Chapter Text
Sunlight was peeking through the studio window by the time Namjoon saved the track for the last time. His eyes watered slightly from staring at the screen all night.
Across from him, Yoongi’s head was bowed on the table, having fallen asleep with the his headset around his neck only an hour or so prior. The youngest three had fallen asleep on the chairs and the others hadn’t wanted to wake them when they had left earlier.
Although Jin always gave him disapproving looks for working so late ( the managers can do the editing Namjoon ), he knew that their music always sounded better, more authentic, if him and Yoongi could do as much of the production as possible.
He only regretted that the others felt like they needed to stay whilst they did so. Jungkook and Jimin had been working so hard on their dance stages for the Christmas celebrations and Hoseok had been working long, lonely hours with the managers on the WINGS solo tracks. Taehyung had only recently gotten back from his Hwarang shooting and he was still exhausted. Namjoon always tried to tell them all to stay at home, especially Jungkook, who had his high school exams soon.
But Jungkook was a stubborn little shit who came to the studio anyway, even if only to guilt trip Namjoon into working shorter hours.
He took of his headset, stretching his back and glancing at Yoongi. He groaned: Yoongi’s head was at an angle and would have crick in his neck when woke up. It’s all they would hear from him this morning.
Namjoon contemplated going to make himself coffee, but then remembered what happened last time he operated a kitchen appliance.
(Fire)
He had just started mentally cursing everyone for being asleep, when the door opened, accompanied by the heavenly smell of coffee.
An angel in human form stood before him. Jin raised his eyebrows knowingly at him. “This better be the last time this week Namjoon.”
Namjoon sighed, taking the offered coffee. Once he had become more heavily involved in producing the music Jin had made them promise that they’d pull a maximum of 2 all nighters if the production deadline was more than a week away. Even that had taken some negotiating, Jin had originally tried for one all nighter as the maximum regardless of deadlines.
“Of course Jin hyung.” he conceded, noting the almost imperceptible lines on Jin’s face from stress.
To anyone else (except Yoongi maybe), Jin looked as flawless as ever. But Namjoon could see that the past month taking its toll on their oldest member. Jin didn’t have a lot on his plate musically, and it angered the members to hear some of the ruder ARMYs complaining about Jin’s apparent lack of participation in the band.
But Jin was the most integral part of their little family. He cooked most of their meals in the dorm. He helped the other members get over arguments. He fussed over the youngest three and became very stressed when they were away from the group for any extended period of time. All three of them had barely been around over the past weeks.
And Jin wasn’t sleeping well because of it.
Jungkook was the one particularly concerning Jin. If Namjoon was being honest, he was quite worried about the maknae himself. Whilst Jimin and Taehyung had been away, Jungkook had holed himself in his room during the day and was quiet or on his phone during meals.
He was spending more and more time glued to his screen.
Aish, young people these days, thought Namjoon exasperatedly, seeing that Jungkook had woken up and was, as was now the norm, staring at his phone. He took a sip of the sweet nectar of the gods known as coffee and closed his eyes to savour the taste and contemplate what they should do about Jungkook’s behaviour.
Maybe he’d break out of the habit now that Jimin and Taehyung were back? Namjoon observed how Jungkook ignored the grey haired member dozing on his shoulder. Jimin stirred and stretched, his arm accidentally knocked Jungkook.
Jungkook didn’t even flinch and continued typing on his screen.
Namjoon frowned. Or maybe not.
The sound of a dying cat broke the peace of the room. All heads turned back to the studio desks where Yoongi had awoken. Another groan emanated from his slumped form.
“Why is it so goddamn bright in here?” he moaned. “Why is does this room smell? Ugh, why does my neck hurt so much?”
“Shut up hyung.” Jimin rolled his eyes.
“Why is Jimin shut a brat?” lamented Yoongi.
“Eh!” Said brat sat up suddenly, a mock offended look on his face.
“Because he’s so small.” The response was from their youngest member and Jin snorted as Jimin flushed and punched Jungkook. Namjoon was rather impressed (worried) that Jungkook still didn’t look up from the device in his hand.
“Say, Jungkookie.” Namjoon mused. Jungkook suddenly looked up for the first time, wondering if he’d done something wrong. “What’s so interesting on your phone?”
“Yeah!” Jimin’s (already tiny) eyes narrowed. “You’re always on it.”
