"Am I wrong, fallin' in love with you? Tell me, am I wrong?"

0:00 |───────── 3:33

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Rein opened the door, wearing the biggest smile she could manage.

"Hey, guys! It's a bit early to be coming in, isn't it?" she asked, holding her arm awkwardly. She could feel Namjoon's gaze burning into her skin.

"We came in early to work on the choreo," Hoseok said with a smirk. "Seems like you were taking a crack at it, too." All eyes were on her now, and she realized just how exposed she was.

Her heart was racing, and it wasn't because of the adrenaline.

"Improv is hard. You're pretty good," Namjoon said. He smelled like passion-fruit tea.

"Just pretty good?" she replied, teasing.

"Hey, I'm an honest guy," he said, raising a laugh from Rein. Hoseok put a hand on Namjoon's shoulder and grinned.

"I wouldn't take a compliment about dancing from him too seriously. He's the worst one out of all of us. Who you really should be listening to is me," he said with a chuckle. Namjoon shrugged his hand off and put his hands in his pockets, a shy smile lighting up his features.

She wouldn't have minded seeing that a little more.

"Well, we were just about to practice the choreography. If you practiced before, we could go over it together," Jimin said, gesturing to the group. Jungkook and Hoseok nodded.

"Yeah! Namjoon was gonna get some help from us. You should watch him fuck around for two hours. It'll be fun," Hoseok said.

No one seemed to be mortified to see her like this, so she came to the conclusion that it simply wasn't that big of a deal. Nothing had changed from the last time she saw them, all except for the thumping in her heart that would not go away, no matter how much she wished it to.

And when Kim Namjoon looked down to meet her eyes for a brief moment, she thought her chest would explode.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Um, I should probably go and work on... um..." She tripped over her feet and made a hasty recovery by leaning against the door, but the door gave in and opened wider, making her trip again. She stood up to see the boys' faces marred with worry, Jungkook's looking closer to horror.

"Hey, you okay?" Namjoon asked, steadying her with a hand. She brushed him off.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired, I think. You guys practice. I'm gonna go ahead and, uh, head out," she said, giving them an awkward wave.

Rein reevaluated her own behavior as she turned. Even as she walked away, she could feel their eyes boring into the back of her head. She knew she was acting suspiciously, but she couldn't stop. She had found out something about herself, something she wanted to keep buried. It was wrong, simple as that. It was wrong to be attracted to her co-worker.

How did she not see it before? How had she suppressed her feelings so much that she didn't even fully realize that attraction until now? The signs were all there; wanting to get close to him, how her heartbeats quickened when he touched her.

How she let go of her breath when those hands were no longer on her body, even for only a fleeting moment.

There's no possible way. I can't. I won't.

As long as you don't do anything, you're okay.

Yes. Her relationship with Kim Namjoon was a budding rose, one she wouldn't dare to scar with her muddled fingers. It was slow and beautiful and platonic, and she wanted to keep it that way. Whatever she was feeling now would have to be put aside. She couldn't acknowledge it yet.

But that was okay for now. She could live in denial for a little longer. It was comfortable. Safe, even. Her head ached when she thought about it, so she would not think about it at all.

When she saw Namjoon again, she knew she couldn't ignore it, which was why she had no choice but to leave. It was the most logical choice.

But is that what you want to do? Rein shook the thought off.

She was afraid of what her answer might have been.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Rein wiped the sweat off of her forehead and plopped on the couch, breathing comfortably in what seemed like hours. She and the other members had practiced their choreography per Mr. Son's request after brushing it up for a few days. By the end of the week, they were to be perfectly in sync, reducing the final practice to a formality of sorts.

    Her close proximity to Namjoon did not change, nor did it help with bettering her warring mind. Their relationship was a playful one, and so they did playful things, which included touching.

I'm in trouble, aren't I? Just with minimal contact, her head came out swimming. Every sense was sharpened, every sound and everything she saw quickening her heartbeats. She had to remember to not think about it, but she had to think about it to remember not to think about it, which just threw her for a loop.

The only thing she knew was that she could not, under any circumstances, give in. Even when she caught him looking in her direction when she was halfway across the room, or when they somehow found a way to brush their hands across each other's, she knew it was better to stay strong.

But it was getting harder to pretend everything was okay.

As she took off her stilettos, she saw Namjoon walking towards her. He was sweaty just like her, but it looked good on him somehow. His arms were muscular, and images of him working out leaped into her mind. He sat down next to her, heaving a sigh.

"Shit. That was something," he said. She gulped. Her chest was tightening. Before she could choke out a response, he talked again. "Well, I was going to the mini-fridge to grab some water. You need anything?"

"Nah, I'm okay. Thanks, though." She felt him shift from next to her.

Oh God. Nope.

"You know what? I'll go and get the water, just sit tight. I'll get you some, too," Rein said, leaving before he could get a word in.

She wracked her brain for what she could do as she opened the fridge door. Her hands were shaking.

Rein had come to terms with the fact that she was completely and irreparably spellbound. Her rational thoughts warped until they were spoiled and rotten. She was a fortress, and he was forbidden ivy, wrapping around her pillars until it choked out every single reason and excuse she managed to conjure up.

But it wasn't too late to stop... Whatever this was. She could fix it. It was nothing but a stupid crush, and it happened all the time. (At least, she hoped so.) As long as it didn't turn into anything more, she would be okay.

She returned to the couch, handing a water bottle to Namjoon. He thanked her and took a sip.

"So, I was thinking," he said, maintaining eye contact with her, "the other guys and I were gonna stay in for the night and have some drinks. I was wondering if you wanted to join." Rein realized he was essentially inviting her to his house.

Well, not quite, but close enough.

She thought about it. She did want to have fun with the others, but she was afraid. She didn't want anything to happen, and she knew how she got when alcohol was involved.

"I don't mean to be a prude or anything, but I'm not sure if mixing our personal and professional lives like this is a good idea," she said as delicately as possible. Namjoon shrugged, looking somewhat dejected.

"Yeah, yeah, that's cool. Maybe some other time," he said. She checked her watch. It was 3:55, five minutes until her driver picked her up. Namjoon looked at the clock on the wall.

"It's almost time for you to go, right?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Oh, okay then. Have a safe drive back." He stood up. She started to panic.

Is that it?

Oh, come on, her inner voice said with a roll of its eyes.

What?

You're a grown-ass woman. Act like it. She thought this valid, though harsh criticism from her conscious self. She knew the real reason she didn't want to go; she just didn't want to see Namjoon there. But she could be mature about her crush. She was a grown-ass woman, after all.

"You know what? Screw it," Rein said. Namjoon turned.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said, screw it. I'd love to go to the get-together. It'd be nice to relax for a bit," she said.

Namjoon grinned as he responded, "I'll make sure your manager knows our address."

"Can't wait."

Just then, her phone buzzed, signaling that her driver was at the front. She stood up to leave, facing Namjoon. He nodded once, turning halfway toward the entry.

"Well then, I'll see you later tonight, Ms. Jones," he said with a smile that told her he was sure of himself.

Kim Namjoon walked away then, each step he took pounding in her ears.

They were icy rain battering against the windowpane, so close, yet never able to reach its destination.

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A/N: What'll happen at the gettogether?? Hehehe.... Also, what do you guys think about the new BTS album?? I personally love it! My favorite song is probably Home. Just like... if a song could be aesthetic, that would be it lmao.

Anyway, let me know what you thought about this chapter! It's gonna get juicy in the next one, so STAY TUNED!