Chanyeol sat exhausted on the large couch with Tao, Chen, Baekhyun, Sehun, Suho and Xiumin sprawled in the living room. They flipped through the channels trying to find anyway to relax after such a hard day of practice. Tao rubbed his ankle from the pain, watching the screen for something remotely interesting, all that had once seemed bright was hesitantly feeling quite dull. Abruptly, Chanyeol's finger froze over the button as Jae's face filled the screen. The room instantly went silent. Chen and Baek stopped play fighting and gawked. Sehun sat up straight and Suho cleared his throat. Xiumin rubbed his eyes as if he were dreaming.

            Yixing and Kyungsoo halted in their tracks as they entered the room with bowls of popcorn. She smiled into the camera, and suddenly the sadness hit them. "It's great to have all of you here again. Seriously, you three have to be one of my favorite groups. The camera zeroed in on each pretty face, ending with a breathtaking Jae. That smile, so genuine it made everyone else grin stupidly along with her.

            Kyungsoo set the bowls down and came closer to the television. It'd been awhile since he'd seen her. She looked different and the same all together. Her long hair was cut, now about a foot shorter. She looked paler as the haircut had made her hair look shades darker. His throat instantly felt dry, as what he’d lost became blatantly obvious. That beautiful smile, those high cheekbones and perfect, red lips. "Your Korean has improved quite a lot since I last heard you speak, now I can hardly tell you’re not Korean," the host complimented Jae.

             "Thank you." She slightly bowed and beamed. “I practice a lot.”

            The host went on to rave how pleased he still was that SM had formed the group of skilled women from all over the world. He was completely overjoyed with their ability to sing, dance, and act without necessarily being a group as they did their own solo work.

            Chanyeol could taste his heart in his throat as he watched Jae talk, smiling like he remembered. Tao forced the tears down as her voice warmed his ears. Kai, the last one out of the practice room, walked in just as she laughed. She shook her head, her dark brown hair brushing against her shoulder. She continually seemed to appear more beautiful as they set their eyes on her. She explained that she had shed that bad girl image he’d pointed out in the first interview, that she was inherently too friendly to actually have that stick.

            The realization that they hadn't stopped missing her began to smother all ten.

            Dae reaffirmed that statement, admitting she was overjoyed to have her as an older sister. "It's impossible not to like her," Dae admitted.

            "Is that so," the host prompted with a smile. "You were one of the first from several companies to intermingle with another company after debuting. And from what I've heard, the boys you've worked with have managed to only praise you."

            Her cheeks filled with color. Kai's heart melted, nearing the screen. "Ah, they're much too kind. Thank you."

            The grin on the host's face widened. "So who is your favorite?"

            Jae's mouth gaped. “I’m sorry?” The EXO members leaned in closer, curious and afraid to hear the answer. She had been so important to them and now everything was ruined. There was their goddess, better than ever, without them. The look of panic was clear on her face, knowing he was asking her to choose BTS or EXO. "I really respect both of them. They are truly talented and outstandingly sweet."

            "No, no," he laughed. "Who's your favorite to work with? The EXO music video was incredible and just by the small teaser clip of Jimin and you dancing, Bangtan’s music video isn’t going to be anything less than that either."

            The boys could feel the tension in the air, they shifted in discomfort as she remained silent. She swallowed, her eyes slowly trailing to the camera and back to the host. "Hmm..." She laughed nervously, almost naturally trying to divert the question. “Ah, the teaser? I filmed it and it still shocked me. Jimin is an amazing dancer,” she sighed. Another chuckle escaped her. “He’s very beautiful as well.” Her diversion began to work as the host lifted his brow in intrigue. She waved her arms quickly. “No, no, no! Although they are my sunbaes and we’re a year apart, he’s like a younger brother.” She bit her lip. “At least Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook. The rest are my age or a bit older. I care for them all the same,” she found herself babbling. "Bangtan is simply awesome," Jae breathed, the camera almost catching the glint in her eyes. Kyungsoo harshly clashed shoulders with Kai as he silently left the room.

            "Turn it off," Kai ordered with clenched teeth.

            Tao's heart broke as he listened to her explanation. "They are very sweet guys. They treat me like a queen, despite me constantly telling them not to." She smirked. "They are really funny and always seem to brighten my day."

            Watching Jae's face light up like that, made Baek stand up suddenly. He covered his ears. "I can't hear this." He stormed out of the room, missing just how much he could make her smile.

      "They are so down to earth and truly care about one another." Her petite hand brushed her hair back. "I really do--" Kai shut the television off. The rest of the members stared in shock as the words settled in.

            "Don't act so surprised," Tao hissed at him. "It's not like you had nothing to do with this." He too left the room in fury. Jongin’s brow furrowed, fighting everything in himself not to scream out that it wasn’t his fault. After all, it had been Kyungsoo to betray their trust. A trust that had been difficult for him to gain back the last few weeks.

