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Chapter Text

Ten Years Ago

The seasons during this time of year were unpredictable. One minute the skies were hued with mixes of pinks and purples and blues, the next, gloomy clouds began to loom across the horizon. Soft and gentle rain began their descent. The soothing hum soon turned into harsh pellets as Anna stormed out of the restaurant.

“You can’t be serious, Anna.” He stated, grabbing an umbrella on the way out, following her outside.

”It’s not like you’re actually going to make it anywhere if you do go. What difference does it make if you leave? There are plenty of schools here that are good that you could go to. It’s selfish of you to go, actually. You think leaving is going to solve all your problems? You think you’ll be better than everyone if you go?” His voice rising with anger, hints of desperation clawing its way out. It was never familiar to him, but in this moment it felt like a first language. “You’d be stupid to leave.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? How can you honestly stand there and be happy with yourself the way you’re speaking to me?” She yelled back, desperate to create as much distance between them as possible.

“I don’t know what I did to you the past couple months for you to hate me this bad but it’s not fair. When you got numerous opportunities to go and pursue your dreams, I was there every single step of the way. When you came to me and got your first big call back from auditions, I was nothing but supportive of you.. I never once complained when our plans got canceled because you had auditions or practice or had to go to Seoul. I’m so incredibly happy for you, that everything you’ve dreamed about since we were kids is finally working out.” She stopped, turning around and facing him for the first time since their disagreement.

“Why is it that my dreams all of a sudden don’t get the same amount of love and support? Why is it that what I want doesn’t matter anymore? It’s no secret that I was never meant to stay in Busan. We both were never supposed to stay. But now that it’s my turn to leave, all of a sudden it’d be stupid to go?” She faced him, inching closer until the glassiness of his eyes shown into hers.

“I guess you are right. I’m stupid enough to think that you’d support me the way I always did for you.” Not wanting him to see the tears fall, she spun around and began to walk away.

“Anna, I-“ He reached out to grip her wrist. Feeling the gentleness he wrapped around her shot an ache through her heart, but the argument left her with pain that was unbearable.

“Don’t, Koo. Just don’t. I don’t understand why you’ve been acting this way towards me for months. I tried to look past it, giving you excuse after excuse, because I valued our friendship, but this is enough. I would’ve never imagined that you’d act this way towards me, but you continue to surprise me. If me leaving and following my dreams is enough for you to stop respecting me the way you did before, then so be it. Let this be the last time you talk to me like that ever again.” Snatching her wrist back, she looked into his eyes one last time and headed towards home.

As the scenes replayed in her mind, all she could think of was the last look he gave her. His sweet brown eyes, tainted with anger and disappointment, seared into hers as tears fell harshly. She could’ve sworn she saw something more flicker through his gaze, but the pain of it all left her unwilling to piece anymore of it together.

Present

The cold air that flowed through her lungs was a harsh reminder of all the things she was desperate to run from. And yet, here she was, years later. Home. Or what was technically considered home. Anna was born and raised in Korea until she was accepted to Columbia University in the New York. It had been years since she’d been back, filling her time abroad by working as an official translator and interpreter for various organizations and agencies. The work she did was meaningful and left her feeling fulfilled, like everything she had left home for was worth it. Which it was for a time. It was worth it for a while.

A harsh ring brought her back to reality.

“Hello?” She answered, holding her phone up to her ear as she grabbed her bags off the luggage carousel.

“Did you really think you’d be able to sneak your way into Korea without us knowing? You seem to forget we share locations…” Sora, one of her best friends from university, whom she developed a close bond with, stated on the phone. While they had met abroad, Sora had moved to Korea a few years ago to become a translator and interpreter for a local company and had be doing so since.

With a sigh, not necessarily filled with anger, but more so with the exhaustion of traveling, she responded, “Look Sora, I was going to tell you, but it was honestly kind of last minute. With the traveling and sorting things out with the company and Anthony - it was just a lot and it slipped past my mind-“

“Anna, my love, I am saying this with the deepest amount of love and respect for you, but please shut the hell up. I’m just teasing you. Besides, it was funny to watch you get flustered like that.” She was so cheery, it had Anna feeling bad for being snippy.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you, it was such a long flight. Economy is never comfortable, and since its personal travel and I technically don’t work for them anymore, I couldn’t use the company to upgrade my flight and - wait, what do you mean seeing me get flustered? Are you here?” As if on cue, a familiar embrace surrounded her body, warmth finally flowing throughout her.

“Don’t be mad but I kind of harassed Zoren into giving us your flight information. I saw that you were at the airport, and when you didn’t respond to my millions of texts, I reached out to him. I knew things weren’t okay for a while when you would avoid talking about the things that used to make you happy. What happened that has you coming back home?” Her gentleness was evident in her tone, her question was coated in nothing but love and concern. Zoren, a colleague she met through work, became one of her closest friends as she explored and excelled in her career. He was one of the few that understood her on a deeper and personal level, securing a spot in her inner circle.

Unable, or more so unwilling, to answer her, Anna changed the subject. “You keep referring to ‘us’ - who else knows I’m back?”

“Oh come on, you couldn’t possibly think that you can come back and I wouldn’t also tell Tala.” Anna was grateful Sora knew she didn’t want to dive into that conversation just yet. That was one of the things she was most fond of, of their friendship. Things like that didn’t need explanation, she just understood.

The mischief in her eyes sparkled as she saw her friend, Tala, running up to them. She was another good friend from her university days, the three of them being practically inseparable back then. Anna squealed as Tala’s embrace wrapped around her frame. “Seriously, you brat. I can’t believe you thought you’d be able to slip past us into this country without us knowing. We can literally find out anything, you know.” She smiled as the banter between them picked up.

“Wait, how are you here too? I didn’t realize that they were allowing just anyone to enter the country.” Asked Anna as she pulled away from their embrace, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

“Oh please, they’re lucky I’m here in the first place. They saw how incredible, intelligent, kind, beautiful, and funny I am and were practically begging to give me a visa here and - um what the hell, ow?” A shove by Sora brought Tala back to reality. Tala, for one, was one of the more interesting people she had ever met, dramatics being a main focal point in her charming personality.

“You know how I’ve been working for that company in Seoul? They had a job posting a couple months ago for some marketing positions and Tala’s been looking for a new start and I thought it’d be fun to have her in the same city again. So she applied and thankfully got the job and has been here for a couple months now. It’s all in the group chat you know, if you would ever care to read it.” Sora responded, giving Anna a playful shove.

“Oh right, the group chat. Sorry, honestly there’s been so many going on with work and just life in general, I haven’t been paying much attention to it.” She said, ashamed to admit her own personal struggles left her feeling like an outsider in her friend’s lives.

“That doesn’t matter now, it’s okay, really. On the bright side, at least all three of us are together now! It’ll be just like when we were in college but this time we have more free time and slightly more money.” Tala exclaimed, moving to grab Anna’s bags and dragged them towards the exit.

The trio made their way towards the exit but were blocked by hundreds of what seemed to be fans and paparazzi lining the halls. Piercing screams erupted around them as they made their way out of the halls. Anna paused to make a joke about the crowd not needing to miss her anymore since she was home for good now but stopped when a familiar pair of brown eyes caught hers. It had been years since she caught a glimpse of those eyes in real life. It had been years since she allowed herself to replay the last conversations with him. She found it hard to tear her gaze away as the anger she bottled up threatened to bubble out of the tightly sealed room in her heart.

Was it really anger though? The grief inside held a bigger space, it seems. Years of friendship thrown away so carelessly for a reason she still couldn’t understand. Eighteen years of inside jokes, silent celebrations, sweet moments, buried deep in her heart, tucked safely away from the anger that expelled from her body. It was hard not to notice him, he had made it big after all. His face was everywhere - billboards, magazines, TV, the internet, hell, even her own Spotify betrayed her at times. He had accomplished everything he said he would, and then some. Of course she was proud of him, regardless of everything that happened between them, she was happy his dreams came true.

A sharp tug on her arm tore her gaze away from his, severing their first moment of contact in years. She looked up at her friends with wide eyes. Had they been that obvious? Had the years of shared resentment and grief been that apparent between them? If it had been, her friends pretended not to notice.

“You can ogle him some other time babe, they’re literally everywhere. I promise you’re not missing out. Let’s go get some food and relax at our apartment after, okay? Long day, remember?” Anna quickly nodded and forced her body to follow her friends out of the airport and towards their car. Her first two hours back home and one of her first interactions were with the boy who made her run away in the first place. Did he remember her the way she did him? Were his last memories of her tainted with the harshness of their interaction years ago? It couldn’t be, it was years ago, and he had so much success under his belt, it’d be stupid of her to think that he’d remember her. Right?

After what seemed like hours later, they had finally arrived at the restaurant. Nothing fancy, just a local barbecue place Sora and Tala frequented since it was close to their apartment. The trio quickly made their way out of the car and shuffled in, claiming a table towards the back. The staff made their way to the table greeting the two girls as if they were old friends, and acknowledging the new face with warmth and kindness.

“We’ll bring out your usual orders! I’ll throw in some extras since it seems we have someone new joining us today.” The older woman stated, reminding Anna a lot of her own mother.

“Thank you so much! This is Anna, she’s originally from Busan. She lived abroad for a couple years but is finally back and living here for good.” Sora exclaimed brightly, pouring water into each of their cups.

“Ah Busan, so you’re a fan of seafood then? I’ll bring out some stuff for you, specially made to welcome you back home.” The woman ran off happily to the kitchen before Anna could oblige, secretly happy to be eating something comforting after surviving strictly off airplane food for the past seventeen hours.

“First and foremost, I missed you so much! Facetimes were starting to not cut it, I was in the middle of planning a trip to visit you when I found out you were coming back to Korea. Which…are you okay?” Sora asked with the same gentleness as she did earlier.

Anna was fond of her, she always able to see her without ever explaining anything. It’s like she just got her, understood her. “I missed you guys too. I’m okay for the most part. Nothing was necessarily bad, but it wasn’t necessarily good either. It felt like I was just starting to exist and not really live, you know? It feels silly and stupid but like I had a good job, good friends, good boyfriend, strong social life - it should’ve been fine and I should’ve been happy but I just…wasn’t…” Avoiding eye contact, Anna took a sip of water to keep herself distracted from the concerned looks her friends were giving her. It wasn’t like her to quit something she had worked hard for. Not like this.

“You don’t have to have a reason to come home. You don’t need to wait for things to become ‘bad’ to leave. I’m sure whatever you were going through was hard enough, you don’t need to explain yourself to us. We’re here for you for anything. No matter how silly or small or stupid you convince yourself it is.” Tala said, her playfulness replaced with softness, as she reached for Anna’s hand across the table.

The heaviness of the conversation was saved by the delicious smell radiating from the food that was placed in front of them. All her favorite dishes made an appearance and the pity party she was secretly holding for herself dissipated with each bite she took. Nothing had given her more comfort in the past couple months than sitting around a table with her best friends, back in a country she was starting to refamiliarize herself with. Korea had changed, and so had she, and she was welcomed back with a warm embrace. As they finished dinner, playful banter tossed around, the girls made their way up to the apartment Sora and Tala shared for the time being.

It was a quaint two bedroom apartment. Nothing entirely fancy, but it felt like home. Mismatched frames lined their walls, filled with photos of their friends and families. Anna caught herself eyeing a couple less flattering ones of herself from their early friendship days. She took a mental note to hide those later. Various plants in all stages of life sat on shelves alongside books and memorabilia, bringing a sense of life and nostalgia to the room. As they helped Anna unpack her bags, curiosity filled the apartment.

“So what’s your plan now that you’re back?” Tala asked, rolling Anna’s empty carry-on into their storage closet.

