________

"Min, I have to go soon~"

Jeongguk stands in front of his wardrobe and pulls out a larger grey t-shirt, putting it on and letting the fabric fall over the black loose cargo pants he is wearing. Over that, he puts on a dark bomber jacket and disappears into his bathroom, where he makes a hair bun to keep it from looking too dishevelled. A stylist will do his hair again anyway, and he gets a new outfit from the changing room. Because the time has come: they are filming a new YouTube video and the teaser is supposed to drop in a few weeks.

He straightens his black hair on his forehead with a few hand movements and pulls his eyebrows together when he notices only silence fills his penthouse for a while. Min hasn't made a single sound. Where is Min? Where has he disappeared to?

Ever since he disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed, Jeongguk has found it strange that Min hasn't made a squeak; in some kind of protest, or any other kind of irritated sound from him. So where is he?

"Min?"

Jeongguk pokes his head between the door and the door frame and looks into the hallway of his penthouse, but no sign of the red panda. Where could he possibly be? The lines between his eyebrows deepen, and he slowly strides out into the hallway, closing the door behind him before looking into his bedroom and then the kitchen.

No sign of Min.

There's no delighted approach, no Min running towards him or waiting at the end of the hall to say goodbye.

Just as he walks out of the kitchen and heads towards the flat door to retrieve his black boots, he is jolted out of his thoughts by a squeak and his gaze darts upwards. Jeongguk can't help but grin. Sure enough, a few metres in front of him, Min is sitting with his head poking out of his bag, which he wanted to bring to the shoot and is packed with his belongings.

"Min, you are so cute. What are you doing in that bag, huh?"

Jeongguk takes his boots from the built-in wardrobe in the wall and places them next to his bag before sitting on the floor in front of Min. "You saw an opportunity, and you took it, right? You know I can't take you with me, though."

Jeongguk gently pats Min's head and softly looks at him, thinking Min can understand him like this in some way. Carefully, Jeongguk's hands slide around Min's belly, and he is about to pick up the little one when the latter clutches on his bag and whines. "Min, come on. Let go."

There is a hint of frustration in his voice because as cute as Min may look, Jeongguk needs to make his way downstairs slowly because he will soon be picked up. He leans down and gives him a kiss on the head, which makes Min momentarily purr and yield. Before he can react, Jeongguk tightens his grip slightly and lifts Min out of his bag.

"Got you!"

Jeongguk grins triumphally. He thought it was smart of him to distract Min and take him out of the bag like that, but he takes too long. His little victory joy comes to a quick end with the click of Min's claws sound on the parquet floor and before Jeongguk picks up the bag Min is back in it, head tilting as if to say: haha, bad luck. You're not as smart as you thought.

Jeongguk groans internally. That can't be true. He didn't think it is in the red panda's nature to be this sneaky and teasing, but then... Min is not like what he read about this species on the internet. But that's what makes things interesting and not boring. Unfortunately, he has also developed a certain weakness for Min so far, and the little one seems to know exactly which buttons to push and when to push them. He really needs to pay more attention to this.

A sigh escapes Jeongguk's thin, pink lips. Straightening up, he rests his hands on his hips and looks down at the bag Min is waiting in the bag with a broad smile, as if waiting for Jeongguk to finally grab the bag and go.

No, Jeongguk, no. He bends down and puts on his black boots to take his mind off things and come up with a logical plan. Whatever has just gone through his head is absolutely not a good idea. What is the worst that can happen when Min tags along?

The answer is: too much could happen, and he doesn't want to imagine what these scenarios could be.

Jeongguk stands up and takes a step towards the bag, where he sees Min clutching at it again, slightly hissing and hiding in the bag. "There's no way to change your mind, correct? You'll only be happy and let me leave when you tag along, am I correct?"

The answer comes in the form of joyful squeals, and Jeongguk cannot suppress a disbelieving shake of his head. In theory, there is enough room in the bag for Min to fit in and move around, but should he really risk it? Jeongguk had promised him the other day that he would take him along soon. However, he didn't expect that today would be that day. Thinking about it gives him a queasy feeling in his stomach.

