#inwtb

“You’re late.”

Yoongi spoke, deadpan, from his seat on the edge of the couch as Adrienne came bumbling into the studio. With her laptop and other miscellaneous electronics cradled in her arms, she panted hard and leaned against the doorway to catch her breath.

“I know,” she finally huffed. “I overslept… and I had to run all the way here. Don’t be mad.”

Yoongi smirked and shook his head. “I’m not. You’re lucky the van had a flat tire today; we would have left without you.”

“Oh, does that mean I can sit? Thank God, my legs feel like jelly,” Adrienne sighed and shuffled forward, groaning heavily once she was finally seated next to Yoongi on the couch and dumped her laptop and backpack off to the side. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Interviews, taking pictures… I don’t know,” Yoongi replied with a slight yawn and an arm around Adrienne’s shoulders.

“So you’ve just been sitting in here waiting for me?”

Yoongi pursed his lips and gave Adrienne a sideways glance. “I was working.”

Adrienne glanced behind her at the studio computer that looked untouched and then back toward Yoongi with a teasing smile. “On what? The computer isn’t even on,” she chuckled.

“… Lyrics,” Yoongi answered after a moment’s pause. He was usually a pretty good bluff. His stoic and often sarcastic personality helped with that less than desirable quality of his, but as usual Adrienne seemed to disarm that in him. He found himself stuttering and fumbling over his words when he wasn’t even trying to deceive her.

“Mhm, sure. Writing down imaginary lyrics in your imaginary notebook, with a make-believe pen?” Andy queried and leaned in closer, snuggling against his neck.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Maybe I was waiting for you to show up because maybe I wanted to see you alone before everyone got here.”

“I know.”

“If you know that, why do you need to hear me say it?”

“Because I’m needy,” Adrienne giggled and nipped her teeth against Yoongi’s skin, making his soft pout break down into a genuine smile.

When Adrienne leaned forward to rest a hand against his chest, Yoongi pulled her to him gently. And kissed her, slowly and tenderly as if they had all the time in the world. In the past few weeks, they barely had a moment to themselves without someone passing through the studio to record or give input on one of the songs they had yet to finish. Yoongi missed having Adrienne all to himself and being able to touch her and talk to her the way he wanted to. They’d only been together officially for a few weeks, but insufficient privacy and intimacy were beginning to get to him. He enjoyed the playful teasing and unbridled tension that sparked between them just a short time earlier, but Yoongi was glad to finally get to this part.

He loved kissing Adrienne, how warm and soft her lips were, how her smaller frame felt against his larger. He moved one hand to the small of her back, letting go of her arm and pulled her up so that she was totally seated on his lap, his mouth opening and their tongues entwining, a spark of electricity jolting down both of their spines at the intimate contact. Part of Yoongi realized he could just do this all day and all night, kiss Adrienne on this couch like they were the only two people in the world and have that be the end of it. He never had to see her undressed again if it meant that she could melt in his arms the way she was now.

Of course, that didn't mean that he didn’t want to. And he was reminded of just how long it had been since he had the privilege of seeing her naked when he felt her hips slowly move against his crotch. The movement was tentative and brief, as if she was testing the waters and gauging his reaction before actually attempting to arouse him. Yoongi smiled against her lips, feeling reassured she was feeling the same amount of desire for him as he had for her.

“What are you doing, Andy?” he asked, half-chuckling and pulled back to gently kiss along her jawline.

“You know, Gi,” she answered softly, almost sounding coy as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Don’t you miss me? I miss you.”

Yoongi groaned when she rolled her hips once more, this time with deliberate effort, and raked her fingernails against his scalp.

“Teasing me?” Andy breathed, and Yoongi wrapped an arm around her lower back, pulled her closer to him, and smothered her neck with his lips.

“Don’t you wanna see me come for you again, Yoongi?” His body responded before he could, breath hitching and a possessive, almost primal, growl forming in the back of his throat as he captured her lips again, cutting off whatever she planned on saying next. He swallowed every short moan and sigh of pleasure that dared escape her lips. Yoongi needed to silence her, knowing that if he didn’t, he would have taken her right there on the sofa. The knowledge that they had no time to fool around didn’t stop him from groping her body, however, his hands roughly gripping the smooth skin of her thighs. He just barely resisted the urge to move any further up and underneath her skirt, though they both clearly wanted him to.

Bbzzzzzzz

The vibrations of Yoongi’s cellphone in his pocket startled them both, and Yoongi seriously considered ignoring it for a moment. The taste of Adrienne’s lips was much more interesting than whomever could have been on the other end of that phone call. Reluctantly, he allowed his better judgment to guide his actions and pulled back from Adrienne to answer the call.

“Hmm… it’s here? Okay, I’m on my way.”

With a petulant frown, Yoongi held Adrienne’s gaze for a few somber seconds before pressing a quick kiss to her lips and moving her back onto the couch.

“I hate your job,” Adrienne grumbled as she began gathering her possessions together and standing up. A humorless chuckle parted Yoongi’s lips, and he pulled her close to his side by her waist to place a gentle kiss against her cheek.

“You’re not the only one.”

Being sardined in a car full of attractive men may have been a dream for some women, but for Adrienne it felt like nothing short of a nightmare. Especially when they were all sleep-deprived, grumpy, and all she wanted to do was cuddle up next to her boyfriend and go back to sleep. But she couldn’t do that without causing a scene and possibly putting her contracted job on the line. With all this and the knowledge that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from touching him at the forefront of her mind, Adrienne opted out of sitting next to Yoongi on the ride to the first of many photo shoots that day.

She was nestled between Taehyung and Hoseok, who were both asleep and gently wheezing against her ears. The dueling chorus of their snoring was a nice distraction for her to stop herself from turning around to bother Yoongi, who she knew was sleeping soundly as well. Adrienne was tired too, but she had a melody in her head that refused to allow her to close her eyes. Her short intimate moment with Yoongi that morning inspired her to rearrange the melody for a song they were almost finished with. She knew he would hate her for changing something at the last minute yet again, but Adrienne really couldn't help herself.

Earbuds lodged in both ears, Adrienne nodded along to the unfinished beat pouring through them. She was so engrossed in the interface in front of her, Adrienne hardly noticed Namjoon attempting to get her attention until he tapped her knee.

“What are you listening to?” He asked once she could hear him.

“Something I’m working on,” Adrienne replied with a fake frown.

Namjoon perked slightly in his seat at the mention of new music; he was the only one that didn’t seem overly tired. “Can I listen?”

“Mmm, I dunno…” She placed a finger against her chin as if she was contemplating something. “I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone.”

“Aw, c’mon Adrienne, just one listen,” he pleaded, even going so far as to press his hands together as if he was genuinely begging her.

Adrienne giggled, handing over her laptop with the earbuds still attached. “Fine. But this is only because I like you. Don’t tell the other boys.”

She ended her statement with a playful but innocent wink, completely unaware of the faint blush that colored Namjoon’s cheeks as he pressed the earbuds against his ears and began nodding along slowly. Adrienne couldn’t place the feeling of slight nervousness that ensued after Namjoon went silent; having someone else critique or even just listen to her work without it being completed was always a nerve-wracking experience.

“I like it,” Namjoon exhaled after what seemed like ages, handing back Adrienne’s laptop with a broad smile that made his dimples sink even deeper. “It’s… what’s the word… sweet?”

“Thank you,” Adrienne explained in a whisper, she wanted to avoid waking anyone up. “I was going for something like… spring. Like that fresh feeling you get when you’re starting a new relationship and everything at the beginning is just exciting and bright.” The way Adrienne’s face lit up betrayed her desire to conceal the fact that she was speaking with personal feeling, and Namjoon chuckled softly.

“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” he commented cautiously.

“I am…” She nodded then stiffened her back and added, “P-past experiences. I don’t think I could date anyone now even if I had the time. How do you explain getting up at 4 in the morning to travel around the city with seven men twice a week?”

Namjoon chuckled, finding her explanation cute and somewhat outlandish. Then a small lull of silence fell between them, and Namjoon’s mouth was moving before he had the chance to think about what he was asking.

“So… is time the only thing keeping you from seeing anyone?”

He had no idea where this sudden burst of confidence and curiosity had come from, but the way Adrienne shyly ducked her head down and pressed her hands to her cheeks before answering made him think his random question may have been a good way to turn the conversation in his favor. It was a simplistic way of thinking, but he was only human after all.

Adrienne, meanwhile, was simply trying to think of a way to deflect his questions without turning into a babbling mess. She was a terrible liar, and having to actually deny being with Yoongi made her feel uncomfortable. Why was he asking her about dating so suddenly anyway? This was hardly the time and place for this type of conversation.

“B-basically, I mean, I guess it might work with the right person, but I’m focused on my music right now,” Adrienne finally managed to spit out, cheeks burning red.

“But… say there was someone that was interested in you and they didn’t mind your work schedule. Maybe they even had a schedule just as crazy. Would you consider that?”

Namjoon rambled and became more eager with his choice of words the longer Adrienne let him talk. She was barely about to formulate a response to what seemed like an interrogation coming from the leader of a group that had the potential to fall apart at her hands. The furthest thing from Adrienne’s mind was that Namjoon might be making reference to himself, and not trying to subtly hint at her relationship with Yoongi. Adrienne’s moist palms gripped the edge of her laptop tighter, and she sank her front teeth deep into her bottom lip, desperately trying to think of a response. Just as her lips parted, she felt a body stir next to her, and the words that came from Hoseok’s lips almost made her sigh with relief.

“Why are you so concerned about her dating, Namjoon?” He asked. Obviously, he wasn't sleeping quite as soundly as Adrienne had thought. Hoseok quickly sat up once he realized just how much of his body was leaning against Adrienne’s side and cleared his throat, pointedly looking to Namjoon for a reply.

“I’m not concerned!” Namjoon countered. “Just curious, I guess. I mean, I-… shut up, Hobi.” Namjoon huffed and sounded defeated as he adjusted his position to face forward again. The smug smirk on Hoseok’s lips fell once Adrienne turned to face him, and he snapped his head in the opposite direction to avoid catching her gaze. It was an odd gesture, considering how comfortable Adrienne thought they were; something like eye contact had never been a problem before. She contemplated asking him about it for a moment, but Adrienne really didn’t have the desire to push him for an explanation. There was no reason to risk another heart attack so early in the day.

Later that night, 11:00 pm

Despite Andy’s reassurance, Yoongi was not having a great time. She had somehow convinced him to ignore the mountain of work that was past due for both of them for just one night and go dancing with her. The DJ was terrible and annoying, the hordes of pretentious and desperate twenty-somethings that seemed to frequent this place were less than amiable company, and apparently all of them were freakishly tall, judging by the amount of times he had been elbowed in the back of the head without even a small apology. Countless complaints had taken up residence on the tip of Yoongi’s tongue since the moment they stepped into the club, but Yoongi held back for the sole fact that Adrienne seemed to be enjoying herself.

That could just be due to the fact that she was a much more pleasant person than he was most of the time. Even if she wasn’t having the best time, there was no way you’d be able to tell just by looking at her face, especially not now while she laughed loudly, each of her pearly white teeth gleaming, at something Taehyung had said along with the rest of their small group. Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook had somehow weaseled their way into what was supposed to be a private night out for Yoongi and Adrienne. Yoongi suspected Hoseok only tagged along to act as a chaperone, judging by the amount of times he attempted to redirect Adrienne’s attention whenever Yoongi hovered nearby. Tae and Jungkook apparently just wanted an excuse to go clubbing.

Yoongi sniffed, adjusting the watch on his wrist and bringing a bottle of beer to his mouth. He hadn’t been paying attention to anything anyone was saying, his attention focused solely on coming up with a bridge melody for their latest track. Hearing Adrienne squeak softly to get his attention made him look up from the ground and raise an eyebrow to silently question what she wanted. They were alone now, with Taehyung and Jungkook having found people more interesting to smother with attention, and Hoseok leaving to head home. Probably convinced the two other members would be enough to prevent Yoongi from making a public mistake.

“You’re not having fun,” Adrienne stated and leaned against the bar where Yoongi sat.

“What makes you say that?” Yoongi replied, sounding genuinely surprised. She was correct, of course, but he thought that he was hiding his distaste well.

“You’ve been nursing that beer for half an hour,” she started, “And you’ve looked annoyed since we got here. Look, if you don't want to be here, we can go back to work.” Adrienne sighed and stepped forward so that her body was slotted between Yoongi’s legs. “I just wanted to spend some time with you in a place where we don’t have to look over our shoulders like we’re doing something wrong.”

Adrienne frowned, and Yoongi felt his heart twinge. Tonight was one of the few times he and Adrienne had the chance to be out in public as an actual couple, and all he was doing was making her upset. Yoongi shot back the remainder of his beer and rested the empty container on the bar before wrapping his arms around Adrienne’s waist and pulling her closer.

“Sorry,” he replied in a cute voice that made Adrienne visibly grimace and attempt to push herself away from him.

“Don’t do that,” she groaned. “You know I hate when you do that.”

“You love it when Hobi does it!”

“Hoseok does it well! Aegyo doesn’t suit you, Gi,” Adrienne giggled, and even though he was moderately offended by her rejection, Yoongi was just happy she was no longer frowning.

“There’s my girl,” Yoongi smiled, hooking his index finger under Adrienne’s chin and pulling her forward to him. “Can I be honest with you?” he muttered against Andy’s lips, and she nodded.

“I hate this place,” he said with a dry laugh, which made Adrienne pout softly.

“Fine, we can leave, but you have to dance with me.”

Yoongi groaned audibly and rested his forehead against Adrienne’s now folded arms, but she was not deterred.

“You’ve been dancing with Taehyung all night; can’t you find him?”

“I don’t want to dance with Tae, I want to dance with my boyfriend.”

Yoongi kissed his teeth, looked up at Adrienne one last time before pushing himself off the barstool. He smiled when Adrienne did and turned to the bartender to order a bottle of soju before allowing himself to be dragged into the middle of the dance floor. In theory, Yoongi didn’t have a problem with dancing; it was nearly fifty percent of his job after all. He did, however, have a problem with being judged and watched over like an animal in a zoo; and that was exactly what he felt like whenever someone’s head turned to catch a second glance while he and Adrienne meandered their way through the crowd. She was far from the only foreigner in the club that night, and her small stature allowed her to go almost unnoticed when she was alone or in a group. But the fact that she was holding his hand suddenly made her something to be gawked at and questioned silently as she moved past every bigoted person that happened to be in attendance that night.

It was truly an exercise in self-control for Yoongi to stop himself from connecting his fist to the jaw of the next person that looked at them and whispered something to the person next to them. Instead, he chose to take a swig of soju to quell his annoyance and hold Adrienne’s hand even tighter until they came to a stop, and the feeling of her sliding her arms around his neck brought him back to reality. A sense of calm washed over him when he could finally refocus on the reason he was here in the first place, and Yoongi felt the small smirk he had been fighting evolve into a wide grin that spread across his entire face as the couple swayed together, ignoring the pulsating beat and everyone else around them.

“Are you drunk already?” Adrienne teased, taking the bottle of soju from Yoongi’s hands and taking a sip.

“I’m not drunk, I’m happy,” Yoongi replied simply, still smiling from ear to ear. “You make me happy.”

Adrienne’s lips, still curled around the bottle of soju, ticked upwards in a quick smile before she took another swig and lowered it to her side. Without a word, she wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him down to her lips in a sweet but quick kiss before resting her chin on his shoulder and nuzzling her nose against his neck.

“You make me happy too.”

Several songs and bottles of soju later, Yoongi and Adrienne were finally exiting the club, leaving behind the two younger friends that had accompanied them in the beginning. At least, they assumed they were leaving them behind. Truthfully, neither of them had been spotted since Hoseok left and the group split up hours earlier. The whereabouts of Jungkook and Taehyung were the last thing on Yoongi’s or even Adrienne’s mind as they stumbled out onto the sidewalk with Adrienne holding onto Yoongi to steady her steps. They both had the same amount of alcohol, but Yoongi made the sensible decision to follow every shot he took with a drink of water to avoid a hangover in the morning.

Adrienne did not.

Which is why her voice could be heard blocks away as Yoongi attempted to walk her home without being noticed. It was both a blessing and a curse that his company had set her up with an apartment so close to their building. It was late, but Yoongi knew there was never a time when the BigHit building was totally free of sasaeng fans looking to catch a glimpse of their favorite idol.

He contemplated taking a longer route just to avoid going near the building at all, but his concern about getting Adrienne home quickly heavily outweighed his desire to not be bothered by crazed fans. By some small miracle, the pair managed to get back to Adrienne’s apartment in one piece. She was still slightly tipsy, but the walk in the open air seemed to sober her up enough so that she was no longer singing unfinished melodies at the top of her lungs when they neared her apartment building.

“Are you going to leave?” He heard Adrienne yell from her bedroom as he stole a bottle of water from her refrigerator.

He nodded once she could see his face and leaned against the doorway of her bedroom.

“Do you have to? Can’t you just say you slept in the studio again?” Adrienne shuffled her sheets around to create an empty space, but Yoongi didn’t move, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to leave if he chose to take just one step over the threshold of her bedroom.

“That only worked because I had Hobi to cover me last time,” he sighed, watching Adrienne pout. “And it’s too easy to guess where I am this time. Taehyung and Jungkook… those two idiots don’t know how to keep a secret; they’ll talk as soon as they get home.”

Adrienne frowned again and got up. Yoongi tensed as she walked toward him since he was unable to read the expression on her face. She looked… pained, but there was also something there that he couldn’t pinpoint. His anxiety calmed when instead of pushing him out like he thought she would, she lazily placed her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek to his chest. He looked down at her when she shifted her head, assuming that she was going to say something. Instead, he was met with a more pointedly pained expression and Adrienne forcefully pressing a hand against her mouth.

“Are you oka-”

Before he had the chance to finish his question, Adrienne was stumbling backwards and scrambling to find her bathroom. The sound of her retching echoing against the tiled walls of her bathroom answered any questions Yoongi might have had, and he quickly followed after her, trying his very best to stop himself from laughing at the sight of Adrienne groaning into the toilet bowl and trying to keep her hair out of her face.

When he’d finally composed himself, he kneeled next to Adrienne and pulled every stray and unruly curl out of her eyes while rubbing her back as she lurched forward again.

“You drank too much,” he said, not expecting a response, and Adrienne only glared up at him when she could hold her head up again. After a few minutes passed with nothing forcing its way back up Adrienne’s throat, Yoongi guided her back to her bedroom and gently pushed her down onto the mattress, giving her a sip of his water to rinse.

“You should drink more water and get some rest, Andy,” Yoongi commented softly as he took a seat on the edge of her bed and brushed some hair away from her face. He stood up silently and disappeared to Adrienne’s adjoining bathroom, then returned a few moments later with a small damp makeup wipe in his hand.

“What are you doing?” Adrienne asked when he sat down again and began moving toward her face.

“Your makeup is smeared,” he answered simply and lightly wiped the cool cloth against Adrienne’s cheek. It took more than a few swipes for Yoongi to finally notice there were tears streaming down her face even though she was smiling.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asked and shot up, immediately feeling panicked. “Did I hurt you?”

“You like me.”

Those three words gave Yoongi pause, and he exhaled sharply, waiting for her to explain the meaning behind her statement. When she didn’t, Yoongi kneeled next to where she lay and pulled a hand away from covering her face.

“What are you talking about?”

“You like me!” Adrienne repeated once more before wiping away a stray tear and clearing her throat. “I promise, I’m not just saying this because I’m drunk. But… I feel like I’ve been pushing you since we started this whole…”

“Relationship…?” Yoongi interjected, and Adrienne pressed her lips together gently.

“I pushed you into admitting you have feelings for me. I pushed you into making a move. I pushed you into a corner to be with me. Hell, even tonight I pushed you into slacking off and taking me out. It feels like all I do is push and push, and it’s exhausting, Yoongi. I never know if you’re doing something because you want to or because I’m pushing you.”

Yoongi sighed, holding Adrienne’s gaze as he attempted to gather a response. He had always hoped his actions would make up for what he didn’t say. He didn’t need to constantly reinforce how he felt about Adrienne because he showed her exactly what he felt by what he did. Wasn’t that enough?

“Andy. Please listen to me carefully. I only ever want to say this once,” Yoongi began, his palm cradling the swell of Adrienne’s cheek before he continued. “I like you. I'm not good at expressing myself. I find it difficult and awkward to talk about my feelings unless it’s for my music, but you should know that I like you. I like the way you light up a room just by walking into it and how you can turn a simple piano chord into a beautiful score of music. I even like how pushy you are,” Yoongi chuckled softly as Adrienne playfully bit down on his thumb. “You push me toward good things. I don’t want you to stop.”

Adrienne huffed loudly and rolled over so that she was now lying on her back. “I wish you would have said that three weeks ago. I would have gotten so much more sleep.”

Yoongi looked over at her once more, standing to his feet and leaning over her, both of his hands on each side of her face. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his lips pressing gently to hers. “I’m sorry that I’m a shitty boyfriend,” he added, a kiss on her jaw accompanying it. “I’m sorry that I made you feel like I don’t like you,” he whispered with a kiss on her neck. His mouth moved further down to her collarbone, and Yoongi barely stopped himself from pushing the collar of her top over and sucking hard. Adrienne’s hands pulled him down to her body, bringing them as close as possible.

“I really can’t stay tonight,” he moaned, his hips rolling down into hers. “You keep saying that and not leaving,” Adrienne retorted, and Yoongi chuckled softly at her accurate observation.

