Everything was too loud for the tired Jung Chan-woo as he forced himself to walk out of the airport terminal. His lost eyes wandered around the massive airport, looking out for signs to guide him towards the baggage area. He held his backpack straps tighter in an anxious way as he tried to not be touched by any of the busy crowd that walked passed him. He had never left his hometown before, so the current experience was very overwhelming for his tired mind.

A sign for the baggage collection area finally caught his attention, so he walked a little quicker. He followed the signs to the conveyer belt that would soon unload his flight's baggage. While he waited, he pulled out his phone and turned it off airplane mode. His phone vibrated in his hand as it caught up on five hours worth of missed notifications. Chan-woo's eyes caught sight of a text message from a number that hadn't been saved to his contacts. 

Unsaved Number:
Chan-woo, this is Bang PD Hyung. I just arrived at the airport. Let me know when you are here so I can come and find you.

A sigh of relief left Chan-woo as he reread the message again before he saved the number to his phone. He had been so nervous that as a result of the phone call from the driver to Bang PD-nim, he wouldn't be wanted in his company anymore. He had been terrified his father might have stolen his only opportunity to leave that godforsaken hell hole. With shaky fingers, he typed in a reply. 

Chan-woo:
Hi Hyung. I just landed. I am at the baggage collection area. Should I stay here until you get me?

A few seconds after sent his response, he looked up just in time to see his large duffle bag appear out of the flaps and travel along the conveyer belt. He placed his phone in his pocket and walked up to a free space along the conveyer belt. He readied himself to grab his bag as it approached. He held out his hand and grabbed the handles, struggling to lift the heavy bag up with his tired body.

"Chan-woo?" a voice asked from behind him.

Chan-woo turned around to see Bang PD-nim right behind him with a kind smile on his face. He bowed respectfully to the older male, too nervous to talk in that moment. As he stood up straight, he saw Bang PD-nim's eyes widen in shock as he caught sight of the bruises that were visible on his neck. He couldn't help but hang his head in shame, his hoodie fell lower over his head to cover the shame written all over his face.

"Aish, your neck Chan-woo. It looks bad. I was hoping it wasn't true," a sad look took over the once happy face. "Here, let me take that for you."

With a small sheepish smile, Chan-woo handed the heavy bag over to the outstretched hand and bowed in thanks. He tried to fight away any signs of tears while his heartbeat grew faster from the nerves. He tried to look anywhere but the sad look on the other's face. Bang PD-nim easily carried the bag as he silently led the way through the busy airport. The older made sure that he kept close by him after people begun to stare in their direction.

Chan-woo kept his eyes down until he noticed Bang PD-nim stopped in front of a slick black car. It was quite similar to the one he was picked up in earlier that day. Quietly, he got into the car after Bang PD-nim opened the back door for him, and slid over to allow room for his boss. While he waited for the other to finish putting the bags in the car boot, Chan-woo nervously fiddled with his hands. 

"Ready?" asked Bang PD-nim as he got in, closed the door and buckled up. 

"Ready as I can be," Chan-woo sighed and looked out the window as the car begun moving.

Silence filled the car as both men settled in to the soft, fancy seats. Bang PD-nim's mind was consumed with thoughts of how to tackle the difficult conversation he needed to have. He knew he needed to talk with the young man beside him about it, but he didn't want to make him uncomfortable. As the CEO of the company, he had to ensure all of his employees and idols were safe and continued to feel safe.

"Chan-woo?" he cautiously asked as he looked pitifully at the tired boy beside him. 

"Yeah, Hyung?" he answered as he turned his head away from the window for the first time.

"Did it happen often? The abuse? Or was this an unexpected outburst?" Bang PD-nim kept his voice gentle as he saw the fear flash in the light brown eyes. 

"A lot," whispered Chan-woo. 

"Just your father?" he asked, already knowing the answer when he saw the nervous gulp the younger did.

"N-No, my mother too," he looked at his lap, fighting hard to hold back the tears.

"How long has the abuse been going on, Chan-ah?" Bang PD-nim's heart broke as he asked the question.

Chan-woo couldn't answer, his throat felt choked up from the intense emotions. He just sat there, tears ran down his face in silence, not able to speak. How could he admit it to his new boss? There's no way he could tell Bang PD-nim anything in that very moment. Maybe he could tell him over time after they built up more of a relationship and trust. 

"That long, eh?" Bang PD-nim sighed after he saw the tears. He reached out and placed his hand on the younger's knee and rubbed his thumb in comforting circles. "I hope one day you can tell me."

"O-One day, I hope so too," he nodded his head as he brought up his arms and wiped away the tears with the sleeves of his jumper.

"Would you like to press charges over the incident that happened today at least?" asked Bang PD-nim with a frown. 

Frantically he shook his head. Chan-woo looked at the older with wide, fearful eyes. He couldn't admit to anyone else what had occurred that day. He couldn't allow any reports to be on his record. Fans would snoop and eventually find it and he did think he could handle the whole world knowing his dark secret.

