"Jungkook?" Hoseok smiled widely when he spotted the younger boy, gripping the shoulder strap of his backpack with one hand and waving with the other. "What're you doing here? Taehyung's offsite today."

"He's not the only friend I have here." Jungkook pouted, grinning a second later as the dancer ruffled his hair and chuckled. "Was bored so I thought I'd stop in."

"Security didn't bother you did they?" Hoseok walked with the photographer down the hall. "Your ID should be secure to get in now."

"The amount of perks I have," he joked and the elder threw an arm around his shoulder, avoiding the backpack weighing Jungkook down. "Nah, they didn't. You're off today right?"

"Yeah, was actually headed to visit Yoongi if you want to come with. Jin's out of town for the weekend. Visiting some companies in China." They passed by countless dance rooms. "Jimin's passed out at home isn't he?"

"Exhausted and knocked out." Jungkook shrugged. "I'm down to visit Yoongi Hyung, for sure. I'd love to see his studio."

"The Genius Lab." Walking up a flight of steps, Jungkook sensed a shift in decor, smell and environment. The dance department's floor was bright and open, bodies moving behind glass walls and music muted through the door. As they landed in the music department territory, things were much more secluded, office like with personal studios and a common break room for heavy coffee that many indulged on. "Did you know he actually bought and installed a lock and bell? Got mad that we kept walking in without warning."

"Really?" Jungkook laughed, trying to peek into studios with curiosity but all the side window were glazed over for privacy.

Hoseok seemed to notice. "They get in a zone and just full send it. Don't wanna be bothered at that point. It's incredible what they do."

"That's me when I edit my photos." The younger hummed. "Probably Tae and Jin Hyung when they do their posing and stuff too. You and Jimin—"

"—when we dance." The other stopped in front of a door with 'Genius Lab' staring at them on a sign. "You are very right. Our zones are very different, but we all do it."

The arm on his shoulder left as Hoseok knocked knuckles on the heavy barrier. Some clatter of sound came from inside before a silhouette was hazy in the matte window.

The door swung open and Yoongi's eyes widened upon seeing the younger.

"Jungkook? Hey, come in." The eldest moved out of the way. If the photographer was nervous about being around celebrities other than Taehyung, like you would have expected, he didn't show it.

But he had interacted with Yoongi and Hoseok alone before. Both in connections to Taehyung, but still a one on one meet.

"Just stopping by?"

He nodded, gazing around the studio in awe. A large intricate setup was the main show at one end of the room. Monitors with large speakers on either side. Synthesizers, a microphone, and other production equipment Jungkook didn't recognize. There was a couch on one side, but shelves of keyboards lying around everywhere else.

"What's up with all the keyboards?" Hoseok asked first, plopping down onto the couch and making himself at home.

"Asked the department to send all the models they have in storage. I need a new one and was just testing them one at a time." Yoongi fell back into his swiveling chair, motioning for Jungkook to take a seat in the spare one lying on the side.

"Why not get a new one?"

"And let all these babies go to waste?" Yoongi waved at the countless boards waiting to be tested. "They can't all be useless."

"Sounds tedious." Hoseok sighed, slumping with extreme casualness. It made Jungkook relax more that they didn't mind him there.

"Do you need help?" The youngest asked and Yoongi shook his head, giving him a grateful smile.

"Something I prefer doing to my taste. Thanks though, Jungkook." Yoongi spun back to face the equipment on the enormous desk. "You guys relax and do what you want. I'm almost done with this track."

The studio fell into silence as Yoongi slipped on headphones and got back to work. Jungkook watched as the software brightened on the mint or screen, lines of sound waves aligned and overlaid.

He hoped it would give him some clues to the possible project coming out, but when he saw the file apart of D-3, Yoongi's third upcoming album, he realized it wouldn't.

He really wasn't finding out until everyone else did.

He leaned back in his chair as Hoseok seemed to slip into some world on his phone.

It was nice. Just quiet but not empty. He didn't feel lonely or awkward.

Hoseok seemed to do it often, he and Yoongi knowing each other longer than the rest and being best friends. Jungkook admired how they both managed their own lives and just stayed in each other's company.

The youngest was used to dealing with lonely apartments and filling his own time, but now that he was meeting new people and starting to open up the a new world, he knew he'd have to change some things.

It reminded him of how he could just sit with Taehyung in silence and let the calm overtake calamity.

Each other's presence was enough.

They all had their comfort relationships. Where they found peaceful sanctuary among a crazy world.

The four BigHit stars found it with each other as much as he did with Taehyung.

It's what had kept them close for so many years.

He saw Hoseok raise his phone in the corner of his eye and flinched at the common gesture of snapping a picture.

