Begin (JJK) BTS 2026 series Book 3 (COMPLETED)

Workout

He's been working off and on with the music for his mixtape for months, and it feels as though he's never quite satisfied enough to consider the song finished. If he could even get one song completed, and be totally happy with it, he would release it on Soundcloud and let ARMY have it. But, he's just not ready to let go yet. It's easier for someone like RM or J-Hope, who are constantly working on music, with BTS, with other artists and with their own music. It's easier to feel like you can be done, and let the song go out into the world, and start the next project, but for him, when it's just his name on it, it has to be perfect, but it never quite feels like it is. He's been sat in their studio with Pdogg, listening back to tracks they previously started for hours.

"I need to get something to eat. We can listen to this after lunch if you want," Pdogg pushes himself back from the mix console. He looks down at his phone and the messages he's been ignoring that have been alerting for the last hour.

"What's up?" Jungkook asks. Pdogg stares at the messages.

"I might need to go into the studio with draGUN today," he says, reading over the texts.

"What? Why?"

"These are messages from earlier from Baekho. Seems their new producer didn't show up this morning." He laughs to himself as he stares at his screen. "I might know why." Jungkook looks at him confused, waiting for him to continue.  "I saw her last night at the cafe, with Yoongi. He was buying a six pack of beer and was heading back into the studio with her." Jungkook's eyes get wide as he thinks about what Pdogg is implying. His mouth drops open.

"He's hooking up with a producer?" he asks, incredulous. Pdogg realizes he's spoken out of turn and he stammers.

"Uh, oh no I don't know really. It looked like he was sort of hiding her from me. I just got a feeling that's all, could be nothing."

"Well she didn't show up for her session today so-" another alert interrupts them. Pdogg looks down at the message. He smiles.

"Oh, Yoongi called and said she has food poisoning. I'll go check on them and see if they need any help. You going to keep working?" He asks as he gathers his things.

"No, I'll probably go to the gym for a bit, to clear my head." He stands up, turning off the system.

***

Jungkook has been running on the treadmill at the HYBE gym for nearly twenty minutes thinking about what Pdogg said. If Yoongi is in the studio with a new producer working on his mixtape, why doesn't he know anything about this? He just saw him, he was in the studio alone when he invited him to lunch. Who is this new producer and why would he be buying beer and spending the night in the studio with her? And how does he know she has food poisoning? What could have happened in the last few days that he feels suddenly so out of touch. He use to know everything about every one of them, everything that happened to them, happened to him, everything they saw and did, he did too. It's not like that anymore, and his face grimaces as he thinks about how different their lives are now. Being 30 really isn't what he'd hoped it would be. He thought he'd feel grown up, and maybe even more settled but he really doesn't. He doesn't feel anything except more desperate to see and do more things, to work harder, and to keep the momentum going, for all of them.

He looks down at the timer on the machine, recognizing it's gone into cool down mode and the belt has slowed. He begins to walk, pulling out his earbuds as he takes a sip of his water. He's run enough for today. If he gets ready quickly, he can go back into the studio and use the last of his time to work on his songs.

"Hi, Jungkook." He hears a soft voice behind him and he turns his head to see Jimin stepping onto the machine next to him. He smiles over at him as the machine comes to a slow stop. He wipes his brow with a towel.

"Hi Jimin hyung, I didn't know you were coming today." Jimin smiles as he programs the machine.

"I just needed some time to stare off into space, figured I may as well do that on the treadmill. I just left Taehyung's." Jungkook's eyes widen at the mention and he stands close to the machine as Jimin's warm up begins.

"Oh yeah, how is he today?" Jimin smiles.

"I thought he would be upset, but I when I spoke to him he was really hopeful. He's going to see the girl again, I don't know when but, soon." Jungkook thinks for a moment about this turn of events. He hangs his arm off the machine and watches Jimin start his run.

"You met her too?" Jimin nods as he adjusts his program on the machine. "Does this seem serious? I mean, can you see this going anywhere?" He raises his arms above his head to stretch out his muscles a little as they talk.

"Oh yes, he is convinced she's the one." Jimin readjusts the pace of the treadmill incline as it starts to increase in speed.

"Hobi said something similar."

"He was really cute with her. He sat with her in the classroom watching the children and I have no idea how she could not know that he's in love with her, he sure wasn't able to hide it very well!" He laughs remembering. Jungkook frowns slightly.

"I guess he'll be the next one to get married." Jimin looks over at him sternly.

"Do NOT let Dasom hear you say that, even as a joke," he warns. Jungkook had forgotten in that moment that Jimin is engaged.

"Yeah, when are you setting a date?" Jimin smirks a little as though he would also like to know the answer to that question.

"You know better than to ask, but definitely this year. I think." Jungkook narrows his eyes as he watches him, noticing that he's avoiding looking at him now. Jimin looks around the space, trying to avoid any more questions. It's a touchy situation. They both want to get married, and he's sure about her, but, they have some stuff to work out before either of them are truly ready. He wishes he could share it with Jungkook but it just doesn't seem the right time.

He glances over to a woman on a treadmill in the row ahead of him. She's running fast, too fast, as if she's racing. He watches her, intrigued. Something about her seems familiar. He squints as he takes in her form, and then he smiles as he thinks he might have figured it out. He leans closer to Jungkook to speak in a low voice.

"Isn't that Noona from the other day?" he asks, still starring at the back of her. Jungkook looks over surprised.

"Who?" He looks at the woman, noting how fast she's running.

"The one you threw your phone at?" Jimin reminds him. It floods back to him in that moment and he studies her, unsure. He remembers that he'd decided that she was pretending not to know who he was. He chuckles to himself.

"I think you're right. She's running pretty hard. Wonder what she's training for," he says, but he begins to think of the possibilities.

"Maybe she's just trying to get away from you," Jimin teases him. Jungkook flicks him with his towel and he ducks and looks back in mock outrage before he smiles broadly. Jungkook looks back at her. She seems to really be pushing this work out. He gets back up on his machine and punches in the program to begin a fresh work out. Jimin looks over at him concerned.

"I thought you just finished," he says. Jungkook smiles a little awkwardly.

"I'll do another program since you're here now. We can work out together before I go back in the studio." Jimin eyes him, doubting that's the real reason. He watches as Jungkook turns the speed up on his machine, running faster than he had before. He smiles, guessing at the reason.