“Honestly, I don’t really have one at the moment. Before I knew you guys were at the airport to pick me up, I was just going to crash at a hotel for a couple days or a week or something while I figured everything out. I didn’t want to bother you guys and make an indent of my body on your couch. Besides, my own family doesn’t really even know I’m back yet. Maybe I’ll look into something part-time for now, I saved a bunch so I have enough to live off of for at least a couple months. I’ll figure everything out, don’t worry guys. And thank you, by the way, for letting me make an indent of myself on your couch anyways. You didn’t have to do that for me.” She said shyly, toying with a stray piece of yarn from the blanket they gave her to occupy her hands and avoid their scolding gaze.

“Anna, please stop. You know you would never be a burden to us, we’re happy you’re here. You don’t have to figure everything out right now, you don’t even need to have any thoughts in your brain for all that matters if you don’t want to. You certainly can drop the whole Miss Independent act, though. We would be more than happy to help. You can crash here for as long as you want to, too. If you’re looking for a job, I can reach out to my network and see what jobs are out there right now.” Sora moved closer to sit next to her, taking her hands and holding them gently.
“If it makes you feel better, you kind of came at a perfect time! My lease here ends in about a month and there’s a three bedroom opening up around the the same time. Tala and I were going to rent that out anyways but now that you’re here, you could come live with us too. You don’t have to make any decision about that right now, but just know that the option is there for you regardless.” She smiled warmly at her, her gentleness never leaving.

“Anna I know it was a lot today, whatever you’re feeling must’ve been really heavy. We are here to talk whenever you’re ready. Or if you don’t want to talk we can just sit and be by you. But we’re always here for you, okay? We love you.” Tala reassured, and gave her a side hug.

“Thank you guys, again I’m sorry for crashing on your couch for a bit, but thank you for being there for me. I think I just want to take some time to sleep and figure out how to fight this jet lag. It’s genuinely kicking my ass.” Anna laughed, an attempt to lighten the mood. She got up and hugged her friends, grateful for their support.

She left to shower, hoping the hot water would wash the day away, more so in a theoretical way than a physical. Her thoughts were getting heavy again - thoughts of leaving the world she knew for the past ten years behind, thoughts of her sweet boyfriend she broke up with, thoughts of her mundane, day to day life, thoughts of those sweet brown eyes, ruined with what seemed to be grief too.

As she settled in the living room, on the couch her sweet friends tried to make as comfy as they could, her mind couldn’t help but wander. Why couldn’t she just try to be happy with her life and what it was? Why wasn’t she happy anymore? With her job, with her boyfriend, with her life? The next couple minutes were filled with tosses and turns as she tried to get her mind to settle. Taking a tip she learned from childhood, she took deep breathes in and out until her body was forced to relax. Her body finally started to drift into sleep, not without a silent thank you to the brown eyed boy who taught her that trick to begin with.

Chapter Text

Life on the road never was easy for Jungkook. Coming home from their latest round of promotions and photoshoots for their upcoming album was filled with nothing but fun and new experiences, but the constant travel and lack of routine drove him crazy. The exhaustion paired with the endless need to make things perfect was starting to tear at him. It was the price he had to pay for his dreams, though, right? This was what had to get done in order to do what he loved best. The cost of everything he threw out years ago had to be worth it - and it was. Right?

Pulling himself out of that lull, he was met with Taehyung’s warm embrace. “Jungkookie why do you look so sad to be home? All you did the past couple weeks was whine and cry about missing your bed and wanting to sleep for days and days.” He smiled, playfully tousling his black waves.

A pout playing on his lips already, he playfully shoved Tae away. “I’m not sad to be home, I’m exhausted and ready to lay in bed and hear something other than your obnoxious singing waking me up in the morning.” Jungkook stated, slipping his beanie over his head and mask over his face. He didn’t want to make it apparent to the other hyungs just how bad his eye bags and dark circles had become. Just how tired he had been, and not just because of this round of promotions.

The seven of them continued to walk through the airport towards customs. Their group always caused commotion at the airport, not just because they were one of the biggest groups ever, but because at their core, were a bunch of rowdy, loud, playful men. Jimin and Hobi were towards the front of the group, free styling to a song they were playing in their earbuds. Jungkook was convinced they were listening to two completely different songs, which left him laughing silently to himself. Namjoon and Yoongi seemed to be having a heated discussion, most likely regarding the album. Those two never seem to quit working, Jungkook observed. Jin and Tae were closer to Jimin and Hobi, both singing different renditions of the new single they just released a couple hours ago. Call it an artist’s interpretation, if you will. Jungkook smiled fondly at the group in front of him - the boys who raised him, who taught him all he knows about the music industry, who he fought tooth and nail alongside to make their dreams bigger than what they could’ve ever imagined.

His fondness for his group were soon replaced with the reality he had been avoiding. Burnout didn’t seem like the right word. He loved his job, his hyungs, his fans, the success he brought to his family, the joy and fulfillment he got from doing what he loved every single day. He was fulfilled though, right?

He continued to follow the group closely as they reached customs. They took their time, removing hats and beanies and face masks to clear their way through. As he reached the end of the line and made their way towards the exit, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Oh come on guys, you don’t have to scream and beg me to stay I-“ The sweet sound of a voice he thought was long gone filled his ears. He couldn’t stop but think that he was hearing things, granted the screams and cheers of ARMY were deafening, but he knew that melody by heart. Sweet brown eyes caught his and he knew instantly they belonged to the girl who never seemed to leave his thoughts, though years had passed between them. They held the same softness at their core, but they were mixed with something unfamiliar. Sadness, maybe?

A sharp tug from what seemed to be a friend of hers broke their gaze first. He was annoyed, wanting a longer look to see if there was anything left in those sweet brown eyes. He watched as they pulled her along towards the exit and he waited for her to turn around, one last time. She didn’t.

Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder what brought her back to Korea after so many years. He kept in regular contact with her family, they were close after all. They would’ve said something to him, he’s sure. Right? He got occasional updates about her from his own mother - their mothers regularly had lunches and dinners and shopping sprees - so it’s not like they wouldn’t know that she was back. But if she was back, why did she fly into Seoul? Why not go directly home? Was she here for work? It couldn’t be, she had entirely too many bags for it to be a trip for business. He knew she had a tendency to overpack but there were way too many bags on the cart for her to only be here for a couple days. Unless her overpacking got worse over the years, he wouldn’t know he hasn’t spoken to her since -

His thoughts were cut off by one of the bodyguards pushing him along towards the exit. The thing about his job and his relationship with ARMY was that they literally showed up like an Army at any little appearance. Their airport escapades were something he still had to get used to, even after all these years. He loved them with all his heart, but it’s overwhelming trying to do little things, like leave an airport, without causing a scene. Eventually he and his hyungs made it safely to the vans that patiently awaited them. Jungkook to a seat towards the back, leaned his head on the window and sighed.

“Jungkookie, are you okay?” The softest of his hyungs, Jimin, could sense immediately the impact the crowd had on him. It was different being up on stage performing as BTS’ Jungkook as opposed to Jungkook, guy who just wanted to go home and sleep for days and days.

Peaking an eye open at Jimin he responded, “Yes I’m okay. Thank you for checking on me. It was just a lot and I’m just really tired.”

“Are you sure? You’ve been ‘just really tired’ a lot lately…could it have anything to do with that girl you stared at for ten minutes? Seemed like you guys knew each other they way you stared into each other’s eyes.” Jungkook’s eyes snapped wide open to stare at his hyung in confusion. Had he really been that obvious they were starting at each other? He could’ve sworn he only looked at her for ten seconds max.

“No that’s impossible hyung, I don’t even know her.” He lied, “I’m just tired, I didn’t get much sleep. You know how it is rooming with Tae.” He closed his eyes once more, successfully avoiding the look of concern, not just on Jimin’s face, but seemingly on all the other hyung’s faces too.

Taking the bait, Tae proceeded to defend his position as self-proclaimed ‘best roommate’ when everyone else came to argue. Colorful words and strong descriptions ensued, specifically highlighting his lack of personal boundaries and interesting karaoke times to be the main contenders. Thankful for the distraction, Jungkook smirked and drifted into a nap. A sudden jolt of the car woke him up, and with a quick glance at his surroundings, he knew that they had come to a restaurant they frequented. It was the most central to all their homes, which was only a plus, since the food they severed was the exact thing Jungkook was missing right about now. It was late enough for them to freely exit the vans and swiftly pile into the establishment. They took a seat in a secluded area in the back, where the staff were attentive to their orders.

“You’re from Busan, yeah? I can hear it in your accent! It’s funny, I had another young woman come in today, too, not too long ago who just got back from living abroad. Your accents are so similar! You guys even ordered the same thing.” The older woman cheerily exclaimed, rushing to the back to put in the rest of the member’s and staff’s orders.

Stunned into silence, Jungkook couldn’t help the thoughts that soon ran through his head. She couldn’t have been talking about her, right? There had to be plenty of people who just landed in Korea, who were from Busan, who would want to eat at this same restaurant he sat at right now, and order the same thing he did…right? A wadded up paper towel broke him out of his thoughts before he had the time to start spiraling again.

“JK this is the longest I’ve ever seen you think like that before, I didn’t know you could do that. It’s hurting me looking at you think this long.” Jin was the only one who could break the tension he had brewing inside him. Not of course, without insulting him first.

“Hyung, please. I’m more than capable of thinking for long periods of time. I have to listen to you all the time, after all.” Jungkook teased, throwing the paper towel back in his direction, hitting him directly in his face.

Dinner continued without much of a hitch. Grateful for the break in schedule and not having to be “on” for the cameras, the members were able to settle and enjoy themselves. They finished their meals, paid, signed some autographs for the owners, and bid their goodbyes. It wasn’t often that they were able to go out to eat like this at a small hole in the wall restaurant, with the risk of getting mobbed by devoted ARMY’s running high. It was nice, Jungkook thought, to be able to pretend he was just a guy hanging out with his friends after a day of travel. Eventually, they split to go their separate ways home.

Flicking the soft lights on in his house, dropping his coat and beanie, and taking his shoes off and shoving them in the cabinet, Jungkook made his way towards the bathroom. A long, hot shower seemed to be what he was itching to have, with the hopes that the heat and steam would grant him a little peace and wash the day away. Not only had the travel been long, but every time his eyes closed, they were met with the images of the sweet brown eyes he had stored in the back of his mind. Only this time, he wasn’t rummaging around in his memories, afraid that he’d forgotten them. This time, he had a more accurate picture, one that described a more authentic version of the girl who ran rampant in his mind. He couldn’t help but admire the way her eyes sparkled a bit, shades of light browns and honey catching light and twinkling around. The softness she held didn’t seem to fade, which he was happy about. She still looked like the girl he’s known most of his life - the same long black hair, same charming smile, same sweet brown eyes. There was something different though, in the way she carried them.

He’d been trying to ignore the way grief danced with her eyes, turning that sweet gaze slightly guarded. He’d saw the way her hands slightly shook, as she gripped her friend’s hands out of the airport. He’d picked up on the way her shoulders slightly slumped, just when she thought no one was around to noice. He’d noticed.

He’d tried to think back to the last time he spoke with his mother. He would definitely remember if his mom said anything about her. He always did. The last thing he had heard from his mother about her was that she had received a promotion and was getting more praise at work, she had traveled for two weeks out of the country with her friends, and she had moved in with her boyfriend of two and a half years. Boyfriend. He was happy for her, of course. He’d always wished her the best - prayed on every shooting star he saw, threw a coin in every fountain he came across, and whispered nothing but good wishes on every four leaf clover he found.

The cool water splashed roughly onto his skin, breaking him out of whatever trance she still held on him. The shower was refreshing, but did an awful job at keeping his thoughts at bay. If anything, they seemed to run a little wilder, a little louder. She wasn’t the only occupant in his mind, however. Thoughts of his career, his exhaustion, his life in general were at the forefront of his mind. He got to get up, every single day, and do what he loved. He had a large group of devoted fans who loved him and his members. He could take care of his family, take care of himself, and then some. So why did he feel like nothing was making him happy anymore? Why did it feel like it wasn’t worth it anymore?

