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smolwritingchick · 11 months ago

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The Bangtan Gal Chapter 44- He's Smitten

Chapter Summary: Jungkook's white shirts go missing. Jen gets noticed by Baekhyun. Bam Bam finally meets Jennie at the Dream concert. Jennie and Jungkook go against each other for dodgeball at school. Jennie checks out Jungkook's English.

Words: 12,000+

Genre: Major Jungkook fluff! And Bam Bam fluff!

Author's Note: Another custom chapter after some BTS events! I really LOVE this chapter and the scenes between Jennie and Jungkook when they played dodgeball at school and ate together after school. One of my absolute favorite chapters I wrote! I love their growing friendship/feelings for each other.

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Jennie slept soundly, on top of Yoongi as they napped on the couch, in the living room. Her alarm on her phone began to ring once the time turned to 1:30 PM, causing them both to stir in their sleep. Reaching over to her phone, she shuts off the alarm and lets out a sigh.

“An hour didn’t go by that quick...” She tried to go back to sleep as she felt Yoongi’s chest rumble against her when he chuckled.

“Unfortunately, it did. Time to go to the studio.” His deep voice was filled with sleep as he began to stretch. Jennie looked at him as he ran a hand through his hair. “You wanna know somethin’?”

“What?”

“You look like shit.”

Used to his smart-ass remarks, she remained unfazed. “Oh? So, do you asshole.”

Yoongi let out another deep chuckle. “What? You want me to lie? Wow, you look beautiful this afternoon.”

“Wow, well you look quite handsome this afternoon.” She mocked. “And your breath stinks.”

Suddenly, Yoongi breathed out heavily so she could smell his stench. As soon as his bad breath hit her nose, she covered it and fell off the couch with a yell.

“Ew! Not funny!” she cringed

“Was to me. Be ready in 20 so we can work on your cover.” He got off the couch to head to the bathroom.

Today was the day Jennie would finish covering Baekhyun’s Beautiful from EXO Next Door. Already admiring him as a K-Pop idol, she wanted to sing one of his songs and the song was really, no pun intended, beautiful. The song was released on April 22nd, and as soon as she heard it, she immediately wanted to cover it. She low-key hoped that he’d even notice the cover.

Meanwhile, Jungkook searched around his room for his white shirts. They were suddenly missing.

“What the heck is going on? I had them right here!” He started destroying the side of his room for his shirts.

Jen heard him muttering to himself in panic and decided to go into his room to see what was the problem. “You good?”

“No, I’m not! I can’t find any of my white shirts! They’re-they’re gone! All of them! ALL OF THEM!”

The Bangtan Girl stared at him like he was crazy.

All this...over shirts?

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. You mean to tell me you can’t find none of your shirts?” She tried to get him to relax as she grabbed a hold of his arm, halting him from pacing.

“Nope! None of them!” He grabbed a hold of her shoulders. “You gotta help me. I need my white shirts, you know how much they mean to me. Help me, please.”

“I’m about to go to the studio. I can help you when I get back.” She suggested, getting out of his grip. “You’re probably overlooking. You sure it’s not in your laundry?”

Jungkook decided to go to his laundry basket and dump out all his dirty clothes. “Nope! Where are they!?” He yelled in frustration.

“What are you whining about?” Jimin approached him out of curiosity.

“Someone had to take them. This is a prank, isn’t it?” Jungkook finally figured it out.

“Take what?” Taehyung joined in.

“Someone took my white shirts!” The Golden Maknae whined and started to fake cry.

Jimin immediately began laughing, which caused suspicion as Jungkook called him out. “It was you wasn’t it!?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Jimin giggled.

“Give them back!”

“Hahahah! It wasn’t me-hahahah!”

“Did you check the laundry room?” Taehyung suggested, trying not to giggle.

“If I find out that one of you messed with ALL my white shirts, there will be hell to pay.” He threatened them and left the room.

As soon as Jungkook left, Taehyung and Jimin started laughing.

“Y’all did it, didn’t you?” Jennie assumed.

“We didn’t do anything, it’s just so funny to see him so worked up over white shirts.” Taehyung giggled loudly.

“I hope he finds them.” She let out a sigh.

“I hope he doesn’t for a while. I like seeing him panic.” Jimin added. “I wonder who decided to take them. Maybe Hobi?”

“We could go ask,” Tae suggested.

“Keep me posted on the madness. I have a song to cover.” She said her goodbyes after they wished her luck, anticipating her new recording.

When she headed to the studio, with her headphones in her ears, she was asked to sound softer and build her way up as the song progressed because, in some parts of the song, there wasn’t any build up the first few times she sang the song.

“Maybe if you think about a boy or ARMY, it could help with the emotion.” She was suggested as she nodded, taking in the advice.

‘A boy, huh? Or ARMY?’ She pondered as her mind started to race with ideas.

With her phone in her hand, having the lyrics on her notes app, she waits for the music to start again. Once the music was heard from her headphones, she starts off softly, bringing out a sad tone to the beginning of the song.

Annyeong naege dagawa

Sujubeun hyanggireul angyeo judeon

neo huimihan kkumsokeseo

Nuni busidorok banjjakyeosseo

Raising her pitch slightly to a hopeful tone, she continued softly. And as she sang the chorus, a smile came across her face as she maintained the hopeful tone of the song.

Neoui misoe naemaeumi noganaeryeo

Nuni majuchyeosseulttaen~

Dugeungeoryeooh~

Her held notes sounded angelic, and strong but not overpowering the beat of the song.

neoui gaseume nae misoreul gieokhaejwo

Haruedo myeotbeonssik~

Saenggakhaejwooh~

Neoege hago sipeun geu mal...You’re beautiful

“Fly to you naegyeote isseojwo...You’re beautiful...” She finished the song softly and opened her eyes as the last bit of the instrumental played out.

“How’d I do?” She asked as she got pairs of thumbs ups in response, praising her efforts. “Ayeeeeee!”

After doing some finishing touches on the song, they post it on BTS’ SoundCloud.

‘Give it a listen! My fav has sung it so beautifully, that I just had to cover it! #JEN’ She tweets, posting the SoundCloud link of her new cover.

She decided to post a photo of it on her Instagram as well with the caption, ‘I had to. #EXONextDoor’

ARMY came rushing in with the comments like there was no tomorrow.

‘This was so cute!’

‘QUEEN!’

‘MOM! I was about to go to sleep!’

‘Welp, I won’t be going to sleep anytime soon. I’m gonna be listening to this all night.’

‘Can you PLEASE do more covers? Your voice is so soothing’

‘Baekhyun needs to hear this!’

‘#DoMoreCoversJennie’

‘@baekhyunee_exo this is great!’

‘I lovvvvveeeee this! Yes Miss Bangtan!’

‘GOD I LOVE HER VOICE’

‘WIG IS SNATCHED’

‘I WASN’T PREPARED!’

‘@baekhyunee_exo listen to this!’

‘If you combine both Jen’s cover and the original song, you can hear how nicely their voices blend. Kudos to Jen’s harmonious vocals. It’s like she’s singing right next to him.’

On her way back to the dorm, she decided to check her Instagram and perceived that a certain someone noticed her cover as she almost dropped her phone.

“He noticed!” She squealed after she read Baekhyun’s comment.

baekhyunee_exo: Well done :)

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On May 23rd, backstage at the Dream Concert, Jen finished getting her makeup done and told the members that she wanted to find her friends. Backstage was hectic, as the staff made sure everything was in order for the show. She managed not to get in anyone’s way as she spotted Jackson finishing up his conversation with one of the staff members.

“Jackson!” She happily waved, catching his attention. A huge smile came across his face as she jogged up to him, pulling him in for a hug.

“Jennie!” He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed at his enthusiasm before getting sat down on her feet. “My favorite American girl. How have you been? Congrats on I Need U.”

“Thank you! Everything is going well, I can’t complain. I’d be lying if I said that we weren’t tired but managing to get wins for I Need U is worth it. I’m so proud of our accomplishments so far.”

“I’m sure. You guys worked hard. I hear that J-Hope and Yugyeom will be dancing together.”

“Oh yeah, they’re gonna kill it. Super excited to see that and GOT7’s stage. Speaking of GOT7, are they free? I’d like to meet them.”

“Oh yeah! They’re very eager. I couldn’t stop talking about you, haha.”

“I hope it was positive things you told them about me.” She let out a laugh.

“Of course, I did. Come on, they’re in the dressing room.” He gestured for her to follow him.

She was excited to meet them, they seemed like great guys to be buddies with. She did want more guy friends after meeting a bunch of girl idols.

“Hey, guys! Miss Bangtan is here!” Jackson announced as they walked into the dressing room. She waved at them in a friendly manner after hearing a chorus of hellos. In the room were Yugyeom, Youngjae, JR, Mark, and JB as they excitedly got into a conversation with her.

“I’m an avid listener of you guys. You’re always on my playlist.” She happily revealed.

“Thank you! What are your favorite songs?” JB asked with a smile.

“I love A, I even know the choreography for it.” She briefly demonstrated as they looked impressed.

“I think she should’ve been in GOT8.” JB laughed as the guys agreed.

“GOT8 sounds catchy. But GOT7 is way better. You guys are the experts in your dances. Other songs I like are Turn Up the Volume, Stop Stop It and Gimme. I’m looking forward to your next comeback.”

After briefly talking some more with the members, Jen noticed that there were only six of them.

“I thought there were seven of you.” She looked around.

“Bam Bam.” Youngjae chuckled to himself, glancing at the members knowingly.

“He’s probably wandering around.” Jackson assumed.

“Ah, okay. I hope I can catch him later. I’ll see you guys around, it was nice meeting you.” She said her goodbyes and left.

“You think he’s gonna even want to meet her? He’s so nervous.” Mark pondered.

“He’s meeting her today. No ifs, ands, or buts. I’m tired of him just staring at her. He needs to man up and talk.” Jackson demanded.

As the show went underway, Jen stopped walking backstage when she heard an excited chorus of her name being called out. Two sets of arms wrapped around her as she was attacked with hugs from Jiyoon and Hyuna.

“Oh geez.” She laughed as the rest of the 4Minute members joined in.

“We missed you!” Sohyun said after they released her.

“I missed you more! How have you ladies been? Oh my God, it’s been a while!” Jen gave them individual hugs.

“We’re doing great, we’re so excited to perform,” Hyuna answered.

“Y’all know I’ll be jamming out when you perform crazy and What’s your name. If you hear screaming, it may be me.” She joked.

As Jen talked with 4Minute, from afar, Bam Bam zoned out as he watched her, mesmerized.

There she was.

She was right there.

So close yet so far, but he was still nervous to talk to her. He felt awkward about approaching her.

What would he say? How would she react?

‘Why is she so pretty?’ He thought with wonder.

He thought her curly hair framed her face so well and brought out her beauty even more. What was it about her that always made his stomach fill with butterflies?

“You’re drooling.” Youngjae nudged him, causing him to get out of his zone. “Go talk to her.”

“She doesn’t bite, man. She’s very sweet.” JB added.

“You’ll get along just fine. Do I need to drag you to her?” Jackson suggested with a grin.

“Please no!” Bam Bam looked at him with horror. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Say what’s on your mind?” Yugyeom suggested.

“So, tell her, Hi, I think you’re beautiful. I like you, can I be your boyfriend?” Bam Bam made one of his funny facial expressions as the members ended up laughing.

“That’s...a bit forward.” Jackson giggled.

“And why did you make that face?” JB shook his head.

“Wow, he’s still crushing on Miss Bangtan?” Mark asked in amazement.

“Uh huh. He’s smitten.” Jackson wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk.

“I am not!” Bam Bam exclaimed, feeling his face warm up.

“Remember how he was staring at her at the MAMA Awards? Lipsyncing whenever her verse came on? It was so cute.” JR gushed.

“Uh huh. And he’s still looking at her with heart eyes. It’s painfully obvious. But I don’t blame him. Jennie is very pretty-ow!” Youngjae winced once Bam Bam punched his arm, in retaliation. “So aggressive...” He rubbed his arm.

“Well, he gotta wait until the dating ban is over anyway. But at least introduce yourself and be friends with her. Start as friends then confess once the dating ban is over.” JB suggested.

“I’m too nervous, all right? What if she thinks I’m weird?” Bam Bam said with worry.

He thought he could be a bit much with his goofy expressions and it may be a turn off for her.

Would she think he’s weird for how he acts around his friends? How he loves to dance to girl group songs, what would she think about that?

“Are you kidding me?” JR exclaimed. “If she can live with the Bangtan Boys, I’m pretty sure she can deal with you. Jennie will probably think you’re funny and cute. Be yourself.”

“I could’ve sworn she said that she loves when her ideal type is himself and not pretending to be someone else.” Mark thought about her speech on her ideal type, last year.

Jackson shook his head in annoyance. He had enough of his stalling. “That’s it.” He grabbed a hold of Bam Bam and started to walk towards Jennie.

“J-Jackson! No! What are you doing!?” He desperately tried to fight off his grip as he found himself getting closer to her.

No, he wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t ready to approach this girl.

He wasn’t ready to look at her in the eyes.

He wasn’t ready to get lost in them yet.

He wasn’t ready to blush and make a fool out of himself in front of her.

He needed more time.

“I’m tired of your bull, Bam Bam. You’re going to meet her.” Jackson had none of it as they got closer. “Jennie!” He happily shouted after she was left alone.

She turned to the two boys. “Hey, what up?”

“I wanted to introduce you to the seventh member that you didn’t get to meet. This is Bam Bam. Bam Bam, this is Jennie.” Jackson released him.

Bam Bam cleared his throat and smiled shyly, giving her a brief wave.

“Finally! I was wondering where you were!” Her sudden statement caused Bam Bam to look surprised. “Were you hiding from me?” She teased with a smile.

‘Oh my God, her smile...how is she real?’ He thought, feeling himself get flustered.

“N-nah, duty calls.” He replied. ‘Really Bam Bam? Duty calls? I sound so stupid.’ He mentally punched himself.

”I agree, everything is so hectic. That’s the idol life.”

Bam Bam noticed that Jackson had left them alone as he swallowed nervously, meeting her friendly gaze.

“So, you rap?” She asked eagerly.

“Y-yeah. I rap in GOT7.”

“Wow, that’s dope. Yoongi is helping me learn how to rap. I’d love to rap one day. Maybe even be a part of the Rap Line in BTS.”

“I can see that happening. I could give you some tips...if you’re interested.” He suggested

“That’s so sweet of you. I appreciate it.”

“D-did you like your get well basket?” He rubbed the back of his neck as her eyes lit up.

“That was you!?”

He smiled shyly and nodded. “I hope you liked the smarties.”

