Chapter Thirteen

"At least nothing was broken this time, right?" Taehyung grinned at Jang Mi, trying to cheer her up. Her family dinner had not gone as well as she had hoped the previous night, so Taehyung had actually paid for once. She looked up at him with an incredulous look, sipping on her caramel macchiato. After he'd bought her coffee – he didn't really want any for himself, they'd wandered around the campus before taking a seat on a random bench.

"Okay, yeah, it sounds pretty terrible," he gave in.

She shrugged, "It's okay. I wasn't expecting anything else to be honest."

"Then why do you sound so bothered by it?"

Jang Mi frowned, taking another long sip of her drink. Taehyung knew her well enough to know when something was bothering her and something about the night before was clearly getting to her. He wondered whether it had anything to do with her father bringing up the incident or if it was something more than that. Patiently, he waited for her to tell him.

"I just feel like I don't know the whole story," she sighed, "I feel like they're keeping it from me… especially Jimin. I realise he doesn't want to talk about it but I'm just sick of him being so cryptic about everything."

"I understand," Taehyung nodded, trying to be empathetic, "In the end, the truth will come out. It always does." Looking puzzled, Jang Mi looked at him as if he'd grown another head. Maybe I have, he thought, feeling his shoulders to see if there was anything there. To his disappointment, he hadn't. Still wondering why she'd looked at him like that, he frowned, "What?"

She grinned, shaking her head, "Nothing, it's just that was like the wisest thing I've ever heard you say. If Min was here, she'd probably faint from shock."

He laughed, "Thanks? I think."

"Speaking of her, where is she?" Jang Mi asked, "When I woke up this morning she was already gone and not responding to my texts."

"With Yoongi," he said.

Jang Mi smirked, nudging Taehyung with her elbow, "I didn’t realise you were on first name basis with him."

He frowned, "What do you mean? We had lunch that one time with him… actually, you didn't. You ran away, remember? Why were they chasing you anyway?"

She choked on her drink, looking around for something. Rolling her eyes, she quickly diverted the subject. Taehyung knew what she was doing but decided to just let it go. "Min's been spending a lot of time with him lately. Do you think there's something there?"

"He said that she was rude to him," Taehyung replied, looking deeply in thought.

Jang Mi nodded, agreeing with Taehyung's implied point, "He did. That was so weird; Min is like, nice to everybody, even people she doesn't like."

Smiling lightly, they both nodded, saying at the same time, "There's definitely something there."

After their discovery, they sat people watching for a while, proud of their detective like skills. They were mostly quiet, apart from when they'd point something out about someone walking past. Taehyung was pretty content as his next lesson was a while away so he needed to kill time. Shifting in his seat, he rubbed the back of his neck before looking around. For some reason, he felt like they were being watched.

"Hey, Jang Mi?" Taehyung got her attention. She had been staring at a random patch of pavement in front of them. Jerking out of her thoughts, she looked at him.

"Hmm?"

"Do… do you feel like maybe someone's watching us?" he asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around carefully. She seemed to spot something, her eyes widening slightly. He looked over, trying to find what it was she was looking at. When he did, he couldn't help but be confused. It was one of the dance professors, Taeyang, crouched in a bush, appearing to be spying on them.

"What…" he drifted off, amazed that so many weird things were happening this week. Usually when weird things happened, they were caused by him; he was finding not being the instigator rather disconcerting. Maybe I should convince Jang Mi and Min to break into the zoo again, he thought. After the last time, he wasn't sure how well that would go down – the last time they had done it, they'd been banned from the zoo for life in exchange for jail time. Min was particularly upset as she adored the zoo.

"I'm not even surprised anymore," Jang Mi shook her head as she watched him.

"It feels weird not being weird anymore," he said.

Taking a long sip of her drink, she patted his arm, "Don't worry, you're still weird."

 Okay, I feel like there was an insult there somewhere.

