“How about having Bangtan Sonyeondan on the show?”

Upon hearing the suggestion, a distant memory found its way into Mindy’s mind. She flushed slightly though unnoticeably as she recalled how comfortable she had felt talking to Jungkook and Jimin that night. The fact that two very popular celebrities had been talking to her had not registered until now and she felt her inner voice beginning to berate her for being slow. She pushed back the embarrassment and focused on the situation at hand.

“Ah, Bangtan?” Shin Dong Yup chimed in.

He was in the building for another filming and had decided to pop by their meeting. Mindy had always encouraged him to provide inputs for she believed that his experience in the industry would be very useful.

“I know their CEO, Bang Shi Hyuk, I think I can pull some strings,” he commented.

“But what should our topic be though?” the assistant PD began.

“I know that they are rising stars but apart from that…” he trailed off.

“If it’s Bangtan then it has to be about their lyrics,” Mindy said firmly.

The crew remained silent, waiting for Mindy to go on.

“Personal struggles, the meaning of youth, what is the most beautiful moment in life…We can tie all of it in to the album that they have just released. It will be great publicity for them and at the same time it will give us great material,” Mindy articulated her thoughts aloud.

“Let’s give it a shot,” she concluded.

No one in the crew objected to the idea and the meeting swiftly reached its end.

“Shin sunbae-nim, thank you for offering to help us get Bangtan on the show,” Mindy bowed after the rest of the crew had left.

“It just so happens that Hitman Bang owes me a favor and I know that you will make it a great episode. I don’t give empty promises but I also don’t give them out to just anyone. I have a reputation to uphold you know,” he smiled.

Mindy bowed deeply, understanding the weight of his words. It is a ‘make or break’ situation. Having popular idols on the show would mean an increase in viewership but it also meant that their show would receive a lot of attention. First impressions are very important in this industry because your first time may very well be your only opportunity and Mindy was determined that she was going to make this work. However, good results only come with hard work.

“I will go with you to see Bang CEO,” Mindy responded professionally.

Grey clouds floating aimlessly in a sea of blue above the tall buildings, trees, and numerous cars that flashed by. There was not much to see in downtown Seoul, especially if you were always in a car. Jung Kook was looking out the car window, with his earphones in place. He had the volume on high in an attempt to block out Namjoon’s snoring and Taehyung’s slight sleep-talking but there was nothing he could do about Hoseok’s arm which was comfortably thrown across his chest. That hyung always needed a lot of space when he slept. They were in the middle of their ‘Fire’ promotions and everyone was exhausted from the hectic schedule. It was the same old lifestyle – expanding your energy for the camera and the fans while konking out in the car. Everything was the same but Jung Kook was different. He felt that something was out of place. He had been strangely unsettled for a while now. Tori Kelly’s ‘Dear No One’ was playing through his earphones and he found comfort in her voice.

“I like being independent…I like being by myself…”

Recently the song had struck a chord with him.

“But sometimes, I just want somebody to hold. Someone to give me the jacket when it’s cold. Got that young love even when we’re old…”

Deep down inside, Jung Kook knew that it was all because of that night. Perhaps it was a bad idea to have approached Mindy because now he feels like he wants more. Everything had felt right at that time, if he had asked for her number he was pretty sure she would have given it to him. But he had stopped himself. He could not let himself indulge for fear that things would get too complicated. Yet, Jung Kook also knew that he would continue feeling unsettled even if he had not approached Mindy that night. There was no way out of this emptiness with the truth staring at him in the face:

He is very attracted to her.

Jimin peeped an eye open. He had been sound asleep with his head lying comfortably on Hoseok’s shoulder until a sudden volume increase in Namjoon’s snoring had awoken him. He looked around the car and noticed that Jung Kook was the only one awake. He knew what the younger man was thinking. Jung Kook had been distracted for a while now. Jimin did not expect that just one conversation would have caused him to be so attached to her. Well, matters of the heart can be unpredictable. All of them had been through it at some point in their career. It was not so much as truly finding the one but the fact that we all get lonely and spending most of your time around men did not help. But their dreams were bigger than all that and they all came through in the end. With the absence of contact and a busy schedule, Jimin was sure that Jung Kook would be able to get over it soon.

The boys quietly filed into an empty meeting room.