“Of course, I did! Thank you so much! Well, since I’m in front of you now, let me give you that kiss on the cheek.” She giggled as she pulled him in for a warm hug after placing her soft lips on his cheek.

His eyes almost popped out at the sudden affection but he immediately wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the moment. He caught a whiff of her perfume. It had a fruity scent to it, and it suited her.

‘She is so huggable.’ He thought as he couldn’t keep the smitten smile off his face.

So this was what it was like to have her in his arms. He was in heaven. Bam Bam didn't want to let her go as his mind started thinking about potential date ideas if he could have the courage to ask her out.

The GOT7 members were watching his face with amusement and decided to snap a photo for future blackmail.

After she pulled away, she spoke, “You really didn’t have to do that for me. It was so kind of you. Thanks for caring even if we haven’t met during that time.”

“Anytime. You really worried me. I’m happy that you’re okay.”

“Aw, Bam Bam!” She was touched by his words.

‘The way she says my name.’ He gushed. It sounded so cute the way she said his name with cheerfulness.

“I gotta get back to the dressing room, but it was nice meeting you! I hope we get to see each other again, soon.”

“Likewise.”

She smiled and headed back inside the BTS dressing room while he went back to the members.

“So, did you ask for her number?” Mark asked.

“I wanted to but it slipped my mind.” Bam Bam chuckled nervously.

He was too busy staring anyway. Man was she stunning in person. Photos don't do her justice.

Jackson, however, wasn’t happy with his statement. “How else will you keep in touch?” He frowned, crossing his arms.

“Instagram?” Bam Bam shrugged.

“I would ask for her number if I were you,” JB advised.

“Oh yeah, show him the photo,” Yugyeom spoke up as JR showed him the photo of him grinning like an idiot as he hugged Jennie. “We’re keeping this for blackmail.”

“Why!? Delete that!” Bam Bam shouted.

“Maybe we should show Jennie, what do you guys think?” JB pondered.

“NO!” Bam Bam yelled, trying to grab ahold of the phone.

----

In the BTS dressing room, the members were dressed for their performance. Jennie napped on the floor with Yoongi, while Taehyung rested next to her. Hobi decided it was time to mess with the members and he went to disturb Jimin first while filming for a Bangtan Bomb. After messing with him, Hobi went straight to Yoongi and Jennie.

He filmed them, contemplating if he should mess with them but decided against it.

“They’re sleeping too firmly. Last time I got beaten up by them with the others. It wasn’t pretty.” He laughed.

He decided to go after Taehyung instead, messing with his chin while making sound effects to one of the member’s iPhones that was ringing.

Jen kept hearing Hobi’s voice and contemplated if she should hit him so she could sleep in peace. As she opened her eyes, she saw him with a camera, messing with Tae. She glanced over at Yoongi, who had awakened, too.

Not good.

Tae looked over at the napping pair and glanced at Hobi, with fear, shocked that he woke them up.

“You’re really bothersome, doing this.” Tae sighed while Jennie shook her head at Hobi.

“Fuck off,” Yoongi spoke up, causing those around him to laugh.

“He-he cursed.” Hobi giggled.

After a long nap, Jen headed out and walked around until she saw Jiyoon, Gayoon and Sohyun in line for a shooting dart game.

“What’s all this?” Jennie looked around, noticing the spinning wheel and prizes around the staff members, deciding to get in line with them while others got behind her.

“Jiyoon wants the Hulk Buster,” Sohyun answered.

“Hulk Buster! Hulk Buster, please!” Jiyoon looked on, determined. She looked cute, acting like a kid for her Avengers.

“She really wants that Hulk Buster.” Jen laughed. “I hope she gets it.”

“Me too.”

“Oh my gosh is that a Captain America action figure!?” Jennie shouted, pointing it out with excitement. “I want it! I call dibs. It’s mine!”

“You like Captain America?”

“Oh yeah, I love him! Chris Evans is so cute!” She daydreamed, making Sohyun giggle. “He’s my favorite superhero. Just don’t tell Jungkook. He’s more of an Iron Man fan.”

“My lips are sealed.”

After Jiyoon’s failed attempt to get what she wanted, Jennie tried to shoot at the spinning wheel and failed too, winning kimchi flavored noodles. Jiyoon had won cereal and couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“Man, I really wanted that Captain America action figure. I could have it in my room for display.” Jen let out a sigh.

As she parted ways with Jiyoon and the others, Jen continued on her path to go back to the BTS dressing room.

“Finally, I found you!” She stopped in her tracks when she saw Chanyeol from EXO staring her way, smiling brightly.

‘Is he...talking to me? No way, there must be someone behind me.’ She looked back but didn't see anyone.

“Are you talking to me?” She pointed to herself as he nodded happily and bowed as she did the same before looking up at his tall figure.

Jeesh, he was taller than she thought. But his bright smile made his height less intimidating as she felt at ease.

“Sorry if this is really random. I got really excited when I finally found you, hehehe.” He giggled shyly, covering his face. “I’m Chanyeol.”

“H-hi, I’m Jennie.” She felt her face warm up at the Happy Virus.

She always felt like EXO was untouchable and people she could never seem to approach. But Chanyeol seemed very eager and friendly to want to talk to her.

She wondered why.

“Baekhyun has been looking for you. I decided to help him out. He’ll be thrilled to know that I found you.”

“Come again?” Her stomach dropped.

Baekhyun?

Her bias?

He was looking for her?

Her??

Miss Bangtan?

She wanted to faint right then and there.

“He’s very eager to meet you! He wanted to talk to you about your cover. Can I just say that you have done very well? I enjoyed listening to it. Baekhyun can’t stop talking about it. It has been driving some of the members bonkers, hehe.” He giggled.

“Are you serious? Gosh, thank you!” She couldn’t believe he said that. That was a huge confidence booster.

To be praised by Chanyeol of all people. An SM artist. Just wow!

Chanyeol had given Baekhyun a quick text and they waited while having small talk until he walked up to them. Jen told him that she wanted to get the Captain America action figure but had failed, as he decided that he wanted to try out the game after Baekhyun arrived.

“Ah, there he is.” Chanyeol pointed him out and left them to talk.

“Hello!” Baekhyun smiled brightly. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jennie!”

“Hi!” She managed to say, mesmerized that he was right in front of her. He grabbed her hands with his smile still plastered on his face. It seemed to have calmed her starstruck mind down as she returned his smile. “You’re one of my favorite idols. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I saw your comment on my Instagram, about my cover. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to it. It really means the world to me that you, the original artist of the song, would listen to my cover.”

“It’s funny how it came about. Chanyeol had seen fans tagging his Instagram and mine on your photo and he brought it to my attention. We decided to sit down and listen to it. The first opening notes, Chanyeol couldn’t keep his jaw closed.” He chuckled at the memory as he released her hands.

“Seriously?” She covered her mouth in surprise.

Now that was a plus, that she was able to do that. She needed to stop doubting the potential of her singing ability. There is much to improve, but this right here was a huge start.

“Uh huh. It was well done. How long did it take you?”

“I’ve worked on the song for a week. Due to my schedule, I didn’t have that much free time. I was already familiar with the song because I’d listened to it so many times and sung along in my room. The rearrangement was made in the studio, I worked on making sure the same emotion that you had was there for the song, while still making it my own and then I took it from there. I had a blast working on it.”

“I’m eager to hear more from you. I have always wondered what is it about me that you love so much. I would come across photos of your interviews or videos of you speaking so highly of me. It’s very touching. May I ask why?”

“Well, it’s not hard. Your vocals are so amazing. Like you have no idea how your vocals have made me want to step up my vocal skills. Every time I hear you sing, I am inspired to be able to sing so emotionally, so heavenly and have that much passion. I love watching you perform, too. Your voice and charisma blow me away. I’m learning a lot in this industry, been in BTS for three years and we are still growing musically. You along with many other idols are an inspiration for me.” She revealed in a genuine voice.

“Ah, you’re making me so flustered from the constant support you have for me.” He said eagerly. "Thank you, Jennie,"

He always enjoyed meeting new people and he enjoyed Jennie’s friendly, determined aura around her. Her voice went great with his song. If they were to sing together in the future, it would be a treat for fans for sure.

“I would love to sing with you, one day if you are interested. I’m continuing to improve my vocals so I can push for future collaborations with other idols.” She continued, hoping he would agree.

His smile got wider as he nodded eagerly. “I would love to collaborate with you and teach you a few vocal methods in the future. Whenever you’re ready, just let me know and we’ll work from there once our schedules aren’t in the way. I’m positive SM will agree to it.”

“Re-really!?”

“Really.” He confirmed.

“Thank you so much! Is it okay if I hug you?” She asked.

He laughed at her excitement and nodded, bringing her in for a warm hug.

After their conversation, she asked for a selfie. He stood next to her, smiling sweetly while she grinned widely as they both put up finger hearts.

‘THIS HAPPENED! So happy to finally meet you! Thank you!’ She posted on Instagram and Twitter, causing EXO-Ls and ARMY to freak out.

--------

After BTS had performed, Bam Bam went out to find Jennie. The GOT7 members were watching him from afar, to see if he would do what he said he was going to do.

Ask for her number.

“You think he’s gonna do it?” Mark asked.

“He better do it,” Jackson demanded.

“I don’t think he has it in him. Watch him chicken out.” JB laughed.

“He better not.” Jackson huffed.

“There she goes.” Mark pointed her out.

Once Bam Bam saw Jennie, taking out her earpiece, and putting it around her neck, he let out a breath and approached her. He repeated everything that he wanted to say in his mind, confident that he wouldn’t be awkward.

Once she turned around and flashed him a smile, he tensed up as she spoke, “Hey, you! Long time no see! Great performance out there!”

“Th-thanks. You were great out there, too. I uh, wanted you to have this.” He presented his hands that were behind his back, revealing the Captain America action figure that she had wanted.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she took a step back. She looked from the action figure to him, in astonishment as he started to chuckle softly, satisfied with her reaction.

“No way! H-how did you manage to win this, oh my gosh!” She happily accepted it, examining it in awe. “My Captain America!”

“I was in line for the game and overheard you talking about it. I was aiming to try out the game, just for fun, but I decided why not try to get the action figure for you.”

“Bam Bam, you just made my night.” She pulled him in for another hug.

‘Two hugs in one night? I’m on a roll.’ He happily thought.

Jackson nodded in approval. “Damn, that was smooth.”

“Whipped~!” Youngjae announced as the members laughed with him while they continued to watch.

“How long did it take you to win this?” She asked after they pulled away.

“Three times.”

“Man. You really didn’t need to go through all that trouble for me. But who am I to complain? I got my Captain America!” She cheered.

“Jennie! Come on!” Jin had called her out from afar, wanting her back in the dressing room.

“Gotta go, but thank you again, Bam Bam.”

“W-wait.” He grabbed a hold of her hand, making her turn back around. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Can I-uh-can I get your number?” He stuttered out.

He hoped he wasn’t too forward or was giving her the wrong impression. He sincerely wanted to get to know her more. He liked her after all.

“Yeah, of course!” She took his phone and quickly typed in her number for him. “Here you go!”

“Sweet. Thank you. I’ll see you around, Jennie.”

“Definitely. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” She headed back to meet up with Jin.

“He really had it in him,” Mark said in bewilderment.

“Should we start the ship name? BamJen?” Jackson suggested.

“When do you think he’ll text her?” Jinyoung asked as the members questioned the future of Bam Bam and Jen’s friendship.

------

The next day, Jungkook continued to freak out because he still couldn’t find his white shirts in the dorm.

Who would be so evil to take his precious shirts?

Who had the guts to do something like this and expect to get away with it?

“Okay, guys, this isn’t funny anymore, the prank is over, give me my damn shirts back!” He yelled from his room.

“Aish, you still can’t find them?” Namjoon shook his head.

“Damn it!” Jungkook slammed his hand against his opened door in frustration as he walked to the living room.

He was pissed.

This prank wasn’t funny anymore.

“They weren’t in the laundry?” Jin asked, calmly.

“No...” The Golden Maknae grumbled. “Can someone just tell me who did it? I haven’t worn any white shirts in weeks! Somebody just give them back!”

Jimin continued to laugh with Taehyung which caused Jungkook to curse and attack them, wrestling them in the living room. After he beat them up, Jungkook stormed back to his room to try to seethe in solitude.

Once he left, a smirk slowly came across the Bangtan Girl’s features.

‘Wonder how long I should keep this up.’ She thought evilly.

Jungkook was so mad. She almost felt bad for doing this to him. He trusted her so much that he wouldn’t dare suspect her of all people to mess with his white shirts.

Jimin peeped her smirk. He was the only one who knew her secret. When she decided to tell him, he was genuinely surprised that Miss Bangtan of all people would steal Jungkook’s white shirts.

That she would be bold enough to do such a thing.

Days later in the afternoon, Jen chilled in the living room, playing video games by herself until her phone buzzed, getting a notification from the BTS Group Chat.

Jimin: uhhh just to give you a fair warning...Kook is looking for you

Raising a brow, Jennie immediately texted back

Jennie: Why?

Jimin: He knows

Jennie: What do you mean "He knows"

Tae: Ennie, you need to HIDE

Hobi: NOW

Yoongi: You R on ur own kid...

Jennie groaned.

You have GOT to be kidding.

Why did she open up her mouth? She should've known that Jimin would blab out that she took his shirts. How stupid of her to trust him.

Jennie: Jimin!!

Jimin: He beat it out of me! I'm sorry! Jungkook is so scary when he's angry! I'm sorry, Ennie!

As soon as she heard another ping, she checked the notification, feeling her stomach drop at who had messaged next in the group chat.

Jungkook: Jennie.

Jennie: Hey Kookie! :) :) :)

Jungkook: So...you touched my white shirts, huh?

Jennie: Me? Nooooo, I would never

As soon as Jen saw the next message, she immediately got off the couch, in panic.

Jungkook: I’m coming for you

She reread the text and ran into her room, earning a loud laugh from Namjoon who was in the kitchen. Shutting the door, she locked it, pacing around. She should've thought things through. She'll never make the mistake of telling anyone her plans.

She decided to hide under her bed, hoping that would be a great hiding spot.

Jennie: I didn’t do anything!

Tae: Jungkook please reconsider! Ennie is an innocent soul!

Hobi: Don't do this Jungkoko!

Yoongi: She dead

Jimin: Jungkook don't!

Jungkook: Where is she?

Jin: Whatever mess you make, I won't be cleaning it up.

Jennie: Jin! You not going to help me!?

Jin: This is your responsibility, sweetie.

Yoongi: She dead.

Jimin: Jungkookie noooooooooooo

Jungkook: I won't ask again.

Jungkook: WHERE

Jungkook: IS

Jungkook: SHE?

Namjoon: Last time I checked, she just ran in her room

Jennie: NAMJOON!

