Intently looking into the mirror at his reflection, Chan-woo smoothed down the baby blue button up shirt against his chest. He had chosen to wear a black t-shirt, a baby blue button up shirt, black skinny jeans and his pair of fancy, black dress shoes he rarely ever wore. He had chosen to leave the top three buttons undone to reveal the shirt below as well as having both shirts tucked into his black skinny jeans.

Satisfied the look was smart casual like Namjoon had asked him to wear, he ruffled his completely dry yet messy hair one last time before he grabbed his previously worn clothes. He turned around, opened the bathroom door, and made sure to close it gently behind him. He could hear lots of noise coming from the living room, but the second he walked into the room with eyes focused on the ground, the group suddenly became quiet.

He ignored them all as he squatted down to place the old clothes under his duffle bag. He then opened it up to search through it and pulled out his toiletries bag. He grabbed out his deodorant and sprayed his armpits. He placed everything back inside the duffle bag, stood up and stretched his aching back.

Pondering, he looked around at his belonging. As he gathered his thoughts, he squatted down again in front of his backpack. He grabbed the envelope he had received earlier that day, took out all of the money and held it as he searched for his wallet from in the depths of his bag. He placed all of the cash inside his wallet as he stood up. After he had shoved the wallet in his back pocket, he grabbed out his phone and checked the time.

They only had forty minutes until they would be meeting Bang PD-nim at the restaurant. Chan-woo sighed to himself as he considered whether to wait a little long or leave now. The traffic around this time of the day was busier than usual and he didn't want to be late. Especially considering he would be taking a taxi. He turned around after he made his mind up and saw all eyes on him. He froze as he took in all of the attention. A frown formed upon his face at the unusual silence.

He snapped out of the shock, walked over to the front door and opened it up. He walked out before he closed it softly behind him, not surprised one bit that no one tried to stop him. He waited patiently for the elevator to come and pre-ordered the taxi on his phone as he stood there. Luckily he had overheard Namjoon say what restaurant they were going to so there was no need for him to interact with them before he left.

As Chan-woo walked out into the chilly street, he slightly regretted not bringing a coat with him. However, he knew he would be inside for most of the night, so it would have just been a hassle to carry around a mostly unused article of clothing. He was brought out of his thoughts as a taxi pulled up to the curb where he stood.

"For Jung Chan-woo," the driver leaned forward and spoke through the open window.

"Yes," he smiled kindly as he opened the back door and got in. "Thank you."

"That's okay," the driver said as he turned back towards the busy traffic and put the window up.

Chan-woo buckled up and settled in to the seat as they drove in a peaceful silence. He scrolled through his phone and looked through twitter to pass the time. His eyes kept catching tweets about BTS. The photoshoot they had done earlier that day had been released only half an hour ago. Army were going crazy, so many kind comments were being left for the seven boys, post after post popped up. His heart broke as he read through them before he decided to try to skip it as much as he could.

The drive there surprisingly only took just over fifteen minutes. He payed the driver with some of his cash before he hoped out and waited against the wall near the entrance of the restaurant. People passed him by, not paying him any attention, as he leant against the wall while he still scrolled through his phone.

Tweet after tweet caught his eyes as the unwavering support from Army's flooded his timeline. Chan-woo so desperately wished to see anything but this, especially after seeing a different side to the idols than their fans did. Each time he refreshed the timeline, in hopes of avoiding the content of the recent photoshoot, his phone was instead flooded with even more comments and retweets.

He was so used to seeing the carefree, bubbly and caring side to BTS through their online content that it had come to a shock to him with the way he had been treated. But as they kept painfully saying, he was basically getting a free ride off their fame. Most of him understood their behaviour, however, it didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

"Chan-woo?" a familiar voice asked him from close by.

As he looked up he saw Bang PD-nim in the middle of closing the door to a fancy black car. He straightened up from where he stood leant against the wall and bowed towards the older male. He pocketed his phone and watched the other walk over to him. Suddenly he felt more eyes on him than beforehand from passing patrons. A kind smile graced Bang PD-nim's face as they stood facing each other.

"Hello Hyung. Good evening," Chan-woo said with a slight smile.

"Hello again," chuckled Bang PD-nim before he looked over the younger. "Awe, I liked the last outfit. Why did you change it?"

"Oh, uh," he looked down at himself. "Namjoon Hyung told me to wear something smart casual instead of what I had previously been wearing."

"That's a shame. I would have told you to stay in the other outfit," he smiled. "But it is good to see you are listening to the leader of your group already. Where are the boys anyway? Already inside?"

