It was morning and Saerom laid asleep, all curled up in one corner of the bed. She sighed deeply and turned over, the dim morning light peeked through the curtains and shone on her closed eyelids. The faint sounds of birds chirping in the distance slowly woke her up. Then came the sound of, “JEON JUNGKOOK! COME HERE AND EAT YOUR BREAKFAST! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS HOUSE UNLESS YOU EAT!” Seokjin’s voice bellowed from the kitchen below. That sure woke Saerom up, she cracked her eyes open and sat up to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“I'M NOT A ING CHILD! I DON’T GET HUNGRY IN THE MORNING, SO I WON’T EAT!” Jungkook retorted. She could hear his stomping footsteps fading away and then the garage door open. She went over to the window and peeked through the curtains in time to see the boy roll out of the driveway in a black pick up truck and speed down the street.

Saerom giggled a little and shook her head. Seokjin and Jungkook had the same argument almost every morning, with the younger refusing to eat breakfast. A door further up the hallway slammed open and Saerom could hear the sound of bear feet slapping angrily against the tiled floor towards the stairs, then the furious voice of Yoongi, “DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO ING LOUD IN THE MORNING?!” Saerom saw him walk passed her room looking super tired with his minty locks in a mess. She could hear him curse under his breath as he went into the bathroom with a slam of the door.

She was about to giggle again when she suddenly remembered what transpired last night. She remembered how upset Yoongi had gotten when Namjoon had told her to join Bangtan. She shook her head to rid herself of the image of an angry Yoongi and went over to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit for the day. After she changed, she made sure Yoongi had left the bathroom before she went in to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Saerom went downstairs to find Namjoon seated at the dining table with Hoseok who was sipping on a mug of coffee.

“Good morning~” chimed Hoseok.

“Morning J-Hope, Rap Monster.” Saerom greeted both men.

Namjoon simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and stood up to come stand in front of her, “So, what is your answer?”

Saerom looked down at the floor, she suddenly felt nervous. Her ring flashed yellow. She would have liked more time to think things over, but she knew there was no stalling the leader. If he wanted his answer right then and there, he was going to get it. Once she gave her answer, there would be no going back. She would have to put up with whatever consequences her decision brought, and that scared her. Could she really do this? She finally looked Namjoon in the eye, the older male waited patiently, as if he already knew her answer, and judging by the way Hoseok remained calm, Saerom guessed that Namjoon had told the rest of the members about his proposal.

"I-I..." she stuttered. She was beginning to doubt her choice. She was scared of what could happen if she happened to choose the wrong path. 

Come on, Saerom! She mentally scolded herself. The only chance to change yourself appears right in front of you and you're hesitating. She huffed out a breath in frustration and balled her fists at her sides. 

Namjoon raised an eyebrow as he watched Saerom fight with herself internally.

"I-I will join..." she whispered. 

Namjoon had clearly heard her, despite how quietly she had said it, but wanted to hear her say it with more vigour, like she truly meant it. “Pardon?”

Saerom looked up at Namjoon and he was surprised to see fire in her eyes despite how dim it seemed to him, because other times when he looked at her, her eyes were dull and empty, now they had a slight glint. He felt proud of himself about the fact that he could spark change in her.

“I said, I will join!” Saerom spoke louder and more confidently.

Namjoon smiled and was about to open his mouth to speak when he was interrupted, “What the actual .” the usually tired-sounding voice sounded almost furious. The words came out of his mouth as more of a statement than an actual question. Yoongi was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his mint-coloured hair was still a little damp from his morning shower and his eyes reflected no emotion. 

“Suga hyung.” Namjoon turned towards the older male, “Good morni-“

“To hell with your ‘good morning’, Rapmon!” cursed Yoongi, “Are you not aware of just how ing dangerous this is?!” he stormed over to his leader and stood so close that their chests almost touched.

Saerom could only stare at the two males as they glared into each others’ eyes. Meanwhile Hoseok had abandoned what was left of his coffee as he was on edge, at the ready in case the two got into a fight.

“With all due respect, hyung, I think Saerom would have thought about what she was going to put herself through before giving me a final answer.” Namjoon began, he glanced over at Saerom and she nodded her head. Yoongi looked at her as well and when their eyes met, she immediately averted her gaze elsewhere. Yoongi huffed out a frustrated sigh and ran a pale hand through his hair.

“Did she really?” Questioned Yoongi, “Does she really know what your plan is?” 

Saerom looked at the fuming male with wide eyes. Why was he getting so upset about her joining? She could only stare at him and think that this was probably proof that he actually hated her like she thought. 

Yoongi continued to speak, “Do you think she knows that you’re going to send her back to that hell that made her suffer and make an attempt on her own life?!”

Namjoon stood quietly, he didn’t even say a word as he let his hyung continue to rant, while Saerom looked back and forth between Yoongi and Namjoom with shock written all over her face. "Seems to me that you not only want to ruin my work of calming down her anxiety and saving her life with V last night, but you also want to cross that line and morbidly endanger us all!" Yoongi was huffing at the end of his speech, his eyes never left Namjoon's while he spoke. "I know you're our leader, but as your hyung I cannot agree to this."

What..? He wants to send me back? Back to that hell..? Saerom gulped with fear as her ring turned brown. She shook her head slightly, and balled her fists. No! Remember what the ultimate goal is! I need to do this... In order to change for the better... 

Namjoon stared back at Yoongi with hard eyes, "Saerom, would you still work with us to achieve our mutual goal and change your life for the better? Even if it puts your life in danger?" 

