Taehyung's POV:

When all was said and done, it had been decided that Taehyung would finish out the semester in Daegu before transferring to a high school in Seoul. It had been a deal-breaker for his parents that he continue his education, just in case this whole idol business didn't work out. And he had happily agreed because then he could at least pretend that what was happening in his life was normal.

He was equal parts terrified and excited for the journey he was about to go on. Actually being accepted as a trainee made him refocus on the day of his audition. The five boys he had met seemed nice enough; and he had luckily never had a hard time making friends. He just hoped they would all be welcoming enough to deal with his eccentric personality and habits.

It hadn't taken his current friends long to get used to him, but they had been children and therefore weren't really aware of how weird he truly was. Now that they were all older, Minjun consistently pointed out how strange he was and, if he ever wanted a girlfriend, he should really try to be more normal.

Even now, as Minjun lay prostrate on Taehyung's floor, watching the younger boy pack, he babbled on about all the girls he would see in Seoul. "I'm telling you, man. The city will be packed with girls who have no idea how fucking weird you are. Take advantage of the big city and your anonymity while you still can."

Tae rolled his eyes, making sure he was turned away when he did it so he wouldn't get slapped. "I don't give a shit about that, hyung. I'm technically moving there to work, anyway. I doubt I'll have time to date."

Minjun snorted loudly. He sat up and pushed his bangs out of his face. Tae momentarily envied the other boy's hair. His own was a boring, dark brown that bordered on black and lay flat against his head; he hadn't ever really taken an interest in doing it or anything, but sometimes he wished it was different. I guess someone else will be in charge of that now.

"How much work could it possibly be? You learn a few songs, dance around a bit, no problem. If you ever get tired of it and they need a new member, give me a call." It was an awkward joke for Minjun to make, considering he hadn't been chosen in the first place. But Tae just let it roll off his back and rather than say anything, turned to his bed and grabbed a pillow to throw at his head.

"Hey!" The older boy jumped to his feet and lurched forward to tackle Tae to the ground. It immediately turned into a child's game of wrestling, with Taehyung almost succeeding at pinning the older to the floor despite how much skinnier he was than Minjun. It struck him that they hadn't horsed around like this in years; something about maturing into teenagers had sucked away their desire to rough house in such a way. He cherished the momentary reprieve from his impending adulthood and allowed a low growl to rip from his throat as he shoved Minjun onto his back once again.

They were still rolling around, trying to choke each other out, when Tae's bedroom door opened to reveal a grumbling Jeongyu. "Halmoni is here. Mom and dad want you in the living room." The eternally pissed off teen turned to leave the room just as quickly as he had appeared. But upon hearing his mumble of "fucking homos," Tae reached out to grab his ankle and pull him into the mini-dog pile they had created.

The words didn't shock Taehyung. He had heard his brother and his little group of troublemaker friends fling the insult at the fragile, feminine boys that sometimes stumbled across their path at school. But they did make him disappointed in his little brother's attitude and therefore, just to piss him off, Tae planted a sloppy, wet kiss to his younger brother's cheek before letting him squirm out of his grasp. He watched triumphantly as the boy turned a bright shade of red before stumbling out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he went.

"That's was so fucking funny." Minjun gasped out between guffaws. "What a little twat."

Taehyung chuckled in agreement, understanding that his best friend was more upset with being called the word than the implicit homophobia his brother had portrayed.

Determined to think about something else, Tae rose to his feet and turned back to the small closet of things he was trying to cram into a tiny suitcase. He knew he still had a week and a half to get ready for the move, but his nervous energy was always better funneled into something productive.

"Are you taking this with you?" Turning to see what Minjun was talking about, Tae came face to face with his saxophone case. To be honest, he hadn't even thought about the instrument since getting the call from Big Hit. Something about the instrument felt so foreign to him now, like his years of practice had taken place in another lifetime.

"I don't know. I guess not, you know? There's kind of no point." He shrugged at his best friend, sending him a boxy smile of reassurance when the older boy's face crumpled into concern. Forgiveness came quick with Taehyung. "With any luck, I'll be too busy to play. Besides, they told me not to bring too much stuff. There won't be a lot of room with six guys in one apartment."

"I guess that's true.." Minjun still didn't look super confident, but he sat the case down where he had found it and rose to his feet. "Well, I should probably head home. Your halmoni is here and I'm sure my family wants me home for all the festive shit."

Tae nodded and, impulsively, reached out to hug the older boy tightly. He tried not to flinch at how rigid Minjun became and just continued to embrace him. Just this once, he would let his real personality show through; his clinginess and touchiness would just have to be bearable for once. "Merry Christmas, Hyung."

"Merry Christmas, Tae." And to his surprise, the hug he received back was likely the most genuine one Taehyung had ever received from his best friend. He closed his eyes at the contact, relishing the way the strong arms felt wrapped around his back. It was strictly platonic of course; he had never been interested in Minjun. But it felt good to be held nonetheless.

"Promise you'll come see me before we leave Monday?" He all but demanded of Minjun as he walked him to the front door, smiling at his Grandmother and Grandfather who were perched on the couch, having their ears talked off by Eunjin. The young girl stuck her tongue out at Minjun and Tae as they walked by; they both returned the gesture out of habit.

"Don't worry; I'll be there." Minjun proclaimed as he pulled his coat and shoes on. And with that he waved at Tae's family before slipping out the front door into the freezing, snow blanketed night.