"No, they are on their way still," he said with a small shake of his head.

"Why didn't you all come together?" Bang PD-nim asked and tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh, I was ready before them all, so I thought I'd come down early," he easily lied to the older, while he forced a smile on to his face.

"Ah, keen not to be late huh?" the older guessed.

Chan-woo nodded with a small laugh before he looked at the ground to hide the shame he felt. He was being truthful to the CEO of the company, he had just hid certain elements from him. Like the fact no one in the group wanted him there. And no one was treating him well or fairly. Except for Hoseok, perhaps, with the small gestures he had done over the last few days. But he was under the impression Hoseok might be doing it out of pity. Surely the kind hearted member felt the exact same way as the others did about him joining them.

"Shall we go inside and wait? You must be cold out here in such a short sleeved shirt with no coat," he said with a kind smile and an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"I am regretting that, yes," Chan-woo laughed as he felt a shiver run throughout his body. "Lead the way Hyung."

Bang PD-nim chuckled before he turned and begun to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant. Closely behind him, Chan-woo was too consumed in the fact many people were staring at him to even listen to the older speak. He barely registered the waiter and Bang PD-nim walk inside the fairly quiet Korean BBQ restaurant. They were led to one of the rooms off to the side that had sliding screen doors for privacy.

Inside the small room was a large table with ten chair surrounding it. In the middle of the table was a grill for them to cook their self-served meat on. In front of each chair, except one, were cups, plates and metal chopsticks. Chan-woo looked around in amazement as this was his first time ever being at a restaurant in his life. Bang PD-nim sat down at one end of the table and gestured for the younger to still beside him.

"You look very amazed there, Chan-woo," chucked Bang PD-nim.

"Ah, yes. That is because I have never been to a restaurant before," he answered as a small blush appeared on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Well I hope tonight you'll have a good experience for your first ever time at a restaurant."

"Thank you," he nodded as he fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

"Are you excited to be finished with your training tomorrow?" Bang PD-nim asked as he settled into the chair.

"I am both excited and nervous," he answered with a small nod.

"And I heard you are doing a mock interview with Min-ki Hyung tomorrow," he said.

"Yes, I am. He said that it'll be sent to you," Chan-woo said before he looked up at the older. "I'm a little nervous about it."

"I'm sure you'll do absolutely fine," calmly smiled Bang PD-nim, before something caught his attention. "Ah, hello!"

Chan-woo turned around in his seat to look behind him. He saw Namjoon enter the room followed slowly by the rest of the group. Each member smiled kindly at Bang PD-nim, before they then bowed respectfully. He noticed two body guards that stayed outside before the door was shut. His heart accelerated as he looked down at his lap once more, the seven members of BTS settled down around the table.

Once everyone was seated, he looked up to notice Yoongi had sat beside him and Jimin had sat directly across from him. Bang PD-nim and the boys begun to talk across him as if he didn't even exist. He suddenly begun to feel insignificant. He leant back in his chair so he wouldn't block anyone's view. He hung his head in shame as his hands suddenly became very interesting to him.

"Bang Hyung, can we have pork belly tonight?" Taehyung asked from where he sat next to Yoongi.

"Yeah, please?" pleaded Jimin as well.

"Sorry boys, we are having beef tonight. But you can order some pork belly if you are cooking it yourselves," he answered and laughed at the pouts that dominated their on their faces.

"I'll just have beef then," Jimin pouted with sad eyes.

"Me too," said Taehyung with a pout as well.

Chan-woo instantly felt bad as he guessed the reason Bang PD-nim would be ordering beef was because of him. The phone call from the night before came to mind when he had told the older about his new diagnosis. He gulped nervously as he felt eyes on him, sensing both Bang PD-nim and Yoongi looking at him.

Luckily the attention from the two males beside him was taken off of him as the sliding doors opened and in came a waiter. He carried in a menu and passed it to Bang PD-nim after the older had held out his hands. The CEO took a few seconds to read through the menu before he passed it back to the quiet waiter.

"We will have a few serves of your finest beef," he said as the waiter wrote the order down on his notepad. "Can we order some rice, as well as extra banchan."

"Of course," kindly smiled the waiter as he wrote. "Anything else?"

"That is it, thank you," he nodded.

"Any drinks for you all tonight?" asked the waiter.

"Oh yes, we'll start with one bottle of soju and one bottle of takju please," Bang PD-nim smiled.

"No problem, I'll be back soon," bowed the waiter before he left the room.

