"I hear the ocean from far away. Across the dream, past the woods. I'm going to the place that's getting clearer.Take my hands now, you are the cause of my euphoria.

0:00 |───────── 3:49

|◁ II ▷|

Rein's eyelashes fluttered open, the morning light filtered through them in her sleep. Robins sat by the window, twittering for her to wake up, and so she did. When she got her bearings, she didn't know what to think. The pair were both naked and tangled in the sheets (and each other). It was difficult to remove herself from him, but once she did, she took a hot shower and brushed her teeth, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Her head swam with the aftershock of it all. Her whole entire body was sore, especially around her inner thighs. Guilt gnawed at her as painfully as her hunger as she whisked her eggs, almost breaking the bowl in the process.

I was so stupid. What was I even thinking? Did I really tell him I love him? And did he say it back?

Yes to all of that, she replied in her own head. She wanted to be with him, that was for certain. She couldn't imagine him with anyone else, nor could she imagine herself with anyone else.

Then why are you holding yourself back?

Before she could answer that question, Namjoon came stumbling into the kitchen, his hair disheveled, his eyes steady on her. He had managed to put his underwear back on and was just putting his shirt on as well when he walked in.

Rein couldn't help but stare. As he rounded a corner, she could see the scratch marks she made from the night before, now a written testimony of his skills.

"Good morning," Namjoon said, his voice slightly raspy from just waking up. She looked up from the bowl and smiled.

"Had a good sleep?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, thank you for asking. It was nice to sleep next to someone. It's been a while," he said. She gulped and turned back to her eggs.

"I guess so." Namjoon came up from behind her and made her set the bowl down, then turned her around.

"Don't tell me nothing's wrong, because I know you too well for that. What's bothering you, jagiya?" he asked. She sighed; it would serve them both no good if she was passive-aggressive about her true feelings.  

"Do you regret what happened last night?" Rein asked frankly. Namjoon met her eyes.

"Not if you don't," he said. Relief washed over her like a godsend. It felt almost silly to get worried about what would turn out to be nothing.

"Well, I don't," she said with a smile. He smiled back and came over to kiss her softly, the passion from the day before replaced with love and tenderness.

She could get used to this. Her time of doubt was finally over.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Over the next year or so, Namjoon and Rein grew as close as they were before the conscription, if not closer. They moved in together by the middle of the year, and Namjoon was eager to shed the homely but cramped apartment he had lived in. Besides, Rein had more than enough space for the both of them in her lonely little mansion. It was nice to have company other than celebrity guests and her own mind.

Namjoon showed her how to trust and how to grow, to reflect on the things inside and express it. Rein showed him how to appreciate the things on the outside, like the wind and waves, how softly the leaves blew in the fall, and to internalize it to inspire him. His calculated demeanor fell when he was with her, and her freedom-seeking spirit grounded itself when she was with him.

Where he was weak, she was strong. Where she could not stand, he could haul her back to shore.

But that didn't mean they didn't have their own demons to battle. Rein and her mom were working to restore their relationship back to where it was, and so far, it was slow work, calling every day to ease her mother's insecurities and biting her tongue when she had to. Depression still perched upon her shoulder as a force only visible to her and to Namjoon. It crept up when she least expected it, and it took everything not to sink further in.

Namjoon was isolated from everything he had ever known. Though he had connections in LA and his solo career was taking off faster than anyone could have predicted, the crippling loneliness made for long nights of reflection. Staying in his mind all day did something to him, and it was up to Rein to pull him back out when he sank too deep.

Sometimes, it felt like two drowning people were trying to save each other while both were held down by chains. But other times, it felt like two angels making their way up to heaven, just waiting to taste the sweetness of the skies up above.

They took up the habit of taking long walks along the path surrounding Rein's house, a beautiful path filled with enough foliage to keep her satisfied. They talked about all the pointless things in their day to the thoughts in their battling minds. The comfort of having someone like each other was enough to make them keep going, and so they did.

On one of these days, they got to their favorite spot (a hill Rein just knew would be theirs) just in time to see the sunset. Their conversation crawled to a slow, then a stop, as they both appreciated the last bit of light in the day.