"You are over eighteen, I can't force you to do it," he sighed as he took his hand away, not before he firstly gently squeezed the knee once more for support. "But just know if you change your mind, I'll be there for you. As well as the driver that witnessed it."

"Y-You won't fire him for helping me, will you?" Chan-woo asked nervously, hating to think he was the cause of someone losing their job. 

"No, of course not," he tried to smile reassuringly.

Relief flooded through him which cause him to sigh softly. Chan-woo smiled sadly before he looked out of the window again. He watched with intrigued eyes at the passing lights from buildings and the sky which formed a lovely light pink colour as the sun begun to set. He was amazed at how different Seoul city was to his hometown. It was stunning, busy, and unique. People of all ages walked the streets, restaurants and food stores crowded, street performers drew small crowds of onlookers.

"Would you like to go over your schedule for the next week or two before we get to the BigHit Entertainment building?" asked Bang PD-nim after some silence.

"S-Sure Hyung," Chan-woo turned his head again with a smile.

"The schedule is the same every day, hence why I don't know if you'll be done in a week or two weeks. You'll start off at 8am with a vocal coach and finish at 10:40am to have a twenty minute break. I saw in your paperwork you can speak some English, Japanese and Chinese, so I'll get you a language coach to brush up on those areas. Those lessons will go from 11am to 1pm," said Bang PD-nim, knowing it off by heart after he had quickly organised it over the last day.

"English is my best foreign language out of them all," interrupted Chan-woo, nervous to speak up. "So I will probably focus most of my time on the other two."

"I'll let the language coach know," smiled Bang PD-nim kindly, glad the other was paying attention and contributing to the conversation. "You'll have an hour break to rest and eat. Then at 2pm you'll meet up with a stage coach to go over things from handling interviews, to preforming live, to fan meets. That will go until 3:20pm. And lastly from 3:30pm until 5:30pm you'll have dance lessons with one of the best coaches we have."

"Wow, that's a lot. But I am prepared for it. I was born ready," a fire was evident in his eyes, passion clearly on his face.

"It'll be intense, but remember you are skipping the traineeship. So it is necessary," smiled Bang PD-nim as he saw the look on the younger's face. "I'm sure you'll smash it out, Chan-woo. I can see your passion and your talent."

"T-Thank you, Hyung," a small blush appeared on his cheeks as he looked at his hands in his lap.

"You are more than welcome," he chuckled lightly and placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder, before he squeezed it gently. "Ah, we are here!"

The car slowed down and pulled up outside of a massive building. Chan-woo's eyes lit up with excitement as he leant forward slightly to look passed his boss. He couldn't believe he was finally here at his dream company. The two men got out of the car and headed inside the huge glass doors. The few security guards on shift bowed respectfully to the CEO as he walked by them.

"I'll give you a quick tour, show you the rooms you'll be going to each day and then we will head to the dorms so you can rest up after that long flight and big day you've had," smiled Bang PD-nim as he walked towards the first stop.

Chan-woo tried to take it all in as he was led around the massive building, committing the rooms to memory as much as his tired brain would allow. His eyes wandered around the place with wonderment. His heart pounded hard the entire time they walked. A smile firm on his face as it sunk in where he was standing. He was standing in one of the many dance rooms he would be able to practice in as an unofficial idol of BigHit Entertainment.

The pair made their way back out to the awaiting car, both hoped into the same seats as before. Bang PD-nim remained silent as he allowed it all to sink in for the young man. He could tell he was in awe as well as a little overwhelmed. He didn't blame him, knowing how much this opportunity meant for Chan-woo. He would allow the younger as much time as he needed to get used to this new life after the obviously hard one he had previously had.

Once again, the car slowed down, only this time outside a tall apartment building. The two men plus the driver hopped out of the vehicle. A yawn escaped Chan-woo as he tiredly stretched his aching limbs. The driver placed the duffle bag and backpack on the ground next to the pair before he got back in the car. Chan-woo grabbed the two items before he smiled and nodded at his boss to lead the way.

They silently went up the elevator and made their way to a door towards the end of the long hallway. Bang PD-nim looked at Chan-woo with a kind smile before he lifted his arm and knocked on the door loudly. He could tell the younger was nervous as he trained his eyes on the ground and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Even after the door opened, the younger didn't look up. 

"Namjoon-ah! I'm sure everyone is waiting for us, right?" smiled Bang PD-nim as he looked upon the leader of the group.

Upon hearing the familiar name, Chan-woo shot his head up, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the one and only Kim Namjoon. The leader of BTS didn't look at him as a strained smile passed his face and he nodded at the CEO. Chan-woo watched in shock as the taller man turned around and walked inside the apartment. A hand gently guided his stiff body inside, his eyes glued to the floor as he processed the information.

"Boys!" Bang PD-nim called out seeing the group of seven sat on the couches in the living room. "How are you?"

"Tired," a quiet, yet grumpy voice said which caused everyone but Chan-woo to laugh.

"You are always tired, Yoongi Hyung," a sweet voice replied lightly.

"Well I was meant to be in bed sleeping right now," clearly the other was annoyed at the situation, which only made Chan-woo gulp in guilt. "But I was told to wait for whatever this important meeting was for."