The phone was promptly switched off and shoved in his back pocket. “Nothing.”
Namjoon cursed Jungkook for being so good at holding a poker face in the silence that followed.
“Right...because that’s not suspicious at all.” snorted Yoongi.
“It’s nothing.” Insisted the maknae, dodging Jimin’s grasping hands. “I’ve just gotten...really addicted to a game.”
“Which-”
“Don’t lie to your hyungs. I saw Kakaotalk open on your phone!” exclaimed Jimin, still trying to grab said phone.
Jimin suddenly found himself sprawled on the floor. “Little snitch.” Jungkook hissed, flushing under the stares of the others.
“Why don’t you want us to know who you’re texting Jungkookie.” sing songed Yoongi, before cackling at the spluttering teen. They were all aware that Jungkook had had his 20th birthday but referring to him as a ‘man’ was too weird. Also, Jungkook was terrible at lying to them.
“Ya! Shut up.” Jungkook eyed Yoongi with fearful distaste. Yoongi could make your life hell with teasing if he could be bothered. “It’s no one important.”
“Why are you being so secretive?” Jin frowned, mildly concerned, paranoia well on its way to making him very concerned. “It is someone we know right? It’s not a random- Jungkook, don’t tell me you’re talking to-”
Jungkook rolled his eyes. “It’s just some friends. Why are you guys making it so weird?”
“Ya!” Jin smacked him with the newspaper. “So disrespectful.”
Yoongi was laughing. “Yeah it’s ‘some friends’. Leave him alone”
“You don’t have other friends.” chimed in Taehyung. He had materialised from the coat on the floor. Jimin sniggered with him.
Namjoon rubbed his eyes as he watched Jungkook’s mulish expression get steadily more annoyed. Jin and Yoongi were cackling over the idea of their youngest actually being in a relationship. He was terrified of girls. Unless he was acting or on stage, he couldn’t even greet them.
“ International playboy. ” Jin mimicked and Taehyung collapsed laughing as the steam coming out of Jungkook’s ears began to tangible.
The studio door suddenly banged open, startling everyone momentarily.
Hoseok stood in the doorway with his hand on his hips and opened his mouth. The sound that exited his mouth reminded Namjoon vividly of a dolphin.
Namjoon thanked everything that was holy that Hoseok decided to use words when he reopened his mouth. “Another special stage! PD nim said we’ve been asked to do something for the Time Slip stage for MBC.”
“Lord how many goddamn stages do I have to do.” Exclaimed Jungkook, ducking the magazine that Yoongi had just lobbed at Hoseok. In the background you could hear him moaning ‘ every bloody morning...’
“How many do you have to do?” Jimin pushed him exasperatedly - he was so dramatic. “You’re not even doing as many as me.”
‘...how does he even have this much energy...’
The responding snort and eyebrow raise made Jimin pause.
’...it’s way too early for this shit.’
“...are you?”
Jungkook seemed to realise that he’d given something away and his face closed off and he made an aborted movement as if to get his phone. He stopped himself last minute for some reason.
“Oi, answer me! Are you doing another stage? By yourself?”
Jungkook felt an impending sense of doom as Namjoon stared at him thoughtfully. “Ah, is this who you’ve been texting?”
Jungkook levelled a glare at Namjoon. Sometimes his intelligence was really annoying.
There was a moment of stillness and then the room seemed to erupt.
“Why didn’t you tell us! Were you not going to tell us?” asked Jin sounding scolding, hurt and concerned at the same time.
“Betrayal!” screamed Taehyung.
Jimin turned, wide, hurt eyes on the maknae and he looked dangerously close to pouting.
“Jesus. It’s only one other stage.” Jungkook looked alarmed, whether it was because of the fact that they’d found out or because of the overreaction in the room, Namjoon couldn’t tell.
“Then why were you hiding it?” Hoseok yelled across the room.
“Because...” Jungkook seemed to be struggling for words.
Yoongi got up from his seat and leant casually back on the table behind him watching Jungkook carefully. Which didn’t help Jungkook sort out his thoughts in any way. “Who is doing the stage with you?”
It was strange (scary) how the hyungs could shift so quickly and drastically to being serious, nosy and overprotective. Yoongi and Jin did it fairly regularly but it still put Jungkook on edge. Hoseok rarely did it...but when he did, man he was scary.