Christmas with the Kim family was never an extravagant affair. They spent a majority of the festivities cooking, eating, and talking rather than exchanging gifts. His aunts and mother dominated the kitchen, flitting around the small room chattering loudly about the latest town gossip while preparing more food than could ever be eaten. The various men in the family, a group which Taehyung was not yet a part of, would bundle up and, despite the cold and oftentimes snow, would sit in the backyard to do their own conversing. It was the price of living in such a tiny house, but no one seemed to mind.

The children in the family, all twelve of them, ran in and out of the bedrooms, maintaining a noise level that hurt everyone's ears. But no one shushed them since it was Christmas. Normally, Taehyung would be running around with them. Despite being the oldest of all of the cousins, he loved kids and the carefree way they could play for hours. But this year, he was too high strung and nervous to play. A fact that he had to keep repeating to one particular cousin who was just insistent that he join in the fun. So he spent the day shuffling around the house, not really paying much attention to what anyone was talking about, just trying to enjoy the company.

It was disappointing that he wasn't happier. Christmas was always Taehyung's favorite holiday. It was close to his birthday, which was always exciting because his mother made more sweets than he could ever eat alone. Which was also convenient since the house was filled with the giggling, sugar-loving children.

Currently, those same children had all been wrangled into the living room and were bouncing off the walls waiting to open their small piles of presents. Upon entering the packed living room, Taehyung had been shepharded to the center of the couch and a large, flat box had been placed across his lap. He looked up at his parents, who were standing a few feet away from him with their arms around each other.

"Okay, before you open it. This is from your father and I in the hopes that you'll get good use out of it in Seoul. And if it doesn't fit, your halmoni has offered to alter it if she can." Tae's mother was chewing on her thumbnail, leaning into his father who had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She looked nervous, which in turn made Taehyung nervous.

Whatever the gift was, he would love it of course. But something felt different about this gift than any he had received before. He looked around the room at his various aunts and uncles, who all looked at him with knowing twinkles in their eyes. He heard his mother make an impatient noise, so he turned back to the box. Hesitantly, he slid his thin fingers under the wrapping paper flap and tore it off of the package. As he tore the paper away, english lettering appeared across the top of the box.

"G-ucki?" Taehyung asked in a questioning voice as he looked up at his parents, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"I think it's pronounced Goo-chi," His mother said hesitantly, looking around the room for confirmation, her dark, straight eyebrows pulled together under her bangs.

It was at that point that Eunjun threw her torso over the top of the couch to get a closer look at the glossy white box. Her loud squeal almost burst Tae's eardrums and caused him to jump inches into the air, the box falling from his hands into his lap. "Oh my god! That's not fair! What did you get? What's in the box? Open the freaking box, Taehyung!"

It all came spilling out of the petite girl's mouth at once. Taehyung chuckled to himself and reached back to push her backwards with a finger to her forehead.

"I'm going to. Calm down, crazy." He turned back to the box, suddenly feeling inexplicably nervous to look inside. He had heard of the brand before and, although he wasn't very well versed in foreign fashion, he knew whatever the item was, it had to have been expensive. More expensive than his family could afford.

Not wanting to keep said family waiting for much longer, he lifted the top off of the box, finding a puffy, black winter coat lay within the white tissue paper. Even oblivious Taehyung could tell that the coat was gorgeous, so he pulled it carefully from the box and unfurled it in his lap. It had a fur-lined hood and looked as if it would go down to his knees; it had definitely been made to withstand some fairly harsh weather, which was exactly what he expected to experience during the winter in Seoul.

Without warning, the teen felt the distinct tickle in his nose that meant he was about to cry. It all had become suddenly real. He was leaving his home, his family, for who knew how long to move in with complete strangers on the off chance that his newly discovered dreams of being an idol would be realized. He suddenly felt doubtful and ridiculous for thinking it would all work out for him; but his family clearly had enough faith in him to let him move across the country. Their support was exhibited in the extravagant gift in his hands.

Before he knew it, he was across the room and in his parents' arms, sobbing quietly into his mother's shoulder. He tried to ignore the fact that he could feel a similar tremble going through her body.

"Do we have everything?" Taehyung's mother asked breathlessly, blowing a strand of black hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face. She was sitting on the floor of his torn apart bedroom amidst stuffed-to-the-brim suitcases, looking extremely stressed with a frantic look in her eyes.

"I think so, Ma. Anything I forget will just be my fault and I'll learn to live without." He had meant for the comment to ease her nerves, but he quickly realized it had had the opposite effect when she sighed loudly and yanked open the zippers of the suitcases to double-check them once again. Shaking his head in defeat, Taehyung went back to spinning in circles in his desk chair.

It was the night before he was set to move to Seoul, something he was trying very hard to not focus on. Everything had been packed for days, but his mother had spent every waking moment going over checklists of the things they needed to pack and do in preparation for the move. He knew it was just her way of feeling in control during this entirely foreign experience and so he didn't say anything.

Eventually, Jeongyu slinked into the room and skirted around their mother in order to get to his bed. As he passed Taehyung, the older reached out to tussle the younger's hair just to annoy him. Tae was surprised when Jeongyu didn't cry out in irritation like he normally did; in fact, it almost seemed like he had leaned into the touch before pulling away.

But soon the boy had crawled into bed and pulled his comforter up around his head so no one could see his face. Taehyung continued to spin in his chair, waiting for his mother to finish her incessant packing. Finally, she sighed quietly and looked up at him with a sad smile.

"Looks like you're all ready to go." He fought the urge to tell her that she had neither added nor subtracted anything from the suitcases, which meant that they had been fine in the first place. He would let her have this one last action of being his overbearing, but loving mother. Although if he was honest, he knew that moving away and growing up would never stop her from being the same way even from across the country.

