- 5 word count: 1216; warnings: physical/verbal abuse 

Now that I’m a semi-permanent part of Big Hit, I travel to their studio for practice rather than the boys coming to me. The dance rooms are large, with gleaming floors and bright lights that scream new. The group is comfortable in their own studio, J-Hope happy to welcome me each day when we begin.

As the seven warm up that tuesday, my phone rings loudly. “Sorry!” I yelp. “I forgot to turn my ringer off.” Hurrying over, I see that Rae-kyo is calling. He gets very angry when I ignore his calls, so I quickly answer. “Hey, sorry, I’m practicing with the boys. Can I call you back?” His answer begins with a sigh. “Sure. Have fun with the...boys.” Jealousy paints his tone, but I ignore it. He’s a man, he can handle it.

“Who was that Ri-nim?” Jin teases as I return. “Do you have an oppa now?” My cheeks go red, a reaction I’ve never been able to master. “Sort of. We’ve been dating for a month or so- you’ve seen him. He was in the studio before you finished the last routine.” Taehyung laughs. “We told you he was checking you out!”

Namjoon and Suga look at each other silently.

I urge the band to finish warming up so we can get started. The sounds of heavy breathing swirl around the room as we increase the pace, and by the end of our practice the mirrors are starting to get misty from the heat and sweat. “That’s good for today,” I pant. When I’ve cleaned up I bid them goodbye and head into the quiet evening, my hand already reaching for my phone to call back Rae-kyo before he gets too impatient.

Despite my best efforts, my boyfriend is incurably annoyed. “You keep making excuses!” he spits that night when I meet him at his apartment. “You say you’re too busy practicing to be with me- if you don’t want to see me just admit it.” My face screws up as I become frustrated. “No, that’s not true, I’m not avoiding you. The boys have a lot of routines and I-” He cuts me off with a sneer. “Oh right, the boys. Is that what it is? You just love to be with a bunch of young idols? Or are you hoping their fame will rub off on you?”

Anger makes my eyes blaze, my lips curling in a snarl. “That’s what you think? Enough! I’m not going to stand here and let you insult me.” I turn to leave, but his fingers grip my arm hard enough to leave a bruise.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me.”

I look down at his hand with wide eyes, but he yanks me closer before I can pull it off. “You wouldn’t be nearly as successful without me,” he is hissing. “You’ve had twice as many clients since I recommended you to my boss. Big Hit is nothing compared to me.”

I pull my arm in an attempt to free myself. “Rae-kyo, let go! You’re hurting me!” I insist, at last being set free as his fingers slip from my forearm. “Just leave,” he growls. “You can come back when you remember who’s helped you more.”

At the following practice session, the circles beneath my eyes are as dark as the bruises on my wrist. I’ve been up all night worrying, trying to figure out what I did to make Rae-kyo so angry. Yoongi is the first to notice the purple marks peeking out from beneath my long sleeves- it’s much too hot to be wearing sleeves anyway.

“Ri,” he says firmly, dropping any honorific in his urgence. “What is that mark?”

Self-consciously, I tug my sleeves down. “It’s nothing,” I murmur. “I just hurt my wrist, that’s all.” The look in his eyes tells me he doesn’t believe a word; the four oldest are all looking at each other worriedly. The maknae line is too busy joking around in the corner to hear the exchange, a fact for which I am grateful. Suga speaks up again, locking eyes with me to make sure I’m listening.

“You should be careful. You’re too important to us to get hurt.”

Rae-kyo texts me a few nights later, saying he wants to see me. “Come to my place,” I reply. “We should talk…”

I’m not expecting him to be drunk when he arrives, but he is. I’m not expecting him to slam the front door, or lock the bedroom door, but he does. “Rae, what are you doing?” I ask, standing in surprise.

“What am I doing?” he repeats gruffly. “What, I’m not allowed to come into my girlfriend’s room? Are you hiding something?” I step forward, holding up my hands peacefully.

“Rae, you’re drunk. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you some water. We can talk when you’re sober.”

He lunges forward, his fingers struggling to find purchase on the hem of my tank top. “I’m perfectly fine,” he snarls. “I want to talk right now.”

He is pushing me onto my bed, his hands sliding up my thighs and past the edges of my pajama shorts while his mouth presses against mine. “Rae-kyo!” I gasp. “Stop this, you aren’t thinking straight!” He laughs too loudly, peeling off his jacket and shirt.

“I know what I’m doing, Ri.” His left hand grips my jaw, forcing me to hold still so he can kiss me again. My body wriggles, trying to slip away, but his other hand is tight on my hip. “Please-” I urge. “-don’t.” Anger lights up his expression, and he pushes me back so roughly that I nearly fall from the bed.

“Shut up!” he yells. “You don’t get to decide! I am the man here! I am the one who gets to touch you, not anyone else.” He is moving towards me again, pulling me near to him with his hands yanking my dark hair. “Tell me Ri, how many men have you had in here while I was away? Did you share with all of Bangtan at once?” I let out a strangled cry, tears pricking in my eyes when strands of my hair are ripped free between his fingers, which once tucked tresses gently behind my ear.

“Let go of me,” I sob, pushing against his bare chest with weak hands. It’s harder to fight back when the person who hurts you is the person you care for. It’s harder to believe that someone can hate you when he always swears he loves you. When Rae-kyo finally tosses me off of the bed, I’m too hurt and shocked to get up from my fetal position on the floor. I hear a clatter as he reaches for something, anything, to throw. His eyes have locked on a glass of water by my bed; I hear the glass shattering against my legs a moment before pain spreads like fire across my skin.

As a scream chokes its way free from my lips, Rae-kyo groans. “You should have just listened to me, Ri. You’ve done this to yourself.” It’s all I can do to shriek “Get out!” and at last I hear him gather his things and unlock my door, leaving just as swiftly as he arrived.

A/N: The scenes with RaeKyo were inspired by the music vid for Tablo's "Bad" you should check it out