stopped. Because Avery had just walked in.

The entire room shifted. Not visibly. Not enough for outsiders to notice. But the members felt it immediately now. The awareness…The strange pull that seemed to exist whenever those two occupied the same space.

Avery froze for the smallest fraction of a second when she saw him. Then immediately bowed, too fast.

“Good morning.” Formal again. Guarded again. Headphones around her neck like armor.

Jungkook watched her carefully. And suddenly, He felt it. Not full emotion this time. Just a flicker. Nervousness. Gone instantly. But there.

His breath caught. Oh…..Oh, this was real.

“Avery!” Jin waved dramatically from across the room, “You escaped yesterday.”

Avery managed a small smile, “Sorry.”

“Again with apologizing,” Taehyung muttered.

She laughed awkwardly.

Jungkook noticed she only looked at him briefly before looking away again. Like eye contact itself was dangerous….Maybe it was.

—————————————————

Rehearsal started quickly after that, unfortunately for Avery’s sanity, today was partner transition cleanup. Which meant: touching…..Lots of touching.

Avery realized this approximately three seconds before Hobi announced: “Everyone pair up!”

Her soul exited her body.

“Nope,” Dani whispered immediately beside her. “I’m not saving you this time.” —Traitor.

Before Avery could strategize an escape route—“Jungkook, Avery.” Hobi pointed between them.

Done. Finished. Dead.

Avery swallowed hard. Professional…Be professional. This was choreography. Nothing else.

Across from her, Jungkook looked almost equally tense now. Which somehow made everything worse.

“Relax,” Hobi said immediately, misreading the entire situation. “You both look like you’re about to fight.”

Taehyung coughed suspiciously into his sleeve.

Yoongi closed his eyes briefly like a man enduring suffering.

Avery forced a laugh, “Sorry.”

Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck, “We’re fine.” No one believed that.

The choreography itself wasn’t intimate. Not really. Just stabilization grips. Weight transfers. Timing corrections. Normal. Except nothing about this felt normal anymore.

“Again,” Hobi called.

Avery stepped forward automatically. Jungkook’s hands settled lightly at her waist to guide positioning—and both of them froze.

Because this time— The bond didn’t explode. It opened. Suddenly, Jungkook staggered. Not physically…. Internally. Emotion flooded through him so fast it nearly stole his breath.

A dance studio in New York. A teenage girl spinning alone in oversized headphones. Blistered feet. His voice echoing through her mind while she cried from exhaustion.

His chest tightened violently. What—Another flash.

Avery at seventeen, sitting on her bedroom floor staring at BTS performing on television with tears streaming down her face. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she’d whispered.

Jungkook jerked back instinctively. The connection snapped. The rehearsal room slammed back into focus.

Silence. Complete silence….because everyone had seen it. Jungkook’s breathing was uneven. Avery looked horrified. And suddenly—He understood. Not everything. Not fully. But enough. Enough to make his entire world tilt sideways.

“You—” His voice cracked slightly.

Avery shook her head immediately. “Don’t.”

Fear. Sharp and immediate. Not fear of him. Fear of this. Of everyone hearing. Of the truth existing out loud. Jungkook looked at her like he’d never seen her before. Because somehow, He hadn’t. Not really. Not until now.

“Okay,” Namjoon said smoothly, standing immediately. “Break.” Leader mode. Instant.

Everyone moved at once, pretending normalcy for the sake of the room. Staff scattered. Music cut. Conversations restarted too loudly.

But the members…The members knew. Or at least suspected enough now.

Taehyung looked seconds away from spontaneous combustion from curiosity.

Jimin looked worried.

Yoongi looked unsurprised.

Hobi looked deeply confused.

Jin looked like he’d accidentally wandered into a drama halfway through season two.

And Jungkook…..Jungkook couldn’t stop staring at Avery, because he had felt her. Years of her. Not details. Not complete memories. But enough. Enough to know one devastating thing: She’d been carrying him for a very, very long time.

“Avery.”