She received a peace sign emoji from the leader and a devil emoji from Jungkook

Jennie: Kookie please!

Namjoon: I'm leaving the dorm. I don't want to see or hear what punishment he has in store. I'll be at the studio

Yoongi: She dead.

Jimin: YOONGI NOT THE TIME!

Yoongi: Do you want me to lie? She's dead.

Namjoon: Don't punish her too hard, Kook. You don't know your own strength at times

Yoongi: She'll learn her lesson once he's done with her

Namjoon: Good luck Jennie!

Hobi: No! No! No! Jungkook this is a bad idea!

Jimin: Jungkookie don't lay a finger on our Ennie!

Jungkook: I'll be laying more than just a finger on her

“Why me?” She complained.

She was now alone in the dorm. And Jungkook was coming back any minute. It was too late to leave the dorm. He could be already here.

And as soon as she thought about it, she heard the front door open and close.

Great...

Her stomach dropped as she heard footsteps. She quickly put her phone on silent, doing everything she could to not make a sound. Hearing her doorknob rattle, her nerves got worse.

“Of course, you would lock the door.” She heard Jungkook’s voice filled with annoyance.

“Jungkook! It was just a prank!” She exclaimed. “Leave me alone! I’m sorry! It was a prank!”

“Oh, I know. But when you mess with my white shirts, I have the right to give you a proper punishment. Open the door.” He demanded.

“Jungkook, think about what you’re doing!”

“Open the door, Jennie.”

“Jungkook, let’s talk about this!”

“Oh, we’ll talk. My hands are going to do the talking. Now, open the door.” His voice went down an octave, giving off a threatening tone.

She decided to stay silent and for a moment she heard no more noise.

Maybe he left?

She considered getting from under the bed but decided against it after she heard more noise coming from her door. She realized that he was working on removing her bedroom door handle with some type of tool he found.

‘You have GOT to be kidding me! Am I worth this much trouble?! Over white shirts!?’ She panicked as he finally opened her door.

She swallowed nervously as her eyes came into view with his timberlands walking around her room.

“Are you going to reveal yourself or am I going to have to take matters into my own hands?” He talked out loud to her.

Jen kept her mouth shut. Maybe she could try to escape this. He was fast but she could squirm out of his grip if he caught her. Seeing the light from her phone flash, she glanced at it to see the missed messages from the group chat

Jimin: Jennie! Are you safe!?

Tae: ENNIE!

Yoongi: She dead

Hobi: Munchkin!

Jimin: GUYS SHE’S NOT ANSWERING!

Yoongi: She dead.

Namjoon: She brought this on herself haha.

Jimin: What have I done!? Ennie! Answer us!

Yoongi: She dead.

Hobi: You sure you should’ve

“Crap!” She yelped as he grabbed a hold of her ankles, pulling her from under the bed. She didn’t even get the chance to read the rest of Hobi’s message.

Jungkook turned her around to face him and pinned her to the floor before she could have the chance to crawl away. As she looked up at his stern expression, she swallowed hard. That was a look she was not used to.

“Now...we can either do this the easy way or the hard way.” He advised. “I think it’ll be in your best interest to go the easy route because I tend to not be so merciful when it comes to things like my white shirts.”

“Kook, come on now. Let’s not do this.”

“You brought this on yourself.”

“Jungkook!”

“Now I’m going to ask you one question...and you are going to answer me truthfully, do you hear me?” He got closer to her face.

His serious expression made him look more mature as his piercing gaze stayed on her like a hawk, making sure she wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. It was intimidating to see him like this and she wondered how she would be able to escape.

Where was Jimin or the rest of the guys? Shouldn’t they be scrambling over here to help her instead of texting the group chat?

“Where are my shirts?” Her thoughts were interrupted.

“I don’t know where they are!” She struggled against his strong grip. She could hardly move from under him.

“Strike one.”

“Kook!”

“Tell me where my white shirts are.”

“I don’t know!”

“Strike two. One more, you’re done for. I’m going to ask you, one more time. Where-are-my-white-shirts?” He demanded as his nose grazed hers.

“They’re someplace...where you are never going to find.” She boldly answered. “Admit that I outsmarted you, Kook.”

Jungkook poked the inside of his cheek, feeling himself getting more aggravated that he still didn’t have his white shirts.

It had been weeks.

Weeks since he’s had them.

Her stomach flipped when he leaned down, and she felt his warm breath against her ear. “You know, I really thought I could trust you. It seems like I need to be more mindful of those close to me. Because they can turn on you just like that. And take things that are precious from you. Like my white shirts for example. You know I wasn’t even going to prank you at all for this prank war? But I guess you didn’t have the same mindset. So, do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you?”

“Let me go and forget this happened?”

“I could...but that won’t be fun, now would it?” He put both her wrists in one hand as his other found itself slowly grazing the side of her stomach, causing her to squirm.

That was a sensitive area, because he’s been there before, and she knew what he was about to do.

He was going to tickle her.

“No, please! Not that, anything but that! I’ll buy you lamb skewers! Anything but that!” She started to panic.

“Should’ve thought of that before you said what you said.” He moved back from her face, watching her attempt to move around from under him.

“It was so tempting, I’m sorry-“ She was cut off by her laughter as he began to aggressively tickle her sides with both his hands. “St-sthap it-hahahah! Jungko-ok!”

“What was that? Huh?” He teased, as he tickled her relentlessly, watching her become undone.

“Are you going to tell me where my shirts are?” He questioned over her loud laughter.

No matter how much her hands tried to push him away, he continued to be relentless.

“Please-!”

“Please what? If it’s not about the location of my white shirts, I’m not listening to you beg for mercy. Suffer.” He answered her pleas with no remorse.

After a few more moments, she couldn’t take anymore, and finally, gave up. “Okay! Okay! Enough! I’ll tell you!”

He left her alone, smirking in satisfaction as he waited for her to pull herself together. “Now...about those white shirts...”

“Th-they’re at Amber’s place.” She revealed, trying to catch her breath.

“And I’m sure you’ll return them to me, today, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“Glad we could work something out.” He grinned triumphally. “But just a fair warning...Pull something like that again, the punishment will be even worse. That was me going easy on you. These hands can do a lot more damage.”

“I am never telling anyone anything ever again.” She groaned.

------

The next day, at school, Jennie and Jungkook attended gym class together. The two combined classes found themselves sitting on the floor, as the gym teacher announced that today’s activity would consist of dodgeball. Hearing that caused Jungkook’s mood to boost. He loved dodgeball and was looking forward to playing it.

“Jeon Jungkook. Jennifer Walker.” The gym teacher called them out, gesturing for them to stand next to him. “You two will be today’s team captains.”

‘Team captains? So, I’m going up against Kook in dodgeball?’ Jen thought as she glanced at her best friend.

Jungkook and Jennie were more competitive than others, and it would mean the world to her if she could beat him in dodgeball. It would give her some type of closure since he would usually beat her in video games.

The gym teacher told them to play one round of rock, paper, scissors to see who would get the first pick and Jungkook won by choosing paper over Jen’s rock.

The Golden Maknae looked around the handful of classmates that sat on the gym floor, waiting patiently to be picked. He pondered about which person to choose first, wanting strong teammates since he was stronger on offense when it came to dodgeball.

His eyes landed on Jennie’s shy friend, Hayoon, who was looking down at her feet. “Hayoon.” He called out, causing her to lift her head in surprise.

“Y-yes?” She stuttered.

“Come on, you’re on my team.” He smiled softly, beckoning her to come over.

As soon as she heard him call out her friend’s name, Jennie stared at him in disbelief. “What? My friend though? How dare you?”

“All about the mind games.” He teased as Hayoon stood behind him.

“Sorry, Jennie.” Hayoon smiled apologetically.

“Okay, you knew I was gonna pick her.” Jen frowned at the Golden Maknae.

“Exactly. I know you better than you know yourself. I know how you think.” He replied confidently.

“She’s supposed to be mine.”

“Not today.” He grinned cockily.

“I’m going to....” She trailed off, shaking her head. “The Lord is testing me today...”

“What?” He challenged. “What are you going to do, my dear friend?”

She wanted to smack that grin off his face but she suppressed her urges.

“You better take good care of her.” She huffed and turned to Hayoon. “If he does anything wrong, let me know. I’ll give him a beating back at the dorm.”

Hayoon smiled softly. “I’m sure Jungkook and I won’t have any problems. He is a nice person.”

“You hear that Jennie? I’m nice.” He happily announced.

“She’s only trying not to hurt your feelings. We all know you suck.” She turned back to her classmates, smirking in amusement when he yelled “Yah!”

After picking their teammates, the gym teacher began to explain the rules. “All right, I’m sure we know how to play this game but I added some more rules, to make it more intense. If the ball hits you, you’re out. While you stand on the sidelines when you’re out, you can have one of your teammates that’s still in the game, throw you a ball and you can try to shoot the ball into the basketball hoop. If you make the ball in the basket, everyone from your team is back in the game. If it hits the backboard, only you are back in. Captains, face each other, please.”

Jungkook and Jen faced off, staring each other down intently, as their classmates looked on in anticipation. Jen looked at him up and down, stepping up to him.

“Golden Maknae.” She acknowledged.

Jungkook smirked at her competitiveness. “Miss Bangtan.” He mimicked her movements.

“Ready to lose?”

“I think the question is, am I ready to win.”

“No, not today. You may beat me in video games, but today, you will be the one who’s losing for a change.”

“We shall see about that.”

“I want a clean game.” Their gym teacher interrupted their face off. “We’ll play three rounds. Whoever gets two wins will be victorious."

Jungkook looked at his opponent, examining her. Jennie’s defensive skills were only getting better and better. Something that he couldn’t touch. But unlike him, she didn’t have great aim and never went on an offensive route for games. If he could stay on her team, throwing the balls relentlessly, he should get everyone out and win the game effortlessly. His team had stronger players, the main thing he needed to focus on was her quick instincts to avoid getting hit.

Defense vs. offense.

It would be a great set of matches between the two teams.

The 97 Liners shake hands while their teams go to their spots. Attempting to walk back, Jen is pulled forward by Jungkook due to his strong grip on her hand. She looked up at the tall Golden Maknae with a serious expression.

More trash talk?

“Before I let you go, I just want to wish you luck.”

“How kind of you.”

“And I’ll happily enjoy some lamb skewers when I win. Your treat of course.” His bunny smile showed on his features.

She knew he was up to something. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him playfully. “Hm, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Well, when I win, I want my noodles. I will enjoy that treat to the fullest.”

“I think you may want to get your mind off noodles. The lamb skewers will be a great meal after school. Might as well prepare for it.”

“Ha! You tried it.”

“Make the best 97 Liner win.” He released her and headed over to his team with a confident look on his face.

Meeting up with her team, they prepare for the first round. “What’s the strategy?” One of her female teammates asked.

“All right, I have a plan in mind. It may sound crazy, but I strongly believe this will work. I want to take a risk.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Don’t get the dodgeballs first. Wait for them to get it.” She informed as they stared at the set of medium-sized, colorful balls in the middle of the gym floor.

She heard some of her teammates question her strategy. “You sure? Shouldn’t we run and get the balls?”

“That’s what they think we’re going to do. But we’re not going to. Catch them off guard. Make them believe they’re at an advantage.”

“Okay and then what?” Another teammate asked

“I want us to watch the balls and catch them whenever they throw them. Put your hands out like this.” She demonstrated. “Whatever you do, catch it, and then they’ll get out. If we can all catch their balls when they attack, then that means we’ll have fewer people to get out in the game, and we’ll have all the balls then. Trust me.”

Her teammates noticed a strong leader aura around her, as her plan made sense.

“When you get a ball, aim for their legs and feet.” She continued. “If you aim at their upper body, they’ll have more of an advantage to catch the ball. Their legs, however, different story. I won’t let you guys down, I will fight until we are victorious today. I will lead us to victory. Keep a cool head, and keep your eyes open at all times. Anything can happen in just a blink of an eye. Got it?” She looked at her teammates, who appeared motivated and pumped up.

They all put their hands in the middle. “One, two, three, Defensive!” They shout, throwing their hands up in the air.

Both teams placed their hands on the wall, waiting for the teacher’s cue. This was it. All or nothing. Jen’s heart began to race from anticipation. Her team needed to win this.

“Begin!” The gym teacher blew the whistle.

Like Jen planned, her team stayed back as Jungkook’s team ran up and got the balls. His team looked confused that her team stood back and thought it wasn’t the wisest choice. His team, as expected, threw the dodgeballs at her team, and Jen watched in approval when her teammates caught the balls.

Jungkook widened his eyes in shock at what just happened as he saw a handful of his teammates walk to the sideline. Irritation was clear on his face as he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, narrowing his eyes at Jennie. He was not happy at how quickly he lost teammates.

“BOOM!” Jennie fist pumped, high fiving her teammates who were cheering. She turned back to Jungkook with a huge smile on her face, having her arms outstretched, tilting her head to the side. “Now THAT is how you make a statement! We here to win today!”

“Game on.” He growled. “Watch your back.” He pointed her out.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I outsmarted you. Admit it.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, and it’ll be the last.” He huffed.

He was not happy. He refused to lose to her.

It was on, now.

As the game went on, Jen’s teammates noticed how patient and understanding she was towards them as she gave them encouraging words throughout the game. She wanted everyone to remain calm and not be intimidated just because Kook’s team had stronger players.

Suddenly, without even noticing who hit him, Jungkook gets hit on the thigh by a ball.

“Jeon Jungkook, you’re out!” The gym teacher announced.

“Aish...” He threw his ball down in frustration and walked over to the sidelines.

He was so focused on trying to get Jennie out that he failed to realize others were trying to get him out too. Getting strong players out of a game was always a smart move, and he knew he had targets on his back.

Jennie’s team managed to win Round 1 thanks to their effort of catching the dodgeballs whenever their opponents tried to hit them.

“Aaaaayyyyyeeeeeeee!” Jennie yelled as she performed the Shmoney dance in celebration.

She happily gave her teammates high fives, praising them for their efforts, and told them to keep it up.

For Round 2, Jungkook’s team came back in full aggression. It seemed like getting the first loss of the game, lit a fire in the Golden Maknae as he did everything he could to get as many opponents out as possible.

Seeing an available ball standing in the middle of the gym, the 97 Liners glance at each other and make a run for it.

‘I need that ball.’ Jen thought hastily as she ran as fast she could.

Before she could grab it, Jungkook managed to swipe it from the floor first. She stumbled back and fell on her butt with a grunt and cautiously looked up at the Golden Maknae.

“Gotcha.” He smirked, readying himself to throw the ball.

‘Relax, Jennie.’ She calmed herself down.

