"Get off. This is my couch." Yoongi snapped as Maia curled herself into her jacket after finishing his make-up.

        "Doesn't have your name on it." Maia retorted as she closed her eyes, exhausted.

        "I'M the idol, so get off. I need my beauty sleep." he growled.

        "I already made you beautiful so you don't need it." Maia hummed as she teetered into slumber.

        Yoongi groaned and moved to the smaller couch, positioning himself to fall asleep as well. Both of them had stayed up past sunrise perfecting the guide song, leaving them both irritated and sleep deprived. Most of the members and staff members felt the tension between the two as they arrived backstage. There was an eerie silence as they both moved according to routine and no one dared to speak to either of them. Although most assumed they were in another fight, they both now had a mutually deeper understanding of each other's personalities. However, that didn't mean they were going to be any nicer to each other. As they both quickly fell asleep, the others wondered what had happened in the adjacent room.

        "Are they fighting again?" Hoseok whispered worriedly.

        "I'm not sure. I think Yoongi might've dragged her to the studio since he wasn't home this morning." Jin frowned.

        "That's terrible!" Jimin gasped. "He woke noona up for that? He could've just gone back to sleep."

        "Maybe we should separate them for a bit?" Taehyung suggested. "Let's go find an excuse to get Mai-mai out of there!"

        Jungkook smiled and nodded, "I'll go ask her to come over."

        "Go ahead. Yoongi hyung has a soft spot for the maknae." Rapmon chuckled.

        Jungkook shook his head and stepped out, creeping to his hyung's dressing room. He pressed his ear against the door, trying to read the situation inside. However, he was confused when he was met with silence. No yelling, arguing, or sassing. Curiously, he pushed the door open slightly to take a peek and was even more baffled when he found both Yoongi and Maia fast asleep peacefully.

        Furrowing his brow, he scratched the back of his head. Was there a truce? Or were they just so tired, they had no energy to communicate? He spotted Maia shiver a little so he walked over and changed the temperature of the room before leaving them be. He would talk to her whenever she woke up.

~

        Maia's alarm rang, signaling that their pre-recording time was close. They grumbled and groaned as they fought to get a few more minutes of precious rest, but the alarm continued to blare.

        "Shut that thing!" Yoongi hissed.

        Maia sat up groggily and turned off her alarm. "Shut up."

        "You shut up." Yoongi retorted.

        "I wasn't talking to you!" Maia snapped.

        Yoongi glared at her and sat up too, irritated.

        "Get back in the chair. I need to fix up your hair again." she yawned as she stretched.

        Obediently and still dazed, Yoongi lugged himself to the chair. A few minutes later, Jungkook entered the room to make sure they were awake and was surprised to find Yoongi scrolling through his phone quietly while getting his hair fixed.

        "Oh Kook-ah!" Maia grinned. "What's up?"

        Jungkook blushed. "I just--you guys were sleeping earlier so I wanted to make sure you were up."

        "Thanks. I appreciate it." Maia smiled then when Jungkook continued to stand there, she asked. "Did you need something?"

        "Ah..." Jungkook glanced over at his hyung who hadn't looked or seemed bothered that he was in his waiting room. "No...it's nothing."

        He was about to step out of the room against his will, but then his mouth spoke his thoughts out loud without his mind's permission.

        "Do you mind if I stay here?" he questioned, almost too hurriedly.

        Maia blinked at him then chuckled, "Yeah of course."

        "Tch." Yoongi finally made his first noise since Jungkook had stepped into the room.

        "Don't mind him." Maia encouraged. "He's just grumpy in general. Come on in."

        Jungkook bowed and placed himself on the couch timidly. He was curious about their relationship and their interaction. Was Yoongi still giving her a hard time? Or was she throwing him around?

        "Here Mr. Grumpy Pants." Maia dropped Yoongi's headphones onto his lap. "You left them behind. Is that why you're angry?"

        "If you had them, you should've just given them to me." he huffed as he plugged it into his phone.

        "A 'thank you' would be nice. I was considering leaving them there for a trainee to claim."

        "Hm." Yoongi hummed as he had already pressed the buds into his ears, drowning out unnecessary chatter and noise, and calming himself with music.

