Yoongi took Seung Hee home that morning, after a breakfast of omelets. Seokjin and Hoseok had arrived early that morning, exhausted, so that meant that the fans had finally left. For one crazy moment, Seung Hee wondered whether Ha Na was among them, but didn't dwell on that and everyone ate together – except for Jungkook, who was missing.

"He'll be back soon," said Namjoon evasively, when she asked where Jungkook was.

It had not escaped Namjoon's notice that Yoongi had suddenly crept off in the middle of the night. He knew it was not coincidence that Seung Hee and Yoongi had appeared for breakfast together.

Jungkook had seen them together – and had childishly run off. Aish, things were complicated enough without Jungkook acting this way.

Seung Hee spent that Saturday studying and watching TV. Mrs Min called, but Seung Hee didn't answer – she just didn't want to talk to her. What if Mrs Min talked about her mother?

She kept her phone near her just in case Yoongi called, and every once in a while she tried to reach Jungkook. When at last he picked up, she cried, “Jungkook! Where were you?”

"Sorry,” he said, and he sounded subdued. “I… I had a sudden meeting – for an ad, you know.”

"I was so worried! You just left like that, and no one knew where you were!”

"Wow,” he said, and he seemed slightly perked up now. “I should go missing a lot now, if that's the only way to make you think about me.”
“I think about you all the time.”

"Really?”

"Of course. You're my friend.”

He sighed. “Friend… Is Yoongi hyung your friend, too?”

Seung Hee couldn't answer right away – what was Yoongi to her? A guardian, a legal husband... a friend? He could be quite sweet at times. It was at those times that she felt confused and hoped that she had become someone important to him – those times when her heart skipped a beat...

"Seung Hee?” asked Jungkook uncertainly.

"Yeah?”
“Let's go see a movie tonight.”

"I have to ask-”

"No you don't! I'll pick you up at five and you'll be home before nine.”

"Still...”

"You'll just bother him, you know. He's busy enough.”

"He told me to ask him-"
"Do you really think he cares?"

"He does! He cares-”
“How do you know?” he cut in. “Has he ever told you?"
“Not exactly...” said Seung Hee, but it was obvious Yoongi cared about her - maybe not a lot, but a little.

"Min Yoongi is not who you think he is,” said Jungkook. “He knows how to lie very well. He's been wearing a mask for years now, and it became a part of who he really is.”

“Jungkook, it's his way of protecting himself. And he's changed so much… things between us are much better now.”

There was a brief silence.

"Has he ever told you anything about himself?" asked Jungkook at last. "About why he couldn't debut in SM? Has he ever even mentioned his sister?"

"He has," said Seung Hee defensively - ok, just once, but still.

"You don't know Min Yoongi," he said. "Why do you stay with him? Do you like him?"

Seung Hee's heart began to beat painfully. "N-no."

"Good, because if you do, you will only get hurt. You know that his career is the most important thing to him, right? If you ever get exposed, he'll put you out there and somehow save himself."
Seung Hee tried not to let his words creep into her - he was lying, he had to be. Yoongi was not like that...

But a tiny thread of doubt wriggled into her heart. Jungkook had no reason to lie to her...

"He wouldn't," she whispered. "Yoongi... is not that kind of person."
"I didn't want to tell you this," said Jungkook slowly. "But you seem to have some illusions about Yoongi."

"Please-"

"Do you remember those scandals last year?" asked Jungkook. "With the models? He denied it, but it was true. He seduces, then throws away. He likes to toy with people - and now he's toying with you..."

No… Namjoon had said Yoongi was pretending – except why would you pretend to be a playboy? Especially an idol… it would be horrible for his image.

"Why would he toy with me?” she whispered.

"That's just something he does – he enjoys messing with peoples' heads.”
No… everything Yoongi had done with her came from sincerity. He wasn't toying with her...

"He makes you believe that he is sincere,” said Jungkook.

"Why are you saying all this?" Seung  Hee demanded. "He's your brother, you guys are family!"