Jungkook rubbed his neck nervously, not liking being the centre of attention in the suddenly tense atmosphere. “Hyung, it’s just Yugyeom and some friends. We’re doing a 97 liner stage.”
“I didn’t know you talked to anyone other than Yugyeom.” Jin raised his eyebrows at the him. The friendship between the two maknaes was very sweet and the other members were secretly glad that Jungkook had someone to spend time with when the rest of them were busy...but they didn’t know of anyone else.
“Ya, why are you being so secretive? Who else is on the chat?” Taehyung half heartedly kicks him in the leg.
Jungkook surveys the room cautiously, only Yoongi and Jin look serious. Hoseok and Namjoon seem more amused than anything and Jimin and Taehyung seem just curious but maybe a little irritated that they hadn’t been told. “It was just me, Yugyeom and Bambam at first. But we gelled really well with the others at the rehearsal so...I added Minghao, Mingyu and Seokmin from Seventeen and then later Jaehyun from NCT too.”
“Are there no girls doing the stage?” asks Jimin.
“Um yes, there are.” Jungkook laughs nervously “But I didn’t really talk to them.”
The tenseness in the room seems to break as Yoongi snorts and mutters “Of course you didn’t.”
“Which girls?” Jin asks, trying to suppress a smile as Jimin giggles into his hand.
“Uh Yuju and Eunha from GFRIEND, Jihyo from Twice and uh...Chaeyeon from I.O.I.”
Namjoon snickers into his coffee as Jungkook says the girls names quickly but stumbles over the last one. He and the other members know how he watched Produce 101 obsessively and loves I.O.I, teaching Jimin and Hoseok all the dances when they’re around.
“Chaeyeon is I.O.I’s visual right?” Hoseok smirks at Jungkook, clearly thinking along the same lines as Namjoon.
Jungkook nods somewhat hesitantly. “One of them.”
“Are the girls nice?” asks Taehyung. “Why don’t you talk to them?”
Jungkook glares at him, knowing he’s just asking to tease. He has half the mind to just ignore him. “They’re alright. Yuju’s quite nice, I haven’t really spoken to any of the others.”
The others look surprised. They hadn’t expected Yuju to be the one Jungkook had spoken to.
“Yuju is a very powerful vocal, isn’t she?” comments Namjoon knowingly, having already worked out why.
“Yeah we have have duet as part of the stage.” Jungkook mutters.
Hoseok emits a screech, running forward to pinch his cheeks. “A duet with a girl! Baby’s growing up!”
A flush sweeps over Jungkook’s face as Jimin dissolves into laughter, glad its not his cheeks being grabbed violently for once.
“Is that why you didn’t tell us Jungkook-ah?” Jin is still struggling to work out why the maknae didn’t tell them about the stage.
Hoseok immediately releases his cheeks, looking at him carefully. “We...won’t tease you if it upsets you enough that you’d try and hide it.”
Jungkook ducks his head and runs a hand through his hair in a Jimin-esque style. “Ah, it’s not that. It’s...um...It’s- It’s not a big deal, I should have told you guys.”
Namjoon exchanges confused looks with the others, becoming slightly worried. Jungkook has always been terrible at expressing when he’s having a hard time or if something is bothering him. Over the years they’d started to notice that certain things, like the nervous fidgeting and ‘um’s and ‘uh’s followed by acceptance, meant that Jungkook thought it was just easier to agree with them than try and explain what he really felt.
“Don’t be like that Jungkookie.” Jin sat down next to him as Jimin sat back on his other side, concern on both their faces. “What’s going on?”
Jungkook takes a deep breath. “For one one, I knew you’d be ridiculous when you found out about the group chat.” He starts with a tremulous smile, and there a few chuckles around the room, but the seriousness is still there.
“I…” Jungkook rubs his neck nervously, hating how worried the hyungs are all looking now. He wishes he could just go back in time and have just hidden his phone a little better and then they would never be having this stupid conversation. He doesn’t know how to explain it. It’s just him being an idiot, there’s no need to make them so worried, they’ve already got enough on their plates. “I guess...I just wanted to have the stage to be... something for me? Something that I’d worked on by myself…? You’ve all been working so hard on the comeback hyungs, producing all the music and Hobi-hyung especially with the dance choreography too. And Jin hyung I know you’ve been negotiating modelling contracts and sorting out adverts with the managers in addition to sorting out the jungle show you’ll be going on by yourself. V hyung is busy with learning lines for Hwarang and integrating with the cast of famous actors. And Jimin hyung is forming bonds with SHINee and learning dances with Taemin sunbaenim himself... and I’m just sitting in my room playing video games and doing homework.”