        Maia rolled her eyes as she finished fixing up his bangs and added another layer of powder on his face. Then she walked over to Jungkook who tensed up a little as he felt her presence beside him.

        "Wanted some peace and quiet?" she questioned.

        Jungkook smiled and nodded.

        Maia chuckled and proceeded to scroll through her phone to give them both the silence they craved. Internally though, Jungkook was panicking. Since the news of Taehyung claiming Maia's number, he had been pressuring himself to get it himself. But he didn't know how to do it without being awkward. He couldn't ask as smoothly as Jimin, and he couldn't play it off as innocently and nonchalantly as Taehyung and Jin. Rapmon and Hoseok had simply gotten it from Jin for emergencies but he didn't feel right doing that either. He wanted to get it from her himself, but it tormented him to figure out a method that wouldn't want to make him crawl into a hole.

        "Is it hot here?" Maia asked suddenly and he flinched, wondering if he had read her mind.

        "Huh?"

        "You're sweating a little." she glanced at him worriedly. "Let me turn it down."

        "Uhh yeah...thanks." Jungkook wiped his hands on his pants. Why was he getting so nervous anyway? It was just a stupid number.

        "Bathroom." Yoongi stated and walked out without a look back.

        Maia didn't even bother answering, knowing that he wouldn't hear her. Now that they were alone, Jungkook felt more pressure to ask her at that moment. It would've been unbearable if his hyung witnessed his attempt, although he knew Yoongi hyung was the least likely to rat him out.

        "Better?" Maia tilted her head, looking to him for reassurance.

        "Y-yeah." Jungkook blushed as she once again took a seat beside him.

        He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

        "H-hey Maia?" he started.

        Oh gosh. I started it. I'll have to go through with this now. What do I say?!

        "Hm?" Maia glanced over at him and he felt himself slide away a bit, so he wasn't overwhelmed by how close her gaze seemed.

        "I -umm...you know, if you ever need like...um help with dance or singing and stuff...." he stammered then hurriedly grabbed her phone from her hand, feeling his face warm immensely. "I'll give you my number!"

        Maia was a bit taken aback by his behavior but smiled after realizing what he was doing. "I can't thank you enough for those instruction videos already. Now you're offering to help me in person too?"

        Jungkook blushed as he inputted his number into her phone slowly. "J-just in case you need someone to watch your technique or something. I know it's hard to practice alone."

        "Thanks a lot. I owe you big time Jungkook." Maia grinned. "I'll take you out to eat when I get my first pay check!"

        Jungkook turned redder and became flustered, "N-no! Don't waste your first paycheck on me!"

        Maia laughed, "Well it's cause of you that I'm here in the first place. I wouldn't consider it a waste."

        "I-it's really okay." he shyly handed her phone back to her.

        "Would you feel better if it was my second paycheck then?" she nudged.

        "A bit." Jungkook smiled.

        "Then my second paycheck it is." Maia chuckled as she typed something into her phone.

        Suddenly, Jungkook's phone buzzed and he glanced at the new text message.

        "It's Mai :) Add my number too, if you ever need anything or just to chat! ^^"

        He grinned and found Maia already smiling at him happily.

        Mission success.

        He hadn't embarrassed himself. He had found, although hurried and spontaneous, a method that he felt was more of his style instead of pretending to be any of his hyungs'. Trying to stifle it in his face, he was ecstatic and proud of himself. The door creaked open in the midst of his self-praise monologue.

        "Yo Mai. I wet my sleeve cuff..." Yoongi walked in with a straight face.

        "Again? Seriously, Yoongi. Why can't you just roll up your sleeves properly?"

        "Because every time I it, I can't button it again!" he complained.

        Maia rolled her eyes and grabbed the hair dryer. "I'LL BUTTON IT. Just roll up your sleeves. I don't want your 'business' on your sleeves."

        "IT'S WATER YOU !" Yoongi retorted.

        "The hell would I know?" Maia clicked her tongue as he sat down with his arms outstretched, ready for her to dry it.

        Jungkook blinked, a bit stunned. Their interaction was the same...but it was different in a similar breath. What had changed? He couldn't quite put a finger on it.

        "MAI. GET THAT DRYER OUT OF MY FACE."

        "I'm cleansing you of your evil spirits, Yoongi. Just embrace it."

