Hongdae was always busy this time of year. Jeongguk drew his coat tighter around him, blocking himself from the sharp winds that sliced through his woolen coat. It had probably been a bad idea to not wear a mask, he thought, but he shook his head, playing with the black bangs that hung over his forehead. He didn’t care that much.

 

He sighed, keeping his head down slightly as he walked, his feet shuffling slightly as he wandered the streets. The last few months had been crazy, and being in the dorm with the rest of the members was stressing him out. He was overwhelmed and so he ran. And now here he was, strolling the streets of Hongdae like a normal Korean citizen, like his whole life hadn’t been turned upside down all those years ago by accepting the audition for Big Hit.

 

Jeongguk jumped when he felt a small tap on his shoulder, and he whirled, eyes wide and breath coming out quickly. The shorter girl squeaked, hand recoiling.

 

“Ah-ah oppa. I’m sorry-“ She stammered out, and Jeongguk shook his head slightly, a soft smile settling over his features.

 

“That’s alright. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He says gently, and the girl smiles broadly, slowly puling her phone out of her pocket. It’s pink, he muses, with a small charm hanging from the headphone jack, which makes him giggle a bit. It reminds him of Jin hyung.

 

“O-oppa if its not too much… can I have a selca with you?” She asks meekly, eyes wide and hands poised to put the phone away. Jeongguk hesitates, which makes her start to move.

 

“Only if you make me look cute, okay?” She gasps happily and moves to stand by him. She’s much shorter, like Jimin hyung, he laughs inwardly, crouching down to get into the camera’s view, smiling widely for the camera.

 

A few more fans come to him like this, a few more selcas. The company is probably going to be angry with him for going out on his own, without another member or a manager, but Jeongguk doesn’t care. He gets a sense of validation from being recognized. It’s proof that their fame isn’t fleeting.

 

A street performance catches his eye, the strong beat of his own group’s song hammering through his chest. He stops to watch, and his shoulders droop a bit with exhaustion. They’re good, he thinks, nodding along to the beat. Another fan squeaks, and he whips his head to look at her, covering his lips with a finger. He doesn’t want to draw too much attention, and definitely doesn’t want to distract from the street performers. They deserve all the attention, and all the money too.

 

Jeongguk drops a bit of money into the hat in front of them, knowing that at least one of them would recognize his face, and realize how highly he thought of them.

 

Hongdae is busy this time of year, and the winds are high and piercing, but the fans lift his spirits.

 

He can’t spend too much time out, knows that the members will begin to get worried about him, and that they will have to take time out of their schedules to look for him if he takes too long, so Jeongguk begins the trek back to the dorm.

 

“Wait, Jungkook oppa!” He hears a feminine voice call out. He turns to face another ARMY, her face bright with happiness that he had stopped. There must have been some sort of emotion apparent on his face, because her eyebrows furrow, and the hand that holds her slim phone, hides it back into her pocket, ceasing to take photos.

 

“Jungkookie, why are you out here by yourself? Are you alright?” He smiles softly, bobbing his head a few times.

 

“I just wanted to take a break and organize my thoughts, that’s all.” He lets the words slip out easily, before turning back to head to the dorm.

 

Hongdae was always busy this time of year, but Jeongguk didn’t mind.