Recent events have changed so much. A domino effect. Perhaps something had always been rotting from the inside?
The happiness of one team member caused their long-standing friendship to crumble like a house of cards. In that case, could it even be called friendship at all?
So many times, they promised each other they could weather the greatest storms together, that they would stand as an unshakable wall in defense of one another, even if the entire world turned against them. Where did those knightly promises suddenly disappear to? Did they dissolve in the shadow of fame? Did the entertainment industry change them as it changes everything else?

But what if it was all just in his head? The great leader who couldn't distinguish what should forever remain a priority. Perhaps that's how it was... because aside from Namjoon, the rest were genuinely happy for Kook's happiness. And after the accident, everyone, without a word, focused solely on you.

No one ever said it would be easy to balance private life with fame and being there for the fans. But when Kook stepped forward first and fought fiercely for all of you with tooth and claw... the others thought it might just be worth it. Maybe it was finally time to start living for themselves as well.
And although the spotlight, the screams of fans, and all that glittering aura made them always so excited, somewhere alongside it, an ordinary life was passing by - the beautiful little moments that somehow slipped through their fingers. It was time to notice that life. To notice it... and cherish it.

***

Hoseok had been unreachable since morning. He wasn't answering his phone, and he wasn't at home or in the training hall.

Yoongi, like a fanboy, searched for him in every possible place he might have gone. He wasn't even at his favorite bakery today, where for years, he had ordered the same pastry daily. Even the shopkeeper asked if everything was alright. Madness.

Another call, seven rings, voicemail.

"Seriously, Hoseok. You're always everywhere, but when we really need you, you disappear into thin air."

Yoongi muttered curses under his breath, slowly giving up.

He dragged himself back to his car, already making his own plans.

***

Meanwhile somewhere else...

The scent of roses practically enveloped him. His lips curled into an uncontrollable smile.
"It seems you've finally decided," the seller's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Not quite. I'm still thinking. These roses are beautiful, but... she probably deserves something better."

"Do you think roses are overdone? They're a classic! A symbol of beauty and delicacy. Roses were once given as gifts to royalty."

A sly smile crept onto his face.
"In that case, I'll take them all."

"A-a-all of them?" The elderly Korean man was visibly taken aback. "There are at least two hundred here, tho!"

***

Yoongi's phone started ringing like crazy.
Hoseok.
"Now you're calling, you idiot? Where have you been all day?"
He tossed the phone onto the seat next to him, not even hesitating to completely ignore his friend.
With a mischievous smirk on his face, he pressed the gas pedal and sped off toward his apartment, tires screeching.
It wasn't long before he had to screech to a stop again, almost running over some lunatic carrying more flowers than he could handle.

"Hey, prima donna! Get off the road, or those flowers will be for your funeral!"
Yeah, patience wasn't exactly his strong suit.

From behind the gargantuan bush of roses, a familiar mop of hair peeked out.
"I'd recognize that jerk anywhere. Good thing you're here. Help me load this up."

Yoongi's mouth fell open in disbelief.
Standing before him was none other than Hoseok himself.
Except it looked like he had taken an entire meadow from Jeju Island with him.

"Where are you dragging all that? Have you completely lost it?"

"YN is getting discharged from the hospital. I can't show up empty-handed, can I?"

"Are you planning to drown her in those weeds?"

Hoseok puffed up. "This was all they had."

"T-this was all? Would you have bought more?"

But Hoseok just grinned.
"Pop the trunk, old man. I'm not hauling this on my lap."

***

It had been a tough week. From the moment of the accident, through the procedure, to now-everything felt like a blur. But if it weren't for the painkillers, you'd probably have cried like a little girl. A broken collarbone.
Great. All you wanted was to pick up that sweet puppy for Jungkook's anniversary present.
And now, it was all for nothing. That was probably what hurt the most.
Instead of a sweet smile on your boyfriend's face, there was only worry.
And today, when he appeared in the doorway of your hospital room, that worry still hadn't faded. Sure, he was smiling at you as brightly as he could, showering you with kisses and trying to joke around-but you could see something was off.

"Thanks for coming to get me." A bouquet of flowers landed on your lap. "You didn't have to. But they're beautiful. Thank you, Koo."