        Yoongi turned the dryer to her face in retaliation and she hurriedly turned it off, quickly fixing her hair.

        He scoffed, "No one's going to see you anyway. Just cause you got a few fan pictures taken."

        Maia glared at him, "You want me to draw a new mole on your face and have fans take a picture of that?"

        Yoongi grumbled and held his arm out. "Button this for me, slave."

        That's when it hit Jungkook as they watched them bicker.

        When did they start using their first names with each other? And what did that mean?

~

        Finally, their schedules died down with their last promotional stage completed. There was always a lull where they would go under the radar. While they were still practicing hard, they weren't as busy and as visible to the public eye. The members loved this time because they could come back and improve themselves, but also have a few days to reflect and relax.

        Luckily, the BTS dance practice room was in a different section of the building than where Maia would usually practice. Yoongi refused to move to another studio room since his was the closest to the actual recording studio. He enjoyed the short trip when he wanted to create a guide song himself. So as a result, the two of them were separate from the rest of the members during this lull period.

        Maia would put on her wireless headphones to connect them to the video, in hopes of not bringing attention to the dance practice room, and she continued to power through the videos Jungkook had given her. One day, she was practicing a choreography without the video, testing her memory and her ability to add her own flair to the piece when Jungkook stepped into the room cautiously. She flinched, afraid at being caught, but soon exhaled in relief.

        "Sorry." Jungkook mouthed. "Finish the routine."

        Maia smiled and caught onto where she was in the music. On the other hand, Jungkook watched her in awe. He had always caught sight of her from outside, but was never bold enough to come in while she was practicing. But he hadn't seen her in a few days, so he built up the courage to check up on her. Yoongi was making his way to grab Maia to ask her to try to sing another guide song for him when he heard the familiar squeaking of shoes on the dance floor. He furrowed his brow as he walked briskly to the practice room where he usually found Maia watching videos with her headphones in or jamming to music. His eyes widened when he found that she was the one dancing and well, at that. Remembering her story, no one had given her a chance to perform her dance at the audition, a little detail that flew over his head.

        "Wow." Yoongi heard another voice gasp, and for a second he wondered if it was him that had said it aloud. However, his eyes soon landed on Jungkook who was watching her perform in the same awe. Yoongi stepped back from the entranceway a little, not wanting to be spotted by his fellow band member, and also curious as to why he was there in the first place.

        Maia finished off with the ending pose and then hurriedly took off her headphones, out of breath. With a big smile on her face, she turned to the maknae.

        "Kook-ah! What're you doing here?"

        "Here." Jungkook handed her a water bottle. "I haven't seen you around so I figured you'd be practicing while we were."

        Maia gratefully accepted the beverage. "Yeah, I wanted to get in as much practice as I could before you guys get busy."

        "Are the videos helping?" he asked.

        "Very much." she smiled. "How'd you get them?"

        Jungkook just grinned shyly, not wanting to spill that he had to help out with training the trainees at his instructor's call. "You got that choreography pretty quick."

        Maia laughed, "I improved the floor work...that's going to take more time."

        "Floor work?"

        "Yeah, there were some break dancing moves in there as a 'challenge'."

        Jungkook chuckled. That seemed like something their dance instructor would do. "Need help?"

        "Don't you have to practice too?" Maia questioned.

        Jungkook shrugged. "I'm dancing anyway, so might as well do both. Teach you and brush up on my break dancing skills."

        She chuckled and nodded, "If you could, Teacher Jungkook."

        He grinned widely as she playfully bowed towards him. Yoongi continued to watch curiously as the two began dancing alongside each other excitedly. Jungkook had warmed up to her rather quickly and now even was going out of his way to check up on her. It puzzled Yoongi, but shrugged it off. She did have that personality that made people feel at ease. He shook his head to wipe those thoughts away and headed back to the recording studio to tape his own guide song instead. Smiling to himself, he stopped to listen to the sound of their obnoxious laughter and chatter before putting his headphones on to block extraneous noises out.

