Chapter 36 – Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

 

Somehow, on Saturday afternoon, everyone ended up at Suga’s house.

 

Since Suga couldn’t care less about tests, he had started his Saturday as he usually did, with a cup of coffee over his computer, playing with his music-making equipment. He was working on one new track he was especially proud of, and also trying to finish the one that he and V had recorded together.

 

In the late morning, Rapmon had shown up, wanting to show him some new lyrics, so he’d put his work aside to work on a new song together. Then they’d called in J-Hope to get in on the action, since they always needed to have their 3 rap parts on every BTS song, and in no time at all, they had penned-in a new masterpiece to add to their repertoire. Suga had them all record the rough version of their parts on his computer, and then left them to -around on his couch while he locked himself up into his “studio” again, playing producer.

 

The remaining two boys were sitting on the couch, chatting good-naturedly while the TV played in the background, when J-Hope got a mail on his phone and stopped paying attention. Rapmon stared at the other boy as he kept chatting back and forth with whoever it was that was on the other end with a curious expression. The dark-haired boy was grinning so much every time he got a reply that Rapmon soon became suspicious.

 

“Yah…. Who are you talking to that’s making you smile like that??” asked the blonde haired boy, “if I didn’t know any better I’d thought you’d gotten yourself a girl but…” he paused mid-sentence and Hoseok looked up and flashed him a huge smile.

 

“You didn’t…” whispered Rapmon, in total shock.

 

Hobi smiled even wider, his eyes turning to little slits.

 

“Jimin?”

 

The other boy nodded, grinning like an idiot, then returned his attention to his phone as it had just pinned again.

 

“Wow.” said Rapmon, stunned, more to himself than anything else since Hoseok had stopped paying attention.

 

“I really thought the kid was straight…”

 

Rapmon had been just thinking aloud but Hoseok answered without looking up from his phone, “He is” and Rapmon gave him a perplexed look so he added, with a little smirk, “Kinda.”

 

“He’s bi?”

 

“I guess that’s what they call it…”

 

“Huh…” muttered Rapmon, still stunned.

 

About a minute passed, as Hoseok texted away and Rapmon just sat there trying to digest what he’d just heard, when Hobi looked up again and asked “Hyung?”

 

Rapmon snapped out of it and answered “what?” suspiciously. Hobi never called him ‘hyung’.

 

“Do you mind if he comes over?”

 

“It’s not my house…” he replied, shrugging.

 

“You know what I mean…”

 

“Hey, as long as you guys don’t start making-out, I’m cool!” exclaimed Rapmon, raising his hands up as if in self-defense, earning him a flat look from Hoseok.

 

“We’ll try to contain ourselves…” replied the brown-haired boy, sarcastically, though Rapmon could tell he was really glad.

 

“Hey, kid,” he said, making his friend look up, “I’m happy for you.”

 

Hoseok looked up to find his friend giving him one of his rare, genuine smiles. He smiled back in answer.

 

 

Later, after Jimin had arrived and Rapmon had fallen asleep on the couch, the two brown-haired boys sat on the floor playing a racing game on an old PS2 that they’d unearthed from within the cabinet under Suga’s TV. They were laughing and arguing, as Hobi had accused Jimin of cheating, and Jimin’s laughter rang out like bells as he told him he was just a sore loser.

 

“Yah, you guys are so loud!” Suga’s voice rang out from behind them, and they both instantly shut up to turn and look at him.

 

“What’s he doing here, anyways?” snapped the short boy grumpily, gesturing at Jimin, who suddenly looked down.

 

“Aah… I asked him over?” answered Hoseok, as if stepping on eggshells, “I’m sorry hyung, I didn’t think you’d mind… we can go, if you want…”

 

“Aissh… aaah, no. Don’t mind me, I’m sorry I snapped at you…” replied the red-haired boy, scratching the back of his head and pulling his beanie off, “I’m just cranky cuz of this stupid song…” he sighed, “It’s just not turning out the way I want it to…”

 

“The one we just wrote the lyrics for?” asked J-Hope, putting his remote down.

