p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspan... Do you remember the Aufbau principle? Or Pauli's Exclusion Principle? I don't remember any of this stuff… I'm really not cut out for chemistry." Jungkook complained to Namjoon as the two of them sat at the dining room table. A general chemistry textbook lay open beside Namjoon on the table, and several homework papers were scattered around them as well. It was currently the last day of reading period, which meant it was also their last day before finals began. Jungkook and Namjoon were both in the same chemistry class, which was definitely an interesting experience for the both of them. While Namjoon understood the science better than Jungkook, Jungkook's experiments would usually turn out better than his. The two of them had to help each other out in the classroom and the lab./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanDon't you like chemistry though? I mean, it's your major, so I assumed you did..." Namjoon questioned him as he began writing down a few things on a nearby piece of paper to show Jungkook./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's not that I don't find it interesting… I just don't understand it very well. Plus it's not really something I see myself wanting to do all of my life. I just know it's a good major for someone who needs a good paying job." Jungkook sighed as he leaned back in his seat and yawned./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon averted his eyes over to Jungkook seriously, "You know that's not the right way to go about your life. Don't force something upon yourself that's going to make you miserable. The richest man will never be happy if he doesn't enjoy his life's work. So why don't you try something else? Take a few classes next semester that have nothing to do with science, and see where you end up, alright? Anyway, let's get back to this so we pass our tests." Namjoon cleared his throat before showing the piece of paper to Jungkook, "So the Aufbau Principle states that electrons have to fill the lower energy levels before reaching the higher energy levels, simple enough right? The number of orbitals in an energy level depends on the first two quantum numbers. Remember how there are two electrons per orbital? Hund's Rule states that you must fill each orbital on the same energy level with one electron before adding a second electron to each orbital. That brings us to Pauli's Exclusion Principle: two electrons of the same spin cannot exist in the same orbital. Therefore, you can only have electrons of opposite spin sharing the same orbital."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAnd here we can see not one, but two wild nerds in their natural habitat. These animals may not look it, but they are extremely intelligent and equally dangerous." Taehyung sported his best Steve Irwin impression as he zoomed in on Jungkook and Namjoon with his video camera. He was crouching behind the island in the kitchen where he could perfectly see the two of them in the dining room with his camera. Hoseok crouched behind him, covering his mouth as he tried not to laugh at his crazy antics. "Okay, so even though I am completely aware of the danger I am putting myself in, I am going to get a closer look at these creatures in order to tell you about their-" Taehyung quickly turned the camera just in time to catch Keopi running towards him and Hoseok. "Move, move, our cover's been blown!" he exclaimed as they started to run away from Keopi towards Jungkook and Namjoon. Before Keopi caught him, he swiftly grabbed hold of Namjoon's chair and placed him between himself and the puppy, still holding the camera in his right hand, "Nerds become loyal very easily, despite their dangerous qualities. So what you see me doing here is, I'm setting one predator against the other in hopes to distract both of them from my presence."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Keopi skid to a stop on the tile floor as Namjoon was placed between him and Taehyung, and he immediately howled at him as he tried to find a way around the chair. The poor puppy thought Taehyung wanted to play with him!/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTaehyung, what the-" Namjoon exclaimed as he and his chair were pulled aside. As soon as Taehyung finished his little piece of dialogue, he didn't have to ask any questions to know what was going on. Taehyung was just being himself! "Tae, we're trying to study here. Can't you guys goof off somewhere else?"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanSomething you always want to be aware of with these creatures is their ability to convince you that they always have something to study. Unfortunately for them, this results in a constant cycle of loneliness which may or may not lead to an extinction of their species." Taehyung spoke before zooming in on Jungkook's face, "Taking a closer look at this particular nerd, you can see his strikingly handsome features. His flawless, acne-less skin is the result of obsessive skin care, and even though his hair has yet to be brushed this morning, he makes it work. Now if we zoom in- Oh, he's hiding now. Nerds can be a little shy…" Jungkook and Hoseok were both laughing at this point, and Taehyung couldn't help but join them. He soon turned off the camera and nudged Namjoon playfully, "Come on, admit it. You needed a break. Besides, don't you remember? We have to meet everyone in the basement in five minutes for practice. We've got a big event coming up on our calendar- and that day is tomorrow."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon released an exasperated sigh, "Why did you have to remind us?" It was his dream to perform in front of a crowd, and yet he was so nervous… What if he messed up? It was no secret that he was the worst dancer of the group, alongside Jin, and it would be so easy for him to wreck the entire choreography. The others would more than likely be screwed if he messed up badly enough…/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanLet's get going. The sooner we practice, the sooner we ease your concerns. Don't worry, Namjoon, I'll help you work out everything you feel rusty on. But seriously, we've been practicing 4 hours every day for a couple of weeks now, even during hell week. We've worked ourselves to death trying to perfect it; there is no reason to doubt yourself at this point. You've got what it takes." Hoseok grinned as he pat Namjoon on the shoulder and gestured for everyone to follow him to the basement./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWait, wait, wait. Before we practice this section of the dance-how are you feeling today? You seem to be back to normal lately, but I just want to make sure you're okay before you lift Jimin." Jin asked Jungkook, both of them breathing rather heavily since ceasing their dancing./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jungkook nodded as a smile grew across his lips, "Don't worry, hyung, I'm all better. I can do this." he offered a thumbs up as if the gesture would help alleviate his worries, "I've been working on my strength lately, too."