        Maia learned quickly and continually complimented Jungkook on his way of teaching, which encouraged him greatly. He became sillier with his explanations, using funny references and imagery to paint a picture of the technique. Then he would imitate Hoseok and the way he would make random sounds to symbolize the timing they were supposed to hit the moves. Both of them were in such a positive mood that they fed off each other's high and began making up the most ridiculous noises, forgetting that she had to keep a low profile. Soon, they were imitating animals as they went through the completed choreography. Both were out of breath, trying to keep their fits of laughter suppressed, but not doing a very good job. They ended up dancing and laughing hysterically like crazy people. Jungkook couldn't recall the last time he had laughed so hard. Of course he laughed a lot with his hyungs around, but never this intensely that his stomach hurt. It was as if giggling gave birth to more giggles and he couldn't even remember why either of them was laughing in the first place.

        It wasn't until Jin knocked that they realized they were being a little too loud. They both bit their lips to silence their fits of laughter. Jin glanced at them, trying to figure out what was happening.

        "You do know Min Yoongi is down the hall. What if he hears this racket?" Jin whispered.

        "He's fine. He can't hear anything with his noise cancellation headphones." Maia giggled.

        "Oh? And what happens if he doesn't have those noise cancellation headphones?"

        Jin and Jungkook froze as they heard Yoongi's voice behind them. There he was, smirking and leaning against the doorway leading into the dance studio.

        "I didn't know a zoo would be coming to perform tonight." he jeered.

        Maia rolled her eyes. "If a zoo was here, you'd be the first one they'd ask to perform."

        Jungkook and Jin snickered then hurriedly stopped when they saw Yoongi's glare.

        "I'm recording so turn it down, will ya?" he huffed.

        "Roger that." Maia saluted him freshly.

        Yoongi grumbled then stormed back into his recording studio while Maia exhaled.

        "Does he...know?" Jin was the first to ask.

        Maia turned and nodded. "Yeah, he knows the story now. Oh, and sorry about holding up Jungkook."

        Jin shook his head, smiling as he ruffled Jungkook's hair. "Not at all. This kid works too hard so he needs a break. I was just worried he went and passed out somewhere."  

        Jungkook pushed Jin's hand away shyly. He didn't want to be treated like a kid in front of her.

        "He was helping me out with a dance routine so I'm happy he stopped by and took a break." Maia grinned.

        "Anytime. I don't really mind helping out." Jungkook mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. "You're a fast learner anyway, unlike hyung over here."

        "Yah!" Jin nudged him. "My body's just naturally awkward! What am I supposed to do?"

        Maia laughed as the two began lightly bickering.

~

        It was finally their day off. Once in awhile, the company completely banned them from going into any of the studios and forced them to take a break. With too many of them having fainted from exhaustion in previous years despite the given breaks, the company began to strictly enforce that they take their days off seriously. Before the members used to use those days to practice but now they would be kicked out if they were caught inside the company.

        That's how Jungkook found himself walking around Hongdae pensively. He wanted to just sit and listen to music by the Han River, but he felt like he needed to go somewhere and just wander. So he successfully took a train there without anybody recognizing his disguise and simply walked around, listening to the night life and the music. Reminiscing and reflecting on his role in BTS, how far they had come, and how far they still needed to go, he got lost in his thoughts as his feet took him wherever he was covered by the crowds of people.

        His mind slowly took him to Maia, and how he felt sorry for how she ended up being stuck working for them instead of focusing on being an idol. Would he have done the same in her situation? Would he be able to? He loved performing and wouldn't trade where he was for anything in the world. He just wished he had a little more room to breathe. He had pursued his dream and gotten lucky at such a young age, but what had he missed because of that? Most people were envious of his lifestyle, but sometimes he wondered how it would feel to be normal and have a life without having to hide his face or wait until odd times of the day to step out of his dorm just to take a walk. He was a particularly introverted person so there were times where he wanted to shut out the world and just be completely alone. However, he didn't have a studio for refuge like his hyungs' did. He didn't have a roommate that was sleeping at the studio, leaving the room to be for himself, like Jin hyung did. The gym was his only solace but it wasn't relaxing and if his mind wandered too far, he could hurt himself when lifting. The dance studio was always preoccupied by Jimin or Hoseok even if the others weren't asking them for dancing advice. There was nowhere where he could just be alone.

