February 2018

The soft melody of Yoongi playing the piano reverberates all around the sound studio. Moon's beautiful voice matches the tune perfectly, creating new harmonies. They're working on writing a new song together.

"Mmh...", Moon's disconcertion makes Yoongi's hands rest on the keys for a moment.

He looks up at her, furrowing his brow expectantly.

"I think we should do something like this instead", she tells him, forcing him to scooch over on the piano bench.

She starts playing a small variation of what he was playing, then vocalizes along with the melody. It matches the singing a lot better.

"Ah, I like that", he admires her, letting his eyes glide over her image for a second.

In the beginning, when Moonhae signed over to Big Hit, she was so enamored with all the new musical freedom she had, she spent all of her time in the studio. Yoongi, who loves to produce as well, would find her there all the time. He didn't like sharing the main studio at first. He liked to be alone. But since it was Moon, and for some reason she understood his creative thought processes more than anyone else, he grew accustomed to her. They spent many long nights getting lost in their music and today is no different.

Except that it's midday and the other members keep walking in and bothering them.

"Moonhae!", Hoseok pops his head into the studio with a cheerful smile.

Yoongi turns to his friend, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, Hobi?", Moonhae greets him nicely nevertheless.

"Ooh, are you making music? Can I listen?", Hoseok eyes them sitting at the piano and walks towards them.

"No, Hobi", Yoongi mimics Moon's tone of voice from before.

Hoseok stops in his tracks and scrunches his nose distastefully.

"What do you want?", Yoongi sighs.

"Well, I was going to give Moonhae some great news", he crosses his arms.

"Oh, yeah?", she looks up at him with an anticipating twinkle in her eyes.

"You'll never believe it", Hoseok hypes her up further.

"Tell me!", she's almost begging him now.

"Ok, so I finally got the okay for our project: We're going to shoot a dance cover to Boy Meets Evil!", his mouth shapes into a heart as he informs her excitedly.

"No way!", Moon jumps up from the piano bench and Yoongi almost tips off of it.

"But you already have a dance for Boy Meets Evil", the pale boy says annoyedly after he catches his balance.

"Yeah, but this one is a couple's dance", he responds to his hyung as if it's obvious, but he just rolls his eyes in return.

"This is so amazing", Moon continues to gush, "Ok, the first thing I want to do is talk to wardrobe. Yoongi, is it okay if we continue this later?"

"Yeah, sure...", he leans back on the bench, fidgeting with the piano pedals.

She gives him a thankful nod before rushing out of the studio. Yoongi and Hoseok are left behind with a tense atmosphere.

"What's wrong?", Hoseok asks, knowing his friend well.

"Nothing."

"Yoongi."

"I don't like when people interrupt our music sessions."

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

Yoongi pauses before speaking again, "I also don't like you dancing with her... in that way."

"What way?", Hoseok seems confused for moment, before remembering all the sexual innuendos they usually include, "Oh..."

"Yoongi, no matter what we do while we dance, I would never ever go after Moonhae knowing you like her", his voice is serious and genuine, meeting his friend's eyes.

"I don't...", Yoongi looks away, "I... It's not like I can do anything about it."

"Why not?"

"The last thing she needs right now is another relationship. She's finally free", his expression turns sullen as he gazes down at his hands.

Hoseok stays silent in agreement. Moonhae is finally building herself up again after that horrible relationship. She's just starting to flourish again.

The boys file into one of the company's kitchens on a February evening just after many hours of practicing. Gulping down water, getting snacks from the fridge, they lean against the counters exhaustedly.

"I'm too old for this shit", Yoongi complains, sitting on the floor and resting the back of his head against the cabinets.

"Old?", Jin scrunches up his nose, knowing very well he's his senior by one year.

"Don't be so dramatic", Hoseok steps in, waving the two off, "It was so much fun!"

They groan in response. Of course Hoseok had fun. He always does. And for some reason he always has even more energy to give.

"Guys...", Taehyung speaks up hesitantly and everyone turns towards him, "Um... What are you doing for Valentine's Day?"

"I have a date", Jungkook is the first to talk.

"With one of our stylists again?", Namjoon crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows at the maknae.

"No!", he retorts a little too flustered, "She's just an intern! And she's cute..."

"Well, I have a date, too. With my girlfriend that is", Jin states proudly. Ever since Hyunae and him started dating in December, he keeps bragging and fawning over her. It's sweet, but at the same time the other members are getting an earful.

"That's great", Namjoon pats his hyung on the back with a dimpled smile, showing his support, but at the same time saying I've heard this a thousand times, "I also have a date, by the way."

