chapter eight / pal
Just Dance
(008)

"Hobi, dinner is ready," I fist my hand and repeatedly knock on his bedroom door, but I'm only greeted by silence. I sigh. "Please come eat," I beg, "we got you a hamburger and sprite." Bribing him with one of his favorite meals isn't enough to bring the boy out of his cave.

"I'm not hungry," the grumpy boy responds, sounding like a despondent boy who just got rejected from the love of his life.

"None of us are hungry, we're in a video game," I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration, "That's not the point. You need to eat so your health bar won't go down." Since we're constantly in this world now, eating has become just as important here as it is in the real world.

I press my ear to his door and wait for him to respond. Not a sound is heard from his room. I return to the kitchen where everyone else is eating. They all look up to me with hopeful eyes, expecting the personification of light and happiness to be trailing behind me, but no such thing will happen. If he were following me though, it'd be more like a dark grey stormcloud following me. Their smiles drop as soon as they see my gloomy mood.

"He's not coming?" Jimin pouts, already knowing the answer to his own question. I only shake my head in response. I grab a plate of food and a bottle of sprite and set it outside his door for whenever he's ready to eat. I take out a small sticky note and write a message for him.

"We love you. Feel better soon!"

I draw a picture of the sun with a smiley face on it, hoping that the small action will lift his spirits, even if only slightly.

Hoseok isn't the only one who has been so dismal. This house has been overwhelmed with a spirit of misery. We have been doing exactly what Namjoon said we would do; waiting. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. No one thought that it would take this long. Patience is growing thin, just like our hope for a solution to our problem to be found. With each passing day, our hope was replaced by fear and doubts. We've started trying to accept Elysium as our new reality, but that hasn't been going so well.

That night I couldn't fall asleep. I would toss and turn, glance at my clock, shut my eyes tight, and repeat the agonizing pattern over and over. At three in the morning I finally decided to get out of bed and try something else. Maybe if I wasn't trying to go to sleep I would get tired.

I walk downstairs to the main floor, doing my best to not miss a step in the complete darkness. The lines and details of the stairs start to get easier to make out as I get closer to the bottom of the staircase. Light from the kitchen is trickling through the hallway, enough for me to maneuver through my surroundings without bumping into something or tripping over anything. I quietly walk to the kitchen, wondering why the light is turned on. I try to remind myself that it would be impossible for there to be an intruder here since Jungkook only gave us direct access to this place.

Sitting on a stool at the kitchen bar is Namjoon. His back is facing me, the incandescent lights hanging above his head lighting up the stray pieces of his hair that are messily sticking out due to his bedhead. He sits hunched over, his head in his hands, almost as if the darkness of the night is a weight on his shoulders, too much for him to carry.

"Joon?" I call out softly, hoping not to startle him too much. His head jerks up as he spins around to face me. He breathes a sigh of relief once he realizes who was behind him.

"What're you doing up so late?" He asks in a slightly worried tone.

"Probably the same reason as you," I offer him a sympathetic smile, "you're worried, aren't you?"

A sigh. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not as much as the others, but it's not that hard to guess that the situation is getting to you. I'd be worried if it wasn't."

"I thought we'd be out of here by now," he admits.

I open the cabinet above the stove in search of something to drink. I reach for a box of chamomile tea, but it's just past my fingertips, even when I stand on the tips of my toes. Namjoon laughs, noticing my struggle. He doesn't even have to stretch to reach the tea. He hands it to me and gives me a teasing smile. I narrow my eyes and thank him.

"I think we could both use some tea. For sleep and anxiety." I put a pot of water on boil and sit next to Namjoon while I wait for the liquid to heat up. Chamomile tea is used to help insomnia and anxiety in the real world, so the creators of this game recently started to sell it in Elysium. Consuming it helps send signals through your headset to your brain to sleep and calm down. I used to drink tea just for the pleasure of it, but since it works so well in treating a sleepless night, I save it for special occasions such as this.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I ask and smile at Namjoon.

"I'm thinking of Hobi. He's been really upset the past week." Namjoon frowns, his forehead wrinkles in concern.

