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chapter seven

Fortunately, the boys didn't see me hugging Yoongi, or they would have been teasing us almost all the time.

But they saw me when we released ourselves from our embrace and Hoseok immediately took hold on my hands, telling me to stay longer.

I couldn't resist his heart-shaped smile and am now sitting on their coach, squeezed between Jimin and Jeongguk while watching a movie.

This is awkward. I blink. Or maybe I'm the one making it awkward...

We chose a scary movie. Many of them disagreed, but personally, I really like horror movies. I just think that the story is most of the time really interesting.

I would love to fully watch the movie, but my body is just way too exhausted and my eyes close themselves every now and then from tiredness. The fatigue lays in my head like a worm, slowly yet deliberately sucking my energy out.

My head falls forward, and I snap out of it. But a few moments later, I doze off again.

Jimin notices it, and a mischievous idea is soon in his mind. As my eyes are closed and my head is slumped forward, he takes the opportunity and slyly places it on Jungkook's shoulder.

Jungkook instantly stiffens, freezing in his seat. A terrified expression takes upon his face. He starts to nervously play with his fingers.

"Uh, hyung," he begins in a terrified voice. The others soon all look at him.

"Help! Help me" He whisper-yells, voice rising with every said word.

"Should we wake her up?" Taehyung whispers to the others.

"I don't know, she seems really peaceful," Seokjin hums.

"I know right," Namjoon adds, "you would never guess that she raps a whole Eminem track when she looks like this right now."

Jimin coos, "so cute!"

"Look at how red Jungkook is!" Hoseok exclaims while laughing loudly, but soon being shut down by Yoongi punching his arm.

"Be quiet and let her sleep! She really needs it, she's been working all day," Yoongi sighs, putting a blanket above Ahri's sleeping body.

"And what am I supposed to do? I'm not a pillow!" Jungkook whispers loudly.

"Well, you've gotta deal with it. Don't wake her up under any circumstances," Yoongi directs while pointing at his face.

"What If I have to pee?" Jungkook asks, exasperated.

"Nope. No pee-time for you," is all Yoongi states, leaving the living room to sleep in the bedroom with the others.

Sighing loudly, Jungkook realizes that he has run out of any options. There weren't any to begin with, to be frank.

Jungkook is trying his very best to reposition himself on the couch while also trying to not wake her up. But it's a struggle, and a really big one at that.

With every movement follows a stir from her sleeping figure, and he stiffens every single time. He curses at himself for being so flustered and jumpy.

Once he has managed to lay comfortably on the small couch, though, he releases a relieved exhale.

Slowly, he drifts off to sleep.

"Oh my god," Jimin squeaks as soon as he sees Ahri and Jeongguk sleeping next to each other. "Guys, come see this!" He whisper-yells to the others, who are still in their bedroom.

"Our Jungkookie is slowly yet surely growing out of his scared-and-freaking-terrified-of-ahri-phase!" Namjoon states proudly, gazing at his two members.

Seokjin softly calls both of the maknaes names out while shaking them awake. "Wake up, it's time to go to practice."

Jeongguk hums, turning around. "Five more minutes, hyung."

Yoongi sighs, shaking his head. "Both of you. Wake up, now," he demands, throwing the blanket off of their bodies.

"What the hell, dude. I said I wanted a chocolate cake, not a strawberry one!" Ahri suddenly mumbles, her eyes still closed as she pushes herself into the corner of the couch.

"She even swears in her sleep, what is this," Seokjin sighs, rubbing his temples.

It causes Jungkook to wake up, looking around in confusion as he soon notices that everyone is staring at them. "What are you guys looking at?"

"You were all smushy-smushy with Ahri." Hoseok's saying has a teasing tone to it, for he makes kissy-faces and clasps his hands together.

The younger one's eyes widen, his cheeks soon turn red from embarrassment.

His widened eyes locate at Ahri, who's facing the head of the couch, still deep asleep. "W-Wake up," Jungkook mumbles quietly. It's almost a meek whisper, really.

"As if she's going to wake up like that," Taehyung scoffs while rolling his eyes.

He makes his way over to his long-lost friend and shakes her roughly. "Aye, wake up, we have practice!" He screams at her.

Her eyes open in shock, but they narrow as soon as she stares into the person who has woken her up like that. "What the hell—"

"No cussing," Jin scolds before she could even continue her threat.

"Sorry, hyung," she mumbles, meanwhile Taehyung is childishly sticking his tongue out at her.

Yona stands up, stretching her body and immediately feeling the aching pain in her muscles. "I'll take a shower and be ready in 15," she mumbles while ambling to her dorm, half asleep.

All of the members exit their homes and stride toward the building. Ahri is still really tired and didn't get enough sleep—but at least she didn't have any nightmares, she tells herself.

It's weird, really. A frown takes upon her face. When I sleep completely alone and am lonely I have bad dreams, but when someone is with me I have either none or some dreams filled with positivity.

They arrive and enter the practice room Yawning, Ahri open the door, and startles as soon as she lookl up.

Bang Si-Hyuk is standing right in front of them, smiling. "Hello and good morning, BTS!"

She startles once again. I really appreciate his positivity and all that, but man, he doesn't have to scream like that, it's 4 a.m.

"Good morning," they bow politely.

"Today is a special day," he begins, "first of all, you guys will have practice for a few hours and after that, you'll have a photo shoot. Your first photo shoot!" He exclaims. "I already told you guys about the details two weeks ago."

Her eyes widen and she start to smile, cheering with the others. "When is the photo shoot exactly?" Namjoon asks.