"Looks like it." He smiled brightly at her, crinkling his eyes up as he did so. She, however, looked sad. Tae opened his mouth to say something, maybe breach the subject that he would miss her as much as she would miss him. But she got to her feet, whispered goodnight, and slipped from the room before he had the chance.

If he could choose one word that would describe the absolute opposite of his family's dynamic it would be "open." Even Taehyung, who was so abnormally comfortable with skinship, just couldn't bring himself to honestly communicate his feelings with anyone in his life. But then again, maybe that's why skinship was so important to him. When words weren't a possible mode of connection, actions had to be.

After a few more minutes of spinning in his desk chair, he figured it was probably time to get to bed. So Taehyung crossed to the light switch and flicked it off before crawling into his small bed for what seemed like the last time. He knew he had little to no hopes of sleeping, if the butterflies that were battering around his stomach were any indication. He wondered what his future held now that he was turning his back on the safe, comfortable life that his parents had worked so hard to provide for him.

He wondered whether he would be good enough at the dancing and singing that was required of him; he questioned if he was attractive enough to make up for his significant lack of talent and if the fans (if they ever actually acquired any fans) would like him. Looking back on what he could remember of the already chosen (although technically now he was also chosen) members, he tried to think about what they had been like. Would they get along? Would they become close like family or simply stay colleagues that had to interact just to do their jobs?

His mind was so lost in it's own tirade of worries that he didn't register that he was no longer alone in his bed until thin arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Eunjun didn't say anything to him, instead just squeezed him tightly until he rolled onto his back so she could lay her head on his chest.

It would be silly to lie and say he hadn't expected her to sleep with him on this particularly night. They had always been close and while they hadn't talked much about him leaving (his family being so closed off and all of that), he knew it would be the hardest for her. Her presence actually calmed him enough that he began to doze off, much to his surprise. But it was in the moment between consciousness and sleep that he felt another body wedge between him and the wall and he knew that Jeongyu, his stand-offish, angsty little brother had also come to show him his love.

The next morning came too quickly. Taehyung felt like he had just closed his eyes when the door cracked open and the bright overhead light clicked on. His mother came bustling into the room, already completely dressed and ready to go. She didn't comment on finding her three teenage children tangled up together in the cramped, twin bed. Instead, she nudged Eunjun's leg, which was hanging off the side of the bed, with her own and began shucking suitcases out into the hallway.

When none of the three children moved, she loudly rang out a verse of the American song, Good morning, good morning! It's great to stay up late, but now it's morning so good morning to you! Something told Taehyung that those weren't quite the right lyrics, but he didn't mind. His mother hadn't sung to them in years and it made him smile to hear her clear, feminine voice fill the room. That is, until he looked at the digital alarm clock perched on his desk.

"6:15 in the morning? Mom! What the hell!" He shrieked out and buried his head into the crook of Eunjun's neck to try and block out the now even more annoying light. He felt Jeongyu curl into him once again, very clearly still unconscious.

But then the blanket was ripped off of them, eliciting even more moans and groans. "None of that. We have to get an early start. Everyone needs to shower and get ready. I need your father to pack the car." As she spoke of the man, he appeared in the doorway, looking just as tired and annoyed but unwilling to say anything to his wife. "And I need to make breakfast. So everyone needs to get up! Eunjun, you're first to shower because you take the longest. Go!"

They all knew they had no choice and so they begrudgingly got up. Eunjun disappeared into the bathroom, Jeongyu slipped into the closet (likely to go back to sleep on the floor) and Taehyung stumbled into the living room where he found his grandparents sitting patiently on the couch.

"Halmoni! Halabeoji!" He hugged them swiftly. They made small talk with each other until Tae's mother stuck her head out of the kitchen to order her eldest son into the shower. Within two hours, they were all showered and ready to go. Tae's father locked the front door as they all shuffled out to the family car.

His mother and siblings climbed inside, giving him a moment with his grandparents. His grandfather hugged him swiftly, gruffly mumbling something about making their family proud. Tae smiled and promised he would try his best as his grandfather shuffled off towards his own car, clasping Tae's father on the shoulder as he walked by.

Turning to his grandmother, the teenager swallowed thickly. He knew this would be the hardest goodbye. The older woman had practically raised him; taking care of him as a child when his parents had to work long hours to attend to the fields outside of their town. She had never dampened his personality, celebrating all of his eccentricities even when he grew too old for the more childish ones.

So it was hard for him to look her in the eyes, when he knew they would be swimming with the same tears he was fighting to hold back. But somehow he managed, mirroring her sad smile. He thought he should say something. Make promises that he wasn't sure he could keep. He would come home every weekend. Call every day. Send photos of everyone he met and every place he visited. But when he opened his mouth, nothing would come out.

He was vaguely aware that his father had climbed into the driver's seat of the car, so they were in fact alone. But he still couldn't bring himself to express his feelings. And, as always, his halmoni sensed this. She pulled him into a tight hug and stroked his aways too flat hair. He tried to not notice how far she had to reach upwards to do so.

"Taehyung-" She began, but was quickly interrupted by a loud shout from down the street. They both turned to see Minjun sprinting towards them, panic in his eyes and snow puffing up behind him each time his foot left the ground.

"Wait! Please don't leave yet!" The older boy came to a skidding stop behind Tae and his grandmother, huffing and puffing to draw cold air into his lungs. It was clear that he had run all the way there, from his own house several streets away. "I slept in! I'm such an idiot, I almost missed you!"

Tae chuckled, both relieved and upset that his tense moment with his grandmother had been broken. He turned back to her and gave her another hug. "I'll try to call as often as I can."