            "Zitao," Suho called to him in distress, sensing the barrier he’d built with all of them the last month. In reality, Suho had every right to worry, because Tao had been having some darker thoughts since his “break”. 

*     *     *

            Had the men continued watching, they would have realized just how much Jae missed them too, despite herself. Through the nerves, she continued her explanation. "They are so down to earth and truly care about one another. I really do enjoy the time I spend with them." She cleared , her eyes coming in contact with the camera again. "But EXO will always have a special place in my heart. I am incredibly lucky to have met them and had them be my first," she finished timidly.

            “Ah you had to say that huh, Noona? As to not start a fan war,” Jungkook added with a nod, reassuring himself without her reply. “Always so smart.”

            Jae cackled and shoved Jungkook, the rest of the boys laughing along with her. So she had more than had a hard time keeping things professional. Within two days the group had torn down the walls she had so assertively placed. With their genuine love for one another and constant goofiness, she couldn’t resist. She’d fallen in love with all of them in no time. She hated it, but they were too amazing in every way to resist. “Yeah sure punk!”

            “Nooooonnnaaaa,” Jimin cooed, her blood running cold. She knew what was to come. “You really think I’m beautiful?” Another fit of laughter broke out in the group. Jimin placed his small hands beneath his chin as he gave her a variety of angles to look at his gorgeous face as his eyelashes batted wildly.

            “I regretted it as soon as I said it.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I panicked and said something I shouldn’t have.”

            “Obviously, because we all know I’m the visual of the group,” Jin nearly scoffed. He gave Jae the full power of his mouth gaping good looks and winked, shortly after blowing a kiss to the group.

            Jae’s face pulled into disgust swiftly, breaking out of his spell. “Oppa please!” The rest groaned as well. “I told you, doing that only makes me laugh. You look so much prettier when you just stay still.” The boys quickly applauded, laughing harder than she expected. That was another thing about Bangtan, it was never a quiet moment, they were like her hype men. No matter what she said, they were quick to react.

            Yoongi sighed, wiping some tears from his eyes from laughing too hard. “I love that you do that Jae-ah.” Her warm eyes met his. Quite honestly, he loved anything she did. He had to swiftly shake the thought away as he reminded himself that those thoughts weren’t appropriate for someone who was already in a relationship. “Jin hyung deserves to be put down a peg,” he clarified.

            “Of course,” she replied, getting on her feet. “Well I should be going before Taein oppa checks in on me.”

            Namjoon shot to his feet. “I’ll walk you out.” She shook her head, not wanting to be a nuisance. “It’s no problem,” he insisted as he grabbed her black coat.

            The room went silent as the door closed behind them. “I’m sort of rooting for them,” Jungkook finally spoke up. He gained all of his older brothers’ stares. “Come on, hyungs, are you telling me you don’t feel the connection between them?”

            “It’s hard to notice it, when I’m too be busy noticing mine and noona’s,” Jimin sighed. He gained smacks and hisses from the members. Jimin’s cheeks filled with color, puffing his chest in frustration. “She said I was beautiful!”

            “It’s called deflection,” Hoseok argued.

            “Defl—“ Jungkook attempted to repeat in confusion.

            “She tried to stir the conversation from EXO,” Seokjin explained. “Jungkook, shouldn’t you be studying?” Seokjin’s mother like attitude only seemed to amuse Jungkook. They had all spent too much time together to elicit true fear. Uneasiness to comfort, awkwardness to happiness, strangers to brothers.

            Jungkook laughed. “Sure hyung, let me just go crack a book open,” he teased. Taehyung shoved him. “International playboy, remember?”

            “Yeah, only Namjoon supports you with that,” Yoongi responded bitterly, his eyes distractedly gazing at the closed door.

            “But to answer your question, I do see it,” Taehyung added. “I see the way hyung looks at her. I mean I don’t blame him, but wow, I even melt at the gazes he gives her sometimes.” Yoongi’s eyes darted to Tae, his heart feeling tighter somehow. “And she laughs at his jokes too often. Come on, hyung is not that funny. I also have to wonder what they’re saying in English all of the time.” They went quiet once more as Namjoon stepped back into the dorm, going into the kitchen.

            Yoongi stood up, following him into the kitchen as the rest quickly changed the subject. “She leave okay,” Yoongi began. Namjoon nodded as he drank a cup of water. In many ways, Yoongi was closest to Namjoon. They had a similar passion for music. They worked together in ways that the others hadn’t. Yoongi had to admit that if Namjoon was happy so was he and if he was sad, he felt it deep inside too. “It’s nice having her around, huh,” Yoongi attempted.

