For the next few days, Jungkook forced himself to abandon the isolation of his room. He had hated hearing his hyungs worry about him so he forced himself to keep the promise he had made in the hallway of their dorm.

After the meeting of all the members, he had quickly accepted Jimin’s offer to join him and Taehyung for some gaming. They had played for hours in to the morning, much like they had in those early years in that small and cramped apartment. He had broken his strict diet and chowed down on snacks including his favourite of chocolate. They had laughed and trashed each other as they switched between Halo and Grand Theft Auto. He saw the side glances by both Jimin and Taehyung but that just made him laugh harder and more exuberantly as a way to convince them he was just fine.

They played most of the night, only stopping after the sun started to crack the dark of night. Taehyung helped them clean up and headed to bed, his light blonde hair mussed up after the long night of gaming. As Jungkook picked up the last cup and went to head to the kitchen, he felt Jimin come up behind him and wrap his arms around his chest, leaning his cheek on Jungkook’s back.
“That was fun,” Jimin said as he smiled against Jungkook. “We need to do that again before we get stupid busy again. We have that retreat in a couple of weeks but then we are right back to filming Bon Voyage and starting the tour.”

Jungkook nodded as he squeezed the arms wrapped around him against his chest. The size difference between the two men was noticeable in this position. Both were slim with obvious fit bodies but Jimin was more graceful, more featherlike than Jungkook’s. Jungkook was more defined. He worked hard to achieve the body that he thought he was supposed to have. Hours in the gym gave him a definition that all the others were jealous of.

The position felt safe for the youngest. He was so used to having the physical presence of the other members pressing against him. Early on, it was their way of letting him know they were there for him, that the shy, young boy from Busan would never be without them. Now, it was habit for them and sanity for Jungkook. He needed it as a way to feel grounded in this world he found himself in.

After the soft squeeze, Jimin took a step back. Unabashed about the hug, he smiled at Jungkook and tucked his hands in the pockets of the sweatpants he was wearing.

“Are you okay?” Jimin twisted his toe against the hardwood floor. “You probably heard us talking this afternoon. We are all a little bit worried.”

Jungkook nodded and smiled but the telltale sign of the smile reaching just under his eyes didn’t happen. And Jimin noticed it.

“I’m okay. I just feel off when we are in one place for a long time.” Did his voice sound a bit manic? He forced himself to speak slower. “You guys really don’t need to worry so much. I’ll be fine once we get busy again. And once I get this song done.” He hoped Jimin believed what he said. Because he didn’t really.

Jimin paused, weighing the answer. If he didn’t believe Jungkook, he kept quiet. Instead, he nodded and headed to his room. He and Hoseok were the only ones who shared a room now after the company had purchased them two three bedroom units and renovated them to have one common area and kitchen. His own room was on the end of one of the halls and beside Jimin and Hoseok’s, his habit of playing video games and music late in to the night making his hyungs insist on his being in the corner. He didn’t mind. After the long night of gaming, he slowly shuffled his way to the room and simply collapsed on the rumpled sheets, his body quickly succumbing to sleep.

Jungkook slept until noon, stirring only after his stomach grumbled enough to make it understood it needed to be fed. He rubbed the sand from his eyes and forced himself to sit up. When he realized what time it was, he cursed softly under his breath. Today was supposed to be another promise he had made and he didn’t want to break it. He was supposed to take Seokjin hyung for lamb skewers today. And it was already halfway through the day.

He shoved himself up and out of the bed, throwing on clothes over his boxers. He had this odd tendency to strip clothes off when he slept even in the coldest of rooms so he grabbed the discarded garments off the floor and threw them in the laundry before taking a quick look in the mirror. His dark hair was fluffy and shaped like a mushroom so he grabbed one of his many bucket hats and shoved it over the puffball before heading out of the room to go and find his hyung.

Down the hall and towards the kitchen, Jungkook heard familiar voices. One was bright and sunny, the other more gruff. Hoseok and Yoongi were sitting at the kitchen counter, eating some noodles for lunch. Hoseok was trying his hardest to make Yoongi crack a smile but he was holding strong. It had become a bit of the game to make the quietest member of the group break his stoic demeanour and when one of them did, it was like they had solved the world’s greatest mysteries. Make Yoongi lift those slim lips into the slight curve that only he could make light up the room around him.

“Come on, Yoongi,” Hoseok said as he waved a set of chop sticks towards the other. “You are telling me that you don’t find that funny? There is a definite similarity between you and the rock.”