 

“No, not that one, that one went great.” answered Suga, shaking his head, “The one I did with V… I dunno… maybe I should just stick to rap…”

 

“Don’t despair bro…” said Hoseok with a kind smile, before adding, “you’re Genius Min Suga, you’ll figure it out.” with a little wink.

 

The older boy laughed, “That I am…” he smirked, his mood lifted.

 

“Hyung, maybe, if you want, we could help?” Jimin, who had remained quiet, asked tentatively.

 

Suga turned to him, surprised, but then paused to think an shrugged. “Yeah. Why not? I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of ears listen to it.”

 

So they all trouped inside the tiny studio and Suga played the song for them.

 

“I think it sounds fine.” said J-Hope, with a pouty, perplexed expression.

 

“No… there’s something off…” complained Suga, “I can’t put my finger on it, it’s just…”

 

“Too low.” said Jimin, and the other two boys turned to look at him, making him suddenly embarrassed.

 

“Taetae’s voice. It’s very low. It’s pretty and all, but with the music you got going, it’s just too low. You need more variation. Like if you had another singer in there to mix it up, I think it would be good.” explained the younger boy, looking at the computer screen as he talked.

 

“Hmm……” said Suga, rubbing his chin as he thought, “I think you’re right.”

 

And Jimin looked up, smiling like a proud puppy.

 

“But who else am I gonna get to sing? We’re only rappers here…”

 

“Huh… I could do it if you like…” suggested Jimin, suddenly embarrassed again.

 

“Jiminie, you can sing?!” exclaimed Hoseok, shocked.

 

Jimin nodded shyly, “I used to sing in church as a kid… I mean, I’m not any good, but…”

 

 “Sing something” blurted Suga, interrupting his self-deprecating speech.

 

Jimin looked left and right at them both, and then, after clearing his throat, launched into the chorus of his current favorite R&B song. He only sang a few bars before Hobi tackled him, making him stop.

 

“Jiminiiiie!!!” squealed his boyfriend, hugging him fiercely, but Jimin quickly shoved him away, getting red and glancing at Suga as he muttered “Yah! What are you doing?!”

 

“Hmm…” said Suga again, unfazed by the sudden display of affection and embarrassment, “your voice is nice, but wouldn’t we be stuck with the same problem?”

 

“How so?” asked Hobi.

 

“Well, if V’s voice is too low, then you’re too high… we need someone who can do mid-range, I guess.” pondered Suga, before looking up at Hoseok expectantly.

 

“Heyyy, don’t look at me” said Hobi.

 

“And I’m completely tone-deaf.” added Suga.

 

“what about Rapmon?” asked Jimin, and both J-Hope and Suga let out the same exaggerated sarcastic laugh at exactly the same time, which gave him an answer to his question.

 

“Hmm… then how about Kookie?” suggested Jimin.

 

“He can sing?”

 

Jimin nodded, “He’s always singing along to whatever song he’s listening to on his iPod… It would be annoying as , if his voice wasn’t actually really pretty…”

 

“Ok, call him.” Said Suga, turning around. “And while you’re at it, call V too. We need to redo this.”

 

 

 

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. All three heads looked up, except for Rapmon’s, who was still fast asleep.

 

“That’s what your doorbell sounds like?” said J-Hope.

 

Suga kinda nodded and shrugged at the same time.

 

“Weird.” added the dark-haired boy.

 

“Why is it weird?” asked Jimin.

 

“Cuz nobody ever rings the doorbell” chuckled J-Hope.

 

The bell rang again.

 

“Well go on, go get it, they’re your friends” asked Suga, waving at the other two from the couch.

 

“It’s your house” retorted Hoseok, not wanting to get up and walk up the stairs either.

 

And while they were having a staring contest, Jimin just sighed and got up to go get the door. A few seconds later, he came back with Jungkook, V and Jin in tow.