"It's at 1 p.m. You'll wear the clothes fitted to your concept and the staff will do your make-up and hair," he smiles, being extremely excited himself.

While everyone is preoccupied with warming themselves up, Ahri jogs up to the manager. "Hello, I just wanted to give the contract," she simply says while handing him the envelope with the contract inside of it.

"Good, Yona. I'm happy that you're grandmother signed it. I'll talk to you about the whole school theme later on," he tells her. Ahri nods.

After his announcement, he leaves the room and the group starts to do their practice.

Ahri's body is aching in pain, and it only gets worse with the never-ending practice. She's trying her best to keep up, but it's really easy to see that the others have trained way earlier than she has.

"Ahri, no!" Hoseok cuts the air with his stern voice. "You put your right foot first, and then your left one," He shows it again by his own moves.

She nods while rubbing her tired eyes. "I'm sorry, hyung. I'll do better."

Just a few more hours, I can do this.

Indeed, practice is finished a few hours later, and Yona feels like she'll really collapse on the floor any minute.

Her limbs begin to feel numb and her head might explode from its constant pounding. Massaging her temples to soothe the pain, they soon on make their way over to Bang Si-Hyuk's office.

"Good, you guys are finished." He sits up straight on his leather chair. "So, we'll do your make-up and hair at the building where the photo shoot will be. Someone will drive you there, just go out and there's a car waiting for you."

All of them nod, bidding farewells before going outside to find the car. It's a black jeep, and they get in. Ahri is squeezed between Yoongi and Seokjin.

Ahri soon wonders on how the photo shoot will turn off. She's never done anything like this, and so, her mind drifts off.

I probably won't even pose like all the other talented idols and waste the boys' potential. A frown soon builds up on her face. Ahri begins to scratch her wrists, heartbeat picking up.

"Are you okay, Ahri?" Jin suddenly asks while also gaining the attention of Yoongi.

"O-Oh, me? Yeah." She chuckles nervously, beginning to fiddle with her necklace. "I'm fine."

Yoongi stares at her rather suspiciously. "Are you sure?" He raises his eyebrows.

Quickly gazing at him, she nods while gulping.

"Y-Yes. I mean, why shouldn't I feel fine? It's just a photo shoot, where I have to look good all the time. But I'm not even photogenic and will probably trip over my own feet. What if my grandma sees this? Or worse—" Suddenly, she begins to ramble again, her breathing turning shallow.

Seokjin and Yoongi share a quick glance, before focusing on me again. "Ahri, chill. " Seokjin chuckles. "We're beside you all the time and nothing bad will happen."

Yoongi nods. "They'll just take a few pictures," he tries to calm her down.

"Yeah, you are probably right." Though she is still uneasy about the entirely new concept in her life.

Arriving at the building, someone leads them to a special room where their staff is already waiting. Soon, they start doing their make up and hair.

The make-up artist makes light yet messy curls out of Ahri's long, brown hair and pats some foundation on her face. After that, she fills her eyebrows slightly and puts a big amount of mascara and eyeliner on her eyes, finishing the look with a pink lip-tint.

As Ahri gazes into the mirror to examine to final look, she feels as if it's an entirely different version of herself. She looks way more awake than she actually is, and her eyes look bigger, too. Her face somehow holds more emotion than the usual tiredness that is displayed on it.

"Whoa, make-up is magic." Her eyes are big as she stares at herself in the mirror.

Since the group have a more tough and hip-hop-ish concept, they get clothes dedicated to that. Ahri is wearing a white long-sleeve with a black shirt above it and some clean, baggy black jeans. Some black sneakers and many chains finish my look.

Yona jumps up from the chair, bowing and thanking the lady for doing her best work.

She makes her way over to the boys. "Whoa, look at how Yonnie looks!" Jimin exclaims, pointing at her.

"What? Do I look bad? But I thought I looked okay—"Panic instantly rises within her, looking down and analyzing herself hastily.

"No, no, no. You look beautiful today," Hoseok smiles.

"Do I not look beautiful every day?" She teases him, her left eyebrow raised.

His smile fades and panic grows in his brown eyes. "No! I mean, yes! You're beautiful every day, you're just a different beautiful today! No, not like that, you'll get it wrong, but—"

He is soon soon cut off by Namjoon. "What he wanted to say is," he stares at Hoseok, then gazes back at her, "that you look pretty!" He smiles, his dimples poking into his cheeks.

"Thank you, hyung," She bows slightly.

The compliments and big amount of attention make her rather uneasy and uncomfortable, although it does also spark a fuzzy feeling within her. Her face turns embarrassed, not knowing how to deal with the genuine affection.

Her eyes glance around the studio in curiosity, just to find Taehyung staring at her. "You good, bro?" She asks him.

It takes more than that to bring him out of his universe though, so Yoongi slaps the back of his head. "Stop drooling," he scolds the younger one.

"Ouch!" Taehyung strokes the back of his head.

Laughing lightly, Ahri then takes a seat beside Yoongi. The group is waiting to be called on, all of them exhilarated about their first photo shoot.

Though the nervousness is still sitting deep within her. Ahri is scared that she might do something wrong and fail, which would result in disappointment from the boys. She doesn't want to mess this up. Her right leg begins bouncing up and down without her even realizing it.

"You shouldn't be worried."

The tender and caring voice startles her and pulls her out of her thoughts. Yona gazes over at Yoongi, who has a reassuring smile on his face.

He suddenly pats her head. "You look really pretty. And you have us by your side, don't you?"