He couldn’t stand to let those kind of thoughts linger, though. With the lifestyle he lead, the success he had, the dreams of his coming into fruition - there was no reason to be unhappy. There was no reason to be even thinking that this life wasn’t worth all the sacrificing he did ten years ago. It was worth it, he decided. Taking deep breathes in and out, his body began to relax. Soon he found himself tucked in his sheets, sleep on the verge of taking over. With a last flick of the lights, he found himself humming a tune that lay dormant in the back of his throat. Laying in bed, slowly drifting to a deep sleep, he remembered to silently thank the sweet brown eyed girl who taught him that melody to begin with.

Chapter Text

A bright light eased Anna back into consciousness. She blinked her eyes open, taking in her surroundings. The faint scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the space as she swung her legs to the edge of the couch. It took her a while to gather her thoughts, having to remember that she was waking up at Sora and Tala’s apartment in the heart of Seoul, not in the one she shared with Anthony back in New York.

Anthony. Her sweet boyfriend of two and a half years. They’d met outside of a coffee shop, her accidentally spilling coffee all over him after she had lost track of time, chatting with Zoren on their lunch break. He was entirely too sweet and would not even let her buy him anything as an apology. He actually bought her another cup, and even ended up apologizing for running into her. Thoughts of their relationship swirled in her head as she made her way to the bathroom. He was sweet, and kind, and took care of her. He never cheated on her, never hurt her physically or emotionally, never let her feel like she had to handle things on her own. But he didn’t know her coffee order. He didn’t realize she only wore gold jewelry. He hadn’t picked up on the fact that she gets quiet at night because her thoughts get too loud sometimes. He hadn’t seen the way she had to anxiously hold onto the necklace her grandmother gave her when she started to feel the weight of her emotions. He always bought her shoes that weren’t her style, or recommended a song she wouldn’t like. But he had always been kind. He had always been gentle. They had always celebrated her birthday and their anniversaries, and traveled back home to visit her family for all the holidays. So why wasn’t she satisfied with their relationship? Nothing was inherently bad or wrong…but it wasn’t right either.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts of what was, she began her morning routine. If anything, she was grateful she had been smart enough to save some money to be able to live semi-unemployed for a bit. A nice break from her real life was good. Smart. Imperative for her well-being, she thought. She had come to recognize the beauty in a slow morning. After taking her time to let her skincare products absorb into her skin, perfect the light makeup she creatively put on her face, and picked out an outfit that allowed for more comfort than style, she finally felt ready for the day.

As she began to gather her things, she paused. What even was her day today? It’s not like she had a job to run off to, or a boyfriend to go see, or friends to hang out with. Sora and Tala had left for work earlier in the morning, she discovered in the group chat that she neglected for months. She supposed she could try and find a new living situation, but she decided that might be too big of a task at the moment. She could try to find another job, but wasn’t she just going on and on about the beauty of slow mornings? She had never really explored Seoul as it seems. She’s from Busan, and the handful of times she’d come to the capital, she spent her time in a cramped studio with a boy she tried to forget. Not letting thoughts of him bring her down, she made it her goal to reclaim her past experiences in Seoul and rewrite those memories with things that made her happy and feel like herself.

She texted the group chat to see if they had any local cafes in their area that they liked that she could visit. Luckily they didn’t seem too preoccupied with work just yet and granted her a slew of cafes they’ve personally visited and could vouch for. Happy with her list of suggestions, she left the warmth of their apartment and ventured out into the cold October air. Seoul’s October wasn’t like the October’s back in New York - there weren’t many pumpkins out on porches or fall scents looming through the air. The air felt heavier here, the clouds carefully carrying drizzles of rain ready to spill, her own loneliness suffocating. But she could appreciate the way oranges and browns and reds cluttered the trees and sidewalks, like New York. People were dressed in long trench coats and comfortable shoes, something she found herself familiar with.

She eventually made it to a cafe a couple blocks from her friend’s apartment. It was cozy and tucked off the main street, giving the illusion of secrecy. She envisioned herself becoming a regular here, becoming friends with the baristas, having her order ready before she even stepped foot in the establishment. Smiling softly to herself, she stood in line and looked over the menu.

“Hello! What can I get started for you today?” A bright-eyed, blonde-haired, twenty-something started at her, a small smile gracing her face.

“Hi, may I please get one iced hazelnut americano please, extra ice if you can, and two pumps of sweetener. And one chocolate croissant.” Anna responded, excitement written all over her face.

“Sure, can I have a name for your order?” The barista was ready to input her name when a voice that wasn’t hers answered for her.

“Anna?”

Slowly turning around, she found herself face to face with those sweet brown eyes, hidden behind a curtain of black waves. As much as she tried to look away, she found herself stuck between admiration and annoyance. His face hadn’t changed a bit from what she remembered. His jaw line was sharper maybe, and it looked like he grew into his features more, but he was still the same doe-eyed boy that lingered in her mind. He was beautiful, as he always had been, but that thought didn’t last for long when memories of their last moments flooded her mind. Her shocked appearance was soon replaced by irritation.

Returning her attention back to the barista, who was still waiting for an answer, Anna replied, “Sorry, yes it’ll be for Anna! Thank you so much.” Before she could pull out her wallet, he had reached over and tapped his card on the screen. Scowling up at him, she took the receipt from the barista and walked over to the pick up section. So much for the hope of becoming a regular here.

Trying her best to not let her thoughts immediately scramble, she pulled out her phone prepared to send an SOS to the group chat when she stopped. It wasn’t like she let it be public knowledge that her near and dear childhood friend was BTS’ Jungkook. Sure, her friends had an idea of the reason why she left Korea - a close friend threw away their longterm friendship like it didn’t mean anything, but never would she let it slip that it was him. She was pissed at him but she’d never let that secret out, despite all the things that happened between them, she still felt like she had to protect him. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Of course she was pissed at him. Not so much as a message, or apology for the past ten years ever came her way. This is the first time they’ve really seen each other since then, and he doesn’t even say anything? She’s surprised he even remembered her name. And he had the audacity to pay for her stuff, when she was more than capable of doing that herself. She didn’t need his pity money, whatever that was. And she certainly didn’t want him back in her life either, after she had witnessed first hand just how disposable she was to him. How carelessly he could just toss her to the side when he wanted to.

A tall figure slid next to her, not as slick as he thought he was being, accidentally bumping into her.

“You’d think with the years of practice you have ignoring my existence, you’d be smarter at avoiding me and wouldn’t run into me like that.” Anna said, a huff of annoyance evident in her tone. Her hands fiddled with the receipt, desperate for the baristas to call her name.

“You know, the least you could do is say thank you after I paid for your order. If I had known you were around, I could’ve ordered for you and had you just pick it up. Your order is still the same even after all these years, anyways. Nothing’s changed.” Jungkook stated confidently, keeping his gaze forward. He kept his mask on, the privacy it gave, comforted him.

“Yeah, you’re right. Nothing’s changed. You’re still you.” Anna glanced at his direction for a split second, hurt flashing, before she returned her gaze forward.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He snapped, catching a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye.

“Really? You seriously don’t get it? We haven’t spoken to each other in years. You’ve never reached out to me - never to check in on me, never to see how I was doing, never even apologized for how you spoke to me the last time we talked. You think you can coincidentally run into me at a random cafe in Seoul and talk to me like we have so much to catch up on, like we’re still such good friends? Like you can just pay for my coffee and things would be smiles and giggles from now on? You’re smart, Koo. Don’t sit there and tell me that you think ten years can just go by and think that’s enough of an apology. Do you really still have that little respect for me?” Anna tried to keep her voice level and quiet, seeing as they were still in the cafe after all. No one needed to hear their dirty laundry, despite her being as angry as she was.

“You’re seriously getting on me because I haven’t reached out? Because I haven’t apologized? If I recall, you’re the one who stood there and told me not to speak to you ever again. You’re the one who still left, at the end of the day. So sorry for just doing what you wanted me to do.” He defended, shuffling back on his feet. The use of the nickname she affectionally used to call him wasn’t lost on him. Though, this time it was laced with venom instead of honey.

Before she could respond, the baristas finally called her name. Without another look, she gathered her things and walked towards the door. “Thanks for the coffee.”

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Jungkook wasn’t sure what he was thinking when he caught a glimpse of her through the cafe windows on his way to the office. She was beautiful, she always had been, but seeing her up close, ten years later, had his mind going crazy. She stood in line with the softest smile he’d seen on her, reminding him of the days she used to look up at him like that. Before he knew it, he was standing behind her, saying her name like an old song he had forgotten about. The shock in her face was clear, but the irritation that quickly followed was hard to face. The excitement of seeing her again, of being close to her again, was overshadowed by the deep scowl she had. Without a second thought, he reached over her and paid for her order.

Nothing’s changed much with her, he thought. She’s still the same, even after all these years. Even her coffee order is still the same… figures.

Distracted, he made his way over, accidentally running into her. She didn’t so much as spare a second to glance over at him. He’d thought he was getting the silent treatment, but was surprised when she snapped at him. He couldn’t figure out if it was better to get the silent treatment or face her anger head on, so he did his best to keep a level tone with her. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of snapping back, which left her storming out of the cafe. At least she thanked him for the coffee.

As he walked to the office, realizing he didn’t even order anything at the cafe, his mind swirled with thoughts of her. Nothing much had really changed with her. She looked the same, if not more stunning. Time may have graced her but life seemed to harden her. She seemed to be more comfortable in who she was, more confident in her own skin. But her gaze was slightly darkened. Tension cluttered her body, and he noticed how she still clutched onto her grandmother's necklace. What happened in the past ten years that chipped away at her softness?

The walk to the office was refreshing in the October morning, but he couldn’t help but think he fucked up their first interactions together. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. Truth be told, he missed her. Missed her friendship and companionship. He missed the unwavering support she gave him, how she always seemed to know what to say to ease his mind. He missed the way talking to her was always so easy - no topic was off limits, and they never made each other feel small or stupid for bringing up their worries or insecurities. But how could she stand there and get mad at him for never reaching out, when she told him to never talk to her again? How could he risk rejection from her, trying to fix things, when she made it clear that their relationship as they knew it was over and done with?

The office came into view sooner than he expected and he quickly went in, desperate for warmth as the cool October air made its presence known. He found his way into the dance studio, greeting the other members while slipping off his outerwear.

“Jungkook-ah, you’re late! You don’t even have a coffee or anything to show for. What, you just slept in again?” Hobi pounced on their maknae, giving him a playful squeeze and Jungkook faced the mirrors.

“Yeah hyung, I just slept in. I was up late last night gaming, totally forgot to set my alarm.” He turned to face the rest of the members. It wasn’t an entire lie though, he was up a little late gaming, and did forget to set an alarm. However, he did manage to wake up early but was only late because he ran into Anna at his local cafe. He liked that spot, the staff there never seemed to make it a big deal that he was an idol, and if they did care, they never showed it. It was one of the few places in the city that allowed him to just be Jeon Jungkook.

“Okay guys let’s get started. We have a lot to get done today and I’d rather not be here any later than we need to be.” Announced one of the choreographers. Realizing this would be a perfect distraction from the noise in his own mind, Jungkook shifted gears and concentrated on the intricate dance moves the choreographers were showing the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anna could not believe her first interaction with Jungkook after ten years of no contact was that shitty. She didn’t really know what to expect though, to be honest. Of course she got updates about him from her family, they were close after all. He was doing well, they’d say. Traveling around the world doing what he loved best. Plus, it was kind of hard not to watch who he’s grown into over the years, with the amount of media he has on him. Maybe she just assumed he would miss her the way she did. She missed the way he’d come over when they had a free weekend and spend it however she wanted to. She missed the way they’d stroll along the beach at night when it was too late and too cold, but never too much for either of them. The friendship she shared with him was so near and dear to her heart, it still hurt, ten years later, to face the reality of their situation.