"A good weird," she said, when he opened his mouth to ask. Taehyung was satisfied with her added comment, nodding silently. They continued to watch Taeyang, with tilted heads as if they were confused puppies. Taeyang seemed to know he had been caught as he ducked completely behind the bush, peeking on occasion to see if maybe they'd stop watching his spot.

"I'm gonna get out of here," Jang Mi sighed, looking around suspiciously, "I have a bad feeling about him."

"Like an axe murderer feeling?" Taehyung asked, eyebrows rose in concern.

She shook her head, "Worse… like a musical theatre feel." She shuddered as she said, looking around again for good measure. Taehyung resisted the urge to point out that she liked musical theatre, instead eyeing her in amusement. Jang Mi stood from her seat, dropping the empty cup into the bin next to the bench. Raising her hand, she waved.

"See you later, Tae," she called as she walked down the path, in the opposite direction of where they'd seen the professor. Taehyung watched the bush curiously, wondering how Taeyang would react to Jang Mi's departure; he was most likely watching her, after all, she's the one that had been on the run all week. To his surprise, Taeyang rose completely from his crouch, pulling out his phone. He said some stuff into all the while watching Jang Mi walk away.

Turning back to the direction Jang Mi was walking in, he noticed another MAP professor emerge from a random building, a phone held to his ear. He couldn't recognise which professor it was – only knowing he was a member of the MAP department because of his clothes. There's something fishy going on here, he thought, eyebrow raised.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, about to warn Jang Mi about the person on her trail. Before he could, he received a call. Glancing at the ID, it read: 'Mom'.

"Hello?" he asked, picking up after a few rings – warning Jang Mi forgotten about for a moment.

"Taehyung, dear… I have bad news…"

Jin watched carefully as Yura performed her audition piece for him. He hadn't actually asked her to show him it, but he couldn't bring himself to say no when she asked. The only problem was that he didn't know what she wanted him to say. She already knew that was she was good and it's not like he could give her any improvements so close to the audition date. Even so, he sat there on the floor of the dance studio as she danced for him.

When she was done, he smiled and clapped. "That was good," he told her.

Her eyebrows furrowed in disappointment, "Just good?"

He shook his head, "Yura, you and I both know that you'll get the lead role. Unless someone with a voice like Ailee or Hyorin shows up, I doubt there'll be anyone better than you."

She smiled, happy that she had been praised, "I thought so too but I needed to double check."

Choosing to not reply, Jin pushed himself off the floor, dusting his jeans off. Yura was over at the radio, turning the music off. He grabbed his bag, throwing it on his shoulder while also worrying about whether she'd taken someone else's booked time slot.

"Can ask you for advice?" Yura suddenly said, making Jin look over in surprise. Yura never wanted anyone's opinion apart from when searching for praise. Advice was definitely not something she looked for often.

"Sure," he replied, thinking back to the times Min used to ask him for advice or help. It was usually about dumb stuff like whether he would help her shape her eyebrows – which he said yes to but both of them regretted as Min ended up with one eyebrow, the other one shaved off. He didn't understand why she'd come to him when she had Jang Mi and Taehyung but she did. She only had herself to blame really.

"How do you get rid of someone?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrows in shock, "Like… murder?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head, "No – no – not at all… actually… no, no." He smiled in amusement at her; it seemed like she was trying to convince herself more than anything.

"What do you mean then?"

"Like, there's this boy and he's been following me around and stuff," she explained.

Jin crossed his arms, his brotherly instincts kicking in. It's not like he would beat up the guy bothering her but if he was being a creep, then he would have to do something about it. "Does he bother you? What does he do when he follows you?"

"He always brings food that he thinks I like and tries to make sure I've eaten and that there's nothing that I might need," Yura grimaced in disgust, "And he's always trying to make me smile."

Jin tried his best to keep an unimpressed look off his face. The guy sounded harmless and like he just wanted to Yura to give him a chance. "Does he ask for anything in exchange?"

She shook her head, "He just wants to spend time with me when I'm free and stuff."

"Is he unattractive?" he continued.

"Well, no," she said, tilting her head slightly.

