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chapter seventeen

The sun rises and Taehyung is in Ahri's dorm once again. He's sleeping comfortably on the couch while she's in deep slumber in her warm bed.

Just two doors away, the other members of the group are getting ready for practice.

"I still can't believe that she rapped underground," Seokjin sighs, "I wonder under which circumstances she lived in. It's not really bad, just... weird, I guess."

Namjoon nods his head. "She's still so young. I think she went through more than she's willing to tell us," he tells his older member while both of them make their way to the kitchen.

Jin opens the fridge to find it completely empty. Both of the boys' mouths turn downwards. "I'm sorry, Namjoon-ah," the oldest member apologizes in a quiet tone.

"It's okay, hyung," the younger one responds, "we'll eat when we have more money."

The boy from Gwacheon nods his head slowly. He feels miserable that he has no money to feed his younger brothers.

"Should we wake the others up?" Namjoon tries to change the subject as soon as he sees Jin deep in thought.

"Yeah, they should get ready now," Jin nods his head, "I'll try to wake the boys up and you wake up Ahri and Taehyung."

Namjoon obeys his orders and goes up to Ahri's door to knock at it while Seokjin wakes the other boys up.

"Yona, Taehyung, " he calls out while knocking countless times, "get up and be ready in ten minutes!"

"Yes, hyung," Ahri yells from the other side of the door. Nodding his head approvingly, the male main rapper goes back to his own dorm.

Inside the female member's room, Ahri tries to shake her old friend awake.

"Taehyung-ah, wake up!" She raises her voice, annoyed that he never wants to get up.

"No," he whines, "cuddle me!"

Shooting him a deadpanned look, she shakes her head.

"No."

"If you don't wake up, I'll get Yoongi hyung to throw you out himself," she crosses her arms over her chest, knowing that she won.

Almost instantly, his eyes open widely and he stands up. "I'm awake!" He yells in a panicked voice.

Chuckling to herself, Ahri picks some simple clothing to change into and combs her hair while brushing her teeth.

Since she had a shower yesterday night, she has more time than usual and decides to eat some bread.

Taehyung left right after getting up and makes himself ready for practice as well.

After the whole group is ready, they make their way out and walk towards the building they work at. Ahri knocks on the door and opens it right after.

Their manager is wearing a sad expression as he sits on his chair. "Sit down, guys, I have something to say," he announces.

The members gaze at each other confusingly but obey nevertheless.

"I have some bad news," Si-Hyuk states while clasping his hands together, "I don't think you guys will get to debut."

Mouths agape and eyes wide, the group stares at their manager. "We don't have enough money," he shakes his head while looking down in shame.

"And Ahri," he mentions, "you have to live in a dorm with the boys since we can't afford another one, I'm sorry."

Yona nods her head, still being shocked and sad that they won't debut. "It's fine," she speaks in a small voice.

"I'm so sorry," their manager whispers, getting sad himself.

"It's not sure yet. I will try to get enough money so you can debut," Si-Hyuk nods his head, full of hope.

"We can help!" Namjoon speaks up, "we can work, we can make it work!"

"Yes, totally!" Ahri agrees.

A small smile lingers on Bang Si-Hyuk's lips. "That's so sweet of you guys but I can't take your money," he states.

"If it works out in the end, we will have to use the shoots from the last times. It may not be perfect, but it's something," Mr. Bang declares.

All of the group members nod. After they're dismissed, they go inside the practice room and sit down on the floor.

"I can't believe that we won't debut," Hoseok shakes his head, his happy persona long gone.

"We worked so hard. For nothing!" Jimin tears up. Since he is sitting next to Ahri, she's quick to comfort him by laying her arms around his head, engulfing him in a hug.

She hates seeing them sad. Yona doesn't get emotional many times but when people she cares about are in a bad situation, she would be the first one to burst into tears.

In these past few weeks, the girl grew attached to her group members and wants to see them happy at all costs.

A few salty tears leave his eyes and he pulls away after some time. "Thank you, Ahri-ssi," he whispers.

"It's not over yet, guys," Namjoon states, "we can make it work, really!"

"I agree," Yona nods her head, "we just have to keep fighting."

"I've been fighting my whole life," Yoongi speaks up tiredly, "after some time you lose the power."

"Hyung, no!" Ahri raises her voice, "keep on trying, it can really work!"

"Let's just wait until Bang PD-nim states if we will debut or not," Jin finishes the discussion.