"Uh, me too", Hoseok confesses, nonchalantly dipping a chip into some salsa.

"What?", Taehyung looks around, worried, surprised and discouraged all at the same time, "How do you guys all have dates?"

"Well no one wants to be alone on Valentine's Day", Jimin chimes in, flipping his wavy hair back with his hand.

"You too, Jimin?", now Taehyung just looks devastated.

"When have I not had a date on Valentine's Day?", Jimin chuckles, raising his eyebrows seductively.

"Yeah, okay...", he agrees with his hyung, "But the rest of you? Why?"

"What do you mean why? Cause we wanna get laid", Jungkook says matter-of-factly before he takes the straw out of his drink and stupidly sticks it up his nose, laughing. The whole scene is so ironic. How can he be such a child, but also such a fuckboy?

"Oh my god...", Namjoon facepalms, having none of his shit today.

"Actually, I'm not going on a date...", a small voice from the floor, belonging to Yoongi, gets the conversation back on track.

"You're not?", Hoseok seems surprised, "I thought I set you up with that girl."

"I cancelled."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to go."

"Seriously?"

"I'd rather just stay in the studio and write."

That's when Hoseok understands what his friend is saying and he can't help but shake his head. He'd rather stay in the studio where someone else often notoriously resides. This little boy is so hung up on someone he won't even make a move with, he's refusing to go out with anyone else.

"So why are you so concerned, Tae?", Jin inquires, breaking the tension between the other two.

"I just...", he scratches the back of his head nervously.

"Oh, I know why he's so concerned", Jimin grins mischievously, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"Shut up, Jimin", Taehyung tries to silence him with a warning stare, but fails miserably.

"What Taehyungie actually wants to know is if any of you is going to make a move on Moonhae", Jimin finishes his sentence before an angry Taehyung can slap a hand over his mouth.

"I choose not to answer that question, because I have a girlfriend", Jin plays his card once more, silently swaying back and forth on his heels.

"Taehyung, really?", Namjoon scrunches his eyebrows together.

"I didn't say that! Jimin said it!", he attempts to defend himself.

"Because you were thinking it", Jimin points his finger at him with a goofy smile, "Also, come on: We always talk openly, why change that now?"

"Cause it's different now...", Taehyung's face drops and he stares down at his hands.

"Hold up. Just tell us what's really going on", Namjoon steps in as a mediator.

"I...", Taehyung hesitates, gazing around at his hyungs, their faces full of confusion and anticipation.

"I... I like Moonhae", he says in the smallest voice possible, avoiding everyone's stares.

"Ok, no duh. We all like Moonhae", Jin flicks his hand in a sassy motion, his tone insensitive to what Taehyung just said.

"Jin", Namjoon eyes him with a look of Really?, "He obviously didn't mean it in that way."

"Well then why not say it in the right way so we can all understand?", he retorts, making his friend feel worse about confessing.

"Ok, shut the fuck up", Jimin steps in, "Now, I'm going to be honest: I kind of like Moonhae, too. But if you really like her then there's no way I'm standing in your way."

"Ok, honesty time? I would definitely smash. But... We're such good friends now I feel like it would be wrong. Not that I wouldn't if she offered", Hoseok adds the last part really quickly with a shrug.

"I would smash either way", Jungkook chimes in, "But she thought it was a joke when I asked her out for Valentine's Day dinner."

"You did what?", everyone turns towards him now.

"Ok, you can't make fun of me for this though!", he warns them before providing further explanation, "I asked her like a week ago and she said 'Oh my gosh, Kookie, can you imagine us on a date?'. Then she laughed and made a sexual comment that I'm not going to repeat cause you're all going to get boners."

The boys burst out laughing at Jungkook's misfortunate story. All except for Yoongi, who still has his cat eyes trained on the nervous Taehyung.

"So basically I don't actually stand a chance so I'm just going to keep sleeping with other girls instead", Jungkook finishes.

Namjoon ignores the maknae's weird habits and gets back to Taehyung.

"So are you going to go after her? I mean being in love with her: It happens, but that shit isn't nice", he speaks from past experience.

"No! I'm not going after her", Taehyung declares, getting to speak at last, "You guys literally forced me into this confession. And she's just building herself up again. She's still broken. But she's finally free."

The words seem all too familiar to Hoseok, who then turns his head to check up on Yoongi. His expression is blank. The kind of blank that makes you a little frightened. The kind that hides a thousand emotions under a mask, threatening to spill out at any moment. For once, he can't tell what he's thinking.