/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 138%;"span style="font-variant: normal;""/spanspan style="font-variant: normal;"Alright, let's work on that part of the dance then! We've practiced this the least, so let's make sure we go over this as much as possible. Fighting!" Hoseok cheered as he gestured for everyone to get into /Again and again Jungkook lifted Jimin so he could kick each of the members into a kneeling position. This move had to be repeated until it was perfect, and once they all agreed to move on, the track was rewinded to the beginning of the song and the true practice commenced. It was time to perform a full run-through over and over again until it was decided to call it quits-unfortunately, that wouldn't be for another couple hours./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOne more time!" Hoseok exclaimed, practically pushing the other members into their designated starting positions. Some of them spouted a groan of protest in response while others just focused on taking deep breaths to cool down./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOne more time? You know how many times you've said that?" Yoongi complained, his hands rested on his knees as soon as Hoseok pushed him into place. All of them were coated in sweat after their arduous workout, and they were just about ready to fall where they stood./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey, we're in this to start something new for us, aren't we? We've got a lot to prove to ourselves; this is a big moment! If we need to do it one more time or even twenty more times, I think it's worth it. Besides, you never thought we could practice for more than an hour when we first started, and this entire week we've been practicing for 4 hours each day. We just have to push ourselves a little more. Tomorrow's a big day, so let's do this. One more time. Fighting~!" Jimin exclaimed with a cheer to which every member echoed back. In the end, all of this hard work was going to be worth it; they just needed to have faith in themselves and each other./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAlright guys, gather around and listen up. Namjoon, Jin, Hoseok-that's enough practicing!" A.J. raised his voice for them to hear over the chatter of the classmates that surrounded them in the foyer near the entrance to the auditorium. The three of them stopped what they were doing and gave A.J. their undivided attention along with the other four members of the group. "You guys nervous?" Each of them nodded, their faces reflecting as such. "I know you've already done your stretches and warmed up, but before you go in there, try jumping up and down to shake off those nerves as much as possible. You guys have worked extremely hard for this, and I know you're going to blow everyone's minds. I'm very proud of you guys. Walk onto that stage as though you own it, because that exactly what you're going to do. Today you're going to show people what you're made of. You're going to prove that you were born to be on stage. No matter what happens, you can be confident in the fact that you could not have worked any harder. Okay? While you're sitting through others' projects, just remember to take deep breaths. I'll be watching from the back of the audience if you need me, alright? Put your hands in the center." he placed his hand in the middle of the group, and one after the other, each of their hands became a tower of unity until the count of three broke it apart, "BULLETPROOF!"/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Patting their backs, A.J. wished them good luck before entering the auditorium to join his wife in the back center of the room. He was nervous and excited for them, not only for the performance that would be taking place in a little less than an hour, but also because their future was dependent upon today./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Observing his facial expression and body language as he sat down beside her, A.J.'s wife breathed a sigh of concern, "You didn't tell them, did you? What if this isn't what they wanted? They're still trying to complete college, A.J…"/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAnd what if I did tell them? They may not perform as well and/or they would be upset if they were to be denied. Trust me, it's better this way. Besides, this guy is a good connection of mine. BigHit is a small company; they'll fit better there than anywhere else, I know it. I just want to give them a nudge in the right direction, and they can decide what to do if any decision is made." A.J. replied confidently, to which his wife didn't respond. Who knew what could come of this?/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"As A.J. and his wife held this disagreement, the boys took their seats on the right side of the auditorium. With some of them rubbing the lengths of their thighs, rubbing their hands together, shaking their legs, or biting their nails, it was difficult for any of them to say a word. The group was far too nervous about the upcoming performance, even after following A.J.'s advice when they parted. Two minutes until the class projects would begin, and they weren't even supposed to perform until an hour from now./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHyung… you told them right?" Hoseok's legs kept shaking as he looked to Yoongi for the answer to a very important question. His eyes glistened with concern, uncertain as to whether or not this was a bad idea to begin with… Someone like him shouldn't be risking exposure./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi made eye contact with Hoseok before reaching up and ruffling his hair, a small smile visible on his lips, "Don't worry, I told the whole class as well as the tech crew. Namjoon will be announcing it before the performance as well." he assured him with a pat on his back. Yoongi then leaned over to look down the row left and right to check on the other housemates. Every single one of them seemed to be overwhelmed by their nerves, just as he was! As he opened his mouth to say something, Namjoon spoke up./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanJust remember, we're ready for this. There are going to be mistakes, but as long as you give it your all, everything is going to be just fine. Take deep breaths for now." Namjoon said with a smile that might have tricked someone into thinking he wasn't at all stressed about the situation. He and the other members had no idea why Yoongi wasn't allowing pictures or videos to be taken, but the fact that videos wouldn't be released to social media definitely eased his worries. He couldn't imagine what his family would say if they happened to see them performing… Certainly many of the others felt the same way./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 138%;"span style="font-variant: normal;""/spanspan style="font-variant: normal;"I can't believe this is actually happening. Every day we've been preparing for this, but what are we going to do when the performance is over?" Jimin was thrilled that he was finally going to use his talent for something! He couldn't describe how excited and nervous he was! Unfortunately it seemed it would all be over after tonight… Would they consider continuing to practice together?br /Jungkook was scanning the audience as their professor began speaking into the microphone on stage. He was grateful to find no sign of Paul or his trackmates… Of course they weren't in the class, but many students were present to support their friends; anyone was welcome into the auditorium./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung nudged Jin and whispered in his ear so as not to disturb their professor, "Are we last?" His eyes reflected his concern as he pulled away and waited for an answer. He hated being either first or last for class presentations…/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanNo, we're second to last I think." Jin responded after a moment. Now that he thought about it… he should probably check to make sure everyone was in proper uniform. Carefully, he leaned over and scanned each member for proper attire: black sweatpants, black t-shirts, and black socks and shoes. It wasn't professional, but it was the best they could do for a classroom performance. It wasn't until his eyes fell upon Taehyung's socks that he realized everyone was wearing their full uniform except him. Why was he wearing white socks?! "Taehyung-ah… huin yang-mal…" he released a sigh of exasperation as he covered his face with his hands. His socks are going to show during the performance!/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung stared at Jin for a moment, absolutely clueless as to what he was saying even though Jin only used vocabulary words he had learned, "huin… yang-mal…?" he repeated, looking to the ceiling as if it would give remind him of the English translation. "Ah! White socks! Yeah, I'm wearing…. Oh." he offered a quiet, nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "At least… the audience will only be able to see a small portion of them..?"/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTae, you seriously forgot?" Jimin sniggered as he reached into his backpack and pulled out an extra pair of long, black socks. "Here take these; I knew one of us would forget." he grinned, handing them over before zipping up his bag./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung accepted the socks and proceeded to remove his shoes and switch socks, "Thanks, Jimin, I owe you one."