Hoseok picked his phone up from beside him and turned it towards Yoongi. “You are the rock!” A high-pitched laugh followed as his body shook.

“I do not look like a rock.” Yoongi shoved the phone away as he took a drink of a half-empty soda.

And then there it was. A slight upturn on the right corner of the look. As far as the rules of the game mattered, Hoseok had won. Yoongi had laughed and he had won. A look of satisfaction grew on Hoseok’s face as he set the phone down again. He didn’t push it any further. All of them knew that once you cracked Yoongi, it was best to retreat for your own safety.

Jungkook entered the room and both members looked up to take him in. Whatever they saw, they decided it was okay. He let the scrutiny pass without comment and went and went to grab some food for himself.

“There’s some noodles on the stove for you,” Yoongi said without looking at Jungkook. That was how Yoongi operated. He took care of s on the sly, never wanting to draw attention to the tenderness that was underneath the rock. Jungkook was pretty sure the ‘leftovers’ were no accident. That they amount of noodles being made had been calculated to include a portion for him. He grabbed the bowl and some chopsticks before sitting down at the table with Hoseok and Yoongi.

“Did you sleep okay,” Hoseok asked as he crossed his arms across his chest, tucking himself into his own body. “I heard Jimin come to bed this morning.”

Jungkook nodded. “Yeah. Slept well.” The noodles were good. Rich in flavour with pieces of pork belly basted in the broth. Yoongi knew all of the member’s favourite and made sure they had them often. “Sorry if he woke you up.”

“No, no. I was getting up anyway. I wanted to lock down the choreo for Idol a bit more before we practiced it next.” While Jimin was a main dancer and whose body moved with a liquidity that seemed like he had no bones, Hoseok was the task master of the group. He had a more street style and he picked it up quickly. These days, he helped plan the choreo to the songs with their main choreographer and helped teach them to the members once they were finalized. “What did you plan for the day? We don’t have another practice until tomorrow.”

“Actually, I was looking for Seokjin. I thought we could get some dinner together tonight.” Jungkook looked towards Yoongi. “And maybe I could go to the studio with you this afternoon? I’m assuming you’re going there and I would love to hear what you have already recorded.”

Yoongi let a small bit of pride escape his face before he removed it and nodded at Jungkook. “Sure,” he said as he started to clean up the dishes from the table. “I’m leaving in about half an hour if you want to ride with me.”

“Sounds good, hyung.” Jungkook inhaled the noodles quickly. They really did taste good. “I just need to check with Seokjin to make sure he is available for tonight.”

A look of hesitation came across Yoongi’s face. “Okay. But Seokjin isn’t here right now. He stayed at the other apartment last night.”

“Oh.” Jungkook’s noodle inhaling paused for a second but he started again quickly. “Maybe I’ll give him a call then.”

Jungkook ate the last bit of noodles, tipping the bowl and drinking in the last bit of broth before getting up and setting the bowl beside Yoongi. “I’ll go get ready and we’ll head to the studio.”

Jungkook left the kitchen, trying not to let his panic be visible. To anyone else, the separation of the members would be natural. But not to him. To him it was scary and left him feeling like he was trying to cross a shaky bridge with no railings.

The comment shouldn’t have bothered him. Four months earlier, Seokjin had purchased an apartment in the same complex. A smaller unit with only two bedrooms, he had said it was for his parents. But they never moved in. And Seokjin had started staying there for a few nights a week. Was it a sign he was getting tired of his dangsaengs? Did it mean that he wanted to leave BTS? Jungkook doubted it in his head but in his heart he fought the fear of losing the hyungs he cared about so much.

Jungkook reached his room and pulled his phone out of his baggy sweatpants pocket. He flicked the screen to light it up and pulled up Seokjin’s number. He dialled it quickly and put it to his ear.

Seokjin answered quickly. He was probably surprised to see Jungkook’s number show on his screen. The maknae rarely called the other members when he was in a good headspace. Now that he had started to isolate himself, the calls were like unicorns appearing.

“JK,” Seokjin said in his boisterous voice. Even though, they had the largest they were probably the closest. Seokjin’s childlike spirit had drawn Jungkook to him. During his earliest years in Seoul, Seokjin had become a surrogate father to him. Their bond was something Jungkook treasured and it pained him that Seokjin was worrying about him. “What did I do to get a special call from you?”
“Hyung, I wanted to know if you could come to dinner with me tonight. I know I turned you down the other day so I wanted to make it up to you.” Jungkook hoped that Seokjin would say yes. “Lamb skewers and beer. On me.”