Yoongi was done pretending that he had any intentions of leaving anytime soon and captured Adrienne’s lips with another kiss, taking his time to taste and swallow every moan and languid breath that escaped her lips. The final test of Yoongi’s will began the moment he leaned back to catch his breath, his head tilting to the side as he stared at Adrienne sprawled on the mattress. He had every opportunity to stop right there and give himself enough time to get back to his dorm undetected. Unfortunately, there was no way he could make himself leave Adrienne as she was now, panting for breath and practically begging to have him take her. What kind of boyfriend would he be to deny her? Yoongi sucked in a quick breath of air as she wiggled out of the pair of sweatpants that covered her legs and echoed her soft moan as he coaxed her panties off her hips, keeping his gaze on hers the entire time.

Adrienne’s thighs cradled his weight as he lowered himself on top of her again, pecked her lips and licked hot stripes up her neck. “Ah… shit,” Adrienne whispered when his hands moved down her body, searching for her warm folds until he found just what he was looking for. He easily slid two fingers past her entrance, and Adrienne groaned loudly as he stroked her from the inside. His pace slow and deliberate.

“You’re so fucking wet. I barely touched you,” Yoongi teased and seized her mouth again. His thumb massaged her clit while his index and middle fingers stroked her slippery walls. He pulled away slightly to get a better view of her face. Staring at the varying expressions that crossed her face, gauging her reaction to what he was doing, how it felt for her. Even here, he took pride in his work, smirking gently to himself whenever her body jolted or she moaned his name when words failed her. Adrienne’s nails used his forearms, back, and any part of his body she could reach to say the words she couldn't.

Yoongi added another finger and sank his teeth into his bottom lip when her eyes rolled backward before snapping shut. “Ride my fingers, Andy,” he said sternly, the command spurring Adrienne’s hips to piston faster. “Fuck, Yoongi. I want you inside of me,” Adrienne whispered between pants of breath, but Yoongi ignored her requests. His fingers kept at their work, and her hips bucked back and forth as her feet lifted from resting on Yoongi’s calves and were now suspended in mid-air. Sounds of inexpressible pitch streamed in an embarrassing frequency from her mouth as Yoongi’s torturous digits worked her middle.

“Open your eyes, Andy,” Yoongi grunted, the roughness of his tone betraying just how much self-control he was exercising at that moment and just how close he was to snapping. “I want you to look into my eyes when you come for me.” Adrienne nodded, unable or unwilling to verbally respond, and Yoongi knew exactly why. “Your cunt is squeezing my fingers.” Yoongi sighed, and Adrienne barely whimpered in response.

“I’m gonna come,” she panted, and Yoongi showed no mercy. His fingers drilled her then rubbed her clit with just the barest touch and reveled in the way she came undone beneath his touch. Her toes curled, back arched, and Yoongi thought for just a few seconds she stopped breathing before she finally exhaled and moaned his name. Thighs shaking, chest rising and falling too rapidly, Adrienne jerked as an heavy orgasm slammed into her. Yoongi smiled to himself, still stroking her gently as she worked her way back down to earth and leaned forward to kiss her breasts through her shirt.

A sigh left Adrienne's lips as his fingers did, and Yoongi lay down beside her. They stared at one another for a while, silently admiring each other's features. Adrienne’s half-lidded gaze widened when Yoongi drew his fingers, still slick with her juices, into his mouth.

“Hmm,” he hummed in approval before pushing himself upwards and shuffled towards the edge of the bed. He felt Adrienne reach for his hand, and he smiled, smothering her lips in another tender kiss then standing to his feet.

Tokyo had become a closed circuit.

Hotel. Studio. Hotel. Studio. Repeat. Like the city itself had conspired to collapse into a tunnel with no exit, no windows, just a single, blinding light labeled deadline . Adrienne moved through it like a trained animal, hitting her marks with precision. Wake. Dress. Don’t think too long in the mirror. Step into the elevator. Enter the studio like it’s not eating you alive.

The unit had declared themselves a “united front,” and in most ways, it was true. On paper, at least. Yoongi was relentless. Jimin, dependable. Jungkook, quietly protective. Even Jin, in his orbiting way, made sure she was seen. But inside the walls — the real ones — the ones she had built to survive, the ones the industry had weaponized against her — the cuts had already started.

Yoongi showed up to the studio before her every day. Never said it aloud, but it was understood: if there was anything off, anything out of place, he’d catch it first. He walked the space like a bodyguard before a performance. Checked the whiteboard. Double-checked the production notes. Coordinated the day’s workflow with clinical efficiency. His voice had taken on a quality she’d never heard before — not cold, exactly, but decisive. Sharp. Any conversation that didn't serve the project, or her, was deflected, redirected, or shut down.

He didn’t say I’m protecting you. He didn’t need to.

At first, she’d been grateful. Relieved, even. But after a week, the protection started to feel like surveillance. Like she had been placed in a pressure-sealed chamber where the only acceptable emotion was productivity. No breath, no cracks, no room for fear or fatigue or fuck-ups. Just the music.

But the pressure wasn’t coming from them.

It was coming from the inside.

It started with a single, throwaway comment from Producer Park. A senior legacy figure in the label. The kind of man who wore his history like armor — who’d built a career on being unmovable.

Adrienne had just locked a synth line she liked — textured, minimal, just a little off-kilter. Something that sounded like memory fraying at the edges. She was deep in it, headphones on, when he leaned in over her shoulder without warning.

"Interesting choice," he said. “Very... Western.”

There was nothing inherently wrong with the words. But they landed like a slap.

Her jaw tightened. She didn’t turn around. “The international market responds to layered tones. It’s strategic.”

He hummed like he was being generous. “Perhaps. But sometimes, simple and melodic lands better with our core fans. Less cerebral. More emotional.”

She let the silence sit between them. Let it hum with all the things she wasn’t going to say.

It’s not about the melody, is it? It’s the fact that I’m here, doing this at all.

Yoongi was on the other side of the room, deep in something with Sejin, completely unaware. And Adrienne? She added it to the pile. The paper cuts. The kind that bled more in the dark.

Later that afternoon, someone "forgot" to include her in the studio’s group lunch order. A junior assistant, eyes wide with manufactured guilt.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I completely blanked. It’s been such a busy day—"

Adrienne smiled. Tight. Hollow. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t.

But she knew what would happen if she made it a thing. She’d be called difficult. Emotional. Aggressive. The foreigner with an attitude.

So she swallowed it. Again.

And again.

And again.

She didn’t tell Yoongi. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she knew exactly how he would react. And right now, she needed him clear. Focused. Not burning the studio to the ground over microaggressions she could technically survive.

Instead, she came in every day and did the work. Pushed her voice until it cracked, then recorded through the cracks. Accepted critiques that were never critiques. Just knives with soft handles.

Yoongi thought he was shielding her. And in some ways, he was. But he didn’t know where the real wounds were.

He was fighting dragons.

But she was dying from poison in the drinking water.

Yoongi hadn’t slept properly in a week. Not real sleep. Not the kind that folded you down into the mattress and left you weightless. His nights were fractured things. Shallow stretches of unconsciousness between studio runs and strategy meetings, between tracking vocal layers and trying to convince PR not to run another preemptive statement.

He lived in caffeine and compression timelines now. Blood replaced with coffee and adrenaline. He didn’t need rest. He needed results.

The pressure had calcified into purpose. Get the album done. Keep her safe. Finish what they started.

Everything else was noise.

In the studio, he was sharper than ever and relentless in a way that even surprised himself. He cut through bad takes and weak pitches with surgical precision. He kept her fed, hydrated, shielded. When something even hinted at being overwhelming; an overlong meeting, an underprepared coordinator, he shut it down before she had to lift a finger. His instinct to protect her had turned into strategy, into control.

He arranged their sessions meticulously, stacking the day to create maximum output with minimum friction. She never asked for it, but she hadn’t pushed back either. He told himself that was confirmation. That she needed  his structure, his planning, the wall he was building around her, brick by carefully measured brick.

He knew the others saw it too. Jimin made a quiet point to check on her in the mornings. Namjoon made sure to include her name in praise during staff meetings, so the higher-ups didn’t forget who was shaping half the album. Jungkook lingered after vocal tracking, hanging back like a watchdog in a hoodie.

It filled Yoongi with something close to pride. This was what it meant to be a team. This was the line in the sand. They were holding it.

And still, sometimes (usually when she thought he wasn’t looking) he caught it. A shadow across her expression. A silence that felt deeper than exhaustion.

He didn’t know what to do with that.

He told himself it was stress. Fatigue. The intensity of the work. She was holding up, she was here . That had to mean she was okay.

He didn’t see the slow shift in her posture after meetings. The way she’d flinch when someone else spoke over her. The way her smile turned more rehearsed, more careful. He chalked it all up to pressure. Expected it. This is what it means to be great , he told himself. This is the fire we walk through to get there.

But there was something else underneath. Something he didn’t know how to name.

He noticed Producer Park’s sudden interest but he misread the shape of it. Park had always been territorial, allergic to innovation. Yoongi had gone head-to-head with him a dozen times over creative direction. This was nothing new.

If anything, he thought Park’s skepticism of Adrienne was a mark of respect. You don’t challenge what you don’t take seriously. It didn’t occur to him that what was happening wasn’t about her work. Not really. He didn’t hear the way “Western” hit different when it was aimed at her.

He didn’t hear the quiet violence in that word.

He missed it.

And that was the real failure. Not the war he was fighting for her — but the smaller one he couldn’t even see.

The hallway was quiet in that late-night way only hotels could master, scrubbed sterile and humming low with machinery no one ever saw. Hoseok walked with his hoodie up and headphones in, not listening to anything, just using the wire as an excuse not to talk. He had just left the gym, sweat drying cold against his skin, the ache in his legs a dull, welcome burn.

He wasn't even sure what he was trying to work off. The tension. The weight. The static that had crept into all their interactions lately, like someone had turned the dial on the whole world just slightly too loud.

As he turned the corner near the staff elevator, voices pulled him out of his thoughts. Two. Low. Not urgent, but close. He slowed, pressed his back to the wall instinctively, the way you do when you aren’t supposed to be listening but can't stop yourself.

Choi’s voice was the first one he recognized, even and professional, the rhythm of someone used to giving bad news with soft edges.

“…the publisher backed off. Legal pressure helped, but the files are still out there. We’re just plugging leaks at this point. Whack-a-mole.”

A sigh. Then another voice, heavier, older, sharpened with something bitter.

“It’s a mess,” Producer Park muttered. “All of this, over her.”

Her. It hit Hoseok’s bloodstream like a cold splash of water. He didn’t breathe.

“I told Bang PD from the start,” Park went on, voice dropping conspiratorially. “Bringing in an outsider was always going to be a risk. These foreigners, they don’t work like we do. They have different priorities. Different standards.”

Choi didn’t immediately push back. Her silence rang louder than Park’s words.

“Yoongi’s too close,” Park continued. “You can see it. He’s let her in too far, and now the whole project is unbalanced. She’s got him twisted. Look at how he talks about her songs. Look at how the others coddle her. This wasn’t supposed to be a daycare. She’s not even Korean. She doesn’t understand the core of what we do here.”

It wasn’t just criticism. It was dismissal. Erasure. Park wasn’t talking about creative process anymore. He was talking about Adrienne’s right to exist in the space at all. And there was something in his voice that made Hoseok’s fists curl without permission.

“She’s talented,” Choi said eventually, her voice stiff. “Namjoon said her bridge on the title track changed the whole direction of the album.”

“Maybe. But talent isn’t everything. Not when it’s loud. Not when it disrupts the tone. Her music doesn’t carry han . It lacks subtlety. It’s too much. She’s too much.”

Hoseok took a step back, chest tight, nausea creeping up his throat. He slipped away before they could see him, the corridor stretching cold and endless in front of him. His legs carried him back to his room automatically, but his mind was still stuck in that hallway. In that moment.

He had always known Adrienne was under pressure, that the whispers around her weren’t just internet noise. But now the shape of it was fully visible. The ugliness was out in the open.

And for the first time, Hoseok felt truly powerless.

He couldn't tell Yoongi. It would ignite him. He would burn the whole building down and the fire would take Adrienne with it. He couldn't tell Adrienne either. It would only break her heart more than the system already had and confirm what he knew she already feared — that the walls were closing in.

So he kept it to himself.

Locked it down tight.

And with the weight of it sitting heavy on his chest, Hoseok did the only thing he could do.

He stayed close.

The first time it happened, she almost convinced herself it was an honest mistake.

A corrupted hard drive. A junior engineer’s panicked expression. A brittle apology, all breathless regret and fast blinking. “We’re so sorry, Adrienne-ssi, I don’t know what happened. It just… glitched.”

It was one of the external drives Yoongi had labeled for her exclusive use. Two weeks of work: synth layering, harmony tracking, a stripped vocal arrangement she had finally started to like — all wiped. Gone.

She didn’t yell. She didn’t even flinch. She just nodded once and asked for a replacement drive. Then she sat at her workstation for twelve hours straight and rebuilt the tracks from memory, every note a defiance, every correction a middle finger.

But the moment stayed lodged in her like a splinter. Not because of the error itself — things like that happened in any studio — but because of what followed.

Nothing.

No check-in from the engineer. No explanation from the department head. No acknowledgment of the inconvenience, the delay, the exhaustion. Just a quiet silence that dared her to say something. A silence that said, You're lucky to be here. Don’t make it harder than it already is.

After that, the frequency changed.

Lunch orders started getting “accidentally” misrouted. Meeting invites came late or not at all. Notes from producers that were normally circulated to everyone in the studio seemed to skip her entirely. If she asked, someone would laugh and say, “Oh, didn’t you see the update? Sorry, thought you were copied.”

They were small things. Easy to explain away. But she could feel them accumulating. Shifting the center of the room until she was no longer in it.

She began to eat more meals in her hotel room. Not because she wanted to — but because the weight of trying to pretend she belonged in the shared kitchen, with its chatter and cliques and coded language, was more exhausting than the isolation.

Even her own presence started to feel like an interruption. An unwanted footnote.

And Yoongi didn’t see it.

He saw the war as a front-facing battle. Public-facing, press-facing. He was fighting in headlines and meetings and press briefings. He had no idea that the air she was breathing had gone thin, that the people around her had stopped meeting her eyes.

When Park publicly critiqued her demo — the one she and Yoongi had labored over for days — it was so casually brutal it took the breath right out of her lungs.

“Technically proficient,” he said, tilting his head like he was doing her a favor by being polite. “But it lacks soul. Feels like it’s trying too hard.”

The words landed like a slap in front of a full room. She had seen Park ignore tracks that were half-finished, let entire bridge sections slide because a male producer had asked for “a vibe check.” But for her, it was a public bloodletting.

Yoongi had gone stone-cold beside her, posture snapping upright like a sword drawn. “Actually,” he’d said, voice low and dangerous, “it’s the most honest thing on the album. And if you can’t hear that, you’re not listening.”

The silence in the room was long and uncomfortable.

Yoongi had thought he was defending her. And maybe he was. But the impact wasn’t a shield — it was a spotlight. A flare of attention that only made her more visible. More alien. And even more alone.

The music was still her only refuge.

In the quiet of the night, long after the others had left the studio, she would sit alone with her headphones and try to stitch herself back together through the work. Her favorite parts weren’t the high-impact songs, the ones the press would latch onto. They were the quieter interludes. The brief, almost cinematic transitions between tracks. The places where the story was told not in lyrics, but in textures — a trembling piano loop, a whisper of harmony tucked behind the beat.

She lived for those seconds. Because in those moments, she wasn’t Adrienne the scandal. Adrienne the foreigner. Adrienne the burden. She was just… a musician.

But every morning she had to face the building again. Every polite smile from a staffer came with a lingering look she couldn’t decode. Every hushed conversation that ended when she walked in scraped a little deeper.

Yoongi still brought her coffee every day. Still shielded her from nonsense meetings, still watched her with that intense, silent focus that made her feel like the only person in the room. But even his protection had become something complicated. Something sharp-edged.

He started speaking for her more in creative meetings. Started “correcting” the tone of her notes before she even finished them. Not because he didn’t trust her — but because he was trying to preempt the criticism.

He didn’t realize he was sanding her down to something she wasn’t.

And still, she didn’t tell him. Couldn’t. Because she knew how hard he was trying. And because somewhere inside, a small, wounded voice was starting to whisper that maybe it wasn’t just them.

Maybe it was her.

Maybe she didn’t belong here after all.

It was sometime after midnight when she finally gave in and opened her photos app.

She should have been asleep. She hadn’t eaten since lunch. There were stems waiting for her in the Dropbox, harmonies that needed layering, and a synth line she couldn’t decide whether to double or scrap entirely. But none of that mattered right now.

All that mattered was the quiet ache in her chest that hadn’t let up since the studio door had clicked shut behind her.

The room was cold, overly sterilized by hotel air-conditioning that never quite turned off. Her untouched dinner sat on the tray by the window, long gone cold, condensation pooled under the water bottle. Her laptop, still open, played a silent YouTube tab she’d clicked hours ago and never watched.

She scrolled.

The photos weren’t even new. They were screenshots from Danielle’s Instagram, ones she had already seen and liked with a heart emoji and a fire emoji and a comment that read “my goddess, my hero, my big sister ❤️” like everything was fine.

But they didn’t look fine now.

Danielle, radiant in her third-trimester glow, surrounded by pastel balloons and plates of coconut cupcakes, holding a tiny, floral-print onesie with Zoe's name on it. Laughter. Brown bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder. Smiles wide enough to be heard through the screen. A life.

A home.

Adrienne had missed the whole thing. The baby shower. The ceremony. The chance to be there, to lay hands on the belly that carried her niece. All traded for what? Silence. Suspicion. A hotel suite that smelled like bleach and overcooked rice.

Her throat burned.

Before she could think too hard about it, she opened her contacts and tapped Danielle’s name.

The phone rang three times.

“Andy?” Danielle’s voice was warm, still heavy with sleep but instantly alert. “Is everything okay?”

It took Adrienne a second to speak. She stared at her reflection in the dark window, phone pressed to her cheek like a lifeline.

“Yeah,” she said, too quickly. “Yeah, I just… I wanted to hear your voice.”

Danielle exhaled, something fond and familiar sliding into her tone. “I was just dreaming about chicken nuggets. Like, the good ones. The cafeteria ones from middle school.”

Adrienne let out a small, choked laugh. “You’re not even pregnant anymore, why are you still craving things?”

“Because my baby had excellent taste.”

There was a brief silence. Not uncomfortable, just full.

“You okay?” Danielle asked again, quieter this time. “You sound tired.”

Adrienne closed her eyes. The truth came up like a wave, huge and wild, begging to crash.

I’m tired in a way I don’t know how to fix. I’m disappearing by inches. There are people here who don’t want me in the room. I don’t think I’ve been touched in a kind way that didn’t come from Yoongi in weeks. I miss home. I miss being seen.

But she couldn’t say any of that.

Not when Danielle was already carrying so much. Not when she was glowing with the love of bringing new life into this world. Adrienne couldn’t — wouldn’t — spill her black ink into that kind of joy.

So she swallowed it. Tucked it somewhere deep.

“I’m okay,” she said, forcing her voice into something light. “Things are actually… going well. It’s intense, but it’s good. The work is some of the best I’ve ever done.”

“Yeah?” Danielle sounded hopeful, which made it worse. “Are the guys still looking out for you?”

“They’ve been incredible. Yoongi’s… he’s been amazing. Like a one-man security team-slash-producer-slash-therapist.”

“That’s my girl.” Danielle’s voice turned soft, teasing. “Falling for someone with range.”

Adrienne laughed. It was real, for a second. Then it burned out.

They talked for another fifteen minutes. About the baby (still an infant, not doing much), about Danielle’s newest weird craving (red licorice and pickled eggs, which Adrienne tried very hard not to react to), and about a half-hearted plan to FaceTime sometime soon.

Adrienne kept the smile in her voice. Let Danielle hear the strong, thriving version of her. The version that could still be a role model, a pillar, a sister.

By the time they hung up, the phone screen went dark in her hand, and the silence that followed was thick and brutal.

She had lied.

Not a white lie. Not a protective fib.

She had lied, straight through her teeth, to the one person in the world she had never lied to before. Not even once. And now the lie sat in the room with her, heavier than grief, colder than exhaustion.

The truth wasn’t safe to speak aloud anymore. Not even here. Not even to the person who’d once held her hair back when she threw up on her birthday. Who had walked her through the trauma of her first breakup. Who had flown across an ocean when Adrienne lost her scholarship and felt too ashamed to go home.

That distance had been circumstantial. This one was deliberate.

She had built this wall herself. A fortress of silence and pretend victories. And now she was stuck behind it, alone.

The loneliness hit her so hard she had to curl in on herself just to breathe.

He didn’t knock. He never knocked anymore.

It was nearly 2:00 a.m., and the hallway lights outside Adrienne’s room flickered low and yellow. The hotel was silent, save for the hum of vending machines and the soft shuffle of his own sneakers against the carpet. His shoulders ached from hours hunched over the mixing desk, but he barely noticed. His mind was on fire. Not frantic. Not chaotic. Just bright. Like something had finally clicked into place after days of feeling stuck underwater.

He had it. The bridge.

It had come to him like lightning, sudden and merciless. A perfect, aching run of chords that bent toward Hoseok’s verse and snapped clean into Namjoon’s without losing the thread. It was balanced, bold. It felt inevitable. A tether. It was the piece they’d been circling for weeks.

He unlocked her door and stepped in.

“Andy,” he called softly, already smiling. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

But the room didn’t answer him back.

The lights were off, the curtains drawn. Adrienne was curled on the corner of the bed, still dressed, laptop open but asleep or nearly there. He could tell from the angle of her body that she hadn’t moved in a while. Not really. Not since he left.

There was a room service tray on the console, covered but untouched. The condensation on the water glass had pooled into a perfect ring. The place smelled like takeout steam and cold linen and something else he couldn’t quite name.

She looked up at him when he came closer. Her face was bare. Not just of makeup, but of expression.

His smile faltered.

“I got it,” he said anyway, voice low with triumph. “The bridge. It’s done. It’s clean and weird and bold and—hell, it’s us. You’ll hear it and know.”

He waited.