After silently sitting in the practice room for an hour, they leave the building and go to their own dorms.

Since Ahri needs to move out of her dorm, she decides to pack everything already and Jimin offers his help, which she accepts after his many whines.

The duo is in her room and she places her suitcase on the mattress. "It's crazy, right?" Jimin suddenly speaks up while Ahri takes her clothing out of the wardrobe.

"We trained for so long, put all of our energy into this idol thing, and we still won't get to debut," he sighs, "living is so risky."

"I put my whole heart into this and it still didn't work out," he locks gazes with Ahri, who's already staring at him.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Yona," he bursts into tears.

The young girl immediately rushes to his side and wraps her arms around him tightly. "A wise person once told me that the most comforting thing is a hug," she whispers while stroking his hair softly.

They stay like this for a while until Ahri pulls away and wipes his tears with her thumb softly.

"We'll do this, together," she promises, "let's pack everything and go to our dorm."

Jimin slowly nods his head while rubbing his watery eyes.

After Ahri takes everything important with her, the duo walks into their now shared dorm.

She places her suitcase in the living room since there is no space in the bedroom.

The whole group sits in the living room, exhausted and tired. "Jin hyung," Jeongguk speaks up in a quiet tone, "can we eat?"

Seokjin's eyes sadden as he gazes at the male maknae. Slowly shaking his head, he answers, "we don't have food. I'm sorry, Koo."

"O-Oh, okay," the youngest boy in the group nods his head, his state saddening.

Ahri stares at her boys one by one. All of them are unmotivated, hungry, tired, and simply exhausted. All their energy is squeezed out like a sponge, completely dry by now.

"I need to leave really quick," Ahri has an idea in mind and excuses herself.

"Where are you going?" Yoongi asks tiredly.

"I'll come in twenty minutes," she states before taking her jacket and getting ready to leave the building.

"I have no energy to fight her today," Yoongi's remark is the last thing she hears after closing the front door.

It's evening and she runs down the street under a sun that warms up her skin.

It's one of those baby-blue skies, not candy-blue nor the washed out grey of winter mornings. The clouds radiate puffs of energy, hope, and joy.

After arriving at a grocery store, she quickly takes a cart and fills it with all possible ingredients and foods, still checking the prices since she has not much money either.

Ahri pays for everything, all of her money gone now.

"It's worth it," she smiles to herself, "anything to keep my boys happy."

She soon arrives at the building she lives at and clumsily knocks on the door, hands filled with bags of various food.

"Where were you—" Taehyung asks but cuts himself off when he sees his old friend.

"Hello, guys!" Ahri chirps while rushing into the kitchen, a happy smile planted on her face.

The boys stare at each confusingly.

"She's crazy," Hoseok whispers to the others, emphasizing it with looping a hand beside his ear.

Staring at each other one last time, the male members rush into the kitchen to see all kinds of foods on the counters.

"Ahri?" All of them call out in high voices, unbelievingly staring at her.

"Jin hyung, I bought ingredients for tteokbokki and later we can bake a chocolate cake, I love both of them to be honest and I haven't eaten this meal since I was at my grandma's. She makes the best tteokbokki in this planet, you have to taste it one day—" she keeps on rambling.

"Ahri!" Namjoon raises his voice in shock, eyes wide.

She stops her actions and glances at him with big eyes. "Yes, hyung?" She replies in her natural sweet tone.

"What is all of this?" The other main rapper asks his female member, motioning to the food on the counter.

"Oh," she blurts out, "I had some money left and since I don't need it anyway, I bought food because I couldn't hear Jeongguk in that sad tone or how devastated Jin hyung looked. I just want you guys to stay—" Ahri starts to ramble once again but Hoseok is quick to jog over to her and shuts her up with putting his palm on her mouth.

Glancing at Hoseok with big eyes, she innocently blinks many times.

"You're telling me that you bought all of this food with your little money because you care about us?" The boy from Gwangju asks the girl unbelievingly.

She simply nods her head since his hand is still on top of her mouth.

"Oh my god, my heart," Hoseok releases his hold on her and clutches his chest, being flattered and feeling warm inside.

"That's my girl!" Taehyung states proudly and puts his arm around her shoulder, "I knew that you're still your helpful and generous self."

All the boys thank her and they spend a warm afternoon together, the negative thoughts from today forgotten with Ahri's simple but kind gesture.