Chan-woo gulped as he heard Bang PD-nim order alcohol to go with their dinner. He hadn't ever been around anyone else while they had been drinking alcohol. He only had the daily experiences from his drunk parents. He was nervous as he got consumed by past memories of how those nights always turned out. He dreaded that by the end of the night he'd be surrounded by a bunch of drunk people.

"There is a reason why I asked you all to come to dinner tonight other than to celebrate Chan-woo joining you all," said Bang PD-nim after a few seconds which drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "I am assuming the current apartment is becoming rather crowded now you have a new member."

"Yes Hyung," Namjoon chuckled, as did the others, while Chan-woo stayed silent.

"Well I have had some staff looking out for a bigger place. And they have found a house in a gated community that has six bedrooms, two guest bedrooms, two office spaces, three bathrooms and a large living area," he said and chuckled once he saw all of their eyes light up. "And even better news than all of that space? It is easily within your budget considering the new income from your last album release and all of the promotions."

"Wow," Jungkook whispered in amazement.

"We could really afford such a big place like that?" asked Hoseok in shock.

"Absolutely," nodded Bang PD-nim. "You could even buy it instead of renting like you have been doing at the current apartments."

"Aish, that's amazing," Namjoon said, the others nodded in agreement. "Can I ask something, though?"

"Of course," smiled Bang PD-nim.

"If we were to buy the house," he paused as he cleared his throat. "I don't mean to be mean or anything, but how would Chan-woo be able to chip in fairly?"

Chan-woo hung his head as he felt a blush rise. It was a honest and fair question to ask. It wouldn't be fair on the others if he didn't equally chip in for the house. And he didn't know the answer to the question because currently he didn't have the funds to afford much of anything. He felt a hand land on his shoulder which caused him to jump a little. He looked over at Bang PD-nim who had a soft smile on his face.

"Well," the CEO started as he looked around the table. "Chan-woo could always pay me back for his share if I cover his cost. Or he could pay you guys back for his share if you decide to cover it. There are many options, but we don't need to worry about it until closer to the time."

"Ah, I see," Namjoon nodded and forced a smile.

The sliding door opened and the same waiter as before came in carrying a tray with a few items. The entire group grew quiet once they saw him enter, not wanting to discuss such private matters in the presence of a stranger. On the tray were the two bottles of alcohol, the serves of beef, a mesh wiring for the grill, and two pairs of scissors. He walked to the end closest to Bang PD-nim and placed the tray down.

The waiter placed the two bottles in front of the CEO before he grabbed the plates of beef and walked towards the middle of the table to place them either side of the grill. Everyone sat quietly as the waiter also placed the mesh wiring upon the grill, turned it on and lastly placed the scissors in front of it. He picked up the tray from the end of the table before he bowed towards the group.

"I will be back with the side dishes soon," he said before he took his leave.

"Yoongi you are helping me tonight. You owe me, remember?" laughed Jin as he picked up a pair of scissors and a plate of the beef. He instantly started to cut them into smaller bite sized pieces and lay them on one side of the grill.

"Fine," the other huffed as he too started to cut the beef up.

Chan-woo felt out of place as the group slowly started to resemble what he had seen of them through their v-lives. He looked around at their happy and content faces, watched as they laughed with each other, listened as they casually talked amongst themselves. It was almost disorientating for him. It was as if what he had been experiencing over the last seven days had just been a strange dream.

The sliding doors opened and in came the same waiter with another waitress behind him. They both carried two full trays of small bowls. The pair stood at each end of the table before they started unloading the bowls of rice, banchan, and other side dishes that automatically came with the BBQ. The group thanked the two as they left, finally ready to begin feasting on the meal.

"Shall we have a toast?" asked Bang PD-nim as he opened the bottle of soju and poured himself some before he passed it to Jungkook who sat across the table from him.

"Let us pour the drinks first and then we'll toast," Jin laughed, everyone laughing along with him except for Chan-woo.

The two bottles of alcohol went around the table, everyone choose which one they would drink out of the two. Chan-woo watched nervously as the bottles slowly made their way towards him. His heart pounded loudly in his ears. Yoongi tried to pass them to him with an expectant look as Chan-woo just stared at them in fear.

"I know you aren't of age to drink, but I'll let you have one," Bang PD-nim said before he laughed which drew Chan-woo out of his thoughts. "Especially considering this is your first time at a restaurant."

"This is your first time at a restaurant? Like ever?" asked Hoseok in shock.