She didn’t say anything for a long beat. Then she nodded. Slow. As if the motion cost her something.

“That’s great, Gi,” she said softly.

Not sarcastic. Not dismissive. But also not… present.

Yoongi dropped his bag by the door and moved toward her, kneeling at the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, eyes glancing somewhere near his shoulder. “Nothing. Long day.”

He hated that phrase. It always meant something worse.

He reached for her hand, found it cold and limp in his. She let him hold it, didn’t pull away, but her fingers didn’t tighten around his either.

Yoongi’s mind scrambled. He had done everything right. He’d cleared her schedule. Argued with staff. Thrown himself between her and every executive with an agenda. This project was clean now. Sharp. Their best work. The album was shaping up into something transformative. Something undeniable.

And Adrienne looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

“We’re almost there,” he said, desperate to share what he was feeling. “The title track’s done. Once it drops, once they hear it—they’ll shut up. All of them. The whole fucking world.”

She just looked at him.

No spark. No fight. Just something tired, and quiet, and far away.

He moved closer. Brushed a hand across her cheek, trying to will something back into her. “A little longer, okay? We finish strong. We put it out, and we get to be proud of what we made.”

Adrienne smiled then, but it was the kind of smile that belonged to a woman drowning politely in a crowded room. Not because she couldn’t scream, but because screaming would make everyone else uncomfortable.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He pulled her into his chest. Felt her tuck herself under his chin, arms winding around his middle like muscle memory. He stroked her back, slowly, like it would undo whatever had frayed. Like touch could fix what language hadn’t.

She let him.

And he thought: this is enough. This is how you hold someone through the worst of it.

But as Adrienne rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes and breathing in his familiar scent, she felt a profound and devastating sense of loneliness. She was in the arms of the man she loved, a man who would go to war for her, and she had never felt more alone in her life. The thought, once a fleeting whisper, now became a clear, solid resolve in her mind.

I can’t stay here.

Mornings were normally hell for Yoongi, usually because he'd only managed a few hours of sleep before the road called again. This morning, however, he found it hard to leave the warmth of his bed for entirely different reasons. He'd spent the majority of his night vividly fantasizing about his coworker. It was possibly the best, or worst, depending on your point of view, night's sleep he'd ever had.

Yoongi's body ignited from the waist down, an inferno spreading from his loins to his toes, constricting him with intense heat. He was engulfed by Adrienne. Her entire body pulsed and moved with his rhythm, her contracting muscles clasping him tightly. Languid stroke followed stroke between them. The virtual Adrienne, a product of his dream, moaned with each touch, whispering his name with fevered intensity as her muscles tensed and trembled around his length. Then, without warning, his lungs burning for oxygen, sweat beading on his brow, Yoongi came undone.

The sensation was too raw, too real, and Yoongi jackknifed upright in bed, heavy with the knowledge that he was having a sex dream about his co-worker and very much aware of the fact that he was granite hard, an erection straining the cotton weave fibers of his boxers. Confused, he scanned his bedroom to confirm he was indeed in his own bed and hadn't done something incredibly stupid.

Relief washed over him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The familiar soft snores from his roommate's end of the room answered his silent plea. He was relieved, of course, but hyper-aware that there was no way he could go back to bed now. Not with his cock throbbing, begging to be attended to, and visions of Andy, bare as the day she was born, flaring up in his mind every time he closed his eyes. Without any other options, Yoongi pushed himself out of bed and groggily padded towards the living room, grabbing his laptop. If he couldn't sleep, at least he could get some work done until they had to head out for the day.

So, there was no surprise that he was damn near cantankerous during the beginning of their schedules. He barely spoke during interviews, curled up in the back of their travel van with his hood over his head and a posture that screamed ‘Do Not Talk To Me’. The other members noticed and knew to stay out of his way as much as they could to avoid setting him off. The only time he seemed to perk up slightly was when they were on their way to the studio to film some of the album-making process for their year-end DVD. Going to the studio meant he’d get to see Andy, and that eased his irritable mood only by a little.

He found disappointment, however, when they arrived at their shared studio only to find a crew setting up to film and no sign of Adrienne. He didn’t ask where she was but instead threw himself onto the couch and allowed the staff to finish setting up and fit him with a mic before everyone cleared out, leaving only the boys and the camera person. Yoongi knew that he would eventually lead the conversation since he had contributed the most to the album's formation. But, well, he didn’t want to. Without Andy being around, Yoongi's mood worsened as he glanced around the room, memories of Adrienne consuming his thoughts. The scent of her perfume, from when she'd leaned over him at the computer, filled his nose as he watched Namjoon idly tinker at the desk. The weight of her body pressed against him when they kissed for the first time, and the sensation of her hands all over him, filled him with warmth once again when he looked towards the far wall. Even sitting on the couch called to memory all the time they’d spent talking up until the wee hours of the morning when inspiration refused to pay each of them a visit.

There was no place he could look in this room that didn’t remind him of Adrienne, and Yoongi began to feel suffocated by the thought of her. He warned no one but quickly stood up and exited the room to take a deep breath and press the back of his head against the wall just outside the door.

“Yoongi-ssi?”

Adrienne’s familiar melodic tone made Yoongi’s eyes snap open, and he allowed himself to genuinely smile at her as she slowly walked toward him with two lattes in her hands. She was clearly unaware they were filming today, dressed in simple leggings and a hoodie two sizes too big. Yoongi still found her beautiful.

“Are you waiting for me? I know I’m late but you don’t have to wait for me outside,” Adrienne giggled and handed one of the lattes to him. “Here, I got you a caramel macchiato, don't be mad.”

Yoongi shook his head and smiled as he took the plastic cup from her hands. Taking a sip, he moved to stop Adrienne before she went into the studio, hoping to warn her, but she was already inside before he got the chance.

“Oh,” Yoongi heard her gasp from the other side of the door, “Do you guys need the room today? I just need something from the computer and I’ll be out of the way,” she said quickly as she moved toward the computer.

“Actually,” Namjoon spoke up just as Yoongi opened his mouth to answer her, “We need you here today too. We have to film some scenes for our DVD; they want to film us working on the album and just talking about the direction we’re taking. So we need you.”

“O-okay,” Andy stammered as Namjoon gestured for her to take the seat at the computer desk. “There was a song that I wanted all of you to record something for, maybe this is a good time,” she muttered to herself and swiveled around to open a few files on the computer.

Yoongi fell silent again as he resumed his place at the far end of the couch and took a long sip of the coffee Andy had given him. The younger members seated next to him noticed that he was the only one who had received a drink and complained until he finally gave it to them to share. He wouldn’t show it, but he was happy seeing Adrienne at the head of the room, even if that meant sitting so close to Namjoon, who took every chance he had to strike up a conversation with her. The room was lively and loud in true Bangtan fashion when the camera crew returned to begin filming. Everything seemed to start out smoothly, with Namjoon and Yoongi doing most of the talking while Adrienne answered a few questions and played snippets of the finished songs they had.

However, when the camera centered on her and the crew directed her to give a short explanation of the songs she composed from scratch, Adrienne's eyes went wide. Yoongi recognized her blank expression by the way she fumbled with her hoodie's hem, but she attempted to answer anyway.

“Uhm. Well, t-this...um song um.” Adrienne stuttered, fumbling her short sentence until the camera person signaled her to stop.

“I’m sorry, but do you even speak Korean?” one of the staff members asked impatiently.

“I-I do. Well, a little bit, I mean. I’m still learning and it’s hard,” Adrienne answered meekly.

“Andy-” Yoongi’s voice cut the tension that was beginning to develop between Adrienne and the staff members who didn’t know her. “Maybe you should take a break? I can explain the songs I worked on until you come back."

“That’s a good idea,” she replied and quickly got up to move outside before the staff had the chance to say anything else.

She was gone for only a few minutes before Namjoon followed, announcing he'd check on her as he slid out the door. This left Yoongi wondering why he had to wait until she was alone to make sure she was okay. He pushed those thoughts away and continued doing what he did best: talk about music and his many inspirations until everyone around him was tired of hearing him speak. There was almost an audible sigh of relief when Adrienne reappeared in the doorway, with Namjoon following closely behind her. Both wore dopey smiles that discomfited Yoongi.

Adrienne's confidence soared after her brief time outside. Yoongi didn’t know what Namjoon had said to her that put her in such a good mood, but whatever it was, it surely seemed to work because she had virtually no trouble explaining her thoughts this time around. Of course, her sentences were still somewhat limited, but whenever she faltered, Namjoon was right there to translate the English she whispered into his ear. They made an efficient team, and the remainder of the filming went by just as smoothly as the beginning.

The film crew thanked the group and Adrienne before breaking down their set and leaving. There was barely a second of time for the boys to settle before one of their managers came to herd them back out to the car. Adrienne looked in Yoongi’s direction as they were on their way with an expression that read she wanted to talk, and he contemplated making them late for the rest of the schedule when she began to speak. Except she wasn’t looking at Yoongi when she mouthed the words ‘I’ll text you’; she was looking a few inches above his head at Namjoon, who nodded quickly and gave her a wide smile before heading down the hallway. In fact, she didn’t even make eye contact with Yoongi at all as he left the room and she turned back to the computer.

If there was a mood worse than pissed, Yoongi was in it for the rest of the day.

Adrienne hadn’t been aware of Yoongi or his reaction to her not speaking to him on the way out that day. She was far too focused on the information Namjoon had revealed to her while they were outside the studio.

“Andy, are you alright?” Namjoon said cautiously, not wanting to startle her as he approached Adrienne, who was crouched against the wall with her head cradled in her hands.

“Hm? Oh Joonie, it’s you,” Adrienne exhaled and nodded quickly. “I’ll be fine, I just need a few minutes to think.”

Namjoon nodded a few times then moved to take a seat next to her. “You don't need to push yourself, Suga-hyung can handle all the talking if you want him to. I think he’d be happy to, actually.”

“I don’t want him to, though,” Andy replied with a groan. “I don’t even know why I couldn’t think of anything to say. I don't have a problem arguing for my songs with Yoongi or any of the other producers here. When they put that camera in my face, I just… went blank. They probably think I’m a talentless loser that’s only working here because I’m sleeping with your boss.” Andy groaned again and pulled her knees against her chest.

Namjoon laughed silently before resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “There’s no way they think that, have you met our boss?”

Adrienne smiled and shook her head at the ridiculousness of her thought. “Well maybe not, but they’re probably wondering the same thing I am.”

“What’s that?”

“Why am I here? I’ve been trying to figure that out since I got here, and I just don’t get it. No one I talked to when I got here seemed to know anything about me, and yet your boss offered me such an important job. Don’t you find that weird?”

Namjoon stroked his chin a few times and looked over towards Adrienne, who still seemed genuinely confused. “Not really. I can tell you why you’re here: it’s because of me.”

“What?” Adrienne questioned.

“I started following your Soundcloud a few years ago; I’m actually kind of a fan of yours,” Namjoon answered sheepishly. “Anyway, when we completed our last album, PD-nim once mentioned bringing someone new in to help with production. I thought of you immediately and convinced him to give you a chance. It was a fight, but he gave in eventually.”

Andy was speechless at the end of his explanation, at such a loss for words, the only way she could accurately express her gratitude was to open her arms and pull Namjoon towards her in a smothering hug. She knew there would be stares and whispers thrown in their direction if anyone happened to see them in the hallway, but Adrienne didn’t care. She was feeling so many emotions, there was no way she'd be able to tell him just how much his confidence in her abilities meant to her, even if he had tried.

It was this revelation that gave Adrienne the confidence boost to finish her filming, and having Adrienne hug him put Namjoon higher than cloud nine for the rest of the day. He had honestly considered giving up on pursuing her, especially with Yoongi's lately improved mood, but that hug rekindled his hope. Maybe it wasn’t too late for him to tell her how he felt.

Adrienne was not aware of any of this; on the other hand, she was too busy falling in love with her music again. The album was nearly done, which gave her more time to work on her personal tracks when she had the free time.

It was three in the afternoon on a Friday when Adrienne finally found herself back in the company studio, working alone on a track that she and Yoongi had composed together. She wondered exactly where Yoongi was since they’d agreed to meet today; then she realized that she hadn’t really seen or heard from him for most of that week. After they filmed on Monday, he was practically a ghost, and Adrienne didn’t even notice until that moment. She thought about calling him but decided against it and pulled her phone out to text him instead.

Adrienne: Yoongi-ah! Where are you, aren’t we working today?

A few minutes felt like an eternity before Adrienne's phone finally buzzed.

Yoongi: studio. Adrienne: ??? that’s where I am. Yoongi: my studio.

His cryptic, final response left her puzzled; he didn't answer any of Adrienne's subsequent text messages, which both worried and annoyed her. She didn’t know anything about him having a separate workspace apart from the one they shared. With a frustrated huff, Adrienne pushed herself away from the computer desk and went to hunt down her missing partner. After opening many doors that all revealed empty conference rooms, Adrienne finally decided to swallow her pride and ask one of the staff members to point her in the right direction.

She found the room eventually, a small space not too far away from the room they practice in, and saw Yoongi seated in a mesh office chair nodding along to whatever was playing in his headphones. Moving slowly, Adrienne tiptoed as quietly as she could until she was directly behind him, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. She wanted to respect his decision not to date, but she really couldn’t help wanting to wrap herself around him every time she saw him. A feeling that was only intensified since she hadn’t seen him all week.

Adrienne expected him to be annoyed or even upset when she pulled her face up and pressed a cheek against his jawline. Instead of scolding her or sighing dramatically like he usually would, Yoongi just sat, staring straight ahead. He didn’t react at all until Adrienne jostled his shoulder and made him turn around to face her.

“Do you need something?” He asked with an icy glare that confused Adrienne.

“Um. Well, yeah, we’re supposed to be working today, aren't we?”

“I am working.”

“I can see that, but I thought we would be finishing that song together?”

Yoongi pressed his lips together and swiveled the other way. “I changed my mind,” he stated simply before putting the headphones back on his head.

Adrienne squinted her eyes in confusion, trying to piece together exactly which one of her actions could have garnered this kind of reaction. He couldn’t have been this upset just because she hugged him, could he?

“O—kay, well, I’m here now. I can help out if you want-”

“I really don’t need your help, Andy,” Yoongi snapped. “I can handle it by myself, so don’t worry about it.”

That outburst was the last thing Adrienne needed to hear to make her lose her meek demeanor.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit, Yoongi, you’re being weird, and I don't understand why because I’ve barely seen you all week.”

“I’m not acting weird! I just don’t have time to sit around and waste time talking to you all day. We have an album to put together in just a few months.” He huffed and pulled the headphones off his head, allowing them to clatter against his desk. “If you want someone to gossip with, maybe you should find Namjoon.”

Those final words made everything click for Adrienne, and she threw her hands up in the air, a loud, humorless laugh accompanying her look of disbelief.

“Is that what this is about?” she asked with a gesture between them before resting her hands on her hips. “Are you jealous that he helped me the other day?”

Yoongi scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Adrienne recognized she’d hit a raw nerve by the ticking of his jaw.

“Are you serious right now, Yoongi? Do you think you’re the only person that could possibly know how to make me feel better?”

“No.”

“So, is no other guy allowed to talk to me unless you’re present?"

“No,” Yoongi repeated again with a growl. "That's not what I meant."

“Then what’s the problem?!” Adrienne exclaimed, loud enough for Jungkook and Taehyung, who were about to amuse themselves by bothering Yoongi, to stop in their tracks and turn back the other way.

“I didn’t think you were that kind of girl,” Yoongi answered calmly; he made no attempt to match her volume. “Just because we can’t be together, you already start working on catching another member? I didn’t think you were like that.”

It took a few seconds for Adrienne to really process what he was saying, and by the time he was done talking, she was angry enough to destroy every piece of equipment in his studio. She bottled that anger, taking a deep breath to calm the fury within her until she was no longer boiling over. Her demeanor was eerily calm and decisive as she closed the space between them and rested both her hands on the armrests of Yoongi’s chair, effectively trapping him beneath her hardened gaze.

“Let's get one thing straight,” she said softly as she brought her head down to meet his eye line, “There is nothing stopping us from being together besides your own cowardice. If you want to hide behind your job and your boss and whatever else you’re scared of, feel free to keep doing it, but don’t pretend that there’s some grand force keeping us apart. You’re doing that on your own, and you know it.”

Yoongi parted his lips to answer, but she silenced him with a firm finger against his mouth.

“And secondly? Namjoon and I are friends. We’re going to continue being friends whether you like it or not, and if you and your fragile ego can’t handle that, then maybe it's a good thing you’re too much of a coward to be with me.”

Adrienne ended her statement by pushing his chair away from her and slamming the door on her way out. She was livid the entire walk home and muttered angrily under her breath the whole way. The audacity of him to suggest she'd just jump to someone else, like some starstruck fan, fueled Adrienne's anger with every passing thought. She couldn't even finish the lyrics she'd been carefully curating. It was meant to be a passionate love song, but the only words she could think of were ‘fuck Min Yoongi’ – and not in the way she usually wanted to.

Eventually, her anger lured her to sleep. She managed to rest peacefully for exactly one hour until the sound of loud banging on her front door forced her awake. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, and Adrienne contemplated grabbing a weapon of some sort until she listened closely and heard a very familiar voice calling her name from the other side of the door.

Admittedly, Yoongi didn’t really have a plan.

He thought that showing up to Adrienne's apartment after their fight in an attempt to apologize was a good idea after having dinner with Hoseok. Of course, that was four bottles of soju ago, and whatever he'd planned to say was now just nonsense rattling in his head.

When Adrienne’s door flew open, she still looked as angry as she had hours ago, but Yoongi remained undeterred. He would win her over tonight, even if it killed him.

“Hey, beautiful.” He said sweetly, leaning against the frame of the door in an attempt to seem less drunk than he actually was.

“Yoongi, do you know what fucking time it is?”

“I think it’s time for you and I to stop playing and do this shit for real.” Yoongi grinned, believing he was being clever.

Adrienne was not amused and looked at him like he’d spontaneously grown two more heads right there on her doorstep.

“Are you drunk?”

Yoongi denied it, of course, with a loud scoff, but he stumbled when he attempted to push himself off the doorframe, and Adrienne rolled her eyes with annoyance.

“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered into her hands. “Get in here before someone sees you falling over your own two feet.”

Yoongi kept insisting that he was fine but didn’t fight back when Adrienne forcibly pulled him into her apartment and shut the door behind him.

“Did you honestly think that this was a good idea? Showing up in the middle of the night, drunk off your ass, telling me we need to do this shit for real? What are you even talking about?!”

“You think I should have waited until tomorrow?” Yoongi countered, ignoring the bulk of her questions.

“...I’m not doing this, not tonight,” Adrienne said, sounding exasperated. “You can sleep it off on the couch until the morning, but I’m going to bed.” She moved to brush past him, but Yoongi caught her wrist and pulled her towards him.

“I’m serious, Andy,” Yoongi sounded more lucid, though still clearly tipsy and swaying slightly. The bravado he'd tried to project earlier had vanished.

“I’m not afraid to be with you, I know you think that I am, but I’m not...not anymore. My job is important to me, and I’ve never wanted to risk having anything distract me from being successful…. Not until I met you.” He said softly, his fingertips gently touching her cheek before curling around her jawline.

Adrienne wanted to pull away, to push him out of her apartment and go back to being angry with him, but the look in his red, puffy eyes broke her heart. So she allowed him to hold her. She didn’t respond with words, but her simple action of not pulling away when he cradled her face in his hands encouraged Yoongi to keep talking.

“And I don’t even mean that I think you’re a distraction, it’s just...” Yoongi sighed and tried to form what he wanted to say in a coherent way, “I was jealous earlier because it’s so hard for me to tell you exactly what I'm feeling when I don’t know how to, and Namjoon can talk to you so easily. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted him instead; actually, he’d probably treat you a lot better than I would.”

“Okay, you can shut up now,” Adrienne finally answered with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want Namjoon or anybody else. Just you. Do you know how much it hurt me to hear you accuse me of being some kind of tramp just for talking to someone else? "

“I should not have said that,” Yoongi responded quickly, his words still slurring together.

“No, you shouldn’t have. It was a terrible thing to accuse me of, Min Yoongi.” Adrienne chastised while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi smiled broadly when she pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I really do like the way you say my name.”

“You do?” Adrienne giggled and looked up at him. “You should be nice to me so I can say it more often.”

A playful smirk danced along Yoongi's lips when he looked at her again, and he pulled her head close to him and pressed his lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss that traveled down to her temple. He pressed his lips against the skin there as well before his lips skimmed against her ear. “I really want to kiss you, is that okay?”

One of his hands reached up and delicately framed Andy's face, his eyes bore into her own and held her gaze until Adrienne silently gave him permission to proceed. He moved slowly at first, not wanting to give away just how much he had been wanting to kiss her. Once their lips touched, however, it only took seconds for his body to betray his mind. Her lips were soft, just as soft as Yoongi remembered, and he couldn’t find it in himself to keep his kiss chaste like he intended.

He spared no time in gingerly teasing her lips apart with the tip of his tongue. Against her better judgment, Andy welcomed the inclusion of his tongue between her lips, dancing her own with his. She smiled against his lips as his hands moved down from her waist to completely engulf as much of her backside as he could between his palms. He pulled her body as close to his as possible, and Andy gasped lightly when his lips parted from her own and attached themselves to her neck. Every curve of her body was pressed against his, and Andy could feel a very good reason for them to stop gently poking her in the stomach.

“Can you make it back to the studio by yourself?” Adrienne asked softly with Yoongi’s face still buried in her neck.

“Are you kicking me out?” He snickered but made no effort to move.

“Won’t the boys be wondering where you are?” Andy asked as she began walking backwards, leading them both toward her bedroom.

“Hoseok knows where I am, he’ll cover for me,” Yoongi answered with a smile.

“You have to get up early tomorrow, you should get some sleep.”

