AN: Finished a lot earlier than I thought. "Smoke Sprite" definitely helped ignite the fuel I needed to finish this story.

NOTES: Mostly Namjoon's POV/some Yoongi POV

- December 2021 -

The Night of the Breakup

Namjoon needed to get out of the room. Needed distance from Maya. He was too angry and hurt to look at her. After months of being together, countless times of voicing how he felt, and he kept getting dismissed. He thought he knew her. He thought she knew him.

Sometimes he thought he saw it in her eyes—he thought he felt it. If he was being completely honest, believing she felt deeply for him had been the reason why he had given her so many passes these last few weeks. His emotions for her had evolved a while back ago. He had noticed it, but kept those emotions at bay, not wanting to rush things. Not wanting to pressure her. He thought all she needed was a little bit of time to come to terms with her own feelings for him. Because he was sure she felt similar.

But he had been wrong. If she felt for him the way he did for her, she wouldn't have treated him like this. She wouldn't have dismissed his words. Wouldn't have lied.

It was painful to feel the way he did and it not be reciprocated. There were so many things he wanted to say to her but couldn't. It was like he had to censor himself more and more when he was around her. He had never needed to be mindful of his words around Maya—he told his best friend everything. However, since becoming a couple, things had gotten worse with them.

Namjoon bathed in his anger and disappointment as he walked through the hotel. The staff didn't follow him, clearly seeing he needed space. Needed time with his emotions.

After a couple of hours, he felt calm enough to head back to his room. It was a good thing he had calmed down because he felt a fan had spotted him. He didn't want to chance it.

When he entered his room, her aroma was in every corner. Their carnal act lingered in the air. He went to the sliding doors that lead to the balcony. He opened them wide, wanting her scent gone. He might be calmer but was still angry at her.

Not wanting to be near the bed, he took a sheet from the closet and laid on the couch.

The remaining hours of the night were spent tossing and turning, getting little sleep. He kept replaying everything about the night. Replaying Maya's refusal to let him in.

After years of friendship, how could she still keep him at a distance? And why lie to him? Had he not shown he was worthy of being let into her heart—her world?

His self-loathing that he managed to keep buried crawled to the surface. It had made its way up and was making him doubt everything about her. He questioned if Maya ever cared for him. Questioned if she ever saw him as more than just a sex toy.

Namjoon was awake when the alarm went off. He had two hours before he had to leave for the airport to meet his friends for their trip. He had set up the alarm yesterday. It was to go off with plenty of time for him to spend with Maya. He had planned on wrapping his arms around her as she slept on. She was a heavy sleeper. The only way she woke was with an alarm or her name being called.

As someone who was a light sleeper, Namjoon would think he would be jealous of how easy it was for her to stay asleep. But he genuinely was happy to see her rest so peacefully. He liked knowing she woke to him calling for her.

Today marked their 100 days together. He had planned to gently wake her and present her with a gift. Even though he was set to fly out today, he had planned out the few hours they would have together. Maya wasn't one to be sentimental, not being much of a fan of materials, but he was certain of the jewelry he had bought her. He, too, wasn't one to lavish on gifts, but he liked the idea of splurging on her.

He could play the scenario in his head: after giving her the gift, she would have given him that smile that always melted him. She would have attacked him with kisses. Maybe they would have time for cuddles and breakfast in bed before he took off.

It was all a lie, the self-loathing voice whispered in the darkness.

But Namjoon managed to recognize the demon and shut him down. After years of practice, he learned to push down the side of himself that he was not proud of. He needed to find his voice of confidence. The one who was logical and reasonable.

Maya might have lied to you last night about talking to her mother, but her feelings for you are genuine—his reasonable voice said loudly.

With the demon locked down, Namjoon began to think clearly.

Suddenly, he replayed all last night with a different filter. One that was more observant and not so engulfed with anger.

God, what the fuck had happened? Things had seemed to be good between them. But then she had lied—again. She kept blocking him off for some reason he couldn't understand. Why wouldn't she let him in?

