| locker room ;

"New house rules!" Jin, the team's chaos neutralizer, took the center of the room and held up a newly updated list of rules.

The boys pushed each other's back as they try to view the list that was pinned up on the bulletin board by the coach's personal office inside the locker room.

"No brawls, no horse playing inside, turn off the showers/faucet after use, ventilate after taking a dump, no girlfriends allowed inside, ABSOLUTELY NO FORNICATION, clean as you go.." Taehyung read the long list but didn't finish until the end, "It's the same old list."

"Um no." Jin replied, having all eyes on him. "The new rule is number 24."

Heads all turned back to the piece of paper hanging on the bulletin board, eyes scanning to the bottom most part;

24) Privacy must be respected at all times

Jimin laughed, "Since when do we need privacy around here?"

"Yeah." Taehyung nodded in agreement with his best bud, "We've all seen each other's dicks at some point, right?"

"Have you all forgotten? Some of us don't have dicks." Jungkook said, walking past behind me with a smirk. I sent him a glare which he just shrugged off.

"Ohh right. We have a girl in the team now." Taehyung said with a huge smile but it didn't justify the things he said earlier.

I couldn't get it off my mind but they are guys so I guess it's okay to see each other's private parts.

"Rules are boring." Namjoon said as we all returned to what we were doing before which was polishing the bats and helmets, "But having Vee in the team makes it more fun. A win-win situation for us."

"Min Yoongi! You're making the juniors do your share of the work again?" Jin found Yoongi sleeping in the towel closet. "Get out this instant."

"So much for my afternoon nap." Yoongi groaned as he crawled out of his newly found hiding place, "I have my own circumstances, you know. Be more considerate."

"Considerate my ass." Jin told Yoongi, earning a frown from the younger one. He handed him a cloth, "Quit whining and start working."

Namjoon nudged Yoongi's side, "He just wants to finish early so he can go see his girlfriend." He said and then they both grinned, reading each other's dirty minds.

"Sydney was right. Boys say the stupidest things." I mumbled quietly, but when I met Hoseok's eyes and that smile of his, I knew he heard what I said. "Did you hear?"

"Maybe? Maybe not?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled while we worked, "But still, boys will be boys. That's just how it is."

🌸

I went home with Sydney today because we didn't have practice and it's been awhile since she stayed over. We took the subway like average students and then walked from the station to our unit.

It wasn't hard to get familiar with the city, especially because my childhood best friend, Sydney, who I was reunited with a year ago, was helping me adjust. This city was my
Mom's home, so my Dad and I are both still undergoing some changes. It was my decision to live here, my Dad didn't want to but I insisted because I wanted to be closer to my mom, at least closer to her home where I could still feel her presence.

Our unit was at the twenty fourth floor. I input the pass code and came inside, "Dad, I'm home! Sydney's here too, she's staying over."

"Hi Syd! It's been awhile since you visited." Dad peeked in the hallway to greet us. "Come in. You can join us later for dinner."

"Thanks Mr. Yoo and yeah, it's been awhile." She replied as we followed him to the kitchen where there was a rare occasion happening.

"You girls get cleaned up. Dinner will be served soon." Dad added as he checked on his dish in the oven.

Sydney followed closely as we made our way to our room. She grabbed my arm, "Your Dad is cooking dinner. Are we going to be okay?"

"Relax. I'm alive, aren't I?" I gave her a smile which didn't help, "Dad joined a cooking class last month. He knows what he's doing now. At first I was worried, you should've seen the inedible things he concocted when he was just starting but now he's pretty much okay. So we'll be fine. You might even like his cooking."

We changed clothes in my room and then headed to the living room to talk about what happened with Hoseok yesterday and the awkward stuff that happened with him today. How I was forced to confess the thing about my dad being a legendary baseball player back in his glory days; back when my mom was still around.

"You did what again??" Sydney shouted and I craned over my shoulder because my dad is just in the kitchen.

"Everything okay, girls?" Dad checked in on us when he heard Sydney yell.

"Yep, we're fine, just talking about Syd's new crush." I said. Syd and I both nodded until he was out of sight then I turned to Syd, "Keep your voice down. Dad might hear."

She slumped down on the recliner while I did the same in the couch. We both stared at my dad's trophy collection, not speaking at all. My dad was called a prodigy when he was in high school. He was so proud of his hard earned medals and countless trophies of his youth, which now decorated the living room walls of our humble urban home.

"I guess you did the right thing.." Sydney spoke again, breaking the short silence, "They will eventually find out. I mean, your dad is internationally famous."

"My thoughts exactly." I replied and then sighed. "Hoseok promised not to tell but why do I still feel so worried?"

"Are you scared that he'll tell on you or are you actually afraid that it might happen again?" She asked, looking at me.

"Both?" I answered without certainty.

"You've got big trust issues." She joked and it somehow made me laugh.

"You're right though." I uttered as I closed my eyes, hugging my knees to my chest, "I'm scared that it will happen again. I'm afraid to feel wanted by many and then all of a sudden ostracized by all. Just like what happened last year at my old school." I opened my eyes and thought deeply, "I like our school and all the people there. I like my teammates, even our team captain who's so determined to kick me out of the team. I like being with you again, Syd. That's why I'm scared. I don't want to leave again. I don't want to move away again. I want to keep living here, in the city where my mom grew up."

Dad has called us up for dinner and sat together on the table. He was extremely happy having Sydney over because I'm not gonna lie it has been quite depressing with just the two of us in our huge unit.

"Venus, do you mind leading the prayer?" Dad nodded at my direction.

Sydney wasn't a Catholic but she just followed along, extra points for being considerate. She smiled at me before I started the prayer before meals, "Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gift, from which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

"So how was school today, Venus?" Dad started.

He was away last week and we were planning to catch up this week by going to a ski resort but I had to make up excuses because of the practices.

"Everything's fine at school." I smiled at him, eating the casserole he made. "This is good, by the way."

"Thanks sweetie." Dad replied before it was Sydney's turn to be interviewed, "Did you girls join any clubs? Vee was talking about something like a travel club. Did you join too?"

"A travel club?" Sydney froze and gave me a look before she nervously let out a chuckle, "Ah. Yes, the travel club. I did join."

"Well? Where have you gone so far?" Dad was buying everything, not even suspicious for a single second while Sydney was already having indigestion as the lies kept building up.

After dinner, we were left to clean up. I washed the dishes and she dried them off with a cloth.

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't think he'd remember that." I told Sydney with a look she can't resist. "But you were really quick on tour feet. You saved me again, my hero!"

"That's not for free." She said.

"Name your price." I flashed her a grin. Money was not a problem for me since Dad was never strict with money. "Lunch? Movie date? A trip? Just name it."

She shook her head no at all my suggestions and then a playful smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "I want Park Jimin."