Jungkook stilled.

"H-Hoseok Hyung, please don't take pictures—"

"Oh, shit, sorry," Hoseok was immediately fumbling out, voice tight as he realized his mistake. "I forgot that you don't like that. I was just going to update our Prince."

He tense shoulder eased ever so slightly, Yoongi oblivious and clicking away at the equipment. "Sending it to Taehyung?"

"Of course. Just him. I'm so sorry, Jungkook," Hoseok looked genuinely guilty. "I won't do that without asking, it's a habit to take candids of my friends. I promise I'll ask in the future though."

"It's okay." He let out a shaky breath. You're was so on edge, he told himself, it's just between them. "And it's okay if it's just between you guys. You don't have to ask."

"No, I should have considered your feelings about pictures," Hoseok frowned, head shaking gently. "You want me to delete it?"

"Nah," he smiled softly, biting his inner cheek. "You can send it, it's really okay. Just caught me off guard."

"You're sure?" Hoseok whispered.

"Mhm, I'll let you know otherwise. I won't hesitate to tell you."

"Don't hesitate." The dancer smiled that time, still antsy and unbelieving of the forgiveness.

sunshinehobi

sunshinehobi
I fucked up but uh your boy is with us
we are all just chilling

v_95
hyung hey i'm on a break rn actually

v_95
oh that picture is getting saved right away

v_95
he looks so good wtf

v_95
wait

v_95
he's with you guys??

v_95
and you fucked up?? what did you do??

sunshinehobi
took a picture of him without asking

sunshinehobi
scared him and I feel so bad

v_95
hobi it's okay it was an honest mistake

v_95
he's always a bit jumpy when it comes to
taking pictures of himself

v_95
im sure he knows you didn't mean harm :(

v_95
shit I gotta go

v_95
take care of him and yourself

v_95
tell him and yoongi (I think that's
his studio) I said hi 🤍

sunshinehobi
will do and sorry :(

sunshinehobi
I should have asked regardless

sunshinehobi
take care of yourself too💛💛

"Tae says hi." Hoseok smiled, hoping he could ease into normalcy after that concerning moment. Jungkook brightened at the words and flushed slightly.

"He's okay?" The younger asked. The dancer nodded and Jungkook stood from his chair, moving around the table and dumping himself into the cushion beside Hoseok, making the elder jump. "Don't worry, Hobi Hyung. Please."

"I know, I know," the man sighed. "I'm just not used to being forgiven so quickly."

"Oh." Jungkook blinked, falling short of words as his gears spun. He was learning new things about their lives every minute he was around them. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, hit me with it, mystery man."

"Mystery man?" Jungkook groaned and flopped back against the couch's back. "Taehyung really is something with these names."

"They're adorable." Hoseok teased, noticing how the warmth rose in the boy's structured cheeks, bunny teeth chewing at his lips. "What is it you wanted to know?"

"I have a plan. A small one. I'm helping Taehyung with stuff and I just had a question."

"Helping Taehyung? I'm glad. You bring out the best parts of him, Jungkook. He was so bright this morning, he got all shy when we asked about last night. Taehyung and shy— doesn't usually happen, but it's sweet to see... sorry, I'm getting side tracked. I'm happy to hear you out."

The photographer was still taking in the news of Taehyung's beaming state while he had been sleeping away in the guest room of the grand apartment. It only made his chest warm, stomach flipping.

"O-Oh, I'm glad to help. Really." He mumbled nervously. "My plan, well, all I really wanna ask is how Taehyung was when you first met him."

Jungkook knew of barriers and while these were Taehyung's closest friends, he wasn't at liberty to speak about Taehyung's personal problems behind his back.

"First met him?" Hoseok blinked. "Huh. Like seven years ago?"

"As far back as you can remember." Jungkook reconsidered the request.

"What about Taehyung?" Yoongi had slipped off his headphones and turned to face them. "I'm done for now, by the way, all ears."

"He just wants to know what Taehyung was like when we first met him." Hoseok explained. Jungkook shifted nervously under Yoongi's narrowed gaze. The eldest didn't seem to hold any negative feelings toward him, just heavy confusion.

"Fetus Taehyung?" Yoongi crossed his arms over his chest and stared up in thought. "So hopeful and awed. I remember his eyes would go big everywhere, taking it all in. At the time BigHit was so small, but Seoul wasn't. He really just enjoyed every moment back then."

"I remember we would go out for dinners on rare occasions after saving up enough money on the low salary." Hoseok added. "We all kind of clicked right away, finding some sanctuary. Taehyung was always a bit hesitant when he came with all the overwhelming emotions."

"He was young, wasn't he?" Jungkook murmured. "Nineteen?"