        He smiled to himself as a light breeze lifted his hair along in its direction. Then he heard the familiar beat of a BTS song reverberating passed the crowd and followed the sound to its source. There were young males in the center of circle dancing to the choreography he had been brushing up on for their upcoming concert. They were energetic and their moves were crisp. The crowd was rewarding their efforts with their cheers, and Jungkook found himself watching proudly. It was still overwhelming to realize that he was one of the lucky ones that had been given a chance. There were so many undiscovered people who were far more talented yet he was chosen; he succeeded in making a name for himself. Everyone expected fame to get to their heads, especially with how quickly they became a beloved idol group, but he was grateful that all of his hyungs remained as humble and thankful as they were on the day of their debut. He was definitely one of the lucky ones and he couldn't stop thinking this every day, every time he performed on stage by their sides.

        "Jungkook-ssi?" a voice called out hesitantly.

        He froze and looked around. Without paying attention, he had walked into a less crowded street and there was a young girl in front of him.

        "It's you, right?" she grinned. "Oh my gosh! You're Jungkook from BTS! I love you!"

        "Oh..." he laughed nervously and bowed. "Thank you so much!"

        "Can I ...take a picture?"

        "Uhh...sure." he looked around. It was okay since they were pretty much alone.

        He took her phone and angled it so they were both in the frame. "Please don't upload this until later..."

        "Fighting! I love you! Thank you Oppa!" she gushed, talking over him.

        "Thank you so much!" he bowed deeply again as she hurried off excitedly.

        Cautiously, he pulled his hood over his head and made his way back to where the big crowds were. It was a matter of time before that picture was uploaded and people would try to find him. He needed to blend in as much as he could, but once he started hearing the hushed voices around him, he knew it was too late. Quickening his pace, he continued walking, hoping that the gossip would die down.

        "Oppa! Jungkook oppa!" a girl shrieked.

        "Where?"

        "Right there! I know it's definitely him!"

        "Let's hurry and catch him! He took a picture with someone! He's definitely here and that's the outfit he has on!"

        His strides grew larger and his heart began racing as he heard heavy and numerous footsteps behind him.

        "Oppa! We know it's you!"

        He turned around to see how many were behind him and he gasped to see a group of 7 to 8 girls scurrying aggressively towards his direction.

        "Oh shoot." he muttered then began sprinting.

        And soon, a chase began. He wasn't sure where he was going but he knew he was a bit frightened being alone and being chased. It was overwhelming and his flight response kicked in before he could think it through. Spotting a cafe, he rushed in and made his way to the men's bathroom. With heavy breaths, he locked himself in a stall and lifted his feet up to hide himself the best he could. He grabbed his phone and didn't know who to call. His hyungs couldn't come get him because they would cause even more of an uproar. He couldn't call Manager Sejin since he was with his family and it was super late at night. Then his heart quickened when he froze in front of Maia's name. Would she still be up?

        Taking a deep breath, he texted her.

Jungkook: Hey...are you awake?

        He sat there and waited anxiously for her reply. She was his last chance. After 5 minutes, he finally saw his phone light up with her name across the screen. He grinned in relief. 

Maia: Hey Kook-ah! Yeah, I'm awake still. How's your day off?
Jungkook: Umm well...about that... I kind of need your help...
Maia: What??! What happened? Are you okay? 
Jungkook: Well I'm in Hongdae...stuck in the bathroom of a Starbucks...
Maia: Kook-ah...if you turn the knob, the door will open :P
Jungkook: -_- not the time, Mai. I'm stuck in here because some fans found and chased me.
Maia: OMG! Are you okay??
Jungkook: Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't know what to do. Idk if they're outside or how I'm going to catch the train or a cab...
Maia: Turn on your location. I'll come find you.
Jungkook: But... I'm in Hongdae...
Maia: Yes, I'm aware lol. Just sit tight for about 15 minutes. I'll drive as fast as I can!
Maia: Whatever you do, DON'T MOVE. Got it?
Jungkook: Got it, Manager-nim ~

         He sat in the stall and played games quietly as he waited patiently for Maia to arrive. Maia drove hurriedly (and within the speed limit and traffic laws) while trying to formulate a plan of action. She had stuffed a bunch of oversized clothes into her purse, in hopes something would fit Jungkook. Praying that the fans weren't loitering or weren't thinking about following him into the bathroom, she continued to tap against the steering wheel impatiently.