Unwilling to spend her first full day in Seoul wallowing in what could’ve been with a distant friend, she forced herself to try to explore as much of her new neighborhood as she could. The cafe had been a bust, but damn, were their croissants good. It reminded her of the ones she used to get back in New York before heading into the office. She ventured down main streets and alley’s, stopping into as many little shops as she could. Purchasing things for her friends and family, as an apology for not telling anyone she was back, and to apologize for not making time for them when she lived abroad. She decided to pick up dinner on the way home, too, as a thank you to her sweet friends for being there for her in her time of need.

Trudging up the stairs, bags of trinkets and food in her arms, she made her way into the place she’d soon have to start calling home. Sora and Tala were perched on the dining stools in the kitchen, bickering already about what they should eat for dinner.

“I made the executive decision, by the way, for dinner. I hope that’s okay.” Anna stated, huffing and she set the oversized bags down on the table.

Unwrapping the bags, Tala brought out cartons of fried chicken, tteokbokki, and bottles of soju and beer. What better way to celebrate her first full day than some greasy food and alcohol. It was a Friday after all, her friends weren’t working tomorrow.

“Oh, I didn’t realize we were celebrating tonight.” Sora exclaimed, a smug look on her face as she studied the spread on the table.

“Well, it was a weird day for me honestly and I’d love nothing more than to stuff my face with chicken and beer and watch movies with you guys all night. It is a Friday night after all. We can have girls night like we used to, remember?” Anna felt like a child, having to convince her parents to let her have fun on a weeknight.

“You do not have to work to convince me, babe. I’m down, let me just change out of my work clothes and we can start our festivities.” Tala rushed out of the room to change and bring over face masks.

The rest of the night was filled with entirely too many pieces of chicken and entirely too many somek glasses than they cared to count. They spent the night cuddled together, blankets laid out on the living room floor, with some show they turned on that was long forgotten about, reminding Anna of the nights from college she had missed. Nights like these reminded her of the days when everything seemed to be so simple. She secretly dealt with the heartache that came alongside loosing her childhood friend to a stupid argument, but found herself cultivating a bond with two girls who she never had to explain anything to. With a full belly and the comfort of her friends by her side, she soon drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day seemed to grace its presence in a stronger way than Anna had anticipated. The light that peaked through the sheer curtains in the living room was enough to cause her to wake. She was always a light sleeper, any little light or sound caused her to stir. She didn’t mind it though, waking up with the sun was how she always preferred to wake up anyways. It felt like a special celebration that was reserved for her and the first few rays of the day.

Taking care to abide by her slow mornings rituals, she took her time with her routines. She was finally done, an hour later, ready to head out for the morning. Sora and Tala were still asleep on the living room floor, cuddled up in the blankets they had dragged out of the rooms the night before. Anna smiled down fondly at her two friends before making her way to the door. Her first stop, she decided, was to go by that cafe she visited yesterday and pick up coffees and pastries for everyone. She had promised herself to rewrite the memories she had here in Seoul, and she wasn’t going to let that interaction she had with Jungkook yesterday deter her from finding happiness here. She had every right to becoming a regular at whichever cafe she so pleased.

The cafe door chimed as she stepped foot. The same barista was there again, throwing a smile and greeting over her shoulder as she placed freshly baked goods into the display.

“Hi, good morning! How are you doing today?” The barista, Lynn, beamed.

“Good morning, I’m doing good! Could I please get -” Anna started, but was interrupted by the barista placing a chocolate croissant and iced americano in front of her.

“We have your order already….Anna, right? It’s already paid for so you’re all set! Unless you wanted to order something else or more croissants. I heard that they’re your favorite.” Lynn smiled at Anna’s red cheeks. How did she have her order memorized already? She was barely even in here yesterday, and didn’t even really say anything worth remembering to her.

“Oh, uh, thank you. I’d actually like to order two more croissants and an iced matcha with oat milk, and an iced vanilla latte with almond milk.” Anna looked around to see if she could spot a familiar face, but was unsuccessful. She felt like she was being punk’d.

“Sure not a problem! We’ll call you when it’s ready. Thanks!” Lynn was already focused on the next customer behind her.

“Wait, don’t I need to pay? I’m new to the area, but I’m pretty sure this is the part where I have to give you money.” Anna was already halfway slipping her purse off to dig for her wallet when Lynn’s soft chuckle stopped her.

“No, Anna, it’s all already taken care of, no worries! You made good friends with one of our regulars, who told us to just put your orders on his tab. You’re good, I promise.” The soft smile she gave her soothed her, but she still felt weird about just taking their yummy drinks and delicious pastries without paying. Without her paying.

Her name was called and she soon made her way out of the cafe, waving bye to Lynn as she shot her a wink as she left. She couldn’t help but think that Jungkook was behind the tab at the cafe. He’d been the only person she saw yesterday and she could only assume he was the regular they spoke about. Why had he even done that for her? Didn’t he hate her, the way they snapped at each other? She tried not to overanalyze it because it was Jungkook and if he wanted to waste his money on a silly coffee tab then so be it. The guy was loaded so if she could bum off his coffee budget for a while, then fine. It’s the least she deserved, anyways. Just cause the guy still remembered her coffee order years later, and is funding her coffee habits now, doesn’t mean that she owes him anything. She let the thoughts dissipate as she continued her walk back to the apartment. She couldn’t help the smile that planted itself on her face, though. She did really love chocolate croissants and iced americanos.

Chapter Text

In the days that followed, Anna was finally able to tackle her seemingly never ending to-do list. First on her list, was to call her parents and let them know that she was back in Korea. It went as good as a conversation like that could go. They were curious to know where she stood with her job, with Anthony, if she had enough money, if she had been hurt, if she was healthy. She tried her best to give them grace, they were only concerned about her after all. But it was hard not to feel suffocated and not have answers to the questions they had. She didn’t even know where she stood with those questions herself. Obviously, she got an ear full about how she should’ve told them, they would’ve been there for her, and all the things a concerned family would say. How she should come home home, to Busan, not the temporary situation she has set up with her friends. After long hours of reassurance and promises to come home sooner rather than later, she could finally feel the guilt leave her body. She hadn’t liked keeping something like that from her family, but she needed space for a minute to sort out her own thoughts and feelings about what she was going on.

After putting her pride aside, her second order of business was about finding a more permanent place to live. She talked with Sora and Tala about their offer to move into the three bedroom they were eyeing. She felt bad, infringing on their plans, but they reassured her that it couldn’t have been at a better time.

“I honestly have no idea why you keep apologizing. It works out perfectly for you to move in with us! Besides, it’ll be cheaper for all three of us to just live together rather than finding separate apartments.” Sora was always so logical, comforting her with the ease at which she replied. 

“Yeah, I know, but I just feel a little bad for just springing it up on you guys. What were you going to do with the third bedroom, anyways?” Anna replied, reaching across the table to pick at the ramen Tala left unattended.

“We just wanted the extra room to store all of our shit, to be honest. You’ve lived here a couple days already, you see how many things we both have. Even with you in the third room, the apartment is a lot bigger than what we have right now.” Tala continued, shooting a glare towards Anna. She had her own food in front of her, but obviously food tastes better when it’s not yours.

“Yeah, seriously, stop overthinking it. We want you with us. It’ll be like when we used to live together.” Sora reassured Anna’s worries. It would be the most logical thing to do right now - it’s smart and calculated. And it’s not like she would have to live with complete strangers. These were her people after all.

“Yeah that’s true. It’ll be just like old times. Hey, also, about that job you were talking about the other day, do you have anything?” Curiosity wandered in Anna’s head. Back in New York, she worked as one of the lead official interpreters for Take-Two. She had worked hard in college, mastering fluency in English, Korean, and Japanese, while obtaining degrees in business and linguistics. Her main job had her focusing on business contracts and acting as a personal interpreter for their COO. She did some side work at smaller companies that had a focus on her own interests, particularly the arts and music. She worked alongside talent agencies, offering assistance in maters regarding foreign artists whenever they would come to the states.

A warm smile met her eyes from across the table. “Well, I already asked around for you, actually. You know, you’re pretty well known throughout my industry.” Sora had taken a different approach in her skills, wanting to focus more in the music realm than dabble to in the business side of things. “I know you said that you didn’t want to commit to anything full-time just yet. Luckily contract work is everywhere here. I can put you in contact with a friend of mine who knows more about it. It’s not super official work like you’re used to, mostly helping out full-time staff with business matters here and there, maybe working with artists when they go overseas for press tours and stuff like that. You wouldn’t be committed to one agency, I don’t think.”

“That sounds like something I’d be interested in, honestly. The work I was doing was important and I knew that I was making a difference, but it just got too much. It stopped being something I enjoyed. Thank you for reaching out to your friend, I really appreciate it. I’ll send an email tomorrow.” She flashed a smile before turning back to her ramen.

She had spent the rest of the day brainstorming what direction she wanted her career to go in. On one hand, the work she did in New York was serious and strict and made her feel like what she was doing was important. It gave her a sense of purpose. It was intense. It was something that she was good at, and had been doing it since she graduated. A handful of years under her belt gave her the confidence to navigate anything that came her way. But it wasn’t making her happy. Maybe something new and fresh would bring the passion she had back for this line of work. It didn’t have to be forever, but a break from the intensity could be beneficial for her.

Anna found herself outside the cafe the next day, laptop tucked snuggly in her bag. The space was large and housed a unique collection of art and sculptures that were scattered throughout, adding an eccentric flair. Natural light was abundant, despite the darker tones that dominated the space. Finding an empty seat by a window towards the back, she began to make herself comfortable. She felt it’d be a good idea to get out of the apartment, seeing as she hadn’t had much social interaction aside from the phone call to her family and the daily contact she had with her roommates. If she was going to make her home base Seoul, she might as well go out and experience it for what it was.

Concentrating on the email she was writing to Sora’s friend, Yu-jun, she barely noticed when Lynn slid her usual order onto the table.

“I don’t know how you thought you’d be able to sneak past me without coming up to say hello, at least.” Lynn made it hard not to notice her. Her ashy blonde hair curled in waves, framing her face perfectly. Not much taller than Anna, she commanded the room with her captivating presence. Bold patterns and colors adorned her body as she smiled down at her.

“Sorry, I was going to go up as soon as I finished this. It looks like you beat me to it though, thanks!” Picking up the iced americano, she took and sip and savored the flavor. It’s not like her order was the most complicated, but it somehow always tasted like it was made with something special every single time.

“It’s not a problem! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a couple days.” Lynn asked, scraping the empty chair in front of Anna so she could be more comfortable.

“I’ve been good, just a bit busy trying to settle in. I just moved back a couple days ago from the states. I’ve been trying to find a good place that sells stationary and stuff, though, do you know any spots around here?” Anna asked, pushing her work away for a moment to chat.

The two of them flowed into easy and light conversation. She wasn’t sure what made Lynn so interested in her, but she appreciated the new friend. The front door chimed and Lynn eventually got up to talk with other customers. Her bubbly personality suited the space perfectly. Anna found herself lost in her work, reaching out to former employers for letters of reference, researching any certifications and licensure she may need, and figuring out any other details she could think of that may hinder her employment here. She was good at this, thinking and planning.

The chair scraping against the floor broke her out of concentration. Thinking it was Lynn coming up to chat again, she looked up with a smile. Dressed in all black, skin glistening, with a beanie obscuring her view of his round eyes, Jungkook plopped down right in front of her.

“Hey.” He said, moving her drink to the side so he could rest his arms on the table.

Now this was a problem. First of all, sitting at her table uninvited was rude. Was she starting to get a little bored with work and needed a distraction? Yes. But not with him. Certainly not with him. Secondly, what on earth could he possibly want, and how the hell does he keep finding her?

“Look, Anna, I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I came here to say sorry.” He said, searching in her eyes for any ounce of grace.

“Oh, so you do know how to apologize? I thought it just wasn’t in your vocabulary. But here we are.” Rolling her eyes, she turned her focus back to her laptop. Truth be told, she had been finished with work a while ago and was online shopping, but she wasn’t going to let him know that.