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"As the hour passed, PowerPoint presentations were recited, skits were performed, and even popular Korean songs were being sung, distracting the boys just enough to keep their nerves at bay. However, once they realized they were next, each member exchanged glances with one another. With Jin on the end of the row, he reached over and grabbed hold of Taehyung's hand, gesturing for him to do the same with Jimin. After each member in the row held hands with another, they each looked to each other with nods of confidence and mouthed to each other "Fighting!" The group's hands released once they clapped for the students leaving the stage at the end of their presentation, and upon being announced, the seven of them steadily walked up the stairs on the right side of the stage, some of them clenching the bottom of their shirts or shoving their hands in their pockets as a result of nervous habit./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAhem…" Namjoon cleared his throat as he received the microphone from their professor. He watched as the other members adjusted to their spots on stage, noticing how nervous they were in front of the audience. Yoongi gestured for him to mention the cameras one more time, just in case. "Uh… So, just as a reminder to the class and everyone else in the audience, we ask that you refrain from using any phones or cameras for the entirety of our performance, whether you intend to take a video or photo, alright?" A few murmurs could be heard in the crowd before he continued, "We will be performing an original song called 'No More Dream,' with lyrics written by Min Yoongi," he gestured towards his left where Yoongi was currently standing, "The audio recording you are about to hear was sung and rapped by each of us standing on this stage, but unfortunately without enough training we are not yet ready to sing and dance simultaneously even though we are working towards that goal. So again, this track is our song, and though you may hear us singing or rapping some phrases while we are up here, we still lack the endurance needed to sing the song completely."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHow do we know that's you actually on the track?!" A student shouted from the back of the audience in order to be heard./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon nodded for a moment before raising the mic to his mouth once more, "You know what, let us perform and then we can each give you a sample on the mic, how's that?" He understood the concerns, and he had no doubt in any of the members' abilities./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"While the audience seemed to approve of his suggestion, the members behind him seemed to be shocked. They weren't prepared to do more than the dance! Some of them have never sung in front of a crowd before! Namjoon bent down to hand the mic to his professor, who was now on ground level, and then he joined the others by standing in his spot in the center of the group. With spotlight shining upon them, it seemed as though their hearts were about to jump out of their chests. This was the moment they were waiting for during the past few months. All eyes in the audience were about to see a dream unfold, whether it be dancing, singing, rapping, or all of them combined. After tonight, there really would be no more dream. This was reality./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The audience's eyes were absolutely glued to the stage at the very start of the performance. None of them really expected the seven of them to perform as if they were a true Kpop group. Those in the front rows could hear their live vocals and new how genuine the music was, and it was amazingly difficult to find error in their dance. The group had practiced extremely hard for this performance, and no one could deny that. When Jungkook lifted Jimin in order to kick the other members down, the crowd clapped and cheered with their approval, and as soon as the song ended, the audience stood to their feet, offering the group a standing ovation./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The members' teary eyes showed just how happy they were in that moment. The sight and sounds of a cheering crowd, the smell of perspiration resulting from their hard work and dedication, and the labored breathing of seven brothers who knew they left everything they had on the stage. None of them could resist hugging each other and patting each other on the back, unphased by the sweat that glistened on their skin. Their smiles were as wide as the stage they stood on, and it took almost two minutes for the crowd to calm down enough for their professor to grab the boys' attention./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey! Guys, down here!" Professor Hill waved at them from in front of the stage./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jimin was the first to realize their professor was trying to talk to them, and he immediately informed the others before kneeling down to hear what he had to say. "Okay… Yeah, will do." He received the microphone from him and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he spoke, "Annyeonghaseyo." he greeted nervously, surprised to hear an echo in response from the crowd. A cheeky grin returned to his face, "Um.. so, thank you guys for receiving our performance so well. I guess? That was weird for me to say, wasn't it…?" he covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh of embarrassment, knowing very well that his housemates were about to laugh as well. "Anyway… Professor Hill requested that we make this quick so that the next project can have their time, so we're each going to give you a very brief segment of the song that we rapped or sung, okay?" He paused to listen to Professor Hill once more and then raised the microphone to his mouth, "Our names? Uh yeah, so I guess we'll give our names and then sing, or rap, or whatever. Yeah." He quickly passed the microphone onto Namjoon and practically hid behind Jin as they laughed together about his awkwardness./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanReally? You had the mic, you might as well have started." Namjoon shook his head with a grin, "Actually, before we start this, I want to give a shout out to Mr. A.J. Sieger- can you stand for us?- He and Hoseok choreographed this dance, and he's been a true inspiration for all of us up here, so please give him a round of applause." Everyone on stage and in the crowd clapped as A.J. stood for a moment. "Alright then… I guess I'll go ahead and start. Annyeonghaseyo. Jeonun Kim Namjoon imnida. And uh… Yeah, I'm not really sure how to say this in Korean, but I'm one of the rappers in the group." he introduced himself and proceeded to rap two of his lines in the song. He then bowed and passed the microphone on to Hoseok. One after the other, each member introduced themselves and offered a piece of the song to show off their talent. Within three minutes, the group wrapped it up and thanked the crowd once more before hurrying off the stage to join A.J in the back of the crowd. Students reached out for a high-five from the members, who were still on fire from their performance and eager to celebrate./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"15 minutes of presentation and 45 minutes of relentless questions and endless excitement kept the group from returning to their house for another hour or so. So many people wanted to talk to them about their performance, their practices, their future goals, and much more even as they were leaving Phelps Stokes and crossing the street. It wasn't until they were finally alone and safe in their house that they finally let out all the excitement they were feeling./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWHOO! WE DID IIIIT!" Hoseok shouted while Taehyung jumped onto Jungkook's back and joined him in the cheer./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTae, Jungkook recently recovered; get off!" Jin warned him, though neither of them seemed to listen, considering Jungkook continued to jog and carry him around the living room./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanDid you see their faces?! Did you hear that applause?! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY DID IT!" Jimin exclaimed as he and Hoseok began jumping on the sofa./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey, hey, hey you're gonna break my couch!" Yoongi gestured for them to jump down, a grin still glued to his face as he leaned against the back of the piece of furniture./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jimin and Hoseok were quick to listen to Yoongi's orders, "Hyung, you're a genius, you know. If you hadn't suggested the band idea, we may never have experienced something like this!" he commented as he jumped over the back of the sofa to stand beside him./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHe's got a point. Imagine us doing a PowerPoint presentation instead…" Namjoon shook his head as he joined the two of them and nudged Yoongi's arm to express his gratitude./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOh, sure. Now you guys think I'm a genius. Usually you guys just call me lazy." Yoongi smirked. Keopi's high pitched howling interrupted all of their excitement, making all of the housemates aware that Keopi and Sagwa still needed to be let out of the bedroom./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanI'll let them out, hold up." Jin hurried to Namjoon and Hoseok's room and opened the door. Sagwa and Keopi immediately rushed out of the room, running for all of the people in the living room they were so excited to see. "Whoa, hey, Keopi, how did you- Oh. Well… Guys, it looks like we'll have to get him a new kennel until he's trained completely." he announced as he closed the room's door to return to the living room./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanI guess even Keopi got excited about the concert!" Taehyung exclaimed as he and Jungkook finally calmed down enough to stand still. He leaned down to pick up Keopi and Sagwa in each arm, embracing them as they licked his face./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanConcert? Taehyung, I hate to break the news to you, but that wasn't exactly a concert…" Namjoon sighed. He wished they could become big enough to be in a concert, but that was pretty much impossible./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanNo, it wasn't." Jin agreed with a shrug, "But that's no reason to be upset. If we decided to continue in the future, this is a big first step. You never know what may happen after this."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanEspecially with what happened when we were trying to leave the building… There were people I've never met that were really excited to talk to us." Hoseok pointed out. They may not ever have a concert, but at least they were able to perform just once./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi smiled slightly as he scratched Keopi behind the ears, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens…"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The following day, exams continued for every member of the household. It wasn't until that afternoon that they began returning to the house to meet up with one another. Jin was the first to arrive home, and he was far from relaxed even though his exams for the year were over. With his iPhone held to his ear, he sat on the floor in front of the sofa as he tried to address the issue at hand, "No. No, no, no, we didn't allow it. That's the issue…. I swear, we asked the audience not to, and I didn't see a camera or a phone while we were on stage… I know. I know we took a big risk, but it was only supposed to be a school project. That's the point; we didn't expect this to happen!" he ran his left hand through his hair as he released a heavy sigh./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWho's on the phone? Does Hoseok know yet?" Yoongi asked urgently as he rushed into the house and threw his backpack on the couch, sitting on the couch with his feet planted on the floor beside Jin./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's Officer Miller." Jin replied quickly before returning to the phone call, "... Yes…. Yes… Alright, let me know…" He pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped the red button to end the call, "Officer Miller already knew what's going on. He said they discovered the video earlier this morning and took it down, but unfortunately a lot of people have already seen it. Not just that, but the video keeps popping up. Our entire performance was recorded. I don't know if the others have heard..."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanShit… this is my fault. This shouldn't have happened; I shouldn't have suggested it." Yoongi stood up again as he began to pace now./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanCalm down, this isn't your fault, and you know-"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHoseok trusted me, don't you get that?! He's in danger because of me!" Yoongi shouted at Jin, his fists clenching./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's not your fault that people didn't do as instructed! You did your part. Hoseok knew the risk. And seriously, this was just supposed to be a class project anyway; this issue is kind of unexpected in this situation."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIs it? Really? Because somehow I don't see it that way. What if they-"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanStop… Just stop right there. You need to calm down before the others get here. They don't know what's going on, and it's best they don't find out for now. Hoseok doesn't need more stress."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanJin's right." Hoseok entered from the hallway as he wiped a few tears from his eyes; apparently he had been hiding in his bedroom… "You can't always blame yourself for things that happen, you know… I made the decision knowing this was possible…"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi and Jin stared at Hoseok as he stopped a few feet away. They had no idea he was in the house, and naturally they felt guilty for yelling at each other about something related to him. "Hoseok… we're just worried. Has anyone spoken to you?"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanYeah… Dad called. He's real mad about the whole thing. They've done so much to get me here and I've screwed it up…" Hoseok replied, his voice hoarse from crying so much./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jin promptly stood and walked over to Hoseok, pulling him into a hug as he tried to figure out what to say, "Listen… you're no more at fault for this than Yoongi is. It was not a situation you can control, you understand? You have support here. You have so many people looking after you that only want what's best for you. We may be under more surveillance from now on, but I'm sure all of us can agree that's okay as long as people are safe. We'll take care of this, okay?"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanGuys, guys, guys! Did you hear?!" Taehyung exclaimed as he, Jimin, and Jungkook rushed into the house, "Someone posted a video of us online, and so many people are talking about it! We've had a lot of students approach us about it as well; we're practically famous!"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanThat may be an exaggeration, but seriously, we may have a future with this!" Jimin agreed, closing the front door behind Namjoon, who had also just walked in. After a few moments, however, they each noticed Hoseok seemed a little upset with a few tears remaining in his eyes./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHyung… is something going on?" Namjoon asked worriedly, his eyes scanning him from head to toe./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Hoseok shook his head and laughed a bit as he rubbed his eyes, "I'm just a little emotional. I heard about the video and its popularity, and I just don't know how to react… It's crazy that things may really change after this."