Saerom looked towards Namjoon and spoke with her fists still balled, "Y-yes." Yoongi turned to face her with a mix of shock and anger on his face. 

"You must be ing joking!" He barked. "It's too dangerous! If this is the path you want to go down, then we should have just let you die last night. This is suicide!" he jabbed a finger towards Saerom and she flinched at his words. They were indeed very harsh, but she knew he was trying to get her to see just how life threatening her decision could be. She could feel her eyes watering, she didn't want to let her tears spill, so she mustered all her strength to push them back.

Saerom suddenly let out a sarcastic chuckle, her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears, "Suicide, you say?"

The two arguing men looked at her while Hoseok watched cautiously from behind. "If it's a suicide mission then I've got this covered. You think last night was my first attempt?" she let out another chuckle, only this time it sounded much sadder, "When it comes to suicide, I'm not afraid." She paused for a moment and sighed, "Even if it costs me my life, I want to get rid of Got7. I cannot let them do what they did to me, to other people. I am willing to take the chance to change myself." 

Namjoon smirked and faced Yoongi, "You see, hyung? She has a resolve now, a reason to fight." Namjoon knew he had won this round. If Saerom was willing, then Yoongi couldn't force her to not go through with it. His hyung could and yell all he wanted, but at the end of the day, it was Saerom who made the decision and Namjoon who made the calls.

Yoongi huffed angrily and groaned as he roughly shook his hair out with both of his hands, "This isn't just about her either! What about our safety?!" He inched closer a little and their chests touched. This caused Hoseok to step closer to the other two males.

"We are trained and have years of experience to back that up." Namjoon simply stated, "We know how to take care of ourselves. I will make sure that everyone will be safe."

Yoongi scoffed, "Yeah, okay. Whatever. I still think this is a bad idea." He backed away from Namjoon a little bit.

"It's the only way, hyung..." Namjoon stated. 

Yoongi scoffed again and turned to walk away, "Are you definitely sure about this?" the question was for Saerom, but he didn't face her. 

Saerom looked at the mint-haired man and nodded, "Yes, definitely sure."

He put both hands in the pockets of his jeans and spoke once more in a solemn tone, "Just don't waste the life we saved last night." He walked away and back up the stairs. 

Hoseok could finally relax after his hyung left. He had been very worried the two would start fighting and he would have to break it up. 

Namjoon's shoulders relaxed also. He too, had been on edge when arguing with Yoongi. He sighed in relief and turned towards Saerom, "Eat breakfast. Then your punishment begins." he smiled sadistically at Saerom and she shrank back. Hoseok let out a little giggle at the leader's words and the reaction he got from Saerom..

She timidly walked into the kitchen and fixed herself a bowl of cereal, then sat at the table with Hoseok to eat it. As she did so, Hoseok returned to his coffee and drank the last of it before Namjoon spoke once more.

"Your punishment also doubles as preparation for your new life as a gang member. Once that's done, you will be initiated into our family." with that said, Namjoon left for his office.

Saerom heard soft giggling coming from beside her. She looked to her side to see someone standing there, then looked up at the person's face and saw Hoseok's grinning face. Although he was the type who was almost always cheery and smiled, the smile he had on his face at that moment was totally different to the one she was used to seeing. It was a very sadistic smile and it made Saerom gulp down the last of her cereal in fear.

"You done eating, Saerom?" he asked in a casual tone.

Saerom timidly nodded her head, millions of thoughts about what could be her punishment running through her mind. Hoseok placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

"Come, let's go." he said quietly, his grin never leaving his face. 

Saerom got up and quickly washed her bowl and spoon in the kitchen sink before she followed Hoseok. He took her to a part of the house she hadn't really been to before. They went down a set of stairs into a basement. It was very dark went Hoseok opened the door at the bottom of the stairs so Saerom had a very hard time seeing where she was. 

Hoseok flicked a switch on the wall and Saerom was temporality blinded by the bright lights. Once her eye sight adjusted, she could see that she was in a large gym. Dumbbells lined the wall to her left, all of different size and weight, a couple treadmills were located in the back corner and other workout equipment lined the wall to her right. There was another door at the back of the room which Saerom assumed lead to a change room and showers. In the middle of the room, however, was a large gym mat. 

Hoseok walked to the mat and stood in the middle. He motioned for Saerom to come over with a sly smile. Saerom walked over to him, still not sure what he had in store for her and came to stand in front of him. 

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he spoke, "Right! This is where your punishment begins!" He let out a laugh, "Go into the change room at the back and change into some workout gear. It's all there waiting for you." he gestured with his thumb towards the door at the back of the room. 

Saerom nodded her head and made her way to the change room. She felt kind of nervous, she had never been to a gym before. Saerom was never much of a fitness-lover. Once she got to the change room, she instantly saw a small pile of folded clothes next to a white folded towel and a box on top of the while vanity. She picked up the first item of clothing in her hands and it unfolded itself; it was a black and grey crop top. The next item was a pair of matching bike shorts. Inside the box was a pair of black sports shoes. Saerom sighed and went to close the door before she got changed. 

Hoseok was still standing in the same spot when she came out of the change room, all dressed in her workout clothes. He looked over at her and smiled. 

"Ready?" he chimed.

"I guess..." Saerom said with a small voice. 

Hoseok giggled, "I am going to train you up. Make you strong!" he then sat on the ground with his legs spread out. "But before that, we need to warm up."

Saerom followed Hoseok's lead and they stretched their muscles. 

"The key to being a good fighter isn't just strength, you also need to be quite flexible." Hoseok informed as he stood up