She flinched slightly at the softness in his voice. That hurt more than if she’d yelled. Jungkook stepped closer carefully. Slowly. Like approaching a frightened animal.

“We should talk.”

Avery laughed once. Small. Shaky.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Probably.”

Her green eyes finally lifted fully to his. And Jungkook’s chest physically ached at what he saw there. Not obsession. Not excitement. Not fantasy….Exhaustion. Years and years of exhaustion… from him.

“You knew,” he said quietly. Not accusation. Realization.

Avery looked away first, “…Since I was thirteen.”

The room inside Jungkook’s chest went silent. Thirteen. Before debut. Before fame. Before everything. All those years…And she’d never come forward. Never told anyone. Never tried to use it. The weight of that hit him hard, because if their situations were reversed—he wasn’t sure he would’ve been strong enough to stay hidden.

“I didn’t want anything from you,” Avery said quickly, hearing the direction of his thoughts almost instinctively. “I swear.”

Jungkook’s heart twisted. “I know.”

And somehow—He did know. Completely. Because if she wanted fame? She could’ve destroyed his life years ago. Instead she’d hidden. Protected him. Protected herself. Alone. For over a decade.

Avery’s throat tightened. This was exactly what she never wanted. That look on his face. That gentleness. That understanding. Because now— Now he would care. And caring changed everything.

—————————————————

The practice room felt too small now. Too full. Not just of people…of truth. Avery stood frozen near center stage, every instinct screaming at her to run while she still could. But there was nowhere to run anymore. Not after thirteen years. Not after Jungkook had felt pieces of her life inside the bond itself. The secret was gone. Or at least—Gone between them.

Nobody spoke at first. Mostly because no one seemed entirely sure how to speak. Even Taehyung, miracle of miracles, looked momentarily speechless.

Jin blinked between them slowly. “So,” he said carefully, “I’m understanding this correctly, right?”

“Probably not,” Yoongi muttered.

“A soulmate thing?” Jin clarified.

Silence. Which was answer enough.

Jimin’s eyes widened slightly, “Oh.”

Hobi sat down heavily on the edge of the stage, “Wait. WAIT.”

Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose like the universe had personally targeted him for stress.

And Jungkook…Jungkook never looked away from Avery.

She hated that. Not the attention. The softness. Because there was nothing worse than kindness when you were trying not to fall apart.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” she said quickly, words tumbling out before anyone else could speak. “Ever. I swear, I never—”

“Avery.” Jungkook’s voice stopped her instantly. Gentle. Careful. “You don’t have to defend yourself.”

Her chest tightened painfully. Because she did. He just didn’t understand why yet.

“You’re Jungkook,” she said quietly, like that explained everything. To her, it did.

The room fell silent again. And for the first time since this started—The members truly understood what this looked like from her side. Not magical. Not romantic. Not exciting. Terrifying. Because soulmate bonds were private enough already. But this? This involved one of the most recognizable men on earth.

“I didn’t want to become…” Avery trailed off, struggling to find the right English first. Then quietly, in hesitant Korean: “Burden.”

The pronunciation wasn’t perfect. But the emotion behind it was.

Jungkook stared at her. Then something in his expression cracked slightly. Because suddenly, All the distance made sense. Every headphone. Every flinch. Every careful step backward. She wasn’t rejecting him. She’d been trying to protect him.

Taehyung sat down slowly beside Jimin. “Oh,” he murmured softly this time. Not teasing anymore. Understanding.

Jimin looked heartbroken. “You carried this alone?”

Avery gave a tiny shrug. What else was she supposed to do? “Yes.”

The simplicity of the answer somehow made it worse.

“Since thirteen?” Namjoon asked gently.

Avery nodded. “I didn’t know who he was at first.”

Jungkook’s chest tightened again. Because he remembered thirteen. Puberty. Training. Fear. Loneliness. And somewhere across the world, She’d been hearing all of it.

“I thought I was crazy,” Avery admitted with a small laugh that wasn’t really a laugh. “At first.” No one spoke. Because what do you even say to that?