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi exchanged glances with Jin, both concerned for the wellbeing of their housemate. They understood Hoseok didn't want anyone else to be burdened, but eventually he won't have a choice to explain what's going on. If this becomes serious enough, it may not just be him who's in danger./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanDon't you like chemistry though? I mean, it's your major, so I assumed you did..." Namjoon questioned him as he began writing down a few things on a nearby piece of paper to show Jungkook./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's not that I don't find it interesting… I just don't understand it very well. Plus it's not really something I see myself wanting to do all of my life. I just know it's a good major for someone who needs a good paying job." Jungkook sighed as he leaned back in his seat and yawned./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon averted his eyes over to Jungkook seriously, "You know that's not the right way to go about your life. Don't force something upon yourself that's going to make you miserable. The richest man will never be happy if he doesn't enjoy his life's work. So why don't you try something else? Take a few classes next semester that have nothing to do with science, and see where you end up, alright? Anyway, let's get back to this so we pass our tests." Namjoon cleared his throat before showing the piece of paper to Jungkook, "So the Aufbau Principle states that electrons have to fill the lower energy levels before reaching the higher energy levels, simple enough right? The number of orbitals in an energy level depends on the first two quantum numbers. Remember how there are two electrons per orbital? Hund's Rule states that you must fill each orbital on the same energy level with one electron before adding a second electron to each orbital. That brings us to Pauli's Exclusion Principle: two electrons of the same spin cannot exist in the same orbital. Therefore, you can only have electrons of opposite spin sharing the same orbital."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAnd here we can see not one, but two wild nerds in their natural habitat. These animals may not look it, but they are extremely intelligent and equally dangerous." Taehyung sported his best Steve Irwin impression as he zoomed in on Jungkook and Namjoon with his video camera. He was crouching behind the island in the kitchen where he could perfectly see the two of them in the dining room with his camera. Hoseok crouched behind him, covering his mouth as he tried not to laugh at his crazy antics. "Okay, so even though I am completely aware of the danger I am putting myself in, I am going to get a closer look at these creatures in order to tell you about their-" Taehyung quickly turned the camera just in time to catch Keopi running towards him and Hoseok. "Move, move, our cover's been blown!" he exclaimed as they started to run away from Keopi towards Jungkook and Namjoon. Before Keopi caught him, he swiftly grabbed hold of Namjoon's chair and placed him between himself and the puppy, still holding the camera in his right hand, "Nerds become loyal very easily, despite their dangerous qualities. So what you see me doing here is, I'm setting one predator against the other in hopes to distract both of them from my presence."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Keopi skid to a stop on the tile floor as Namjoon was placed between him and Taehyung, and he immediately howled at him as he tried to find a way around the chair. The poor puppy thought Taehyung wanted to play with him!/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTaehyung, what the-" Namjoon exclaimed as he and his chair were pulled aside. As soon as Taehyung finished his little piece of dialogue, he didn't have to ask any questions to know what was going on. Taehyung was just being himself! "Tae, we're trying to study here. Can't you guys goof off somewhere else?"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanSomething you always want to be aware of with these creatures is their ability to convince you that they always have something to study. Unfortunately for them, this results in a constant cycle of loneliness which may or may not lead to an extinction of their species." Taehyung spoke before zooming in on Jungkook's face, "Taking a closer look at this particular nerd, you can see his strikingly handsome features. His flawless, acne-less skin is the result of obsessive skin care, and even though his hair has yet to be brushed this morning, he makes it work. Now if we zoom in- Oh, he's hiding now. Nerds can be a little shy…" Jungkook and Hoseok were both laughing at this point, and Taehyung couldn't help but join them. He soon turned off the camera and nudged Namjoon playfully, "Come on, admit it. You needed a break. Besides, don't you remember? We have to meet everyone in the basement in five minutes for practice. We've got a big event coming up on our calendar- and that day is tomorrow."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon released an exasperated sigh, "Why did you have to remind us?" It was his dream to perform in front of a crowd, and yet he was so nervous… What if he messed up? It was no secret that he was the worst dancer of the group, alongside Jin, and it would be so easy for him to wreck the entire choreography. The others would more than likely be screwed if he messed up badly enough…/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanLet's get going. The sooner we practice, the sooner we ease your concerns. Don't worry, Namjoon, I'll help you work out everything you feel rusty on. But seriously, we've been practicing 4 hours every day for a couple of weeks now, even during hell week. We've worked ourselves to death trying to perfect it; there is no reason to doubt yourself at this point. You've got what it takes." Hoseok grinned as he pat Namjoon on the shoulder and gestured for everyone to follow him to the basement./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWait, wait, wait. Before we practice this section of the dance-how are you feeling today? You seem to be back to normal lately, but I just want to make sure you're okay before you lift Jimin." Jin asked Jungkook, both of them breathing rather heavily since ceasing their dancing./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jungkook nodded as a smile grew across his lips, "Don't worry, hyung, I'm all better. I can do this." he offered a thumbs up as if the gesture would help alleviate his worries, "I've been working on my strength lately, too."/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 138%;"span style="font-variant: normal;""/spanspan style="font-variant: normal;"Alright, let's work on that part of the dance then! We've practiced this the least, so let's make sure we go over this as much as possible. Fighting!" Hoseok cheered as he gestured for everyone to get into /Again and again Jungkook lifted Jimin so he could kick each of the members into a kneeling position. This move had to be repeated until it was perfect, and once they all agreed to move on, the track was rewinded to the beginning of the song and the true practice commenced. It was time to perform a full run-through over and over again until it was decided to call it quits-unfortunately, that wouldn't be for another couple hours./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOne more time!" Hoseok exclaimed, practically pushing the other members into their designated starting positions. Some of them spouted a groan of protest in response while others just focused on taking deep breaths to cool down./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOne more time? You know how many times you've said that?" Yoongi complained, his hands rested on his knees as soon as Hoseok pushed him into place. All of them were coated in sweat after their arduous workout, and they were just about ready to fall where they stood./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey, we're in this to start something new for us, aren't we? We've got a lot to prove to ourselves; this is a big moment! If we need to do it one more time or even twenty more times, I think it's worth it. Besides, you never thought we