 

“What’s he doing here?” asked Suga, gesturing at Jin lazily.

 

“Ah, we were hanging out together before so I brought him. Do you mind?” explained V.

 

Suga disregarded the question and asked the tall, broad-shouldered boy, “Can you sing?”

 

“Hum, I guess?” replied Jin, wondering why that was gonna be an issue.

 

“Good! You’re in!” exclaimed Suga, clapping his hands together, jumping off the couch and heading back to his work room.

 

Everyone turned to look at each other in confusion, but before anyone could say anything, Suga’s head popped back out and he barked, “come on!”

 

 

They spent hours working on the song, reworking everything, adding bits of rap in, and even Rapmon, after waking up from his nap, joined them too. They stopped to order chicken for everyone around 10pm, and kept on working right through the night. Everyone was so excited, they barely realized that time was going by so quickly. Eventually, most people ended up passing out in various places in the apartment, except for Suga, V and Rapmon, who stayed up til the wee hours of the morning, putting the finishing touches on their very first 7-members song.

 

“There.” said Suga, hitting the ‘save’ button for what he hopped was the last time. Then he hit play and let the other two have a listen. They both listened attentively – V with wide eyes and an excited smile, Rapmon bobbing his head to the music – and once it was over, Suga looked up at them with an eager expression.

 

“That’s it.” said V, nodding.

 

“It’s dope, man” added Rapmon, with a smirk.

 

“Alright!” exclaimed the red-haired boy, clapping his hands once and getting up, “I’m off to bed. You guys can just crash wherever.” And then he left so they followed him out.

 

Rapmon and V walked into the living room and saw that the main couch was already occupied by J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook, huddled together like a pile of sleeping kittens and chuckled. Jin was passed out on the reading chair in the corner, and there was only one smaller couch left.

 

“You can have it,” said Rapmonster, “I’ll just bunk with Suga.”

 

“Oh, ok. Thanks.” said V, finding the mood suddenly awkward now that it was just the two of them.

 

“Alright then. ‘night.” said Rapmon, but just as he was about to leave, V asked him, “hey Namjoon…”

 

Rapmon turned around an looked at V, “yes?”

 

“Aaah… Sookie… yesterday… was she acting weird?”

 

“Yesterday? What do you mean? I didn’t even see her yesterday.” replied the blonde boy.

 

“You didn’t?!” echoed V sounding surprised. “You guys didn’t have a study session?”

 

“Well we’ve been having them most nights this week, but generally we don’t on Friday… and Thursday she told me she was working with you…”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Why would she act weird?” asked Rapmon, suddenly remembering the question.

 

“Oh, no reason…” answered the younger boy, in a suspiciously dismissive way.

 

“… did she… tell you something?” asked the older boy, also awkwardly trying to sound offhand.

 

“ Uh… no…? Was there something she should have?” It was V’s turn to be suspicious.

 

“Nope. Nothing at all.” replied Namjoon, quickly. He turned to go and then stopped in his tracks again and turned his head towards Taehyung.

 

“Hey Tae… are you guys dating?”

 

V was surprised by the question so he took a while to answer.

 

“No.”

 

Namjoon nodded thoughtfully.

 

“Well, not yet.” added V, more confidently.

 

Namjoon looked up. “Not yet?”

 

V stared back at him, almost defiantly, and nodded.

 

“You like her.” he stated.

 

“I like her.” V nodded.

 

“I see…” said Namjoon, breaking off the eye contact. “Well, goodnight then, Tae.” he said, walking away towards the bedroom.

 

“And you?” asked V, a moment too late, but Rapmon was already too far to hear him.

 

 

But Rapmon did hear him.

 

“…and me?” he repeated aloud to himself, standing next to the bed in which Suga was sleeping like the dead. “How do I feel about our Insookie?”

 

He looked down at his phone and brought up the kkt window of his conversations with Insook. The message he’d sent her yesterday remained unread and unanswered and he sighed.

 

 “… I guess… I like her too….”