Jungkook ran his hands over his face, avoiding eye contact with the others. “It feels like I’m not pulling my weight anymore and I guess I wanted to try and...I hoped that this stage might be something that could prove that…”
He can’t find the right words and buries his face in his hands, wishing the hyungs would stop wasting their time with him. They have so much more important things to be doing, than listen to him struggle with his stupid insecurities. He’d rather they went back to the teasing and light attitude of earlier.
“Prove what?!” Jin exclaims, wrapping an arm around the hunched maknae. “Kook-ah there’s nothing to prove, you’re the golden maknae for a reason.”
Jungkook huffs and says slightly bitterly. “A golden maknae that doesn’t work half as hard as his hyungs and yet still gets all the credit.”
“You’ve been reading the bullshit on the internet haven’t you.” Yoongi whispers, closing his eyes. How had they all missed this? He couldn’t believe what Jungkook was saying. The youngest member always pushed himself too hard, and still thought he wasn’t enough.
“Jungkook-ah look at me.” Namjoon said softly.
Jungkook looks up to meet his earnest and slightly regretful eyes. He looks at their leader, the man who has single handedly carried them through so much. The one who he joined Bighit for. “You are not lacking in any area, your sparse schedule is nothing to do with your skills. It is us that insisted you had lots of spare time as we were concerned about your studying and exams. You seem to have forgotten how much we value you. As both the center of the group and the main vocal we know that you push yourself so much whenever we have a comeback and we did not want to overload you whilst you are still at high school.”
“It’s ok, I’m being overdramatic. You shouldn’t need to worry about me-” Jungkook’s voice wavers slightly but warmth spreads through his body, a light relief as Namjoon’s reassurances settle in.
“No. It was our mistake, we should have spoken with you about it.” Namjoon says with finality and Jungkook turns and hides in Jimin’s shoulder, breathing heavily. He’s really ruined the morning, maybe if he had just stayed in his room then this wouldn’t have happened.
Taehyung is slumped on the floor, at a loss. He had no idea how low Jungkook was feeling. Jungkook’s performances were always perfect and he still messed around with him in between recordings. He had had no idea that anything was even wrong in the first place. He was glad that Jungkook had found a group of people to talk to in their absence, but...Bangtan was really at fault for making the poor maknae feel like they were leaving him behind.
“What was that stage you said we had Hobi-hyung?” Taehyung asked. The others seemed surprised by the abrupt change of topic, Jin even looking disapproving as it seemed an inappropriate topic given Jungkook was currently having a minor breakdown.
“MBC’s time slip stage…” Hoseok met his eyes and understanding flickered in them as Taehyung gestured meaningfully to Jungkook. “...and I’m thinking a Jungkook solo stage is in order.”
“Motion seconded.” Yoongi says immediately, emerging from his mind where he was trying to find a way to put internet filters to block hateful comments.
“Yes! It will be perfect, Jungkook can do one of Rain sunbaenim’s songs!” Cries Taehyung, knowing how Jungkook basically already knows all of the dances as he loves him.
The words seem to finally slip into Jungkook’s ears and his head snaps up. “What? I could never- It’s a group stage- why-”
“I think it’s perfect.” Namjoon smiles up at him from where he had crouched down in front of him. “Jungkook, you have nothing to prove, except to yourself. You seem to have too much time on your hands and I know we’ll have two stages with MBC, so we'll still do a group one. We want to show you off.”
The tension in the room has completely dissipated by now. Jin stands up and pats Jungkook’s head. “We’ll talk more with the managers later but let’s go out for breakfast. I think everyone needs a bit of a break.”
Everyone seems to stir a bit, except Jungkook and Jimin. Jimin wraps his arms around Jungkook, whispering to him as Taehyung scoots over to sit in the empty seat that Jin just vacated. The maknae comforting session goes on as Hoseok and Namjoon murmur about what they should tell the managers and Jin accidentally nearly smashes Yoongi’s mug.
"Tell us more about the group chat. How's Yugyeom? Haven't seem him in..."