could practice for more than an hour when we first started, and this entire week we've been practicing for 4 hours each day. We just have to push ourselves a little more. Tomorrow's a big day, so let's do this. One more time. Fighting~!" Jimin exclaimed with a cheer to which every member echoed back. In the end, all of this hard work was going to be worth it; they just needed to have faith in themselves and each other./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAlright guys, gather around and listen up. Namjoon, Jin, Hoseok-that's enough practicing!" A.J. raised his voice for them to hear over the chatter of the classmates that surrounded them in the foyer near the entrance to the auditorium. The three of them stopped what they were doing and gave A.J. their undivided attention along with the other four members of the group. "You guys nervous?" Each of them nodded, their faces reflecting as such. "I know you've already done your stretches and warmed up, but before you go in there, try jumping up and down to shake off those nerves as much as possible. You guys have worked extremely hard for this, and I know you're going to blow everyone's minds. I'm very proud of you guys. Walk onto that stage as though you own it, because that exactly what you're going to do. Today you're going to show people what you're made of. You're going to prove that you were born to be on stage. No matter what happens, you can be confident in the fact that you could not have worked any harder. Okay? While you're sitting through others' projects, just remember to take deep breaths. I'll be watching from the back of the audience if you need me, alright? Put your hands in the center." he placed his hand in the middle of the group, and one after the other, each of their hands became a tower of unity until the count of three broke it apart, "BULLETPROOF!"/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Patting their backs, A.J. wished them good luck before entering the auditorium to join his wife in the back center of the room. He was nervous and excited for them, not only for the performance that would be taking place in a little less than an hour, but also because their future was dependent upon today./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Observing his facial expression and body language as he sat down beside her, A.J.'s wife breathed a sigh of concern, "You didn't tell them, did you? What if this isn't what they wanted? They're still trying to complete college, A.J…"/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAnd what if I did tell them? They may not perform as well and/or they would be upset if they were to be denied. Trust me, it's better this way. Besides, this guy is a good connection of mine. BigHit is a small company; they'll fit better there than anywhere else, I know it. I just want to give them a nudge in the right direction, and they can decide what to do if any decision is made." A.J. replied confidently, to which his wife didn't respond. Who knew what could come of this?/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"As A.J. and his wife held this disagreement, the boys took their seats on the right side of the auditorium. With some of them rubbing the lengths of their thighs, rubbing their hands together, shaking their legs, or biting their nails, it was difficult for any of them to say a word. The group was far too nervous about the upcoming performance, even after following A.J.'s advice when they parted. Two minutes until the class projects would begin, and they weren't even supposed to perform until an hour from now./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHyung… you told them right?" Hoseok's legs kept shaking as he looked to Yoongi for the answer to a very important question. His eyes glistened with concern, uncertain as to whether or not this was a bad idea to begin with… Someone like him shouldn't be risking exposure./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi made eye contact with Hoseok before reaching up and ruffling his hair, a small smile visible on his lips, "Don't worry, I told the whole class as well as the tech crew. Namjoon will be announcing it before the performance as well." he assured him with a pat on his back. Yoongi then leaned over to look down the row left and right to check on the other housemates. Every single one of them seemed to be overwhelmed by their nerves, just as he was! As he opened his mouth to say something, Namjoon spoke up./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanJust remember, we're ready for this. There are going to be mistakes, but as long as you give it your all, everything is going to be just fine. Take deep breaths for now." Namjoon said with a smile that might have tricked someone into thinking he wasn't at all stressed about the situation. He and the other members had no idea why Yoongi wasn't allowing pictures or videos to be taken, but the fact that videos wouldn't be released to social media definitely eased his worries. He couldn't imagine what his family would say if they happened to see them performing… Certainly many of the others felt the same way./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 138%;"span style="font-variant: normal;""/spanspan style="font-variant: normal;"I can't believe this is actually happening. Every day we've been preparing for this, but what are we going to do when the performance is over?" Jimin was thrilled that he was finally going to use his talent for something! He couldn't describe how excited and nervous he was! Unfortunately it seemed it would all be over after tonight… Would they consider continuing to practice together?br /Jungkook was scanning the audience as their professor began speaking into the microphone on stage. He was grateful to find no sign of Paul or his trackmates… Of course they weren't in the class, but many students were present to support their friends; anyone was welcome into the auditorium./span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung nudged Jin and whispered in his ear so as not to disturb their professor, "Are we last?" His eyes reflected his concern as he pulled away and waited for an answer. He hated being either first or last for class presentations…/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanNo, we're second to last I think." Jin responded after a moment. Now that he thought about it… he should probably check to make sure everyone was in proper uniform. Carefully, he leaned over and scanned each member for proper attire: black sweatpants, black t-shirts, and black socks and shoes. It wasn't professional, but it was the best they could do for a classroom performance. It wasn't until his eyes fell upon Taehyung's socks that he realized everyone was wearing their full uniform except him. Why was he wearing white socks?! "Taehyung-ah… huin yang-mal…" he released a sigh of exasperation as he covered his face with his hands. His socks are going to show during the performance!/span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung stared at Jin for a moment, absolutely clueless as to what he was saying even though Jin only used vocabulary words he had learned, "huin… yang-mal…?" he repeated, looking to the ceiling as if it would give remind him of the English translation. "Ah! White socks! Yeah, I'm wearing…. Oh." he offered a quiet, nervous laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "At least… the audience will only be able to see a small portion of them..?"/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTae, you seriously forgot?" Jimin sniggered as he reached into his backpack and pulled out an extra pair of long, black socks. "Here take these; I knew one of us would forget." he grinned, handing them over before zipping up his bag./span/span/span/p