Racking his brain, he tried to search for the answer.

And as he did, his thoughts eventually came to a memory from a couple of years ago….

Seollal 2021 – Kim Household

"Thank you for doing the dishes, Maya. You really didn't have to," Eomuni said to Maya as Maya finished cleaning the last dish.

Maya smiled at Eomuni. "It's the least I could do. Thank you so much for the meal," she said for maybe the 10th time that night.

Maya's constant gratitude made Namjoon smile. He found her so cute like this, so polite.

He'd gotten used to the foul-mouth, free-spirited side of Maya in the last year. Around older people and in the public eye, she had perfect manners. It was nice to see different sides of her.

The Kim family made their way to the living room where they spent it playing games for the next few hours. Maya fit well with Appa, who was very much like her and got competitive. She managed to keep things light and fun, mixing well with Namjoon's parents and sister.

After a couple of hours playing, his parents seemed to have gotten tired and got ready to call it a day. Before heading to bed, though, Eomuni and Appa went on their nightly walk with Rapmon, Namjoon's dog.

Namjoon, Maya, and Sissy continued playing their game and having light conversations.

Sissy excused herself to the bathroom, leaving Namjoon alone with Maya.

"Thanks for inviting me, Namjoon. I really appreciate it," Maya said with a smile.

He smiled back. "No one should spend Seollal alone. Plus, my mom always has extra food."

"Gotta thank Sissy for letting me room with her. I hate she has to share it with me."

"She doesn't mind. She really likes your company," Namjoon said honestly.

His entire family enjoyed Maya's company. His mother had talked non-stop with her and his father had laughed all evening. His sister clung to Maya's every word, much like a little sister would admire an older sister. Even his dog, Rapmon, had constantly been at Maya's side.

Namjoon was happy the entire household had welcomed her so well. He felt bad she spent the holidays alone. While she wasn't Korean and the holidays didn't mean anything to her, he didn't like the idea of her not being around loved ones. She must be missing her parents.

It had been the second holiday Namjoon had invited her to spend with his family. Last time she had insisted on leaving after dinner; this time, his mother convinced Maya to stay the night.

He was glad for his mother; he truly disliked the thought of Maya driving this late at night.

Just as Sissy came back from the bathroom, Namjoon's parents and Rapmon walked into the home. Rampon ran immediately to Maya, who welcomed him with plenty of love and petting.

"Well, we're gonna call it a night, everyone," Eomuni said with a smile. She waved to pair as she and Appa started to climb the stairs.

"Don't stay up too late," Appa said as he too climbed the stairs.

"Daughter, come on," Eomuni called out to Sissy.

Sissy had just sat down next to Maya. She looked devasted. "I'm not sleepy, though."

"You're waking up early with me to make breakfast, come on," Eomuni insisted.

Maya sat up. "I can help with breakfast, too."

Eomuni waved her hand at Maya. "You'll do no such thing as a guest. Come, daughter."

Sissy was obedient but she still left with a pout. Despite his sister being in her mid-20s, Namjoon still saw a baby in her and smiled fondly at her. He watched her stomp off.

After his parents were gone, Namjoon found himself and Maya talking deep into the night.

He wasn't sure how the conversation led to him telling her a story of a family trip when he was younger. It was one from his childhood, before joining Bangtan. Throughout the trip, the four family members had been inseparable. It had been full of fun, laughter, and love.

While Maya had a sweet smile on her face as he told the story, Namjoon took notice there was some sadness in her eyes as well. Could it be because the story was bringing a memory of her own childhood with her family?

"What were your family trips like?" Namjoon asked, curiously.

Much of Maya's childhood was a secret. He knew she had a complicated relationship with her mother and she never mentioned her father. But that always couldn't have been the case, right? She grew up wealthy—surely, she must have traveled to some pretty amazing places.

"We only ever went to Mexico. Mostly, we were sent there to visit my grandparents during the holidays. I don't remember many holidays with my parents," she said as a matter of fact, but Namjoon was quick to notice how she tugged at her long sleeves, pulling them over her hands.