        Jungkook sighed as his battery was draining quickly. That would just be the worst luck if that happened and Maia wasn't able to pinpoint his exact location. Suddenly, the door burst open and he heard the door lock from the inside.

        "Kook-ah!" he heard a whisper.

        He blushed as he peeked out of his stall.

        "Oh thank goodness." Maia breathed.

        "Mai." Jungkook called as relief washed over him.

        Maia smiled then handed an oversized sweater to him.

        "People probably recognize your outfit so pull this over it and put this cap on."

        Jungkook did so obediently.

        "Alright, let me make your face over."

        "What?"

        "You've never seen make-up that makes you look like someone else?" Maia giggled. "Trust me. I'll make it quick. We just have to make your profile and chin unrecognizable in passing."

        Jungkook squatted down as she sat on the ledge of the sink to meet halfway. He stared at himself, surprised. She had made his face a little thinner with bronzer and gave him a very convincing illusion of having facial hair.

        "How about you?"

        Maia grinned and put on a pair of thick framed lenses while she readjusted her hair that was hidden underneath her cap. "Don't worry. Let's not make this awkward."

        "What?"

        "Let me walk out first then just follow me naturally after two minutes, okay?"

        Jungkook nodded.

        Maia unlocked the door then pretended to have gone to the wrong bathroom, flustered. She briefly stood in the ladies' room then stepped out naturally. Luckily, it was late at night so not many people were frequenting the cafe. But she did spot a few of the fans still lurking about when she had parked her car.

        Exactly two minutes since she left, Jungkook stepped out nervously.

        "You ready?" Maia clung onto his arm lovingly.

        He nodded, realizing her plan to act like a couple but it didn't make him any less flustered. His heart thumped against his chest, not knowing whether it was from their closeness or from the fact that they could both be in danger of being spotted by fans. 

        "It's such a nice day to take a stroll, huh?" Maia continued to ramble as they made their way out of the cafe without problems. She tightened her grip as they turned to the parking lot. A few of the fan girls passed by them as they complained amongst each other. Jungkook felt himself tense up at almost being caught. Maia tapped his arm comfortingly.

        "My plan always works." she grinned happily. "Do you doubt me?"

        Jungkook chuckled.

        "I brought my actual car so we don't need to worry." Maia took out her keys and unlocked her car, gesturing for him to get in.

        Jungkook finally let his body relax once he felt anxiety of being danger had diminished. "Thank you so much."

        "You did well, Kook-ah." she smiled proudly.

        He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry I ruined your day off."

        "Nonsense." Maia waved her hand. "The day isn't over yet."

        Jungkook glanced over at her.

        "Since we're in perfect disguises, wanna go to an arcade?" she grinned.

        "There's one open this late?"

        "Yeah, it'll be our secret. Seungri oppa and Daesung oppa used to take me with them. It also became a YG trainee rite of passage." she explained.

        "Will it be okay if we go?"

        "They're used to having celebrities there, so we'll be okay even if someone recognizes you." she started the engine. "Call?"

        Jungkook's smile widened. He didn't really want to go home just yet.

        "Call."

~

        They spent a few hours just being kids in the late night arcade. There were no cameras, no watchful eyes, no pressure to be entertaining, and no need to be cautious about being obnoxious or misbehaving. Jungkook felt like he could act his age freely without constraints or worries in the first time in awhile.

        Maia dropped him off at the dorm and he found himself sprawled on his bed, grinning like an idiot as he recollected the events of his chaotic day off. It was a rollercoaster. He had started it with a heavy heart but now he felt as if that entire weight had been lifted off of him. Maia had saved him, treated him as a friend, and most of all, had given him two places of refuge -- a place only he knew about where he could just be himself and a person who he could just be himself with. He covered his eyes with his arms as he exhaled. What was he going to do?

            Maia was a precious person to him. 

A/N: Hey everyone :) I wanted to give Jungkook some more love too ~ so I wrote this whole chapter for him ^^ lots of fluff and romcom events coming your way with the next few chapters and I'm thinking of giving each member or pairs of members some time to shine too haha so stay tuned !! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and hope you're enjoying it so far :D