"I know you will, dear. Just do me a favor while you're on this new journey." He raised an eyebrow to show that he was receptive to her request. She ran her aged fingers through his hair, smiling so hard that several new lines sprung up beside her eyes. "Be yourself. Don't let anyone hold you back from being who you are. Those that get to know the real you will love you even more because of it."

And with that, she was gone, hobbling off carefully through the snow covered front yard to join her husband. Taehyung let the words sink in and vowed to follow her advice. This new path he was taking didn't have to just be frightening; it could also be a fresh new start, to be himself regardless of what others wanted of him.

He had almost forgotten about Minjun until the older boy cleared his throat. Tae turned towards him, and found a hastily wrapped present being shoved in his face. The older boy grinned wolfishly and shoved it into his arms. Tae simply looked at him blankly, the present perched on his open palms. "What is it?"

"Just open it, you dolt." Minjun rolled his eyes as though he was annoyed, but the grin quickly reappeared as he watched the younger tear through the paper. "It's not as exciting as your jacket." He motioned to the newly tailored coat that Tae was wearing for only the second time. "But I've been saving up my allowance for a few weeks now to get it for you."

Once the paper was shredded and stuffed into Tae's pocket, he finally looked at the folded clump of royal purple yarn left in his hands. He unfurled it to find a thickly woven scarf. It was clearly well made, with tight loops that held their shape extremely well. He didn't even have time to process it before Minjun had pulled it from his fingers to wrap it snugly around his neck.

The dark haired boy felt the soft fabric with his fingertips, "I love it, hyung. Thank you."

Minjun punched him lightly on the shoulder, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "Anytime, man." He glanced behind Taehyung towards the Kim family car. "Well, your mom is getting impatient. And I refuse to let you make this sappy. So get going and text me constantly. About everything. And I'll see you soon, okay?"

Taehyung nodded and stepped backwards towards the car, resting his hand on the handle. There was no point in dragging out the goodbyes any longer. Minjun winked at him and fake curtseyed deeply, which made him chuckle, before sprinting off the way he had come.

When he climbed into the small backseat, he wasn't surprised that Eunjun and Jeongyu were already snoring, ready to spend the ride catching up on sleep. He squeezed himself between the door and a sprawling Eunjun. Even though the three of them were really skinny, they still only barely fit in the back end of the vehicle.

His father turned around to look at him, a small smile forced onto his lips. "Are you ready?" He didn't exactly wait for a reply, just turned away and slid the car out onto the street which was lightly dusted with the last night's snowfall.

Even though his father couldn't see him, Tae nodded before he laid his head against the window. He didn't want to let his mind wonder. He trained his brown eyes on the houses of his childhood neighborhood rushing by, trying to really appreciate what they looked like. Some were in better shape than others, the owners of the tiny residences obviously fighting a losing battle with the ever decreasing property value of the neighborhood.

Before he knew it, they had left the quiet street behind and were merging into a much bigger flow of traffic. It was only a few days after Christmas, which meant that families would be traveling back to their corners of Korea after visiting with extended relatives. The snow that had been consistently falling for a week had luckily not been too heavy and the road crews had been quick to push it to the outermost portions of the road.

As he continued to gaze out the window, Tae heard the quiet sound of his mother singing under her breath. She was singing low enough so as to not wake her children, but loud enough that her husband could focus on it to keep him awake as he drove. It used to be a habit of hers, singing to keep Tae's father from dozing off behind the wheel, but he hadn't seen her do it in years. While his household wasn't particularly depressing, the stress of life had kept if from being the carefree environment of his childhood.

Outside the car, the sun had fully appeared over the horizon, shining brilliantly on what little snow had been left untouched on the grassy banks beside the road. The seventeen year old felt his eyes becoming heavy with the tranquility of the quiet, long car ride. He didn't fight his eyelids as they slipped closed and his breath evened out to a slow, methodical pace.

He woke to a violent jerk that sent his head cracking against the window it had previously been using as a pillow.

"Move, you idiot! What do you think you're doing?" It was his mother, yelling at the traffic that surrounded them, much denser than when Taehyung had first fallen asleep. He chuckled at her road rage habits as she let out a string of curses at a large suburban that had cut in front of them.

Taehyung realized with a start that they were surrounded by towering, sky-scraping buildings on all sides. They were in Seoul.

It suddenly hit him that within the hour he would be in his new home, with five absolute strangers. They would have complete, unfettered access to murder him in his sleep. Or maybe they wouldn't even wait for that; maybe the minute the door closed behind his parents, he would be slashed open with a machete. It was completely likely considering the freaks he had heard lived in the capital city.

But, no. The guys he had met at the audition seemed cool. Chill even. And even though most looked to be older than him, they were still young. He wasn't being sent to live with any forty year olds or anything creepy.

"Do you know where you're going?" Jeongyu squeaked out, his voice uncharacteristically high. Taehyung noticed that his brother was gripping the "Oh, Shit" handle so hard that his knuckles were white. He forced himself to not laugh, knowing it would only result in a scolding from his mother.

"Yes, I know where I'm going! I am simply having a hard time getting there!" Their father's voice was strained with the stress of driving in such thick traffic. Poor guy. "Mr. Bang told Taehyung to go straight to his new apartment. Which just so happens to be in the busiest part of this whole freaking city, of course!"

Tae's mother made a calming "shushing" sound and sent a look towards the backseat that told the three teenagers to keep their mouths shut until they arrived at their destination. They gladly obliged, pulling out their phones to pass the time.

Eunjun, who was squeezed uncomfortably between the two boys, lay her head on Tae's shoulder. She whispered quietly, "I'm going to miss you, you know."

