chapter moodboard made by me exclusively for this story *:.✧｡* pls don't steal

Namjoon was convinced. As of September 2017, just days before they were to film their live comeback show, the dorm and its inhabitants were in anarchy. He made mental notes on the interactions (or lack, thereof) between the usually boisterous maknae line whenever they had dance practice. He especially took notes whenever a camera wasn't rolling or whenever they were confined in a space such as their dorm which prohibited any one else other than the staff (whom the boys consider being as close to as family) to enter. It was in these venues did he notice that the three maknae line members uncharacteristically kept to themselves when the outside world wasn't watching. Jungkook was quietly slinking off to a different room, where a staff member would take almost half an hour trying to locate him. Or, when they didn't have schedules, he would be away from the dorm all day, even coming home later than the guys who had their own studios outside of the household. As for Jimin, who was usually one of the only members who had the natural proclivity to avoid conflict, he appeared to be in some sort of discord with Taehyung. His contempt towards the other boy was at first thought to be his usual playful self, but when there were moments that seemed uncalled for or even unprovoked, Namjoon concluded otherwise. And Taehyung – well, he couldn't possibly begin to fully expound what was going on with the poor boy.

As of September 2017, days before the world got a glimpse of their new music, the Bangtan dorm and its inhabitants were in anarchy. And Namjoon was convinced.

The de facto leader of the group walked into the living room where he found Yoongi scrolling through his phone. 

“Ah, just the man I needed to see,” he said as he moved to sit next to Yoongi. The other man merely grunted without moving aside to let Namjoon fit comfortably on the couch with him. Namjoon fidgeted a little, trying to situate himself snugly between Yoongi and the other end of the couch, but failed and resorted to just sit with his arms and legs pressed together in an awkward position. Yoongi remained eyes glued to his phone, oblivious to Namjoon's position.

"Whatcha doing?" Namjoon asked him. He looked over at Yoongi’s phone and noticed he was watching some YouTube video of another idol group. 

"Nothing," Yoongi muttered, not looking up from the video.

Namjoon waited for the video to end before he spoke again. "So, it has come to my attention – "

"Oh, god," Yoongi groaned, leaning back into the couch. "Are you here to talk about my personal life again? Listen, I told you before, I don't want to talk about my break up –"

"What? No? No, no, no," Namjoon said quickly. "I'm not here to talk about your break up – which, by the way, what the ? You didn't tell me you broke up with Hye Kyo. You guys were practically married. You just broke up like that? And when? Why am I only finding this out now? Are you okay –"

"Namjoon," Yoongi interjected. "Change the subject. Please."

"Oh, right," Namjoon said, snapping back to reality. He rubbed the back of his neck tensely. "It has come to my attention that the kids are quarreling again. And it's obviously not good for the morale of the team especially if we're about to debut our new music in a couple of weeks. Our unity has to be rock-solid. Now, we need to think. We need to come up with some plan. How do we get out of this mess."

Yoongi stared at nothing in particular. "We don't," he deadpanned. "We just make a bigger mess that cancels this one out."

Namjoon threw a hand to his forehead and shook it in utter dismay. "Why do I even bother asking you for assistance?"

"Yes," Yoongi said plainly. "Why do you?"

"Well, it looks like Jin-hyung is of no help since he seems to side with Taehyung whenever I bring it up, and Hoseok... well, I don't know where he is half the time –"

"He's working on his solo mixtape remember?"

"Oh, right," Namjoon replied, nodding. "So yeah, you're the only one that seems to have a sane perspective on everything."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"To be honest," Namjoon sighed. "I don't even know what the kids are fighting about anyway. Actually, we know Taehyung is pretty hung up on that Min Jung girl. But why is Jungkook and Jimin the way that they are right now?"

"I'm not sure about Jimin, but Jungkook actually has some deep-rooted feelings about Min Jung," Yoongi said simply, as if he didn't just disclose a pretty critical point.

"What?"

Yoongi shrugged languidly. "He dated Min Jung before, but is currently experiencing some selective amnesia about that time."

Namjoon gave Yoongi a look that displayed his confusion. Yoongi sighed. "Jungkook doesn't remember dating her, but his memories of her were triggered when he ran into her the night Taehyung made a fool of himself and the boys had to drag him back home. Apparently, that's when he vaguely remembered dating her and then breaking up with her before we debuted."

"So, what? Is he jealous of Taehyung or something?"

"No, he says he isn't attracted to her or anything like that, nor is he jealous of Taehyung," Yoongi explained. "I suggested that maybe he had some external feelings about the situation of which Min Jung may have been present but not necessarily a part..."

"I still don't follow."

"Remember that time before our debut, Jungkook was absent for about a month?"

Namjoon nodded slowly, trying to cling to every word Yoongi was now saying. 

“Well, that could have been related to his break up with Min Jung. Management wouldn’t tell us where he went but they made it sound like it was some kind of medical issue," Yoongi explained. 

“Like a bad kind of issue?”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “What kind of medical issue can be considered a good kind?”

“You’re right, you're right,” Namjoon replied, raising his hands in resignation. "So what does Min Jung have to do with any of this?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but like I said, she could be indirectly involved at the very least. Maybe even just happened to date him at the same time he was going through some pretty deep – maybe even dark – . Right person, wrong time."

"Right person, wrong time," Namjoon muttered to himself, absorbing all that Yoongi had expounded. "If Min Jung and Taehyung aren't his issue, then why is he such a to Taehyung?"

Yoongi shrugged. "Maybe because Taehyung is annoying."

Namjoon punched Yoongi in the arm. Yoongi chuckled, but was serious again, "He's probably just reminded of his past when he thinks of Min Jung, who ultimately came into his life because of Taehyung. It's really all just some unconsumed feeling that Jungkook needs to tackle within himself."

There was a long