“Are you serious right now? I’m taking the time to sit in front of you and say sorry and all you’re doing is critizing me?” With a huff, he leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, I am. And I’ll do it again and again and again. You’re only apologizing to apologize, not cause you actually get why I’m upset, or care for that matter. You apologizing eases your own ego and makes you feel better about the situation. It’s selfish. You don’t care, so don’t even waste your breath.” Equally as annoyed, she sat back and mirrored his actions. Looking him, she found his darkened eyes staring back.

“You’re being unfair, Byeol. How can you sit there and say that I’m being selfish when I’m taking the time to try to make things right with you?” He said, desperation hidden in his tone. He thought using the name he used to affectionately call her years ago would distract her somehow. Maybe it’d unlock the memories he knew she hid, enough to realize it was the him from years ago speaking, not the him sitting in front of her right now. It wasn’t.

“You’ve had ten years to try to make it right with me, why now all of a sudden?” A sharp ring sounded throughout the small space they occupied. “You should get that.”

Shooting her a glare, he had no choice but to answer. He knew he was cutting it close to his recording session, but didn’t realize it was that close. Yoongi was on the line, scolding him for being twenty minutes late. By the time he’d get back to the studio, he’s sure Yoongi would have his head. Maybe that’d be better than having to listen to Anna yell at him. Again.

“Listen, I’m not trying to piss you off anymore, but I want to make it right. Could we maybe - ”

“You know, all my contact information has been the same all these years. I never changed it.” Her tone flat as she stared down at her laptop. She refused to look up at him, scared she’d see a reflection of heartbreak back in her own eyes.

Stunned by the revelation and he began to open his mouth to speak, when his phone rang once again. Here he found himself in dilemma. He had always been laser focused when it came to work and his obligations to the other members. This was a conversation that was long overdue, maybe, partially, probably due to his own stubbornness. Maybe, partially, probably, due to Anna’s too. But this was work calling, and he had to prioritize that right now. As much as he didn’t want to. With one last sorrowful look at her, he got up and made his way out of the cafe.

Head in her hands, a frustrated groan left her lips. It would be nice, she thought, to come here and not get into an argument every single time. God, she wanted to take his gorgeous head between her hands and shake it so hard that maybe his brain would rewire to the point of understanding how she felt. It probably wouldn’t be the most efficient way of getting him to see what she was saying, but it would make her feel better, at least. Deciding this was a good stopping point in her day, she packed up, waved bye to Lynn, and headed towards the apartment.

Her sulking as she walked through the apartment wasn’t lost on Tala, who was sitting on the couch mindlessly scrolling on her phone.

“Okay I’m starting to think every time you leave, you’re subjecting yourself to cruel and unusual punishment. Are you okay?” She asked, peering up at her.

“Yeah, no I’m fine. Just had a lot of things to figure out. I was looking over stuff to prepare if I get a call back from Yu-Jun, and that had me a little stressed, but I’m good.”

“You’ll get a call back, don’t worry. You have great experience, you’re thoughtful, you’re kind, you get along with everyone, you know what you’re doing. They’d be stupid not to call you.” Standing up and waving her hand at her, she made her way towards the kitchen. “That being said, why are you still trying to lie to me right now? This isn’t your ‘I had a long day, I’m exhausted’ face. You can talk to me, you know? There’s something more you’re not saying.” She stated, popping a piece of a muffin Anna brought back from the cafe into her mouth.

Plopping down on the couch with a heavy sigh, she contemplated what she should say. Oh yeah so remember when we were at the airport and I made eye contact with Korea’s number one idol? Yeah so he’s actually my childhood friend, you know, that same friend that I had a huge falling out with? That I was depressed for months over? I keep running into him at the cafe and he’s ruining my life. It’s not like they didn’t know about her situation, but was she ready to reveal all that to them?

She groaned as she sat up straighter. Gripping her necklace, she began, “So, you remember that childhood friend I had a huge fight with years ago? I think the universe is playing tricks on me because I ran into him for the first time in years at the cafe I’ve been going to, and we talked and got into an argument. It was like he forgot that the past ten years happened! He bought my coffee and tried to talk to me like we were on good terms, which like we obviously aren’t? You can’t sit there and expect me to want to be friends with you, or to even consider us still friends, when you haven’t even tried to reach out all these years? I literally feel so stupid, I never changed my phone number, or my email, or fuck, even my own Instagram or Twitter handle, in the hopes he’d eventually reach out. Our families are literally still friends to this day and talk all the time, I get updates from my mom about him sometimes, hell, they even spent Chuseok together! I just think that - ”

“Damn, how long have you been holding that in?” Tala asked, worried but intrigued.

“Do you really want to know?” Anna replied, looking out the window.

“No, but I can tell it’s been way longer than when you started visiting the cafe. If you keep running into him there, why do you keep going? Maybe you are subjecting yourself to cruel and unusual punishment.” Tala gave her a pointed look while moving the conversation back to the couch where Anna was sitting.

Anna couldn’t do anything as she looked at Tala with a blank stare. Her bluntness was annoying, but she knew it came from a good place. Why had she kept going if he was always there? Though they’ve only seen each other twice, he was consistent. Consistently overbearing, consistently annoying, consistently him. Shoving those thoughts down, she rationalized that she had every right to be at the cafe just as much as him. She lived here, just like him, and had total free reign to go wherever she wanted, just like him. It’s not like they had restrictions on each other as to where they can and can’t go. Regardless, the cafe had good pastries. Lynn knew exactly how to make her iced americanos, just the way she liked. The cafe was cool and inviting and she genuinely enjoyed being there.

The front door clicked open and a bright and cheery voice sang through. “Hello my darlings! How was your guys - ” Sora was naturally bubbly but the tension in the room caught her by surprise. “Okay……what’s up? Are you guys okay?”

Turning to look at her over her shoulder, Tala exclaimed, “You were right, she has been going out and torturing herself. She’s been intentionally running into that old friend she fought with years ago at the cafe she goes to ‘for work.’ You owe me twenty, by the way.”

Rolling her eyes, she moved to the kitchen, eager to put space between what was obviously a hot topic for Sora and Tala. With a touch of annoyance, Anna defended, “Okay don’t do that. I’m not ‘intentionally’ doing anything. I go there because I like the place, the pastries are to die for, and Lynn makes my iced americanos better than any barista I’ve ever met.”

“I’m sorry, huh? You need to back up, what do you mean you ran into your old friend? The same one that had you in a depression hole for months when we first met you? That piece of shit? What’s he doing in Seoul, shouldn’t he be in Busan?” Sora questioned, quickly setting her things down and immediately joining Tala on the couch.

“Well, he’s a busy guy. From what my family tells me, he travels a lot and apparently lives in Seoul now…” Anna felt like she was getting scolded from her parents. It’s not like she had wanted to keep her run-ins with Jungkook a secret, she just felt like they weren’t mentioning. They had seen each other twice in the nearly week she’s been in Seoul. They had spoken for maybe a total of ten whole minutes. Besides, her life didn’t revolve around him, not anymore at least.

Her complicated history with her childhood friend came with an abundance of questions, of course. Anna had to carefully navigate her answers, deciding to reveal that he had grown to be pretty successful and traveled a lot for work. His job had him based in Seoul, which is why he’s here, and he must live in their neighborhood if he frequents the cafe as much as he does.

“Anna we love you but you can’t hide anything from us. You always seem to come home from there looking like a kicked puppy. It’s okay to still feel triggered by the situation, hell, he never even gave you an explanation for being a dick to you for months prior to the argument! Then to never even try to make things right after ten years? And to just randomly see him pop up right in front of your face unannounced? It’d probably be acting a lot worse than you if that happened to me.” Tala reassured her, handing her and Sora a glass of wine before sitting on the couch where they had all migrated.

“It’s okay to feel things, you know. You’re allowed to be angry and sad and pissed off and want to scream and cry. He hurt you and it affected you and it's normal that it did. I’d be more concerned if it didn’t. You’re not weak for feeling things, it makes you human, Anna. You don’t have to keep acting like this shit doesn’t bother you.” Sora moved closer, playfully shoving her shoulder against hers.

“It just feels so silly to still feel this affected by it a whole decade later. Like I just need to move on and forget any of it ever happened. We were kids back then, for Christ’s sake.” Anna said, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Sora’s shoulder.

“Yeah it happened a whole decade ago, but you were friends for longer than that, right? And he was your best friend growing up. If we ever stopped being friends, I would be devastated for the rest of my life. It was a deep and personal relationship and at the end of the day, a loss that meant something to you. You’re still grieving someone who’s still alive. That can’t be easy.” Tala reassured, taking a sip of her wine after she spoke.

Tears threatened to spill as she closed her eyes and sighed. The emptiness from the past ten years was incredibly glaring. Theoretically, she had been able to move on. She moved away, followed her dreams, fell in love. Did all the things she said she would do, the things she was supposed to do. She got a job, rose to the top, traveled around the world - but she couldn’t help to think of all the times she wanted to share those moments with him.

“Yeah, that relationship did mean something to me. And I guess just coming to terms with the fact that he was able to throw it away so easily over something so stupid, hurts.” Anna shared, thoughts feeling heavy, gripping her necklace.

“You’re not wrong for feeling whatever you’re feeling. He’s an idiot for not having you in his life. He’s missing out on your thoughtfulness, your patience, your love, your selflessness. You make our lives so much better. Don’t let his stupidness get you down too much, okay? If you want to keep going to the cafe, do it. If you don’t, that’s okay too. But don’t let his presence keep you from avoiding the places and doing the things you enjoy.” Sora threw her arm around her shoulders and just held her a bit.

The rest of the night was spent with all three of them snuggled on the living room floor, blankets and pillows in a tangled mess on the floor. Anna thought she did a good job at compartmentalizing but the revelations she discovered had her thinking differently. The more she sat there, snuggled in the between holds of her sweet friends, she realized it had been avoidance that had been eating at here all these years. Avoidance of the heartbreak, avoidance of the loss, avoidance of the sweet brown eyes she would always get lost in. It had been years since she allowed herself to wallow in the what-ifs. What if she stayed? What if he apologized? What if they never fought all those years ago? What if things had been different? A few tears slipped and she carefully wiped them away, not wanting to wake Tala who was snuggled right against her. Taking deep breaths and humming a melody that had been stuck in her head for years, she finally drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Text

Tosses and turns turned into sleepless nights and his mind raced with the thoughts of his and Anna’s conversation at the cafe. It had been a couple days since he’d seen her. Since he last saw the way animosity blurred her illusion of him. Since he last heard the ache in her voice when she’d spoken. Since he last sensed her slipping away from him, again. A blaring ring ripped through his ears, signaling it had been another night with thoughts that he couldn’t seem to escape. Jungkook made his way out of the room to begin to get ready for the day. Gripping the sink, he took one look at himself and sighed. He was accustomed with the man staring back at him. His wavy black hair, toned muscles, and big, doe eyes didn’t seem to be any different than what they were a couple days ago. And yet, the glimmer in his eyes wasn’t as bright anymore. The confidence he held in his shoulders drooped, slightly. Traces of heartbreak lingered in every movement he made.

He suddenly found himself outside of HYBE, unaware of time he lost when he first stepped foot outside his house. This wasn’t like him - to get so immersed in his thoughts that he was relying on autopilot to get around these days. Trying to focus, he hurriedly made his way in, nodding politely to the staff at the front. The elevator he called came, yet the melody of a bright laugh caught his attention. He caught sight of sleek black hair and a radiant smile, before the doors closed on him suddenly. It couldn’t have been her, he thought. There was no reason for our lives to have crossed paths again. God, I really need a coffee. Deeming his mind to be playing tricks on him, he made his way to the practice studios where the other members already were.

“Ah Jungkookssi, I haven’t seen you in a couple days. Have you been well?” Namjoon asked, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a quick hug.

“Yes, I’ve been okay. Just resting. I told you guys I was really tired.” Jungkook stated, leaning in a little to the embrace that found him. It was comforting to say the least. He hadn’t noticed how much he started to seclude himself until he was met with their warm and rowdy bodies.