"I miss them," Namjoon said suddenly. Rein tilted her head.

"Miss who?" she asked.

"The band," he replied, staring out into the golden sun. His hair shimmered a faded bronze, and his eyes held pools of memories that seemed so long ago. Even in sadness, he looked like a picture.

They had talked about this before, going to see them sometime. It was seldom brought up in conversation because Rein knew she didn't need to rub salt in the wound. They talked about how nice it would be to visit Korea again and to see all of the sights together as a couple. But then reality kicked in, and they would measure all the reasons why they couldn't go in their heads until the conversation was forgotten altogether.

Work, schedules, busy in general. They were poor excuses to cover up the fact that Namjoon didn't want to confront what he left behind in fear of wanting to go back.

"Maybe you should pay them a visit then," she suggested after a while. He turned to her, surprised.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not sure how I'm going to schedule the time..." he said.

"If it really matters that much to see your best friends, you can make the time, Namjoon," she said, "and this is important to you. And we can take the trip together if you want."

"Are you sure?" he asked. There was no room for excuses this time, no backing out.

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't. So, what do you say?" she replied.

"Of course I want that. I wouldn't have it any other way," Namjoon said with a grin. Rein smiled back; she wondered how she ended up like this with him on this hill, just like the one in Seoul, with the same person that meant more to her than she could ever put into words.

The evening ended with a cool breeze as the lights dwindled away into nothingness, illuminating the way back home.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Namjoon and Rein paid Seoul a visit a few months later for a band reunion. Ms. Cho was opposed at first, with Rein's career at its peak at that point. Quitting now would be very unwise, according to her. However, with some carefully worded persuasion from the two of them, she reluctantly agreed that a three-week vacation wouldn't kill her.

After much deliberation, the pair decided to surprise the six BTS members backstage during one of their Seoul concerts. They had recently come out with their new album, one they had been saving for Namjoon's return from the military to increase the hype surrounding its release.

The security guarding the entrance to the backstage area gave no fuss in letting them in. All that was left to do was wait for the band to finish performing. The ceiling slightly thumped along with the electronic music resonating above them.

"Jagiya, listen," Rein said with a grin, "You can hear Yoongi if you concentrate." Namjoon tilted his head, then smiled.

"Yep, that's him. Funny to think I've almost forgotten what he sounded like..." He trailed off and his eyes glazed, misted over by a faint past. She patted him on the shoulder. Though he tried to conceal it, it was obvious how nervous he was.

"You'll be able to see them again soon. It'll be worth the wait," she said.

"I hope so," he said. They waited patiently as the bass continued to drown out their thoughts.

She hoped so, too.

Passing the time backstage was excruciating, each pause between sets seeming like an eternity, and the closing song couldn't have come any sooner. An hour and a half later, the music stopped and the cheering extinguished into a dull murmur. Rein's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach, but she thought this was in a good way. Namjoon's face twisted into excitement, then anxiousness, then excitement again. He kept picking at his fingers, which surprised Rein; she didn't know he had any habits.

"Hey, hey... Here they come," she said, nudging him. With a gulp, he stood up straight as the six people he knew best came strutting down the hallway, Jin leading the group. When his eyes landed on Namjoon, he stopped in his tracks, making everyone stumble after him.

"Dude, you made me almost fall-" Yoongi's mouth dropped open. "Holy... N-Namjoon." Namjoon gave them a crooked smile.

"Hey, guys," he said, raising his arm in a small wave. Jimin was the first one to rush forward and crush him in a hug, accidentally pushing Rein away in the process. She caught herself on the wall and looked toward the other members.

"I'm here, too," she added. Yoongi walked toward her with a devilish smirk, and she realized it had been so long, so long, since she'd seen any of them. They looked older now, and she could see some of their youth ebbed away. (except for Jungkook, of course, who was just getting started. But even then, his childlike innocence faded somewhat.) She suspected that Jin would soon start his own solo career at the ripe age of 28, following Namjoon's footsteps.