Then—“Oh my God.”

Everyone looked at Jin.

His eyes were wide with genuine horror. “You heard puberty Jungkook?”

The room broke. Taehyung wheezed.

Jimin folded over laughing.

Even Yoongi covered his mouth.

Hobi made a strangled noise.

Jungkook looked deeply offended. “HYUNG.”

“What?!” Jin cried. “That’s traumatic!”

Against her will, Avery laughed. Actually laughed. Bright and startled and real.

And the second she did, Jungkook felt it. Warmth bloomed straight through the bond so suddenly it stole his breath. Not through touch. Not through resonance. Just….Her happiness.

His eyes widened slightly. Avery stopped laughing almost immediately once she realized. Too late. Because now he was looking at her like he’d just discovered sunlight.

Taehyung saw that too.b“Oh, he’s gone gone,” he whispered to Jimin.

Jimin nodded solemnly. “Devastating.”

“Can you both stop narrating my life?” Jungkook muttered.

“No,” they answered together.

The tension eased slightly after that. Not gone. Never gone. But softer. More human. Less like a bomb waiting to explode.

Avery exhaled slowly for what felt like the first time in hours. Until—

“Wait,” Hobi said suddenly.

Everyone turned.

Hobi pointed at Avery. “So all this time, when Jungkook sings…”

Avery visibly died inside.

Jungkook blinked.

“…What happens?” Absolutely not.

“Nope,” Avery said immediately.

Jin looked delighted. “Oh, I need to know.”

“You do not.”

“Do you hear it like Spotify?”

“Kim Seokjin.”

“Surround sound?”

“Please stop talking.”

Taehyung was already losing it again.

“Wait wait wait—when he’s sad do you just—”

“Yes,” Avery said before she could stop herself.

Silence. Oops. Jungkook’s expression shifted instantly. “…You feel that too?” Too late now.

Avery closed her eyes briefly. “Yes.”

Quiet. Honest. Painfully honest.

The room grew still again.nBecause suddenly this wasn’t abstract anymore. This wasn’t destiny or romance or soulmate fantasy.This was years of emotional bleed-through. Years.

Jungkook swallowed hard. “…All of it?”

Avery hesitated. Then nodded once. And something about that visibly affected him. Not ego. Not fascination. Guilt. Deep, immediate guilt.

“You carried that alone?” he asked softly.

“There wasn’t exactly a manual.” Her attempt at humor landed crookedly.

Jungkook looked down briefly. Because suddenly every lonely night, every breakdown, every moment he thought no one saw…She had. And she’d endured it in silence.

Avery immediately noticed the shift.

“No,” she said quickly. “Don’t do that.”

He looked up.

“That.”

“What?”

“The guilt thing.”

His brows furrowed slightly. “You heard it?”

Ah. Right. That. Wonderful.

Avery rubbed a hand over her face. “I hear emotions, Jungkook. Yours are loud.”

Jin made an offended sound. “That’s incredibly rude.”

Yoongi nodded thoughtfully. “Accurate, though.”

“HYUNG.”

Jungkook stared at Avery for another long moment. Then quietly: “…What do you feel?”

The room went still again, because that question…That one was dangerous.

Avery’s throat tightened. Because she couldn’t answer honestly. Not fully. Not with him looking at her like that.

“I dance,” she said instead. Confused silence.

Avery looked down at her hands.

“When it gets too loud,” she explained quietly, “I dance.”

And somehow….That answer hit Jungkook harder than anything else yet. Because suddenly he understood why she moved the way she did. Why her dancing felt emotional before technical. Why contemporary looked like survival.

Why she danced like she was translating feelings into motion. She’d spent years turning him into choreography just to stay afloat. And Jungkook didn’t know whether that realization made him want to cry… Or hold her.

Avery panicked the second that thought crossed the bond. Because yes. Now she felt his too. Faintly Newly Unsteady. But there.

And that— That terrified her more than anything else so far. Because now it wasn’t just her carrying him anymore. Now he could carry her back.

——————————————

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