"He missed the dance competition last week," I acknowledge, "he was looking forward to it so much." The kettle starts to whistle, signalling that the water is ready. I pour it into two different mugs with a tea bag sitting inside each. As the water fills the cup it starts to take on an earthy color, the tea leaves opening up and releasing it's flavor. The steam from the water rises up to my nose, and I take a deep breath through my nose, savoring the sweet scent of the chamomile tea.

I walk back to my seat and hand Namjoon the cup of tea I made for him. He thanks me before taking a sip.

"Dancing is the most important thing to Hobi. There was going to be a lot of scouts at the competition. Even if he didn't win, someone would've noticed him." The words sink into my chest, making my heart feel heavy. This wasn't just any dance competition. This could've been a big break for Hoseok. That competition could've been the start of a dancing career. It could've made his dreams come true. Namjoon informed me that it's extremely difficult to get into the competition, a once in a lifetime kind of thing. No wonder Hoseok was so depressed.

"We need to do something for him."

"I was thinking the same thing, but what could we do? I don't think anything could make up for the opportunity he lost."

"Of course not. There's nothing that could replace what he lost, but maybe we could remind him of what he still has."

Namjoon lifts a questioning eyebrow, waiting for me to clarify.

"He still has dancing, and he still has us."

Even though I made tea to help us fall asleep, that goal was never met. Hours passed by, our empty mugs sitting on the counter as we rambled on through the night, discussing what we could do to help, not only Hoseok, but all of our friends.

The past week has been particularly rough. Everyone has been on edge and easily upset by the simplest things. Just two days ago, Taehyung cried himself to sleep on my lap after a fight he had with Jimin over spilled milk. Literally, the fight started because Taehyung spilled the last of our milk on the floor before Jimin could get some for his cereal. A few days before that, Yoongi yelled quite the list of profanities at Jungkook and Taehyung for being too loud and waking him up. Let's not forget Jin almost snapping my head off for moving his Mario figurine while cleaning. We needed to do something that would help everyone be a little more lighthearted. We needed a reminder of the good things we still had. We had each other.

Warm and inviting sunlight started to shine through the curtains, the soft morning light illuminating the room. As sleepy shuffles and raspy morning voices began to be heard above us, we made sure to wrap up our conversation to keep it hidden from the others.

"Noona, you're up early," Jungkook yawned, scratching his head. My nose scrunches up seeing how cute his messy appearance is. His eyelids are still heavy with sleep, his hair is ruffled, sticking up in different directions, his white t-shirt is wrinkled, and his feet lazily drag the floor as he walks.

"I decided to make breakfast for everyone," I lied. That's not the real reason I was up so early, but I'm not the best at covering up things on the spot, so that's the best I could come up with. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to cook.

"Are you awake to help her?" Jungkook asks Namjoon. He isn't much of an early bird either, so I guess it makes sense that he'd be up to do the same thing as me.

"Wha-"

"Yes! We were just about to make some pancakes, right, Oppa?"

Namjoon stumbles over sounds that don't even begin to sound like any words in the dictionary before finally spitting out a yes. Jungkook throws us a weird glance before finally shrugging our strange behavior off. Namjoon walks to my side and bends down to whisper in my ear, his breath hot on my skin.

"Do you know how to cook pancakes?" He questions.

"I was hoping you did," I grit my teeth, feeling a bit stuck.

Namjoon only sighs and proceeds to find a recipe for it in the cooking section on his holopad. The recipe doesn't call for many ingredients, and luckily, we have all of them. I set all of the ingredients on the counter, and Namjoon pulls out a pan, a mixing bowl, a spatula, and some utensils.

Flour covers the floor, our clothes, hair, and most likely, faces, but the pancakes are made, and the boys are satisfied to see a warm meal on the table. It's strange seeing a smile on Yoongi's face this early in the morning, but I guess that's the power of pancakes. They eagerly dig into the food we worked hard to make, and shovel it into their mouths. As soon as they taste it, their faces scrunch up in a sour expression.

"This is really good, Noona, but I just remembered that I have to go iron my cat," Taehyung quickly excuses himself.

"I'll help you, Hyung," Jungkook calls out, pushing his plate aside.