"You deserve the most beautiful things."

"Getting all sweet on me? Too much sugar. Don't try to charm me. You promised me ramen."

"Ramen? The doctor said you need to eat healthily so everything heals properly. And you want to start with ramen? No way. I'll cook you a nice soup."

"I'll go on a hunger strike!"

"Doubt it. Chef Kook cooks Michelin-star meals!"

"We'll see... I doubt some measly vegetable soup will satisfy me."

"I've got dessert up my sleeve."

"You're not..."

Kook laughed as he packed your suitcase. "Hungry much? What's on your mind?"

"I didn't say anything!"
Well, maybe you blushed a little. Fine, you had some dirty thoughts, but could anyone blame you? Over a week without any alone time with him-not even a chance to think about more intimate things.

"Ready? The sooner, the better! I've missed you enough already, and I just want to get you home."

"Did you miss me?" You teased him like a little kid, sticking your tongue out as you headed to the car.

"No one to clean up after me...
Ow!"
Instant karma. You didn't have much strength, but he wasn't expecting to get smacked in the head with a bouquet.
He pulled you close and inhaled your scent deeply.
"I love you, you little brat. I'm so glad you're finally coming home."

***

At home, his good mood didn't seem to fade.
But instead of jumping on you the moment the door closed, he gently laid you on the bed and headed for the couch himself.
Not what you were expecting.
Even the pout forming on your face didn't help. The message was clear-first, you had to heal, then there'd be time for fun. Jungkook was worse than an old granny...

You almost threw a mini tantrum, but eventually, he crawled into bed. Of course, he had to be playful about it, sneaking toward you like a cat, while all you wanted was to grab him and feel his hands on your body again.
You were so close-already feeling his breath on your neck-when something, once again, came between you and what you desperately wanted.
You almost cried in frustration.
Was it the meds? Or had you just gone crazy?

Uninvited and not particularly welcome guests at the moment turned out to be, of course, Yoongi and Hoseok-or rather, Yoongi and the garden the other one had somehow managed to squeeze through the door. You let out a sigh. You'd never received so many flowers in your life.

"Hobi!" you squealed, leaping out of bed as if burned. Suddenly, all your interest in the awkwardly spicy situation from earlier evaporated. You wrapped yourself around Hoseok, pushing past the jungle of flowers he was holding. He laughed loudly, visibly startled.

"Careful, little one-you don't want to break your other side! I'm so happy you're okay. We were so worried about you."

"It's so good to see you! And these flowers-they smell amazing. Thank you so much." You finally stepped back from the boy, who was barely managing to hold up his floral load. You didn't even notice the shocked expressions of Kook and Yoongi, who were clearly at a loss for what was happening.

"I don't have a vase for these," you admitted.

"You think so?" Yoongi quipped sarcastically. Hoseok laughed nervously.

"You could always put them in the bathtub."

"No way!" Jungkook cut in immediately. "The bathtub is off-limits. I have other plans for that spot."

An awkward silence followed-but not for long, because Yoongi, of course, never knew when to stop.

"I see we interrupted something."

Your face turned as red as a beet. You quickly changed the subject. "Yoongi. I'm really glad you came."

For once, he gave you a genuine smile-a warm, honest expression of relief as he looked at you. "It's so good to see you. We really were worried. Are you feeling better?"

You nodded, focusing your gaze on the basket he was holding. "Is that for me?"

"Oh, this? Yeah. Just a little something. I thought you could use a break from hospital food."

"Ramen?!" you practically screamed in delight, while Kook, clearly resigned, didn't even bother to comment.

***

The afternoon had suddenly taken a turn for the better. Caramel coffee with three of the band members lightened your mood. Even the pain seemed less noticeable. They joked, told silly stories, and successfully distracted you from darker thoughts. But eventually, the conversation shifted to their last concert-the one they'd performed as six.
You felt guilty. If it weren't for you, that wouldn't have happened.

"Kook, you really should have performed. Sang-hee was with me. Nothing would have happened to me. I feel so stupid."

"I was where I needed to be," Jungkook replied firmly.

"You should at least talk things through with Namjoon," Yoongi suggested.