"Nineteen. Recruited just when the new year started midway through his first year of university. He dropped school to figure out modeling and the big world." Yoongi kicked off his shoes and folding his legs in the seat, looking even smaller.

"Did you know him before this? I mean, aren't you also from Daegu, Hyung?"

"The world is small, but not that small." The producer chuckled. "I pushed him to finish his bachelors when he got a bit older so he has a degree in fashion merchandising. Pretty fitting for models so he had a padding to fall back onto if things didn't work out. Turns out he didn't need a backup plan, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Jungkook was well aware of the risks they all took to get where they were. Even the photographer never expected the growth he had to happen. Not in a million years.

"Bang PD-nim and I picked him up from the train station all those years ago." Hoseok's eyes were closed as he reminisced. "He was so awkward and young, but still handsome as ever back then. It's incredible how our boss saw so much potential in him from that early of a stage."

"I can't imagine him being awkward." Jungkook coughed out, the countless tabloids and news channels boasting Taehyung's confidence flashing through his mind. "He must have grown so much."

"He started at the bottom and made it to the top. It's a deserved miracle."

"Taehyung was also hard to deter. He was so optimistic and grateful. Such an incredible person from the start. He had so much love for everything and everyone."

He could hear the pain in their voices. Everything was spoken about the past.

Taehyung was so free before things went to shit.

Before the shit himself, Park Bogum.

No one had to verbally say it. They all knew.

Even Jungkook knew the details because it had taken over every corner of media attention a few years ago.

"I saw him have that warmth a couple times after Bogum, you know." Hoseok breathed. "Proves that the bastard didn't destroy it for good."

"Really? When?" Jungkook leaned forward in his seat. If he could get more clues for his plan to be more effective he would take it.

"When he would call you. Trying to not hide it from us— failing at that honestly." Yoongi chuckled airily, the mood lifted in high hopes. "After you guys talked yesterday and he was endlessly smiling. Jungkook, do you even realize your impact?"

His impact?

Jungkook was just a photographer from Busan. He somehow befriended Korea's top model and slid into an entirely new world with the friendship. His whole life had changed because of Taehyung's impact. But his own impact?

"I told you this before," Hoseok patted his Jean clad thigh. "You brought out that smile that had been buried away. His real, no-cameras, big boxy smile. His laugh."

Jungkook's impact.

A smile. A laugh.

To lose one's laugh was to lose their greatest sign of happiness.

To bring it back— well, Jungkook did understand how grateful the world was.

"Whatever plan this is of yours," Hoseok addressed. "Just remember that scars don't ever fade away completely. You just learn to love them."

Yoongi nodded in agreement. "It's pointless trying to take that pain away and revert him back to old Taehyung, which I assume is why you were asking."

Jungkook merely shrugged, nervous that his original plan was being altered by his hyungs.

But he understood what they meant.

"We don't feel pain to try and reverse time. You learn from it and keep going. Think about it," Hoseok smiled, eyes far from sad. "Taehyung had to go through what he did to meet you. Life has a plan. Just gotta let it keep moving."

"Why not take ahold of your life?" Jungkook frowned. "Take your life in the direction you want?"

"Think about it like freelancing and contracts." Yoongi tapped his chin in thought and the youngest was immediately drawn into the comparison. "You get resources and backing in contracts, but you aren't living for just yourself anymore. You're connected to many other that rely on you so you have to do what's best for the big picture. Freelancing may keep you small and limited, but you can be independent and take the choices you want without hesitation."

"That makes sense actually." Jungkook nodded eagerly. "I want him to love himself again. That's the whole premise basically. And contracts... even if he's bound to a whole web of people, he can't lose himself in that web. Right now he lets perfection guide him and the celebrity world doesn't really help."

"It never will. People made perfect celebrities the normal, so anything but isn't right. We all experience the implications of that."

"So what can I do?"

"Take him out of this world. Make him feel like he's a normal guy. Like he can eat street food and shop in small boutiques, go for walks in parks and get messy in the rain." Yoongi sighed tiredly, propping his head up with an elbow on the armrest. "Make him feel human and he can feel that appreciation for life again."

Jungkook had been right a month ago. The world's chess game had him playing as an empty shell of a pawn.

Pawns couldn't do anything but sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the queen— in this case, fans. The media. His image. BigHit's image. Everything outside of himself tugging at his puppet strings.

Take him out of the shell that he's trapped within. Make him live for the wonders of life rather than strive for constant perfection.

The world would rather have Taehyung than a pawn pretending to be perfect.

Jungkook had his new plan.

—

sope power duo best friends
and advisors

jin's traveling for work if
you missed that line :)