p style="text-indent: .5in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Taehyung accepted the socks and proceeded to remove his shoes and switch socks, "Thanks, Jimin, I owe you one."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"As the hour passed, PowerPoint presentations were recited, skits were performed, and even popular Korean songs were being sung, distracting the boys just enough to keep their nerves at bay. However, once they realized they were next, each member exchanged glances with one another. With Jin on the end of the row, he reached over and grabbed hold of Taehyung's hand, gesturing for him to do the same with Jimin. After each member in the row held hands with another, they each looked to each other with nods of confidence and mouthed to each other "Fighting!" The group's hands released once they clapped for the students leaving the stage at the end of their presentation, and upon being announced, the seven of them steadily walked up the stairs on the right side of the stage, some of them clenching the bottom of their shirts or shoving their hands in their pockets as a result of nervous habit./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanAhem…" Namjoon cleared his throat as he received the microphone from their professor. He watched as the other members adjusted to their spots on stage, noticing how nervous they were in front of the audience. Yoongi gestured for him to mention the cameras one more time, just in case. "Uh… So, just as a reminder to the class and everyone else in the audience, we ask that you refrain from using any phones or cameras for the entirety of our performance, whether you intend to take a video or photo, alright?" A few murmurs could be heard in the crowd before he continued, "We will be performing an original song called 'No More Dream,' with lyrics written by Min Yoongi," he gestured towards his left where Yoongi was currently standing, "The audio recording you are about to hear was sung and rapped by each of us standing on this stage, but unfortunately without enough training we are not yet ready to sing and dance simultaneously even though we are working towards that goal. So again, this track is our song, and though you may hear us singing or rapping some phrases while we are up here, we still lack the endurance needed to sing the song completely."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHow do we know that's you actually on the track?!" A student shouted from the back of the audience in order to be heard./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Namjoon nodded for a moment before raising the mic to his mouth once more, "You know what, let us perform and then we can each give you a sample on the mic, how's that?" He understood the concerns, and he had no doubt in any of the members' abilities./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"While the audience seemed to approve of his suggestion, the members behind him seemed to be shocked. They weren't prepared to do more than the dance! Some of them have never sung in front of a crowd before! Namjoon bent down to hand the mic to his professor, who was now on ground level, and then he joined the others by standing in his spot in the center of the group. With spotlight shining upon them, it seemed as though their hearts were about to jump out of their chests. This was the moment they were waiting for during the past few months. All eyes in the audience were about to see a dream unfold, whether it be dancing, singing, rapping, or all of them combined. After tonight, there really would be no more dream. This was reality./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The audience's eyes were absolutely glued to the stage at the very start of the performance. None of them really expected the seven of them to perform as if they were a true Kpop group. Those in the front rows could hear their live vocals and new how genuine the music was, and it was amazingly difficult to find error in their dance. The group had practiced extremely hard for this performance, and no one could deny that. When Jungkook lifted Jimin in order to kick the other members down, the crowd clapped and cheered with their approval, and as soon as the song ended, the audience stood to their feet, offering the group a standing ovation./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The members' teary eyes showed just how happy they were in that moment. The sight and sounds of a cheering crowd, the smell of perspiration resulting from their hard work and dedication, and the labored breathing of seven brothers who knew they left everything they had on the stage. None of them could resist hugging each other and patting each other on the back, unphased by the sweat that glistened on their skin. Their smiles were as wide as the stage they stood on, and it took almost two minutes for the crowd to calm down enough for their professor to grab the boys' attention./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey! Guys, down here!" Professor Hill waved at them from in front of the stage./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jimin was the first to realize their professor was trying to talk to them, and he immediately informed the others before kneeling down to hear what he had to say. "Okay… Yeah, will do." He received the microphone from him and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he spoke, "Annyeonghaseyo." he greeted nervously, surprised to hear an echo in response from the crowd. A cheeky grin returned to his face, "Um.. so, thank you guys for receiving our performance so well. I guess? That was weird for me to say, wasn't it…?" he covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh of embarrassment, knowing very well that his housemates were about to laugh as well. "Anyway… Professor Hill requested that we make this quick so that the next project can have their time, so we're each going to give you a very brief segment of the song that we rapped or sung, okay?" He paused to listen to Professor Hill once more and then raised the microphone to his mouth, "Our names? Uh yeah, so I guess we'll give our names and then sing, or rap, or whatever. Yeah." He quickly passed the microphone onto Namjoon and practically hid behind Jin as they laughed together about his awkwardness./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanReally? You had the mic, you might as well have started." Namjoon shook his head with a grin, "Actually, before we start this, I want to give a shout out to Mr. A.J. Sieger- can you stand for us?- He and Hoseok choreographed this dance, and he's been a true inspiration for all of us up here, so please give him a round of applause." Everyone on stage and in the crowd clapped as A.J. stood for a moment. "Alright then… I guess I'll go ahead and start. Annyeonghaseyo. Jeonun Kim Namjoon imnida. And uh… Yeah, I'm not really sure how to say this in Korean, but I'm one of the rappers in the group." he introduced himself and proceeded to rap two of his lines in the song. He then bowed and passed the microphone on to Hoseok. One after the other, each member introduced themselves and offered a piece of the song to show off their talent. Within three minutes, the group wrapped it up and thanked the crowd once more before hurrying off the stage to join A.J in the back of the crowd. Students reached out for a high-five from the members, who were still on fire from their performance and eager to celebrate./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"15 minutes of presentation and 45 minutes of relentless questions and endless excitement kept the group from returning to their house for another hour or so. So many people wanted to talk to them about their performance, their practices, their future goals, and much more even as they were leaving Phelps Stokes and crossing the street. It wasn't until they were finally alone and safe in their house that they finally let out all the excitement they were feeling./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWHOO! WE DID IIIIT!" Hoseok shouted while Taehyung jumped onto Jungkook's back and joined him in the cheer./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanTae, Jungkook recently recovered; get off!" Jin warned him, though neither of them seemed to listen, considering Jungkook continued to jog and carry him around the living room./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanDid you see their faces?! Did you hear that applause?! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY DID IT!" Jimin exclaimed as he and Hoseok began jumping on the sofa./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHey, hey, hey you're gonna break my couch!" Yoongi gestured for them to jump down, a grin still glued to his face as he leaned against the back of the piece of furniture./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jimin and Hoseok were quick to listen to Yoongi's orders, "Hyung, you're a genius, you know. If you hadn't suggested the band idea, we may never have experienced something like this!" he commented as he jumped over the back of the sofa to stand beside him./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHe's got a point. Imagine us doing a PowerPoint presentation instead…" Namjoon shook his head as he joined the two of them and nudged Yoongi's arm to express his gratitude./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanOh, sure. Now you guys think I'm a genius. Usually you guys just call me lazy." Yoongi smirked. Keopi's high pitched howling interrupted all of their excitement, making all of the housemates aware that Keopi and Sagwa still needed to be let out of the bedroom./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanI'll let them out, hold up." Jin hurried to Namjoon and Hoseok's room and opened the door. Sagwa and Keopi immediately rushed out of the room, running for all of the people in the living room they were so excited to see. "Whoa, hey, Keopi, how did you- Oh. Well… Guys, it looks like we'll have to get him a new kennel until he's trained completely." he announced as he closed the room's door to return to the living room./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanI guess even Keopi got excited about the concert!" Taehyung exclaimed as he and Jungkook finally calmed down enough to stand still. He leaned down to pick up Keopi and Sagwa in each arm, embracing them as they licked his face./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanConcert? Taehyung, I hate to break the news to you, but that wasn't exactly a concert…" Namjoon sighed. He wished they could become big enough to be in a concert, but that was pretty much impossible./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanNo, it wasn't." Jin agreed with a shrug, "But that's no reason to be upset. If we decided to continue in the future, this is a big first step. You never know what may happen after this."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanEspecially with what happened when we were trying to leave the building… There were people I've never met that were really excited to talk to us." Hoseok pointed out. They may not ever have a concert, but at least they were able to perform just once./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi smiled slightly as he scratched Keopi behind the ears, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens…"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"-/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"The following day, exams continued for every member of the household. It wasn't until that afternoon that they began returning to the house to meet up with one another. Jin was the first to arrive home, and he was far from relaxed even though his exams for the year were over. With his iPhone held to his ear, he sat on the floor in front of the sofa as he tried to address the issue at hand, "No. No, no, no, we didn't allow it. That's the issue…. I swear, we asked the audience not to, and I didn't see a camera or a phone while we were on stage… I know. I know we took a big risk, but it was only supposed to be a school project. That's the point; we didn't expect this to happen!" he ran his left hand through his hair as he released a heavy sigh./span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanWho's on the phone? Does Hoseok know yet?" Yoongi asked urgently as he rushed into the house and threw his backpack on the couch, sitting on the couch with his feet planted on the floor beside Jin./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's Officer Miller." Jin replied quickly before returning to the phone call, "... Yes…. Yes… Alright, let me know…" He pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped the red button to end the call, "Officer Miller already knew what's going on. He said they discovered the video earlier this morning and took it down, but unfortunately a lot of people have already seen it. Not just that, but the video keeps popping up. Our entire performance was recorded. I don't know if the others have heard..."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanShit… this is my fault. This shouldn't have happened; I shouldn't have suggested it." Yoongi stood up again as he began to pace now./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanCalm down, this isn't your fault, and you know-"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHoseok trusted me, don't you get that?! He's in danger because of me!" Yoongi shouted at Jin, his fists clenching./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIt's not your fault that people didn't do as instructed! You did your part. Hoseok knew the risk. And seriously, this was just supposed to be a class project anyway; this issue is kind of unexpected in this situation."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanIs it? Really? Because somehow I don't see it that way. What if they-"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanStop… Just stop right there. You need to calm down before the others get here. They don't know what's going on, and it's best they don't find out for now. Hoseok doesn't need more stress."/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanJin's right." Hoseok entered from the hallway as he wiped a few tears from his eyes; apparently he had been hiding in his bedroom… "You can't always blame yourself for things that happen, you know… I made the decision knowing this was possible…"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi and Jin stared at Hoseok as he stopped a few feet away. They had no idea he was in the house, and naturally they felt guilty for yelling at each other about something related to him. "Hoseok… we're just worried. Has anyone spoken to you?"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanYeah… Dad called. He's real mad about the whole thing. They've done so much to get me here and I've screwed it up…" Hoseok replied, his voice hoarse from crying so much./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Jin promptly stood and walked over to Hoseok, pulling him into a hug as he tried to figure out what to say, "Listen… you're no more at fault for this than Yoongi is. It was not a situation you can control, you understand? You have support here. You have so many people looking after you that only want what's best for you. We may be under more surveillance from now on, but I'm sure all of us can agree that's okay as long as people are safe. We'll take care of this, okay?"/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanGuys, guys, guys! Did you hear?!" Taehyung exclaimed as he, Jimin, and Jungkook rushed into the house, "Someone posted a video of us online, and so many people are talking about it! We've had a lot of students approach us about it as well; we're practically famous!"/span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanThat may be an exaggeration, but seriously, we may have a future with this!" Jimin agreed, closing the front door behind Namjoon, who had also just walked in. After a few moments, however, they each noticed Hoseok seemed a little upset with a few tears remaining in his eyes./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;""spanspanHyung… is something going on?" Namjoon asked worriedly, his eyes scanning him from head to toe./span/span/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Hoseok shook his head and laughed a bit as he rubbed his eyes, "I'm just a little emotional. I heard about the video and its popularity, and I just don't know how to react… It's crazy that things may really change after this."/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; text-decoration: none;"span style="background: transparent;"Yoongi exchanged glances with Jin, both concerned for the wellbeing of their housemate. They understood Hoseok didn't want anyone else to be burdened, but eventually he won't have a choice to explain what's going on. If this becomes serious enough, it may not just be him who's in danger./span/p