He didn't think she was cold. She had taken off her sweater a few minutes ago. He wondered if the action was caused for another reason. "You never traveled with your parents?"

Maya nodded. "My parents mostly spent their money on our extracurricular activities. Anything to get us out of the house." She muttered the last part, throwing Namjoon off. "I only started to travel when I was in my girl group. I took a trip to Busan when I was a teenager, but that was because of my Tia Jia. My mother thought it was a waste but didn't forbid me since it was my Tia Jia's graduation present for me."

"No travel?" Namjoon asked again, still not believing it.

"Just a ton of lessons from the top teachers money could afford."

"How many activities were you in?" he asked her, shocked.

She thought for a moment. "Ballet, gymnastics, horseback riding, violin, piano, vocal training, guitar, soccer, volleyball. I eventually gave up ballet and gymnastics and took different dancing classes. I hated putting my horse Selena in competitions, so I only did it for like three years. And then I grew tired of the music lessons. My mom didn't like me at home, though, so I had to pick other activities. That's when I decided on asking my tia Jia to teach me Korean."

"Why didn't your mom want you home?" he asked, not bothering to think if it was appropriate to ask or not.

"So my mom and dad could continue their fights in peace," she muttered.

Namjoon's heart sank at hearing this. The hints had been there about Maya's parents being abusive. But she was now verbally confirming the suspicions. A part of him didn't want to know the question that came out of him next, but a more significant part of him needed to know. "How bad were the arguments?"

She tugged at her sleeves again, pulling them down past her fingers now. Namjoon now believed she did this to self-soothe. She was feeling vulnerable. "Someone called the cops once. I think it must have been Seb." She stopped speaking and quickly looked away.

But Namjoon had noticed. Tears.

He didn't want to press it, not wanting to push her too much. Instead, he went to her and sat close, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting way.

She didn't turn back to him, but he heard the sniffles. After a long while, she took a deep breath. "Thank you, Namjoonie. Goes to show how compassionate you are. Not the same can be said about everyone."

Namjoon frowned at this. "Who else did you tell?"

"My exes. One tried to normalize my childhood and another ex thought my crying was funny." She finally turned to Namjoon, a sad smile on her face. "I always picked the best guys."

Namjoon didn't know what to say. He didn't get it. How could a great and beautiful person like Maya ever date such scum? He witnessed how protective Maya was towards her loved ones and how she did not hesitate to defend a complete stranger. How did she not do that for herself with all her shitty exes? She deserved a great guy. Someone who would protect her as much as she protected others. Jerry had seemed to be a good guy—why hadn't it worked with him?

And why in the fuck were her parents so crappy? He didn't like passing judgment on complete strangers, especially those who were older than him. He couldn't help himself, though. They had treated Maya so poorly when she had just been a kid.

Namjoon wanted to tell Maya this. Tell her she—like every person in the world—deserved to have good parents. But he held back, feeling it wasn't his place. He didn't want to openly criticize her parents. He didn't know their background. He really shouldn't judge.

Instead, he pulled her into a hug, allowing her to cry into his chest for as long as she wanted.

Thinking about this story made his brain work. Suddenly, everything about last night and the last month started to make sense.

Maya had mentioned how shitty her exes were. She wasn't one to easily open up, so the story she had shared during Seollal had been a big deal. That had been the night she had opened up the most about her past to him. Probably the night that she started to consider him a best friend.

Maya had opened up to Namjoon before because they were friends. But Namjoon was no longer a "friend" in Maya's eyes. He was now put into the "boyfriend" category.

Her past relationships had all been toxic—except the one with Jerry.

She might be fighting her and Namjoon's progress due to a subconscious instinct. Maybe she thought if she were to open up to him, he would treat her the same as her past boyfriends.

Namjoon then remembered Maya's story about what led to her and Jerry's breakup.

They were in the backhouse in the Soop. Days before their relationship evolved.

Maya explained how Jerry proposed. "We got back to the hotel that night and he proposed. Big, diamond ring and everything."