"That's why I know all about him! I just don't want you to get hurt-”
“I believe in Yoongi,” said Seung Hee, starting to cry but tried not to let Jungkook hear. “He'll tell me everything when he's ready.”
There was another moment of silence.

Jungkook laughed nervously. "Gosh, what happened? We used to never be like this..."

"You used to never speak about him like this before!" she retorted.

"Seung Hee, I'm sorry..."

"Apologize to Yoongi, not me!"

"Can we get along like before?" asked Jungkook. Seung Hee couldn't bear the sadness in his voice. "Please... I really miss you..."
She missed him, too. She missed that bright smile...
 

"I have to tell you something tonight,” he said. “And it's not about Yoongi. It's about me.”

 

“What is it?” she asked.

"I'll tell you tonight. We are still meeting, right? You're not mad at me, are you?”

Seung Hee sighed. “Just don't talk about him like that again, ok?”
“Ok! See you tonight then!”

They hung up, and she spent the next three hours debating over whether she should go or not.

She liked Jungkook, he was a good friend. Yet something about him had changed. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but he was different and not in a good way. And he didn't want her to ask Yoongi if they could spend time together, but that was probably because he knew that Yoongi would say no. And in spite of knowing all this, she was still going to go with Jungkook to the movies.

She knew he would say no, but she was still going.

Wasn't that a betrayal to Yoongi?

* * * *

 

 

Namjoon gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep out the voices in his head. But they were always there – always telling him to not let the other members know that he was going through a hard time, to keep trying harder –because  no matter how hard he tried, it was never enough. And he could never let anyone know.

"You're the leader," the agency told him. "The others all look up to you. If you're feeling down, they'll feel down, too. You have to be strong enough for all of them."

But couldn't he put down the weight sometimes? Couldn't he put the heavy load of carrying six people on his shoulders down for a minute? He wanted comfort, too. He wasn't as strong as everyone thought he was. He wanted someone to listen to him, and comfort him...

He stopped at a red light, looking out at the brightly lit streets, and he thought he recognized someone – a girl, Seung Hee's friend. She was walking with her head down, occasionally looking behind her as though someone was following her.

Namjoon pulled over, and rolled down the window. “Need a lift?”

Her eyes widened – yep, it was the kid's friend – and she started jumping up and down.

"Hey, calm down," he said, but smiled. “Get in.”

She didn't need telling twice. She scrambled in and he drove off after setting her address into the GPS.

He noticed that she suddenly became very quiet, and when he looked at her she quickly looked away.

"You're Ha Na, right?” he asked.

fell open. “How did you know?”

"I have a good memory.”

She smiled, and as he drove he noticed that she was staring at him. Finally, he asked, “What is it? Do I have something on my face?”

"You look better without makeup,” she said, and the unexpected compliment made him amused.

"Really?” he asked, and laughed.

"You really do – and I should know.”

"Why should you know?”

"You're my bias in BTS.”

"What about among all idols?”

"Um… B.I.”

"But last time you told me it was Suho!”

"That was before.”

"Was I ever your ultimate bias?”

She nodded. “Yes, once. I can't keep an ultimate bias, you know. I just love everyone.”

"I see," he said. For some reason, the more he talked to her, the more interested he was becoming in this girl – she was intriguing.

And she took his mind off things. Somehow, he didn't feel so alone anymore...

Her phone rang, and when looked at the caller ID she put the phone away.

"Not answering?” he asked.

She shook her head. “It's a call that I don't have to answer.”

"Who is it?” asked Namjoon, knowing that he was getting too nosy. “Your boyfriend?”

The shift in her expression told him that he was right. And that made him even more curious.

"Are you two fighting?”

"Not exactly...”

"Then?”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Why are you so interested?”

"I'm interested in everything about you.”

Silence. Ha Na's heart began to thump - he was looking at her with such genuine concern, and she found herself saying, “I want to break up with him, but at the same time, I don't want to hurt him.”

"So you're avoiding his calls?”

"Actually, I'm hoping that he'll get bored and break up with me first.”