He nodded, pressing a brisk kiss to the top of her head and smiling happily when she nuzzled into the crook of his neck for a few seconds before pulling away.

Finally, Mr. Kim let out a loud sigh of relief as he pulled the family car off of the street and into an open parking spot running parallel to the sidewalk. "Here we are, kiddos."

The building they now sat in front of looked to be crumbling apart before their very eyes. The entire structure gave off a look as though it was leaning, although Taehyung could clearly see it had just been built wonkily. Hopefully it was safe. There were seven floors in all and many of the places where front windows had once existed were now covered with billowing trash bags in an attempt to block out the chill of winter.

As Taehyung climbed out of the backseat, trying to avoid the piles of gray snow that had gathered on the edge of the sidewalk, he noticed the remains of a bicycle chained to a traffic sign. The wheels and chains had been stolen, leaving only the rusty body of the bike to lean sadly against the pole.

Jeongyu sniffed unhappily, glancing up and down the street. "You should probably lock the doors, Dad. Or we won't have a car when we get back."

"Hush, Jeongyu." Mrs. Kim said in a harsh whisper, but nonetheless nodded at her husband to do that very thing.

"Well, here's my new home I guess." Tae said solemnly, glancing around at the gray buildings running up and down the gray street. Even the air itself had become gray simply upon entering the capital. He didn't remember it looking this gloomy the last time he had been here: the day of the audition. But then again, maybe he had been looking through rose colored lenses at the possibility of getting out of Daegu.

This was what you wanted. You got what you wanted. You can't back out now. So with a stern resolve that he would make the best out of whatever situation this turned out to be, Tae straightened his back and huffed out a heavy breath before turning to help his father pull his bags out of the trunk.

Once all of his suitcases had been dispersed throughout the family so they would only have to take one trip, the brunette pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the text he had received from Mr. Bang the week before in regards to the apartment.

Mr. Bang: U can meet the boyz at ur shared apartment #413K

Tae shoved the phone back into his pocket, grasped the handle of his biggest suitcase and set off into the building with the surety that his family would be following close behind. The front door to the apartment complex swung open much easier than Taehyung had been expecting, due to a heavy gust of wind, dashing against the side of the building with a loud clang. He winced at the noise, but soldiered on into the small lobby.

It was just as gray and decrepit as the exterior had been. Linoleum tiles were covered in scuffs and pulled up at the edges and the once white, but now yellowed wallpaper was also trying to part from the walls. There was one glass door in the entire room, with the word "Office" written on a plaque adorning it, but the lights were off in the room so the Kims figured there was no one there. The only other feature was a large, crumbling cork board with various advertisements stuck to it, some with questionable legality attached to them.

There were stairs leading to the next floor, but no elevator, which made the younger two Kim children groan loudly in response to Tae's assertion that the apartment should be on the fourth floor. But nonetheless, they all started upwards, silently winding up the several flights of stairs.

When they reached the main hallway of the fourth floor, Tae noticed that it was littered with children's toys and bikes, clearly having spilled out of one or more tenant's homes. It took away some of the sinister qualities of the building as a whole, sending a pang of hope through Tae that at least this floor would be safer than the others. He heard his mother let out a held breath, seemingly agreeing that the existence of families in the near vicinity made her feel better as well.

Apartment 413K was the very last door on the right side of the hallway. It had been hard to find at first, since the number "3" had been taken or lost at some point which left only "41 K" to identify it. Taehyung noticed that the peephole in the center of the door had a small cartoon figure drawn around it in pencil, with the peephole replacing the character's eye as if it was peaking out at you the same way one would behind the door. He felt himself smile, hoping beyond hope that this had been done by his new roommates; if it had, it seemed like they would get along grandly.

Despite having led his family up the stairs confidently, Tae felt apprehension overtake him and he took a step back before looking hopefully at his mother. She shook her head before gesturing towards the door; clearly telling him that he needed to be the one to enter first. But he couldn't force himself to move.

Eunjun started forward, but their mother seemed to think that it was an even worse idea and stepped in front of her to knock solidly on the door.

Jungkook's POV (earlier that day):

"Everybody get the fuck up!" Jin's shrill voice echoed throughout the small apartment, waking Jungkook from a deep sleep. After peeling his face off of the drool puddle on his pillow, the youngest member dared a peek over the side of his bunk to watch his oldest hyung scurry around the shared bedroom.

"Calm down, hyung. We'll get everything done." Namjoon spoke softly as he followed behind Jin, picking up the things the shorter man was tossing around in his 'cleaning' tirade. Jungkook thought about rolling over and going back to sleep; he was willing to deal with Jin's wrath later if it meant getting even a few more minutes of rest before having to go to dance practice.

Yoongi, from his own cocoon of slumber across the room, grumbled out something that sounded like, "Dance later, not now." Jungkook smiled at the mass of blankets that Yoongi's voice emanated from, though they covered him so fully that he wasn't sure which end was his head and which was his feet.

"We don't have dance practice today, you dolt! We have the new member coming in less than three hours!" Jin hissed at Yoongi, beginning to throw the items that had escaped Yoongi's bunk radius onto his sleeping form.

Upon hearing this, Jungkook shot up and stumbled down the bunk's ladder. He had totally forgotten about the new member. The one that he had met at the audition at the studio. The pretty one. Objectively, of course, since he wasn't gay; but it was hard to deny that the guy had a pleasing face.

"Ah, JK, I knew I could count on you." Jin grinned at him before beginning to bark out directions as to what needed to be cleaned and in what order. Jungkook tried to pay attention, but it was hard with his mind preoccupied by the new roommate. Oh and with Namjoon making faces at him from behind their hyung's back.