"You hate diamonds," Namjoon had said quickly, confused.

Maya nodded slowly, a sad smile on her face—the same one she had had when she told Namjoon about her exes. "I think he forgot."

Jerry had become another boyfriend who had dismissed her emotions. Another boyfriend who didn't know her. Another boyfriend who had failed.

Things started to make sense to Namjoon. Her lies made sense—she was protecting herself.

And then, panic took over.

What the fuck had he done?

Everything about last night replayed in his head but he was viewing it in Maya's perspective.

As he replayed last night, his eyes scanned the room. Something caught his attention. Her bra, panties, and shoes were on the floor. The sudden image of Maya walking down the hotel hall in nothing but a tank top, short skirt, and barefoot came into his head. The staff would have seen. Her smeared makeup. Her unruly hair.

Namjoon could practically feel her embarrassment. Her hurt. That he had caused.

Acting on impulse, he went to his phone, opening Kakao app. He wanted to call her, badly. But his brain told him she wouldn't pick up anyway. It would be best to send her a voice memo.

He recorded himself, hoping she would hear it soon and answer back. It had been hours since she left, but maybe she would listen to it later today and get back to him.

"Hey, b—" he suppressed his automatic want and need to call her 'babe'. This wasn't the time for pet names. He didn't want her to think he was sweet-talking her, playing her. "I'm sorry for how things went last night. I…can you call me as soon as you can? I'm flying out soon, but I really don't want to leave things like this. Please. I didn't handle it well."

He wanted to tell her more. Tell her he didn't want to break up. Tell her he regretted the words he used. Regretted letting her leave. Felt like shit for walking out on her. Fuck! He had left her! Walked out on her—how many times must she have experienced that in her past?! Her parents hadn't been there for her. And now he hadn't been. SHIT! He had majorly fucked up.

He needed to talk to her—hear her voice. "Call me. Please," he pleaded and hit 'send'.

At that moment, a staff knocked at his door, announcing his transportation was ready.

Namjoon gave instructions to his staff on what to take. Then quickly headed over to see Yoongi. He was the only other member left in the hotel. He was planning on staying at Maya's.

Yoongi looked dead tired when he swung open his door.

"What happened?" Yoongi's tired look suddenly vanished as he observed Namjoon's face.

"When are you going over Maya's?" Namjoon asked, not answering Yoongi's question.

"Tomorrow around noon—after checkout. Why?"

"After you talk to her, call me as soon as possible. I want to make sure she's alright."

"Namjoon, what happened?" Yoongi's face was stern now.

Namjoon shook his head, unable to answer. He felt tears come down as his throat tightened.

"Shit," Yoongi let out. "Did you guys break up?"

Namjoon could only nod.

Yoongi shook his head in disappointment. "What happened?"

From the corner of his eye, Namjoon noticed the staff waiting for him. One of them was checking their watches, clearly noticing how late they were running.

"I'll call you after I land. Just, please, hyung. Call me right after?" he sounded so desperate.

Yoongi gave a small nod. "Ok."

"Look after her?" Namjoon pleaded.

"Of course."

He left, praying to whatever fake elemental god or fairy or angel would listen to him.

Weeks later…

He was back in Seoul and under quarantine. Normally, he would have hated the idea of needing to stay indoors for this long, but the trip had exhausted him.

He had enjoyed the experience, and had fun with his friends on the trip. But during the down times when he had nothing to do, nothing to think about, she was constantly on his mind. Every so often, he would look at his phone to look at his notifications. Nothing.

By now, Namjoon had sent her dozens of messages. Countless voice notes. Every morning, every night; he never went more than 12 hours without writing or sending her something. Sometimes they were paragraphs of words. Sometimes it was simple lines. A "good morning". An "I miss you".

Unread.

He hid his pain well from his friends throughout the trip. They noticed there was something off but he insisted it was "work stuff" at first. However, right before coming back to Seoul, the ache became too unbearable. He got drunk. Spilled some truths. He had bawled his eyes out.