            Namjoon lightly chuckled. “Don’t let Jae hear you say that. She might think you’re some kind of jerk.” Yoongi’s eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement. “You know with you having a Bora and everything.”

            “Bora? She knows about Bora?”

            “Yeah, I let it slip to her a while ago. I didn’t think you’d find it a big deal, hyung.”

            Yoongi half smiled. “Slip?” There was also no denying that Namjoon was one of the smartest people he’d ever met. Though he was clumsy and disastrous physically, there were very little to no times that he ever said anything unintentionally. The paled faced young man poured himself his own glass of water. “Yeah, well I’ve been reevaluating our relationship lately. She’s great, but things aren’t the same anymore.” Namjoon gulped, placing his cup on the counter. “If I’m having feelings for someone else, isn’t obvious that something is not right?”

            “Maybe it’s a fluke.”

            “You know I don’t believe in coincidental occurrences like that.”

*     *     *

            Namjoon placed his coat over her shoulders when he spotted a shiver rack through her frame. She grinned and slightly bowed in gratitude. Their eyes met and she couldn't help exploding into another fit of laughter. His embarrassing story of a previous performance had her chuckling and cringing with him. She’d always heard of wardrobe malfunctions, but having your shirt rip off had to be mortifying. “Thank you for walking me home, you really didn’t have to.”

            “Of course, I wasn’t about to let you walk alone at midnight.” Truthfully, Namjoon would walk Jae home in utter daylight, perhaps even hail or a blizzard. Anything to spend time with her. To hear her voice, see her laugh, feel her warmth beside him.

            Jae’s eyes lingered on Namjoon’s soft expression. She loved all seven of the boys. The entire situation almost feeling like déjà vu. Though they were different. They were a lot more devil may care about their image, which could be great, but also had some negative repercussions. Nonetheless, she enjoyed every single moment she spent with them, they'd turned her life from pure misery into constant adventures and laughs. She was feeling alive for the first time in a long time. The key players in chipping away her walls were Namjoon and Yoongi. Namjoon taking her breath away with his leadership, his passion, and his utter clumsiness. God and there was the way he looked at her... Yoongi, his tough exterior only making others miss his incredible kindness, his spontaneity, and his loyalty. He drove her mad sometimes, mostly because he read her unlike anyone before...

            Namjoon stared at her prominent cheeks as she beamed. He too only had wonderful things to say about Jae. He adored her very being. He loved the way she fought the muscle head maknae Jungkook, the way she cooked and scarfed down food with Seokjin, the way she joked and laughed uncontrollably with Hoseok, the way she understood and acted like a complete weirdo with Taehyung, the way she put Jimin's dancing and iness to the test, and the way she made Yoongi smile and care like never before.

            When their laughs settled, she linked her arm around his. A chill ran up his spine. Perhaps because she'd been raised in a different culture, or maybe because she was simply her, she didn't have that irrational, almost annoying shyness other girls did. He loved it.  "So you don't freeze to death," she explained. Dimples appeared on his cheeks as he released a smile. Her Korean had improved so much and thanks to her his English had too.

       He nodded with a chuckle. He looked away, only to look at her again. "You have an eyelash on your cheek," he informed. Namjoon watched in amusement as her hands searched cluelessly on her face. He paused their walk in the cold night. "I've got it." As soon as his hand came in contact with her soft skin, he lost himself in her. His fingers reflexively caressed her cheek.

            She released slow breaths as she looked into those strong, intense eyes. She was so afraid. Afraid of what the lightheadedness meant. His fingertips slowly trailed to her lips, his thumb against her rosy bottom lip. "Namjoon," she whispered.

            "Yes," he responded, now closer and out of breath. She could feel his warm whispers against her face. A flutter in her stomach made it all the more real. She wasn’t ready to move on, to forget the pain of being left behind. She wasn’t ready to trust.

            "Are you going to kiss me?"

            He bit his plump bottom lip, his gaze locked on hers. "I want to," he replied sincerely. His head was swimming with her stare and her scent. She truly was beautiful and bright and kind. God, she was everything.

            Her chest quickly rose and fell. "Please," she breathed. Her heart wasn't completely healed, and she didn't know if she could take losing him too. Any of them. "Don't break my heart," she finished.

            A soft and sincere smile appeared on his lips. His fingers continued to make tender circles on her cheek. Every time she spoke of EXO, he had noticed there was pain behind her words. One of them, perhaps more, had caused her heartache. It oddly made him mad, he wished to protect her and only see her smiling. Always. "I won't hurt you," he promised. His long fingers trailed to the back of her neck as he pulled her closer. Jae’s legs nearly gave out when his full lips engulfed hers, had it not been for him holding her by her waist, she would have sworn she would have fallen. There was no going back. He was in her heart and getting him out was seeming all the more impossible.