Somehow Jeongguk knew already that he'd be too weak to say no and eventually give in. It was just a matter of time. There would be no way Min would let go of the day because today is the day he has decided to be determined and stubborn about it. Jeongguk smacks his lips to show that he isn't amused at all by taking him to the music video shoot. "Let me just pack a few snacks."

Following his words, Jeongguk grabs a small lunch box and puts some fruits and vegetables snacks in there, trying to come up with positive thoughts. No matter what, there will be quite a lot of people on set, so Jeongguk has to hide his bag and place it somewhere safe. The fact that Minsu and Youngjin already know of Min makes things a tiny bit easier.

"Here are some snacks, but there'll surely be a small buffet. Now let's go, the driver has sent me a text to say that he's already here."

Jeongguk zips up the bag a little to leave enough room for Min to breath. He grabs the fabric handles, walking towards the penthouse door. He feels around in his cargo pocket to make sure he has his mobile phone in it, and then closes his door. He shushes Min as he makes soft, extended squeals from his bag that he carries in his hand.

The lift pings, doors open, and he gets in, leans against the wall and exhales deeply. He's really going to do that, huh? He's really about to risk that someone can find out about Min. His heart is wildly beating in his chest, all he can do is pray and hope that no one will find out about it. It should be doable.

"Min, you have to promise me to stay in the bag when I'm not in the room. I really don't want to risk anything," Jungkook says, but laughs shortly after, realizing he just asked Min to promise something when he can't even talk. Most of the time he feels like he talks to himself, but that's fine. When he does, they are alone anyway, so no one else would hear him talking to Min. "I really hope this works out."

Jeongguk steps out of the lift, then the main entrance and approaches the driver, who is already waiting next to the black SUV. The driver opens the door for Jeongguk, then closes it, and gets back into the car. Jeongguk politely thanks him and places the bag next to him, laying an arm around it.

Since the zip is only halfway closed, he notices how Min curiously allows his gaze to wander around the car as far as the bag allows him. Jeongguk's fingers almost instinctively scratch his head after checking the driver's mirror to see if the bag is in his line of sight. It's not, so he continues to give Min some scratches.

The car ride is mostly relaxing and quiet, with a few faint whines from Min whenever he feels Jeongguk's attention drift too far away, when his large but soft hands stops giving him scratches. It's not always like that, but Jeongguk knows Min has a cuddly character, and Jeongguk isn't in the least bothered by it. Would he be bothered, he would let Min know if he doesn't sense it himself? When Jeongguk thinks about it like this, Min may have brought out a side of him that he didn't know he had before.

"We've arrived."

The driver's voice snaps him out of his reverie, and he turns his head to look out the car window next to him. They've parked in front of an industry building, similar to those seen in films. This time, the studio appears to be bigger. They've already shot MV's in other locations. In the few years their band has been around, they have already had good success and have travelled around the country a few times to shoot them. For this MV too, he saw the schedule also includes some locations outside of the studio; they will travel outside of the city for at least one day.

It shouldn't be a problem to leave Min alone because he would be back in the evening, and he has enough food for Min at home. Today, however, he has him with him and Jeongguk can barely control his nervousness.

Every MV shooting is exciting and unique. The concept revolves around a lost love. Two lovers have split up, and one person is going through the emotions and memories, remembering both the love and the pain. It's the song for which Youngjin wrote the lyrics after watching a film. Everyone liked it, and they began working on the rest of the song right away, which can be described as pop rock.

For the MV, they will not only play their instruments, but they also have some scenes where they act individually. In general, many of their songs can be seen as pop rock, and Youngjin is not the only person who uses his vocals.

The SUV door opens, and he automatically zips up his bag more before exiting and entering the building. From a distance, he sees Minsu and Youngjin already there, each with a drink in hand, standing next to their manager and conversing. As he walks down the hallway, Jeongguk's eyes flicker to the set-up behind them and the individual doors he notices on the side. From the set-up, it's obvious that they will begin with a room scene. One of them will sit in the room and take items from a small box that reminds them of their past.