"We don't even have a cat," Namjoon mumbles. Everyone else quickly comes up with some lame excuse and leaves their pancakes at the table, not even halfway eaten.

I sit down at the now empty table, sulking like a child. "It can't be that bad." I try a bite of Taehyung's leftover pancake. As soon as it greets my taste buds, I fight the urge to spit it out, gagging on it. "God, how the heck did we screw these up so badly?" I gulp down a glass of water trying to get rid of the taste. I double check the list of ingredients we used, searching for what could've went wrong. The middle isn't thoroughly cooked, but that doesn't account for the terrible flavor. I quickly realize where we went wrong when I see the bottle of vinegar on the counter instead of vanilla extract. I think from now on I'll just leave the cooking to Jin. My talentless self and the God of destruction, Namjoon, just aren't fit for the kitchen.

"I blame you for dragging me into this," Namjoon folds his arms over his chest.

I scoff and shake my head. "Whatever, let's just get everything ready."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckles, reaching a hand up to wipe a spot of flour off my nose.

We go downstairs, make sure no one else is down here, and close the entrance to the spiral staircase behind us, that way if someone opens it, we'll be able to hear them and have time to hide everything before they make it downstairs.

First thing's first, to make more floor space, we slide the hidden board over the mattress in the floor. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't think there'd be anything hidden under there, it just looks like part of the floor. Now that we have that done, there's more space to work with.

Jungkook already has a great sound system hooked up in this room since we use it to watch movies, so that's one less thing I have to worry about. Since I have much more Eleuro than Namjoon, courtesy of Jungkook paying me back for my accomplished dare, I take care of buying everything we need. I cringe when I purchase a grand piano, the price putting a huge dent in my bank account. I remind myself what it's for, and push the pain of the purchase away. I then buy some special lights, a smoke machine, a few songs Namjoon told me were on Hoseok's dance playlist, some nice new shoes for dancing, and clothes for the special occasion.

Namjoon helps me set all the new items up in the room, and by the time we're done, the underwater room looks like a stage for the biggest celebrity in Elysium.

Me and Namjoon both send an invitation to a mystery event to the boys. One by one, everyone materializes into the room, wearing the snazzy outfits I picked out for them. It was mandatory for them to apply the wardrobe before accepting the invitation. I gasp when I see everyone. I walk to Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook and squish their cheeks.

"Look at my boys! You're all so handsome," I coo.

Jimin blushes and smiles shyly, but Taehyung and Jungkook both swat my hands away, "Noona," they whine at my embarrassing actions.

Jin clears his throat rather loudly and straightens out his tie.

I snicker and help him straighten out his already imacculent suit. "I'm swooning. I didn't think Mr. Worldwide Handsome could get any better looking."

"I'm full of surprises." Jin winks and blows me a kiss.

I turn to Yoongi and open my mouth to pay him a compliment, but he interrupts me before I can get a word in. "You don't have to tell me I look good, I already know I do," he arrogantly looks to the side.

"I was actually going to tell you that your hair looks greasy and you need a shower." I click my tongue, and Yoongi tries to hide a smile at my sly comment.

"Where's Hobi?" My joking and cheerful mood instantly lowers once I realize that the red head is missing.

"I guess he didn't accept the invitation," Yoongi sighs.

I clench my teeth and my fists. Not tonight, Hobi, not tonight. I stomp upstairs, loudly announcing my presence. I bring a fist to Hoseok's bedroom door, my knuckles ache as I make contact with the surface, threatening to break it down.

"Jung Hoseok," I roared, "You have five seconds to open this door and get your butt downstairs before I beat you with my sandal!"

"You can't touch me if you can't get inside."

I let out a huff, but Jungkook who was right behind me gives me an evil smirk before opening his holopad and sending a command to the house to unlock Hoseok's bedroom door. A click is heard, and I waste no time storming inside.When I open his door, a shrill scream is heard.

"Five," I start my countdown, and Hoseok's eyes widen in horror. He scrambles to his feet, slipping and sliding on the wooden floor as he tries to make a dash for the exit.