Silently, he nodded his head to answer the question. Chan-woo finally reached forward and grabbed the two bottles from Yoongi. Instead of pouring any, he simply placed them back in front of Bang PD-nim without a second of hesitation. He instantly looked down at his lap as he felt a blush on his face the longer the silence stretched on.

"You sure you don't want a drink? Not even one?" asked Bang PD-nim with concern as he noticed the reaction. "It's okay if you want to."

"I don't drink," he said and drew in on himself as he heard some of the boys scoff. He turned his head and looked up at Bang PD-nim with some tears in his eyes. "B-Because of them, I don't drink."

"Ahh," he said as he understood what the younger meant. "Was it worse when they, ah. Never mind I'll ask another time. You just enjoy this meal, okay? I'm sure you'll love it."

"T-Thank you, Hyung," he whispered as grabbed the water jug that had been pre-placed on the table and filled his cup.

"A toast to Chan-woo for joining us and to creating strong friendship," Bang PD-nim held up his glass and smiled as everyone lifted their glasses.

Chan-woo blushed at the toast because he knew that only one person genuinely meant it. And that one person being the person that had said the toast. He sipped some of his water as the rest of the group sipped on their alcohol. As the table settled back into different conversations, Chan-woo looked at his lap seeing that no one wanted to talk with him. His mind continued to say hurtful things as he tuned in and out of different conversations.

"The meat is ready!" loudly said Jin as he grabbed a plate and begun dishing the beef from his side of the grill onto it, before he placed it down on the side of the grill closest to Hoseok, Namjoon, Taehyung and himself.

Yoongi followed exactly what Jin had done, he grabbed a spare plate and placed the beef from his side onto it. Although he didn't grab all of the beef as he leant forward and placed the plate down in the middle of the other side of the table. As he leant back he grabbed Chan-woo's plate.

Chan-woo looked up in confusion with a frown upon his face as he watched the older pile the small amount of the beef onto his plate. Some of the other members also looked at Yoongi as if he had lost his mind. Chan-woo looked across the table to see Jimin and Jungkook glaring at him as Yoongi finally placed his plate back down in front of him.

"Yah! Yoongi Hyung! Save some beef for us too! Don't give it all to Chan-woo!" yelled Jimin, as he begun to dig into the food.

Bang PD-nim smiled happily as he saw the gesture the second oldest had done for the youngest member, feeling endeared by it. He leant forward and grabbed some Korean lettuce, beef and vegetables to make ssam. All the while, he threw proud smiles towards the shy looking Chan-woo.

"I didn't know you told anyone, Chan-woo. I'm proud of you," smiled Bang PD-nim.

"Told us what?" Jungkook asked with a frown.

"I-" Chan-woo started to say before being cut off by Yoongi, a blush evident on his face.

"He didn't tell me, Bang Hyung," Yoongi said while he busied himself with putting more beef on the grill. "I overheard."

"I thought you overheard me," whispered Chan-woo as he looked sadly at Yoongi, before he sighed and looked down at his lap.

"Oh," Bang PD-nim said and checked on Chan-woo to make sure he was okay. "Well at least you'll have someone other than me to look out for you, Channie-ah. It'll make me rest easier."

"What happened?" Jungkook tried to ask again with a frown.

"When Channie-ah is ready to tell you all, he'll tell you. But don't pressure him to find out," said Bang PD-nim, talking to the rest of the group seeing they were all listening in now.

Chan-woo finally moved to eat after he saw the rest of the group had already dug in. He picked up his chopsticks and shyly started to grab the delicious smelling food. His mind was consumed with the knowledge Yoongi had payed attention to his phone call the other night as well how he had noticed the bruises and cuts. He was glad the other hadn't asked him anything over the last few days. But, now the rest of the group knew that something was wrong with him, even if they didn't know what exactly was wrong with him.

>_<     >_<     >_<

"Thank you all for dinner," smiled Bang PD-nim as he stood up and bowed to everyone. "I'll keep you all in the loop about the house. Get home safely and have a good night."

Everyone said their goodbyes to Bang PD-nim as the older left the room. They all settled into silence as they sat still with full bellies. Chan-woo stared down at his lap, not sure what to say or what to do with himself. The whole experience that night had been tense with him largely being ignored by most of the group.

"Ready to get back?" Namjoon asked as he stood up.

"So ready," laughed Jin, as everyone but Chan-woo stood up.

"Are you coming Channie-ah?" Yoongi suddenly asked which caused the group to stop and look at the youngest.

"I am," he said as he stared up at the older in confusion. "I'll probably get there a few minutes after you guys."

"A few minutes after us?" he asked as he swayed in his spot slightly. "How can you get there after us?"