If her teammates saw her panic, they would panic too. She needed to stay strong in this predicament. Telling her body to move as soon as she saw him move his hand to throw the ball at her, she barely managed to roll away, earning whoas from her classmates.

“As expected.” He grabbed another ball that was by his feet.

Mostly everyone had the balls on the sideline, aiming to make a basket so their whole team could get back in the game.

He threw another fastball at her, making her jump out of the way with a yelp.

‘If I didn’t move one inch, that would’ve hit me.’ She huffed as she got on her feet, watching his every move. One false movement, she was done for.

‘Clever girl.’ He thought, impressed.

He enjoyed the challenge.

‘Maybe if I could try to catch the ball.’ She thought as she stayed alert. ‘But his aim and speed of the ball are so intense, I’m not sure if catching it would be wise, in fear that it may fall out my hands.’

Hayoon stood next to Jungkook as she aimed a ball right at Jennie, who ducked down in the nick of time.

“Aye! Why is it two on one!?” Jen exclaimed as she continued to jump out of the way from any balls aiming at her.

“Sorry, Jennie. But you need to get out.” Hayoon giggled and threw another ball.

“Bye!” Miss Bangtan waved at her friend when she caught her ball. A pout came across Hayoon’s face as she walked over to the sidelines. Before Jen knew it, a dodgeball hit her right in the butt, causing her to turn to the thrower in shock. “Ow! You hit my ass!”

“Perfect shot!” Jungkook laughed, fist pumping. “Don’t take your eyes off me, next time!”

“Oh, so that’s how we gonna play, huh?” Rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Jennie stood by the sidelines while the rest of her teammates played against Jungkook and his team. Jen had tried to make a basket a couple of times but to no avail as Jungkook blocked every single one.

“Oh my god! Back off!” She yelled in frustration.

Why couldn’t he just focus on the game? Not on blocking her baskets?

Hayoon unexpectedly made a basket, causing her whole team to cheer.

“I made the shot!” She jumped up and down happily.

Jennie groaned as she saw all of Jungkook’s teammates run back into the game. She watched painfully as her teammates remaining got hit, causing Jungkook’s team to win this round. He immediately celebrated with his teammates, acting hyped up as he jumped up and down with them.

Jennie on the other hand, gathered her team to group up in a circle. “We may have lost that round but don’t let that discourage you. We still got this. All of you did a great job holding your own. And now we are in the last round. We’re going to need to be more on offense this time. But remain cautious of your surroundings. Never take your eyes off your opponents. We got this. Go hard or go home. Let’s take this victory!” She shouted as her team cheered.

“Final round!” The gym teacher blew the whistle.

This time, Jen sprinted forward to grab two of the balls in the middle of the floor and managed to hit two people in the process. After ducking around and avoiding the balls that were aimed at her team, she finally caught a ball that almost went over her head. Tossing it to one of her teammates to use, Jen watched triumphally as the person who threw the ball walked to the sidelines.

The game was equally matched, and both teams were determined to win. Near the end of the game, Jen stood by the sidelines with her team while Jungkook was still in the game, with one other person going up against three people left from her team. He seemed to be getting everyone out before it was just three people left because her teammates could not seem to hit him with a dodgeball.

“Whatever you do, don’t let Jennie get back in.” Jungkook requested his teammate as he went on to try to get the last people out.

Those Lamb Skewers were his.

Meanwhile, Jen couldn’t hide her frustration every time she aimed the ball at the backboard, it would get slapped away by Jungkook’s teammate before it could touch it. Butterflies were in her stomach as she witnessed that there was only one person left from her team.

“Please...” She whispered as she tried one more time.

“Walker! You’re back in!” The gym teacher announced.

Sighing out of relief, she ran to her teammate. “You good, girl?” She asked as she got handed a ball.

“No, I’m freaking out! I can’t do this. I can’t hit them, we’re going to lose!”

“Hey. Get that negative mindset out of your head. Remember what I told you. You can catch the ball to get people out in dodgeball. You got this. Trust me.” She reassured. The two of them ducked as a loud smack was heard against the wall when Jungkook’s fastball clashed against it. “I would like my head!”

“And I would like to win!” She heard him say.

Jennie kneeled and caught his teammate’s ball that was aimed at her feet, leaving Jungkook to be the last man standing for his team. He throws two fastballs, ready for this game to be over before anyone else from her team can get back in the game.

Unable to move in time, one of the balls hit Jen’s shoulder, causing her to fall back. Looking up, she saw that her teammate had a shocked expression on her face and she saw a dodgeball in her hands.

She had caught his other dodgeball.

“Atta girl!” Jen got up and rushed to hug her.

“Winner! Team Jennie!” The gym teacher announced. Her team all rushed up and joined in the hug, jumping up and down, and cheering in celebration.

“WOO! That is what I’m talking about!” Jennie beamed, with a huge smile on her face.

Jungkook, sitting on the gym floor, was disappointed that his team lost but was praised for his efforts. He watched Jennie celebrate, and it was like he was watching her in slow motion as her hair flipped to one side when she turned her head to him. The same bright smile still on her face.

She was something else.

Before he knew it, she was in front of him, extending her hand out. He smiled and took it as she helped him up.

Keeping a strong grip on his hand, she spoke, “Good game, Kook. Thanks for going all out on me. Your team pushed me harder than ever before.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m kind of glad you beat me.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, because you make competitions fun. You’re unpredictable. But just so you know, I’ll be the one winning next time.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’m ready for whatever you bring at me, bunny.”

-----

After changing in the dorm, Jennie and Jungkook took a stroll together, aiming to head to a local noodle restaurant so he could treat her to noodles since she won the game. As Jungkook approached the restaurant, he watched in confusion as Jennie walked past it.

“Wait, don’t you want noodles?” He asked as he followed her.

“I did. But I changed my mind.” She replied as she stopped in front of a Korean BBQ restaurant. “I’m kind of craving lamb skewers.” She smiled, giggling at his happy reaction.

“No way, are you serious!?” His bunny smile came across his features.

“Don’t make me change my mind.” She teased as he eagerly opened the door for her, letting her walk in first.

“Trust me, I won’t let you. You won’t regret it.” He replied as he walked in.

Getting seated at a booth, facing each other, they ordered lamb skewers and watched them cook. Some lucky ARMY came to the right restaurant because they secretly watched the 97 Liners. Some took photos, filmed them briefly, and watched them with giggles.

Jungkook noticed and felt a little shy when he heard one of them murmur, “Don’t they look cute?”

Jennie watched the lamb skewers cook while Jungkook ended up gazing at her. She rested her elbow on the table as her fingers tangled in her curls. The way she would briefly check her phone, watch the lamb skewers cook with anticipation, and how she scrunched up her nose out of habit, he thought it was some of the most adorable things he had ever seen.

Feeling eyes on her, she decided to remove her hand from her hair, setting her arm down. She flashed him a sweet smile and silently commenced a staring contest until she burst out in laughter from another one of his derp faces.

Jungkook smiled and looked down, chuckling his own self.

“This better be good.” She warned.

“They will be, trust me.” He guaranteed. “You won’t be disappointed.”

“I blame Yoongi for your obsession with this. But at least I finally get to see what the hype is all about.” She grabbed a stick after it finished cooking and took a bite.

“Well?” Kook looked on in anticipation.

“Yo, this is bomb!” She took another bite.

“Yes!” He fist pumped. “Told you that you would like them.”

As they ate, he requested to take photos, to let Yoongi and ARMY know about her new fascination with Lamb Skewers. The first photo he took was of her smiling while looking down because he said that he still couldn’t believe she beat him in one of his favorite games.

‘She’s still laughing at the fact that she beat me in dodgeball today at school. I will not lose again. #JK’

The next photo he took was a selfie of them, as he put up the peace sign and she stuck her tongue out. He tweeted the photo, ‘Suga Hyung, she tried lamb skewers for the first time, and loved it! Got her hooked!’

Yoongi would reply a few moments later, ‘Welcome to the lamb side. Once you get in, there is no way out, smartie.’

Placing his phone down, he looked up, watching her as he noticed her nose occasionally twitching cutely like a hamster. It gave him the urge to want to kiss it. Unintentionally, he let out a soft chuckle which caused her to look up and smile.

“What?”

“You keep twitching your nose.”

“Oh.” She touched her nose. “It’s a habit. I don’t even know I’m doing it.” She laughed. Moments later, he noticed her nose twitch yet again.

“You did it again.” he teased, making her cover her nose.

“I don’t mean to! Stop staring, you’re embarrassing me.” She laughed. A few seconds later, she glanced at him as amusement was shown on his features. “Stop it!”

The Golden Maknae let out another laugh. “Can’t help it.”

As they continued to eat, Jungkook noticed how big her cheeks would get when she stuffed food in her mouth. It was official. He saw no difference. She resembled a cute hamster. No wonder ARMY had been commenting about that on their Twitter. Now he saw why.

“So, how is your English?” She went to her native tongue.

He looked shooked at her question. “Don’t want to talk about that.” He said with a sigh.

“What did you get on the English test?” She went back to Korean.

“Let’s not talk about that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“When’s your next test?”

“I have a test from the basics to what we’re learning now.”

“Let’s work our way up then. When’s the test?”

“In a few days.”

“Jeon Jungkook.” She scolded as he grinned sheepishly. “I’m going to kill you. You should’ve told me earlier. I could’ve been helping you.”

“Sorry.”

“Forgiven.” She replied. She watched him go through his bookbag, take out his English study guide for the test, and hand it to her. “Let’s start with greetings. Greet me in English.”

“Hello, my name is Jungkook.”

She did a double take when she heard his voice go down an octave. “How the heck did your voice get so deep?” She stared at him, astonished. “Manly...”

“Manly?” He repeated with a grin.

“Your voice sounds so different when you speak in English. And your accent is thick.”

“You like?” He raised a brow.

“Eh heh heh~” She chuckled nervously, causing him to smile teasingly.

“Yeah. I do.” She admitted.

His bunny smile got wider. It made him feel good that she enjoyed hearing him speak in her language. And how she called his voice manly. He felt good about himself.

She looked back down at the paper. “It’s 9 AM. What do you say to someone during that time?”

“Good morning.”

“It’s 3 PM. How do you greet someone?”

“Good afternoon.”

“It’s 11 PM, how do you greet someone?”

“Good night.”

“Okay, I see you.” She praised, nodding in approval. “Let’s have a brief conversation in English. Good afternoon, Jungkook.”

“Good afternoon, Jennie. How are you?”

She had to admit, he sounded cute when he was trying to speak English. She would help with his pronunciation of the words so he could speak clearer as they spoke.

“I am great. How are you?” She responded.

“I am well.”

“What is the weather today?”

“It is sunny.”

“What season are we in?”

“It is spring.”

“Can you describe the weather? Rain? Clouds?”

“It is sunny with clouds. No rain.”

She nodded. “All right we’re getting there. Looks like you’re also learning about appearances and colors. So, how would you describe me in English?”

“Beautiful.”

She couldn’t fight the growing smile on her face. That was smooth.

She touched her hair, wanting him to describe the color. “Hair color.”

“Pretty.”

“Hahah, the color, Kookie. Color.”

“Brown.”

“Can you say it in a sentence?”

“You have pretty hair.”

“The color?”

“You have pretty brown hair.”

She giggled. “Thank you. What type of hair do I have?” She touched her hair again, fluffing her curls.

“Pretty hair.”

She placed her head down as he began to giggle. If he keeps this up, her face will begin to warm up at all these compliments.

He was straightforward with his answers. No hesitations, just genuine.

“Pretty curly hair.” He corrected himself as she lifted her head back up.

“What color is my skin?” She tapped her bare forearm before going back to look at the paper.

“Beautiful black skin.”

Stopping what she was doing, she slowly lifted her head, gazing at him, speechless. That statement hit her heart as she thought about those wanting her to bleach her skin, calling it dirty. She received so much crap about her colored skin, and to hear him call her skin beautiful with no hesitation, touched her.

“...Do you...” She spoke softly. “...really mean that?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “You...have beautiful skin. Not dirty. Do not listen to hate. Listen to love. Listen to BTS. Listen to ARMY. You are beautiful. No lie.” His English was still broken, he stumbled on the words, and not to mention his thick accent was still there but she caught what he was trying to tell her. “I thought this of you. Since we met.”

Her eyes began to water as she looked down, speaking back in Korean with a shaky voice after clearing her throat. “Gosh, these onions are really getting through my eyes, Kook.”

“But there are no onions around here,” he said in his native tongue.

She wiped her developing tears and sniffed. She didn’t want him to see her cry, but she was overwhelmed with happiness.

“I want to learn more English so I can talk to you in English.” He brought up.

“But we can speak in Korean together.” She sniffed softly and met his gaze.

“I know that but, you already know my language. I want to get to know your language so there won’t be any language barrier between us. I kind of envy those who can talk to you in your language. Like Namjoon Hyung. I want to be able to do that.”

He was so serious about this.

“And you will. Learning a language takes time and patience. You’ll get there, Kookie.” She smiled in reassurance.

“Okay.”

“All right, let’s get to the harder stuff for your upcoming test.”

When the bill came, Jen went to grab it and ended up placing her hand on Jungkook’s.

“I’ll pay.” He said.

“It’s cool, I want to.” She reassured.

Jungkook shook his head, starting to get stubborn. “I want to pay.”

“Kook, I never get to treat you. Come on. Let me pay.”

“No, I got this, it’s fine.”

“Kookie!” She whined.

“Jennie!” He whined back.

She let out a sigh. “How about this? We both pay half and half. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“But the next time I’ll treat you, got it? It’ll be a trend. Next time I’ll treat. Then you. Then we’ll pay half and half, then I’ll treat again and so on.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“Glad we could agree, my good friend.”

“Indeed milady.”

Soon after they paid, the fangirls finally began to speak, calling out their names and waving.

“Hi!” Jennie waved.

The girls were covering their faces with their hands, acting shy around them as they waved back.

“How was school?” One of them asked.

“It went well. My team beat Jungkook in dodgeball!” She happily announced.

“L-let’s not get cocky now.” He whined, causing the girls to giggle at him.

“Will you be on Running Man again?” Another fan asked.

“Yeah, I want to see the Golden Duo on Running Man again! It was so fun seeing you work together.”

“I’m down. Are you?” Jen turned to Jungkook.

“Why not?” He smiled.

“I hope they have a couples episode soon, so you two can go there together and beat everyone. It’ll be so fun to watch. They usually have those episodes and have a couples' tag game. I would love to see that happen soon.”

“If they want us, all they gotta do is ask. I would gladly go back to Running Man.” Jungkook added.