Finally, Jungkook was released from Jin's tirade and he quickly retreated to their shared bathroom which he had volunteered to clean since no one else was willing. His knees protested when he dropped onto them in order to pull the cleaning supplies out of the cabinet. They had spent the entire week working on different pieces of choreography, many of which would never see the light of day.

And of course, he had been given the main move of sliding across the hardwood floor on his knees. So now he winced in pain at the contact. It was a good thing he didn't spend much time on his knees doing other things.

The thought, random as it was, made him bust out in guffaws. He was clearly too tightly wound from their training if he thought a middle school joke was that funny, but he allowed himself the moment of laughter anyway. Suddenly, he wasn't alone. Namjoon was leaning against the door jam that led to the hallway, smiling down at him with crinkled eyes and puffed cheeks.

"What's so funny?" He asked the younger, his face falling slightly when Jungkook cut off his laughter as abruptly as it had started. Jungkook shrugged. He wished that he could be more comfortable with the older boys, but he just felt so out of place. They all had so much in common, and he was just like a little brother that was tagging along because his mother made him.

Which wasn't all that new of a feeling if he was honest. He had spent his whole life chasing after his older brother, who didn't want anything to do with him half the time when they were young. Most of the resentment had come from how big of an age gap their parents had forced onto them; Jungkook was younger by almost half of a decade. And in this situation, with his fellow group members, he felt wholly out of place and out of his depth.

Jungkook suddenly realized it had been too long since Namjoon has asked him the question, so he awkwardly shrugged and turned back to scrubbing the toilet lid. He heard a noise that he assumed was the older boy leaving, but Namjoon had just moved to clean the sink.

"So I was thinking, I might move bunks." Namjoon spoke quietly. Jungkook tried not to betray his momentary sadness and panic that he had done something to make the older want to move. Currently, Jungkook held the top bunk and Namjoon was in the bottom one below him. It had made the younger happy when he had initially moved into the dorm, having the member he was closest to so close by.

Clearly, he hadn't hidden his feelings very well, because Namjoon rushed on. "Not that you did anything. I just figured since Yoongi and I are working on songs all of the time, it would be easier if we shared a bunk." Jungkook nodded like he understood, but he knew it wasn't convincing. Namjoon continued on like he hadn't seen it, his voice becoming disturbingly nonchalant. "And I figured, the new kid might like to sleep in my current bunk."

"Why?" Jungkook asked forcefully, his ears and neck immediately tinting red.

Shrugging, Namjoon threw the disinfectant wipe he had been using in the small bathroom trash before strolling out into the hallway. Jungkook barely heard his reply of, "I just have a feeling he will."

That's stupid. I don't know him any more than anyone else. Finishing in the bathroom, Jungkook rejoined the rest of the boys in the small living room. The next few hours passed by quickly, with Jin pushing everyone around and demanding they clean every nook and cranny in the apartment.

They had finally all settled on the floor out of exhaustion when there was a sudden knock at the door. Jungkook shot up, his heart suddenly pounding way faster than it made sense for it to be. But he made no move to open the door, so Namjoon struggled to his feet and crossed the room to open it himself.

The Kim family was unsurprisingly gorgeous, to accompany the son they were dropping off. A middle aged woman that was clearly Taehyung's mother entered the apartment first, smiling kindly at each of the awkward teenagers. Her extremely dark hair was cut around her shoulders, with bangs falling into her almond shaped eyes. She was petite, and moved with an understated grace that may have lent itself to dancing in another life. She shook Namjoon's hand first, seeming to sense that he was the one in charge out of the five gangly boys.

Her eyes flicked around the room, a pleased smile seeming to signal that she was happy with the cleanliness and general hominess of the house. Jungkook's own mother had felt the same when she had dropped him off. He remembered thanking Jin for making sure it looked more like a family lived there than a group of rowdy boys. He hadn't thought his mother would have let him stay if it had been gross or dangerous looking.

Jungkook watched as the tiny woman turned her gaze from the apartment to the boys standing awkwardly in front of her. He felt himself stiffen as her gaze fell on him and her eyes widened automatically. He could almost hear her thoughts, Wow and I thought my son was too young to be here. But she shook it off as quickly as it had appeared and moved into the apartment further to let those behind her inside.

She was followed by her presumed husband, whose face looked disturbingly similar to his son's. He was considerably taller than Jungkook remembered the new boy to be, so his mother's height must have balanced out his father who was even taller than Namjoon. The man glanced around quickly, shaking hands with them each in turn as they stepped forward. When it was Jungkook's turn, he tried his best to not impatiently tilt his body so he could see behind them as they shuffled into the living room.

Then suddenly he was there; the gorgeous boy from the audition, flanked by a young girl that was bouncing in excitement and a boy that seemed to be Jungkook's age and had headphones in his ears and hair hiding his eyes. Taehyung, Jungkook allowed himself to remember his name now that he was in their apartment, smiled up at Namjoon who was welcoming the family to the dorm.

Jungkook saw the decision take form in Taehyung's eyes before it happened; probably because he was being a major creep and just staring at him. "It's great to see you guys again!" Taehyung let out a little too loudly, before lurching forward to hug the person closest to him. Which just so happened to be Jin.

Everyone seemed to stop breathing at the same time; Taehyung's mother even reached out a hand like she was going to reign in her child if things got any weirder. Namjoon shot a look at a shocked Jin, telling him with his eyes to be nice. But the look wasn't noticed, and luckily didn't need to be.