“I’ve missed you Kookie!” Tae suddenly exclaimed, running up to him from his spot on the other side of the studio.

“What are you talking about, you saw me yesterday? You literally showed up to my house with bags of food, how did you know I was even home, by the way?” Jungkook playfully wrestled him off, adjusting his jacket and beanie.

“If you aren’t home, you’re here, and since you weren’t here, then you were at home. And I was right because we ate dinner together anyways.” Tae said smartly, giving him a boxy grin in the mirror.

“That’s not true, I go to a cafe near my house too.” Jungkook mumbled, avoiding his gaze in the mirror. He began stretching and warming up for practice, unsure why he brought up his sacred space. His Jeon Jungkook space.

“Yoongi! You’re late! And your shirt is dirty. Yah! Did you leave the house like that? You have no shame.” Jin shouted, pointing at him with a playfully stern look.

“I’m only like five minutes late, that’s hardly late. And for your information, I was here early, I just-“ Yoongi began to defend, quickly interrupted.

“Hey, where’d you get that?” Jungkook asked, clearly already catching the recognizable logo that was on his coffee cup.

“Why you want it? I was just going to say, I ran into someone on accident coming in and she felt really bad that she spilled her coffee on me that she gave me the second one without any hesitation. She looked like she was going to cry if I didn’t take it and I felt bad so.. You can have it if you want, seems like something you’d like better than I would.” He handed the cup to Jungkook, clearly distracted by the other members to see the way his eyes brightened slightly.