After some cute photos with the fans and a brief conversation on whether they were eating well and resting up, Jennie and Jungkook walked back to the dorm as the girls immediately tweeted their photos

‘Saw JenKook today! Just my luck! Jennie’s hair bounced when she walked, it was cute! And Jungkook is so hot! I’m crying!’

‘Spotted Jennie and Jungkook eating after school! Love the 97 Liners!’

‘Jennie is so nice! She looks small compared to Jungkook with his big muscles, it was cute! His muscles are getting bigger! It was a sight!’

‘Why are the BTS members so beautiful in person? They’re unreal!’

‘I wanted to ask Jennie if I could touch her hair but was too afraid she would say no. Her hair is so pretty, though!’

Back at the dorm, Jungkook took out his keys, placing one of them inside the door.

“Jungkook,” Jennie called out softly, placing her hand on his to stop him.

“Yeah?” He turned his head.

Placing a hand behind the back of his head, she stood up on her toes, pressing her soft lips against his forehead for a moment. His eyes widened at her sudden gesture as he felt his face heat up once she pulled away.

She smiled softly at him. “Thank you. For calling my skin beautiful. Your kind words always hit close to home.”

“Y-yeah, always. I meant every word. Don’t forget that.” He smiled shyly and opened the door, letting her go in first.

Later in the afternoon, Jennie and Jin were in the kitchen. She was in the mood for oatmeal because she saw the box in the cabinet. Jin offered to make it for her, so she sat at the dining room table, waiting patiently. She craved apple cinnamon oatmeal. It was one of her favorites to eat. Jin decided to make it from scratch, just for her.

Meanwhile, Jimin met up with Taehyung and Jungkook on his bed, having a big bag to show them.

“You sure that'll work?” Jungkook asked.

“Hobi Hyung fears everything, it’ll work.” Jimin giggled evilly and took out a live lobster. It was huge as the boys looked at it moved in awe, touching it experimentally.

Jungkook and Tae wanted a front row seat to Jimin’s prank. They had told Jennie about it and she told them that she didn’t want to be responsible for Hobi’s death via petrification, but she’d know if the prank went well if she heard him scream. She was rooting for a successful prank, supporting their evil antics.

Hobi was currently in the bathroom, showering after dance practice, and Jimin thought the perfect time to prank him was while he was in the bathroom. Slowly opening up the bathroom door with the lobster, alive, in his hand, Jimin tip toed in, undetected. Tae and Jungkook suppressed their giggles as they watched from the doorway.

This was going to be a good prank.

With Jin, he finished making the oatmeal and made two big bowls for her and himself. He sat next to her, handing her a spoon. They waited until it cooled down, before eating a spoonful.

“How is it?” He asked.

“Tastes just like home.” She took another bite. “And you made this from scratch? It’s so fresh, the apples are so sweet. I love it, thank you Jin!”

“Anytime, sweetie.” He felt proud of his work and enjoyed his cooking.

A piercing high pitched scream was heard from the bathroom, startling the oatmeal eaters.

“What in the world...?” Jin looked up as they heard loud thumping, crashing and rapid shuffling coming from the bathroom.

It sounded like Hobi was slipping and falling around in the tub and his screams got louder.

“JIMIN!” Another scream was heard from Hobi, over the Maknae Line’s laughter. “GET IT AWAY! GET IT AWAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!”

“Yep. They done it now.” Jennie took another bite of her oatmeal, shaking her head.

“What the heck is going on in there!?” Jin shouted.

“Ah, he’s fine.”

Jin turned his head to her, widening his eyes. “He doesn’t sound fine!”

Hobi scrambled out of the bathroom, naked with suds in his hair as Jimin chased him with the lobster. Jungkook and Taehyung dropped to the floor with laughter.

Jennie looked up and turned her head at the worst time, getting a full view of Hobi’s bare ass.

“Oh, my God!” She screamed, covering her mouth in horror.

That image was not going away, anytime soon for her. She could not unsee this. She was glad it wasn’t the front.

“SHIELD YOUR EYES!” Jin yelled, pushing the back of her head down into her warm bowl of oatmeal. “There is a lady here! What are you guys doing!? Knock it off!” He shouted at the boys.

He heard Jen banging her hand on the table in submission and looked down in shock at what he was doing to her. He let go and laughed nervously when she slowly raised her head.

Her face and hair were covered in oatmeal while she stared at him with annoyance.

“S-sorry.” He grabbed a napkin and tried to clean her face but she snatched it from his hands.

Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of her oatmeal and shoved it in his face. Appalled, he grabbed a handful and shoved it in her face.

“Jin!”

“You hit me first!”

“You shoved my face in oatmeal, first!”

“I was trying to protect you from that horrid sight!”

“You know what?” She got up from her seat and he followed her movements. She aimed another handful of oatmeal at him but he ducked and it ended up smacking Namjoon in the face.

Gasping in shock, she covered her mouth, while Namjoon let out a sigh, and stood up, taking off his hoodie.

“Who did it?” He demanded.

Jin immediately pointed to her.

"It was an accident!” She laughed.

“Really, Nie Nie? Well, this wasn’t an accident.” Namjoon said as he hit her with a handful of oatmeal.

“Oh hell no.”

The three of them began to toss oatmeal all over each other, initiating a food fight as the dorm filled with laughter along with Hobi’s constant screaming.

“Grab her! Grab her!” Jin shouted as Namjoon grabbed a hold of her while Jin had another handful of oatmeal ready.

“No! No!” She tried to get out of his grip. Once she did, Jin accidentally smacked Namjoon in the face instead.

“YAH!” the leader shouted.

Jennie ended up giggling at their bickering and watched them throw food at each other.

Yoongi walked into the dorm, making one of his WTF faces when he saw the chaos occurring in the dorm. Jin, Jennie and Namjoon are covered in food, and Jungkook and Tae watch Hobi run around the dorm naked with Jimin chasing him with a lobster.

“Hey, Yoongi!” She waved.

“I don’t even wanna know.” He shook his head and walked into his room.

Namjoon wiped some oatmeal from Jen’s face. “You’re going to need a shower.”

“You’re telling me. Look at you.” She gestured.

The Maknae line walk to the dining room, wondering why they were covered in food.

“We had some business to take care of,” Jin revealed.

“Want a hug?” Jennie opened her arms wide.

“NO!” Jimin shouted, taking a big step back with the guys.

“Let’s get them.” Namjoon went after Jimin.

Jennie went after Tae while Jin went after Jungkook. They run around the dorm, attempting to grab ahold of them for a hug despite being covered in food.

“Why do I associate myself with them?” Yoongi grumbled as he went to fix the mess created in the bathroom.

Like Jen said before, every day is a new adventure living in a dorm filled with the Bangtan Boys.

23 notes · View notes

ldysmfrst · 6 months ago

Text

Was it Fate?

This is a reader request by @bethanysnow, who holds membership to my Patreon. Her request is as follows:

"I have a request~ what about San from Ateez getting paired up on a variety show with a designer that is getting popular in South Korea?? For plus size fashion? And I can totally see him just falling head over heels for her~ ^-^"

This is my first ever Reader Request, and I am more than happy to fulfill it as Bethany has been my main support for my story, American Mate!

Pairing: Idol!San x Plus-sized FemReader

Status: Reader Request, One-shot

Word Count: 11,194

Genre: Variety Show Fluff

Warnings: None

Thank you to @cyaspeedy and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more for this story's artwork and banners.

As a plus-sized woman, you intimately understood the challenges of finding stylish and comfortable clothing. The sleek jumpsuits, the simple evening gowns, and the flowy summer dresses that were supposedly one-size-fits-all never quite fit the bill for you. It was this personal struggle that sparked your realization that clothes were an art form, and you were ready to create your masterpiece.

Your decision to launch a clothing line exclusively for plus-sized women was a game-changer. It was a mission that resonated with many, and it took numerous visits with investors and hours of hand sewing before your line took off. The unexpected support from the long-standing House of Schiaparelli propelled your mission to new heights. While the House of Schiaparelli offers women the essence of bold style and timeless allure, your mission was clear–“Everybody deserves clothes they feel good in.”

Your brand's success was a whirlwind. In just 11 months, 17 days, and 18 styles later, you had a summer line ready to go. Your diligence and unique aesthetic caught the attention of some of the nation's top photographers and production directors. Once you pitched the idea to the producing director, it only took a few days to get the ball rolling.

Like most advertisements, you were blessed to work with some of the top Idols. However, unlike most brands that stuck with just one Idol or one Idol group, you wanted some from different groups because it supported your ideals of inclusion. Your concept was a couple having a date at a cat cafe; your love of furry pets is never-ending, which is reflected not only in your design but also in the ads.

While you had been a fan of K-pop music for many years, you found it easy to work with the different Idols. BamBam from GOT7 ended up adopting a cat from the cafe. Lisa from BlackPink surprised many, but her love for cats and the group's support for the LGBTQ+ community perfectly fit your brand's mission to include everyone. However, it was shocking that your advertisement also included Lee Know of Stray Kids and Yoongi from BTS.

Soon, your commercial played on screens nationwide, from Doota Mall to Starfield COEX Mall and even Lotte Department Store.

“Alright, can we please stick together this time?” Hongjoong requests the other members. “We really don’t want to leave Wooyoung at the mall again.”

“Hey! That was a one-time thing, captain!” whines Wooyoung, making the others laugh.

Shopping with the other members was always easier for San. Despite his onstage presence, he was, is, and will always be an introvert. San has often seen videos of the group with remarks about Ateez being out and about and San looking more like their manager rather than another member.

This fact makes San proud because he is all about being comfortable and looking good. Yeah, he wears clothes onstage to showcase himself for Atiny, and he loves it. In his everyday life, though, he likes to be comfortable in baggy hoodies and pants, loose shirts, and things that make him feel good but not showy.

Mosing around the mall with the other members, having already bought what he came for, San sees a new ad with Lee Know. Having worked with Stray Kids during Kingdom: Legendary War, he became close with Minho and Felix. Now that he thinks about it, Minho mentioned a new job that he thought San would be perfect for, but he was out of the country at Coachella and couldn’t join.

Stopping to watch the ad as it replays, the most angelic voice comes over, explaining this was the laugh of a new line called “Byeol” by Y/n, which is exclusively making a one-size-fits-all for plus-sized women. The clothing is eye-catching and flattering. The concept of the ad is charming, and at the end of the ad is you.

Your hair and makeup are done simply while you are wearing a lovely pant jumper that showcases the curves of your hips, the thickness of your thighs, and the beauty of your bare shoulders. When you say the closing statement, “Byeol, a plus-sized clothing line to make any woman a star because everyone deserves clothes they feel good in,” a smile seals the deal for San.

The visual component of the ad showcasing his friend and a lovely plus-sized woman in a summer dress at a Cat Cafe is long forgotten. The only thing of importance is you, the one who has stolen his breath and heart.

What San also forgets is the rest of his group. It doesn’t take long before Wooyoung realizes the dance master is missing, “Where did San go?”

“Dude, its either you or him that always gets sidetracked by shiny things. Hwa, can you find him please?” Hongjoong asks.

“Fine, but I am taking Woo with me. I swear he has a built-in San finder.” Grabbing the member mentioned, the two go off to find San, “Meet you back at the van!”

Turning a few corners, the two find San staring at the ad as it replays. Wooyoung bumps into San, “Hey San, what's up why did you stop?”

Breaking the stupor he had fallen into, San looks at the two members with a huge blushing smile, “Oh sorry, I just… well, look.” He points to the ad, drawing the attention of his best friend/soulmate and Seonghwa. Once you appear on the screen, it clicks. Both of them snap their attention back to San to watch his face light up and blush color his cheeks.

“Oh, I see what stopped you. The pretty designer has caught our Sannie’s attention, I see,” remarks Seonghwa teasingly. Wiggling his eyebrows at the younger member, he said, “Y/n, I haven’t heard of that name before.”

“She is new. This is her first line of clothes called ‘Byeol,’” San says while watching you on the ad, wanting to memorize everything he can.

“She named her line the same name as your cat? Do you think she is an Atiny?” Wooyoung asks.

“I don't know, but I wanna shoot myself for not pushing for that ad campaign that Minho tried to get me on. I think it was this one. I could have met her, spoken to her even.” San laments.

“Maybe Minho has a way to contact her, ya know? We are able to get in touch with our brands. I am sure he has a way.” Hwa, always the mother, says with hope.

“That’s right! I have to call him!” San lights up.

“But first let’s get out of here before people start wondering why three guys are staring at women’s clothes and word gets out that we are pervy, okay?” Hwa pushes the other playfully.

Several days have passed, and San is no closer to finding you than he was standing in the mall. Calling Minho had been a bust because, unlike most brands, your brand didn’t want to have long-term ambassadors. Minho mentioned that you seemed to live simply and cared for everyone there like they were your family. Paying for everything, and even holding a party at the end for everyone where you gave everyone a red envelope.

While he loved hearing how generous and caring you were, he did not love Minho’s affectionate tone whenever he talked about you. Was he interested in you, too, or was it just because of the great experience? Oh no, what if you had someone already? What if you didn’t want an Idol? What if you wanted someone like Lisa?

While it drove his bandmates up the wall, San pretty much had all of your advertisements running on replay, but now he was driving himself up the wall without being able to find a way to contact you. You had no social media accounts, your brand’s website was simplistic, and the contact number was for a messaging service. At this point, if it wasn’t for Minho seeing you, one might think you were AI.

Ring Ring

“Hello?”

“Hey Sannie, it’s Felix.”

“Oh hey, Lix. I am not really in the mood to chat right now.”

“Yeah, I know. Minho and Woo mentioned you have been really down lately because you cannot find Y/n, right?”

“Seriously, they are telling other people?”

“We all care about you, Sannie. Especially Woo, and you should know that. But I think I may have good news for you. Woo said something about you guys taking a small break to get ready for your world tour right?”

“Yeah. Captain thought it would be a good idea. Be fresh and ready for Atiny in America. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Would you be interested in doing something solo for half of that time? Say a variety show with me and Y/n?”

“No way! How? When?”

“The producers just booked me yesterday, and I happened to run into Y/n and found out she was going to join it as the ‘new up and comer.’ Something about trying to show the world that there are things worse in life than being chubby.”

“That is great! But Lix, how am I going to get on?”

“It turns out S. Coups from Seventeen was supposed to join, but his knee hasn’t healed enough, and now they are short an Idol. So, I may have dropped your name. They should be reaching out soon, and filming starts at the end of next week. Just a heads up.”

“LIXXIE! No way! I have to pack, I have to get a hold of my manager, I have to… I have to go!”

“Bye Sannie see you next week I guess.”

~One-on-one Interview with Y/n~

“Okay, sit there and face the camera. It will be a simple interview. You got this,” the MC, who you recently learned is Sung Hanbin from the new K-pop group ZeroBaseOne.