"Is he creepy or seem like he has ulterior motives?"

"Not that I can tell," she replied, lips pursed.

"Okay," Jin responded, thinking. He really couldn't see any downsides, "Is he bad company?"

Yura didn't reply for a second before she said quietly, "He's actually a lot of fun to be around."

"I don't really see the problem then," Jin laughed nervously.

She sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head. Yura could be unnecessarily difficult and this seems like one of those times. He really couldn't see anything wrong with what she was describing and it sounded like she had a really nice guy there. "What's his name?"

"Kim Taehyung," she told him.

He looked up in mild confusion. Of course Taehyung would have to choose the one girl who could chew him up and spit him out. Somehow, Jin wasn't surprised that he had followed Yura around. He knew that Taehyung believed in soul mates and that he wanted to be with the first person he loved. He also knew that Taehyung had been through a lot and was probably still going through it. Sighing, he smiled, "I know him and he's a good kid. It may not seem like it but he's got a lot on his shoulders. You should go easy on him, give him a chance."

Yura frowned slightly before waving him off, "Thanks I guess."

Jin decided it would be best that he left then. He was kind of disappointed that Yura hadn't asked about him and how it was going. She hadn't even mentioned his family dinner – which if she had, she would have found out that he was auditioning for the showcase. He hadn't originally wanted to but something about the way his mother pursed her lips when he said he wasn't going for it had made him want to prove something to her. He wasn't completely sure what it was he wanted to prove but his name was now on the list of auditionees, he was going to do it whether he changed his mind or not.

It had been a couple of hours since Jin had left and Yura had rehearsed for all of them. It had to be perfect – she had to be perfect. Her limbs ached with fatigue and her stomach felt empty, but she ignored it. The only reason she ended up stopping was because she had class. Even in the lesson she paid no attention, her professor narrowing their eyes at her occasionally in disappointment. Her stomach would grumble every so often but she dismissed it. She didn't need food; food would just make her fat and she'd never pass the audition if she was fat.

She was relieved when the class ended, basically running out of there. Yura wasn't sure whether she wanted to carry on the rehearsal on campus or back at home. The studios at school were available to rent for all night but with the auditions tomorrow, they would probably be fully booked. I could just kick someone out, she thought, deciding that she would.

As she was heading that direction, she paused, looking at the ground. Walking towards her right now was Kim Taehyung and she really didn't want to be bothered by him. Letting her hair fall to block her face, she speeded up pace, opening to tell him to leave her alone when he walked right past. She halted, turning to see him carrying on down the path and not following her. Yura should have been happy that he'd left her alone but instead she felt slightly miffed.

"Yah!" she yelled, surprising herself and the people walking past. Taehyung didn't stop or even flinch, continuing his path to wherever he was going. She huffed angrily, chasing after him. He hadn't gotten far so she was able to reach him quickly.

"Yah! Kim Taehyung," she called, trying to get his attention. He slowed down a tad, glancing at her briefly. His eyes held an element of surprise in them but that was clouded over by another emotion. Yura couldn't tell what it was but she knew she wanted it off his face as soon as possible.

"Oh, hey Yura," he replied, sounding monotone and completely out of character.

"Aren't… you… don't you have something for me?" she asked, feeling oddly worried.

He shook his head, "Sorry, I guess I just forgot."

Her eyes widened in both offence and mild concern. This was so unlike him. He'd been following her non-stop for two weeks with all assortments of chocolate, food and gifts for her. She'd kind of gotten use to him being around somewhere in the back – even if she never ate his food. "I can't believe I'm saying this but…" she hesitated, about to change her mind when Jin's words rang in her ears. Urg, I guess I'll give him a chance then. "Do you… wanna get something to eat?"

Yura had expected him to whip around quickly, eyes bright with that rectangular grin on his face like whenever she stopped trying to kick him out. She got the completely opposite however when he sighed, "I don't think I'm the best company at the moment, sorry."

