XXVI. PHONE CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES

"Hello, have you seen V-sunbaenim?"

"Sunbae! Have you seen Taehyung?"

Gyeoul has been walking around the building for around ten minutes now with Niki from ENHYPEN followed her around to help her find his senior. Since the group was still fairly new to the building, she took it upon herself to try and make them more comfortable there. Now, they stuck to her like glue, just like their seniors.

"Maybe we should check the reception room again?" Niki suggested.

She nodded and they went all the way back to the first place they checked.

The man himself was right there, playing Just Dance as if they shouldn't be making a scheduled phone call right now.

The performance director couldn't help but laugh at her friend doing body rolls to Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande. "Good thinking, Niki. Thanks for helping me find him." Gyeoul praised, patting his head.

"Thank you too for everything, we're all going to miss you," he responded.

Gyeoul's mouth formed an 'o' and she pulled the younger dancer into a short hug, ruffling his hair before pulling away.

Niki smiled at her and Taehyung before leaving the room to give them some privacy.

"If you wanted to try learning those moves, you could have just asked me," Gyeoul joked, sitting down on the couch and throwing one of the pillows to his head.

Taehyung caught the pillow and threw it back, hitting her square in the face. He laughed, clapping his hands. When he tried to make his way to her, his foot got caught on the center table and he almost face-planted to the ground. It was now Gyeoul's turn to laugh out loud.

He playfully scowled at her as he plopped down beside her. "I was looking everywhere for you—"

"In the song list of Just Dance?"

Pulling out his phone, he gave her a look. "But then I heard from the staff that you were looking for me so I went to the first place you would have looked." He pursed his lips, unlocking his phone. "Turns out it was the last place you'd check."

Gyeoul wasn't even listening at that point. Her eyes were glued to the wallpaper on his phone.

It was her.

Probably one of the ones he's taken while they were in Daegu. It was a stolen shot, she figured, since she was looking away and the photo was a bit blurred. She was admiring the golden glow of the sunset to the breathtaking yellow of the ginkgo tree leaves, a wide smile on her face that turned her eyes into crescents.

Should she think of it as a sign that he may reciprocate her feelings or was she being a bit delusional? Did him using her as his wallpaper mean anything? Personally, her wallpaper varied ever since she started working in BigHit because everybody set their selfies there most of the time. Taehyung changed his wallpaper to her. Willingly. Did he put that there because he liked her or was she overthinking it?

"Daydreaming already? Darling, we have things to get done before we go."

Gyeoul was pulled away from her reverie and blinked repeatedly. She shook her head and brought her focus to the application Taehyung opened.

"Are we ready to call him?" Taehyung asked, scanning her features. Once she nodded, Taehyung clicked on the call button.

Once he did, their faces showed on the screen as they waited for the person on the other side to pick up.

Taehyung made an ugly face, making Gyeoul laugh. She covered her face and smacked his arm.

"If he sees you like that, the poor man would be traumatized."

"He adores me too much to the point that he can't see me as anything but an adorable kid."

Gyeoul snorted, shaking her head at him.

Suddenly, a familiar elderly man appeared on the screen, appearing to look at them with confused squinted eyes.

"I can't hear anything." They saw Mr. Seo talking to someone, presumably one of the volunteers in the retirement home, behind the phone.

"That's probably because we haven't said anything yet, Mr. Seo," Gyeoul chuckled, leaning closer to Taehyung so they would both be clearly visible on his face. "It's us! Taehyung and Gyeoul!"

"Wah, Mr. Seo, you look younger than the last time we saw you!" Taehyung complimented, showing a cheeky smile.

"Oh, hello, kids! How's everything?"

"Better than okay," Gyeoul answered. "I choreographed a new piece for the group for an award show."

"Really? That's great! When can I see it?"

"The one with her choreography, MMAs, will be on December 5, but we have another performance in MAMA the next day. Please, look forward to it," Taehyung said, doing an overdone aegyo and making Gyeoul feel cringe to the depths of her soul.

"Taehyung," Mr. Seo sighed, a kind smile on his face. "As cute as you are, please don't do that ever again."

Gyeoul and Taehyung burst out laughing, accidentally leaning forward diagonally at the same time that they accidentally bumped heads. The dancer let out a small 'ow,' still laughing while Taehyung let out a louder sound of pain. She reached up and caressed Taehyung's head, rubbing it dramatically as if he was a baby that hit his head.

"I'll definitely watch the award shows!" Mr. Seo continued, bringing the two friends out of their little world. "The other people here are only glued to their bingo and book readings. None of them wanted any fun. I had to convince the employees here to put Netflix on the TV even though I'm the only one using it. Old people I swear. I'm the only one here that knows the fan chants to pop groups."

