to.get.her. | BTS

열 넷 - heartbeat.

I set my drink down and looked at Namjoon with scrutiny. "Do you guys believe you can do this?"

He looked back at me with a straight face. "Yes."

"Then I'll think about it."

* * *

5:50 am

And I did think about it. I thought about it so much in fact, that I rearranged most of the choreography on a stroke of creativity late last night. All I needed now was the boys' approval.

Walking out the parking lot away from the rising sun, I opened the doors of the studio's main entrance and the chill AC greeted me. As I walked down the empty white hallway and neared the studio, I spotted Yoongi through open doors of the basketball gym shooting hoops per usual, sweat dripping down his forehead. Grinning, I paused to silently watch.

Watching him play basketball was very nostalgic to me. Before I knew it, memories of my friends and I in back Cail playing basketball games 'till we were sweaty and satisfied came flooding back. The memories quickly faded as my heart clutched painfully; remembering the seemingly never-ending grief I felt the years following my leave.

Yet, watching him play tugged at my heart in another way. This time it wasn't sadness. No, my heart had surely skipped a beat. As I watched him, my heartbeat gradually quickened. I left my spot quickly, confused.

I had no time to think about it though. As I strode down the hallway and turned the corner, I saw Ryu Narae. Her short, stubby figure was turned towards another employee, an older man in a suit, and they seemed to be speaking urgently. Maybe even arguing. Every last thought in my head gone, I walked up to Narae to greet her. We haven't been able to see each other in a while due to our busy schedules, and I missed my only friend in Seoul.

I wasn't listening to the conversation, but it must have been so intriguing that she hadn't noticed me creep up behind her and tap her back. Immediately startled, she turned around. Her face hard at first, it softened once she saw me. The man, most likely a higher-up, glared at me and walked away, leaving the two of us alone. I didn't mind though. I was used to this mistreatment and had grown numb to it throughout my years living in South Korea. 

"Hey you," she uttered, surprised. "It's been a while!"

I laughed. "You only seem to be getting younger every day."

She chuckled, the small wrinkles on her face slightly lifting. "Well, I'm forty-six and still try."

I smiled, reminiscing about how I had first met her. She was the only staff member who had given me a welcoming gift when I first joined BigHit a few weeks ago. I remember looking into her kind eyes for the first time and feeling comforted. I remember her telling me about her younger sister, who is married to a black man and has two beautiful mixed-race children. She told me how her sister and her husband had to move from Korea because many people were rude and unaccepting of their relationship. She talked about how much she missed her sister and niece and nephew, and how much she hated injustice and hoped I could thrive in my new workplace. Hearing her, I knew she came from somewhere genuine, and I was greatly eased by it.

She looked at me, suddenly concerned. "How have you been doing? You look tired. Have the boys been treating you right?"

As we caught up with each other, I suddenly remember the spiral ponytail. Already sure now that she had given it to me, I took it out of my purse excitedly and presented it to her. "Oh, and thank you for this! It took me a while to figure it out."

Narae looked at the hair tie and frowned. "No, you must be mixed up. I didn't give this to you," she laughed, "I'm surprised you even found such a thing!"

My concern starting to grow, I tell Narae about what had happened the morning before: how I had found the ponytail in the studio. 

"That's odd," she concluded, "the cleaners haven't made their round this week. No one could have got in unless you left the door unlocked the night before. You should go ask Employee Services later today."

"Thanks for the advice," I slipped the ponytail onto my wrist so I wouldn't forget. The thought of someone breaking into my studio felt like an uncomfortable itch. I check the time on my phone, distracted by this new information. "Well, I should be go-"

"No!" Narae quickly grabbed my wrist. "There's something I need to tell you."

__________________________

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