“I think I’m going to sleep very well tonight.”

“But what if-”

Yoongi stopped the excuse machine with a finger on her lips. “I’ll get up early and tell everyone I slept in my studio, no one has to know I was here. Except Hobi, but even he isn’t stupid enough to say anything. Any more excuses?”

“No,” Andy replied after a moment's pause, and Yoongi smiled.

“Good.”

In a split second, he had her pressed against the wall. He pushed himself against her and she moaned. He rested his forehead against hers and ghosted his mouth over hers but didn't kiss her. He took her hand in his and trailed it down his chest until it came to the erection resting inside his pants. He wanted to ravage her, to make her feel every inch of him and everything he did to her. Yet, a small chance lingered that he might never have her like this again. So, he decided to take it slow, to tease her, to give her something to remember each time their eyes met. He kept one hand on her hip, while the other slid up her back. Their eyes engaged in an intense stare while he carefully pushed the loose fabric of her sweatshirt up and over her head; the material slowly revealed her bare chest. His imagination was nothing compared to the actual sight of her. It was almost more than he could take.

He trailed his hungry mouth down her chin, over the column of her throat and down the valley of her chest. He kissed all around the globe of her right breast first, and he could feel her heart rate begin to rise as she gasped and arched her back a little. He ran his tongue along the heavy underside of her breast, licking and nipping as he went. He just barely licked her nipple and she whimpered and grabbed his hair, forcing his mouth on her. Yoongi smiled and allowed his mouth to be maneuvered. He sucked her nipple, bit her just hard enough not to cause pain, and squeezed her flesh. His name fell from her lips, and he was sure it was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard. He teased her breasts for several minutes, until she was undulating her hips against him, just begging for some friction. He ran his lips along her stomach and then he was on his knees in front of her. He looked up at her, boring his intense gaze into her green eyes, while he took his time pulling her cotton shorts all the way off.

She shimmied her hips a little to help, and then he was met with the sight of her lacy black thong that did nothing to mask the fragrance of her arousal. He had to look down and take a minute to control the urge to forget the game he was playing and take her right then and there. Adrienne stroked his face until he got control of himself, then he hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear and pulled them down.

Yoongi moved back a little so he could take her in. She had the most open, trusting expression on her face, and it nearly crushed him to know that he had hurt her just a few hours earlier. His eyes fell from her face to her fit, slim body, and he was immediately inundated with images of all the things he would do to her, if she let him. He wanted to make love to her, fuck her, make her see stars, make her call for God, and make her know that he would do everything in his power to make sure that she never felt hurt again. So he scooted back to her, still on his knees, and he placed his hands behind her legs. He hoisted her up enough for her to place her legs on top of his shoulders, with her back pressed to the wall. He ran his nose up her wet center, and she shivered. He groaned deeply because the scent of her made his mouth water. He teased her before diving in like a man who’d been starved for weeks.

Every moan and sigh that spilled from her lips spurred him on, and soon his fingers joined his tongue. He slipped one inside her first, then another, and he worked them up and down slowly to get her right where he wanted her. When he felt her orgasm drawing closer, he hooked his fingers at just the right time, and her whole body went stiff. She screamed, alternating between "Yoongi" and "holy shit," and he continued his ministrations until her body was spasming and she was breathing hard. He slowly removed his fingers and gently placed her on her feet again. He made a show of licking his lips and his fingers, and she looked at him through hooded, sated eyes and leaned back to keep her balance. He stroked himself through his pants, and he saw her eyes drop to his crotch.

“I can still go back to the studio if you want me to?" he asked.

Andy licked her lips and shook her head.

"You seemed like you wanted that earlier."

"Please shut up," she replied in a hoarse voice.

Yoongi kept his eyes on her as he pulled his shirt off, then unbuckled his jeans. He slipped his shoes off, then his socks, then let his jeans drop down to the floor, revealing his naked body. He walked back to her and then picked her up by her waist. He wrapped her legs around him and he rubbed himself against her. Both of them groaned. Their lips touched, but they still didn't kiss as he gently pushed himself inside of her, one inch at a time. Adrienne’s mouth fell open, and her eyes closed as she took him in. She was so warm and wet around him that he needed a moment to gather himself. Once he was sure she was okay, he rolled his hips back and forth at a slow pace. She clutched his shoulders and breathed against his lips. The only sounds in the whole house were of their bodies joining and the pleasured moans coming from both of them. They breathed on each other as they moved together. His strokes became deeper and harder, and her sounds got louder and louder. He eventually found the perfect spot for her, which in turn made it the perfect spot for him, and she squeezed him so tightly that he almost lost it.

"Yoongi," she breathed. Her eyes closed as she struggled to string together her thoughts. "I'm...I'm close."

With that declaration, Yoongi finally attacked her mouth hungrily, and their tongues met in a heated union. Their movements became reckless and desperate, and he didn't stop until Andy threw her head back and climaxed, squeezing and milking him so tightly that he couldn't help but follow right behind her. He buried his head in her shoulder as her screams pushed him over the edge, and he emptied himself inside of her.

Neither of them moved for a while as he continued to hold her against the wall. When she finally came down and stopped clenching around him, Yoongi breathed her in and kissed the soft skin of her neck. He nuzzled her with his nose in an attempt to commit the scent of her to his memory. He pulled out of her and placed her back on her feet when he finally felt the strength return to his legs. Without a word he guided them both towards the edge of Adrienne’s bed and they both fell face first into the covers.

For a single, silent moment, the world stopped. The words didn't register. They were just shapes on a screen. Then, the meaning crashed into him like a physical blow, stealing the air from his lungs. A cold, metallic dread flooded his veins, instantly banishing the warmth and peace of moments before.

His thumb, trembling, clicked the link. The pictures loaded. Namjoon and Adrienne. Walking. Talking. Hugging. The way the photos were framed, cropped, angled—it was deliberate. Malicious. It was a construction, a lie built from fragments of truth.

His first emotion wasn't jealousy. It was a pure, white-hot, volcanic rage. A rage so intense it made his vision swim. This was an attack. Not on Namjoon, not really. This was an attack on her . They were feeding her to the wolves. A foreign woman, a talented creator, reduced to a “mysterious female,” a faceless conquest for an idol. They had erased her identity, her artistry, and painted her as a homewrecker.

His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. Who? Who had done this? A rival company? Sasaengs? It didn't matter. They had crossed a line. They had hurt his Adrienne.

His mind worked with a chilling, furious clarity. He thought of her in her room, probably still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware that her world was being set on fire. The image sent a fresh surge of protective fury through him. He had to get to her. He had to be the one to tell her, to shield her before the anonymous poison of the internet could reach her.

He was already out of bed, pulling on the dark clothes he’d discarded earlier, when his phone rang. It was Sejin.

“Hyung,” Yoongi’s voice was dangerously calm, a low growl that belied the storm raging inside him. “What’s the official response?”

“We’re drafting it now,” Sejin’s voice was tense, all business. “Denial, of course. Threatening legal action for defamation and invasion of privacy. But the photos are out there, Yoongi. It’s already spreading.”

“I don’t care about the spread,” Yoongi snapped, his voice like ice. “I care about her safety. Is there security on her floor?”

“Yes, we’ve already posted someone. No one gets near her room.”

“Good.” He thought of Namjoon. The poor bastard. He’d walked right into a landmine, his only crime being a decent, kind-hearted man. This would be a nightmare for him as the leader. But Yoongi’s primary, primal focus was singular.

“I’m going to her room,” he stated, not asking for permission.

“Yoongi, wait. We need to handle this carefully. You being seen going to her room right now…”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about being seen,” he snarled, all pretense of calm gone. “Someone just declared war on my… on our producer. On a member of our team. I’m going to be with her. You handle the press.”

He hung up before Sejin could argue, his heart pounding with a mix of adrenaline and dread. He shoved his feet into his shoes, grabbed his cap, and stalked towards the door. This was the nightmare he had always feared, the collision of his private happiness and his public life. But it hadn't come from his own actions. It had come from a lie. A lie he was going to help her burn to the ground.

The knock on her door was sharp, insistent, tearing through the quiet fabric of her peaceful morning. Adrienne frowned, setting down her coffee cup. She moved to the door, her plush robe cinched at her waist, and peered through the peephole. Hoseok. His face was a mask of anxiety.

She swung the door open. “Hobi? What’s wrong?”

His words came out in a rushed, low torrent. “Noona, have you looked at your phone? Or the news?” He was practically vibrating with nervous energy.

“No, why?” The knot of unease in her stomach tightened into a cold fist. “Hoseok, you’re scaring me.”

“Just… check your phone, Andy. And don’t leave your room. Yoongi-hyung is on his way.” And with that, he was gone, a flash of frantic energy disappearing down the hall.

Her hands were trembling now. Yoongi is on his way. The words echoed in her mind, laced with an ominous dread. She stumbled back to the bedside table, her tranquil bubble irrevocably popped. She picked up the phone.

The screen was an explosion of digital violence. Missed calls, texts, notifications. Her eyes landed on a headline from a major entertainment site. Her own name stared back at her.

She clicked.

The first photo was of her and Namjoon, walking. The caption called her a “mysterious foreigner.” The second photo, the hug, was labeled “an intimate embrace.” The article was a masterpiece of character assassination. It wasn't just speculation; it was a narrative. She was an opportunist, a schemer who had used her position to seduce the group’s leader. They questioned her credentials, insinuated her work was subpar, her success unearned.

A wave of dizziness made her sit heavily on the edge of the bed. This was a nightmare. She scrolled down, against every screaming instinct in her body, to the comments section.

The words were like acid.

taetaeluvr_97 · 3m Who is this black girl? She’s not even pretty. ↳ yoongislawyer · 2m Imagine thinking beauty is your business. Sit down and stay mad. bts4eva_jin · 5m Figures she’d go after the leader. She probably slept her way into the job. namjoonswife_kor · 10m Namjoon deserves better. He should be with a nice Korean girl. ↳ mono_verse · 7m Namjoon deserves happiness. Maybe she makes him smile—unlike this thread. kookie_cutieee · 15m She looks like a cheap gold-digger. Send her back where she came from. minyoongifairy · 20m I bet her music is trash, that’s why they needed to hire her, lol. She’s a diversity hire. ↳ healingbeats · 17m She literally produces her own music. Y’all are loud and wrong.

It was a tidal wave of pure, unfiltered hate, aimed directly at her. Every insecurity she had ever harbored about being an outsider, about being good enough, about her race, her gender, was being thrown back at her, magnified a million times. The violation was absolute. It felt like they had reached through the screen and stripped her bare, leaving her exposed and raw for the entire world to mock and tear apart.

But beneath the crushing weight of venom, a flicker of light pierced the darkness. Amid the flood of bitter voices, a few rose in fierce defense — sharp and unwavering. Their words were fewer, but they burned with a steady heat, wrapping around her like a fragile shield.

A sob, thick and ragged, tore from her throat. This was what Yoongi had been afraid of. This was the beast he tried to keep at bay.

The door to her room burst open with such force that it slammed against the wall. Yoongi stood there, a whirlwind of furious energy, his face pale, his eyes blazing. He saw the phone clutched in her white-knuckled grip, the tears streaming down her face, and the rage in his expression melted into a look of profound, heart-wrenching pain.

He crossed the room in two strides, his hands coming up to gently pry the phone from her fingers, tossing it onto the bed as if it were contaminated. He framed her face with his hands, his touch a desperate, grounding force.

“Andy,” he breathed, his voice a raw, broken thing. “Don’t look at it. Please, baby, don't read that trash.”

“They hate me,” she whispered, the words fractured by sobs. “Yoongi, they hate me. They said… they said…”

“I know what they said,” he growled, pulling her into a crushing embrace. His arms were a fortress around her, and she clung to him, burying her face in the solid warmth of his chest. He held her, rocking her gently, whispering furious, comforting words into her hair. “It’s lies, Adrienne. All of it. Vicious, calculated lies. They’re scum. They’re nothing.”

He held her for a long time, letting her cry, his own silent fury a palpable heat against her. When her sobs finally subsided into shuddering breaths, he pulled back, his dark eyes searching hers.

“What do we do?” she asked, her voice small and hoarse. “The company… Namjoon… my sister called…”

His expression hardened, his focus shifting from comfort to command. “First,” he said, his voice low and steady, “you need to listen to me. This is not your fault. None of it. Do you understand?” He waited until she gave a small, shaky nod.

“Second, we don’t let them win. Panicking is what they want. The company is handling the official side. Sejin and Namjoon are already working on it.” He took a deep breath, his resolve solidifying. “What matters, right now, is this.” He tapped his own chest, then gently touched hers, right over her heart. “Us. They can’t touch this.”

He looked at her, truly looked at her, seeing the deep wound they had inflicted. The fear, the humiliation, the violation. And his love for her, fierce and protective, surged with the force of a tidal wave. He had been so consumed with the fear of their own relationship causing a scandal that he had never imagined a lie could be so much more destructive.

“You are the most talented, brilliant, and beautiful woman I have ever known,” he said, his voice thick with an emotion he rarely showed. “You are not a ‘mysterious female.’ You are Adrienne Rolle. A phenomenal producer. And you are mine.” The last word was a possessive, protective growl. “I was a coward before. I was afraid of what the world would think, what it would do to us. Not anymore. Fuck the world.”

He pulled her hand into his, his grip firm, a lifeline. “They picked the wrong people to mess with, Andy. We’re going to get through this. Together.”

She looked up at him, into the blazing conviction in his eyes. The fear was still there, a cold snake in her stomach. But for the first time since she’d picked up that phone, it wasn’t alone. Beside it, a new feeling was taking root. A shared strength. A defiant, burning anger. A love that felt not like a fragile secret, but like an unbreakable shield.

She squeezed his hand back, her fingers lacing through his, a silent vow.

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice finding its first sliver of steel. “Together.”

The world outside her hotel room had become a low, menacing hum, a beast stirring in its sleep. Inside, there was only the sound of Yoongi’s breathing and the frantic, unsteady beat of her own heart. The initial storm of tears had subsided, leaving behind a hollowed-out landscape of shock and a cold, simmering rage. He hadn’t left her side. After his furious, protective declaration, a quiet, focused energy had taken over him. He’d ordered her a pot of hot tea from room service, his voice on the phone deceptively calm, a general marshaling his resources. He’d taken her phone and placed it face down on the far side of the room, a silent command she had no intention of disobeying. For now.

“Drink this,” he said, his voice soft as he pressed the warm ceramic mug into her hands. His anger hadn't vanished; it had simply been banked, forged into a shield around her. He sat on the edge of the bed, not touching her, but his proximity was a palpable force, a silent promise of solidarity.

“What’s happening out there?” she asked, her voice raspy. The tea was chamomile, its scent a ridiculously gentle counterpoint to the violence of the situation.

“The company is in lockdown,” he said, his gaze fixed on a point on the wall, his mind clearly working through a dozen different scenarios. “Sejin—our manager—is coordinating with the legal team. They’re tracking the origin of the photos. They believe it was a targeted leak, not a random paparazzo.”

“Targeted?” The word sent a fresh chill through her. This wasn’t just bad luck. Someone had wanted to hurt them. To hurt her .

“To destabilize us before the new album. To create chaos.” He finally looked at her, his eyes dark with a grim certainty. “It’s a common tactic. They just… they used you and Namjoon as the ammunition.”

The casual way he said Namjoon’s name, without a trace of the jealousy that had poisoned the air between them just days ago, was a profound relief. The external enemy had obliterated their internal strife.

“How is he?” she asked quietly. “Namjoon, I mean. He… he doesn’t deserve any of this. He was just being kind.”

A muscle ticked in Yoongi’s jaw. “He’s the leader. He knows what this means. He’s strong. He’s probably in a meeting right now, blaming himself for the whole damn thing, even though he did nothing wrong.” He sighed, a sound heavy with the weight of their shared history. “He’ll be worried about you.”

Before Adrienne could process the complex web of guilt and responsibility that entangled them all, there was another knock on the door. It was sharper this time, more official. Yoongi was on his feet in an instant, positioning himself between her and the door.

“Who is it?” he called out, his voice low.

“It’s Sejin. I need to speak with both of you. And Namjoon is with me.”

Yoongi’s eyes met Adrienne’s. The first test. He gave a short, almost imperceptible nod, a silent message: We face this together. He opened the door.

Manager Sejin was a man who seemed to thrive under pressure, his face a mask of calm professionalism, though the tightness around his eyes betrayed the stress of the last few hours. Standing slightly behind him, looking deeply uncomfortable, was Namjoon.

His gaze found Adrienne’s immediately. The apology was written all over his face—in the slump of his broad shoulders, the pained expression in his intelligent eyes. He looked like a man carrying the weight of the world. Adrienne felt a pang of sympathy so sharp it almost overshadowed her own pain.

“Can we come in?” Sejin asked, his eyes flicking from Yoongi’s defiant posture to Adrienne, who was still huddled on the bed.

Yoongi stepped aside, a silent concession. The room, which had felt like a sanctuary moments before, suddenly felt small and crowded, thick with unspoken apologies and strategic imperatives.

Namjoon stepped inside, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie. He didn’t look at Yoongi. His focus was entirely on her.

“Adrienne-ssi,” he began, his voice rough with regret. “I am so, so sorry. I can’t even begin to tell you… If I had known anyone was watching, I never would have… I put you in this position. As the leader, as your friend… I failed to protect you. I am truly sorry.” He bowed his head, a gesture of profound remorse.

Before Adrienne could respond, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, that his kindness was not a crime, Yoongi spoke.

“It wasn’t you, Namjoon,” he said, his voice flat and hard. “You were a target, same as her. This was an attack. Don’t take the blame for the enemy’s actions.”

The words hung in the air, a declaration of alliance that shifted the dynamic in the room. It wasn’t Namjoon’s fault to be forgiven; it was a shared battle to be fought. Namjoon looked up, a flicker of surprise and gratitude in his eyes as he met Yoongi’s gaze. It was the first time they had truly looked at each other, and in that look, a silent understanding passed between them—a mutual respect for the roles they now had to play. Yoongi, the fierce protector of the woman he loved. Namjoon, the burdened leader of the family under siege.

Sejin cleared his throat, bringing them all back to the grim reality. “We don't have much time. Bang PD-nim wants to see the three of you in the conference suite on the top floor. Now. We need to establish the official strategy.” He looked at Adrienne, his professional gaze softening with a hint of human sympathy. “Are you ready for this, Adrienne-ssi?”

Adrienne looked from Namjoon’s pained face to Yoongi’s resolute one. She took a deep breath, the chamomile tea doing little to soothe the fire in her gut. She stood up, pulling the hotel robe tighter around herself. “Give me ten minutes to get dressed,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “I’m ready.”

The conference suite on the top floor of the Capitol Hotel Tokyu was a sterile, soundproof box of corporate power. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic, god-like view of the city, but no one was looking at it. The long, polished mahogany table was littered with laptops, smartphones, and half-empty cups of coffee that had long gone cold.

Bang Si-Hyuk sat at the head of the table, his fingers steepled, his expression unreadable. To his left was Choi, the head of their legal department, a sharp woman with tired eyes who was speaking in rapid-fire Korean. To his right was the head of PR, a younger man named Kenji who looked like he hadn’t slept in 36 hours. Manager Sejin stood by the window, his phone pressed to his ear.

“…the initial IP traces are inconclusive but point towards a burner network, likely originating from a known anti-fan café with connections to a rival entertainment company’s more… zealous followers,” Choi was saying, her voice crisp. “The photos themselves are professional-grade, taken with a long lens. This was planned. They likely had multiple teams tailing the members.”

Kenji, the PR head, chimed in, his voice strained. “The narrative is already cementing online. ‘Foreign producer seduces leader.’ It plays into every negative stereotype. The hashtag #NamjoonDatingScandal is trending number one in Korea and Japan. But worse, #AdrienneOut is starting to gain traction among the more toxic solo stans and nationalist forums.”

Bang Si-Hyuk held up a hand, and the room fell silent. “What about the brand partners?”

Kenji winced. “Samsung has called. So has Hyundai. They’re ‘monitoring the situation.’ The clause in their contracts about ‘behavior that brings the brand into disrepute’ is vague, but this is exactly the kind of thing they worry about. No one has pulled out yet, but they’re nervous. The stock took a 4% dip at market open.”

A heavy silence descended. This was no longer just about a PR fire. It was about millions of dollars, years of carefully cultivated brand image, and the stability of the entire company.

“Our official statement is ready,” Choi said, pushing a tablet across the table. “A firm denial. We categorize it as a malicious invasion of privacy and a defamatory attack. We announce our intention to pursue all available legal avenues against the original publisher and any individuals spreading false rumors. Standard procedure.”

“It’s not enough,” Bang said, his voice quiet but carrying immense weight. “A denial is a defensive posture. We need to go on the offensive. We need a counter-narrative.” He looked up as Sejin ended his call.

“They’re on their way up,” Sejin confirmed.

Bang Si-Hyuk nodded. “Good.” He turned his gaze to the others. “This crisis has two fronts. The public and the personal. The public front is our job. We will control the message. We will fight the legal battles. But the personal front… that depends entirely on them. On their resilience, their unity.”

He looked out at the sprawling city below, his expression hardening. “They tried to fracture us by creating a lie about a division between our leader and our team. Our response will be to show them unbreakable unity. We will accelerate the work. We will show the world that this team is focused, stronger than ever, and creating the best music of their lives. We will not be distracted. We will not be broken.” His gaze sharpened. “Their attack was meant to be a fire. We will use it as fuel.”

Walking into the conference suite felt like stepping onto a stage. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and high-stakes tension. Bang Si-Hyuk sat like a king at the head of the table, flanked by his lieutenants. Adrienne’s steps faltered for a second, the sheer corporate power in the room an intimidating force. Then she felt a hand on the small of her back. Yoongi. He hadn't said a word, but the touch was grounding, a silent reminder that she wasn’t walking in alone. Namjoon walked a respectful foot ahead of them, his posture rigid with the weight of his leadership.

