32. Surprise

Monday Morning, 30th. March. 2015

"Joonie, why did you hurt me?"

The red velvet rippled over the oak. Strong arms embrace my fallen form as I lay there, weeping on the floor. Grandeur surrounds us, but it's the tale of a heartbroken princess. His hold on me tightens as he apologizes repeatedly, his voice cracking. My heart bleeds with every beat. His body is stiff like a corpse. He raises his arm, metal glints in the corner of my eye.

Suddenly the crack fire of a gun wakes me.

Everything crumbles.

I open my eyes and it's dark. I'm surrounded by the softness of my bed, but I'm covered in sweat. It must've been a nightmare. My skin crawls at the lingering dread that lives in me. It feels all too real. This moment feels so lonely, frightening. Much like when I watched my apartment burning to ashes. Much like when I was shot in my waking life, it was not confined to being just a figment of my imagination.

As I watched the flames dance, engulfing my home, Yoongi had been beside me, easing my pain. He'd watched with me from across the street. His presence… I wanted to be wrapped up in that safety he always provided me with right now.

Would it be okay to call him?

I grabbed my phone off the bedside table to see it was 3am. I hesitated, but the dread in my heart pushed me to try a text.

Jia: Yoongi… are you sleeping?

I lay there for a moment in the stillness. My phone screen lit up in the dark, illuminating the tucked away space my bed was in.

Yoongi: No, is everything okay?

Jia: I had a nightmare..

Yoongi: Do you want me to come over?

Jia: Isn't it too late?

Yoongi: It's never too late for you. I'll be there soon

Even though my new apartment was identical to my last one, it just didn't feel the same. That comfort I'd taken in it just didn't feel as settled. Then again, it was my first night after the fire.

Maybe I just needed to give it more time.

As I tucked my phone under my pillow and lay there in the dark, my mind drifted to the thought of Yoongi. The first time I met him, I accidentally had been caught listening to him play a beautiful melody on the piano. The way he'd told me to leave was so cold, yet, these days, he was the complete opposite.

He's saved me from being pushed off the school building. Protected me from bullies, let me cry on his lap. Back then, I hadn't known him as well and had felt embarrassed. Even now, saving me from a fire... He always protected and comforted me. The feelings of these events I reminisced on stirred inside me, growing in affection for him.

Without fail, when I was in danger, it was always Yoongi. Was that why I'd thought of him first when I woke up? When I felt sick to my stomach from horrible dreams…

There was still so much I didn't know about him. So much more he held in, kept close to himself. It always seemed that way. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know why he never turned me away when he saw me struggling or going through a hard time.

Why all of them did the same in their own, unique ways. It reminded me of my dream of Tae Hyung at the hospital, how he'd come to see me just after my accident, and why he'd said the things he had. Curiosity bubbled over as time went on, and, despite my life being turned upside-down with the fire, I hadn't forgotten my revelations just before the incident.

Not at all. Further into the unknown, I plunge.

I was startled when I heard the knock on the door. It took a moment for me to remember that it was Yoongi and that he was on his way over.

When I opened the door, he stood there in the dead of the night. I could hear only the sound of crickets from the garden below. He put down his hood and gave me a faint smile, so I stepped aside and let him inside.

After closing the door, I turned around to be met with him standing there, looking at me plainly.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"A little shaken, but not as bad as when I first woke up," I admitted. It was so quiet with just the two of us standing there. I hadn't even turned any lights on, my apartment was illuminated solely by the full moon that was out tonight. It painted his skin a milky white, but his eyes held a dark warmth as they considered me.

"You've been through so much. I…" the hand he'd raised to tuck a strand of my hair back faltered and he stopped mid-sentence, as though catching himself from saying something he shouldn't.

"What is it?" I asked, unsure whether it was wise to call him over. Was this too much? What was he thinking?

"No, it's nothing," he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before placing an arm around my shoulder. "Should we lie down and try to get some sleep? It's getting late. Or should I say early?"

I chuckled, letting him guide me back towards my bed, and crawled in first. Yoongi followed into the space beside me and got comfortable.

The small space between us closed as he pulled my head into his chest, as though it was a natural feeling.

"Yoongi?" I asked. He simply hummed my name back in questioning. I could tell he was sleepy, which made me think he'd been asleep when I'd messaged.

"Why are you always so quick to come to my rescue?"

"Isn't it obvious? Do I really need to answer that?"

"It's not.. that's why I'm asking.."

He let out a soft sigh and ran his fingers through my hair.

"You're not stupid. You already know the answer in your heart"

His words sat in the air and my heart beat steadily. He was a master at avoidance, just like Tae. But, if he was telling me to rely on the feelings in my chest. There was only one simple answer.

"Now, no more questions. Time for this precious girl to get some rest" The rasp in his voice only soothed me with his sweet talk. He was right. My eyes were heavy and my muscles ached with weariness.

"Sweet dreams, Yoongi," I mumbled into his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and inhaled his scent with one deep, relaxing breath.

"Sweet dreams baby"

__________________________

In my dreariness, I faintly remembered Yoongi saying he had to leave early in the morning. After waking up I felt much better, which was a relief considering I had to go to class today.

During the day, I found some time to check my computer. I was relieved to find that it was still working. But, as I browsed through my emails, I came across one from YG notifying me they were terminating my contract. Basically giving me a redundancy notice but the wording why was so vague that I didn't understand why.