"I have to catch a taxi," Chan-woo frowned and leaned back to get away from the older as he leant down and stared in his eyes from a close distance.

"Come with us, Channie-ah!" Yoongi happily said loudly.

"N-No Yoongi Hyung," he turned his head as soon as he smelt the alcohol on his breath.

"We have plenty of room for you in our van. Come on!" he continued as he grabbed his left arm and tugged on it slightly.

"I-" he said with wide eyes as he saw the rest of the members glaring at him before he winced in pain as Yoongi tugged a little too hard on his arm. "No, there are rules I need to follow Hyung. A-And let go of me, please."

"Forget the rules, come with me, Channie-ah," the older pouted, still continuing to tug on the arm.

"Ow, t-that hurts," he winced as pain shot through his ribs, he held his right hand to his ribs and groaned quietly.

"Come on Yoongi Hyung," Namjoon said as he stepped up to the other and pried him off the younger.

"Just go home Yoongi Hyung. You are drunk and you need to be in a safe place so you don't hurt yourself. I'll be there soon," Chan-woo said quietly as he turned around in his seat, hung his head low and soothingly rubbed his secret bruise on his left side.

"Listen to him. Come on," Namjoon said with a small smile towards the older before he finally guided the heavily intoxicated Yoongi out of the room.

Chan-woo didn't move from his chair as he felt all of the remaining members stare at him. Slowly the group left the room until he was the only remaining person there. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and ordered a taxi for himself. As he sat there waiting to leave, he was glad to notice that his ribs weren't hurting as much. Eventually he stood up and left the room. He made his way onto the side walk only for the taxi to pull up moments later.

He got in and sat in the back without saying a word. His mind was consumed with the events of that night. So much had been revealed, both to himself and the band members. Chan-woo didn't know how to feel about Yoongi knowing some of his health issues. And the more he thought of it, he wondered if the older would tell the others on the way home. His heart accelerated just thinking about that.

Part of him was also glad to hear they would potentially be moving to a bigger house soon as well. It meant he would no longer have to sleep on the floor or the couches. He could have a room all to himself and eventually buy himself a bed once he started earning an income. It also meant he'd be able to have more privacy than living in an open, shared area.

As he got closer and closer back to the dorm, he couldn't help but wonder if the others would keep up the friendly-ish façade or instantly go back to being cold to him. He expected the environment to be cold once more, but a boy could hope, could he not? He sighed softly as he also thought about Yoongi and the older being drunk. He hoped the other would be in his room when he got back so he didn't have to be around an intoxicated person.

The taxi pulled up outside of the dorms which pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly grabbed some cash from his wallet and handed it to the driver before he exited the car. He walked inside the warm building and anxiously waited for the elevator. The closer he got to his floor, the more he got nervous. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it loudly.

"Channie-ah! Come in! Come here," he heard Yoongi yell from the couch as he locked eyes with the person who had opened the door.

Hoseok stared at him, not moving from where he stood at the door. Chan-woo gulped nervously as he looked at him questioningly. He saw the older look at his neck before he looked at each of his arms. He suddenly became very self-conscious as the dark, brown eyes roamed over him. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck.

The silent boy finally stepped aside while still staring intently at the younger, Chan-woo able to finally walk in and passed Hoseok. He walked in with his eyes focused on the ground in front of him, afraid to look at Yoongi sitting on one of the couches. As he quietly walked over to his duffle bag, he wondered where the rest of the group were. He opened the bag up and immediately grabbed the oversized hoodie and trackies he had left on top of the pile.

"Come here, Channie-ah," whined Yoongi loudly.

"I-I have to change first," he said as he stood up and bowed before he walked to the bathroom quickly.

Chan-woo paused to knock on the bathroom door and waited a few seconds before he entered. He closed the door and locked it. He dumped the clothes on the corner of the vanity before he then gripped the edges as he tried to calm his racing heart. He took a few deep breaths in, stood up straight and begun to undress. His eyes avoided the mirror as he pulled on the fresh clothes, not wanting his vicious thoughts to consume him that time.

Neatly, he folded the old clothes into a pile on the vanity. Chan-woo paused as he took a few more seconds to calm his still racing heart. Was he perhaps delaying heading back out to the living room where Hoseok and Yoongi were? He looked in to the mirror as he looked at his neck. He decided he felt very uncomfortable and pulled his hoodie up over his head, instantly feeling more secure. He took in one final deep breath before he walked out of the bathroom.