"How long have you been together?”
“A month, I guess.”

"Just one month and you want to break up?”

"Honestly, I got bored. And I feel burdened, you know? He still likes me. I thought that I liked him… but it was just an obsession.”

Namjoon tried to say something to comfort her. “That happens when it's your first relationship. This is your first, right?”

She didn't answer.

"Well, is this your first?”

Her reply was barely a whisper. “Fifth, in fact.”

"Fifth?” he repeated. “But you're just eighteen!”

"I know.”

Namjoon was flabbergasted. Never, ever, had he expected Ha Na to be so, well, experienced.

"Were they all one-month relationships?” he asked.

She didn't look at him when she said, “Pretty much. I don't mean to… but I always end up doing it – breaking up, I mean.”

Ha Na seemed ashamed, and Namjoon quickly said, “It's ok, don't worry. You just haven't met the right guy yet.”

"I guess so.” She gave a little laugh that did not fool Namjoon one bit.

"Why are we only talking about me?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Because there was no time to talk about anything else,” he replied.  “Because we just reached your house.”

"Aish, I'm such an idiot! I get a chance to talk to Rap Monster, my bias – no, he actually gives me a ride home - and all I talk about is myself.”

"That's all right.”

"No, it isn't! I must have bored you to death, and there’s so much I wanted to ask you.”

There was so much he wanted to ask her, too.

“Give me your number and I'll call you,” he said. “Then you ask me all those questions.”

"Seriously?”

"Yeah, so give me your phone.”

He dialed his own number on her phone and saved it.

"There,” he said. “I want to ask you some questions, too.”

"Me? But I'm-”

"-very interesting,” finished Namjoon. “You know better than to tell anyone about this, right?”

“Of course!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I promise to keep this secret, oppa.”
“I'll call you soon, ok?”

"Thank you so much!” she squealed, and got out. Namjoon watched her disappear, after turning around a lot to wave, into her house before starting to make his way back to the dorm.

She really was interesting, and a bit mysterious, too. At first, he had thought that she was a cheerful and confident person, but tonight he had spotted cracks that gave him a glimpse of an entirely different person, hiding behind a mask.

She was lonely, too.

Just like him...

* * * *

 

Jungkook arrived right on time. He gave Seung Hee his dazzling smile, and it lit up the whole room. She was glad he had come, after all, because she had really missed him.

It was just like old times when they went to watch a movie and he treated her to popcorn and ice-cream. Half-way through the movie, though, he tried to take her hand. She was startled, but let him. 

It made her think of Yoongi, and how different holding his hand was. With Yoongi, every touch made her heart race yet comfort her. With Jungkook… it wasn't bad, but it made her nervous.

But why was Jungkook suddenly holding her hand?

They went for dinner at a Chinese restaurant after the movie ended. And Jungkook did it again - the atmosphere, and the conversation, which had been so comfortable, slowly began to stifle her.

 It started when, out of the blue, Jungkook said, “Why am I just a friend to you?”

Seung Hee swallowed her noodles hurriedly. “What?”

"You say that I'm a friend – after all I've done, after all we've done. How can you say that?"
"But you are my friend," she said, a little confused. "You're one of my closeset friends."
 

Jungkook took something silver out of his pocket. Seung Hee did not even feel a bit curious – only uneasy.

Jungkook stood up and went to stand next to her. He opened his palm, and a silver necklace with a star pendant dangled down.

It was beautiful. The star seemed to wink in the light.

But Seung Hee did not notice it – she wanted to run away.

"It's funny, isn't it?” said Jungkook. “Even in the darkness, we can still see the stars. The darker it is, the brighter they shine. And they're always there when we need them.”
“Jungkook-”
“I want to be a star to you, Seung Hee.”
Seung Hee wished she had never come here – this sounded so bad…. She didn't want to hurt him.

And then he said it. The words fell like blows on Seung Hee's ears, and she knew that nothing would be the same any more – because she had just lost one of the best friends she ever had.

"I like you, Seung Hee.”