“Yeah, it does. Thanks hyung.” Jungkook took it, savoring the flavor of sugar and hazelnut.

~~~~~~

Anna’s abundance of hobbies did very, very little at aiding as distractions from the clutter in her mind. The walks she managed to get through every day helped her get some daily sunshine, but did not suffice to keep her thoughts from running crazily in her head. The hours spent baking delicious treats, did not, in fact, make the days pass by quicker. Instead, gave her more time to think, as she waited painfully for sourdough to rise and brownies to bake. Her roommates were grateful for her hobbies, at least. They were distractions at the end of the day, though. Bandaids she carefully strung along her heart, a temporary fix to the ache she felt so deeply.

It had been a couple days since she heard anything back from Yujun. An email came midday the other day, confirming a meeting with him and his company, today. Anna lay awake in bed for what seemed to be hours after her alarm went off. She had been awake anyways, her new routine as of late. Forcing herself out of bed, Anna headed to the bathroom to begin getting ready. She took her time to apply makeup and pick out an outfit, trying her best to stay focused for her meeting today. She eventually made it outside, the cold air greeting her. Her commute to the address Yujun gave her was only a couple blocks away, giving her the perfect excuse to walk and clear her head. Eventually the building came into view, it was decently sized, sitting right in the middle of the city. Trees with missing leaves were scattered around the building, giving it a dreary look. A stark difference to the inviting atmosphere that decorated the interior.

“Hello. I’m Anna, I’m looking for Yujun. I had a meeting with him today.” She greeted the receptionist who was sitting at the front with a small smile.

“Ah yes, please have a seat over there! I’ll call him and let him know you’re here.” The receptionist, Jisoo, gestured her over towards the lobby.

With a small nod, Anna made her way to an empty seat near the elevators. She took the opportunity to find stillness and appreciate her environment. The space was light and bright, groups of matching chairs circled wooden tables. The space was welcoming to say the least, every person that had passed her greeted her warmly. The people who worked here seemed to actually enjoy the work they did, speaking to each other like they were friends rather than coworkers. A deep voice called her name, shifting her attention to the figure standing a few feet to her right.

“Anna? Hello, I’m Yujun! Sora has told me so much about you, it’s finally nice to meet you in person.” Yunjun was tall and had a lean build. His chestnut colored hair graced the top of his head, stopping just shy of his eyes. A loose t-shirt and baggy jeans contrasted heavily against her business attire. Anna cringed inwardly at herself before meeting his outstretched hand in hers.

“Yes hello, it’s nice to finally meet you too. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I really appreciate you helping me out.” Anna politely replied.

Leading her towards the elevator, he cheerily stated, “Oh it’s not a problem! You have a great rep with some of the artists we work with when they would visit New York. World travels around fast! You’re great at what you do, so I don’t doubt you’d do well with the company I have in mind.”

“Oh thank you, I try my best to make sure everyone I interpret for feels heard and expresses what they want to accordingly. I had a lot of fun working with the artists, it was comforting to me since I hadn’t been living in Korea for a while when I was doing that.” Anna said sincerely. She had loved her time working with artists, it always inspired her. How much passion some people had about the things she loved. It reminded her of a time when she was constantly surrounded by it. Not so much anymore.

“I can’t imagine how lonely it must’ve been all that time. I’m glad you’re back now, though! So from what I understand, you’re looking more so for part-time or short-term work right now? There’s a need for an assistant interpreter for TxT. Mainly just helping out when they have official live streams for overseas events and press conferences around the city. It’s only until their full-time interpreter comes back from maternity leave, which should be in about a couple weeks. We can discuss what you want to do after that, if you want to continue working with HYBE or explore other companies. Nothing is set in stone with who you work for right now, we operate as an independent contractor that idol companies hire from all the time to fill in gaps like this.”

“That sounds perfect! It’s a good opportunity to dip my feet in with this line of work. What does the schedule look like for the next couple weeks?” Anna asked.

They spoke together for a while, discussing the details of the next couple weeks, what was expected of her, and the next steps she had to take. Anna stood and thanked Yujun for his time, which he returned with a nod and a friendly smile. Navigating her way out of the building, she decided to take the long way home and immerse herself with the city. There was no rush to get home, her roommates were out for the evening, spending time separately with their friend groups. She made her way to a food stall, picking up things to take back home, smile plastered on her face, excited for the new adventure she would be taking.

Two days later she found herself outside of HYBE, eager, yet nervous, to start. It’s not like she’s never worked with idols before, but being outside this building in particular made her stomach turn. Walking in, she made her way towards the receptionist, who guided her to their HR area.

“Oh! I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and moved too fast and I spilled everything all over you.” She was incredibly embarrassed. Not even two seconds in this place and she not only managed to gather another victim into her dreaded coffee spillage, but she had done so in front of everyone, in the lobby, on her first day of work.

“Hey, it's okay, shit happens. Don’t worry about it, I’m not hurt.” The man’s soft chocolate eyes met hers, reaching out to steady her shoulders. Fuck. She thought, There’s not a chance I know him, too, kinda? Right? Did he know me?

“I know but still I…” Still embarrassed and doing her best to avoid any unnecessary eye contact, she reached in her purse to offer napkins to help clean up the spill.

“Is it your first day here? I’ve been here since we opened this building and even I still get lost sometimes. Where do you need to go?” He stated, grabbing the napkins she offered. He was handsome, she couldn’t lie. His pale skin held a delicate balance between his dark hair and clothing. Despite the commotion, he was still so understanding about the situation. Angel.

“One of the practice studios, four I think? God, I’m seriously so sorry.” He had led her towards a series of doors and elevators. He clicked the correct floor, as redness creeped heavily onto her neck and cheeks. 

“What’s your name? I’m Yoongi.” He said, still trying to clean off the remnants of her poor coffee.

“I’m Anna, again I am so sorry for ruining your shirt. Please let me make it up to you somehow.” Eyes pleading, as she felt herself begin to form tears.

“You can make it up to me by not apologizing anymore. Really, it’s okay. I have a bunch of the same shirt at home, I promise.” He quickly assured, flashing a small smile at her. He was a millionaire at the end of the day. The shirt he wore probably was worth more than what Anna made in an entire month, which made her more anxious about spilling a five dollar coffee all over it.

The elevator doors opened and she followed him as he led her a hallway that was lined with dark floors and walls. The window at the end of the hall didn’t do much at brightening the space, however, gave her a beautiful view of the Seoul skyline. He stopped suddenly in front of a door where music loudly played. “Alright, this is studio four. Oh! You’re working with TxT! Let me go in with you, I haven’t seen them in a while and I had some things to talk about with Soobin.” 

“Hey, this is Anna. Don’t overwhelm her, she’s going to be working with you guys as one of your interpreters.”  Yoongi introduced her, as a group of guys began to surround her. She took note of the large room, mirrors lined the walls and oakwood floors graced the ground. The space was big and welcoming, as the members surrounded her, noisily making introductions.

Anna was familiar with them and their music, it was good and she wasn’t one to be known for having picky music taste. They were incredibly friendly, taking up to her quite quickly. Other staff soon walked in as Yoongi eventually made his exit, waving bye to her and nodding down towards the coffee he held that she forced him to take. Her name was called as she excused herself to meet with a woman, around her age she assumed, standing in the corner of the room. 

“Hi, you must be Anna? I’m Seo-ah, I’ll be the one you’ll be working with the most around here. I see you met the members. Please have grace with them, they’re rowdy.” The woman laughed as Anna also introduced herself. Seo-ah, who she learned was only a couple months older than her, stood confidently as she gave out instructions to herself and the other staff lingering in the vicinity. Her wavy brown hair, thin frame, and green eyes commanded attention, yet Seo-ah didn’t seem to notice it. Her presence did enough of the talking.

Anna learned that they would be filming another promotional video for their mini album they would be releasing in a couple weeks. She wasn’t entirely familiar with the concept of the industry, so it surprised her when they set up promo in the form of games that were organized in different sections around the room. The idea was that the members had to go around each station, completely silly mini games, while answering questions about their mini album. The first one to finish would be able to go home early, and so on and so forth. Her job, was to simply watch and enjoy, then review the footage with Seo-ah and help to create accurate translations for international viewers later on when the video releases. Easy enough? She mumbled.

The members did not make it easy enough for her, unfortunately. Not only did the room ensue in chaos as soon as the directions were given, but they were loud. And constantly talked over each other. And would try to cheat their way out of the games. She thought maybe trying to focus on one member would make her life easier, but was proven, so incredibly wrong. The constant movement and joking and playing made it hard to do her actual job, but she couldn’t help but think this is the most fun she’s had in a professional setting in years. She wasn’t sure she was even allowed to have this much fun, but all the staff seemed to be lighthearted and enjoying themselves too. After a long shoot day, they were finally done and dismissed.

Seo-ah stopped Anna before she could leave, catching her arm softly,  “Hey, good work today! I know they’re a lot sometimes but you did a good job at keeping up! We’ll review the footage tomorrow and we can work together to try to piece what everyone said. I’ll see you!”

“Thank you for today! I know it was work but I had a lot of fun, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She exclaimed happily. The building was huge and she knew it would take weeks before she felt she could comfortably navigate her way out. The sun was setting as she left, the cool wind kissing her face, messily moving her hair everywhere. She couldn’t help but think of all the things that were changing. Bittersweet thoughts of the past entered her mind as she made her way home. The cool air still kissed her skin, but she didn’t dread going home. The sunset still graced the skyline with pinks and purples, but she didn’t feel as lost in life anymore. Her roommates cheerfully greeted her as she made her way in, giving her another reason to be hopeful of the new beginnings in her life.

Chapter Text

Anna’s second day at the office ran a little smoother than the first. She managed not to claim anymore victims by spilling any coffee, and successfully navigated her way to the suite she was supposed to meet Seo-ah in. She was running a couple minutes late, however, and managed to run into the glass door that separated the office from the rest of the hall. A touch embarrassed, she faked confidence and found her way to Seo-ah who gave her a playful smile.

“Hey! I’m glad to see you! Hopefully the door didn’t do too much damage to you. I wonder if you could use that as an excuse to get workers comp…” She teased lightly, hiding the obvious laugh she was holding in.

Anna’s cheeks flared red as she realized that she was louder than she had intended. Fending anymore embarrassment, she cheekily replied,“Ahh..I was hoping you wouldn’t have seen that. But now that you mention it….my arm is kinda sore now, and my head hurts a little.”

A bellow of laughter surrounded her as Seo-ah began. “Okay, so the production team is still working on the final editing for the video and should have it to us in a little bit. In the meantime, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team! This is Chloe, Kai, and Eunwoo. We’re all pretty close, but you’re fitting in just fine!”

A chorus of greetings echoed around the room, welcoming Anna to their team warmly. The team was small but clearly well integrated. They were comfortable, teasing each other playfully, and chatting like they grew up together. An official team of interpreters for TxT formed about four years ago, Anna learned. Their group being formed around Mina, whom Anna was taking over for until she got back from maternity leave in a couple weeks. Since she’d been gone, Seo-ah had stepped up as the lead for their little group, which seemed to be of no surprise to Anna. She was kind and funny yet still lead her group with respect. She commanded any room she entered.

“Have you been around the building yet? Let me show you around. We have a bit of time before we need to get started on anything, anyways. It’ll be easier not to run into any glass doors if you have a better idea of where they are this time.” Seo-ah joked, dragging Anna by her elbow out of their office room.

Eyebrows raised and a playful smirk on her lips, Anna asked, “Are you just trying to make sure I’m not going to be a liability?”

Seo-ah lead her around the massive building. They pretty much had as much access as the idols, since they had to follow them wherever they needed to go when filming. They made their way to the rows of recording studios, the massive gym situated in the heart of the building, various meeting rooms, and then back down to the lobby. Anna was shown the enormous cafeteria, where anything she could ever crave seemed to be at her fingertips. They made their way to the outdoor courtyard, hidden in the corner of the building on the first floor. It was entirely too cold to bask in its beauty, but she’d keep this space in mind for the times she needed a little peace and quiet. On their way back up to their floor, she took note of all the other nooks and corners that were available for staff to work in.

The rest of the team were sitting at their desks, hard at work, as they made their way back into the room. The producers sent the footage and the team got to work. Looking back at everything that they filmed had been just as exhausting and overstimulating as it was when they were in the studio yesterday. Hearing their screams and shouts through headphones, instead of in a bigger space had her head aching. But she still wouldn’t trade the opportunity for the world. She found so much enjoyment in just being. No strict deadlines, no serious topics, just her and the team, deciding how to interpret the rowdy boys that were on her screen. It taken hours to get through the footage, but they had eventually gotten it done. She had been having fun, sorting through the silly conversations the members had with each other. The work day ended a lot quicker than she had thought, and soon the team was making their way out of the building. Goodbyes were exchanged and Anna made her way to the subway line.

Unlocking the door to their apartment, Tala and Sora shouted quick hello’s before the sounds tape ripping and boxes being built filled the room. They had just gotten word today that they were approved for the bigger apartment, and their move-in date would be in a couple weeks. It aligned perfectly for when Anna finished working with Seo-ah and the team, giving her time to focus on moving and organizing their new space. She moved further in the apartment, setting her bag and coat near the door before taking off her shoes and shoving them in the closet. Making her way to the living room, an interesting sight played out before her eyes.

“Are you actually serious? We are not bringing that to the new apartment.” Tala exclaimed, pointing at a questionable black blob in Sora’s hands.

“Says who? Did you buy it? Did you make it? No? Okay then! It’s mine, and so therefore, I’m taking it.” Sora defended, shielding the sculpture with her body.

“Uh, so…like…what is it?” Anna asked curiously, trying to peek her head around Sora’s body.

“What do you mean ‘what is it?’ Do you not see its face and tail? It’s a cat! It kind of reminds me of you actually…” Sora held out the ‘cat’ so Anna could inspect it. The black blob was lumpy and it was curled in a ball. Its hazel eyes were offset by a couple centimeters, one slightly higher than the other. The ears seemed to be in a relaxed position, but they looked like they were melting off the side of its head, despite already being glazed on. Its tail looked more rope-like, assuming Sora wanted to take creative liberties with the texture. If you maybe squinted a little and played into childlike imagination, it was a cat. 

Offended, Anna protested, “What the hell? Okay, one, that’s rude. I don’t know what I did to you, for you to hate me, but that’s kinda fucked up for you to compare me to that. Two, where in God’s green earth did you find it? That has got to violate at least four importing laws or something.”

“I can’t believe you’d say that! To be honest, I expected this from Tala, but not you. I made it when I first moved here! She’s my baby! I can’t leave her behind or dump her, would you dump your baby so easily?” Sora gushed, petting the cat ever so gently. She was actually delusional, which kind of started to worry Anna. Like, foreal.

“Yeah, if it looked like that! Then I’d go to a church and repent and ask for forgiveness because there’s no way they would allow me into Heaven or whatever knowing I made that with my own two hands. Matter of fact I’d ask for forgiveness from every deity and god out there. Karma is real you know, that thing’s like…cursed…” Tala sassed, shaking her head and grabbing other things off their bookshelf to shove into the box she had laying on the floor.

“You wanna see a real curse? Take a look at yourself in the mirror when you first wake up, that’s a real curse.” Sora muttered, going off to hide her baby in her room. At least it was finally put away.

Anna snickered before releasing a happy sigh and exclaimed, “Ah, I missed this honestly. I’m so glad my life started turning to shit and I decided to move back home. Did you guys eat yet?”

“Not yet, we wanted to wait for you so we could order together and also catch up! How’s work been treating you? I’ve missed you.” Tala asked, turning her attention towards Anna.

“Yeah, I missed you too! I miss your singing when you walk through the door.” Sora returned from her room and picked up another box to begin filling it.

“How could you guys possibly miss me? We literally live together, you guys pass by me every morning before you leave!” Rolling her eyes, Anna followed suit and began building a box of her own. If she was going to get scolded again she might as well do something to keep her a little busy.

“It’s not the same, you look borderline dead every time I pass by in the morning and by the time I’m back home, you’re already in nonverbal time. I miss my Anna time.” Tala stated, entirely too distracted by this conversation to continue with the box she had. She moved quickly towards her, throwing her into a tight hug, unwilling to let go.

Anna laughed as she tried to wiggle out of her embrace. Sora joined in too, swaying the group from side to side. Eventually Anna managed to push them off her before plopping down on the couch and saying, “My water sign besties, I always forget how clingy you guys can be sometimes. Work has been good, my team is really kind and super fun. I had a weird shoot that I was apart of …”

They had silently agreed to abandon their packing project and moved on to more exciting things. Ordering take out and revealing the new gossip around their respective offices. Anna missed this. Being able to sit down and be. Being silly with her friends, arguing over stupid sculptures, surrounded by the people who just got her. Their night ended a lot later than they intended, boxes of half packed memories circled their bodies as take out boxes and empty wine glasses littered the coffee table. The impromptu girls night had Anna basking in the lightness that she felt. Life didn’t seem to be so big and scary anymore. Things were still new at her job and moving again was a little stressful, but it was good. It was different. It started to feel like her own again.

The days soon turned into weeks and Anna found herself accompanying her coworkers on their last shoot with TxT before Mina came back. It was a live stream that would showcase their nighttime routine before the album drops. Except they were doing their routine at HYBE. In the lobby. Starting at 9PM. She met the team in their office around 8PM before making their way together to the lobby. Anna was assigned to help Chloe with live translations for the duration of the shoot. They got all the mics and cameras and sleeping bags all set up, ensuring their equipment was on and working before it started.

“Noona! I can’t believe that its your last shoot with us. Can’t they hire you on as our permanent staff? Who do I have to talk to?” Yeonjun cried, pulling her into a quick side hug. They had seemed to hit it off quite well since the first shoot. He annoyed her, but in a way that a little brother would.

“Aw is this you saying that you’ll miss me? I’ve had a really good time working with you guys! You’re a lot of fun.” Anna chuckled, plugging a cable in and fixing the earpiece she had.

“You think so? You’re not tired of us always hiding behind the door and scaring you?” Soobin said, joining the conversation from the sleeping bag he had set up in front of her. The other members laughed, mocking her scared expression and ‘girly scream’ as they called it.

“Okay I didn’t say that, I said you guys are a lot of fun.” Rolling her eyes and moving towards the other staff. “Besides, I doubt this is the last you’ll see of me here. I’m looking at other groups at HYBE with my manager that might need someone a little more long-term, so I’ll be around.”

“I can talk with Yoongi-hyung and see if BTS needs anyone.” Yeonjun said, raising his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. They obviously couldn’t let it just drop it when they first realized Yoongi escorted her off to their practice studio on her first day. She reassured them time and time again that there was nothing going on between them, that she truly just spilled coffee on him and that was that. She hadn’t really even seen him much since then, aside from the rare occasions she’d catch him as she was leaving for the day. Nothing more but a quick hello and small talk about the weather if they were headed in the same direction.

The director’s loud voice boomed through the lobby as he called five minutes until the shoot started. She wasn’t entirely sure who’s idea it had been to do shoots like this, but she was enjoying herself. She had suspicions that TxT pleaded with their creative director and managers to indulge in their promo ideas, but hey, she only just worked there. The live eventually started, which was filled with chaos, of course. Somehow she broke off from Chloe and moved to help Eunwoo, who was following along their snacking routine. Allegedly, the best way to get a good night’s sleep before an album drop was to eat as much as you can. Allegedly.

“Okay MOA, this is the cafeteria! I usually have a lot of nerves before anything releases so I like to stock up on ramen and stuff. They have cookies and cake here too, which, since it’s the night before our album drops, I will indulge in. It’s special!” Beogyum moved through the cafeteria like it was his second home, collecting various packets of ramen and snacks in his arms.

“Hey, make me some too!” Cried out Taehyun, who followed him around like a shadow.

“What are you guys doing…” It was bound to happen. The deep voice she had tried to forget, time and time again, was suddenly right behind her. Her heart began to beat rapidly, and a cool wave of sweat started on her forehead. It was bound to happen, that she’d eventually run into Jungkook at his workplace. Anna was surprised it hadn’t been any sooner. I guess its the perfect time to run into him now since it’s the last day I’m working with them. She thought, as she chewed on her thumb in a panic.        

“Oh hyung! We’re showing MOA what we do the night before our album drops. Would you like to say hello?” Said Yeonjun, who had snuck his way over.

Anna hid behind her hat as he made his way to the camera that was sitting in front of her. He was close enough that she could smell his cologne. It reminded her when they were younger; when they’d make their way into a department store and he’d douse himself in cheap cologne before they would walk along the beach, just as the streetlights clicked on, signaling it was time to go home. It enhanced his natural scent, mixing freshness with maturity. It smelled like him, a little like home. He eased past her, not noticing her peeking out from under hat to look at him. Thank fuck, he didn’t see me. The last thing I need is for him to make a big deal out of me being here on live. She thought, putting her hat lower onto her face, just in case.

“Hello MOA! Hope you’re all doing well. Their new album is so good, you’re going to enjoy it. I have to go though, I’ll be seeing you!” He charmed the camera with his smile and easy going attitude. He was BTS’ Jungkook, it was natural for him, of course. He waved bye to the members and went along with his day, and just like that, he was gone again. 

The rest of the shoot continued on without a hitch. The boys eventually finished their pre-drop rituals and made themselves comfortable in the lobby with their sleeping bags. It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep, which promptly ended the live. The producer was satisfied with the live, and the managers had said that it had been recieved well amongst the fans. The cameo by Jungkook clearly brought more attention as MOA/ARMY fans blew up the live. It was good for them to get the extra attention, not that they needed it, though. Final speeches by Soobin, their managers, and the director occurred once the boys woke up after genuinely falling asleep in the lobby, ending the shoot a little after eleven.

Anna felt a mix of emotions. It had been more work than she was expecting, working longer and stranger hours than she was used to. She felt like she was relying on conveinance store food and coffee just to keep her going. Learning Korean slang was new as well, seeing as she spent a lot of time using formal speech and English at her other job. But this had been fun. It was a different kind of important, one that focused on making fans happy rather than CEOs. She didn’t have to sit through long days in uncomfortable business attire, instead lounging in jeans and tshirts eighty percent of the time. She didn’t have to pretend to be someone who was super serious at work, she could be silly and laugh and actually take the time to get to know her coworkers. It had been a great couple of weeks, and she was sad to be leaving the team, but couldn’t be more grateful that this had been her first run through in this line of work.

She decided to have some celebratory drinks with the team. Chloe, Kai, Eunwoo, and Seo-ah had been incredibly welcoming and were patient enough with her to show her the ropes. They made it to a local bar, ordering fried chicken and tteokboki and kimchi pancakes. Numerous rounds of somek soon filled the table too, as Anna went around thanking each of the team members for being so kind to her. The night slipped out from under them and they eventually exchanged numbers, promising to keep in touch even though she wasn’t going to be working with them anymore. It probably wasn’t going to be the last time working at HYBE, either. They made their way out of the bar, Chloe and Eunwoo needing a bit more help than the others, and hailed taxis.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay getting home? We can split one?” Seo-ah asked, holding up a very drunk Chloe to her left.

“No, really it’s okay! You’re on the other side of the city and I’m like ten minutes away. I have your contact information now so I’ll let you know when I get home, ok?”

“Okay, please call me if you need anything. It was so nice working with you, don’t be a stranger! And answer your texts when I message you!” Seo-ah said, pointing at her playfully.

Anna slid her way into the taxi that Kai hailed for her. Shutting her door, she waved to the group that was standing on the curb. It was a chaotic couple of weeks, but it was the most entertainment she had at work in months. Letting the cool air breeze around her, she was filled with a sense of joy.