“Sit,” Bang said, his voice calm, gesturing to the three empty chairs directly opposite him.

They sat in a line: Namjoon in the middle, Adrienne to his right, Yoongi to his left. A council of the accused.

Bang Si-Hyuk’s gaze was penetrating as he looked at each of them in turn. He started with Namjoon.

“Namjoon-ah. Tell me what happened on that walk.”

Namjoon met his boss’s gaze without flinching. He recounted the morning with a quiet, factual precision—the conversation about music, the gentle rejection of his feelings, the friendly, consoling hug. He left nothing out, his honesty a clear, clean line through the messy speculation. When he finished, he bowed his head again. “It was a moment of poor judgment on my part to initiate the hug in such a public space. As leader, I should have been more aware of our surroundings. I take full responsibility for the consequences.”

“There is no blame here, Namjoon,” Bang said, his tone firm, cutting off any further self-flagellation. “You were a victim of a planned attack. Your only ‘poor judgment’ was in underestimating the malice of our enemies.”

His gaze then shifted to Adrienne. It was softer now, but no less intense. “Adrienne-ssi. First, on behalf of the company, I want to apologize. We brought you here to be a creative partner, to be part of our family. We failed to protect you from the worst aspects of this world. No one should be subjected to the kind of violation you have experienced today.”

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them back fiercely. Pity was the last thing she wanted. “Thank you, PD-nim,” she said, her voice clear. “But I don’t need an apology. I need to know the plan.”

A flicker of respect, of approval, crossed Bang Si-Hyuk’s face. He nodded. “Good. That’s why we’re here.” He then looked at Yoongi, who had remained silent, his body a coiled spring of controlled fury. “Yoongi-ah. You have been quiet.”

Yoongi leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. “What do you need from us?” he asked, his voice low and direct. “Tell us the strategy. We’ll execute it.”

Bang Si-Hyuk outlined the plan with military precision. The legal action. The official denial. Then came the new rules.

“For the foreseeable future, there can be no public interaction between Namjoon and Adrienne. None,” he stated, his gaze sweeping over both of them. “In group settings, you will maintain a professional distance. We cannot give them any more ammunition. The optics must be impeccable.”

He then looked at all three of them. “This will be hard. You will be under a microscope. Every glance, every word will be scrutinized. But you cannot let it affect the work. In fact, we are going to do the opposite.”

This was the counter-offensive.

“We are moving up the production schedule,” he announced, the words dropping into the silent room like stones. “The final tracks need to be delivered in two weeks. The music video concepts will be finalized by the end of the week. We will release the first single ahead of schedule. We will show the world that this incident, this attack, has only made this team more focused, more creative, more powerful. Our work will be our answer. It will be our weapon.”

A new, immense pressure settled over Adrienne. Two weeks. It was an impossible deadline. But as she looked at the determined set of Bang Si-Hyuk’s jaw, she also felt a surge of defiant energy. He wasn’t just talking about damage control. He was talking about fighting back with the only thing that truly mattered: the music.

“We can do it,” she said, the words out of her mouth before she’d fully considered their weight.

Yoongi nodded beside her. “We will.”

Namjoon looked at his two friends, at their united front, and a sense of pride seemed to burn away some of his guilt. “We won’t let you down, PD-nim.”

“I know,” Bang said. He stood, signaling the end of the meeting. “Now, go. You have an album to finish.”

Back in the suffocating quiet of her hotel room, the adrenaline from the meeting began to fade, leaving her feeling raw and exposed. Yoongi had walked her to her door, his hand lingering on her arm for a moment. “Get some rest,” he’d murmured. “I’ll order you dinner. Don’t look at your phone.”

She had nodded, but they both knew it was a promise she couldn’t keep.

For an hour, she paced the room, the company’s strategy replaying in her mind. The work will be our answer. It was a powerful idea, a noble one. But it felt distant, abstract. The attack hadn’t been on her work. It had been on her . On her identity, her body, her right to simply exist in a space.

She needed to understand the full scope of the battlefield. She needed to see the enemy she was supposed to be fighting.

With a deep, shuddering breath, she walked over to the far side of the room and picked up her phone. Her hands were steady now. Her heart was a cold, hard knot in her chest.

She didn't just read the articles. She delved into the digital trenches. She went to the forums, the fan cafés, the anonymous message boards. She used the translate function, the rudimentary grammar doing little to soften the blows.

The hatred was a living, breathing entity. It was creative in its cruelty. There were manipulated photos—her face crudely pasted onto pornographic images. There were detailed, fictionalized accounts of her “seduction” of Namjoon. There were threads dedicated to analyzing her physical appearance, picking apart every feature with a casual, dehumanizing racism that made her stomach turn. They called her an "it." A "thing."

They dissected her work, claiming she was a fraud who was stealing credit from the "real" producers. They dug up her old Soundcloud, leaving disgusting, threatening comments on tracks she had written years ago in the safety of her bedroom. They had found her sister’s social media profile. Danielle’s page, usually filled with joyful posts about her pregnancy and her students, was being spammed with snake emojis and messages telling her that her sister was a whore.

A strangled sound escaped her throat. This was the true violation. They had breached the walls of her present and poisoned her past. They had reached across the ocean and were now harassing her pregnant sister.

Her phone rang, and the caller ID flashed a picture of Danielle, smiling, her baby bump prominent. Adrienne’s finger hovered over the screen. She couldn’t let her sister hear the brokenness in her voice. She had to be strong. She took a deep, ragged breath and answered, forcing a brightness she didn’t feel.

“Hey, Dani!”

“Andy? Thank God. I’ve been trying to call you for hours. What the hell is going on? Your company released some statement, and my Instagram is going crazy. People are saying the most horrible things. Are you okay?” Danielle’s voice was a frantic whirlwind of concern.

“I’m fine, Dani, I promise,” Adrienne lied, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. “It’s just… it’s a stupid, fake rumor. You know how crazy fans can be. The company is handling it. It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t sound like nothing, Andy. The things they’re saying about you… about your work…”

“It’s just noise,” Adrienne insisted, her voice gaining a brittle edge. “Please, just block them. Don’t read it. It’s not real. How are you? How’s my niece?” She desperately tried to steer the conversation away from the firestorm.

They talked for a few more minutes, Adrienne keeping up the facade of nonchalant resilience, her heart fracturing with every lie. When they hung up, she finally let the phone drop from her nerveless fingers. She curled into a tight ball on the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees, and for the first time, she didn't cry. The pain was too deep for tears. It had crystallized into something else. Something hard and cold and sharp.

Yoongi knew she would look. He had seen the defiant spark in her eyes when he’d told her not to. He gave her an hour, an hour he spent pacing his own room like a caged animal, before he couldn’t stand it any longer.

He used the key-card Sejin had quietly given him and let himself into her room. The sight that greeted him stopped him cold. She was on the bed, curled into a tight, fetal position, staring blankly at the wall. The glow of her phone screen illuminated the tear tracks on her face, though her eyes were dry. The air in the room was heavy with a profound, desolate silence.

He didn't speak. He walked over, gently took the phone from her hand, and set it on the nightstand. Then he climbed onto the bed behind her, wrapping his body around hers, his arm coming to rest securely around her waist. He didn't offer empty platitudes or tell her it would be okay. He just held her, absorbing the tremors that wracked her small frame, his presence a silent, unwavering anchor.

They stayed like that for a long time, the silence stretching, filled only by the sound of their breathing. Finally, she stirred, turning in his arms to face him. Her eyes were different. The vulnerability was still there, but it was overshadowed by a new, chilling hardness. The soft, creative soul he had fallen in love with had been forced to grow armor.

“They went after my sister,” she whispered, her voice devoid of emotion. It was a simple statement of fact, but it carried the weight of an unforgivable sin.

Yoongi’s jaw clenched so hard he thought it might crack. “I know,” he said, his voice a low growl. “The legal team is already on it. They will find them.”

She nodded, but her gaze was distant. She pushed herself up, away from his embrace, and walked over to her laptop, which was sitting open on the small desk. She sat down, her back to him, and her fingers began to move across the keyboard, opening her music production software.

He watched her, a sense of awe and fear coiling in his gut. She wasn't breaking. She was reforging.

He got up and walked over to stand behind her. On the screen was the project file for the gentle, spring-like melody she had been so excited about just yesterday. He watched as she highlighted the entire delicate piano arrangement.

And deleted it.

In its place, she started building a new foundation. A deep, distorted bass line, aggressive and menacing. A drum pattern that wasn't a heartbeat, but a war march. The chords she began to lay down were minor, dissonant, filled with a beautiful, righteous fury.

This was her answer. This was her weapon.

He reached down and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. She didn’t flinch. She leaned back into his touch, her eyes never leaving the screen. He saw his own reflection in the dark glass, his expression grim, determined.

This event had changed everything. It had nearly broken them apart, and then it had fused them together with the heat of a shared battle. It had wounded her, but it hadn’t destroyed her. It had given her a new, darker voice.

The first hint of dawn, a faint bruised purple, was just bleeding through the heavy hotel room curtains when Yoongi stirred. A physical lightness settled in his chest, so unexpected it made him pause, a foreign sensation after days of tightly wound anxiety. Adrienne was still asleep beside him, her head tucked into his shoulder, the soft puff of her breath a rhythmic whisper against his neck. The tangled sheets, the faint scent of her shampoo and their shared intimacy, anchored him to the present moment. He watched her for a long moment, the curve of a smile softening his lips, committing the peaceful sight to memory. The worries of the past week – the sharp words, the suffocating silence, the creeping fear – seemed to dissipate like morning mist, eclipsed by the warmth of her presence. As gently as he could, a practiced grace belying his usual sleep-addled movements, he slipped out of bed, careful not to jostle her awake. He gathered his scattered clothes, moving like a shadow across the plush carpet, and let himself out, the quiet click of his door barely audible in the pre-dawn stillness. 

Hours later, the morning light streamed brightly into Adrienne's room, painting golden stripes across the floor. She sat at a small table, a half-eaten breakfast scone on her plate, a sense of quiet contentment settling over her that hummed deep beneath her skin. The memory of Yoongi's touch, the shared laughter, the raw honesty of their confessions, still warmed her from the inside out. A short buzz from her phone pulled her away from her daydream and down to her cellphone. It was Namjoon.

Joon: Hey, are you busy? Was thinking of going for a quick walk to grab some fresh air before the afternoon meetings. Want to join?

Adrienne's gaze drifted to the window, watching a flock of pigeons wheel against the crisp Tokyo sky. A public walk still brought a flicker of nervousness – the ever-present threat of a camera, a watchful eye. But Namjoon had been so genuinely kind, so understanding on the flight. She valued their easy conversations, the way he engaged her mind. Besides, a brisk walk in the fresh Japanese air sounded undeniably appealing after days cooped up with emotional turmoil. A small smile touched her lips as she typed her reply.

Andy: Sure! Give me 5 min.

She quickly pulled on a light jacket, grabbing a black face mask almost out of habit, though the mild morning air felt clean against her skin. When she reached the lobby, Namjoon was already there, leaning casually against a polished pillar, dressed in a comfortable hoodie and jeans, his own mask already in place. He straightened as he saw her, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a warm, dimpled smile that reached them even over the mask. Together, they stepped out into the bustling Tokyo streets.

The city was already alive, a symphony of muted sounds. Distant traffic, the murmur of early morning commuters, the occasional chime of a passing shop. They walked for a while, the conversation flowing as easily as it had on the plane. Namjoon, thoughtful as he always was, asked about her current creative blocks, the frustration of finding the right melody for a particular verse. He listened intently, head cocked, offering profound insights into the lyrical structure, his words hitting just the right note of encouragement and intellectual challenge. Adrienne found herself speaking freely, her mind engaged, the rhythm of their conversation a welcome distraction from the usual demands of their schedule. The sun climbed higher, warming her face, and the brisk air invigorated her, a tangible reminder of the world outside her emotional confines.

"You know," Namjoon began, after a comfortable stretch of shared silence, his voice dropping a little, a hint of vulnerability softening its usual clear tone, "You’re really easy to talk to. I feel like I can tell you anything." He paused, turning to face her fully, his expression earnest, his brown eyes searching hers. "I… I don’t normally open up to people like this, Adrienne. I…I feel like we’re really getting closer and…”

Adrienne's steps faltered, her heart doing a strange, sympathetic flutter in her chest as if she could sense what he would say next. Her mind, unbidden, flashed to Yoongi, his sleepy face just hours ago, the solid weight of his arm around her. She liked Namjoon; he was kind, brilliant, a rare soul in an often-superficial industry. But her heart, a fierce, protective ache, was already irrevocably taken. She chose her words carefully, gently, hating the hurt she knew they would cause.

“Joon,” she began, reaching out to lightly touch his arm, her voice soft with genuine regret. "I value our friendship so much. You’re literally one of the best people I’ve ever met, and I love working with you. And  I feel like I can talk to you about anything." She saw the subtle flicker of disappointment in his kind eyes, a slight tightening around his mouth, and a pang of sorrow went through her, wishing she could spare him the hurt. "But… that’s what it is, for me. A really, really special friendship. I… I’m not looking for anything more right now."

Namjoon’s shoulders slumped slightly, a slow, weary exhale escaping him. But he was a man of grace, and he was quick to recover. He nodded, forcing a small, slightly crooked smile. “I understand. Thank you for being honest, Adrienne. I appreciate that.” He looked away for a brief moment, collecting himself, then back at her, his dimples appearing with more effort, a touch of his usual composed cheerfulness returning. “Friends it is, then.”

The rest of the walk back to the hotel was a little quieter, the easy flow of conversation replaced by a comfortable, if slightly melancholic, silence. Adrienne still felt a pang of guilt for the disappointment she’d caused, but she knew honesty was the only path. When they reached the grand entrance of the hotel, Namjoon paused.

“Well, I’ll see you later at the meetings,” he said, his voice regaining some of its usual rhythm.

“Yeah, see you, Joon.” Adrienne offered him a grateful, soft smile.

Namjoon then did something unexpected, a small gesture of genuine camaraderie. He pulled her into a quick, comforting hug. It was entirely platonic, a gentle embrace between friends, a silent acknowledgment of his disappointment, perhaps, but devoid of any lingering romantic intent. Adrienne returned it, a soft pat on his back, a silent thank you for his understanding. As they pulled apart, Namjoon gave her one last small smile, turned, and headed through the sliding doors of the hotel, his figure receding into the bustling lobby. Adrienne watched him go, then turned towards her own side, a sense of relief washing over her that she'd handled the situation with integrity, even if it had caused a moment of sadness.

Neither of them saw the faint glint of a camera lens from across the street. Neither of them heard the quiet, almost imperceptible click of a shutter as figures, clad in black, rapidly lowered their phones, their faces obscured, their purpose chillingly clear.

 The change was almost immediate, a palpable sigh of relief rippling through the hotel staff and even the members themselves. The heavy, oppressive tension that had clung to Yoongi and Adrienne like a shadow for days seemed to have evaporated overnight, replaced by a tangible warmth that seeped into every corner of their shared workspace.

During the morning’s production meetings, the shift in Yoongi was undeniable. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, actively engaged, his familiar biting attitude  tempered with a new, easy going demeanor. He made eye contact with Adrienne frequently, his gaze softening gently each time, even sharing quick, almost secret smiles across the long conference table. Silent exchanges that spoke volumes, a private language only they understood. Adrienne, in turn, felt a profound lightness she hadn't realized she’d been missing. Her shoulders were less hunched, her brow less furrowed. She found herself laughing more easily, a clear, unrestrained sound, and contributed ideas with renewed enthusiasm, her voice clearer, her expressions more open. 

Hoseok was one of the first to acknowledge the shift, and certainly the least subtle. During a short lunch break, he sauntered over to Yoongi, who was quietly reviewing a draft track on his laptop. Hoseok clapped him heartily on the back, a wide, sun-like smile beaming on his face. "Hyung! You finally got some sleep, huh?" He chuckled, then leaned in, winking at Yoongi, before glancing pointedly at Adrienne, who was chatting with a stylist nearby. A silent congratulations passed between the two friends, a shared understanding without a single word. Yoongi just grunted, but it was an affectionate sound, a small, genuine smile playing on his lips, a rare sight in the past week, and a clear signal of his contentment.

Namjoon, perceptive and discerning, observed the subtle shift from a distance. He noticed the casual way Yoongi’s hand would rest for a fraction longer on Adrienne’s arm as they passed in the hallway, the relaxed angle of their shoulders when they stood near each other, the easy flow of their quiet conversations. When Adrienne had returned from her walk with him earlier, a quiet, unspoken moment had passed between them, a shared understanding in their eyes, before Namjoon, with a slight nod, had turned his focus back to his work, respecting her choice. Now, seeing the undeniable ease between her and Yoongi, he didn't know how he hadn’t seen it before. It was obvious now that he was looking for it. He gave Adrienne a small, supportive smile when their paths crossed by the coffee machine, a clear signal that there were no lingering hard feelings, only understanding.

The rest of the staff, who had been tip-toeing around the two producers for days, also noticeably relaxed. The studio no longer felt like a minefield where every word could trigger an explosion. Jokes were shared more freely amongst the entire team, creative ideas flowed unhindered, and the underlying current of anxiety that had made everyone hold their breath had finally dissipated, replaced by a harmonious, productive energy that made their work feel less like a chore and more like a shared passion.

Later that afternoon, the main recording studio was alive with the raw energy of a new track. The boys were in the vocal booth, laying down intricate harmonies for a B-side, their voices blending seamlessly through the high-end microphones. Adrienne stepped into the control room, her movements light, a hum of satisfaction in her chest. She gave nuanced notes to Jin and Jimin through the mic, adjusting a harmony here, suggesting a different inflection there. The heavy soundproof door opened quietly. Yoongi walked in, a small, almost shy grin playing on his lips, a look she hadn't seen in days. He nodded at Adrienne, his eyes lingering for a beat longer than usual, then went straight to the control panel. He adjusted levels with familiar, confident ease, his fingers dancing across the mixing board. The previous night’s intimacy still hummed between them, a silent current of warmth and understanding that pulsed beneath the surface of their professional interactions.

After the recording session wrapped, the air still thrumming with creative energy, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook lingered in the practice space of the studio, stretching out their limbs and chatting, their post-recording high still buzzing through them.

"Noona," Jimin called out, his eyes sparkling with mischievous delight as he caught Adrienne's eye. "You spend so much time behind the mixing board, you should learn some of our choreo! Get your body moving!" He bounced on the balls of his feet, already halfway into a dance warm-up, a boundless energy.

Adrienne laughed, a genuine, joyful sound that echoed pleasantly in the large room. She shook her head, already anticipating the inevitable awkwardness. "Oh, I don't think so, Jiminie. My dancing is strictly for my shower. And usually involves singing into a shampoo bottle for a mic."

"Nonsense!" Taehyung chimed in, crossing the room in three long strides to grab her hand playfully. "Come on, just a simple part. It's good for creativity!" He tugged gently.

Jungkook, always up for a challenge and eager to impress, joined them, a wide, confident grin on his face. "We'll teach you the easy part." He began to demonstrate the powerful, sharp movements.

Before she could offer another protest, Adrienne found herself being gently but firmly pulled down the hall and to the center of a spacious practice room. A playful squeak escaped her lips as they positioned her between them. Yoongi, who had been slowly following the group, paused as they entered the room, his movements slowing. A soft, indulgent smile spread across his face as he leaned back against the cool wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching the scene unfold. He knew Adrienne was a bit self-conscious about her dancing, her movements more suited to a pen and paper than a stage. But seeing the younger boys so enthusiastically pull her into their world, completely uninhibited, a quiet warmth bloomed in his chest. It was a familiar, comforting sight, but today it felt even more precious, a testament to their newfound peace.

Jimin and Jungkook stood on either side of her, breaking down the choreography piece by agonizing piece. "Okay, so it's a confident swagger, like this," Jimin demonstrated, his movements fluid and sharp, a dancer's effortless grace. "Then, BAM! Drop the mic!" He punctuated the move with a sharp, imaginary throw, his eyes gleaming with a challenge.

Adrienne, giggling despite herself, tried her best to mimic their powerful yet precise movements. She stumbled, she swayed, and her attempts at the "mic drop" were more of a polite lowering of an imaginary object than a defiant, mic-shattering throw. The boys, however, were merciless in their encouragement, cheering her on, laughing with her, never at her awkwardness.

"Higher, Noona! Feel the attitude! Imagine you just dropped the hottest track of the year!" Jungkook encouraged, demonstrating with exaggerated flair, his whole body imbued with the confident swagger of a global superstar.

Taehyung from his side took her hands, gently guiding her through a few steps, his touch light and encouraging. "Imagine you just laid down the sickest beat, and now you're showing everyone how it's done! Let the music move you!"

Yoongi watched, a quiet admiration blossoming within him, softening the usual intensity of his gaze. He saw Adrienne's initial hesitation melt away, replaced by genuine enjoyment and a surprising determination. Her skin was flushed with effort and suppressed laughter, her hair coming loose from its bun, and her unrestrained laughter filled the cavernous room, a sound he cherished. She wasn't a dancer, not by any professional metric, but her willingness to try, to be vulnerable and playfully embrace the moment, was captivating. He loved seeing her like this, relaxed and joyful, unburdened by worries or arguments. There was a bright, vital spark in her eyes that mirrored the one he felt igniting in his own heart. It was a stark, beautiful contrast to the guarded, hurt woman she had been just a day ago. This was the Adrienne he loved, truly, deeply.

After a few more hilariously valiant attempts, Adrienne dramatically collapsed onto the floor, breathless and laughing so hard her sides ached, her head falling back against the cool linoleum. "Okay, okay, I think I'll stick to making the music. You guys have this whole dancing thing down a little better than I do."