Hakun and Yongrae were surprised to know he had kept the relationship a secret for so long. They were sympathetic to what was happening and gave words of comfort. Insisted she would call back. She needed time.

His other friend, however, didn't have the same empathetic response as Hakun and Yongrae.

"There's something she's hiding," his friend, Gaeul, said as Namjoon took another sip of beer. "Might be another guy, man."

"Maya wouldn't do that," Yongrae immediately shot down.

"Well, what else could it be? Why want a secret relationship so badly?" Gaeul asked back.

"Privacy, maybe. She knows how bad a scandal can get if this relationship gets out," Hakun said. "Maya might be liked by the public, but that can change if they find out she's dating one of the seven most treasured people of the country."

Gaeul waved his hand, dismissing this. "Whatever her excuse is, she certainly doesn't respect him."

"You can't say that for a mistake she made," Hakun said. "She cares about Namjoon."

"She has a shitty way of showing it," Gaeul muttered.

"We don't know her side of the story," Yongrae said.

"Maybe if she actually responded back to him, he could know. But it's been weeks and she hasn't given him at least the decency in responding back with a simple 'I need time'. She's just ghosting him at this time. Does a person who cares about someone else act that way?" Gaeul looked more upset than Namjoon did.

Namjoon just sat there and listened. He didn't agree or disagree with any of his friends, but he certainly soaked in all the words.

Namjoon looked through his phone, checking his notifications.

Nothing.

He tried to distract himself and went onto his socials, wondering what was treading. Several rumors about a possible girlfriend he had. Instinctively, he dug a little deeper into that rumor. Thankfully, it wasn't. Just some girl craving attention. Nothing to give any energy to.

Not more than five minutes later, a Kakao notification came up.

New Message.

Namjoon didn't think he had ever opened a message so fast. However, when the feed came up, disappointment flooded through him.

It was Gaeul

G: Yo, have you seen that girl going all over social media claiming to be your gf? Wtf

Welcoming any distractions, Namjoon responded back.

NJ: Well, she's technically hinting at being my gf. She's not explicitly saying it.

G: Everyone knows where she's getting at, man.

NJ: ? ﾟﾏﾻ

G: Gonna respond back?

NJ: Nah. Not worth the energy. If I were to respond to every claim on social media about a possible romance, I would need to retire from music.

G: Probably best. You seen the paparazzi photos of Maya spreading around. That girl don't look at all upset. She keeps getting pictured all dolled up.

Namjoon had seen Maya's paparazzi photos. He hated to admit that he had gone so low as to actually search for them. He hadn't seen her in weeks, he just wanted a glimpse of her at least.

Of course, she looked goddamn gorgeous in all the photos, but she wasn't exactly "dolled up" as Gaeul described it. Maya was naturally photogenic. She could put on a garbage bag and still look like a goddamn runway model. Most of the time, he found it hard to believe that someone with her goddess features would find him attractive.

Namjoon was a realist. He knew he attracted plenty of people, but he mostly believed it was due to his fame. He had lived almost two decades of his life constantly being told he didn't fit the standard of beauty. Maya, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The media had always been enchanted with her looks. As far as looks went, Namjoon and Maya didn't make any sense. However, since the first time he had kissed her, Namjoon believed they made sense together in everything else—in everything that mattered.

Namjoon's phone buzzed again, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

G: Maybe Maya will see the crazy chick's posts and get all jealous and shit. kkkk

With Gaeul saying it, the thought now crossed Namjoon's mind. A scene played out in his head with Maya being in her bed and stumbling upon the story of him being with someone else. A twisted sort of satisfaction went through him at visioning her in tears—hurting just as much as he was hurting.

The feeling didn't last long, though. He suddenly felt sick at allowing his head to get there.

NJ: Gotta go. ttyl

Namjoon put down his phone, promising himself not to touch it for a few hours.

~ YOONGI ~

January; Bangtan Dorms, Seoul

"How is she?"

