C H A P T E R T E N
Love is a sickness
An addiction, overdose

When Jungkook arrived back at the dorm twenty minutes later, he found Namjoon and Jin waiting for him on the sofa, looking quite relaxed compared to the blunt order he'd received by text. Jimin was sitting awkwardly at the kitchen table, looking a bit guilty, with Taehyung leaning against the bench sipping ice tea through a straw. It was quiet, and when the maknae kicked his trainers off at the front door, they snapped to look at him walk in, slowly sliding the glasses off his face.

"Hyungs..."

"You're back," Namjoon stated the obvious, standing up from his seat. Jungkook hesitantly nodded, pulling his cap off and ruffling his hair back into place. Gulping away his nerves, he cleared his throat.

"Um... you wanted to see me?"

The leader nodded and looked across the room to where Jimin sat, shrinking away from his stare. "Jimin here tells me that you were out on a date?"

The dancer met the black haired boy's eyes and looked away, feeling bad for interrupting his free time with a stupid joke. But Jungkook just sighed, turning back to Namjoon. "No, hyung... it wasn't a date. I helped her out yesterday and kind of felt responsible."

He frowned. "So, you don't have a girlfriend?"

"No. I just met her. I don't know anything about her."

The way Namjoon was looking at him intently, he wasn't sure whether he believed him or not, but there was nothing he could do except tell the truth. Jin eventually stood up with them and placed a hand on the leader's shoulder, offering a calm smile to their youngest member.

"I never thought you would be the first of us to have this conversation, reguardless of it being true or not," he began with a chuckle. "But you have to remember who you are now, Kookie-yah. You can't just go out alone with a girl and expect no one to whisper. You have an image to protect - we all do. And we have to work together, right?"

He couldn't help but feel a little guilty, despite not really doing much wrong, and he dropped his gaze to the floor as Namjoon sighed. "Really, Jungkook, it's not exactly our image that's most important. You have to think of the consequences for her as well, even if you are just friends. Fans can be... unpredictable."

Of course. But this is still all new to me as well. Girls barely even looked my way before I became part of Bangtan. He rubbed his forehead and sighed before looking up. "I understand, I'm sorry. I won't go out with her alone in public again, hyung. I don't want her getting hurt because of me."

"Good. It's not to say you can't be friends, just... try and keep it out of the public eye, yeah? For everyone's sake. God knows what could happen," he replied, squeezing his shoulder before disappearing past him. Jin's eyes followed him out, and he gave the maknae another reassuring smile before he too left.

The remaining boys were quiet as they heard the door close, the only noise being the quiet slurping of Taehyung as he finished the bottle. Jungkook wasn't sure how to break the silence, and he shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, before Jimin eventually spoke up.

"Sorry, Jungkookie. It was only meant to be a joke."

He looked at him in surprise for a few moments before chuckling to himself quietly. "Ah, it's ok hyung. No harm done."

Taehyung looked between the two of them thoughtfully as he hoisted himself up onto the counter, throwing the empty bottle into the rubbish bin at the side of the room. "Sooooo," he drawled, a lazy smirk appearing on his face as his eyes narrowed smugly, "maknae. Tell us... is she pretty?"

His mouth fell open as his face began to betray his thoughts, burning in embarrassment. "Hyung!"

"So she is! Come on, who is it? Do you have a picture!?" He asked, with all the excitement of a 5 year old who'd just been told he was going to Disneyland. He was leaning forward with a bright grin, gripping the edge of the bench to keep himself upright, and Jungkook rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"No way."

"Aww come on, she must be cute if you saved her number as Fairy-ssi," Jimin piped up mischeivously, fist bumping the lavender haired boy. Jungkook almost choked on his saliva, eyes bulging.

"Yah! You saw that!? You sneaky-!"

"Yah yah, Kookie!!!" Taehyung had jumped off the counter and ran over to pinch his cheeks, pulling him into a headlock. Teasing the maknae was one of his favourite past times. He was just too cute. "You have to introduce us to her!"

"Omo, get off me hyung!"

"Koooookieeeeee~! Pleeeeeaaase~!? I love you!"

Jimin was just laughing at the two, snorting at the alien like noises Tae was making that he supposed were meant to be cute. He still felt guilty, but at the same time this hyung was a little proud of his dongsaeng for taking a girl out. The kid barely even talked to his noonas in the company, nevermind strangers.

"If you get off me then fine!"

"Yes! Jimin-hyung, we're on!"

The dancer and lavender haired boy high fived each other with satisfied chuckles as Jungkook caught his breath, standing back up straight with a bright red face as he rubbed his neck.

"Aish... you guys..."

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The next morning came quicker than she expected, and before she knew it Aeri was already almost finished her morning dance practice, sweat trickling down the back of her neck and hair slipping from the high bun she'd thrown it in. The current song had ended, and the girl found herself just sitting in the middle of the floor, chest heaving, as she watched herself closely in the wall mirror.

She was thinking about the other day, dancing with the guys and the blonde. Throwing herself into it was something she only did in her current social environment; alone. Everytime she remembered herself biting her lip and rolling her hips her face flushed, and she buried her head in her hands in embarrassment.

Dance hadn't originally been her kind of thing. She was always a vocalist, winning school talent shows and relishing the times she was alone in the house so she could sing as loud as possible. It was her voice that really allowed her to