"Four," my voice thunders, sending chills down the spines of anyone who can hear my commanding voice. I'm usually very calm, I'm not someone to be angered easily, so seeing this side of me must be quite an experience for the boys.

"Three," I continue my countdown, "for your sake, I hope your at least already at the staircase to the movie room," I make my way back to the room where everyone else is waiting. Hoseok is no where to be seen, but I do see a trail of evidence he left behind in a rush to get to his destination. A few decorations that were once on shelves and tables are knocked over. I'm guessing Hoseok jumped over the couch because a bunch of the cushions are flipped over in disarray. I let out a chuckle before trying to get my scary, authorative voice back.

"Two-"

"I made it, so please stop counting," Hoseok pleads, sounding completely out of breath and scared for his life. I meet him downstairs, and the look of fear in his eyes nearly makes me double over in laughter. I hold back the urge to laugh and give him a threatening smile.

"Glad you decided to join us." Hoseok looks at me incredulously.

"I didn't decide to join you, I decided not to lose my life."

I shrug. "Same thing." Yoongi looks down at his feet, trying to hide how humorous he finds the situation.

"What this about?" Hoseok sighs.

"It's about you," I explain, softening my expression, "and slightly about me... I'm disappointed that I never got to see you dance."

At the mention of his missed dancing competition, Hoseok's face falls. "Look, Wren, thank you, but I-"

"Hyung," Jimin interrupts, "we all know how hard you worked on the choreography for last week. It'd be a crime to never let anyone see it." Hoseok's lips tighten in a thin line, still unsure about all of this.

"I got you some new dancing shoes," I sing, trying to bribe him. I pull up my holopad to take the shoes out of my inventory. I hold up the white shoes that have a few black lines running across the sides of them.

Hoseok's eyes sparkle when they land on the fresh and clean shoes. "Wren, these shoes are so expensive," he breathes.

"Yeah, so it'll be a shame if they're never used," I smile, handing the shoes to the shocked boy. He seems to choke over his words, not sure what to say.

"Thank me by dancing." Hoseok finally returns my smile, that beautiful, cheerful smile that I missed so dearly.

He applies the clothes that I bought for him to dance in and put son his new shoes, taking a minute to marvel at their beauty. Hoseok then chooses the song he wanted to dance to, and Jungkook turns on the special stage lights. Hoseok gets into position, and waits for the music to play.

When the music starts, so do his movements. The way he moves his body, there's only one way to describe it; art. His limbs are like paint brushes, delicate strokes being applied to a blank canvas to tell a story, to show us what lives in his heart. It paints a picture of passion, longing, and heartbreak. The feelings he conveys through his movements are so strong that I feel that I'm moving through his shoes, that I'm seeing life through his eyes. The music moves him, but his dancing moves me. My chest starts to ache because I know that if he had the chance to show everyone what he's showing us, that they'd be just as astonished as I am. There's no way any scouts would turn him away. I can only imagine the places he would go if he had his chance to be in the spotlight. If we ever get out of here, I wish more than anything that he will get that chance.

The song ends, and so does his dance, but I only wish I could watch him move forever, I wish I could always have the feeling of seeing him dance. His chest heaves up and down, trying his best to catch his breath, his harsh breathing being the only sound left in the room, as we're all left speechless by his performance. He glances up at us nervously, waiting for some type of reaction. I finally close my mouth that has been hanging open since the music started. I stand to my feet and clap enthusiastically, the others soon following along. I wipe a tear from my eyes and run to hug him.

"Hobi," I whisper, "that was so beautiful."

He laughs in response. "You don't have to over exaggerate like that,"

"I'm not! That really was spectacular," I shake my head furiously, wishing I could convey my feelings through words as well as he conveys his through dance.

Yoongi gives him a gummy smile and pats him on the back. "She's right. You blew us all away." Hoseok beams, just like the morning sun, a refreshing light that your relieved to see after a long night.

We continue to brag about how talented Hoseok is until he finally gets too flustered and tells us to stop.

"As I'm sure you've noticed," Namjoon begins, "this setup isn't only for Hobi. This is for everyone, so who's next?"

No one volunteers, so I take the initiative to volunteer someone else.
"How about Yoongi? We did buy that huge piano just for you."