Yoongi and Namjoon were both finally out of quarantine and able to meet face-to-face. Both had caught the virus and they stayed in longer than planned. They had talked a little on the phone about Maya. Namjoon always asked about her. Yoongi never gave Namjoon too many specifics. During quarantine, Yoongi had the power of just hitting a button to stop Namjoon's questions. Now that Namjoon was physically next to him, it would be harder to get rid of his tall leader.

Yoongi was quick to notice how strained and tired Namjoon looked. "She's getting better."

Yoongi had hinted to Namjoon the breakup had left Maya in a bad state. He didn't want to give her business to Namjoon, but he also didn't want Namjoon to think she wasn't hurting either. Namjoon should know at least that.

"You still talk to her regularly?" he asked, his tone sounding bitter and angry.

The older of the two let out a sigh. He was bracing himself for the ugly side of Namjoon that rarely came out. It had been a while since they last fought, but Yoongi could always tell when one was about to happen. Usually, it was when one of them was under a copious amount of stress. And right now, Namjoon had a lot of shit going on. "Yeah, we talk."

"Through Kakao?" Namjoon pressed.

Yoongi knew what the leader meant by this. "Another app. Or it's through an international call."

"Why?" Namjoon asked, confused.

"I don't think she's ready to open up that app," Yoongi said. It was the truth. He hadn't asked Maya why she was contacting him through another message app or international call, but he was certain of the answer. If she opened Kakao, she would see all the notifications.

"Why?" Namjoon was starting to sound angrier.

"When you talk to her, you can ask her." Yoongi wasn't about to open up that gate because he was certain it would lead to an argument pretty quickly.

"It's been a month and she hasn't called. There's no way for me to reach her. I might as well be a fucking one-night stand to her," Namjoon snapped.

Yoongi kept his calm. He knew Maya's issues were the main reason why she and Namjoon had broken up, but it wasn't the only reason. Namjoon took participation in why the relationship failed. What he had told Maya that night and the way he walked out had done damage. Maya was recoiling this intensely due to Namjoon's response. And Yoongi wasn't about to let Namjoon believe he was fully innocent. "Is that why you had to publicly announce you weren't in a relationship on social media a few days ago? You're hoping she sees it?"

There had been someone on social media claiming to be Namjoon's girlfriend. It had been circulating for a while and get to the point where the company had asked Namjoon how he wanted to handle the situation. Yoongi thought Namjoon would have simply ignored it, or at most declared he didn't know the girl. However, after Namjoon wrote his statement saying he did "not know the person at all", the company wanted to release its own statement. It was "not true that he [RM] is in a relationship," were the words used by the company that Namjoon had ok'd. Yoongi was certain Namjoon was being vindictive in ok'ing the last part.

Namjoon's eyes shot daggers at Yoongi. "Someone was claiming to be in a relationship with me on social media. I wanted to squash those rumors and set the record straight."

"All you had to do was claim you didn't know her. The added bit of you not being in a relationship was personal," Yoongi stated. "You tend to do that when you reach a certain point of anger. You wanted her to see it. You were wanting to hurt her."

"Did she read it?" Namjoon asked immediately. The look in his eyes contained hope and regret. He was losing it.

"She only uses her phone to communicate with a few people. She's stayed away from all social media and the news. She hasn't seen it, sorry to disappoint," Yoongi said, annoyed.

For a long moment, the pair didn't speak. Yoongi waited for his younger brother to come down from his anger.

After time had passed for too long, Yoongi sensed a change in the air. He felt Namjoon crying before hearing the sniffles. The hyung's heart tugged for his younger brother. He reached out and rubbed Namjoon's shoulder.

He let Namjoon cry, feeling tears sting his own eyes. "You don't open easily yourself," Yoongi said. "Took years for your walls to come down. Same with me."

Namjoon didn't say anything, just listened.

"She's like us. She's cautious on who she lets in. And even after letting people in, she has her moments of hiding. You and I have our reasons why we are detached like this. She has hers."

"I just…" Namjoon tried to control his sobs to let out what he was feeling. "I've let her in. I've trusted her. Why can't she trust me?" He stared at his hyung with eyes full of hurt.