It was quite the hit, but, when I contrasted it with everything else going on in my life, it was the least of my worries. I still had my contact with Big Hit, not to mention, it'd proved harder than I'd initially thought to keep up with sending lyric material to both companies. So, perhaps it was for the best. It would leave me with more time to focus on the boys and writing songs for them.

Which seemed to not be going so well, either? I had written nothing I was happy with as of late. I'd sent through the work I had but, knowing it wasn't to the standard I held did nothing for my confidence.

Especially when I'd heard firsthand the quality of songs they were using for their upcoming album. I needed to meet the challenge, and soon. The deadline was slowly approaching and it wouldn't be long before they finalized the track list.

It wasn't until sunset that I finished for the day and trudged home. Well, I wasn't even sure I considered my new apartment home yet…

The air was tepid, and the night was early, but the street lamps lit the street as I walked down the small backstreets. A few people passed me by, but mostly it was much more peaceful and private than the bustle of the other side of the campus where I used to live.

When I got closer, I saw some commotion happening across the street to my place. There was a large van and a bunch of guys carrying furniture and bags inside the complex, which was identical to mine. The building only had one level above like mine, but there was only one entrance which led me to believe it was a double story unit.

The closer I got, the more familiar my new neighbors appeared through the darkness that was setting. Until my jaw nearly dropped to the ground, and I came to a halt out the front of my gate. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Wha- What?" I stammered. It was them, moving into the apartment right across the street from mine.

Jungkook and Namjoon were carrying a wardrobe into the house. I noticed their managers helping with other random items. Jimin and Tae were bickering as they carried boxes of shoes…

What the hell were they doing moving into the place across the street from me?! Excitement mingled with utter disbelief. This couldn't really be happening, could it?

"Jia!" Hobi called out to me. He'd spotted me as he jumped out of the back of the removal van, a rice cooker in his hands.

"Hobi? What's happening?! What're you guys doing here?"

"Oh, funny story, actually. We decided it was about time we moved into a more spacious place." He beamed, coming to a stop before me, shifting the rice cooker to be cozily tucked under an arm.

"Jia! You're home from class! How was your day? Behaving yourself, I hope," Jin's voice heartily cut in as he approached, excitement radiating as he stopped beside Hoseok.

I looked between the two, still trying to process this as real.

"What? I feel like I'm hallucinating. Did I miss something? Or are you actually my new neighbors?" I tilted my head in confusion. My response seemed to not be what they were expecting, but they brushed it aside as though it didn't matter.

"I know right! We're neighbors now. Couldn't imagine anything more wonderful!" Jin laughed, patting me on the shoulder before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me across the street with them.

This was all being made to be so nonchalant that I snorted in laughter. I mean, he was right. I was so shocked that I hadn't thought of how good a thing this actually was.

"So, what do you think of our new place?" Hobi asked, striding to the other side as we crossed the road.

As I looked up at the unit, all the lights were on and I could see figures walking around, moving furniture as though they really were moving in. This was happening. BTS were my new neighbors.

"Well, it already looks much more spacious. That, and now I can come hassle you guys more often" I chuckled cheekily, thoughts of how I could easily bother them already flooding my mind. It all seemed too coincidental but, it's not like I could see anything negative about it so, why wouldn't I be happy about it?

"There are more rooms. A few of us will still need to share, but it beats the hell out of sleeping in one room," Jin exasperated. I'd only stayed a short time with them, but it was enough to get a clear idea of how cramped it got…

I pushed the thought of being pinned between vmin aside. The thrill of having to be quiet while they double assaulted me that time isn't exactly what I needed to be thinking about at a time like this. Speaking of, the two in question had just noticed me as they came back out the front door and were heading our way as they casually waved at me.

"Fancy seeing you here," Jimin smiled cheekily. Tae shot me a killer smirk, as though he was thinking about what I had done moments ago. God, they were too dangerous for their own good.

"Well, technically I was here first, so shouldn't I be saying that to you?" I laughed. Jimin gave a wink and then Namjoon called Jin over, so he excused himself for a moment and left.

"Don't get the wrong idea. We had no clue the place we'd decided on was across the street until we got here," Jimin explained, and Hobi nodded along.

"Yeah. We really didn't, should've seen our faces when we pulled up at the address and I told them you lived right there" Hobi went on, eyes widening as he gestured over to my apartment as he pointed back.

Tae had side-stepped closer to me and wrapped his arm slowly around my mid whilst the others had been talking, gently fiddling with the loose fabric of my oversized jumper.

"I wanna see your new place. Besides, you've had a long day. Let me carry your bag" Tae peered down at me. As soon as there was a break in the conversation, it seemed like he wanted to pull me away. But he had a point. I was tired and my bag was hurting my shoulders.

"Is it okay with you two if I quickly go back inside and drop off my things? Oh! Come to think of it, have you eaten dinner yet?" I asked Jimin and Hoseok, in which they said they hadn't discussed it yet, seeing as they were trying to get as much of their furniture transferred to the new house tonight.

"We probably won't even be able to move the other half of it until tomorrow." Hoseok looked back as the other continued to carry bags which seemed to be full of clothes.

"Mm. We'll be back soon" Tae said, the other two perfectly fine with him escorting me back to unwind. They were also keen to get back to helping the others.