BTS Eighth Member | The Life: Year 2017

Chapter 44- Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

May 2nd, 2017:

It was morning and we had landed in Coron, Palawan ahead of our concerts in Manilla to shoot the summer package. We got to the resort we were staying at and had been given half-an-hour to unpack and get ready for our first photoshoot of the day. I was now in a suite getting my hair and makeup done for the pyjama photoshoot. Jungkook and Seokjin were bickering about something behind me as Jimin dozed off in the makeup chair beside me. I was finding it hard to not fall asleep myself, we had had a very busy schedule lately with rehearsing for the tour and FESTA stages, recording for the next album and songs for FESTA, and the overall meetings and organisational duties for FESTA and the upcoming leg of the tour.

"Woah, don't you look cute," Hoseok said smiling as he walked into the room an iced coffee in hand to combat the fatigue and sweltering heat of Palawan.

"Thanks," I smiled blushing, flattening my cotton tank top and blue flannel patterned shorts.

"Are these your real PJs? I feel like I've seen you wear something similar?" Taehyung asks from the bed he was lying on waiting for us to finish.

"I own a pair similar," I chuckle, "think it was the pair I yelled at you and Jongin oppa and that whole gang in Hong Kong".

"Oh... yeah, right, I remember, yeah..." he nodded looking slightly uncomfortable. Now that I thought about it, it was the first time this topic was brought up since the actual incident. Not even right after had we spoken of it.

"Have you talked to Jongin hyung recently?" Jimin, who had evidently woken up, questioned.

"No, I haven't," I shake my head, "not since his breakup with Krystal sunbaenim. Think I like it better that way".

"Thought you guys were on good terms?" Jimin asks slightly confused.

Seokjin and Jungkook had stopped bickering and my eyes met with Jungkook's through the mirror. He and Namjoon were the only ones who knew about what had happened between me and Jongin.

"Ummm, yeah, we are," I say, lost at how to go around the question, "just, you know... don't want a scandal".

Jimin nods, but his face remains skeptical.

"You see how people react to me finishing a live when I'm tired, imagine if they found a sliver of friendship between us," I say, trying to reinforce my lie. But, it wasn't a total lie. Talk about me was still all over Twitter and it had been over a week now. Unlike what Hoseok had told me, it wasn't blowing over. At the airport on the way here, there had been what seemed like extra attention on me. Someone, maybe a reporter, maybe a fan I didn't know, had even shouted asking what I thought of the allegations and if I had plans to act on them (ie. leave).

Everyone in the room became a bit somber, probably thinking back to the aforementioned.

"I mean I wouldn't be against it if he wanted to chat, but no, we're not on the most frequent of speaking terms," I say, lying to try to lighten the mood, "boys are too much trouble".

"No, it's girls that are the trouble," Jimin shook his head, "I've lived with one every day for the past five years and I still can't wrap my head around you guys".