Nodding, you sit down, the production team milling around while fixing things like hair, makeup, wardrobe, and who knows what else. “Sorry, this is my first time doing anything even close to this.”

“Not to worry. You were requested by almost everyone here because of your ad campaign and the high marks you got for your debut line. This is my first time hosting a variety show, so we can both have our first together. Let’s start. Fighting”

The lights around the set dim, leaving you and Hanbin in bright stage lights.

“Hello and welcome to YouPlusMe, the newest variety show where up-and-comers take on challenges with some of the industry's most famous idols. Let us meet one of the “newbies.” She has taken the fashion world by storm with her bubbly personality, strong values, and unwavering determination. It’s time to be the powerhouse behind The house of Y/l/n and the mastermind of “Byeol”, Miss Y/l/n Y/N.”

“Hello! Everyone! I am excited and nervous to be here. I am Y/n. Thank you for all your upcoming support in my first variety show adventure.”

“Miss Y/n, it’s been only a week since your launch and you are already the talk of the town. What makes Byoel so interesting?”

“I think my mission statement and line challenges the conservative fashion views not only here but around the world. Being the talk of the town, as you put it, has brought both positive and negative conversations. I believe that you can be healthy and beautiful without being skinny and petite.”

“What a powerful statement. You are clearly a model for your work and have already stolen the hearts of many. You worked with some very powerful idols for your ad and I have a letter from one of the Idols you worked with, ‘Y/n-ah, Your beauty comes not only from your smile but from your heart as well. I cannot wait for the world to see the diamond that you truly are. I enjoyed working with you and cannot wait to see where you go. Always your supporter, Min Yoongi.’”

A blush creeps up your neck. “Oh my! Mr. Min was a pleasure to work with. Actually, all of the idols who worked on the campaign were professional and seemed to support my ideals.”

“Did you have a favorite idol?”

“Lee Know was the easiest to work with, which I thought was odd. As a card-carrying Stay, he really was down to earth, and once he warmed up, it was nice to see that he wasn’t always the stone-cold Lee Know persona that he is known for.”

“Oh you are a Stay? Did you know that Felix will be joining us?”

“Yes, I did, actually. We met by accident. I was coming and he was going.”

“The show will consist of three teams of two and compete in a series of games. One up and comer matched with one Idol for each team. Wonder if you will be teamed up with one of your Favorite Group Idols.”

“As much as I love Felix-ssi, I don’t know if we would make a good team.”

~One-on-one Interview with Felix~

“She said what? And admitted she is a Stay! Awh… Y/n you break my heart. I guess being an Idol doesn’t save you from that.”

“If you are not on her team, maybe you can use her Stay heart to fluster her into making mistakes.”

“Yeah, no. Lee Know said she gets very focused and didn’t even flutter when she met him. I mean the short meeting we had in the hall, all she did was say hello, introduce herself, and wish me luck in the show. I didn’t even realize she was a Stay.”

“It seems like Y/n is going to be a wild card.”

~One-on-one Interview with San~

“I cannot wait to meet the rest of the contestants for the show.”

“So, San, you were a last moment addition. What made you decide to join on such short notice?”

“Oh, easy, Y/n-shi. I love her clothing line, and once Felix-ah told me she was on this, I knew I had to be here too.”

“Oooo, so have you had a chance to meet Y/n yet?”

“No, I haven’t met anyone else. But hey, I get to work with Felix-ah again after Kingdom and I get to meet Y/n-shi. I say that I am already going to have a good time!”

“I think it’s going to be an interesting show to say the least. We have Felix from Stray Kids, the soloist Eunbi, and San from Ateez for our Idols. For our up and comers we have my ZeroBaseOne bandmate Kim Gyuvin, Ko Chanbin from Namoo Actors, and Y/n CEO of The house of Y/l/n. The teams have been picked by our viewers, so it’s time for them to meet for the first time.”

~Yellow Team Interview~

“Felix-hyung and Chanbin-ah, you were the first team to be chosen by the fans with a whopping 10.8 billion votes. How does that make you feel?” asked MC Hanbin.

“Shocking, really!” Felix says while blushing.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be picked at all but I guess there are more BL fans out there than I thought. Thank you, everyone for your support,” Chanbin bows humbly to the camera.

“Between Stays and Yaoi fandoms, I am pretty sure we will become a strong team with their love and support guiding us, right Chanbin-ah?”

“That’s right Felix-hyung. We will fight for you!”

~Red Team Interview~

“Waaahh, talk about having the advantage. Both of you debuted with K-pop groups because you were able to survive the shows which created them,” comments MC Hanbin.

“Hanbin-ah, you survived with me too! You tell me if this is an advantage or not,” Gyuvin laughs as he points out his leader is the MC.

“Oh that’s right, you both are part of ZeroBaseOne! You are really new to the music industry Gyuvin-ah. Don’t worry. We survived one show, we can survive another,” Eunbi encourages.

It was almost time to meet your Idol partner. So many of the staff seemed to be giddy about your meeting. You could hear their whispers and giggles, but there were a few sneers and looks of hate. Who were you paired with that would cause this kind of reaction?

“Hey, Y/n-shi, are you ready to go? Oh, is that another one of your pieces?” your assigned manager asks. Today, you decided to wear one of the more classic items in your collection. Your shirt is a crop top that feels like you are wearing a cloud on your sleeves. It’s paired with a black pencil-like skirt with a white scallop edge that starts at your ankle and curves around the front to connect to the opposite hip.

“Yes, it’s from the professional line set to come out in early fall. I thought it would be good for the first meeting. Do you think it’s too much?” you question now, wondering if you are toeing the line of the rules and regulations.

“No, it’s gorgeous. You said it would be available in the fall. I am going to have to watch out for it. I think it would be lovely for my sister,” she praises.

“Oh, before the end of the filming, let me get your number, and I will send you one directly. Thank you for taking care of me!”

“Really? You are so caring, Y/n-shi. Thank you. Now, let’s go before we get behind.”

You walk onto the set and take your seat. Noticing you were the last one, you bow with apologies for your delay, and the interview starts.

Meanwhile, San was the first to arrive on set, his nerves going everywhere. He had learned from Felix that there was now a 50/50 chance that he would be teamed up with you. He wore a simple black suit jacket with black dress slacks and shoes. No one could ever go wrong with black, right?

Next came MC Hanbin, taking his seat with a smile and simple greeting, “Hello San-hyung. Did you know that Gyuvin-ah was on the show too? You met recently right?”

“Oh, he's here too? I didn’t know. Waaa, he would be fun to team up with, but hopefully, he could concentrate. He was so shocked that I was Soft Tofu,” chuckled San.

“He wouldn’t stop talking about it the whole next week. For the sake of my members, I hope you two are not teamed up because he will never stop!”

“Don’t you know who everyone is teamed up with?” San questions.

Hanbin only smiles and nods his head, then follows it with mimicking, zipping his mouth shut.

It takes a few minutes before a slight commotion comes from the side, indicating that the other teammate has arrived. Taking an anxious breath, San looks to see who is coming, only to lose it once you walk around the corner and sit next to him.

“Y/n-shi, glad you made it safely. Any problems?” Hanbin asks, his eyes shifting between you and San.

“Oh no problems. Just wanted to make sure my outfit was approved by PD-nim.”

“You're perfect,” San finally says, his eyes never leaving you.

~Purple Team Interview~

“I think Fate might be playing a hand in matching this team up,” MC Hanbin says, which only confuses you.

“Why do you say that? I am sorry but I really don’t know anyone here but Felix-ssi,” you ask.

“I think it's because of what I said in my one-on-one interview. I mentioned that I knew of your work and joined because of you and Felix-ah.” San says with a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

“Oh, well, you know who I am. Can I know who you are?” you ask, wide-eyed and slightly embarrassed to ask the “famous Idol.”

“Sorry! Of course,” San stands and bows. “I am Choi San, a main dancer of Ateez. It is my honor to meet you, Y/n-shi.”

“Oh, sit down, sit down. I am the new one here, and I should bow to you. I have heard of Ateez, but I am unfamiliar with your work. Sorry.”

“Did you know that Y/n-shi is a card-carrying Stay? She has even gotten to work with Lee Know and met Felix, two out of eight members. Lucky girl. How does it feel not to be recognized, San-hyung?” MC Hanbin asks with a gleam in his eye.

Looking Hanbin dead in the eye, San says, “Y/n-shi may have met and worked with others before me, and that is fine. What matters now is that she is mine.” San glances at you, noticing your tentative smile; he adds, “Go, team!”

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 1 Hunter Hunter~

“Welcome back to YouPlusMe. Today, all the teams are meeting us here at Buggy World in Chuncheon, Gangwon, to play ‘Hunter, Hunter.’ Our teams will not only hunt down other teams and their additional markers but also protect their own.” MC Hanbin walks around showing groups of balloons tied to various trees and ends with the teams wearing protective gear and holding Nerf-like airguns.

Team Purple is San and Y/n, Team Red is Eunbi and Gyunvin, and Team Yellow is Felix and Chanbin.

Both you and San are dressed in similar outfits. He looks like G.I. Joe but in dark purple. You discovered the team colors before you left yesterday and made one of your workout creations meet the requirements. You are wearing black leggings with a few neon purple mesh cut-outs and pockets. Your top, however, was a mix of dark, light, neon, and sparkling purple straps built over a black sports bra and connected with the leggings.

The other teams were also dressed to represent their team colors. You noticed yours was the brightest, but you hadn’t realized that this was a paintball mission or that you would also be a target. Your manager had tried to talk you out of wearing it, but you made it clear that your entire point of joining this show was to showcase your designs and their functionality for the plus-sized fans.

“Are the teams ready?” Mc Hanbin asks, followed by hoots and hollers from the different teams. “Good. Now go to your home bases, and when the horn sounds, it's time to play– Hunter, Hunter.”

Making your way to Team Purple’s home base, you take the chance to look around and notice that you can see Team Yellow’s base from here. “Hey, San-ssi. Yellow is right on the other side of the tree line.”

“Good eye! I think Red is on the other side of them. I have been to this park before, and we are on the edge, which can give us an edge. Oh, good. Our base is going to be relatively hidden from anyone trying to come in from below or from the right. We literally can only be attacked from the top.”

“That’s great. Which means we can focus on offense. Get Yellow out of the picture, and then maybe wait for Red to come find us?” you ask San. You looked him up last night and noticed that he is somewhat athletic. He is definitely the muscle-bound one of his group and has done well on other variety shows before.

Horn blares

“I am down for that. Let's go,” San's smile drops, and you notice it's game time.

It isn’t long before you come up on your first set of balloons, but you pass them by in an attempt to scout the Yellow base before letting them know you are here. However, that doesn’t seem to be San’s plan, as he starts shooting immediately. You turn sharply uphill to find the higher ground and watch as he plows through the balloon groupings.

Movement to the side catches your attention as you see Chanbin trying to sneak up on San. Quickly, you move and take a single shot to his back, the lights of his vest going off, indicating to him that he has been hit. Before he can turn around to see who hit him, you have already dropped back and are taking out the balloons he failed to protect.

Once the field is clear of balloons, you move to find San again to regroup, popping the remaining balloons along the way. It isn’t long before you find him and Felix battling it out, hiding behind bushes. This means the Red hasn’t made it here yet and is either on defense only or has gone after your base. This needs to end quickly.

Considering the terrain and their position compared to yours, you don’t have many options without being seen immediately. You could take the chance and believe that San would find a way to win against Felix so that you could go back and ensure your base was secure, but you also didn’t want to leave him to fend for himself. You made the quick decision to just meet up with San.

Right before you reach him, something to San’s left catches his attention, and you see Felix step out to take his shot. Without thinking, you leap forward, knocking San to the ground and shielding him. All while shooting at Felix, nailing him in the chest and leg. While Felix’s gear lights up, indicating that he is out, a voice rings through the area, “Team Yellow has been hunted. Team Purple and Team Red, the hunt is still on.”

Looking down, you see San looking at you wide-eyed and blushing. You smile brightly at him as you stand up, brushing yourself off, and say, “Sorry, but you were in my way. Now we have two choices: check Homebase or go after Red. Which do you want to do?”

Shaking his head, he also gets up off the ground. His mind was reeling, not from hitting his head or anything, just from you protecting him and laying on top of him. Trying to think of what to do, he can only say, “Offensive, right?”

“Sure thing. Let's go this way. You kept looking this way, so it might be something,” you say as you crouch down and start to walk… no prowl ahead. San happily follows behind you, watching your back in more ways than one.

Taking out the Red team was simple as they stayed by their base and didn’t hide themselves well. Everyone returned to the lobby after having a once-over by the team to make sure no one was injured and gave a few touch-ups for the cameras. Each team sat together on smaller couches, and MC Hanbin was in his own chair.

“Wow, talk about total domination. Team Purple, you took out both teams and didn’t lose a single balloon. The MVP certainly goes to none other than Y/n-ssi. You not only took out three competitors but over 60% of the balloons. How do you feel?” MC Hanbin asks. The rest clap and San pats you on the shoulder.

“I am honored, really. I think there is a stigma that shooting is a man’s game and that because I am plus-sized, I cannot be sneaky,” you respond, a little timid from all the clapping.

“I don’t know how she did it. She was like a ghost or invisible, and I mean, it’s not like she is hard to miss!” Chanbin says, still irritated to be the first one out in the game.

At his comment, San looks at him with fire in his eyes. How dare he imply anything negative about you? Felix tugs on Changbin’s shirt and glances at the now-present demon-like San. Trying to backpedal, he says, “I mean, with how brightly she is dressed, I figured she would shine and glint in the sunlight. Come on, neon and sparkles?”

“I guess this just shows us that you cannot underestimate her or her abilities, does it?” San sneers.

Laughing to ease the tension, MC Hanbin says, “Looks like the competition is on fire! Well, it’s time to rest up because tomorrow you will take on ‘Kitchen Crimes.’ Team Purple, you have an advantage.”

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 2 Kitchen Crimes~

“It’s Day 2! It's time for our next challenge, Kitchen Crimes, based on the American reality show Crime Scene Kitchen and hosted by Joel McHale. Our three teams will have two minutes to search a kitchen where something has been made. Once their investigation time is over, they will have one hour to recreate what they thought was made. Afterward, they will present their dishes to our guest chef,” MC Hanbin informs the audience and viewers.

“Team Purple, you won the advantage for this round. You get to steal thirty seconds from a team’s investigation time and add it to your own. Which team do you pick?”

“Yellow,” San calls out. His eyes pinned Chanbin in his place. You glance up at San with shock because he didn’t even consult you.

“Y/n-shi, are you in agreement with your partner?” asks MC Hanbin.

“Umm, yeah. He is the idol and has played these games before,” you smile gently, not wanting to cause a scene. “Sorry, team Yellow.”