As he walked into the living room, the two sets of eyes were instantly on him and the quiet talking between the pair stopped. Chan-woo placed his dirty clothes under his duffle bag, turned around and walked over to stand in between the two couches. He stood with his hands together at the front and head down as he looked at the ground.

"Do you want to sit down?" asked Hoseok, breaking the silence.

Chan-woo looked at the two sitting next to each other before he sighed. His body was tired, but was he willing to sacrifice his comfort just so he could rest for a bit? His body moved on its own according as he sat down on the empty couch, feeling rather small. He sat with his head down, his hoodie covered his face, and hands on his lap tucked away inside of his hoodie sleeves.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Chan-woo couldn't help but ask without even looking up from the hands in his lap.

"No," Hoseok answered.

"T-Then what is t-this about? I have a b-big day tomorrow and need to s-sleep," he said quietly while he still refused to lift his head.

"I saw that bruise on your neck tonight," Hoseok said after a few seconds of silence. "Yoongi and I just want to know how you got it."

"And also why it hurt when I grabbed your arm tonight," added Yoongi.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered as he felt the tears form. 

He hated this. He hated sitting there with them. He hated that he could smell the alcohol pouring off of Yoongi even from this distance. He hated they were asking questions. He hated existing. He hated being alive. Chan-woo couldn't help his thoughts as they spiralled down a dark rabbit hole. The tears begun to fall, luckily his hoodie and his hair covered them.

"It does," said Hoseok.

"It honestly really doesn't, Hyung," he said a little louder than a whisper this time, head still hung low. "You guys don't want me here. You guys don't want me to be a part of the group. So why should I tell you something that is really personal?"

"Don't say that, Channie-ah," Yoongi said sounding sad.

"Why not? It's true," he said with a dark laugh as he wiped away some of his tears with his sleeves.

"It's not true," Hoseok and Yoongi said at almost the exact same time.

"It's not? It's not true?" he asked louder, finally, he looked up in shock to reveal his tear-stained cheeks as more continued to roll down. "Then tell me everything I have heard for the last seven days have all been a hallucination. Tell me all the looks I have received from the entire group have all been imagined. Tell me the comments behind my back, not even behind my back but right in front of me, was just my ears playing tricks on me."

The two older boys looked down in shame as they listened to the younger talk. They both reflected on their actions over the past seven days. Chan-woo looked at them as tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt like he had either gone insane or been stuck in some cruel dream. Yoongi had been so cold and cruel, contributing to the feeling of being unwanted. Hoseok, however, he had been a little kinder. But it didn't mean he wanted him here either.

"You wanna know how I got this bruise? Huh? You really want to know that badly for someone you don't care for?" he asked with a scoff and angrily wiped some tears away. "I'll tell you. But don't you dare go talking to anyone else about this."

"Yes, I do," Yoongi asked from in front of him, his head snapped up at the prospect of finally finding out after all those days he had been left to speculate. "I want to know."

"As I was leaving to come here, my father pinned me against the wall and fucking chocked me," he said and watched as the two boys look at him with shocked expressions. The looks on their faces caused him to laugh darkly as he stood up and walked away to his corner.

After he squatted down, he started getting ready for bed by plugging his phone in to charge. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks as he made sure the alarm was set for the right time. He grabbed his pillow from his duffle bag and made his way back over to the couch. He sat down and wiped the tears away. Chan-woo paused as he saw someone get up from the other couch, only to see Yoongi stumble his way over to him and sit down beside him.

"I'm sorry," the older whispered while he grabbed onto his arm and squeezed it.

"D-Don't touch me," he sobbed out, he couldn't help it as he flinched away from the touch as he pulled his legs up to his chest.

As he sat there with his legs hugged to him and his head buried in them, he begun to cry pitifully. It had been the first time he had cried since he had been discharged from the hospital. Yoongi didn't take his hand away, instead the older softly stroked his arm in a way that way meant to comfort him. However, the touch and the smell of alcohol only made Chan-woo feel worse.

"G-Get away from m-me," he managed to say in between sobs.

"I don't want to leave you alone in this state," Yoongi whispered and stayed exactly where he was.

"You are making it worse, Yoongi Hyung," he whispered as he lifted his head. He stared straight at the sad look on the older's face with a pleading expression.

"Why?" he asked with a tilt of his head as he tried to understand.

"Alcohol, right? It's the alcohol?" Hoseok asked as he rushed over, squatted in front of Chan-woo, and gently touched his knee.

"Y-Yes," he whispered and nodded in shame before he hung his head and continued to cry as the painful memories resurfaced. "It was always worse with the a-alcohol."