The boys roared with laughter, their camaraderie infectious, and helped her up. "You did great, Noona!" Jimin insisted, though his eyes still held a hint of mischievous amusement.

As the younger members eventually headed out, their energy fading into the hallway, the studio quieted, the lingering echoes of their laughter softening. Yoongi walked over to Adrienne, a tender smile still on his face, and offered her a fresh water bottle. "Hmm," he hummed, a playful glint in his eyes, "your mic drop needs a little work. Maybe I could give you private lessons?" His voice dropped to a low, suggestive rumble.

Adrienne giggled, accepting the water and moving to sit up. An easy smile spread across her lips. "And just what makes you think you’re qualified to teach me?”

Yoongi leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, husky murmur meant only for her. "I'm qualified because I know your rhythm, better than anyone." His thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles where their hands met. "And I have a feeling I could teach you a lot more than just a mic drop." His gaze was intense, a flicker of desire in his eyes that made her breath catch.

He watched as her cheeks strained with a wider smile. "Is that so, Professor Min?" she whispered back, leaning into his space. The air around them crackled with unspoken tension, a delightful hum he felt resonate between them.

He chuckled, a rich, deep sound that vibrated in the quiet space between them. "That is so, Ms. Rolle. And you’re lucky, my private lessons usually have a very exclusive enrollment."

Adrienne’s eyes rolled back as she laughed, playfully hitting his chest. “Please shut up.” Yoongi did, choosing to pull her hand closer instead. Bringing it to his lips for a soft, lingering kiss on her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers.

Later that evening, as the last of the official meetings for the day concluded, Adrienne found herself walking beside Yoongi down a bustling hotel corridor. His presence felt natural, comfortable, a warmth radiating from him that seemed to draw her closer. They discussed the day's progress, the subtle shifts in the album's direction, but their conversation was laced with the unspoken intimacy they now shared. Their shoulders occasionally brushed, a fleeting touch that sent sparks through Adrienne. She noticed his hand hover near hers more than once, as if contemplating lacing their fingers together, only to retract slightly, a silent reminder of the eyes that might be on them.

As they reached the elevators, Yoongi turned to her, his gaze soft. "I'll see you for dinner, right?" he asked, his voice low, a question that was also an unspoken expectation.

Adrienne smiled, a genuine, unburdened smile. "Wouldn't miss it."

His lips curved into a small, pleased smirk. "Good." He stepped into a waiting elevator, his eyes holding hers until the doors began to slide shut, leaving her with a lingering sense of anticipation.

As the vibrant hum of Tokyo's night began to seep into the hotel. Adrienne felt a ripple of nervous excitement anticipating dinner with Yoongi. They’d planned to sneak away, finding a quiet, out-of-the-way restaurant to truly celebrate their reunion. The very act of it felt thrillingly illicit, a secret stolen moment in a public world.

Just as Adrienne was applying a light gloss to her lips, her phone vibrated on the vanity.

Yoongi: Meet me at the staff exit in five. Dark clothes, cap. Don’t bring your phone to the restaurant.

A shiver of anticipation, mixed with a sliver of caution, ran through her. He was taking this seriously. She pulled on a dark hoodie, a baseball cap, and slipped out of her room, her heart thrumming a frantic rhythm.

Yoongi was waiting, a dark cap pulled low over his eyes, a large, dark jacket obscuring his frame. He looked like a phantom in the dimly lit corridor. He nodded curtly when he saw her, his hand briefly touching her elbow, a silent signal of reassurance and urgency. They slipped out into the cool Tokyo night, melting into the passing crowds like two shadows.

The restaurant was a small, intimate izakaya tucked down a narrow alley, its entrance marked only by a faded red lantern. Inside, the warm glow of paper lamps cast soft shadows, and the gentle murmur of Japanese conversation provided a comforting anonymity. They settled into a corner booth, the low wooden table a shield between them and the few other patrons.

"This is perfect," Adrienne whispered, pulling off her mask, a genuine smile gracing her lips. The aroma of grilled skewers and soy sauce filled the air, rich and inviting.

Yoongi, too, shed his disguise, his eyes softening as they met hers across the table, reflecting the warm lamplight. "I thought you'd like it." He reached across, covering her hand with his, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. The contact was electric, a comforting weight that grounded her. "It's good to be here, with you, like this. Without... everything else." His gaze held hers, a silent affirmation of their shared escape.

They ordered, their voices low as conversation flowed easily, picking up threads from the morning, the night before, and the weeks they’d been apart. They shared stories and funny anecdotes from their childhoods, vastly different in location, yet surprisingly similar. They talked about the nuances of new melodies, the frustration of writer's block, and the absurdities of their demanding schedules. Every touch, every shared laugh, felt magnified, a testament to the emotional distance they'd overcome. Yoongi found himself leaning closer, his elbow on the table, his eyes never straying far from her face. Adrienne, in turn, blossomed under his attention, her guard completely down. The food was delicious, the sake warm, its subtle sweetness enhancing the evening. The outside world, with its demanding schedules and watchful eyes, ceased to exist within the cozy confines of the izakaya.

They ate slowly, savoring each bite, each stolen moment. Yoongi refilled her sake cup, his fingers brushing hers, and she felt a tremor go through her. He recounted a hilarious incident from a past tour, his quiet laughter rumbling in his chest, making her giggle until her cheeks hurt. Adrienne shared her anxieties about a new lyrical challenge, and he listened intently, offering not just solutions, but understanding. As the evening deepened, the warmth from the sake and the sheer comfort of his presence settled over her, a contentment so profound it bordered on euphoria. Their hands rested on the table, fingers occasionally brushing, then intertwining, a silent language spoken between them.

Eventually, the quiet murmur of the izakaya began to wane, and they knew their stolen time was drawing to a close. Yoongi signaled for the bill, his thumb still tracing lazy circles on the back of her hand. The thought of returning to the hotel, to the separate rooms, brought a pang of reluctance.

"Let's walk back," Adrienne suggested softly, craving a few more moments of their shared anonymity.

Yoongi nodded, a silent agreement. They paid, donned their disguises once more, and stepped back out into the cool, quiet streets, the city now a hushed canvas of neon lights. They walked arm in arm, their shoulders brushing, their steps in sync. The simple act of strolling through the night, side by side, felt like a luxury, a symbol of the normalcy they yearned for.

Back at the hotel, they navigated the quieter back corridors with practiced ease. When they reached Adrienne's door, she paused, turning to face him. The warmth of the evening lingered between them, a sweet, heavy scent.

"Thank you, Yoongi," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Tonight... was everything."

He reached out, cupping her face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking her jawline. His eyes were dark, full of a tenderness that made her heart ache. "It was.” He leaned in, his lips brushing hers, a soft, lingering kiss that deepened slowly, full of unspoken promises and a fierce longing.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, his forehead rested against hers. "Goodnight, Adrienne," he murmured, his voice hoarse.

"Stay," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but the plea was clear in the way she clung to his shirt.

Yoongi closed his eyes for a moment, a groan rumbling in his chest. "God, Andy, I wish I could. You know I do." He pulled back just enough to look at her, his thumbs brushing her tear-stained cheeks. "I can't. Not tonight. I have to..." His voice trailed off, the weight of their schedules a palpable presence.

Adrienne nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on his. He leaned in again, capturing her lips in a deep, desperate kiss that conveyed every unspoken word, every ounce of longing and regret. Their breaths mingled, their hearts pounding a frantic rhythm against each other.

When he finally pulled away, a visible effort, he kept his eyes locked on hers. "Close the door, Andy." His voice was rough, strained with suppressed desire.

Adrienne didn't move for a beat, a playful glint entering her tear-filled eyes. "I don’t think you really want that…" she teased, a soft, breathless laugh escaping her.

He let out a short, frustrated chuckle, shaking his head. "Yes I do, you little tease. Close the damn door."

She sighed dramatically, a reluctant smile playing on her lips. "Fine. Goodnight, Gi." With one last lingering look, she slowly closed the door, the soft click echoing the finality of their separation.

Yoongi stood there for a long moment, the warmth of her lips, the echo of her laughter, still vibrant on his skin. He turned and headed to his own room, the memory of her, a sweet ache, already settling deep in his chest.

He stripped down to a pair of sweats, the lingering scent of sake and grilled fish mingling with Adrienne's faint perfume that still clung to his clothes. He slid into bed, the sheets cool against his skin, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He was just drifting into a peaceful sleep, the image of Adrienne’s smile filling his mind, when his phone, resting silently on the bedside table, vibrated. Then again. And again.

A groan escaped him. Usually, he’d ignore it. But the rapid, insistent buzzing felt different, urgent. He reached for it, his eyes still heavy, and squinted at the screen. Multiple notifications blinked at him. Texts from his manager, and from a flurry of unfamiliar numbers. He swiped open the lock screen, his thumb brushing over the news aggregator.

Headline after headline blared at him, stark white letters against the dark screen, illuminated by the phone's harsh glow. His heart seized, a cold dread washing over him, instantly banishing all warmth and sleep. The first headline was the clearest, biggest, chilling him to the bone:

Anger had a way of eating away at you the longer you let it simmer, it seeped into your bones and heart so slowly, so persistently, that it transformed from righteous rage into a dull resentment before you even noticed. Though Adrienne and Yoongi saw each other nearly every day leading up to their trip to Japan, it had been over a week since they spoke. They sat in the same studio, sometimes just inches from one another, yet they worked separately and barely exchanged more than a few sparse sounds of approval, the occasional shared glance at a screen, or the soft clicking of a mouse.

Adrienne wasn’t sure why she harbored such lingering resentment. She had more than enough time to process the argument and found herself feeling much more sympathy for her boyfriend than before. She understood the immense pressure he was under, the fear he had of jeopardizing everything he’d worked for. Yet, despite that sympathy, she refused to tell him. Not while he still scowled whenever she came into his view and made a concerted effort to spend as little time alone with her as he reasonably could. Yoongi took it upon himself to ask for auxiliary in-house producers to work with them “to help with the workload,” he’d said with a bland face, but Adrienne knew exactly what he was up to. He obviously wanted to prolong his upset, to reinforce the distance between them, and she decided to grant him that freedom without resistance. If he wanted a chance at saving their relationship, he would have to approach her, not the other way around. Her pride, just as much as his, was firmly rooted.

Their petty game of cat and mouse continued until the trip to Japan. The air in the terminal, usually buzzing with the easy camaraderie of the group, was thick with unspoken words between them. Though the rest of the group and staff seemed to be in high spirits, laughing and bantering as cameras filmed their pre-flight antics, the tension remained palpable between Adrienne and Yoongi as everyone moved through the airport and onto the plane. Yoongi, for his part, was a silent storm. He moved through the crowds with a grim set to his jaw, answering direct questions with curt nods or single words, his usual dry wit completely absent. Even a casual remark from Jin about his quietness was met with a glare that quickly sent the older man retreating.

It took a few minutes for everyone to find their seats and wrap up filming the boys as they began their journey. Once filming concluded, the staff, including Andy, moved through the aisles to find their own assigned seats. The space between Adrienne’s eyebrows knitted together when she looked down at the seat number on her boarding pass. It read ‘4B’; directly next to Yoongi, making her frown immediately. Her eyes caught his for a brief moment when Adrienne was nudged forward by the passenger behind her. The way Yoongi huffed, a soft, exasperated sound, then deliberately turned his back to her, leaning his head against the window, reignited her anger.

Fist clenched in annoyance, Adrienne turned to shake the shoulder of the closest person she recognized in an alternate aisle. “Switch seats with me,” she demanded, making it clear her statement was not up for debate. Her sudden appearance made Hoseok flinch, slumping back against his seat with a hand pressed tightly against his heart.

“Ah! Andy-noona, you scared me,” he muttered once he could process her question and respond. “Why do you want to switch seats with me?”

Adrienne sighed, a quick, exasperated sound. “That’s not important… can you just… please?” She spoke her last word in a nearly silent whisper, and Hoseok frowned at the genuine pain he detected in her voice. He glanced over at Yoongi’s stiff back, understanding dawning in his eyes. Without further protest, he nodded and gathered his things, stuffing them back into his carry-on, then moved around Adrienne to allow her to take his seat.

“Thank you so much!” She beamed and quickly squeezed his hand as he moved to leave the aisle. Adrienne had handed him her boarding pass, and Hoseok exhaled slightly when he noticed where her seat was located, finally realizing why she was so adamant to switch with him. He remained silent as he began to unload his items again, shaking his head with annoyance at Yoongi’s rigid stillness while he clattered around him, then sank into the seat with a heavy sigh.

Yoongi’s head perked slightly once Hoseok settled, likely realizing the person next to him wasn't Adrienne. “Don’t you think you’re being a little… childish, Hyung?” Hoseok finally said once the young man next to him had turned to face forward again. He kept his voice low, just for Yoongi’s ears, leaning in slightly.

Yoongi’s face remained an aggravated scowl, deepening when he registered Hoseok’s words. He merely grunted, turning his head further towards the window. “Mind your own business.”

“It is my business when it affects everyone,” Hoseok retorted, a firm edge to his tone. “You missed the meeting with PD-nim because of this, and now you’re bringing your mess onto the plane. It’s affecting the atmosphere, Hyung. You need to talk to her.”

Yoongi just shrugged, a dismissive gesture that spoke volumes. Hoseok sighed, knowing pressing further now would be useless.

Meanwhile, Adrienne had settled into Hoseok’s vacated seat, which happened to be next to Namjoon. Namjoon looked up from the book he was reading, his eyebrows raising slightly in surprise. “Oh, Adrienne-ssi. I thought you were sitting with Yoongi-hyung?”

Adrienne offered a weak smile, quickly turning her gaze to the window. “Uh, no. Just… decided to switch it up.” She could feel Yoongi’s gaze, or imagined she could, even from rows away. She desperately hoped he hadn’t heard anything.

Namjoon nodded, perceptive as always, but didn’t press. “Well, I’m glad to have you here. This is a good book if you’re looking for something to read.” He offered, holding up the cover of a philosophical text.

“Maybe later,” Adrienne replied, still feeling prickly, but a sense of relief washed over her. At least Namjoon wasn't going to pry. They settled into a comfortable quiet for a while, Namjoon occasionally glancing over at her, sensing her subdued mood. After some time, he gently nudged her arm.

“Everything alright, Adrienne?” he inquired, his voice soft with genuine concern.

She exhaled a little more deeply than she intended. “Yeah, just… work stuff. You know how it is. Deadlines, creative blocks.” She gave him a practiced, weary smile, trying to deflect.

Namjoon hummed in understanding. “It can be tough. But you’re brilliant, your work is always so fresh. Don’t let it get to you too much.” His words were gentle, genuinely encouraging, and Adrienne found herself relaxing a little. He was easy to talk to, a comforting presence that didn't demand explanations or challenge her emotional state. They talked for most of the flight, about music, about creative processes, about the pressures of their jobs, a surprisingly easy and flowing conversation that was a welcome distraction from the heavy silence she'd shared with Yoongi for days. Unbeknownst to them, Yoongi, a few rows back, had been stealing glances over his shoulder more times than he cared to admit, his frown deepening each time he saw Adrienne laughing softly at something Namjoon had said.

Upon touchdown in Japan, the whirlwind began. The boys were immediately swept into a series of meetings, interviews, and preliminary photoshoots. Adrienne, meanwhile, accompanied the staff to get checked into their hotel and begin setting up their temporary studio space. Later that afternoon, back in the brightly lit studio, the tension, though no longer directly between Adrienne and Yoongi, was a palpable undercurrent.

“Are we still waiting on Yoongi-ssi for this section?” a junior producer asked, looking at Adrienne as she adjusted a track on the monitor.

Adrienne didn’t look up. “It’s fine if he has to record. I can work on it alone. I don’t need him… for this part.” Her tone was sharper than she intended, and she felt the air stiffen. The junior producer quickly nodded and busied himself with something else, exchanging a quick, awkward glance with another staff member. It was becoming harder to pretend everything was normal.

Later that evening, after a particularly grueling day of meetings and preparations, Hoseok found Yoongi hunched over a laptop in a quiet corner of the hotel’s business lounge, a half-empty coffee cup beside him.

“Hyung,” Hoseok’s tone was softer than usual, but firm. Yoongi barely grunted in acknowledgment. “We need to talk. This… this can’t go on.”

Yoongi finally looked up, his eyes tired but sharp. “What can’t?”

“This whole… silent treatment. It’s obvious, Hyung. Everyone’s walking on eggshells. You knew something like this would happen, didn’t you?” Hoseok sat down opposite him, his expression serious. “The pressure we’re under, the deadlines, it’s not fair to the team to have this kind of atmosphere. And it’s not fair to her, or to you.” He leaned forward. “You need to break up or make up, Hyung. Either way, you have to go and talk to Andy. Properly.”

Yoongi bristled, his first instinct to retort, to lash out at Hoseok for interfering. But the truth in Hoseok’s words cut through his pride. He did want to talk to her. He hated this distance, the way her absence from his immediate orbit felt like a constant ache. He grumbled, pushing himself away from the table. “Fine. But if I get caught, it’s on you.”

Hoseok just gave him a small, knowing smile. “Just talk to her, Hyung.”

Yoongi found himself standing outside Adrienne’s hotel room a few minutes later, his hand hovering over the door. He knocked, a soft, almost hesitant rap. He heard movement inside, then silence. He knocked again, a little louder.

“Who is it?” Adrienne’s voice came from inside, muffled.

“It’s me,” Yoongi replied, his voice rougher than he intended.

Another pause. “What do you want?”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, do you really want me to get caught outside your room at night? Just open the door, Adrienne.”

The lock clicked, and the door opened a crack. Adrienne peered out, her eyes still a little wary, but she eventually swung the door open fully. She was dressed in comfortable sweats, her hair pulled back in a loose bun, and she still looked beautiful, even with a faint redness around her eyes. She stepped aside, but remained guarded by the door, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression dared him to cross the threshold.

Yoongi stepped inside, the click of the door closing behind him echoing in the small room. He looked at her, standing there, defensive and hurt. He knew he deserved it. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on hers as he struggled to find the words.

“You said you wanted to talk… so talk.”

"Adrienne," he began, his voice low and raspy. "I'm an idiot. I know what I said was fucked up but..." He dropped his gaze to his hands. "When Bang PD was tearing into me, all I could think was… everything was crumbling. My career, my future, everything I'd built. And instead of owning that, I just shoved it all onto you. That wasn’t fair." He met her eyes again, raw with regret. "Especially... that 'control' bullshit. No excuse. It came from my own panic, not because I actually think I have any right to control you. You're so strong and independent... It's one of the things I like most about you. I'm so sorry. I know it hurt. You were right to be angry. I was wrong. Completely."

Adrienne watched him, her arms still crossed, her expression slowly softening as he spoke. The raw honesty in his eyes finally broke through her defenses. She saw the familiar panicked, overwhelmed look he got when he was stuck on a difficult composition. 

"You're right," She uncrossed her arms, but her posture remained defensive. "It was bullshit. The worst thing you've ever said." Her voice was flat, sharp with old pain. "I mean you called me a 'distraction,' said I 'didn't understand'...like I don't understand exactly how this works." A tremor ran through her. She took a shaky breath, her voice gaining a quiet steel.

"But I also saw you out there today, struggling. I know the pressure you're under, I know what this album means to you." Her eyes softened, but held his gaze. "But you need to understand my sacrifices. Missing my sister's birth is a big fucking deal. It's family. It's everything." Her gaze hardened. "I'm not here to be 'managed,' Yoongi. I'm here because I like you. Because I believe in us. But if that's not what you see... if I'm just a mistake..."

Yoongi immediately stepped forward, closing the gap between them, his eyes wide with desperate terror. “Never. Not a mistake. God, Andy, no.” He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him. "I never regretted a second. I was scared, yes. Scared of failing, never scared of you." He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his hands reaching for hers, his thumbs stroking her knuckles. "You're not a distraction. You're... you're what makes any of this tolerable. You make me happy, you inspire me." His voice dropped, raw. "Losing you? That was the mistake I almost made. I know what you're giving up. I hate that I'm why you’ll miss it. I don't know how to do this. How to balance it all. But I want to learn. With you. Please, Adrienne. Just... try again. With me.."

Adrienne’s eyes welled up again, but this time they were tears of relief. She nodded, a small, watery smile on her face. "Yeah, Gi. We can try again."

As Yoongi pulled Adrienne into his arms, the world outside them dissolved. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply, memorizing her scent. The days of separation melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief and longing.

Adrienne clung to him, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt as if he might vanish if she let go. She could feel the steady, strong beat of his heart against her chest, a rhythm that echoed the love and connection they shared. His breath was warm against her neck, each exhale sending shivers down her spine, igniting a fire within her.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Yoongi murmured, his voice muffled by her hair. His arms tightened around her, as if he could merge their very souls.

Adrienne's heart swelled, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She pulled him even closer. "I think I do." Her fingers tangled in his shirt, anchoring herself to him, afraid to let go.

Yoongi pulled back slightly, his hands cupping her face as he gazed into her eyes. The intensity in his gaze made her heart race. His thumbs brushed against her cheeks, wiping away the tears she hadn't realized had fallen. "Andy," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "I never want to be without you again."

Adrienne's breath hitched at his words, her body trembling with the depth of her emotions. She leaned into his touch, her hands sliding up his chest to grip his shoulders. The scent of his cologne, familiar and intoxicating, wrapped around her, drawing her deeper into his embrace. "Treat me right, and you won’t have to be," she whispered, her voice trembling with need.

Yoongi leaned in, capturing her lips in a tender, desperate kiss. It was slow and deep. Adrienne's hands slid up his chest, her fingers gripping his shoulders as she pulled him closer. The kiss deepened, their breaths mingling, their hearts beating in sync.

Yoongi's hands moved from her face, trailing down her neck and shoulders, his touch igniting a trail of fire on her skin. Adrienne's body responded instinctively, arching into his touch, her hands exploring the contours of his back.