Yoongi blinks in surprise. "It's for me?"

"No, we were talking about that sea turtle outside that we named Yoongi," Namjoon deadpans, pointing at the turtle that has a strange resemblance to Yoongi, lazily swimming by the glass window. "Yes, for you! Now play us the new song you wrote."

Yoongi awkwardly scratches the nape of his neck as he walks to the piano. He slides his hand over the sleek, black instrument, awe written all over his features. The pink stage lights cast a halo around his mint hair, and reflect off of his black, sequin blazer. He takes a seat and stretches his long fingers over the keys. Immediately, the unsure look that was once on his face is replaced by one of comfort and belonging. This piano looks like it was made for him, and he was made for the piano.

As his fingers dance over the black and white keys, just as gracefully as Hoseok danced across the floor, a beautiful melody rings out. I sit there, amazed that I have such talented friends. I almost feel out of place. I'm like a flashlight with low batteries, while they shine like stars in the sky.

After Yoongi's performance, Jin and Namjoon play a song together on guitar, Jin singing, and Namjoon rapping. Taehyung sings a magical, soulful song, his deep voice, so unexpected from his childlike personality, taking me aback. Jungkook sings his own song, but then Taehyung joins him as they finish out with a beautiful harmony. Jimin does a contemporary dance routine, his gracefullness reminding me of flowers dancing peacefully in the summer breeze.

When everyone finishes their performance, sharing a piece of their lives, showing what they live and breathe for, the boys all give me an expecting look.

"You can't just get a free show," Jin laughs.

"What do you mean a free show?" I demand, "who do you think paid for all of this?"

"Please, Noona," Jimin begs, giving me a heartmelting puppy dog face.

I groan, having a difficult time turning them down, but also not wanting to make a fool of myself. "I'm not good at singing,"

"What about dancing?" Namjoon suggests.

I look down at my hands and play with the hem of my red, silk dress, "I don't know how to dance," I admit.

"Nonsense! Even Namjoon can dance, even though he's RapMonster, not DanceMonster," Hoseok argues.

"Well I'm not Namjoon."

"Come on, you can't tell me you've never danced in your life."

"Well I can, but that doesn't mean you'll believe me."

"What? That's ridiculous! You've never once-"

"Hoseok, she's paralyzed," Jungkook snaps, interrupting Hoseok. A look of guilt paints everyone's face, me being the inspiration for the picture. I squeeze my eyes shut and think of the smeraldo flower. I repeatedly tell myself that I'm not afraid of who I am, I'm proud of everything about me, hoping that if I say it enough I'll start to believe it. I want to be brave. I want to love myself, but I can't seem to force myself to meet their gaze.

I suddenly feel someone grab my hand and pull me towards them. I open my eyes, only to be turned around. My back is pressed into the chest of whoever I'm standing in front of.

"Put your feet on mine." Hoseok gently instructs me.

I do as he says, taking a step back to have my feet on his. He grabs my hands in his, and as Yoongi starts to play a tune on the piano, he sways along to the music, forcing my body to move with his.

"Imagine the notes flowing into your ears and moving through your muscles, let the music move for you," he whispers into my ear. I close my eyes and listen carefully to the music. My feet move when Hoseok's feet move, my arms reach out, as if I'm grasping for the wind. My heart sings in glee with the way my limbs move along to the song. We must look ridiculous right now, but I don't mind, I feel like a butterfly, stretching out it's wings for the very first time. I feel like I could take flight.

I open my eyes and see the boys looking at me with warm smiles on their faces. For the first time in weeks, when the holographic man appears to deliver a daily report on the progress they've made on freeing us from the game, none of us pay attention, not caring if we're in the real world or the virtual world, because we've made our own.

__________

A/N -

THIS CHAPTER HAS ME SO SOFT NOBODY TOUCH ME I WILL TURN INTO A PILE OF LIQUID!!!

Hello, here's your daily reminder to stay hydrated, step outside for at least a minute to get some fresh air, get enough food, and take whatever medicine you need to take. You are amazing, and you are loved ♡

See ya next time! Peace out my dudes ✌🏻