“It’s okay, Y/n-shi. We know Sannie is just playing the game. No harm done, right Chanbin-ah?” Felix smiles, trying to play everything off as part of the game. He knows it isn’t, and he is pretty sure his partner knows he put a target on their back with his offhand comment. Felix just hopes that there are no other chances for San to strike out at him and his partner.

“Eunbi-shi and Gyuvin-ah, how do you feel about the challenge?” asks MC Hanbin, smirking at his ZB1 bandmate.

“Hanbinnie, you know I don’t cook but the world knows that Felix-hyung can make killer brownies. So I am very happy that San-hyung took away some of their time and I just hope that it isn’t a desert dish we have to cook,” Gyuvin says with a whine.

“I am with my partner on this one. I cannot cook to save my soul. Trust me when I was with IZ*ONE, the members were constantly saving me whenever we had to make something. We pretty much are gonna lose this one,” laughs Eunbi.

“Well, there you have it. Team Purple stole 30 seconds from Team Yellow, and they have 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Team Red follows with 2 minutes, and last is Team Yellow with 90 seconds,” recaps MC Hanbin.

It was show time again, and while you knew cooking was involved, you wanted to showcase your line still. You decided to wear something from your comfort line, trying to show that the plus-size woman can be fashionable but comfortable without looking like a lump on a log.

The shirt was a tank top made from breathable neon purple material with a built-in bra that had almost as much support as yesterday's sports bra but a bit more silky feeling. The pants resembled parachute pants, with white and neon purple artistically placed spray paint marks. Topping it off was a black trainer and a high-waisted, jeogori-inspired jacket that matched the pants.

San asked you what you would wear last night at the end of filming. Today, he arrived dressed to match your style, wearing black parachute pants, a deep purple tank top, and a leather jacket. He also wore black trainers but playfully had his hairdresser find a matching neon purple to add as a streak in his hair.

As before, each team continued to wear matching-colored outfits. However, none seemed to stand out as you were with San. It made your heart soar with the hope that the viewers liked what they saw. But right now, it was not time to concentrate on that; it was time to investigate.

It seems like seconds have passed, not anywhere near your extended time. You and San figured it was a cake with strawberries and a whipped cream topping.

“What do you think it is?” San asked.

“I have an idea. We both agreed there were strawberries, cream, and really fine flour in it. So maybe we just make a very fluffy cake with strawberry filling and a whipped cream topping?” you responded, chewing on your lip as you reviewed your notes.

“Ah, yeah. That sounds good,” San agreed, focusing on your now red, puffy lips instead of the paper you showed him.

“Do you know how to make any of it? San-ssi? San!” you attempted to get his attention. Once his eyes snapped to meet you, you asked again, “You zoned out on me. Do you know how to make any of it?”

“Only if it comes in a box and Wooyoungie is with me. Even then, we end up ordering from the bakery,” San says shyly. Not only is he embarrassed that you caught him staring, but you also just learn he can’t cook for the life of him.

“Well, I have tried a few times with a recipe, and I know how boxcakes are made. My mom used to make them with me every weekend, but the filling… I haven’t a clue.”

“That is better than nothing. Let me help get the ingredients,” San says, heading to the pantry. “Wait, what am I grabbing?”

“As you all saw, the investigations went smoothly, and the cooking was a mess. Team Yellow sounded very certain that the dish was Strawberry Shortcake, Team Purple thought it was Strawberry Cake, and Team Red followed their gut with a Strawberry Crepes Cake.”

Now it is time to introduce our Guest Chef,” MC Hanbin looks to the side of the stage. “After 50 years of cooking experience, losing his sense of smell due, and appearing on ‘Chef & My Fridge,’ our guest judge is none other than Chef Yeon Bok Lee!”

“Hello, everyone. It is an honor to be here. I am Chef Yeon Bok Lee, and as a Chef, it is my job to protect the kitchen, but today, it's my job to judge your cooking,” the Chef says with a smile and bowing slightly.

“Welcome, Chef! It’s our honor to have you. You were the one to make the secret item in the kitchen, right?” MC Hanbin prompts, to which the Chef nods.

“I wanted to make something that always brought a smile to the faces of my guests. It is simple in nature, sweet but not too sweet, and a perfect dish to top off a summer picnic.” The Chef gestures to the table before him, where the lights all focus as a covered dish rises, “Today I made strawberry shortcake for you!”

Mixtures of yeses, noes, and other exclamations at things not being fair come from the competitors. “Oh my, that was a mix of reactions,” Chef muses.

“It sure was, first up we will have Team Red. Please come and present your dish to the Chef,” requests MC Hanbin.

Taking their dish up to the judging table, Eunbi and Gyuvin’s Strawberry Crepe Cake starts to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Eunbi smiles gently, trying to use her cuteness as a distraction. She says, “Hello, Chef. It is an honor to be cooking for someone as esteemed as you are. We thought with the fine flour and the strawberries, you had created a Crepe cake with strawberry and whipped cream topping.”

“Thank you,” the Chef replies, laughing at the team's appearance. Both competitors are flour-covered, making them more Team White than Red. Your crepe cake has structural problems; half has now slid onto the floor. Shall we taste what we can before the rest follows?”

Gyuvin cuts slices of the remaining crepes and adds whatever strawberries and whipped cream he can find before serving a slice to the Chef and his bandmate MC. Giving them both a cringing smile, he says, “We used fine flour, eggs, cream, sugar, and yeah… it should be good. Umm… Enjoy.”

Both MC Hanbin and Chef cut pieces and inspect the creation before eating. Immediately, coughing and choking start. While the Chef spits out his piece, being a good bandmate, Hanbin swallows his and forces a smile, commenting, “Well, at least it isn’t crunchy or burnt this time.”

“Ah, Team Red, I think you may have mistaken salt for granulated sugar for the whipped cream and strawberry sauce. I will say that your crepes are well made, though, with a good consistency and not overly cooked,” the Chef says before he downs half a glass of water.

“Sorry, Chef. We ran out of time to taste everything,” Eunbi says as she backs away, embarrassed. Gyuvin just avoids eye contact with either man, taking the disaster of a dish back to their kitchen.

“Next up we have Team Purple. Please bring your dish to the judging stand,” directs MC Hanbin.

You take the cake and walk carefully to the stand, hoping to keep it from dropping it like the other team. Meanwhile, San hovers around you, whispering when it's time to step and encouraging you with small praises of how well you are doing by walking gracefully. You are trying not to turn beet red the whole time because praises have always done something to you, and it's not what you want the world to see.

After successfully placing the dish down, San and you bow to the Chef. With a large but sweet smile, you say, “Chef Yeon Bok Lee, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

“You know each other?” San askes, ignoring the side eye from MC Hanbin.

“Miss Y/n, it is you. It has been some time now, hasn’t it? How is your family? Does your father still run the little noodle stand back home?” inquires the Chef with a genuine smile.

“Yes, Chef. It has been a long time and my dad still runs the stand but now he has my brother joining him. Logan-ah is already 13 now and has shown great interest in cooking and baking,” you reply.

“Cooking and baking, you say? I may have to visit your father and brother to see this myself. Maybe he could come and take lessons from me one day. But now, let's see if you have a talent for baking. Eh?” The chef smiles, looking at the well-presented cake.

“Well, Chef, we have presented you with a Vanilla sponge cake with macerated strawberry filling and a whipped cream frosting topped with candied whole strawberries,” San proudly announces.

After inspecting the cake, MC Hanbin says, “Well, it survived the trip here. Please serve us a bite to try out and see if it tastes as good as it looks, hyung.” This is followed by San cutting each piece and serving it to them, including a candied strawberry.

Following the same procedure of cutting, inspecting, and eating as before, you and San hold your breath. Your hand grips San’s wrist as you await their reaction. San, however, has been watching you since you touched him. He brings his other hand, gently rubs your upper arm, and whispers, “It’s okay. We got this. You did amazing.”

You smile at his words, remembering having saved the poor idol from burning off his fingerprints when he tried to dip the strawberries in the hot sugar to coat them without using the dipping fork.

“Waaaahhh! Such a light a fluffy sponge on the cake. I really wish you had made a shortcake and not a victoria’s sponge cake. A minor change to your egg, sugar, and water ratio and you would have made a delightful version of my strawberry shortcake,” the Chef comments with a slight frown.

“Those strawberries done in two ways is amazing given the limited time you had. I suppose as a CEO and fashion designer, you understand time management well,” compliments MC Hanbin.

“Well, that is true, but I also have someone who was a good boy at following directions in the kitchen,” you say, smiling at San, who only dusts his cheeks a deep rose and stutters his breath.

Stepping forward, you take your cake and retreat to your kitchen, with San in two, still reeling from you calling him a good boy. Looking at the closest camera, San says, “See, Captain and Seonghwa-hyung, I can be good! Y/n-shi said so!”

“Last up, will Team Yellow present their dish to the Chef and me?” asks MC Hanbin.

Team Yellow shines like the sun because they know they got the right cake. Not only that, but they were the only ones, which means they automatically won. Placing down the cake on the stand, both smiling so widely that their eyes turned into crescents.

Felix wastes no time introducing himself: “Hello, Chef Yeon Bok Lee. Most know me as Felix, but my name is Lee Yong Bok. It is an honor to have you taste something I have baked with the help of my competition partner, Chanbin-ah.”

“Oh my! We have a significant similarity there, I see,” smiles the Chef.

MC Hanbin laughs, “Not only does he share your name, in a sense, but Felix-hyung is also known worldwide for his brownie recipe. Isn’t that right, hyung?”

“Yes, my mates love it when I make them. Though our trainers don’t like it so much,” Felix giggles.

“Well, I should love to try them another day then, Yongbok-ah. Make sure to reach out when this is all over, ya?” asks the Chef.

“I would be… Yes, Of course. It would be a great honor!” Felix replies, bouncing on his toes with happiness.

“First, he should try out the cake, hyung,” Chanbin interrupts. We present you with a take on strawberry shortcake. It is made with classic shortcake soaked in a simple syrup made with strawberry juice and topped with fresh strawberries, mint leaves, and whipped cream.”

“I can see that you have a keen eye, Team Yellow. You are the only ones to get it right, Congratulations. Now please cut us a slice, “ praises the Chef.

After receiving the pieces, inspecting them, and tasting them, MC Hanbin speaks first, saying, “Wow! Your shortcake is so moist with strawberry flavor, and the whipped cream is the smoothest we have tasted. No wonder you are known for your bakes, Felix-hyung.”

“Hanbin-ah is right. You both did a great job with this bake. I can tell you must have sifted the flour and the sugar before incorporating them in, and the idea to make the simple syrup flavored adds a different dimension. Well done. It is clear that you are the winners of this challenge,” announces the Chef.

With bows of thanks and high-pitched squeals of joy, Team Yellow makes it back to their kitchen.

“I want us all to thank Chef Yeon Bok Lee for joining us today. It was a delight to hear your thoughts on our competitors' dishes—some good and some bad. Team Yellow, with this win, you are tied with Team Purple for first place. Both teams have a chance to win the show by winning the challenge tomorrow, or Team Red, you have a chance to make it a three-way tie,” recaps MC Hanbin.

Looking at Team Yellow, he continues, “As winners of today’s challenge, Team Yellow, you won the advantages for tomorrow’s game, which is– Dance Battle. Each of our Idols will have 24 hours to learn the choreography of their assigned K-pop hit. They then have the next 72 hours to teach their competition partner.”

“In the First game, Y/n is a ninja. In the second game, Felix is a baking master. Now, in the final game, we got this Noona because we are both Idols and are used to learning dances quickly,” remarks Gyuvin to his competition partner.

“I wouldn't be so sure, Gyuvin-ah. San is one of the main dancers for Ateez and is known for his determination and competitiveness. Not to forget, his dad is a Taekwondo instructor, so I am pretty sure that he has picked up some teaching skills from him,” Eunbi replies.

~Dance Battle Song Selection~

“Hello, Team Yellow, and congratulations again on your win in Kitchen Crimes!” exclaims MC Hanbin. Both Team members bow in thanks and show their excitement to the cameras.

“It is time for your advantage! As you know, the next challenge is a Dance Battle and your win today allows you to pick the K-pop songs for all three teams,” he announces.

“No way! That is awesome!” Chanbin says, “We can pick an easy song for us and harder ones for the others. I have two left feet so, yeah. Felix-hyung, you know more about these dance challenges than I do, you pick please?”

“I know the perfect songs, easy peasy lemon squeezy,” Felix says with a smirk.

“Oh, you already know what songs to pick, Felix-hyung?” asks MC Hanbin.

“Yeah, for Eunbi-shi and Gyuvin-ah… we don’t want to give them something easy because they are both idols. I have seen both of them dance, and they are good. So, we pick– Black Swan by BTS,” Felix declares.

“OH! Gyuvin is going to hate that,” laughs MC Hanbin. “It's a perfect choice for them. I can’t wait to see him try to lift Eubin-shi.”

“I think we can handle– My Angel by B.O.Y. It’s already choreographed for two males, and while it’s intricate, it’s not hard. What do you think?” Felix says, looking at Chanbin questioningly.

“Oh! I know that one. Yeah, I can manage that… I think,” agrees Chanbin.

“Chanbin-ssi, you may know your song now but you have to play fair and not start learning it until your dance practice with Felix-hyung, okay?” MC Hanbin warns the competitor, to which he nods in understanding.

“What song are you thinking about picking for San-hyung and Y/n-shi?” questions Chanbin. A smirk plays along Felix’s face while he rubs his hands together.

“Sannie and I have known each other for a while, and I remember he used to struggle with learning dances. For the competition, though, I want to challenge his ability to teach someone else not only to dance but to dance with intense emotion and strength. I want them to dance to– Red Lights by my hyungs, Bang Chan and Hyunjin.

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: Eubin~

“How do you practice Black Swang alone?” asked Eubin as she watched the modeled dance practice video. “See that! It’s a lift, and that is a spin. Do you have someone for me to practice with today?”

Eunbin says, looking at the camera, “Apparently, all of the Idols have to learn what they can alone today and then figure out the rest with our partners tomorrow. I just hope my partner is a lot stronger than he looks.

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: Felix~

“Well, now I kind of feel bad. I didn’t know that we would be alone for the first part of this dance practice. I thought we were going to be taught by someone. Not teach ourselves.” Felix laments.

“Lucky for me and Sannie, our dances don’t have a lot of paired movement but more of mirrored or synchronized movements. Sorry, Noona Eubin! If it helps, I know that Gyuvin picked up Work by Ateez really quick according to the members. Soooorrrry!”

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: San~

“He did what?” San stands frozen when the producer tells him what song Felix picked for his team. “He does realize what this song is about, who dances it, and the… ahh… maturity level of this dance, right?”