Their kisses grew more urgent. Yoongi's hands slid under the hem of her shirt, his fingers tracing the soft skin of her waist. Adrienne gasped at his touch, her body trembling with anticipation.

"Is this okay?" Yoongi whispered against her lips, his voice rough with desire, laced with concern.

Adrienne nodded, her breath coming in short gasps. "I need you, Gi. Please."

Yoongi's eyes darkened with desire, and he leaned down to capture her lips in another searing kiss. His hands moved with newfound urgency, exploring her body. Adrienne's fingers fumbled with the hem of his shirt.

Articles of clothing were discarded in a trail from the door to the bed. The cool air of the room brushed against their heated skin, making them shiver with anticipation. They stood for a moment, drinking in the sight of each other, their bodies flushed with desire.

"You're so beautiful, Andy," Yoongi murmured, his voice filled with awe. "I don't know how I got so lucky."

Adrienne smiled, her heart swelling with emotion, and she reached up to pull him down for another kiss. "You are so sweet, baby," she whispered against his lips. "But I really just want you to fuck me."

Yoongi's eyes locked with hers, an amused grin spreading across his lips. Without another word, he slowly guided her to the bed, their bodies entwining as they fell onto the soft sheets.

Yoongi's hand trailed down Adrienne's body, his touch feather-light yet charged with an electric intensity. He paused at the juncture between her thighs, his fingers tracing delicate patterns that made her breath hitch. Adrienne's eyes met his, dark with desire, and she gave him a silent nod of consent.

Yoongi's fingers slid through her wetness, teasing her before gently pushing inside. Adrienne gasped, her body arching into his touch, her fingers gripping the sheets beneath her.

"Fuck," Yoongi murmured against her lips, his voice rough with emotion. "You feel amazing."

Their gazes remained locked. Yoongi's fingers moved in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each stroke drawing a soft moan from Adrienne's lips. She could feel her body responding, her legs quivering slightly as he found a pace that made her heart race.

"You've been driving me crazy," Yoongi confessed, his voice rough with desire. "I've missed this. I've missed you."

Adrienne's hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. "I've missed you too, Gi. So much."

Their kisses were fevered, a tangled dance of tongues and lips. Yoongi's free hand explored her body, his touch igniting a trail of sensations that left her breathless. She could feel the roughness of his calloused fingers against her soft skin, the contrast sending sparks of pleasure through her.

"Gi, please," Adrienne whispered, her voice trembling with need. "I need more."

Yoongi's eyes darkened with desire, and he nodded. He shifted their positions, his hands guiding Adrienne beneath him. She lay back against the soft sheets, her legs spreading wide and inviting. The cool air of the room brushed against her heated skin, making her shiver with anticipation.

Yoongi hesitated for a moment, his eyes drinking in the sight of her, her body flushed with anticipation. The desire in her eyes was his undoing. With another nod from Adrienne, he slowly pushed himself inside her. Both of them moaned at the sensation of their bodies finally connecting after so long apart.

Yoongi's thrusts began slow and deliberate. "Andy," Yoongi murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I love you so much."

Adrienne's eyes welled with tears, and she pulled him closer, her legs wrapping around his waist. "I love you too, Gi. So much."

Gradually, their rhythm picked up speed, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. The room filled with soft gasps and moans, the rustle of sheets, the pounding of their hearts.

"You feel so good, Gi," Adrienne whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don't stop."

Yoongi's hands explored her body, his touch igniting a trail of sensations that left her breathless. "Never," he murmured. "I never want to stop."

Their movements grew increasingly urgent, a frantic dance of desire. Adrienne's fingers dug into Yoongi's back, her nails leaving trails of fire in their wake. Yoongi's hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer as he drove into her with a desperate need.

"Gi, I'm close," Adrienne gasped, her body trembling with the force of her impending release.

Yoongi's eyes locked with hers, and he nodded. "Me too, Andy. Come with me."

With a final, desperate thrust, they were both lost in a wave of ecstasy that left them spent and breathless. They collapsed onto the bed together, their limbs tangled, their hearts pounding in unison. Yoongi rolled onto his side, pulling Adrienne close and burying his face in her hair.

Yoongi kissed the top of her head. He drew in a long, shaky breath. "You're amazing." His voice was soft. "I was so afraid I'd fucked this up."

Adrienne snuggled closer, her eyes drifting shut. "You scared me too, Gi." She paused, then added, "...you know you said it right?"

He hummed, a low sound of contentment. "Said what?" Even as he asked, he knew. He felt the blush creep up his neck, a rarity for him.

"Yoongi~," she teased gently, nudging his chest. "That you love me. You’ve never said that before."

Yoongi tightened his arms around her, burying his face deeper in her hair. "I meant it. Every single word." He chuckled softly. "It just kind of... fell out. You know, you really make me lose myself sometimes, Adrienne."

She laughed, a soft, contented sound against his skin. "Good. You need to lose it more often… I meant it too, by the way." She pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes shining. "I love you, Yoongi."

He gazed at her. "I love you too, Andy." He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then finally her lips, a lingering, soft touch.

A moment of quiet passed. Yoongi slowly extracted himself from their embrace, the cool air bringing goosebumps to his skin as he moved to the bathroom. He returned quickly, two small washcloths steaming gently in his hands. Adrienne watched him, her eyes tracing his movements as he approached the bed. Her cheeks warmed slightly as he carefully, tenderly, cleaned her up, wiping away any excess fluid from her thighs. She hissed softly as he carefully moved her for a better angle, then sighed, sinking back as he finished.

"About Hoseok..." Her voice was a little hesitant as he settled back beside her, pulling her close again. "He knows, doesn't he? About us."

Yoongi sighed, a relaxed exhale. "He probably does. He's smart, and observant. He's been watching me glare at you for a week." He paused, then added, his voice low, "But don't worry about Hobi. He's... he's like a brother. He wouldn't say anything. Ever."

Adrienne hummed, still a little thoughtful. "I know you trust him. But this... this is a lot to keep quiet."

"He understands," Yoongi reassured her, his thumb stroking her arm. "More than anyone. We've been through too much together. He knows what's at stake. He's just worried about me... about us. That's why he pushed me to come here."

"Wait, he made you come here?" She gasped, holding a hand to her chest in mock shock. "Were you just planning on ignoring me the whole time we’re in Japan?"

"Aish, woman," Yoongi groaned, his head falling back in playful annoyance, the kind that only Adrienne could coax laughter out of him. "I wanted to make up with you on the flight over, but you walked away!"

"I walked away because you were ignoring me!" Adrienne retorted, pushing herself up on her elbows to truly look down on him, a playful glint in her eyes.

Yoongi rolled his eyes then, waving his hand noncommittally as if to wash away all the awkwardness of the past few weeks. "Alright, alright, we both made mistakes. Let's leave it there, baby." He added, pulling Adrienne close to his chest again.

She didn’t argue this time, a soft scoff puffing up her chest for a few seconds before she melted against him, allowing herself to feel a sense of calm that had eluded her so distinctly in recent nights. "You know, you probably can't stay the whole night, can you?"

Yoongi chuckled again, a deep rumble in his chest. "Relax. I'll get up before dawn. I'm on the same floor anyway, just a few doors down. No one will ever know." He pulled her closer still, as if to prove his point. "Unless you want me to leave now?" His voice was laced with a teasing challenge.

"Never," she whispered, burrowing deeper into his embrace. "Don't you dare."

A natural, practiced quiet fell between them. Yoongi's hand gently ran up and down her back, tracing patterns on her skin. "You mentioned your sister earlier," he said, his voice quiet. "The baby... next month. What's she like? Your family?"

She shifted against him, a subtle relaxation in her posture. He'd never asked much about her family before, always cautious of stirring up homesickness. Now, as she settled deeper into his embrace, the question felt right. "She's... everything. My whole family, really. Our parents died when were younger so she's always been there to take care of me" A soft, wistful smile touched her lips. "She's always been the more responsible one. She's a kindergarten teacher back home. It's going to be so strange, seeing her with her own baby." A sigh escaped her. "I just wish I could be there."

Yoongi squeezed her, placing a comforting kiss on the crown of her head. "I know, Andy. I hate that you'll miss it. It's a huge sacrifice." He leaned down to kiss her hair again. "Tell me more about her. About them. About your home."

“Are you leaving already? "

Yoongi paused in the middle of putting his jeans on. He turned his head around and cursed himself silently for being so noisy that she’d woken up. He didn’t really want to leave in the middle of the night without saying goodbye but he also didn’t want Adrienne to wake up while he was leaving. He planned on leaving a note and just slipping out the front door before she had the chance to notice that he was gone. He didn’t want her to get up so early knowing that he would be leaving in the middle of the night in order to get back to the studio before his band members came to pick him up. Though, Adrienne losing sleep was only a small part of the reason why he didn’t want her waking up while he was trying to make a quick escape. Seeing her there with her sheets barely covering her naked body and her hair sticking up in all sorts of ways that made him want to forget about preparing for work and spend the rest of the day in bed with Adrienne… That was what Yoongi feared the most about her waking up before he had the chance to go. If she did ask him to come back to bed he wasn’t sure he’d be able to say no.

“Uh, yeah,”  He finally answered as he zipped up the front of his jeans “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Why not? I’d rather get to say goodbye than wake up to an empty bed” Adrienne smiled softly and wrapped herself around the pillow Yoongi slept on. “You’re getting picked up from the studio?

“Yeah. I should head over before they get there” Yoongi nodded and pulled on his jacket then headed for the door. 

“Wait.”

Adrienne’s voice made Yoongi stop in his footsteps and look back at her.

“I don’t get a kiss goodbye?”

His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink and Yoongi was glad for the darkness to cover his expression as he sheepishly moved back over to where Adrienne laid. He muttered a soft apology before hovering over Adrienne and leaning forward to softly press his lips against hers. Adrienne met him halfway and barely brushed her lips against his before pulling him down so that he was practically laying on top of her which gave Yoongi room to run his hands up and down her sides and inadvertently deepen their kiss. Adrienne whimpered slightly when his hand accidently brushed against her bare nipple and Yoongi pulled back somewhat abruptly.

“Sorry,” he stated quickly and stood up “Uh, we’re meeting at the studio later today right?”

Adrienne nodded slowly and raised an eyebrow. 

“Good, we should talk then."

“Okay...bye.”

Yoongi waved quickly and stepped toward the door once again, granting Adrienne once last glance before he left the room and silently closed the door behind him.

Adrienne frowned slightly watching him leave. Her bed being empty was she had grown accustomed to over the past few months but that was completely forgotten once Yoongi was laying next to her. It had only been one night, and he had only been gone for a few minutes but she already missed having his warmth next to her. The soft, raspy he snored and how his body completely covered her during the night. Almost as if he was trying to protect her even in his sleep. This small fact didn’t need to be explained but. Adrienne was smitten.

Thoughts of Yoongi and their encounter the night before dominated Adrienne’s thoughts as she drifted back into sleep until she was jolted awake by the sharp ping of her cellphone on the other side of the bed. Groggily, she reached for the device and blindly answered. Not realising it was a video call. And that she was still very much naked.

"Yeah?” Andy growled groggily into the receiver held loosely against her face.

“Hey little on- Girl, are your tits out?”

“Dani?” Adrienne snorted and then looked down at her uncovered body with a groan.

“Do I want to know why you’re still in bed-probably naked- in the middle of the day?” Danielle asked, judgement heavy in her voice.

“A woman can’t be naked in her own house?” Andy retorted with a laugh, hoping to avoid a discussion she really didn’t want to have.

“That’s not what I asked, Adrienne.”

“You might not like the answer,” The younger girl yawned and finally moved to cover herself,  holding the phone at an arm's length so that she could see her sister’s face completely “I had some…company last night.”

“Finally!” Danielle exclaimed and clapped with one hand “I was getting worried about you going into a dick drought over there.”

Adrienne rolled her eyes playfully but laughed right along with her sister.

“Was it that good? Is that while you’re still laid up in bed?”

Adrienne didn’t answer and, just as any sister would, Danielle knew that she already had the answer to her question.

“I’ll take that as a yes, so who was it?”

Adrienne paused, juggling whether or not she should be honest with her sister. She didn’t think that spending the night with Yoongi was a big deal but knowing Danielle there was no way she’d feel the same. Especially given Adrienne’s past history with coworkers.

“Uhm...Yoongi.” Adrienne replied.

“...The guy you work with? Oh, Adrienne haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” Danielle croaked and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“It’s not like the last time” Adrienne countered, “We...talked.”

“So, you know exactly what the status of your relationship is right now?”

“....Yes.”

That was a lie and Danielle knew immediately. She rolled her eyes deeply and shook her head. Adrienne knew that her sister was doing her best to hold whatever she wanted to say inside for Andy’s sake and probably the sake of her baby. Any unnecessary stress could still be potentially harmful to the unborn child even if she was inching closer and closer to her due date. 

“Look, I’m not going to lecture you” Danielle started after collecting her thoughts “You are a grown woman and obviously you’re going to do what you want regardless of what I think. Just promise me you’re being safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Adrienne replied in a small voice, plucking at some of the fluff on her comforter. “Enough about me. Tell me what’s going on at home.”

Danielle sighed and placed a hand on her round stomach “I am so over being pregnant, I know I’m not due till next month but I’m ready to be induced tonight.” She groaned loudly and tried to maneuver her body in a comfortable position. Adrienne held in a snicker as she watched her sister roll onto her side.

“It can’t be that bad, Dani. You’re bringing life into the world!”

“At this point I just want to be done with the whole thing, everyone’s really excited about you coming next month though!”

“Who is everyone? You, Lloyd and my unborn niece?”

“You also have friends, we’ve all been worried about you over there. I hope you’re doing okay.”

Danielle’s eyes softened as she watched a smile spread across Adrienne’s lips. It wasn’t easy being away from her family but Adrienne could honestly say that she really was doing okay. No one could ever replace her sister but she had found a surrogate family in the boys and Yoongi. She was doing better than okay.

“I really am.”

The siblings talked for hours, right up until the moment Adrienne had to leave for her studio appointment. She felt bad about keeping her sister up so late but according to Danielle she hardly slept during normal hours now that her due date was only a matter of weeks away. So that was, at least, somewhat comforting. Sadly though, Adrienne had to say her final goodbyes to her sister as she headed out the front door of her apartment. Not before assuring Danielle multiple times that all of the plans for her trip next month were finalized and ready to be executed. Despite the fact that her promise wasn’t entirely true. She did have intentions of visiting next month in order to be there for her niece's birth but she still hadn’t bought her ticket or asked for the time off with the company.

The album was slated to be completed in the coming weeks and Adrienne didn’t really see any obstacles stopping her from keeping her promise. From her perspective it was just a matter of asking permission.

Yoongi spent his entire morning pushing himself to stay awake and alert on ounces of coffee and nothing but fumes. He had managed to get a few hours of sleep at Adrienne’s apartment but only closed his eyes for a few moments when he arrived at the studio. The minute he sat down and rested his head on the back of the couch, his phone was buzzing with text messages from the managers and Namjoon telling him to come outside as quickly as possible. The exhaustion on his face was noticed but expected by everyone once he got in the van, so luckily no one questioned why he didn’t just come home when he was done working. It wasn’t particularly unusual for Yoongi to stay later in the studio when they were preparing for an album but he’d stopped actually sleeping in the studio once they moved out of their one bedroom dorm.

He huddled up into a corner as soon as the van door shut and tried his best to get some rest while they were en route and between takes of the photo shoots they had scheduled for the day. Fortunately enough, the majority of their schedule for the day was photo shoots with only a few group interviews so Yoongi didn’t have to do much talking. It was one of the few times he appreciated how talkative and distracting his fellow band members were, with all of them being loud like usual no one noticed him practically falling asleep in the background.

Well, no one except Hoseok. He knew that that Yoongi definitely did not spend his entire night in the studio and the faint red marks scattered around his neck confirmed all the suspicions that Hoseok had about what really happened last night. Instead of questioning him in front of everyone like he wanted to, Hobi waited until they were on their way back to the studio an sidled up next to him while the group dispersed into their own activities. Namjoon had a meeting with the staff. Jin, Taehyung and Jungkook headed for the recording studio and Jimin went in the direction of the dance room, expecting Hoseok to follow him like usual. Hoseok however, trailed behind Yoongi until they were both alone in the hallway just outside the studio room.

Yoongi, completely unaware of the younger male following him, flinched slightly when Hoseok started walking in stride with him and leaning closer to his neck.

“What are you doing?” Yoongi asked with a scowl..

“Me? Nothing, just wondering what happened to your neck.” Hoseok answered plainly. “Something happen on your ‘walk’ last night?”

Yoongi stopped for a second to give Hoseok a sidelong glance before moving forward and slouching his shoulders., “No.”

“You sure? Looks like something happened to your neck-”

Yoongi exhaled sharply, squared his jaw and pushed Hoseok forward into the empty studio room and slammed the door behind them both.

“Do you you have something to say Hoseok?” Yoongi snarled, cornering Hoseok until he was backed against a wall. Hoseok was a few inches taller than him but he knew all too well that Yoongi didn’t need height to intimidate.

“I know you didn’t come back here after we ate last night,” Hoseok answered, honestly trying to as respectful as possible.

“What’s your point?” Yoongi countered, backing away just slightly.

“Hyung,” Hoseok slumped his shoulder down and paused to gather his thoughts before continuing “I’m not the only one who’s noticed how….friendly you and Andy are with each other. Don’t think I’m accusing you of anything, but last night may not have been your best decision, what if someone saw you going into her house? Everything we’ve been working so hard for years would be gone.”

Yoongi wanted to be angry, he wanted to scoff in Hoseok’s face and tell him just how incorrect his assumptions were but he knew he wasn’t lying and all the fears he vowed to let go of just the night before came rushing back to him in an instant. He knew that he wasn’t just jeopardizing his own career by acting so recklessly with his feelings toward Adrienne, he was putting the future of everyone of his bandmates on the line without them even being aware of it. It wasn’t fair to them and Yoongi understood that. But it was too late to go back now. He sighed and walked away completely from Hoseok, taking a seat at the desk and mindlessly tapping keys on the keyboard in front of him.

“I understand why you might be concerned,” He spoke up after a moment's silence “I did go to Andy’s apartment last night but it was just to apologize, I said something to offend her in the studio yesterday and….the specifics aren’t important. You don’t have anything to worry about I wouldn’t put everyone else at risk for something so selfish.”

Hoseok pouted, knowing that his friend was not telling him the entire truth but also knowing that trying to push him to confide in him would only make him pull further away. They had been friends long enough for Hoseok to know that he wouldn’t lie to him without a good reason. It was because he knew this that he allowed himself to believe Yoongi’s version of events, only nodding and adjusting the beanie on his head as he moved for the door.

“Okay, Hyung. I trust you.”

Yoongi moved to answer him but the sound of the doorknob jostling and seeing Adrienne appear in the doorway, practically beaming, made him sink further into his seat and snap his lips shut. 

“Hobi!” Adrienne grinned, “This is a surprise, are you recording something today?”

Hoseok gave Adrienne a polite smile before shaking his head a few times and moving past her,out into the hallway “No, no I’m leaving, don’t wanna be in the way.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Adrienne asked Yoongi once the door closed behind Hoseok and they were alone. Yoongi shrugged and turned back the computer, unable to look Adrienne in the eye and suddenly feeling very self aware of his actions.  Adrienne didn’t feel the need to push for an answer and tossed her belongings onto the couch before focusing her gaze on the back of Yoongi’s head. He wasn’t really paying attention to what she was up to behind him but he froze in his spot when he felt Andy come to behind him and wrap her arms around his shoulders then wigggled her way into his lap and barely moved an inch when she pressed her lips against his own.

“Okay...what’s wrong with you?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“You’re being weird.”

"I…” Yoongi sighed and pushed the office chair back a few inches “We should talk Adrienne, about last night.”

The slight smile on Adrienne’s lips immediately fell when Yoongi finally met her eyes and said the exact opposite of what she wanted to hear. “I knew this would happen,” She muttered softly and pressed both of her hands to her face.

“You knew what?"

“That you were going to react this way,” Adrienne pushed herself off Yoongi’s lap “With regret about what happened between us last night.”

“I don’t- Why do you think I regret it?“

“You were sneaking out of my apartment in the middle of the night, you were hesitant when I kissed you goodbye and you didn’t even kiss me back just now. What else am I supposed to think Yoongi?”

Yoongi reached for Adrienne before left him completely but she was already seated on the couch by the time he fully extended his hand. There was an aura of sadness in the way her shoulders rolled forward and Yoongi cursed himself for not being able to express what he was honestly feeling with more ease. He had no problem turning his emotions and feeling into music that anyone could relate to. But being with someone he genuinely cared about seeing them face to face and trying to turn all the abstract thoughts in his mind and on his heart into something understandable was almost impossible.

Instead of trying to find the perfect thing to say Yoongi exhaled deeply and rolled the office toward the couch so that he directly facing Adrienne. He pulled her hands between his and pressed his lips to her knuckles for a few seconds.

“Andy, I don’t regret anything that happened last night” He began, “I meant what I said about wanting to be with you, as far as I’m concerned you’re mine. But I wasn’t lying about not being good to you, it hasn’t even been a day and I’m already making you sad and I hate not knowing what to say to you.”

Adrienne raised her head up, looking at Yoongi instead of the ground, she examined his features while he spoke and the vulnerability in his eyes as he searched for his next word. He really did appear to be struggling with figuring out just what to say and while she appreciated his honesty she couldn’t help but notice how many times he used the word ‘I’.