Taehyung smiled, "Do your children visit you often?"

"They definitely do. It's like they can't spend a day without me."

"Isn't that a good thing, Mr. Seo?" Gyeoul asked.

"It is, but all of them are in Seoul with their families. I don't want to bother them by making them come all the way here when they're so busy with work."

The two friends shared a meaningful look.

"Why don't you transfer here?" Taehyung suggested.

"We considered it, but it'll be too much of a hassle. They have better things to do than dote on an old man."

"Maybe we can—"

"Aigo, you two shouldn't stress over me. I'm doing fine."

Gyeoul sighed, "But, Mr. Seo—"

"It was really nice talking to you kids again. Please don't worry so much about me." Their hearts melted as the elderly man smiled warmly. "I'll make sure to drag some of these old boring people along with me to support you."

"Thank you, it really means a lot that you'll be watching," Gyeoul said.

Nodding in agreement, he added, "Just knowing that you'll be watching is enough of a booster to motivate me to give my one hundred percent in all of our future performances."

"It's my pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to watch the last episode of Uncontrollably Fond before I have to go take a nap. Bye-bye, kids. I'll be seeing you."

With that, the call ended. Short and sweet.

Taehyung patted her thigh and stood up, stretching his back slightly, "Come on, I'm ready to party."

All of her projects in the company were finished, seeing as they just finished filming the Black Swan part of their MMA performance and she just passed the last of her contribution to TXT and ENHYPEN's choreography bits. That night was her last day in BigHit as an unofficial performance director and some of the others wanted to throw a party.

Well, not a party party since that wasn't allowed. They set up random Christmas lights in one of the dance studios and used the TV to display a clubbing lights video that they found on YouTube. They'll each be holding a phone that would display the same video in full brightness to truly get the essence of the party mood. As for their alternative for alcohol, they would stick to soda.

"I really don't understand why we're doing this," Gyeoul whined, slumping on the couch. "You do know that if you contact me for your next comeback, I'll do it, right? Bang PD-nim also emailed me for a meeting this January. If anything, you'll be seeing me again by February."

Taehyung frowned, "But what if you change your mind?" What if you decide to go back to LA? was what he wanted to ask.

Smiling slightly, Gyeoul tilted her head at him, "I'm not leaving to join my aunt in France, if that's what you're thinking."

He dismissed the topic, plastering a smile on his face. "Ahn Gyeoul, get up."

She remained unmoving.

"Please?"

Still, she didn't get up.

"Brat."

Taehyung sighed dramatically and walked up to her. Pulling her jacket's sleeve, he started screaming like a madman. The tone of his screams rose up and down every few times like a child throwing a tantrum. The action only made her laugh.

A smile slowly stretched across his face. He made her laugh. He could live in that laugh and call it his home.

Realizing his thoughts were going off track, he adjusted his hold on her. Carefully intertwining their fingers together, he tugged more gently. He gazed at their joined hands, his face growing significantly redder, and gazed deep into her eyes.

Gyeoul drew in a sharp breath, looking away and standing up. "I surrender." She put her other hand in her pocket while the other was still holding Taehyung's. "Which studio are we going to?"

Taehyung grinned and pulled her along with him to the studio where Team Party was.

Only did they let go of each other's hand when they reached inside the studio — which didn't go unnoticed by the three other members.

Jimin, with his phone showcasing party lights, was already bouncing up to Gyeoul and pulling her to the middle of the dance floor.

The rap line's UGH! was blaring from the speakers and messy scattered colors of light flashed around the studio like an uncoordinated club. Jungkook was busy trying to replicate his b-boy dancing from his earlier years and Hoseok was laughing his heart out while filming his younger member with his second phone.

Gyeoul and Taehyung quickly put the party lights video on their phones and raised them to their maximum brightness. The dancer was already hyped because they were nearly in the build-up to Hoseok's verse.

'This world is ruled by anger. It seems that no one can live without anger. You get angry then get angry again and again and go crazy that way.'

The beat dropped and all four of the younger ones were jumping up and down while hyping Hoseok up. Jimin handed him Jungkook's shoe (which somehow slipped off his foot while dancing) and Hoseok took it and used it as a mic.

Soon after that song, Mmmh by Kai started to play.

The vibe of the room switched and they became more chill, yet more humorous and playful at the same time.

As soon as the chorus started to play, Taehyung laughed, beckoning Gyeoul over and leaning his forearm on her shoulder. They did overdone body rolls side by side while Jimin recorded the whole thing with every intention to send it to the artist himself since they were friends.

For almost two straight hours, they spent it all dancing and talking about things that didn't make any sense. They were drunk in happiness that it made them feel high on energy.

But at the end of it, Let Go started to play and everyone except Gyeoul became emotional.