One by one, the members crowded around the two of them, bombarding them with questions about their new life. Jimin was the keenest one of them all, asking about five questions every ten seconds, and Rein started to wonder if he actually wanted to hear the answers to his own inquiries.

"Didn't think you'd still be with this loser," Yoongi joked, elbowing Namjoon in the ribs lightly.

"Yeah, I gotta say, I'm surprised as well," Jin said. "Most people don't stay together after two years of distance." Rein shrugged.

"What can I say? We're in it for the long haul, I guess," she said. Namjoon's eyebrows shot up as he looked at her, apparently not expecting that answer.

Shit. I hope I'm not being too clingy, she thought as she bit her lip. It wasn't like she had ever thought about the long haul, whatever that meant. It was just never a conversation that had come up between the two of them. Thankfully, she didn't have to think about it for long, as Yoongi had something to say.

"Why don't we go somewhere other than a sweaty backstage area to talk?" he suggested, gesturing to the space around them, though the air was perfectly fine to Rein.

"I'm pretty sure it's not the backstage that's sweaty, Yoongi oppa," she said with a playful wink. Yoongi rolled his eyes and was about to come up with a biting remark when Jin interrupted them.

"Alright, how about this? We're going to take a shower at the house, then go over a plan of what we're going to do afterward, 'cause there's no way I'm going to make your trip for nothing," Jin said. Namjoon patted him on the shoulder affectionately.

"My hyung, so grown up," he said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Jungkook giggled.

"Trust me, he's not that grown-up when it comes to anything else," he said, laughing as Jin made to grab him. He weaved through everyone, settling to hide behind Jimin in the end.

"Damn, it's just like old times, isn't it?" Namjoon said, and the room fell suddenly silent. In a way, he was right. The dynamics hadn't changed, but even he had to know that it wasn't the same, and it never would be. After two years, he and the band had surely gotten distant, and with his new solo career, it was harder to imagine them being perfectly fine.

Rein wasn't sure if he was going to address this, but by the expression on his face, it was just about to come.

"Before we go, I just wanted to tell you guys... I'm really sorry for leaving y'all and bringing it up before leaving for the military. I... I didn't even know things were going to work out like this. I can only ask you guys for your forgiveness," Namjoon said and hung his head. The members looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, Hoseok spoke up, the brightest one of the group.

"I think I speak for the whole group when I say there's nothing you have to apologize for. You did what you thought was right, and it's only fair, as your friends, that we support you through it. And anyway, it's not like you left without warning. You act as if you just abandoned us out of the blue," he said.

"We love you, and we will always love you. We're a team, even in parting. Right, guys?" Jimin said. The band nodded and brought everyone in for a group hug, leaving Rein to observe, which she was more than fine with doing. 

These were the boys she remembered. The people who would do anything for each other, the brothers not tied by something so minor like blood, but by sheer will alone, by an unbreakable bond tied to the heart.

They were bulletproof. Nothing could shatter them.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The band, Namjoon, and Rein decided to go to a restaurant and eat some Korean barbecue to catch up, abandoning BTS' pre-planned after party. They chose seats in the corner to avoid attention, then started talking. There was much to catch up on, as they had two years worth of events to get through.

Jin recently took on the role of leader of BTS, and he was enjoying it thoroughly so far, as he now had the power of hyung and group leader on his side now. Although, he said with a tint of forlornness in his voice, it wasn't the same without Namjoon to keep the maknaes in line.

Additionally he had a breakout role on a drama as the main love interest to Kim Ji-Won, a famous Korean actress. With so much star power in one show, the ratings shot through the roof until Jin didn't know what to do with the amount of casting requests.

The makenaes all released solo albums which did incredibly well in both the Korean and international market. They were known as the dynamite trio: everything they touched was gold, no matter how ridiculous the project looked. Taehyung got some acting jobs on the side, and his fame as playing the main love interest, a troll (yes, a ridiculous project, indeed) in a nationally acclaimed movie made him even more critically acclaimed.

