"I say it like a habit. We won't work in the end. Even so, I keep hoping, as long as I'm with you in the end as well, I'm okay."

0:00  |───────── 3:46

|◁ II ▷|

The colors of crimson and amber dissipated outside, mixing in to die with the other golden tones of autumn. Grey slush gathered in little clumps as if they were holding onto what little warmth they had.

The worst of winter approached like a death march, but strangely enough, it made Rein feel the most relaxed she had ever felt in the few months she had been in the city of Seoul. It was the time for cozy sweaters, hot chocolate, and stories that had no end. (plus, December was coming up which was her birthday month, so that was sweet)

Bighit started promotion on the new album—officially titled "Caged", though it wasn't completely finished yet—BTS going on various talk shows to drop sly hints about the project. She saw them on every screen she had access to, and it wasn't long before her social media flooded with surprised fans asking for more details about her collaboration with the boys. She tried to be as vague about it as possible while also appeasing the fans, but it only lead to a devolving of the situation.

Dating rumors sprouted, slowly but surely working their way up to Ms. Cho, who disregarded it as silly little theories.

"Don't worry yourself about it too much. The conspiracies never go anywhere. You know that," she said, giving her a knowing look. Rein had collaborated with male (and female) artists before, some of which whom she had more chemistry with than others. It had resulted in almost every interview she did asking about her previous "flames", in which she had to brush off with a casual smile.

After a few weeks of promotional interviews, Bighit wanted to release the concept photos and music video as soon as possible, so the boys stopped traveling to shoot. They were given a day or two to rest, then pulled onto the set for the first round of concept photos.

Rein was the first to arrive early, per Ms. Cho's request. At 6:30 AM, she was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. An assistant handed her her clothes, and she got to take a peek at what the others were wearing, seeing a pattern in the outfits: lace, poison and a dash of flowers. The clothes were to be a little more casual than the music video for "Love Me", but still embody the spirit and theme of the album: dark, twisted, and hopeless.

After muttering a few good morning's to each other as they had their makeup applied, (they were all too tired to speak properly) they were then led by another nameless assistant to the set. It was what could only be deemed as an intricate masterpiece.

There were cages big enough to fit a person each, and thick, black curtains covered the windows. Sunlight still streamed in through the cracks, giving the set a dark, forbidden feel to it, especially coupled with the fact that one couldn't observe the set without seeing the chains that littered the obsidian, glass-like floor.

Barely visible in the back was a small, white door, free of the chains and darkness. Instead, flowers and vines bloomed from the sides and top, crowning what the door represented: freedom, flight.

The boys gave their obvious approval of the set decorations, exploring every inch of the place with inquisitive eyes. A woman with a clipboard stepped out with a grin.

"How does everyone like it?" she asked. As the boys chided on how magnificent the set was, Yoongi leaned in towards Rein.

"Pretty kinky, don't you think?" he whispered, earning a laugh from her.

"We drew some inspiration from the 2016 'Wings' concept photos, but it'll be completely different from anything anyone's ever seen from BTS before, so I believe it'll make quite the edgy comeback," the woman said. Rein nodded, reflecting on the theme of the album. Though she knew she had no say in how the concept photos turned out, she was still satisfied with how everything looked.

"We're doing solo photos first, starting with Ms. Jones," the woman said. Hesitantly, she stepped onto the set, suddenly shy again. She noticed the boys looking at her, the camera trained on her body. She breathed in deeply, then exhaled, gaining control of herself.

You'll be fine. You've done this before.

Her eyes locked onto Namjoon's, who looked away as soon as she noticed him. Rein was glad her makeup could conceal the blush creeping up to her cheeks.

The woman directed Rein to do every single pose possible. She was made to lean against the cage and stare into the camera, then look up at the ceiling, pose inside the cage, look at herself from the floors, and pretend to go through the white door at the back.

When she was handed her schedule at the beginning of the day, she wasn't sure why four hours was necessary to take the photos, but now she understood. Bighit aimed for excellence, making her shift and readjust the slightest bit to capture the perfect shot. It frustrated her that the company would only use a fraction of the photos taken, after four long hours of effort.

After her session was done, Rein felt surprisingly tired, her energy ebbing already. She held out, though, watching the boys go one by one to take their solo photos. They got into their positions without having to be told how to sit or stand, and she realized this wasn't their first rodeo concerning this type of thing. They knew what Bighit wanted from them, and of course, they obliged. A spark of jealousy brewed as she realized their concept photos were taking half the time hers did. 

After the solo photos were taken, they were paired into groups of twos and threes, then posed like dolls along the cages. Rein was paired with Taehyung, then Jin.

For the last photo, she stood back to back with Yoongi as she looked up at Namjoon. It felt more intimate than it should have been, but the fire in Namjoon's eyes made it hard for her to keep steady eye contact with him. She had to look away at one point as the camera flashed, and the woman pursed her lips, scrutinizing the photo. However, her expression changed to surprise upon observing it further.

"That was good!" she said, giving them a thumbs up. Rein grimaced as Namjoon shifted away. Yoongi sensed the tension between them and turned around.

"You guys good back there?" he said, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"Everything's great!" Namjoon and Rein said at the same time. She could feel his body heat, smell the light scent of his cologne.

She wanted him. She wanted him so badly, yet she couldn't. She hadn't been denied many things in life, but the one time she wanted something, someone, like this, it slipped through the cracks of her fingers like fine sand, leaving nothing but an imprint on her hand.

Rein couldn't prove it, but the way Namjoon looked at her sometimes told her there was something more to their relationship than at first glance.

When the shoot was complete, they left the set and headed for the dressing rooms, ready to peel off their costumes for good. Rein was the first one out, as her outfit only had one layer, alternative to the others who had at least three to deal with. Namjoon was the second to step out, sporting a ragged shirt and jeans, which he somehow still looked good in. She gave him a halfhearted wave, to which he responded in kind. After an awkward beat, he pulled out his phone and looked at it too intently to be natural.

"Namjoon..." she said, trailing off as his eyes rested on hers. They seemed to say only one thing: Don't.

The cards were all on the table now. She knew what he knew. He knew what she knew. The memory of that kiss was on the tip of their tongue, and the word swirled around them until it created thick, smokey tension that they could not see through.

"Do you need tomorrow's schedule?" he asked curtly.

At least he answered me. Rein sighed.

Looking away, she muttered, "I... No. I can get it from my manager, or something." Namjoon cleared his throat.

"Cool, cool. I'll, uh, see you later, then," he said with a slow nod.

"Alright. Catch you later." She sat on a nearby chair, looking at her phone through her now blurring vision.

Well, that was awesome.

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A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending! Let me know what you thought about the chapter! Comments are much appreciated :3