The truth was, everyone except the leader had visited you in the hospital after the accident. It hurt. You understood that you might have put them in a difficult position, and maybe Namjoon didn't particularly like you. But deep down, you'd hoped that this might be the moment you'd finally connect with him. You didn't have anything against him-perhaps you didn't think of him as a friend, but you wanted to be closer to him, at least as close as you were with the others. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. You couldn't understand why he seemed to dislike you so much.

"Y/N is right, Jungkook," Yoongi continued. "You should meet with him and clear the air. He's at the agency today, alone. You'd have the perfect chance to talk, sort things out, and bury the hatchet."

"I'm not leaving Y/N in this state. She can't do anything with that arm."

"She's not alone," Yoongi interrupted immediately. "Hoseok and I can stay here and help with anything she needs."

You nodded in agreement. Reluctantly, Jungkook eventually gave in.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

You smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."

***

That one afternoon with them wasn't the end. Weeks have passed. The entire process of your recovery passed with a constant flow of visits, shared games, karaoke, cooking experiments, or Netflix marathons. Everyone came to see you. With Jin, you had a million photo shoots in various outfits. Tae tried to convert you to his love for jazz sessions. Even Jimin, shyly but sincerely, made efforts to grow closer, as if making up for the times you two had been at odds. But Namjoon still couldn't seem to find his way to you.

To be honest, Namjoon seemed distant from everything and everyone. He held onto a deep resentment from that one concert, where Jungkook had made it clear what was more important to him. Despite hundreds attempts by the youngest to reconcile with the leader, every effort ended in failure. Over time, Jungkook started giving less and less attention to the group, spending more time with you and working on his own music.

Every time you tried to bring up the topic, he dodged it-whether by distracting you with kisses that made you forget everything or by claiming he was tired, had a headache, or had something urgent to handle. You knew this couldn't last forever, but did Jungkook realize it, too?

***

The day finally came when Namjoon sent the first message. Jungkook was just as shocked as you would have been if Namjoon had shown up at your door with flowers. But was it really so surprising? His message read: "You'll regret this."
No wonder Jungkook practically flew out of the house immediately. He didn't say when he'd be back, didn't show you the message, didn't explain what it was about-he just left you behind, and it hurt. If Hoseok hadn't stepped in to distract you, you probably would have kept calling Jungkook until he picked up.

But here we go - the hero.
"Y/N," Hoseok said gently, noticing your mood, "do you remember when we first met? That time you invited me over, and we shared a meal together?"

You laughed at the memory. "Those were wild days-everything felt so fresh and new. Why are you bringing this up?"

"Because I made you a promise back then. I said that the next time, I'd be the one inviting you out for a meal. Somehow, I never got around to it. So tonight, I'm inviting you to dinner. And don't you dare think of saying no."

"But-"

"No buts. I'll pick you up at 6. Be ready."

And just like that, he left-just like Jungkook. What was it with people leaving you behind today?

Jungkook still wasn't answering his phone. Eventually, you got annoyed. If he was going to ignore you completely, why should you behave any differently? You turned off your phone, deciding to focus on the dinner instead-a dinner that felt like it came out of nowhere.

"What should I wear?"

It was a silly question, but it kept nagging at you. It wasn't a date; it was just a friendly outing. But still... What kind of places did Hoseok like? You couldn't risk showing up looking like a total mess-someone might see you, and you couldn't embarrass him, right?

The black dress seemed over the top. It made you feel like you were going out with Jungkook-elegant, beautiful, but maybe too much for tonight. Maybe you overdid the makeup too? Or paid too much attention to your hair?

It was just a casual outing with a friend. What if he took you to some small pasta place tucked away in a quiet corner? What if he showed up in his usual sporty clothes and a goofy cap, and there you were looking like a runway model?

"Ugh, you're such an idiot, Y/N," you muttered, heading back to your room to change.

You were about to strip when the doorbell rang, stopping you mid-motion.

"Oh fuck, it's already 6."

***

Hoseok's pov

He was just about to ring the doorbell for the second time when the door finally creaked open. Hoseok's usual smile curved onto his lips-until it froze halfway. His breath caught, and for a split second, it felt like time itself had stopped.