"Yoongi Hyung, go sit on the other couch. I'll stay with him," said Hoseok instantly trying to fix the situation. "That way he isn't alone."

"No, I want to stay with him," whined Yoongi.

"The best thing you can do for him right now is leave him alone. Okay?" calmly said Hoseok. "I promise I won't leave his side until he is ready to sleep."

"Fine," Yoongi said with a big pout on his face as he finally stood up and stumbled back to the other couch.

Chan-woo felt Hoseok sit beside him on the couch before a strong arm was placed around his shoulders. A hand gently rubbed his arm as he felt another hand appear on his knee. He sat still as he allowed the crying to happen, too tired to try and stop it. He was already feeling better now that he couldn't smell the disgusting scent of alcohol.

"It's okay," whispered Hoseok. "Let it out."

And let it out he did. He sat there for what felt like hours just crying and sniffling. Chan-woo occasionally lifted his head and used the sleeves of his hoodie to wipe away the tears. Hoseok never once let go of him, continuing to gently soothe him with soft touches. His body shivered every once in a while as it wasn't used to kind touch. It was, instead, so used to every touch ending in pain. Slowly he started to settle, no longer crying uncontrollably.

"What did he do to you?" he heard Yoongi furiously whisper which caused him to look up sadly.

"My father?" asked Chan-woo quietly and saw the older nod in confirmation. "It wasn't just him. It was my mother too."

"They both hurt you?" Hoseok asked in shock.

"Y-Yes. And it was always worse when they were drunk. My mother was almost always drunk though. So, I hope that answers it," he said quietly as he put the side of his head on his knees and looked at Hoseok with tear filled eyes.

"The scars... Was it all them?" Yoongi asked with anger and a little bit of hesitation.

"N-No, not all of them," he continued while still looking at Hoseok and saw the older look back down at him with sadness.

"You hurt yourself?" asked Hoseok quietly.

"Y-Yes," he whispered as he closed his eyes to fight back the tears.

"Why?" asked Yoongi quietly.

"Hyung," Chan-woo lifted his head and looked over to Yoongi on the other couch. "Hyung, all I know is pain. My entire life, all I have ever known is pain. Does it matter if it is them or if it is me?"

"It does matter," Yoongi said with sad eyes. "Because now you aren't going back to them, you'll only have yourself that causes the pain."

With a sigh, Chan-woo thought over the wise words. It was true that while he was here, the only person that could cause him physical pain was himself. But that would only last as long as he was here. He couldn't help but think most of the group would never accept, as well as the ferocious supporters of them. From where he was in this point of time, it was a highly likely outcome that he would be kicked out of the boy band.

"Yoongi Hyung told me about the conversation he overheard last night," Hoseok broke up the silence. "He heard you were in hospital because you fainted. But he didn't want to tell me why. Do you feel comfortable telling me?"

"I was in my dance lessons when I fainted. Daniel Hyung took me to the hospital. And through blood tests they found I have low iron levels and recently entered the Anaemic stage," Chan-woo said as he looked between the two sadly. "I need to eat more red meat to help it. Which is why Yoongi Hyung gave me extra beef tonight and why Bang PD Hyung didn't order the pork belly."

"I'm sorry," sighed Hoseok as he rubbed the younger's arm.

"About what, Hyung?" asked Chan-woo as he looked at the other in confusion.

"For what you've been through and for how you've been treated by us since you got here," whispered Hoseok.

"Don't be sorry, Hyung," he said and looked down at his lap. "You can't control how they act. I've already accepted it and I'm learning the rules to make living with people that hate me that little bit easier."

"You shouldn't have to live like that though," Yoongi said with a frown on his face. "I'll do something about it."

"Yoongi Hyung, I spent eighteen years of my life living with people that absolutely hate me. I am used to it. This is nothing new to me. And there is nothing you can do to change how the rest of the boys treat me. Either they come to like me on their own, or they continue hating me for the rest of time," he said sadly, shocking the other two with how accepting of the situation he was.

"Once again, I am sorry. I'm sorry for how you were treated by your parents. And I am sorry for how the others are treating you. I promise I'll try to make this easier for you," said Hoseok as he lent closer and rested his head against Chan-woo's. "Are you tired?"

"Very, Hoseokie Hyung," he answered before a yawn escaped him. "Big day tomorrow."

"It's your last day, right?" Yoongi asked while he tilted his head.

"Mmm. I have my last language lesson and then I have a mock interview which will be recorded for Bang PD-nim Hyung to see," he said before he yawned again.