Shaking his head, he watched the video again, “There are minimal lifts, but there are accessories, and touching, and like… Can Y/n-shi dance? Does anyone know if she will be alright with this?”

He spends most of the first few hours just pacing and watching different videos of the song his “friend” picked for him to dance to with his current crush. While he doesn’t mind learning it or dancing it, especially with you, he wants to make sure you are comfortable with the sensuality and emotions of the dance.

San’s head just spins, trying to figure out how to remain stage-appropriate while having to run his hands on your body, wrap you in chains, and press against you. His heart is aching as it comes up with a million reasons why you would be able to feel like that with him.

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 3 Dance Battle~

“Welcome back to YouPlusMe,” smiles MC Hanbin. “While you saw our Idols' reactions to learning what song Team Yellow chose, you also saw that we gave them a dance room, a boombox, and a practice video.”

“We want to surprise you with the reactions and the dance practices with their competition partners. To watch the team practices and additional behind the scenes videos, please check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!”

“What kind of competition can we have without a judge? Lucky for us, we have someone who started as a backup dancer Jason Wang. Now, he is known for his choreography skills and has worked with Enyphen, TXT, BTS, and Super M. Let me introduce none other than Mr. Nick Joseph!” introduces MC Hanbin.

“Hello, everyone,” Nick walks about with killer pop and lock moves. “It is a pleasure to be here. I have always been the one competing in these and never judging. I cannot wait to see what the Idols have been able to teach the newbies.”

“Now it’s the time we have all been waiting for. It’s time for… Dance Battles! Team Red is up first with their dance cover of BTS’ Black Swan,” introduces MC Hanbin.

They were dressed in solid black body suits covered with sheer drapes. Their faces were donning black and silver feathered masks. Eubin and Gyuvin lost themselves in the song. They moved around the stage, decorated to resemble a dead forest with fog machines and hanging twinkling lights. They gracefully engaged each other and made the lifts look effortless. It was like they controlled everyone who witnessed it with every beat they hit.

“That was breathtaking,” comments Nick.

“Gyuvin-ah! I never knew you had that kind of strength and elegance! I cannot wait for the rest to see this episode; you killed it. Eubin, how do you think your newcomer did?” asks MC Hanbin.

“He did really well. It took him a bit to trust himself with the lifts, but in the end, he gave 110% and never once made me concerned that he was going to drop me,” smiles Eubin and her partner, just blushing at the praise.

“Thank you, noona, for being patient with me and trusting me to have the skills not to embarrass you. And Felix-hyung, thank you for the challenge, your song choice showed me that I am capable of more than I realize,” bows Gyuvin.

“Next up, we have Team Yellow. Nick-ssi, this team won the advantage in assigning the songs for the battle today. They chose My Angel by B of You. Let’s watch,” prompts MC Hanbin.

The multicolored spotlights have cleared the stage of everything, allowing the shiny black floor and dark-colored walls to showcase the two dancers taking the stage. Felix and Chanbin are dressed in black-on-black pinstripe suits, soft yellow shirts, and no tie.

Once the dancing started, it was clear how well the suits fit but allowed for ease of movement. The crisp movements and synchronization between the two were clean and well-timed.

The newcomer's solo piece only had a minor timing mishap, which was quickly corrected when the idol joined back in.

“I loved the simplicity and the teamwork between the two of you,” compliments MC Hanbin.

“Mr. Ko, are you a dancer?” the guest judge asks. Chanbin simply shakes his head and then looks at Felix with a frown. Felix simply pats him on the back to comfort him in the moment. “Mr. Ko, I am impressed. I am assuming that the solo went a little off track because it didn’t move with the beat. Am I correct?

Both Team Yellow members nod as a staff member hands Felix a microphone: “Ah, yes. There was a sequence that got thrown off beat in the solo, but Chanbin-ah claims to have two left feet, which is why I chose this song for us.”

“Wow. Great choice of song, Mr. Lee. Mr. Ko, if this is your first time really dancing like this, and you are this good after only a couple of days. Bravo! You have great skills as a student, never lose that in life,” advises Nick.

“So far, Felix-hyung has picked songs that fit the teams well. During the selection process, he was trying to challenge his competitors and give his team the edge,” MC Hanbin tells the guest judge.

“Ah, I think he missed his mark because Team Red killed it. His team struggled slightly, but we still have one more team left. What was Mr. Lee’s goal for the last team?” inquires Nick.

“He was hoping to challenge San-hyung with a song that would require him to teach not only dance but also the emotional side of dancing. Team Purple has Y/n-shi, a fashion designer.” MC Hanbin answers Nick.

“Oooo, yes, emotional understanding and ability to convey that is key for most duet performances,” comments the long-time choreographer.

“It’s time! The stage has been set, and our team is in place. Here is Team Purple and their performance of Red Lights by Bang Chan and Hyunjin of Stray Kids,” announces MC Hanbin.

The only light on the stage comes from the back wall, which pulses red. The viewers can see an outline of you kneeling on a four-post bed. Your elegant but staccato movements sync with the deep breathing in the room as the song starts.

A chain in your hands goes across the stage, bringing the focus to San lying on the ground. As the words start, you pull him across the floor as you climb off the bed.

Meeting in the middle, you pull him to his knees before you, and just as another breath is heard, the stage floods with lights, revealing your costumes.

San is wearing skin-tight black leather pants. His black shirt resembles a leather leotard with strategic cut-outs, long sleeves, and fingerless gloves. The tightness of his outfit shows off his muscular figure and leaves nothing to the imagination. Everything is lined with red ribbons and smaller red chains.

Your outfit is a short-sleeved curve-hugging leather body con dress and booty shorts that match San’s. It is also littered with cut-outs lined in red ribbons. Your forearms are decorated with the red chains you used to drag San across the floor.

Both of your makeup designers went gothic, using thick black eyeliner, red eye shadow, and deep red lips. San’s skin was flawless and tan, while they used skin lightener on you, trying to bring a bit of a vampire vibe into the mix.

The two of you honor the mirrored dance of the Red Lights music video. Your fluidity and the power of the interactions between the pair of you has everyone shifting in their seats.

As the song progresses, you both dance back to the bed. You shove San to lay on as you take the focus towards the end. Moving around the bed, you seduce the viewers. Using the chains wrapped around Sans pants as bindings, you connect them to the bottom posts.

The chains from your arms unwind and connect to the cuffs of Sans's shirt. Using the chains, you guide San in his movements as the bed slides to the center of the stage and starts tilting toward the judges.

The song is close to the end when you latch the chains over to the bed's headboard and raise San’s arms over his head. Using the bed's angle, you slide off the bed. Soon, the bed is standing on end.

Chains rattle as San struggles against the restraints, hindering his movements. His face is filled with desires and yearning for your touch.

With a deep roll to your hips, you walk up to San and run your nails along his body from his legs up to his abs.

When the song ends, you lean in, ghosting a kiss over his lips, and then walk away into the night.

San’s deep panting was the only sound heard.

The lights in the studio come back on. The other competitors and the judges are stunned at what they just witnessed. San has been released from his chains and joins you at the front of the stage.

The attention without reactions has you nervously nibbling on your lower lip as you look up at San, who smirks down at you with his eyes still dark and dreamy looking. These last three days have been hell for you.

The first time you heard the song, you were so excited because you loved it. I mean, how could you not be thrilled? Bang Chan was your bias. You already know the dance from the trillions of times you have watched music videos and YouTube dance practices.

After showing off your moves to San, you blushed as he and the camera crew were floored. San couldn’t wait to make it fit the two of you. He quickly decided that you would be one of the two of you in charge.

After some discussion with the production staff, the whole thing came together. The hardest part was making the bed work into the dance more than a stationary prop.

San knew he didn’t want to end it with you and him suggestively on the bed because he wasn’t sure he could stop. When you came up with the idea of taking a more Dominatrix video for the dance and wanting just to leave San locked at your mercy, everyone laughed, but San thought it would be perfect.

Not only did he want to see that side of you, but he also knew it would keep him in check. Then, he also asked if you could help figure out what the two of you would be wearing. Your creative juices were flowing.

You were excited to design something for both you and San. You had never made men’s clothing, but it was a challenge you were willing to take on. Everything came together quickly with the help of the show’s wardrobe, production, and props team.

All these thoughts ran through your head as your focus remained on San alone. It wasn’t until the room exploded in applause that you finally relaxed into San and allowed all the jitters to disappear. Everyone is yelling out variations of acclimations.

“Ok ok okay… Felix-ssi,” MC Hanbin looks at the idol. “I don’t think they struggled with anything with this song.” Felix is just standing there trying to collect his jaw off the floor. His eyes stare into San’s skull with shock and many questions he cannot ask on air.

“Miss Y/n, you killed it,” comments Nick. “Do you have any dance experience?”

While still trying to catch your breath, you answer, “Actually, I do.” pant pant pant “In high school, I was in a show choir, did some musicals, and I was part of a hip/hop and stomp club.”

“Period! That is why you know how to work the stage like it’s yours,” Nick exclaimed.

“You should see you dance the original choreography to this song,” San beamed next to you. “I didn’t have to teach her a thing with that. Our time was spent making the dance more of a duet than a mirrored dance.”

“San-hyung,” MC Hanbin asked, “how did you feel having Y/n-shi do the killing part in the dance?”

“Easy.” San looks down at you while wrapping his arms around your shoulders in a back hug. “The moment she walked into the practice room and showed me what she could do, I knew I had to show off what an amazing and sexy partner I had.”

This caused the room to ooh and ahh, to which you tried your best not to blush. You just hoped the heat on your face was attributed to the dancing, not the comments or the feel of San behind you.

“Well, there you have it. Now, Nick-ssi, as our teams all gather on the stage, you have the wonderful job of selecting the winners of today’s Dance Battle challenge. Who is it going to be?” MC Hanbin looks at the guest judge.

“You know, as a dancer and choreographer, I can see so much talent between everyone on the stage. Each team found ways to work the songs chosen by Mr. Lee to their best abilities.”

Nick’s eyes dance over the teams, “Red Team, you swept us up with your grace. Yellow Team, you showed us what rhythm and teamwork mean. Purple team, you took us on a ride that was powerful.”

“So which team is it?” prompts MC Hanbin.

“I am going to have to go with… Team Purple!”

This caused you and San to jump up and down, hugging and congratulating each other. The other teams came over to pat you on the back and personally remark on how great the dance was.

“Nick-ssi, what was the reason why you finally chose the Purple team?” asked MC Hanbin.

“If I hadn’t known that Miss Y/n wasn’t a trained dancer, I would have thought that this was M Countdown's special appearance. The quality of dance, the passion between the two, and the costume design are top-notch,” explains Nick.

“Want to know something? Y/n-shi not only designed her costume but San’s as well in less than 72 hours,” informs MC Hanbin. “She really is a force to be reckoned with.”

Looking at the camera, MC Hanbin says, “Well this has been an amazing week of challenges for our Idols and our newbies. After three challenges, the clear winner of YouPlusMe is San-hyung and Y/n-shi!”

Cannons go off at the announcement of your team’s win. The stage gets covered in purple confetti as Red Lights starts playing again.

Everyone just grabs random partners and starts dancing. Felix is the one you end up dancing with as he pulls you farther and farther away from San. He wanted to dance some of the music video moves with you to send to his bandmates.

You do not see San's look of longing and desire as he, too, gets swept away by the others.

After the song ends, you find yourself back in your personal dressing room. You would think you would be euphoric after winning the show, but your mind is focused on something else.

You came here to show your work. Use it to your advantage and get your line out there. Challenge the Korean beauty standards and start a fire with the Fashion Industry as a whole. Apparently, the universe had more for you in mind, but you weren’t sure what to do about it.

This last challenge is what broke down your walls. You weren’t expecting to feel something during all of this. You had thought it was just the rush of the competition, the thrill of showing the world who you were and working with someone who was just as excited to be here as you.

You weren’t blind.

You noticed San from day one; who couldn’t?

It was easy to dismiss because you wanted to focus on the show. After the first meeting and exchange of numbers, you soon learned that he had a charming personality.

You found yourself looking forward to filming with him and smiling when he sent a text, but now that it’s over, you feel tight in your chest at the thought of never seeing him again.

It wasn’t until the second day of dance practice that you realized it wasn’t the show that you were excited about but San. Though you weren’t a morning person, it was early for anyone.

Opening the door to the practice room, you froze at the sight. The Idol ran on a different schedule than you, and it was clear he had been there long enough to build up a sweat.

His face was half covered by a baseball cap pulled low. He wore baggy sweatpants that rode low on his hips, showing the band of his boxers, and no shirt. He was lost in his own world, dancing to It’s You by him and his bandmates Yeosang and Wooyoung.

His body was moving like water. The body rolls, the hip thrusts, and the floorwork caused such a primal reaction from you that you had to leave. Your mind had gone into San becoming your partner in unprofessional ways.

A knock on the door brings you out of your thoughts. Walking to the door, you finish putting on your jacket and pull open the door. As if conjured by your thoughts, there stands San.

“San,” you breathe, trying to keep your thoughts from seconds ago to yourself.

“Y/n,” smiles San. He seems fidgety tonight.

“Thank you for everything.”

“Oh, it was nothing. I had a blast. This was my first challenge with someone who was really good at pretty much everything. It made me feel like I was the newbie of the two of us.”

“Oh, never. You are way too talented to be considered a newbie.”

The two of you stand there in the doorway of your dressing room. San is still fidgeting, and you don’t want him to leave yet.

“Are you going to the after party? I think Felix said something about it being at a Noraebang nearby. I think everyone else is going and may have invited others too.”

“I was thinking about it. I am pretty sure he invited my bandmates and his. It would be a perfect chance for you to meet the rest of your favorite K-pop band. Maybe get Chan-hyung and Hyujinnie to sing Red Lights for you?”

You giggle at the thought but hesitate, looking down and saying, “I would only want them to sing it if you were there to dance with me.”

A shy smile blooms on San’s face. Taking a chance that you might see the hidden question, he asks, “Do you want to keep dancing with me?”

“I would love to keep dancing with you, Sannie.” You look up, smiling, hoping he means more than what he says.

“Then, will you be my date to the after-party, and then maybe we can go to dinner some other time, just the two of us?” he asks again, stepping forward.

Resting your hand on his chest, you lean into his warmth, “I would love to go out with you tonight or any night.”

With a smile on both your faces, San leans in and gives you a chaste kiss—just enough to settle your minds from the roller coaster of emotions you both experienced this week and light up your hearts with the excitement of a future together.

The last thought in your head is that agreeing to this show was more than you expected. You never expected to grow as much as you did, to win, or to find what may be love, but…

Was it Fate?

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