"Nice to see you too, Taehyung." Jin laughed heartily, wrapping his arms around the lanky boy. "Welcome to the dorm."

The entire room seemed to relax after that, everyone settling into a more relaxed disposition. Jungkook backed up until he was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, watching as everyone was introduced. The younger two kids, Taehyung's younger siblings, were called Jeongyu and Eunjun.

Jeongyu didn't seem particularly interested in mingling with them and, as soon as his mother had let go of his shoulder, slunk to the corner opposite of Jungkook. Clearly, the sixteen year old idol trainee could relate. When they caught eyes, he nodded his hello.

Eunjun, however, was lively and excited. She had very quickly latched on to Yoongi, of all people, which was hilarious to Jin, Hoseok, and Namjoon. Jungkook blushed with the realization that the girl might have had a crush on the much older boy when she started calling him "oppa" and asking him to show her around the apartment.

Hoseok, after prompting from Jin, stepped forward and took the suitcases that the family had sat next to the door before shuffling them back into their shared bedroom. Just be normal. Jungkook mumbled repeatedly to himself in his head as he glanced around the room, waiting to be told what to do or say.

"And this is our baby, Jeon Jungkook." Jin wrapped his arm around the youngest's shoulders, pulling him away from the safety of the wall to shake hands with the parents. He managed to act like a normal human, trying to ignore the slightly pitying look that had materialized on Mrs. Kim's face; that is until he glanced over at Taehyung and found that the boy was staring at him with open curiosity. He managed to smile shyly and was rewarded with a blinding, boxy smile.

"Hi, Jungkook. I don't know if you remember me…" Jin and Taehyung's parents had wandered off down the short hallway, probably to be given the grand tour of their tiny home.

The younger cut him off quickly, "I do. Remember you, I mean." He got another smile for that. An eyes crinkling, smile lines stretching kind of smile that made his breath catch in his throat. Something was erupting in the youngest boy's stomach that was hard to ignore. A crush, maybe? A man crush? But that was ridiculous and Jungkook was determined to not think about it too much.

Taehyung, while being reintroduced to the rest of the members, had given each of them a hug to mirror the one Jin had received. But with Jungkook, he seemed hesitant to even touch him. The younger boy tried to not let it bother him. Maybe he looked as skittish and nervous as he felt; maybe Taehyung could sense that it wouldn't go over as well with the youngest of his five new roommates.

So instead, the new guy reached out to tap Jungkook's shoulder lightly, a shy smile slipping across his face for a moment before he turned to Namjoon, who was beckoning him away from Jungkook.

He slipped back into silence as everyone got to know each other, sitting quietly in the living room when everyone traipsed into the bedroom to show Taehyung his new bed (Namjoon had in fact moved) below Jungkook's. He watched enviously as Taehyung got comfortable with the others, laughing at Jin's outrageous explanations of their normal routines and the bickering between the most energetic in the house and Suga, who was the personification of a pillow.

And then soon it was time for the Kim family to leave. They didn't seem to want to stay for lunch, although Jin offered more than once to cook for the entire group. Nevermind that there was definitely not enough food in the house, or money in their small grocery budget, to feed four extra people. But the boys politely offered, and the Kim family politely declined.

Mrs. Kim turned to Taehyung almost reluctantly, clearing her throat quietly and licking across her lips as if she was unsure what to say. This part was familiar, the sad, awkward goodbye that they had each gone through the day they moved in.

"Well it was really nice to meet you all. We promise we'll take care of Taehyung." Namjoon spoke for all of them, smiling widely with closed eyes to show his sincerity in the promise. Jin, J-Hope, Jungkook, and Yoongi all said simple goodbyes in turn; the latter having to detach himself from Eunjun as gently as possible. Taehyung helped him out by pulling his younger sister into his side, wrapping his arm securely around the girl's shoulder.

When Taehyung glanced up and noticed that Jungkook was watching him again, he winked and shot him a boxy smile. Be normal. The sixteen year old grimaced and pulled his phone out of his pocket to have something to make him look busy.

But then, the five boys slipped discreetly into the bedroom so Taehyung could say goodbye to his family in peace. Suga crawled immediately into his bed, grumbling unhappily when J-Hope began to tease him quietly about Eunjun's obvious infatuation with him.

Jungkook, and now also Taehyung's bunk, was closest to the door and therefore he felt like he couldn't rightfully sit in his own bed without feeling like he was eavesdropping. So he settled on Jin's which was the bottom bed, one bunk over. Jin and Namjoon were lounging on the floor, murmuring to each other about their options for food.

The maknae turned his gaze towards Taehyung's bunk. The bed was already made; his mother must have done it when they had brought him to the bedroom earlier. But his suitcases were unpacked, just like Jungkook's. The only difference was Jungkook had been living in the dorm for months and had yet to settle in. Something told him that it wouldn't take very long for Taehyung to settle in, to the house or their small pseudo-family.

Namjoon made them all wait a few minutes after they heard the front door close before reemerging, everyone pretending to not notice Taehyung wiping at his face. Even tear streaked and puffy, the guy looked angelic. His face will get us a lot of fans. It wasn't the first thought that had entered Jungkook's brain, but it was the only one he allowed himself to acknowledge.

"Well," Namjoon plopped down onto his normal spot on the couch. It only had three seats and, for the most part, only Namjoon, Jin and Yoongi got to sit on it regularly. J-Hope was always too antsy to sit for long anyway and Jungkook much preferred his seat on the floor in the corner of the room. He found himself settling there now, almost as if being there made him invisible. I prefer being invisible.