"What time do you finish?" asked Hoseok as he pulled his head away and looked at him with a kind smile.

"The last lesson usually goes from 2pm to 3:20pm, but I don't know if I'll be finished early with the mock interview," he said as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeves.

"Alright, I think it's time for you to go to bed young one," Yoongi said before he laughed loudly at himself.

"I agree with the drunk man, I need to sleep," smiled Chan-woo. "Thank you both for being there for me tonight. Please don't tell any of the other boys about what I have been through and what I am going through. I only trust you two."

"I will never break your trust," whispered Hoseok as he rubbed the younger's back. "Would you like that blanket again?"

"P-Please," he answered with tired pleading eyes.

"I'll be back. You lie down and get comfortable," he said before he stood up and walked away.

The two males that were left in the living room by themselves just stared at one another. Chan-woo couldn't help but blush at the intense look. He could see Yoongi looking at him with sadness and pity. It was a look he had seen on other people's face before after they had learnt what he had been through. And it always made him uncomfortable each time.

"I know I've been drinking, but can I hug you good night?" Yoongi asked with a soft voice, intense gaze observing his reaction.

Caught off guard by the question, he tilted his head as he thought about it. He knew if he agreed, he'd be surrounded by the smell of alcohol. And he hated that aspect. But by accepting to hug the other, it truly showed how far this conversation had shaped their relationship. Even though he was intoxicated, the other still had the decency to ask if he was comfortable, and that in itself made his heart explode in happiness. Just knowing Yoongi and Hoseok understood a little more about him and that they were going to be there made this whole situation easier.

"Sure," he finally answered with a small smile. 

The second the words left his mouth, Yoongi stood up and made his way to stand in front of him. Chan-woo looked up as the older stood above him. He watched as the other held out his hands and waited for him to take them. He slipped his hands that were covered by his sleeves into the large hands of Yoongi and was pulled to his feet a second later.

Strong arms wrapped around him as Chan-woo was held against a firm chest. He turned his head to the side and rested it on the broad shoulder. He felt Yoongi rest his chin upon the top of his head, before he slightly tightened his grip around him. Oddly, Chan-woo felt a lot of comfort from the embrace despite the waves of strong alcohol he could smell. He closed his eyes as he held the other back equally as tight.

"Not fair, I want a hug too," he heard Hoseok jokingly whine as he walked over to them.

"Soon. Just let me hold him a little longer," whispered Yoongi softly, not moving an inch.

"You going okay there, Channie-ah?" Hoseok walked around to the other side so he could see the younger's face to make sure he wasn't freaking out with the scent of the alcohol.

"Yes," he whispered without opening his eyes. "You can have your hug soon like Yoongi Hyung said."

"Geez, I feel so special now," Hoseok rolled his eyes and laughed, glad to see Chan-woo had already started to opening up to them.

The two stayed still hugging each other for a few more seconds before Yoongi finally pulled away and held the younger at arms length. A sad smile appeared on his face as he pushed the hair away from Chan-woo's face. Finally he stepped away and gestured that Hoseok could now hug the younger. Chan-woo didn't give Hoseok anytime to move as he wrapped his arms around the older first which took the other two by surprise.

Hoseok smiled as he hugged the other softly, too afraid to hurt the delicate young man in his arms. He too, placed his chin on top of Chan-woo's head as he held him close. His heart broke as he noticed how skinny the younger was. But that would have to be a conversation for another time as the younger needed to go to bed. Reluctantly, he broke away from the hug with a soft sigh.

"Alright, bed time. Have a good sleep, Channie-ah," Hoseok smiled, watched the younger lie down on the couch, and then gently covered him with the blanket.

"Thank you both, again. Really. Have a good sleep too, Hyungs," Chan-woo said softly.

"Good night," Yoongi said before he turned around and walked up the hallway to his bedroom.

"Good night," whispered Hoseok as he turned off the lights in the living room and walked away.

For the first time, Chan-woo felt a feeling he had never experienced before. He felt a sense of security and homeliness when he was with those two. It was strange to feel that way. It was so foreign. He settled in to the couch, head on pillow, blanket pulled up to his chin, and he finally allowed for his eyes to close.

Thoughts of the day flooded his mind. The good, the bad, and the uncomfortable. He allowed them all to play out in the order they wanted. A small smile crept on to his face unbeknownst to him as he thought back on the support from Yoongi and Hoseok. His body was tired from the emotional ending to the day. And slowly, very slowly, he faded away from consciousness and into a peaceful sleep.