“Aish,” Seokjin said with an exaggerated in of his breath. “You’re paying? Well, how can I turn that down? I was going to do an Eat Seokjin this afternoon but with my stomach hearing the word lamb, I might just have to do it another day. Eat Seokjin was a series of livestreams that Seokjin did where he talked to their fans while enjoying some of his favourite foods. It was highly popular and the fans loved to see the fun-loving member laugh as he tucked in to whatever feast he had chosen for the meal. “When did you want to meet up? I just had a bit of lunch so I’m not really hungry at this moment.”

“I was actually going to head to the studio with Yoongi for a few hours this afternoon. How about I meet you here at six?” That should be enough time to hang out with Yoongi before he got kicked out because Yoongi wanted to do actual work.

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you in the dorm.” A pause, the same as what Jungkook had heard from the other members since the overheard conversation the night before. “And hey, Jungkook. Thanks for the invite. I appreciate you asking. It means a lot.”

Seokjin’s voice had dropped in tone. It was the voice he used when he wanted to be soon as the true eldest of the group among the members. All of them heard it and respected it.

Jungkook’s heart broke for a moment as he heard the words. Had he really been so isolated that he had caused the others such pain and concern? He obviously had. Well, no more. He had already kept his promise with Jimin and Taehyung, and Yoongi and Seokjin were already scheduled.

“Well, I felt bad about not going with you before. And it will taste good.” Jungkook took a quick look at the time on his phone and saw he had twenty minutes to get ready to go with Yoongi. “I have to go. You know Yoongi doesn’t wait.”

Seokjin chuckled. “Yeah. For a guy whose life dream is to be a rock, he certainly gets impatient.”
The two said goodbye and Jungkook hung up the phone. He grabbed the black backpack that he carried with him everywhere and shoved his camera, a bottle of water, and a few snacks he stashed in his room. He sprayed another layer of deodorant under his arms and before heading back to the kitchen to find Yoongi.

Jungkook found him standing at the counter, a notebook open in front of him. He was envious at how freely Yoongi was able to express himself in words. Yoongi definitely worked at the skill, spending hours molding them in to the masterpieces that he and other artists around them craved.

“I’m ready to go hyung,” Jungkook said as he shifted his backpack on his shoulder. “Did you want to take one car or two?”

Yoongi scratched a few more words before closing the notebook and tucking it against his side. There were probably ten more at the studio but he needed to have one beside him.

“We’ll take two. That way you can come back and meet up with Jin for dinner. I doubt I’ll be done by then.”

Jungkkook nodded and grabbed his keys. He had thought that maybe Yoongi would want to ride together but he was right. If he was coming back to meet up with the eldest, he didn’t want to leave Yoongi stranded. Once Yoongi was in the studio, he was hard to get him out of it.

“Okay. Let’s head down to the garage.”

The pair headed out, talking casually along the way to the parking garage. Yoongi seemed to purposely avoid asking about his homework song as if he got the memo from Namjoon. Instead, they talked about the upcoming trip to a lakeside house the group would be taking in a couple of weeks. Jungkook was excited for it. The company had arranged a house for them where they could hang out, enjoy games, and just be friends for forty-eight hours. The times like these were precious and how they maintained their bond beyond the fact they were bandmates.

“Jung-Hoon said it’s a couple of hours away and super private. No houses close by at all. Just what we need.” A slight smile curled up on Yoongi’s lips as he spoke. It did sound like his perfect spot. Quiet and isolated. Just what he wanted in a vacation. “It’s right on the lake too. I’m sure there is a lawn chair on a dock with my name on it.”

Jungkook smiled at Yoongi as they reached the parking garage. He didn’t care where the spot was as long as it was with his hyungs. They were his security blanket. Sure, he like to hang out in his room but he liked knowing they were close. Their voices teasing the edge of his hearing. He too was looking forward to the trip.

They reached their cars and parted for the drive to the studio. It was about fifteen minutes from the luxury apartment complex they lived in to the office building of Big Hit Records where Yoongi had been given his own studio. Namjoon had one there as well. They each spent hours in these small rooms, listening and crafting their sound. Today though, Yoongi would be using one of the company studios. He wanted to lay down some bars and needed the larger one to do that.

After arriving at the studio, Jungkook saw Yoongi parking a few more spots away from where he had slid his own car. The Mercedes SUV had been his first real splurge from the money he made and he still like to glide his hands across the soft leather of the seats.