His heart thudded against his ribs. That crazy muscle pounded so hard it made his head spin.

You stood there, framed by the soft light spilling from the hallway, and he swore he had never seen anyone look more beautiful. The black dress hugged you in all the right ways, your hair fell in soft waves around your face, and though there was a touch of hesitation in your eyes, you were just stunning.
He tried to speak, but no words came. His throat went dry as his mind was searching for something-anything-to say that wouldn't betray the way his pulse raced.

You shifted slightly.
"Hoseok, I'm ready."

He blinked a few times. Your voice sounded distant, as if you were speaking from far away. It was strange-he'd heard you say his name countless times before, but now it sent a warmth through him like never before. He must have had a stroke. That had to be it.
"I... um... Yeah. Right. I said six, didn't I? You're... you're ready?"

You tilted your head.
"I wasn't sure where we were going, so... I hope this is okay. I'd hate to be under-or overdressed."

His gaze lingered a bit too long, tracing the line of your dress before snapping back to your eyes. "You are..." He paused, swallowing hard. "Beautiful. I mean, you look perfect. Just... perfect."

Get it together, J-Hope. But your quiet, bashful smile in response only made it harder to breathe.

***

The dinner was wonderful.

You had half-expected the restaurant to be reserved-it was too risky to meet in a public place. The setting was serene, with soft background music, quiet atmosphere, and Hoseok cracking jokes and reminding you of all your early days and all the adventures since then.

It felt good to go back to the memories, to escape the daily problems, and to hear stories about him and the band-things you'd never read in any magazine. You were glad you had come tonight. You hadn't realized how much you needed this.

But tonight, there was something different about the way he looked at you. His eyes lingered just a second longer than usual, his tone softer, his laugh warmer. Was it wrong that you felt safe around him?

"You know," he said, leaning slightly over the table, "I've been meaning to take you out for ages. Ever since... Well, since that first meal you made me. But life just kept getting in the way."

You smiled. "And now you've outdone yourself.

"I just wanted to see you smile," he admitted quietly, almost as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Your cheeks flushed, and you quickly looked away, focusing on the flicker of the candle between you. Time to go, Y/n, run - your thoughts were screaming inside you.

The ride back to your place was filled with laughter, but the ride was quick. Maybe too quick? You stepped out of the car.
"Thank you, Hobi. For tonight. For everything. I didn't realize how much I needed this."

He smiled back, but it was gentler now, the usual spark in his eyes was replaced with something softer. For a moment, neither of you moved.

"Well..." you started, shifting slightly. "I should-" You turned to leave, but his hand gently closed around your forearm.

"Wait."

You instinctively turned back to him.

Slowly, he pulled you into a hug, his arms wrapping around you with a tenderness that made your knees weak.
He had hugged you countless times before-when he visited, when saying hello or goodbye. You had even hugged him first on many occasions. But tonight, when he pulled you close, you just froze. You could swear you heard your own heartbeat echoing in your chest.
Then, he leaned in, his lips brushing the soft skin of your cheek in a kiss. It was a short peck, but it lingered, spreading through you like wildfire. What's going on?

"Goodnight," he murmured.

Before you could even respond, he just turned and walked away, leaving you in a daze.

You barely had time to process when Jungkook's voice cut through the stillness.

"Y/N?"

Then your gaze met. His dark eyes were fixed on you. They weren't just questioning-they burned, like embers about to catch fire.

"Kook... what are you doing here?" Your voice came out softer than you intended.

He tilted his head slightly. "I could ask you the same thing."

You swallowed hard. "Hobi... he took me out for dinner."

He took a step closer, and suddenly the space between you felt like nothing at all. "Dinner." He repeated the word as if testing how it sounded in his mouth. His voice was lower now, almost a murmur, but it hummed in your ears. "And he brought you home."

You nodded, feeling like you are losing your ground.
"Yeah... he was just being nice. It was nothing." You stumbled over your own words, hating how weak you sounded.

Jungkook's eyes were scanning your face at this point, your hair, the dress you wore. He lingered on the faint shimmer of makeup on your cheek, the very spot where Hoseok's lips had been moments before.

"Nothing?" he echoed. "It didn't look like nothing from where I was standing."