"Before we say goodbye, let go," Jungkook sang to her while holding her hand, the shoe-mic in the other. His eyes were brimming with tears. "But I'm lost in the maze of the heart."

Gyeoul would have felt emotional if it weren't for the fact that this wasn't their last goodbye. She looked to her side and saw the other members crying. The moment she saw Taehyung teary-eyed, her nose started to itch and her sight got slightly blurry.

In an attempt to suppress this feeling, her eyes shifted to Hoseok who immediately opened his arms for a hug.

"Guys, it's really not that deep. It's not like we're not seeing each other again soon," Gyeoul laughed, tightly wrapping her arms around the older one. She looked pointedly at her childhood friend, "Especially you. We're seeing each other on Monday night!'

"It's going to be weird not seeing you so often," Jimin pouted, joining the hug.

"You're like my dance mom!" Jungkook wailed as he joined the hug. "I've never told you this before, but you raised me!"

Gyeoul sighed but accepted their affection anyway.

❆

GYEOUL
hello imo, if you have some time today, maybe you can take some time out of your busy schedule|
hello imo, if you have some time today, maybe you can take some ti|
hello imo, if you have some tod|
hello imo, if yo|

GYEOUL
hello imo, i hope you're doing well today. i choreographed something for bts with my dance style. the black swan part. please give it a watch if you have some time and support taehyung as well. the recorded video is already posted on youtube. i think you'll be proud of this one. i miss you.

Years into her adulthood and it still seemed like she craved her aunt's approval.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she placed her phone down on the table face down and continued sketching on her mother's drawing tablet. She couldn't sleep. Her project for that night was to finish the cover of the small project she had for Christmas. The most dominant color was brown — nutmeg, if she was being specific. The meaning of the color was something she wasn't sure she would reveal when she would finally give it.

Actually, she wasn't sure if she should give it at all.

The thought of it made her feel scared.

She was going to confess to Taehyung using that gift.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Upon hearing her phone vibrate on the wooden table, she paused with her work and checked the notification, raising a curious eyebrow as she saw that Taehyung sent her a message. She was sure that he'd be spending the whole night drinking with the others to celebrate their wins the past two days.

TAEHYUNG
yoohoo

TAEHYUNG
yo teach u awake?

GYEOUL
no

TAEHYUNG
oh okay sorry to bother you then

TAEHYUNG
ill see you tonight imissyou

TAEHYUNG
WAIT

TAEHYUNG
if gogos sleeping then whos reading all these messages

TAEHYUNG
YAH WHO U AND WHATRE U DOING W HER PHONE

Gyeoul laughed, leaning back on her swivel chair as she read over his messages. She pressed the voice message feature. "Are you drunk?"

Not ten seconds passed, and she received a voice message from him.

"Do you want to video call?"

Answering with a quick 'sure,' Gyeoul opened her laptop and waited for Taehyung to contact her. Once he did, she wasted no time answering his call.

"I'm not drunk," was the first thing that he blurted out once he appeared on her screen. She laughed in disbelief. "I'm serious! Just a little tipsy, that's all."

The pink tint on his cheeks said otherwise. "Alright, I believe you."

"Is that a drawing tablet? What are you working on?"

Gyeoul subtly shifted the device so it wouldn't be so visible on camera. "I couldn't really sleep so I decided to finish a little drawing to keep myself busy."

"How long have you been working on that?" Taehyung asked, appearing to bring his face closer to the screen to get a better look at what she was doing.

"About three hours?"

"You do realize that it's half past 3 AM, right?"

She looked at the time on the upper part of her laptop and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't actually."

"Jeon Jungkook!"

Both of them froze as Seokjin's loud cracking voice echoed from outside Taehyung's room with mischievous cackles following right after.

Taehyung laughed, "When I left, Jin-hyung was passed out on the couch. Jungkook probably drew something vulgar on his face. Wouldn't be the first time."

"The others are still celebrating?" she asked. Taehyung nodded, sipping from a water bottle before facing the screen again, his hand leaning on his cheek as he stared at the screen. "Why are you here, then? You should be out there celebrating with them. You deserve to unwind after working so hard this year."

"I'm not that much of a drinker, anyway," he shrugged, leaning back on his chair with a gentle smile. "And I'd rather talk to you."

Gyeoul's heart couldn't take this.

"Goodness gracious, Kim Taehyung," she breathed out, leaning her elbow on the table and not-so-subtly covering her face with her hand. She decided to change the topic. "So, how does it feel winning all those awards?"

He hummed, spinning side to side on his chair, "Well, it's definitely something I'm eternally grateful for. We've come a long way from 2013." His smile slowly dropped, and his expression turned into something more serious. "But I can't help but feel scared."