They were awake but the lethargy was strong. Unlike their usual energetic selves, they rested quietly. Jin had his cap pulled down, blocking the light of the room out as he closed his eyes and settled into the chair. Namjoon was reading something off his phone. Taehyung was staring into space. Hoseok was checking the clock every other second with a small frown on his lips. Yoongi had a slight scowl on his face because he was tired and nothing was happening. Jimin, however, decided to spend his time bothering the maknae. He pushed his chair right beside the young man’s and with his arms wrapped around Jung Kook (like a koala around a tree), he propped his head on Jung Kook’s shoulder. Time and again he would blow into Jung Kook’s ear to annoy him. Jung Kook would try to move away from the disturbance but Jimin’s grip was strong so all he could do was laugh at how ticklish it felt and squirm like a worm.

Jimin knew that Jung Kook needed the distraction.

All of a sudden, a loud bang was heard and the door was slammed open. The members got themselves together quickly, in a professional manner. A young lady trotted forward in her heels, her ponytail swinging left to right, as a few people, including Shin Dong Yup, followed her from behind. She exuded confidence as she placed her files on the table and looked at every single one of them.

“Good afternoon everyone. I am Production Director Song. I apologize for being late for this prep session but I hope that we would not let this affect our cooperation,” Mindy said firmly before she took her seat at the head of the table.

Jung Kook gaped at her, like a deer caught in headlights. He could not believe his eyes. Jimin threw a worried glance at Jung Kook. He knew that things were going to get troublesome. Through some weird twist of fate, Mindy was here. Yoongi, who was sitting opposite them, watched their expressions inquisitively.

“No worries, we understand that the crew must be busy. Let’s say our greetings,” Namjoon said and all the members stood up.

“Bang-Tan. Annyeonghaseyo, we are Bangtan Sonyeondan!” the group said brightly.

Mindy listened in awe at the standard greeting she was used to hearing on television. The members then proceeded to introduce themselves one by one to the crew. When it came to Jung Kook, he directed his gaze at Mindy and gave her a little grin. She smiled back. The action did not go unnoticed by the other boys.

“Ok, we don’t have much time. Let’s get straight down to business,” Mindy began.

“Our program is very new and we are engaging with ideas that have never been used before. I would need your full attention for this prep session and your utmost effort during the filming later,” she stated.

“But it shouldn’t be that hard because I know you guys work hard,” she added with a smile to lighten up the atmosphere.

“Bang PD had already given us a rough introduction as to what we have to do, it does sound challenging but I assure you that we will give our best,” Namjoon responded politely.

“He was so excited about having us on this show that he could not stop talking about it,” Hoseok piped in pleasantly.

“Thank you,” Mindy smiled sincerely.

“But before we go into the details of the program, I just want to remind everyone of something,” she began in a serious tone.

“This is not a variety show. Our aim here is not to make the audience laugh and feel entertained.”

Putting her hand over her heart, she continued with a softer voice,

“We are trying to target the viewers’ hearts. The messages that you guys try to convey through your songs, the reason why you embarked on this journey of music-making - I really hope that you will be able to express them through today’s filming.”

The boys were impressed. Though the crew had come in late, they were very efficient. It was clear that what was driving the team was Mindy’s leadership. Though she was young, it was evident why she was given such an important role in the crew. The theme for today was on the ‘the most beautiful moment in life’, the discussion topics would range from what the boys are trying to convey through their songs, anecdotes from their lives and what music means to them. Instead of having a discussion panel consisting of members of the public, the episode was structured in a question and answer manner. The boys were given the list of questions that would be asked during the prep session so that they could ponder and really think through their answers beforehand. Mindy had decided that there would be less risk of controversy and arguments if there were no members of public involved directly in the discussion.

Jung Kook took a sip of water from a bottle placed on the surface of his cubicle to calm his nerves. It was weird just thinking about it - being on camera and yet not having to focus on being fun. It was even stranger because instead of being surrounded by loud and energetic boys on the set, there was a thoughtful atmosphere. He was nervous, expressing himself through words was never his forte and it did not help that there was someone he wanted to impress on the set. His eyes absentmindedly searched the area around the camera crew. He was trying to find Mindy but it seemed like she was not present. The filming crew did their last minute checks before the empty spot at the podium next to Shin sunbae was taken. Jongdae thought that it was a little weird that the emcee was even later than the guests.

“Jung Kookie!” Jimin called from the cubicle above.

He looked up to see Jimin bending forward, urging him to come closer.

“Are you okay?” Jimin asked concernedly.

“Wow, it’s the first time I have to raise my head just to talk to you hyung,” Jung Kook deadpanned.

Jimin made a face.

“Stop it, I’m being serious,’’ the older man replied.

Jung Kook chuckled at how easy it was to annoy Jimin.

After he