The pair made their way inside, easily clearing their way through security. The studios were on the third floor and Yoongi walked up the stairs and down he halls. Some considered the Big Hit offices the members own personal playground sometimes. It was no secret that the success of BTS had brought fortune for the company and its owner. As far as Bang PD was concerned, the members were what had built the company and that brought them privileges.

The studio Yoongi had arranged was near the end of the hall. The pair made their way inside and Yoongi quickly settled himself in front of the engineering board. He pulled out a hard drive and plugged it in to the computer.

“What are you working on today?” Jungkook settled himself down on the couch against the wall. “I thought you were almost done the See Saw remix.”

Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. As much as he was a person who could write lyrics quickly, his need for the perfect sound sometimes made him stall in the production phase. Especially when it was more just playing with stuff then planning on releasing with a timeline.

“I was but something isn’t quite right.” Yoongi clicked a few keys on the keyboard in front of him and the sound of instruments began to fill the room. “Take a listen and tell me what you think.”

Jungkook felt a swell of pride at being asked by his hyung for his opinion. For someone who had such a reputation in the industry at such a young age, it made it Jungkook proud that he was being asked for his opinion by him. He closed his eyes and started to feel the music with his body, under his skin, through his veins. The layers of sound were like separate pieces to him, pieces that he put back together in his mind. He subconsciously started to hum along, harmonizing to the tones that Yoongi had already worked on. He lost himself in it and was surprised when the sound went away and silence replaced it. He opened his eyes and looked over to see Yoongi with his head resting on a fisted hand, his eyes smiling at Jungkook.

“What,” Jungkook said as he fidgeted nervously. “It sounds amazing.”

Yoongi nodded. “It does. It sounds even better with your adlibs. That was what it was missing.” Yoongi leaned forward and his producer hat was completely in place. “How would you like to get in the booth and add some of those harmonies laid down. That’s part of the reason that I booked this room today.”

Jungkook looked down shyly. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to mess up what you already have. It sounds so good.”

“I’m sure.” Yoongi leaned back, a wicked smile on his face. “And if you , I can just remove it.”
“Okay,” Jungkook said as he pushed himself up. “But if you don’t like them, please remove them. Promise?”

“Promise.” Yoongi turned to the board, confident in the product that Jungkook was about to create. In reality, Jungkook should have little doubt. He was the one who normally did the vocal guides for new songs for the group and they all loved when he harmonized along to their vocals. Jungkook shuffled his way in to the booth and put a pair of already set up headphones over his head. He gave Yoongi a thumbs up and the music started to flow through him again.

His nerves let go of him as he sunk himself in to the music. He closed his eyes and started to vocalize over what he was hearing. And as he drifted away with the music, tension lifted off of his shoulders and he was free.

The pair spent the next few hours laying tracks and listening back to them. It may have only been one song but each version was a millimetre different one way or another and Yoongi’s smile grew with each one.

After the 10th try, Yoongi was the one who looked at the time and reminded Jungkook of his plans with Jin. Jungkook was suprised to see how much time had passed and he realized he had just enough time to head back and clean up before grabbing dinner. He stuffed his things in his backpack and threw it on his back.

“Thanks hyung,” he said as he adjusted the bag between his shoulder blades. “That was fun. I hope you got what you need.”

“It sounds perfect.” Yoongi looked down at the notebook he had been keeping track of the versions in. “Thanks for doing it for me.”

“I’ll see you at home?”

“Yeah.” Jugnkook had lost him now, his focus on the track he was creating. “I might sleep here though. I have a hunch that I might get into this.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning maybe then.” Jungkook was about to leave when he heard Yoongi ask him to stop.

“Hey, Jungkook,” Yoongi said as he looked up from the pages for a moment. “You know you can talk to me if you need to. If this is becoming a bit too much, you can tell me and we can figure it out.”
“Thanks hyung,” Jungkook said as he twisted the doorknob to open the frosted glass door. “But I’m really okay. I was just tired from trying to work on the song you and Namjoon wanted me to work on. But I promise I will have it done soon. I already have the melody I want to use.” A lie but one he decided was acceptable at that moment.

“Okay,” Yoongi again looked at him critically but did not push it. He would let Jungkook have this one. “Make sure the door is locked when you leave.”
As Jungkook made his way down to the parking lot, he knocked another promise off of his list. Three down, three more to go. And one more would be taken care of tonight. He was going to make it up to them.