"Why?" Taehyung sighed, looking somewhere far off. She frowned, wishing she was there on the other side to give him a hug.

"We're so far on top that I couldn't help but think how this is all going to die down. The higher we are, the harder the fall, right?"

"From how I see it, it only goes up from here," Gyeoul said, fiddling with the stylus. "You've all been working so hard and it shows. You started as seven normal boys from Korea who managed to climb up the ladder to the point that you've reached the end of it. So, you started paving your own way and managed to touch millions of hearts. It'll probably continue like that until you become old and wrinkly."

"Would we still be called the 'Bulletproof Boyscouts' by the time that happens?"

"That would be some monumental shit. Imagine a bunch of men in their sixties in a stadium going 'make some noise!' Then the ARMYs who grew old with you would become young at heart again and start jumping around to your songs. I'd be flabbergasted if we weren't from the same generation."

"I wish I'd still be strong enough when the time comes. Imagine us doing something like Dionysus at that age."

"More than the usual amounts of medics would be surrounding the place if that'd happen."

Taehyung laughed, eyes crinkling as he stared at her through the screen. "How is life without your performance director duties?"

Pursing her lips, she inwardly sighed, "That's the reason I can't sleep, actually. I go on with my day feeling like I should be doing something. It feels weird, I got so used to you guys that I see or do something and think something along the lines of 'oh, wait, Taehyung would like this.'"

"It's the BTS effect, once you get it, there's no going back." He leaned forward, "What are your plans for later?"

"The only thing on my agenda for today is to choreograph for the music video with Yongsik here at home, then there's dinner too."

"Will he be staying for dinner?"

"I don't think we'll be working until late, so probably not." She heard her phone vibrate again and checked it, eyes widening slightly as she realized who it was.

AUNT DAJUNG
I watched the video. Taehyung grew up so well, I never would have expected him to be such a good dancer with the number of times he stepped on your toes when you were younger.

AUNT DAJUNG
Send my regards to him.

AUNT DAJUNG
And it turns out your dance style is made for the big stage after all. You're right, I am proud of this project of yours. Even before I clicked on the video, I knew I'd be proud. You always manage to do so without fail.

AUNT DAJUNG
And go to sleep, dearest. It's almost 4 AM there. Don't go complaining about acne breakouts when you wake up.

Gyeoul pouted, looking at the screen and holding her phone to her chest.

"Who is it?"

"Mother Gothel," Gyeoul chuckled, placing the phone back down on the table and bringing her full attention to the one in front of her. "She watched the performance — mentioned you too, actually. She said she never expected you to be a good dancer after being so outrageous when we were younger."

"That's not true! I was a great dancer!"

"You stepped on my toes for more times than I can count!"

"Let's be honest, darling, you can barely count higher than a hundred with how terrible you were at math."

Her jaw dropped, "Is this the same guy that can barely answer basic calculus?"

Taehyung mirrored her appalled expression, "Let's not get too personal, teach!"

"You're the one who started it."

"I didn't expect you to be so mean," Taehyung pouted.

Gyeoul found herself smiling slightly. "Cute," she muttered under her breath.

He didn't hear it. "What was that? An insult your nice heart can't let you say out loud?"

"I said you look like puke."

Time felt so slow yet so fleeting when they were together. For about thirty more minutes, the two friends kept talking until Taehyung noticed Gyeoul yawning every other minute. They bid each other goodbye and Gyeoul managed to sink more comfortably into her bed with sleep looming around the corner.

Just when she was about to fall asleep, she heard her phone vibrate on her nightstand. She pushed aside her drowsiness for a little while and opened her phone, seeing that it was a message from Taehyung.

TAEHYUNG
just in case youre still having a hard time sleeping

A three-minute voice note followed his message. Gyeoul clicked on it, greeted by his soft singing voice.

'So lay down your weary head, try and sleep now. Calm your shallow little breath, be at peace now.'

It took her a moment to realize that it was the song they made when they were younger to help his little sister fall asleep when she was a baby.

'Another day calls out for you to make your own. This one goes where all the other days have flown.'

Gyeoul didn't realize how her heavy eyelids shut as she listened to his dulcet voice, a small content smile on her face.

'So lay down your weary head, be at peace now, try and sleep now.'

NOTE

when you realize that boyfriends who send romantic voice notes with them singing you to sleep only exist in fiction.

and jiminie's ost??? no eye was left dry. their voices were so beautiful that i was sobbing.

❝tore my heart, now i'm in the dark. will we meet it our dreams? breaking my heart, here we are apart. i wanna stay near you.❞

song(s) mentioned in this chapter — dangerous woman by ariana grande | black swan by bts | ugh by bts | mmmh by kai | let go by bts | lullaby by arco