After telling her that, he speeded up, surpassing her and turning the corner quickly. She just watched him go in complete shock. What just happened? "Fine!  I didn't wanna hang out with you anyway!" she shouted at his already gone form, then heading in the direction she'd originally been going in, she muttered, "You're the one whose supposed to follow me around."

She was so agitated by what had happened. Her mind was racing back to it, repeating his response over and over again. I don't think I'd be the best company at the moment... I don't think I'd be the best company… I don't… no. She couldn't believe he had just rejected her. It would have been less annoying if it weren't for the fact that she felt more than annoyed by it. She felt kind of hurt by it.

As well as hurt, she felt concerned; that was completely out of character for him to do. Usually she was doing all the turning down and now that she was on the other end, she finally understood. Maybe I should have asked him what was wrong, she considered. Yura really wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel – hurt? Disappointment? Concern? Anger?

Knowing that it was easiest to just be angry and not look into it any further than that, she huffed, speeding up her pace to the studios. I'm definitely going to kick someone out.

Peeking around the corner, Jang Mi tip toed across the hallway. She finally knew how Min had felt that time she was ducking behind bins. All she had to do was make it to her last class of the day. It was Maths and not very exciting but it also offered her sanctuary until she was able to make her escape home.

All day, she'd felt like someone was watching her and even caught a few professors trailing her. She felt like a wanted criminal with the way they were keeping eyes on her. Minutes ago she'd made the slip from a random MAP professor, Daesung, she thought his name was. The hardest professor to ditch had been Dara. The woman was like a ninja and could follow her into the toilets if she wanted – which she had.

The weirdest thing had been that they hadn't tried to approach her, only following her around. She wondered what they had up their sleeves; somehow she felt like they had planned something. As she reached the Maths door, she released a sigh of relief; she had made it out alive. Okay so maybe I'm being a little dramatic, she shook her head as she tried to open the door.

To her surprise, it was locked. Frowning, she peeked into the room only to find it completely empty. Huh, that's weird, she thought, stepping away from the door. Looking up, she noticed a suspicious sigh on the door:

Students of Professor Oh's Advanced Maths class

Due to an unfortunate incident involving a student falling through the roof (don't ask)

Students have been asked to go to room 293 instead of their usual as the lecture room is currently inhabitable (so go there, like now)

Jang Mi tipped her head to the side as she appraised the sign. This is so shady. Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes at the sign. It had been typed, printed and even had the university seal on it. However, almost every professor in the school had access to a printer and official university paper. That meant that any of the MAP professors could have easily made it.

Unfortunately, that still didn't explain why the class was empty. Peeking into the room again, she noticed a hole in the ceiling, right in the middle of the room. Okay, I don't even know what to think now. Sighing, she decided that she might as well just check out room 293. It was a maths room after all and not that far away. If it was something weird then she could just leave.

Nodding to herself, she walked the few seconds that it took, arriving to room 293. The room was empty and dark as she stepped into it, but as she got further in, she noticed the projector was down. Something on the screen was playing and she could hear a strangely familiar voice. Speeding up her pace, she didn't even notice the door closing as she watched the screen in shock and confusion.

On the screen was a young Jang Mi, dressed in a sparkly pink dress. Her nose scrunched up at the choice of outfit but she clearly remembered her mom having to force her into it. This was nine years ago, I was ten, she thought, watching herself singing. Even back then she had been good; it was obvious as she sang.

The screen then cut to her two years later. Her dress was less sparkly but still as pink as before. She watched, mouth gaping open in surprise as she sang along to 'I Have Nothing' by Whitney Housten. Swallowing, her eyes filled with tears at the memories. The videos flicked through the years, showing how she aged. Her outfits got better and her voice got stronger. She remembered all of it – the way it felt to be on stage, the lights shining down on her, the way the crowd cheered for. She even remembered rehearsing for it – working herself to the bone and being able to do what she loved for hours.

