Y/n POV
- You bite your lip anxiously, still regretting your decision for coming to the potluck with Taehyung.
- "Tae are you sure it's ok if I come here with you? I heard Jungkook said that this is strictly for BigHit's employees only." You tug at Taehyung's shirt & ask.
- "Relax. They'll be happy to see you here." He smiles  assuringly at you & pulls you closer towards the big wooden table where his friends are sitting.
- "Hey, you guys are all here already." Taehyung cheerily greets the others & throws his arm around Jin's shoulders.
- They all welcome him enthusiastically, but they don't seem to see you standing awkwardly beside Taehyung.
- "H-Hi." You stutter & wave nervously at them, yet no one turns towards you & reciprocate your greeting.
- Taehyung notice your uncomfortable stance & squeezes your hand for encouragement.
- "Guys, Y/n baked some cupcakes for today. You guys should try them, they're really good." Taehyung signals you to put the box you've been carrying on the table.
- "A-Ah yes. I hope you guys will like them. These are the most popular flavors in my bakery." Your confidence increases slightly as you present your beautifully decorated cupcakes to them.
- If there's one thing you're good at, it's baking.
- You own a small bakery & it's quite popular in your neighborhood.
- That's how you met Taehyung actually, he came to your bakery one day to order a birthday cake for her mom & you guys started talking ever since.
- "Thanks. Just put them there." Jin points disinterestedly at a spot on the table, while the others say nothing.
- Your heart sinks, but you decide to not let that affect you & keep a smile plastered on your face.
- "Hi guys!" Suddenly, a loud female voice booms from behind you, causing all your heads to turn towards the source.
- "Bora ya! You came!" Jungkook excitedly greets the girl & pulls her into a bear hug.
- "You're done with recording? I thought you wouldn't be able to make it today." Yoongi asks.
- "I'm done. And.. I've learned the choreography you taught me oppa." She winks at Jimin.
- "Daebak, no wonder you're deemed as our monster rookie. Great job Bora ya." Jimin gives her two thumbs up.
- "Oh btw, I baked some cupcakes for the potluck today. I hope they're edible." She pulls out a box from the bag she's been carrying & opens it.
- Oh. But that cupcake sleeve..
- "Woah, they look delicious! I'm sure they taste great. Right, hyung?" Jungkook exclaims & turns to Namjoon.
- "Ya, is there anything you can't do?" Namjoon ruffles Bora's hair & smiles.
- All of them begin to dig into Bora's cupcakes, while yours are moved to the corner of the table.
- Why do they have such different reactions even though we brought similar cupcakes? I guess they really don't like me. You sigh inwardly.
- "Oppa, would you like to try some?" Bora suddenly turns to Taehyung & offers him a cupcake.
- "Thanks but I'm good." Taehyung puts both of his palms up & politely refuses.
- Annoyance is painted all over her face but it's gone in a fraction of second.
- "It's ok. You can have one later when you feel like it." She smiles at Taehyung.
- "Taehyung ah! Can you come here for a moment?" One of the staff members call out to him.
- "Yes! Will you be alright if I leave you for a while?" He turns to you & asks.
- "Sure. I'll just sit here with the others." You smile assuringly at him although you're afraid of being left alone with his friends who seem to hate you.
- You take a seat at the end of the table & watch the boys & Bora chatting animatedly with each other, while no one even glances at you.
- You awkwardly laugh with them when they laugh just so you don't look out of place, even though you don't understand what they're talking about.
- This is a mistake. I shouldn't have come here.
- Then suddenly, Jungkook leans backward at Jimin as he laughs, causing Jimin's arm to bump into your cupcake box.
- The box topples over the edge of the table & the cupcakes are scattered all over the ground.
- You gasp & quickly stoop down to pick them up.
- "Sorry." Jimin mutters as he glances down at you, but he doesn't even offer to help you tidy up the mess.
- In fact, none of them does.