~~~~~~~

Yujun had sent her a copy of the raving review that the team had submitted to him. Not only was it a testament to her hard work and skills, but also to the fact that she was incredibly well-liked and respected. He had called her two days after the shoot to check in on her and what she had thought about working at HYBE. She was honest, that it was a lot more work than she was expecting but it was a new challenge that she was enjoying. This conversation landed her a slightly more permanent position with another group. It was unclear who it was, Yujun stated that the group ran trial periods with staff for a week before officially hiring them, just as a precaution. It would be part-time work, but she was hired on indefinitely, as long as she passed their trail period. This is how she found herself standing outside of HYBE again, a couple days later.

It was like she had never left, which is true, now that she thought about it. She only had a couple days off before being busy with work again. In the meantime, she helped Tala and Sora finish packing up the apartment labeling various boxes and organizing her own things. Their move in date was at the end of next week, so she had some time to finalize any details they were missing, before the chaos of three girls moving to a new apartment ensued.

Already acquainted with the building, Anna found her way to the room where’d she familiarize herself with the new team. She knocked on the door and was met with a couple familiar faces. Kai and Seo-ah stood in front of her, pulling her into a quick embrace.

Laughing, she pulled away. “What are you guys doing here? I thought you only worked with TxT?”

“Well we do, but sometimes we get pulled into other projects if they need the staff. Plus we saw that you’d be working with this group and they can be kind of intimidating so we wanted to make sure you were comfortable.” Seo-ah announced, grinning at her.

“Stop that’s really sweet guys, thank you.” Anna cheered. “Hi everyone! I’m Anna, its nice to meet you! I’m looking forward to working with you all.”

“Hi Anna! We’ve heard nothing but good things about you from everyone we’ve talked to. I’m Nicole, I’m your lead, so please come to me if you need anything as you get adjusted. You already know Kai and Seo-ah. And this is Kendal and Gyu. Have they told you which group you’ll be working with yet?” Nicole was tall and, like Seo-ah, commanded the room with her presence. Anna could see that the rest of the team deeply respected her as a leader. She was friendly and kind which masked the intimidation that Anna was feeling.

“No, I have no idea. It doesn’t really matter to me though, I’m just glad that you guys took a chance with me.” 

“Well we’re lucky to have you! Let’s go to the studio and meet with them. They should be all set up for their interview. They have some live-streamed one that’s happening today, and since you helped out with the one for TxT, I figured I could use your help with this. You’ll mostly be working with Kai today, so hopefully it’ll be a little easier for you to settle in with our workflow. You guys will be helping the interviewer translate their questions and comments directly to the guys in-ears, and translating their answers back to the interviewer.” Nicole said, matter-of-factly.

After a quick briefing about what other things they’d be needing to do, they were led to a studio room where more staff was setting up. The room was tucked in the back of the building and was bigger than the one that Anna was in previously. A camera crew filled a majority of the space, with overhead lights and TV’s set up for monitoring. There was a makeshift hair and makeup area set in the back corner, filled with staff who were hard at work organizing various tools. Wardrobe was right next to it, with temporary sheets hung up to separate the area. It was a lot of moving parts and a little chaotic, but everyone seemed to know their role and exactly what they needed to do. She followed Kai to the area off to the left of the actual set where most of the production crew had been setting up. She was familiar with the steps and routine, seeing as she did this same dance a week ago with TxT. A little different, but all the time same. One of the audio directors was giving her a quick tutorial on the soundboard she’d be using when commotion by the door distracted her.

“Oh! Hey! Didn’t realize you were the new person we’d have on the team. You don’t have any coffee on you right?” A familiar voice sang out to her, playfulness on the tip of his tongue, as she turned to face the members coming into the room.

“Oh! Hey Yoongi! I wasn’t expecting to meet you guys until a little later. How have you been?” Anna grinned as they approached her.

“You guys know each other?” Jungkook questioned, flicking his eyes towards Anna for a split second before turning his body towards Yoogni. Darkness tainted his usual cheery gaze. It was only for a second, before his expression turned neutral again, but it wasn’t lost on Anna. She looked at him with slightly widened eyes before softening her expression once more. Even though all she felt in the moment was annoyance.

“Yeah, I ran into her a couple weeks ago, and I helped her find her way to a studio. She was working with TxT for a bit, right?” Yoongi explained, picking up his ear piece from the audio director. The other members listened intently as they followed his lead.

“Yeah, I was! They were great and it was fun, but it was only temporary until one of their team members came back from maternity leave. I’m looking for something a little more stable now, so hopefully this will be a good fit for all of us. Also, I’m really sorry about the coffee thing, hopefully the other one I gave you was good. But don’t worry I only have a water bottle with me today, so no spills, hopefully.” Anna joked, earning a few chuckles from the group.

“Oh yeah, hey, this is Anna. She’s the new interpreter we’re having on the team.” Yoongi introduced her to the members, similar to how he introduced her to TxT. She gave a shy wave to the rest of the members who were circling around them. The other members greeted her warmly before rushing off to the middle of the set to have final touch ups done before the interview started.

Jungkook stood towards the back, tense, eyes darkened, before softening his expression just a bit. He hesitated a minute, holding her gaze, before following the members to his seat. Anna stood there shocked, internally freaking the fuck out. This obviously is just the universe fucking with her. Clearly. It had to be. She could back out now and say that it wasn’t a good fit, but the advice Sora gave her played in her head. She wouldn’t let him stand in the way of what she wanted to do, and if this was going to bring her joy back into her life then so be it. Besides, it’s not like she’s doing this for him, or only him. There were six other members that she’d be working with too.

Gathering her thoughts, she made her way to the side of the set where all the equipment was set up. She sat next to Kai, putting her in-ears in, and dragging her microphone close. A couple test runs were done to make sure that the live feed transmitted well for both parties. Anna did her best to keep her head down, trying to focus on her task at hand. Sneakily, she glanced up but was met with the his big doe eyes, every single time. They still seemed to hold a softness in them that was reserved for her. Unwilling to become distracted by him, she snapped her attention towards the producer to let them know that they were ready on their end.

“Ready in five, four, three, two…” The producer’s voice echoed in the room.

“Here we have special guests - BTS! Their new album drops in a couple weeks, and we are all booming with excitement. Guys, would you like to introduce yourselves?”

The early morning shoot didn’t seem to bother anyone but her. She had been there since about seven, and filming didn’t actually start until about nine. The guys were so energetic, working the crowd like they were there in person. They were charming, and kind, and funny, and knew the exact spoilers to give that would excite the crowd. The interview was over after about an hour, leaving Anna itching to leave. She returned all the equipment she used and began helping the rest of the staff clean up and break things down.

She saw Yoongi approach out of the corner of her eye. “Hey Anna, it was nice to see you again! Us and some of the staff usually have breakfast together after things like this, would you like to come?”

“No!” Jungkook shouted, drawing shocked eyes and confused expressions to him. What the fuck is his problem. Anna thought, a scowl playing on her face when their eyes met. This was her job now, and she’d be around whether he wanted her to be or not.

A polite smile played on her lips, as she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “Uh…I really appreciate the offer, but I have some work to catch up on. Some onboarding things I need to do and the HR offices and stuff weren’t open when I first got here. You guys go though, I’ll come next time, no worries!”

“Okay not a problem! We’ll see you around.” Yoongi grinned as he and the other members started to leave. They all waved bye and thanked the rest of the staff before heading out. Jungkook didn’t make an effort to turn around and face her, hurriedly following his hyungs out the door. Anna stared at their direction, feeling a little numb about the whole thing.

Kai and Seo-ah exchanged looks before walking towards Anna, who had snapped out of her daze and was gathering her stuff to leave. The three of them made their way back up to the office, making small talk about the shoot. Anna was a little out of it, how could she not be? Hearing his laugh, though it seemed to lack a bit of life. Seeing his smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It all brought her back to when times were easier, a little simpler. Better, she thought. He was the same goofy kid, a little more grown up, but her Koo was underneath it all. She made it to her desk, deciding to pull out her laptop and begin on the HR paperwork she needed to turn in by the end of the day. The rest of the team eventually made their way in, taking up BTS’ offer for breakfast it seems. Nicole stopped by and placed a bag of food on it.

“Oh, thank you! You didn’t have to get me anything I was going to go down and grab something after I was done with this.” Anna curiously observed the bag.

“Don’t worry about it! Besides, it was too good to miss, it’s one of my favorite places around here. Next time you should definitely come! It’s a good way to bond with the guys, they’re not so scary once you get to know them.” Nicole patted her arm and winked as she walked away.

She thanked her once more before turning back to her desk and working on the papers. Hunger got the best of her as her stomach roared in the silent office. Heads turned as she sheepishly began to pull the food out. A chocolate croissant, fruit cup, and an iced americano. The sound of her stomach growling again was enough to snap her out of her thoughts. She ate peacefully, savoring the hazelnut flavor and the buttery croissant. She crunched on the grapes and pineapple, a difficult combination to find in the middle of winter. No one knew her enough yet to guess her favorite things, except him. Except this wasn’t a guess. He seemed to still remember things about her that she was certain he would’ve forgotten. 

Shaking her head, she decided that she wouldn’t let herself get distracted with thoughts of him while they worked together. This was a new and exciting endeavor for her, something that was making her enjoy her job again. Despite it being with his group. She’s a professional, for crying out loud. Anna continued to work on the various tasks assigned to her, making field trips all around the building, and then finally completing her workday around four.

It was dark outside when she found her way out. Remnants of fall leaves lay scattered around her, only visible by the bright, city lights that she was surrounded by. The bus ride home was filled with light chatter, which Anna was grateful for, as it did a good job at keeping her thoughts at bay. Seoul’s skyline had been one of her favorites. Even though she wasn’t from this city, it reminded her home. Maybe it was the air, maybe it was the people, but she found herself building something that gave her a sense of belonging that she couldn’t find in New York or Busan. Her phone buzzed suddenly, startling her a bit before she glanced down at it.

                                               [instagram: kookjj.79 requested to follow you.]

He hadn’t changed his contact information either, it seems. She stared at her phone a bit, debating what her options were. On one hand, she could block, mute, and report the account for impersonating someone else. On the other hand, maybe letting him have this would be a step in the right direction. Did she even want that? She contemplated for a bit, making it all the way up to the apartment before deciding.

                                              [instagram: kookjj.79 accepted your follow request.]

                                              [010-xxx-xxxx: it was nice seeing you today.]