Jeongguk's grip tightens on the handles of his bag when he feels Min move. Taking a deep breath, Jeongguk strides towards the others, speaking up and trying as best he can not to let his nervousness show. "Hey guys."

"Jeongguk, hey!" Their heads turn as he greets them. Minsu is the first to return his greeting with a half-hug before Youngjin embraces him and offers him a cold drink in a plastic cup.

"I ordered some beverages before you got here and ordered you a passion fruit iced tea, just like you like them."

"Oh, thanks. What do you guys have?"

"He has Matcha ice tea and I have a caramel Frappuccino," Youngjin answers and holds his cup up to show it to him. "Today is the perfect day to drink them. Spring is known to be colder, but I think today, it's not too cold and not too warm. Today's just the perfect temperature. Besides, summer is coming soon."

Minsu nods. "I totally agree, and if we can buy or order tomorrow, then it's on me."

"Agreed."

Jeongguk then looks at his manager, Hwan, and gives him a gentle smile, who returns it. He considers himself lucky to have Hwan as a manager. On many days he may be strict, but that is part of his job. Furthermore, he is a person you can trust with things, and you should always have that with a manager. Unfortunately, this doesn't occur as often as it should be. "How much time do we have before we have to change and go to make up?"

Hwan looks at his wristwatch with a serene expression and back into Jeongguk's eyes. "Ten minutes. The outfits have your name on it."

"Okay, perfect. Which room can I put my things in?"

"See the door at the end?" Hwan points his finger at a door on the left and opposite the set, where a green screen is being set up. "That's the makeup room and when you go in, on the right side is the dressing room."

"Okay. I'll go ahead and put my stuff down."

Jeongguk leaves before any of them can utter another word. He pushes down the door handle and strides into the makeup room, where makeup tables with mirrors are on one wall and the outfits are on a clothes rail on the other side. He quickly strides to one corner of the room and covers his bag with his body as he sets it down in front of him. The makeup artists must appear here in a few minutes.

"I really don't know why you wanted to come, Min. I still have to hide you because I don't know how others will react to you, and I'll be on set most of the time. Locking you up is the last thing I want, but I can't let you run free on set. I can always come to you during the breaks, though."

Just as he is about to lift Min out of the bag and look around the room to see if he can find something useful where Min has more space to hide, the door opens. Jeongguk jolts.

"Jeongguk, are you- No way-" Youngjin's voice filters through the room, and he hears the door open briefly before he takes a step towards him. No question that he spotted Min when Jeongguk thought he couldn't be seen from the door.

"Shhh..."

But Youngjin seems to ignore him or not hear him, because in the next second Jeongguk sees out of the corner of his eye, Youngjin turns to the door and sticks his head out. "Minsu! Come quick!"

Jeongguk's lips form into a thin line, and he focuses again on Min, who is now peering curiously out of the bag and lifting his nose in the air. Jeongguk chuckles, but is interrupted by Minsu's voice, closing the door behind him and stepping closer.

"You brought Min?"

Minsu walks towards them until he reaches them and squats down beside Jeongguk. Youngjin follows shortly after as well and sits down on Jeongguk's left side. Min appears to enjoy the attention he gets, and climbs out of the bag onto Minsu's lap. Jeongguk smiles at his reaction because Minsu's body tenses, and he hovers his hands over Min, somewhat afraid to touch him.

"He insisted on coming. I couldn't really leave without him." Jeongguk's gaze flickers between Min and Minsu back and forth, anticipating to see who will be the first to make the first step. It reminds him of the times Jeongguk was drunk and accepted him. Min immediately sought closeness. At first, he was hesitant, shy, but now? He acted the same seeing Minsu and Youngjin for the first time, and now he even sits on his lap and shows no fear. "You can pat him. He loves scratches. Guess who was a demanding little one and fussed around for scratches on the way here."