- "It's ok. I'll clean this up." You fake a smile & look up, only to find that Jimin has already gone back to laughing with the other members.
- You swiftly put all the cupcakes back into the box as you blink your eyes to stop the tears from forming in your eyes.
- "I'll go to the restroom first." You put the cupcake box on the ground right by the table & excuse yourself, although no one even cares that you're gone.
- You walk briskly to the restroom & wash your hands which are sticky with frostings.
- Huh.. What did I do for them to dislike me this much?
- When Taehyung first introduced you to them, they were already quite unwelcoming.
- You'd guessed that maybe they felt awkward since you were not part of their world.
- You've tried everything to make them at least tolerate you, learning about topics they're interested in so that you can hold a conversation with them, baking them cakes or bringing them food when you visit Taehyung after practice.
- You put in a lot of effort because you know how much they mean to Taehyung, but they've grown even colder towards you to the point of being rude.
- You heave a deep sigh, regain your composure & smile faintly at yourself in the mirror.
- You've tried your best. If they don't like you, then so be it. Just be you & ignore them.
- You walk out of the restroom with newfound confidence.
- But that soon collapses into non-existence as you see Taehyung & Bora singing together on the make-shift stage in the middle of the venue.
- Their voices harmonize beautifully, but that only makes you feel even worse.
- She looks more suitable for him than me.
- The other members are still sitting at the table, clapping & waving their hands with the music.
- You slowly approach them, but something Jungkook says to Jimin halts your steps.
- "I don't understand why Tae hyung rejected Bora. I mean, she's much prettier & more talented than Y/n. And definitely more fun to be around." Jungkook scoffs.
- "I know, right? I wish Tae can quickly see that she's not good for him & break up with her." Jimin replies.
- Your heart breaks hearing their honest thoughts about you.
- You feel like running away, but you look at Taehyung who's excitedly waving at you & become deeply conflicted.
- Should I stay while I know that I'm unwanted? Or should I go to salvage my last bit of dignity?
- Jungkook & Jimin freeze as they realize that you could've heard what they were talking about.
- Jimin leans his head closer to Jungkook & whispers  maybe something along the line of "Did she hear us?"
- You just stand in the spot, a fair distance away from the others, while waving back at Tae with a forced smile on your lips, & quickly wipe away the single drop of tear that rolls down your cheek.
- Taehyung & Bora's performance finally ends.
- They walk back towards the table & Jin's statement hits the last nail for you.
- "Ya, you guys should just get together already. Taehyung ah, why don't you dump that kiss-ass girl friend of yours & be with Bora instead?" Jin chuckles, not noticing your presence a few meters away.
- "Hyung!" Taehyung eyes widen in shock & panic.
- You can't stand it anymore, you don't want them to see you cry, so you turn around & run away.

Author POV
- "Y/n! Y/n ah!" Taehyung rushes towards you but Bora snatches his arm & stops him.
- "Oppa, why don't you listen to Jin oppa? I was going to accept that you liked someone else when you rejected me back then, but after I saw Y/n I couldn't. She isn't better than me in any aspect, your friends don't even like her. Why would you choose her instead of me?" She says.
- "She's right hyung. Besides, I heard that she's only in the relationship for clout & money." Jungkook adds.
- "Who told you that?" Taehyung asks in disbelief.
- "Jimin hyung did. He told all of us. You said you heard her telling her friend that she doesn't really like Tae hyung, right?" Jungkook turns to Jimin for approval.
- "Well.. uhm.." Jimin seems to be at loss for words.
- He bites his lower lip, eyes rolling left & right as if looking for an escape.
- "Oh God, I know that expression. You lied, right? Why would you that?!" Taehyung exclaims furiously.
- "Excuse me." All heads turn in surprise as they hear your voice.

Y/n POV
- Tears keep flowing down your face no matter how desperately you want them to stop.
- You know that they dislike you, but hearing them saying it out loud still hurts like hell.
- You almost reach the exit, when your feet screech to a halt.