"Ah yes, Namjoon didn't tell you guys, right?" asked Bang PD-nim and a round of "no's" went around the room. "Good, good. I'd like you to meet Jung Chan-woo. He will become an official new member of BTS in a week or two after he is done with training to polish up all of his skills."

"What?" a gasp came from a deep voice, sending shivers down Chan-woo's spine. 

Chan-woo could feel the tension in the room as the boy's learnt he would be joining them. He didn't dare lift his eyes from the ground, he didn't want to see the disappointment or the hatred any of them might have on their faces. Why didn't Bang PD-nim tell them beforehand? He didn't need to see even more people hate him, he already received so much from his parents. He couldn't see some of his favourite idols look at him the same way too.

"New member? Him? Why Hyung?" a nasally voice asked with a mixture of confusion and anger. "We've worked so hard to get where we are. And he gets to join us after all the hard work we've done? It's not fair Bang PD Hyung! He shouldn't get a free ride to fame thanks to our hard work!"

"It is not a free ride to fame," disappointedly sighed Bang PD-nim. "You'll come to understand the potential he could bring to this group. The talent he has, well, you will all see it for yourselves."

"Still! It isn't fair he gets to join us," huffed a quiet voice. 

"Jungkook-ah, you all have no choice. This is my decision," again sighed Bang PD-nim. "Now, let Chan-woo settle in. He's had a massive day and needs to be rested for his training schedule that starts early tomorrow morning. Namjoon, look after him and help him please."

"Yes Hyung," Namjoon said emotionless.

"Alright, call me if you need anything Chan-ah," Bang PD-nim said as he softly patted the younger's shoulder in a supportive way. "Good night everyone."

The whole group mumbled their goodbye partings with the CEO before they were left in silence as the older man left the apartment. Chan-woo stood still, eyes on the ground and both hands held the straps to his duffle bag in front of him. No one moved or spoke for what seemed like years to the scared boy.

"Sit down so I can lay out some rules for you," Namjoon's cold voice bit out into the silence.

Chan-woo did as he was told and sat on the empty spot on one of the couches. The members that were sat beside him scooted away in disgust, not wanting to be anywhere near him. He dared to take a chance and took a quick look around at his new band members. Chan-woo's heart broke in a million pieces as the disgust and hatred he thought would be there, was indeed, there on their faces.

"Since you are getting a free ride to fame, you'll have to work for things around here," spat Namjoon in disgust and anger to which the others nodded in agreement. "You can not eat our food. You'll have to buy your own groceries. Anything you want, you will have to buy yourself. That includes your own bed."

"W-Where will I sleep in the meantime?" Chan-woo quietly asked as he looked up briefly before he unconsciously flinched at the angry eyes from the leader of BTS.

"The couch," he scoffed as if the answer was obvious. "And on that fact, don't talk to any of us unless spoken to first. Got that?"

"Y-Yes Namjoon Hyung," he nodded while he tried to hold back the tears.

"Just stay out of way in general, yeah?" another cold voice interrupted.

He looked up to find that Yoongi had said that. He nodded his head in understanding before he looked at his hands. He nervously played with his long sleeves, glad none of them could see his arms. He'd hate for any of them to see his broken body. Which reminded him, his neck. He tried hard to convince himself that they wouldn't notice hopefully thanks to their rage. He adjusted his hoodie self-consciously, afraid for his secret to be revealed during their first meeting.

"And lastly, we will not be giving you rides to or from the company building. You'll have to make your own way," Namjoon continued. "Anything else you guys want to add?"

The room was silent, the group satisfied with the rules in place. Chan-woo nodded his head and fought back the tears. He could feel the glares from the rest of them as the silence continued. A yawn escaped passed his lips as hard as he tried to contain it. He wondered if he would be able to lay down and sleep soon. The group started talking amongst themselves, ignoring him completely as if he wasn't even there.

After a few minutes, he realised he wouldn't be able to lie down on the couch anytime soon. Chan-woo stood up silently and took his duffle bag over to the corner of the room. He slid off his backpack as he sat down next to his bag. Another yawn overtook his body which made his eyes water and grow heavier with fatigue. He laid down on his right side and rested his head on top of his duffle bag as he was too tired to take out his pillow. He hugged his backpack to his chest in hopes of hiding the bruises around his neck while he slept.

Before he fell asleep, Chan-woo quickly set an alarm on his phone for the morning. He needed enough time to get up, get ready and be at the company on time. He planned on catching a taxi to the company tomorrow morning since he didn't know how long the walk was between the dorms and BigHit. Thankfully he still had a small stack of cash he had managed to squirrel away with him so he wasn't completely broke.

Finally, he closed his eyes. He couldn't help but think how there wasn't much difference between his home life and his new life here at the dorm so far. The people he lived with hate him, hate his existence. The people he had lived with treated him horribly, so he'd have to see if that was to continue. He would have to provide basic things for himself once more, all out of his own pocket again. At least he could keep the money he earnt this time. But was this place any better than his home life with his parents? Only time would tell.