The videos cut to her last performance ever, causing her eyes to dry up and her face to harden. The background music for Whitney Housten's 'I Will Always Love You' played; her heart freezing. She was seventeen, at one of her many singing recitals. It was obvious from her posture that she was considerably less confident than the versions of her who came before. It was obvious from her frown that she was somewhere else at the moment and not on stage. It was obvious from the way that she flinched from the brightness of the lights that something was wrong.

Jang Mi assumed the video would stop but it didn't, continuing on until her voice was coming out in a small croak. "STOP!" she yelled, then quieter she sighed, "Stop… please stop."

She was relieved when the video paused, leaving her frightened expression as she stared at the crowd on screen. She eyed it for a second before looking away in shame. The lights came on and a professor she recognised, Director GD came down from the seat he'd been sat on. He looked at her cautiously, as if he thought that she was ready to explode – which she almost was.

"Where did you get those videos?" she asked, her voice quiet yet tense.

"Your mom uploaded all of them on YouTube – well except for the last one," he coughed as if he felt uncomfortable talking about the last video, "That was uploaded by one of your former classmates."

She scoffed, "Oh right, I forgot that they shared that moment with everyone." Jang Mi crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowed in a wild mix of emotions. Sighing, she shook her head, "I'm not going to audition – especially after being reminded of that." She pointed at the screen angrily.

"Okay so maybe it wasn't the best idea to put that on," Director GD frowned, "But I thought it might help you to face your past."

"Sorry," she glared at him, knowing that she was being disrespectful towards a professor but too angry to care, "I didn't realise that you taught psychology along with performing!"

"I apologise, the last video was inappropriate but-"

"- you didn't once consider that it might backfire on you?"

"Well, of course I did but… I think you moving on from your stage fright is more important than getting in your good books."

"You don't know anything about me," she scowled.

He sighed as if he was disappointed with her reaction. As if she was in the wrong. The only thing I've done wrong is listening to that stupid sign, she thought.

"I know that you love to sing," he said, "That you're really good at it. Look, I make it my mission to know everything about the students so that I can help those that need help and you certainly don't need help improving your singing but you need help moving on."

"And you think the showcase can help me do that?" her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, yes I do."

She didn't respond, choosing to just glare at the image of herself on the screen. It was a moment she hated thinking about and now here it was, enlarged on the big screen for everyone to see. Circling the internet for it to follow her everywhere she went. The silence filled the room and Director GD must have known she wasn't going to talk because he ended breaking the silence.

"Will you give it a shot? Will you audition for the showcase?" he asked.

Jang Mi didn't reply straight away. She thought about the past, about her singing lessons, about the recitals that would come after and about performing. She loved it, she really did but she wasn't sure that she was ready to step onto a stage again. It had been too long and she'd dwelled on the last time too much for it to go well. Clenching her jaw, she looked him the eye; she wanted him to know that she was being fully serious.

"No."

He looked surprised as if he hadn't expected such a solid answer but unfortunately for him, that was the one he was getting. Giving him and the screen one last glare, Jang Mi readjusted her bag on her shoulder, storming out of the room. Luckily for her, the door had just been shut and not locked. Lucky for them, I would have kicked it down if I had to, she thought. It slammed behind her and somehow she wasn't surprised when she heard the door open behind her.

"Auditions end at seven!" She heard GD call, choosing not to turn around. He was probably not expecting her to anyway. "Don't be late!" he added. Jang Mi rolled her eyes – the moment she would audition was the moment that pigs would fly.

Author's Note: So here is chapter thirteen and so commences the continuation of the usual schedule (unless something comes up that stops that). This chapter is full of drama and also, it's the last day before the auditions O.o I wonder what people have up their sleeves? Gosh, I need to be stopped X_X anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter and if so, comment and subscribe! I always reply to every comment so you should just go for it ;) Thanks to those of you who have already and I will see you on Thursday (probably) 

P.S

I totally wrote a Junhoe (from Ikon, if that's your thing) one shot that you should check out and our BTS mafia fic is finally updated so take a look at that too if that's your cup of tea ^.^ that's all for now!