- Why should I run away? I haven't done anything wrong. If anything, they should be the ones who feel bad.
- You muster all your courage, clench your fists, & turn back around.
- You can see them arguing from afar, Taehyung looking like he's about to punch someone.
- You inhale deeply & brace yourself, before you calmly say..
- "Excuse me."
- All heads turn to you, surprised by your reappearance.
- "Y/n, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone." Taehyung steps forward & cups your face.
- "It's ok. I can handle this." You smile at him.
- Without saying a word, you walk towards the end of the table & grab your cupcake box from the floor.
- You put it in the middle of the table & open the lid.
- "I didn't want to do this at first because I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I guess you guys took my silence as weakness & kept bullying me. Bora ssi, those cupcakes you brought, you didn't bake them yourself, right? I recognized those cupcake sleeves right away because I specially ordered them for my bakery. See, your cupcakes & mine have the same sleeves. If you look at the bottom, they all have my bakery name on them." You grab your & her cupcakes and turn them upside down before putting them on the table for everyone to see.
- Bora's face instantly combusts into a shade of deep red as she crosses her arms & averts her gaze.
- "I have nothing against you Bora ssi, so I didn't want to expose you earlier & hurt your pride. I'm saying this now to prove a point, how disrespectful all of you were towards me when I basically presented the same exact things as her."
- They glance sheepishly at each other, seemingly feeling guilty about their behavior earlier.
- "So what? She lied. But that doesn't explain the fact that you're a gold digger & clout chaser?" Jungkook exclaims.
- You're stunned by his accusation, because it's absolutely untrue.
- "Do you have proof?" You tilt your chin up & stare right into his eyes.
- "W-Well, Jimin hyung-" He seems flustered by your unexpected confidence.
- "Ahhh Jimin. Now I get it. Jimin ssi, do you still hold a grudge against me for rejecting your advances? Unbelievable." You roll your eyes & scoff.
- "What?!" Everyone exclaims in unison & turns to Jimin, who's shrunk into a tight ball of panic.
- "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Taehyung turns to you, obviously shocked.
- "I just didn't want to cause any problem in between you. I'm sorry for not telling you. I understand if you can't forgive me."
- "Jimin ah, is that true?" Namjoon asks.
- "Wtf?! Why did you do that? She's my girl friend!" Taehyung looks like he's about to burst in anger.
- "I like her, ok?! We met her at the same time when you ordered a cake for your mom, remember? I was attracted to her but I didn't dare to do anything. So I was mad when I found out that you actually approached her & asked her to be your girl friend! I thought I would have a chance too if I told her that I liked her, but she flatly rejected me. Why do you always get whatever you want? That makes me so mad!" Jimin yells in frustration.
- "So everything you told us about Y/n was untrue?" Jin asks, taken aback.
- "I-I'm sorry.." Jimin lowers his head & runs away.
- A long stretch of awkward silence follows as none of them know what to say.
- "Y-Y/n, we're really sorry. Would you please forgive us?" Namjoon finally speaks up.
- "No. I've tried my best to fit in, to get along with you guys, because I know how important you are to Tae. But all you've done is mocking me, ignoring me, being absolutely rude to me, hating me without checking the facts. You know what? I don't give a fuck about what you guys think about me anymore. If you want me to forgive you, then you need to earn it now."
- You turn around & leave, a satisfied smirk lifting your lips.
- "Tae, are you coming?" You turn your face around & call out to Taehyung.
- "Huh? Y-Yes. I'm coming." Taehyung hurriedly picks up his pace & follows you.
- "Woah, you were so cool back there. I didn't know that you could be so badass." He chuckles as he throws an arm over my shoulders.
- "There's still so much you don't know about me. Do you think you can handle me?" You look up at him.
- "I don't know, but I'll learn. I love you even more now Kim Y/n." He smiles as he bops your nose.
- "Love you too Kim Taehyung." You smile back at him.

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - JK Rowling