Jungkook and Jimin bought an apartment together, then adopted 3 dogs and cats to boot. Jungkook began focusing more on a solo singing career, while Jimin teamed up with Hoseok to create an elite dance studio with their names on it. He modeled on the side here and there, and with his already massive singing career, he didn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.

Yoongi produced beats for more and more big-name artists, making his work in high demand by not just the solo K-pop community, but also the west. Seeing his name on an album was synonymous with a work of art. Spurred by his new connections, he also became the best English speaker in the band, as he took up to studying the language with fervor soon after Namjoon left.

On top of opening the dance studio, Hoseok released an album featuring both his rapping and vocals, which landed him more singing roles within BTS, by request of fans. The barriers between who sang, who rapped and who danced seemed to fall away as the years went by, Taehyung getting more rap roles in turn, to his pleasure.

"So, how are the love lives?" Rein piped at one point, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I have a girlfriend now," Hoseok said with a grin.

"Me too," Jin said.

"And," Yoongi added, "we all know that Taehyung's been in a long-term relationship with his right hand. Or, do you use your left hand for that?" he said, earning a punch on the arm, which was sure to leave a mark.

"And, um, obviously, we're..." Jimin started, then grabbed Jungkook's hand with a shy smile. "Together."

"What? Really? I had no idea!" Namjoon said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. It didn't work, and Rein jabbed him in the ribs. No one else seemed to notice through all of the excitement.

"I don't know how they kept the secret for so long. I mean, I think we always suspected, but it was never definite," Taehyung remarked. Rein and Namjoon glanced at each other with embarrassed smiles; of course, they had known right from the start.

"Wait, what is that look?" Hoseok asked, eyeing them with suspicion in his eyes.

"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" Namjoon asked Rein in English, purposely speaking fast so that the others couldn't understand it well. While everyone puzzled over deciphering the words, Yoongi shook his head.

"That won't work on me. Now, answer Hoseok's question," he replied, also in English. After an awkward pause, Rein cleared her throat.

"Do you guys remember the New Year's party on the ferry? Only a few of you guys went," she said.

"Oh, yeah! I'm pretty sure you, Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin, and... Who else..." Taehyung trailed off. Then, his eyes widened. "Jungkook. Jungkook went, too." Rein nodded slowly.

"Yep. And, uh, Jimin, do you remember what you and him did at that party?" she asked, holding back laughter as both Jungkook and Jimin flushed. She didn't think she had ever seen that shade of red before.

"Are you fucking serious? It was that long ago?" Taehyung asked, the slightest hint of hurt in his voice. "And you guys didn't tell me?!" Jungkook shrugged, embarrassed.

"We didn't know how you guys would react... It's not like gay people do that well with coming out here..."

"Plus, we can't predict how the fans will react. We don't want anything tainting BTS' name," Jimin said, a protective arm around Jungkook's shoulder. Yoongi put his fist down on the table.

"I don't understand why people even give a shit. Why is love controversial? Okay, you guys are fucking. Who cares?" he growled.

"Thank you for that amazing explanation on gay rights, hyung," Jimin said.

Yoongi folded his arms defensively, grumbling, "Hey, I'm just saying. Homophobic people fucking piss me off."

"Well, as long as you guys are happy, I'm happy," Namjoon said, smiling at Jimin and Jungkook. The couple looked at each other, and Jungkook leaned in to kiss Jimin on the cheek.

"We are," he said, nothing but love in his eyes.

The night continued after that, filled with laughter and dug-up memories. It was indeed like old times.

▁ ▂ ▃ ▄ ▅ ▆ █ 100 %

A/N: 안녕 여러분! Only one more chapter left of euphoria! How is everyone liking it so far? Please leave your thoughts inline!

QOTD: What would you like to see in my new Yoongi fanfic, "Side Effects"?

Anything you liked or disliked, please put it in the comments! Anything in general, ranging from character development to certain scenes that stuck with you. I would like to make SE the best it can possibly be. One thing I notice needs a change for the new fanfic is the plot and overall creativeness. This one is pretty generic so I think I can really spice it up and show all of my literary talents in the next one!

Until next time, happy reading!

- Haneul xoxo