“Do you think you’re the only one that might have reservations about this, Gi?” Adrienne was asking a rhetorical question but Yoongi shook his head anyway, “I know we don’t know each other that well and we’re going about this in kind of a backwards way but I understand what kind of person you are. What you do means a lot more to me that what you say and I don’t expect you to always say the right thing.” Adrienne smiled softly and stood up again, pushing Yoongi’s chair backwards so that she could sit in his lap again and he wrapped his arms around her once she did. “This is new and scary and we’re both taking huge risks with our careers but I really like you and I want to see where this goes so I’m willing to take that risk...are you?”

Yoongi was stunned to silence, amazed at how the petite girl in his arms had managed to summarize everything he wanted to say in just a few sentences. He still had his concerns about just how they would manage to hide their budding relationship from everyone else when there were already eyes on them but that was a bridge they could cross when they came to it. No one had any concrete information and rumors buzzed through the company all the time. For Yoongi having Adrienne by his side was more than worth being the subject of some trivial gossip.

”Yeah, I am.” Yoongi replied with a small nod as he tightened the hold he had on Andy’s waist, pulling her closer to his chest.

“Good,” Adrienne said with wide grin, leaning forward to kiss him once again.

He reciprocated this time around, controlling the pace of their kiss so that it was slow and gradual. Everything he couldn’t say with words he poured into his kiss, somehow trying to convey exactly how much he appreciated her understanding him in that moment. He deepened the kiss into a more passionate one as Andy moved her hands through his messy hair, making him growl with encouragement. 

Adrienne pulled herself as tight around him as possible, making him feel her body.  The brunette could most definitely feel the faintest hint of an erection pressed up against her bottom, letting out a small gasp against his lips that soon turned into an unexpected moan. One one hand, she was pleased with his reaction since it cleared away some of the doubts and questions that had been lingering in the back of her mind. But she also knew that this was no time to be getting carried away. They were at work, in a public place where anyone could catch them and she hadn’t thought to lock the door when she came in. Reluctantly, she pulled herself back and brought them both to their senses.

“Sorry,” Yoongi muttered.

“Stop apologizing for kissing me” Adrienne replied with a small laugh “That reminds me though, I got you something today.”

Yoongi contorted his features as if to question her but Adrienne was up and moving over to the couch to shuffle through her purse before he even attempted to ask her anything. When he swiveled the chair to look her way a small box of condoms landed on his lap, which made him press a hand to his face and the tips of his ears turn red.

"No, no, I want there to be a subtle kind of...sexiness even without the lyrics"

"But I thought we agreed to go for a different feeling?"

"We did...then I changed my mind"

"So, I guess what I want doesn't matter?"

"For this song- no. No, it does not."

Yoongi wanted to be annoyed by her dismissal and deep down he mostly was, Andy was being unnecessarily difficult with the direction of their latest music-related venture, and although she had shot down nearly all of his ideas today, Yoongi still found himself bowing to her will instead of arguing with her like he usually would whenever she batted those big green eyes at him. He was fairly certain that she wasn't doing this on purpose, enticing him so that he would continue to remain entranced by her attractive features and intoxicating smile, even if she wasn't aware of what she was doing, the results were still the same. She already had him wrapped around her finger without even realizing it and Yoongi hated being so damn malleable. 

Today was another day off for the group but with the limited time and amount of preparation they still had to go through t in order to be ready to release their album on time, no one in the group had the luxury of lounging around doing nothing  like they had been doing the past few days. Everyone was either practicing, giving interviews or helping out with lyrics for the few songs that were already completed and approved leaving Andy and Yoongi alone in an empty dorm to get some actual work done. They opted out of working at the studio since it was already crowded with Namjoon, Jimin and Hoseok using the computer and mic, Yoongi knew that the dorm would be empty for most of the day, so it gave them a chance to work in peace.

"Look," Adrienne sighed and leaned back on her elbows, they were seated on Yoongi's bed and much closer than they needed to be "I'm sure whatever you're thinking is great but if you guys really want to go for a more mature image with this album you need a song like this. The kind of song that will give you the confidence to strip and give your boyfriend a lap dance even if you can't dance for shit." Adrienne exhaled sharply and glanced up at the ceiling, looking wistful. She wasn't looking at Yoongi, and she hadn't been since she started speaking, but if she was she probably would have noticed the way his eyes ping-ponged between the slight amount of cleavage peeking out of the top of her v-neck and her plump lips that curled into a seductive smile when she spoke that last sentence.

Something about the way she said the previous sentence, however, must’ve given too much of her desire away, because he froze when she exhaled, just to stare her down. When Adrienne finally did glance to the side she flinched slightly under his intense glare but didn't back away.

"Sorry, was that too much? I talk without thinking sometimes..."

"No... that's not-"

It seemed Yoongi hadn’t truly been paying attention to what she was saying before, but now he would have been hanging on her every word if she had the courage to say anything else, instead, they just stared at each other, neither one moving an inch until one of Adrienne's braids fell into her face and Yoongi raised his fingers and brushed the back of his knuckles across her cheek to put it back in place.

His movements were gentle, so gentle that Adrienne could barely breathe– the moment stretched out for so much longer than seemed appropriate, allowing Adrienne to become lost in her thoughts and the realization of just how much she wanted his lips on her to hit her with a heavy awareness. Andy broke under the thought and found herself leaning forward to just do it, to just kiss him like she had wanted to for so much longer than she cared to think about. Yoongi leaned forward as well, the hand that was caressing her cheek moving down to her neck to securely keep her head where he wanted it to be. Eyelids hooded and lips just a few inches apart, their breathing intermingled as they drew closer and closer to their intended goal. Weeks of flirting and mutually explosive tension bubbling just under the surface was just seconds from reaching its peak....until hearing the door handle jiggle broke apart their fantasy.

Suddenly the front door opened, and the sound of Jin's voice blending together with Jungkook's caused the enamored pair to spring apart, quite literally, with Yoongi rolling further into the center of his bed and Adrienne tumbling from the bed to the ground, landing flat on her ass.

"Are you okay?" Yoongi asked quickly, peering over the edge as Adrienne nodded and rubbed the sore spot on her hip where she landed.

"I'm fine, just a little bruise-" She responded with a groan then looked up, the moment between them was long from being forgotten and that was evident in the way Yoongi still peered down at her like he wanted to devour her right then. But, Jin and Jungkook making their presence known in the hallway outside Yoongi's bedroom made them break contact and swiftly pretend to be working, Andy grabbing her notebook off the edge of the bed and Yoongi mindlessly pressing keys on his laptop as the two young men hovered around the entrance and inquired about how their work was going.

"Yoongi's being stubborn, and I am making amazing music, so it's just like always," Adrienne commented from the floor, earning a chuckle from both Jin and Jungkook and an agitated smirk from the target of her jeer.

"Ah, well we won't distract you, keep working hard!" Jin stated as he began to usher Jungkook out the door, who was on the verge of complaining.

"Oh no! You can stay!" Adrienne replied, too quickly, and shot out her hand to stop them from leaving "It would be nice to hear some feedback." She wasn't too certain about being left alone with Yoongi after what had almost happened just a few seconds earlier, even with her sitting on the floor now there was no guaranteeing she wouldn't lose her senses again and do something stupid like try to kiss her coworker.

"Are you sure won't we be in the way?" Jin asked in part, allowing Jungkook to finish off the question even though he was already walking back towards Jin's bed and sitting down. Both of them glanced back and forth from Adrienne to Yoongi for an answer, before finally settling on Yoongi.

"It's fine," he grumbled from behind his laptop screen, "Just try not to make too much noise."

They, of course, did the opposite of what he asked.

Yoongi slammed the door of the Bangtan room so hard Adrienne swore she could hear the frosted glass crack and shatter when he entered the room. She didn't even bother swiveling around in her chair when she heard him come in since she already knew what was bothering him. Yoongi had a meeting with the boss today about a few songs he'd submitted on his own for approval and, judging by his reaction, it probably hadn't gone well.

It was always interesting (terrifying) to see Yoongi so genuinely angry, he was usually so calm and unconcerned by small or big things, but when it came to his music he quite literally wore his emotions on his sleeves and it barely took much to ignite a blaze of fire within him.

"Yoongi-ssi?" Adrienne called as she heard his pacing back and forth behind her.

No answer.

"Are you alright?" Adrienne decided to ask once again when he took a seat on the couch and began running both of his hands down the length of his face. 

"Do I seem alright to you?" Yoongi snapped with his face still buried in his hands, his knee was bouncing up and down so quickly it warbled his voice and Adrienne couldn't even find herself becoming offended by his curt reply.

"You don't," Adrienne answered as she spun around to face Yoongi, "That's why I'm asking if you are. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but don't come in here disrupting my time with your bad vibes if just going to be an asshole."

Yoongi puffed up almost immediately, his chest inflating with arrogance and his lips twisting into an aggravated scowl. He looked up, ready to dispute his right to be an asshole whenever he wanted to be, but once his eyes met Adrienne's he deflated and glanced to the side with a heavy sigh. He shouldn't be putting his anger off on her, she wasn't the reason he was upset.

"He said no- again!" Yoongi finally replied with an answer that Adrienne already knew, but she nodded anyway, her gaze never leaving his as he began to rant about not being taken seriously. 

"They still look at me and talk to me like I'm still the same kid that auditioned here three years ago, it's fucking humiliating!"

"Did he at least give you some constructive criticism?" Andy asked, trying to remain positive.

"That's not even the point," Yoongi huffed, rising up from his seat, "If it was just about my song not being good enough, I could change that. I can always make better songs but I'm not growing as an artist if I'm constantly being told to write about the same thing in a slightly different way! There are only so many similes and metaphors you can write about someone not loving you the way you love them."

Adrienne frowned and nodded because she understood how he felt. Even when she felt like she didn't know Yoongi as well as she wanted to, it was always very obvious to Adrienne how much his music meant to him, that was something they had in common and it was probably the reason for most of their music-related disagreements. Neither of them would put their name on a project that they didn't know was their absolute best effort.

Yoongi was still pacing  back and forth the length of the small studio room in an attempt to work off all the anger that was building up inside him. He stopped abruptly once he felt Adrienne's arms embrace him from behind and her cheek rest against his shoulder, she was wearing platform sneakers that made her as tall as him.

"Do you really think your boss doesn't respect you?" She asked after a few seconds passed and his harsh breathing had calmed some.

"He's not acting like he does," Yoongi muttered over his shoulder.

"You know that's not what I asked, do you honestly think he doesn't respect you? Would he have given you the responsibility of producing an entire album for your group if he didn't appreciate your talent?" Adrienne inquired and picked her head up off of Yoongi's shoulder.

"...Technically he didn't, he hired you to produce it with me." He said quietly, followed by a pained hiss when Adrienne flicked his earlobe.

"Yah! We're getting along, don't ruin the moment!"

Yoongi smiled, it was small and short-lived but it was the first time he hadn't been scowling since he walked into the room and Andy counted that as a win.

"In all seriousness, I know for a fact that he doesn't think you're still the same kid you were when you were training. You should hear the way he talked about you before I met you guys, it was nauseating. I think he recognizes that you've grown which is why he allowed this opportunity, he also knows what's going to sell so try not to take the rejection too personally."

Yoongi exhaled and pressed his lips together, he knew she was right. He may have been taking this a little too personally, but his music was an extension of him, how could he not? After a second of contemplation, Yoongi turned so that he was facing Adrienne and looped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him in a tight hug.

"Thank you," He said gently as they pulled apart and Adrienne smiled widely in response, her grip on his forearms reluctantly growing slack. A moment of charged silence passed between them once again when they were no longer hugging, and Adrienne felt a fleeting sensation of recklessness pass through her once again. They still hadn't talked about what had happened a few days earlier in Yoongi's room, Adrienne was waiting for him to bring it up while being too cowardly to do it herself and Yoongi felt the same way. 

"You should do something," Adrienne spoke first.

"What?" Yoongi asked, clearly confused.

"Your song," Adrienne clarified and backed away to save her own sanity. "You should do something with it if you really like it that much. Maybe you can't put it on an album, but you can always release it for free? Your fans would like that"

"Ah, I don't know about that" Yoongi shook his head and returned to his seat on the couch, "The big reason it can't be included on the album is because of the subject matter....it's kind of suggestive."

Andy shrugged and leaned against the back of the office chair "But it would be nice! Think of your fans."

Adrienne pouted and Yoongi caved.

"Fine, but I need you to sing the chorus, and we can't release it anywhere."

"Me? Why? Can't you use Jimin?"

"He's busy, and I doubt he would be comfortable singing some of the lines."

Adrienne's curiosity was piqued but understood what he meant once they actually began recording the song. The word 'suggestive' would have been the last adjective on Adrienne's mind as she read the lyrics as well as she could and sang along with Yoongi's direction; explicit would have been her first choice. It was a catchy song, that was definitely true, but Adrienne understood immediately why it couldn't be included on the album. They finished the song in just a few takes and quickly got back to working on the album like they were supposed to be. It was well into the night before either of them left for home and Adrienne made a quick stop to one of the few cubicles that were still occupied with someone working. It was an assistant name Soo-Bin whom Adrienne wasn't overly friendly with, but she still knew her by name. She quickly asked to post the cover she'd mixed and arranged for Jungkook before she left for the night since she was going to be there a lot longer than Adrienne was. Soo-Bin agreed, reluctantly, and once it was time for her to go home quickly published the first song that seemed to match the specifications Adrienne described.

She wasn't in the mood to double check.

The next morning Adrienne got ready for work with a heavy heart after waking up to a message from Bang Sihyuk requesting her presence in his office, the second she got to work. She hadn't had a one on one meeting with him since she was hired, and she honestly couldn't think of anything they needed to talk about. She wasn't finished with the latest batch of songs and there was still time for her to send them in, so she knew he couldn't have been moving up the deadline, and anything else pertaining to the album was usually just relayed to her through Yoongi or one of the other staff members. There was only one logical reason Andy could think of for him wanting to meet with her alone and that was to tell her that she was fired. The thought alone nearly made her hyperventilate.

Slowly, Adrienne trudged her way towards Bang Sihyuk's office when she was finally inside the Big Hit building. She paused once she was a few feet away from the office door and noticed a familiar face leaning against the door frame.

"Yoongi-ssi?"

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd get here, you're late today."

"It took me a while to get ready..why are you here? Do you have a meeting today too?"

Yoongi nodded, "Yeah, right now. He wants to talk to both of us."

Adrienne sighed a small breath of relief once Yoongi turned and entered the room before her. If he wanted to talk to both of them at once, then the chances of her being fired seemed to be a lot smaller. Andy soon followed after Yoongi and immediately bowed at a complete 90 degree angle once she was inside, the rules of engagement when it came to her superiors were still foreign to Adrienne, and she wasn't sure if she had to bow once she entered his office, but she didn't want to run the risk of possibly offending her boss.

Bang Sihyuk was in the middle of a phone call when they walked in but motioned for them to side down anyway. Andy and Yoongi exchange a short confused glance but their attention was brought back to their boss once he hung up and cleared his throat.

"I'll be quick about this, I'm sure you're both wondering why I called you here," Andy and Yoongi both nodded simultaneously, "The reason is simple really, I need to have a conversation with you about the nature of your relationship and the easiest way to do that is if you're both here together."

Adrienne was confused, she was sure she heard him correctly but the way he said 'relationship' didn't make sense to her. 

"Now while I suppose I can't outright stop you, I can strongly discourage you from openly dating so early into Yoongi's career. The group is finally gaining some ground in the music business and a scandal like this could derail all the hard work that-"

"I'm sorry, did you say dating?" Adrienne interjected, trying to sound as respectful as possible but she just had to stop him before all his words began to blur together.

"PD-nim, we're not dating" Yoongi spoke up once Bang Sihyuk answered Adrienne's question with a firm nod.

"Are you sure about that? The song that you put up on the blog yesterday seems to very explicitly suggest otherwise. You don't have to lie to me,Yoongi. Honestly, it's better if we get it out in the open now that way I can protect you if I need to in the future." Bang Sihyuk countered with genuine concern in his tone.

"Song? What song?" Adrienne muttered underneath her breath before the wheels in her head finally started turning "Aish! Soo-Bin must have uploaded the wrong song last night, I asked her to upload Jungkook's cover. She must have gotten the files mixed up" She said to Yoongi who nodded and shook his head.

"That song was never meant to be released to the public, sir" Yoongi explained, "It was just something we recorded for fun but I can promise you that we are not dating or anything like that."

"Truthfully, we are not. I don't have a reason to lie to you" Adrienne tacked on.

Bang folded his arms across his stomach and leaned back into his comfy office chair "Good," he said after a few seconds of tense silence "We've already taken the song down but both of you need to be more careful in the future, you can't afford a mistake like this."

"Yes, Sir."

They both thanked him for understanding before he excused them and allowed them to leave. Adrienne dramatically sighed and slumped into the sofa once they reached the studio.

"I can't believe I thought I was going to be fired today."

"Why would you think that?" Yoongi asked from hovering over the computer console.

"I didn't know you were going to be there, I thought he wanted to talk to me alone and that could only mean one thing."

"You shouldn't take things so personally" He snickered, proud of himself for being able to use her own words against her.

Adrienne rolled her eyes, "This not the same thing, my reason is totally valid" She scoffed "Can you believe he thought we were dating, though? There's no way that would ever happen."

Yoongi stopped fidgeting with the keys on the keyboard just long enough to look back at Adrienne who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, her statement had struck a chord in him "No way, huh?"

"Hm? Oh! It's nothing against you I just....I don't think I'm your type" Adrienne said with a humorless laugh as she got up to take a closer look at the books on the shelf against the far wall.

"What does that mean?"

"It...means what I said, I'm not your type," Adrienne answered over her shoulder, completely unaware of the utter disbelief written all over Yoongi's face.

His hand latching onto her wrist took her by surprise and Adrienne gasped softly as she was suddenly being pressed against the wall next to the bookshelf, her body sandwiched between Yoongi and the plaster. His knuckles softly grazed over Adrienne's cheeks just like they had days before but this time, there were no braids obstructing her view to excuse his actions. His move was deliberate, and he made that notion clear as his gaze never left Adrienne's face as his hand moved down to her jawline and the pad of his thumb lightly traced Adrienne's' sharp features.

Yoongi only wanted to make a point; that there was no possible way she wouldn't be his type. However, being so close to her. Feeling her chest rise and fall against his body each time she drew a shallow breath he found it hard to stop himself once he'd started. As if of its own accord his head dipped, and he pressed his lips to hers. His free hand cupped the back of her head, holding her there gently. His kiss was soft and almost chaste to start off with, not forcing Adrienne to give any more than she wanted to, but she soon found herself getting lost in their kiss, her lips returning his actions with as much vigor as she could muster. She couldn’t quite explain the feeling that she had right now, it was as if all the blood had rushed from her head and that she was flying, she felt light and grounded all at the same time. Whatever it was she definitely knew she had a word for it now; right.

As much as she tried to ignore it and push her feelings to the back burner for the sake of her sanity and now career, kissing Yoongi felt right and Adrienne could no longer deny that fact. Her arms gripped tightly around his back as she pulled her head back momentarily to catch her breath, she looked up into Yoongi’s eyes and it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. The slight redness in his cheeks made her grin playfully as she sent her lips plunging back to his, her head shifted to the side with precision as she snaked her tongue past his lips. Yoongi no longer felt the need to be gentle, he put his all into the kiss now, and he let her in, tongues massaging and bodies wrapping up in one another as his hand slid down Adrienne's torso to firmly grasp her hips and hold her steady.

The feeling of her fingernails dragging across the skin of his neck ignited a five-alarm fire within Yoongi and just as quickly and unexpectedly as their kiss started, he ended it. Detaching his hands from her waist and immediately backing away like Adrienne was radioactive.

"I'm sorry," He said breathlessly with his hand covering his slightly swollen lips. "I shouldn't have done that" Yoongi croaked, that one moment was validation of something he'd wanted for such a long time, but he couldn't allow himself to completely abandon his self-control.

"Please, don't apologize," Adrienne answered, still trying to catch her breath "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to kiss me."

"No, I have to because I can't.....we can't...we can't do this Andy!" Yoongi frantically exclaimed, pushing the hair away from his face roughly.

The strength of his response made Adrienne flinch slightly, he wasn't yelling but there was a temper behind his words that she didn't fully recognize, "Okay." She nodded and adjusted her top so that it laid flat over her stomach again. 

"I don't want to sound desperate but why?"

"We just can't," Yoongi exhaled and hung his head low.

"I-is it because I'm black?"

He spun around quickly to face her with his expression contorted in confusion, "What? No!"

"Then what is it?"

Yoongi sighed heavily and took a seat on the sofa then patted the seat next to him and gestured toward Adrienne "Come here."

Adrienne followed his command and occupied the seat next to him, he took both of her hands in his once she was seated.

"You heard what PD-nim said today." He started softly, his thumb gentle caressing the back of her palm. "I have a very demanding job. It's not that I wouldn't want to be with you, but I also want to have a successful career and I don't know if I could handle doing both. I know that seems selfish but I've given up so many things in my life to make sure that I can do this to the best of my abilities and I can't become lenient now, no matter how tempting the thought of this is." He accompanied his words with another gentle stroke against Adrienne's cheek.

"If we got together I wouldn't feel right unless I was giving you every part of me and I can't do that and be good at my job, Andy" He frowned and cradled her face with both of his hands "I have so many goals to accomplish before I can give my heart away and I can't just ask you to wait for me...that wouldn't be fair."

Adrienne bit down harshly on her bottom, she understood where he was coming from. Honestly, she did but still didn't stop her from feeling like he was just admitting to being too afraid to take a risk. She didn't voice her opinion, however, he was bearing his heart to her and accusing him of being a coward would undoubtedly only ensure that he would never do that again.

"I understand," She responded with a tight, forced smile; her palms smoothing up Yoongi's forearms until the rested over his hands "I don't totally agree but I understand, your job is important to you and it wouldn't really be fair for me to ask you to put it on hold." Adrienne leaned forward and pressed her lips against Yoongi's cheek long enough so that her lipstick transferred to leave an outline of her lips against his pale skin.