Yoongi tried to keep himself together. "That's not the way it works. Just because you allow someone in does not mean you are entitled to be let in with her. But I'm positive she wants to let you in. She has her reasons as to why she hasn't or can't. And she'll want to tell you once she's ready. But know sometimes it takes a good while for people to be ready."

Namjoon went back to crying, looking more than defeated. "God, I just want to talk to her. I fucking miss her. It's been a month. I can't remember the last time I went more than a day without talking to her."

Another long period went without words being said.

Yoongi finally spoke, saying something he really wanted to let out. "She hasn't told me anything." He continued to look forward, not making eye contact.

"Huh?" Namjoon asked, not understanding Yoongi's words.

"I don't know what happened with her. The seven of us suspect something happened to her before she came to Seoul—maybe sexually assaulted." Yoongi's heart weighted down even more at saying this, but he needed to. "None of us think it was Jerry. We all agree he's too much of a good guy. But someone did something to her. Jimin shared with us the incident that occurred backstage during the awards show in 2019. Months later, she was helping us with a song and while on video chat with her, we noticed she was quieter and had circles under her eyes. Her leaving America suddenly and not going back was concerning." It broke Yoongi's heart to think something so horrible had happened to a dear friend of his.

Namjoon's hands clenched into fists. Yoongi could only imagine what Namjoon was feeling. Namjoon cared for her more than Yoongi ever could.

Despite being incredibly close to Maya, Yoongi had never been able to break through with Maya but Yoongi suspected Namjoon questioned whether Yoongi was honest. Namjoon would give Yoongi looks whenever the topic came up: did Yoongi know about Maya's secret? Yoongi's answer was always 'no'. Namjoon never looked convinced.

Yoongi had hoped she would have opened up to Namjoon. Sadly, she hadn't. He needed Namjoon to know that Maya had that wall up for him as well. "It must be bad if she hasn't told any of us," Yoongi said out loud.

Longer moments of quiet.

Yoongi thought Namjoon was about to take it upon himself and leave, but there was something that still needed to be said. Another hidden truth that needed to be shed into the light.

"You love her," Yoongi let into the air.

Namjoon didn't respond, but there was a slight look of shock on his face.

"You think we don't notice," Yoongi said with a laugh. "The way you touch her; how you gravitate towards her whenever she's in the same room; how your eyes scan to find her. You always manage to get right next to her. Only a few of us have caught it. You're not much into physical affection, but with her, there's always a part of you that's on her. I've caught you plenty of times pressing your shoe against hers."

Namjoon turned away, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"And she loves you." Another truth.

Namjoon shook his head slightly, seeming bothered.

Yoongi misread him, thinking Namjoon didn't believe this to be true. "She does," Yoongi insisted. "You're witty and funny, but the way she laughs at your jokes, you'd think you were a combination of Einstein and Junha. She never looks more amazed or more entertained than when she's around you." He pressed on Namjoon's arm, making the younger one turn to him. Once their eyes met, Yoongi repeated the words. "She loves you."

Tears came back. "Being with her makes me happy; makes me feel like I'm not losing my mind. I get so in my head sometimes and I feel she brings me back to the real world. But…not having her—not talking to her—is making me question whether that's a good thing. I've noticed myself go deeper these few weeks and I'm seeing that ugly side of myself again. I was able to have control over him before. Now, it seems as if she's in control."

"You're still the one in control, Namjoonah," Yoongi encouraged. "It's just a new phase you're transitioning into. You're in a team of two instead of one. It's learning how to balance it all again. And you'll get there."

"That's only if she'll have me," Namjoon said sadly.

Yoongi was about to continue with his pep talk, but his phone buzzed. He looked down, ready to send whoever it was to voicemail. However, once he saw he was, he changed his mind.

It was Jimin. Yoongi picked up and without thinking, put him on speaker. "Yeah?"

"Hyung," Jimin said on the other end. "Can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"I'm out of food at my place. Can you get some basic groceries and take them to my house? Everyone at the company is still out on holiday."