"Welcome to Seoul, Taehyung. We don't really have anything serious to do today. So we figured we'd just hang out around the house and answer any questions you might have." The leader quirked his eyebrow, welcoming the aforementioned questions, but Taehyung didn't seem to really have any.

They all waited, knowing that something would come to mind eventually, and sure enough, the new member shifted from side to side before glancing around the room. "I guess I just want to know more about you guys. Since you're basically my new family now."

Namjoon nodded, as if it was what he was expecting to be asked. It wasn't what Jungkook had expected; he remembered asking when curfew was, what the shower schedule would be, and how often they would have practice at the studio. He remembered immediately falling into a routine of deferring to Namjoon with all questions or concerns; despite having previously been the youngest, before Jungkook showed up, Namjoon seemed to really be in charge of everything.

"I'm Kim Namjoon, obviously." Jungkook envied the easy smile that appeared on the older guy's face. "My stage name is Rap Monster, but we don't really call each other by our stage name's around the house. That's something you'll have to figure out: your stage name. But I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. I guess I'm the leader of the group. Did they ever even tell you the name of the group?"

When Taehyung shook his head, Namjoon chuckled. "Well it's Bangtan Sonyeondan, Bulletproof Boyscouts, you know? Anyway, I guess I'm the leader, but I'm not the oldest. I used to have your bunk, but now my bunk is over Jin's." He seemed to purposefully not mention that the rearrangement of the bunks had only happened that morning. Jungkook tried to force an unnecessary blush from rising up his neck. "Hmm.. what else? I'm one of the rappers and I can't dance very well. But you probably saw that during your audition."

"I think I vaguely remember being stepped on once or twice." Taehyung teased lightly, his hesitant smile widening when Namjoon didn't seem to take offence. And that's how it went for a while, each of them giving a tiny rundown of their position in the band, as well as tiny glimpses into what life is actually like for an idol trainee. Taehyung teasing each of them in turn, only endearing himself more to them with his easy smile and lighthearted humor.

Jungkook had started to space out when he heard his name being called by multiple voices. He glanced up from his lap to see five sets of eyes trained on him; some were annoyed, some filled with a sad kind of understanding, but one set was filled with pure curiosity.
"Oh, sorry hyungs. Um, I'm Jeon Jungkook. Dancer and singer, I guess. Maknae of the group. Still am, I guess. And… that's about it. Nothing special." He kept it short and sweet. There really wasn't anything special about him. He wasn't a great rapper like Namjoon or Suga, wasn't a pro at dancing like Hoseok, and his face definitely wouldn't pull in any fans the way Jin's would. There just wasn't much to say; he was just a sixteen year old twerp that was out of his element and extremely homesick.

But clearly his hyung's disagreed. Vehemently. "Whatever!" Hoseok chuckled out in disbelief. "Don't listen to a word he says, Taehyung. This boy is our golden maknae. He's the best singer of us all and his dancing is definitely nothing to sneeze at either."

"Yeah, our little Jungkookie is just a little shy." Jin pouted his lips and made kissy faces at the now blushing teen. "Part of being sixteen, I guess. I can't relate. I was always this confident."

Taehyung's eyes had grown wide, "You're sixteen?" When Jungkook didn't answer him, he just continued to shake his head in disbelief. "But you're so young looking. I thought you were only like thirteen. Fourteen at the most."

That stung. Probably more than it should have. And Jungkook didn't know how to play it off like it didn't, so he just opted to continue not saying anything. Namjoon tried to turn the room's attention away from the maknae, but Taehyung continued to shoot him glances the entire time they talked.

After a while, of everyone chatting happily and Jungkook feeling trapped in the corner, unsure of how rude it would be to just leave in the middle of it all, Jin rose to his feet and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, Taehyung. You now get to experience the best part of living with me. I'm going to get started on dinner."

This had everyone moving, with Namjoon and Suga offering to walk a few blocks down the street to buy drinks for everyone and J-Hope and Jin shuffling into their small, galley kitchen to begin prepping the meat. Jungkook took it as his chance to leave, disappearing down the hall and closing the bedroom door behind him quietly.

He felt bad; he was one of the few members that could actually help Jin in the kitchen without burning the place down. But he just wasn't in the mood for more interaction. The day had been surprisingly stressful and draining. He just needed a few minutes to himself; to recharge.

He had just settled into his bed and was about to put in his headphones when the bedroom door opened. He almost threw something at whoever it was that had entered, as he would have at his real home with his real brother, but he caught himself. He figured he could just stay still enough that no one would notice him.

But then dark hair appeared over the side of his bunk, and then almond shaped eyes were even with his. "Hi there!"

Taehyung was too energetic, Jungkook decided, wondering when he had turned into a grandpa like Yoongi. He was too energetic and wanted to be in his face too much. That would be enough to ruin whatever this strange attraction to him was; it had to, or Jungkook was going to go insane.

"What are you up to, Jungkookie?" The nickname in Taehyung's mouth made him feel strange, like he was lightheaded but also like his body weighed a ton and was going to pull him down through the floor. His lack of a response didn't seem to bother Taehyung, who suddenly slung his body onto the bunk.

The maknae shuffled his lower body backwards, to sit on the opposite end of the bed. What's wrong with this guy? He tried to force himself to be more annoyed, but he couldn't seem to get there. What's wrong with me?

"I guess we're going to be bunk buddies! I'm the bottom and you're the top!" Jungkook let out a sharp guffaw, doubling over in laughter. Taehyung didn't seem to understand what was going on for a minute, but suddenly it seemed to click and he joined in, laughing heartily until tears were streaming out of both of their eyes.

Maybe this would work out after all.