"He won't bite?"

"If you're not mean to him." Jeongguk chuckles. "He hasn't tried biting me. Although, he snapped at me, but that's another story."

Minsu meets his gaze and then Youngjin's, uncertainty flashes in his eyes and he swallows nervously, but lowers his hand hesitantly as Jeongguk nods at him with certainty. His hand makes contact with Min's soft fur, who pushes his head against Minsu's hand, signalling that he wants scratches like Jeongguk said.

"You were right. He does have soft fur."

"Me too. I want to feel his fur too!"

"Guys, you act like kids." Jeongguk chuckles, but looks at Min if he's still comfortable. But by the looks of it Min seems to enjoy the scratches Minsu provides. "Also, do you guys know if there will be anyone in this room while we shoot the music video? I'm still unsure where to place the bag. I'm afraid someone will find out about Min."

"I don't think there will be someone in the room. The makeup artists will have to be on set and the lunch buffet will be somewhere else. Can't wait to get my stomach filled." Youngjin's eyebrows draw together in thought. However, when he thinks about the delicious snack they'll get, his tongue licks over his bottom lip.

"Make it a bit sexier, would you?" Minsu groans and rolls his eyes playfully. "Also, what makes you so hungry today when it's only ten in the morning? I'm usually the person with a big appetite."

"Why are you asking? Do you want to see me acting sexy? Do you... perhaps have a crush on me?" Youngjin snickers and winks at him, causing Minsu to choke. If he had drunk water, Jeongguk is certain he would have spat it out.

"Absolutely not!"

Youngjin grins and looks at Jeongguk. "Oh, so are you joining in with acting sexy then Jeongguk?"

Shock flickers in Jeongguk's eyes and now it's his turn to choke on his spit. "You guys are absolutely crazy and no, but I can leave the room if you want me to? You would make a great couple. All the teasing and fights, others might think you are together."

Silence filters through the room. It's so quiet that you would surely hear a pin drop to the floor. Did he say too much?

In all honesty, he wouldn't be surprised if they ended up together as a couple. But everything with its time. They may act like there's nothing, and it's all teasing now.

A soft knock pulls them from the silence. "Five minutes before we need you in the chairs ready for make-up, guys." They all look at each other and then in unison they all cast their gaze onto the bag where Min needs to be moved back into.

"Oh, shoot. The makeup artists are already here?" Jeongguk breathes out and tries not to panic. "There's only one changing room, no?"

"Yup, so someone can change in there and the others go to the bathroom."

"Or... we go and change in the room. Wouldn't be the first time," Minsu suggests and shrugs, causing Jeongguk to scrunch his face and wriggle his nose. He's about to respond when Youngjin speaks up and leans closer.

"Aha! Admit it. You only want to see me getting changed."

"Perverts." Jeongguk scrunches his nose in disgust and ushers Min back into his bag. "Let's go and leave them here. For all I care, you can watch each other change. Like you said, it wouldn't be the first time. I'll change in the bathroom so you can fight more about who changes where and with whom." Jeongguk raises his eyebrows playfully and grabs his bag and the outfit he's supposed to throw on, ready to leave.

"Hey! Can you cut it out already? We're not together."

"Whatever floats your boat. But hey, just know I'll be supportive if you do decide to date in the future."

Minsu opens and closes his mouth, and Youngjin doesn't seem to feel any different. "Who are you?"

"The reverend on your wedding day." Jeongguk puts on a serious face and breaks out in laughter when he achieves what he wanted to achieve. Both bandmates look dumbfounded, a mixture between shock and horror flashing in their eyes. "Just kidding. Anyway, I'll go now. Don't be late for makeup."

He looks once more down at his bag, in which Min is well hidden and not visible to others; just in case there's still someone waiting behind the door. With his outfit in his hand, he pushes down the doorknob and steps out of the room. He comes face to face with one of the makeup artists and smiles at her politely, heading then to the bathroom to get changed.