"Why's it gotta be me? Namjoonie lives in the same complex. Ask him." Yoongi whined.

"It can't be Namjoon," Jimin said, sounding stressed.

Suddenly, things felt awkward. The seven rarely kept secrets from each other, which was why Yoongi immediately answered and put his younger member on speaker without thinking. Anything Jimin would say to him, he was certain Jimin would be fine in Namjoon overhearing. However, it was now apparent that Jimin was wanting to keep this from their leader.

Yoongi was stuck. He didn't know how to react. He couldn't hang up, Namjoon would be hurt in knowing the two were keeping something from him. But he couldn't announce to Jimin that Namjoon was present either and overhearing everything.

Namjoon frowned a bit and waited for Yoongi's decision, not knowing what to do either.

But it was too late for Yoongi to react. Jimin kept talking. "Don't tell Namjoon—I already told Maya I would keep it between me and her."

Yeah, there was no way Yoongi would be able to keep Jimin from talking if Maya was involved.

Namjoon took the phone from Yoongi and hit the mute button, ensuring Yoongi didn't disrupt Jimin from talking.

Yoongi stayed frozen, though.

Jimin sounded a bit stressed and began to ramble and talk fast. "Maya decided to come back to Seoul earlier than planned. Her place isn't ready obviously, so she asked if she could stay at my place, knowing my house is empty since I'm in Busan with my family. I don't have much food at home and she's been having issues with her accounts. I told her I would get it for her, but I forgot I had a few drinks last night, and…well, I lost my wallet—I had to freeze my accounts to be on the safe side. I've been trying to get ahold of her for a few hours and she's not responding and everyone at the company isn't answering either. Can you get the stuff that she'll need and maybe check on her? She has a few days left of her quarantine."

Yoongi was surprised by the last bit of information. How long had Maya been back?

Namjoon looked just as shocked, taking the phone off mute. "Maya's been here for days?"

Jimin went silent for a moment. "Ssibal. Hyung, why didn't you say he was there?!"

~NAMJOON~

There was zero hesitation. He reacted. He got his keys, called a car, and exited the dorms.

Because he often visited Jimin, he knew Jimin's passcode to his home. He put in the code without a second guess, not bothering to knock. He didn't want to give her the choice. She had had a choice for over a month and she had chosen to avoid him. The ball was in his court now. Plus, he was positive Jimin had called her to give her a heads-up.

As he made his way through the entrance hall, he heard the chimes announcing his arrival.

He walked into the living room, looking towards the bedrooms, and wondered what bedroom she was in. However, he spotted something on the couch. He made his way over and saw the blankets folded neatly, along with a pillow. He'd crashed on Jimin's couch enough to recognize she was making camp there.

He looked around the living room and noticed a few knickknacks that were definitely hers. A bottle of melatonin on the table. Her favorite lotion. Hair ties. Her phone. With the slightest movement, her phone turned on. Missed calls. The phone didn't recognize his face and it was set to private, so he couldn't see whose calls were missed. However, he could make a guess.

His eyes continued to skim the room. He saw it. On top of the armchair. A sweater of his.

His eyes stayed on that sweater, remembering the last time he had worn it. Two nights before they broke up. He had forgotten it at her house.

The sound of a door opening pulled his attention away. He turned right on time.

She walked out of the bedroom, a stunned look on her face at seeing him there. She wore baggy pants that hung loosely on her hips, had an old shirt he knew to be a favorite of hers despite its multiple holes, fuzzy socks on her feet because he was sure she was freezing, her hair soaking wet, and her face was a bit puffy from having clearly taken a hot bath. God, he had forgotten how incredibly beautiful she was.

Like some stunning, majestic goddess who was blessing him with her presence.

He forced himself not to be caught in her mist. He was supposed to be angry at her, dammit. "What are you doing here?" Namjoon demanded.

NOTE: I hope the last chapter is up next week, but there might be a 2-week wait.

I'm really excited to give this story's last chapter next week.