The Rules

Chapter 29

Over the next couple of weeks, one by one the guys would come to find her to talk. Most of the time Namjoon would be there as well, just listening but not adding or taking away from the conversation. In part, because he was her boyfriend, but also as the leader of their group.

Ami listened carefully to each of them give their positive and negative experiences. Overall the theme she heard from them was the same. They thought she was amazing, how proud they were of her, she could do anything she wanted to they all thought the album would be successful.

The flip side was their concern over her being taken advantage of, hostile fans, her future lack of privacy, and pressure from the label if they wanted her to do things she didn't want to do. The fact she would be a brand new artist meant they could dictate whatever they wanted, it was no skin off their back and they could cancel her anytime. She wouldn't have a lot of power.

The lack of power and privacy bothered her the most out of everything they shared with her.

Hobi came into the living room one evening and saw her sitting in the overstuffed chair just staring off, deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he slipped in next to her. She broke her concentration and looked over at him with a smile. She adjusted in the chair so she was leaning up against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and ran his thumb over her arm.

"Mmmm.. just all the things." She replied in a quiet tone.

"Anything I can help with?" he asked. She had been deep in thought for the past couple of weeks thinking about what to do with her music and hadn't said a lot about it. They had all checked in with her without prying too much. It was a big decision for her, and she had a lot to consider.

"No, I don't think so, not yet anyway. Thanks though." She let out a big sigh and just sat quietly with him as her brain tried to formulate a plan. Hobi leaned over and kissed the back of her head and just sat with her for a while.

***

"What do you think she will do?" Tae asked one evening on their way back from the studio. They had all been wondering the same thing and everyone perked up to his question. Jungkook added, "She's been really quiet the last couple of weeks."

"You don't think she will just let it go and stop singing, do you?" Jimin, like the others, loved listening to her sing and only wanted her to do more.

Yoongi was listening to the conversation with his head back and eyes closed when he piped up, "The fact she is taking her time means she isn't going to stop singing. If she was, she would have dropped this whole thing after you all talked with her. She's just trying to figure out the best scenario for her, she'll do it, and it will probably surprise us all."

"Why do you say that?" Jin looked back at him.

"Because that is what she had done each time, with every step," Namjoon added to what Yoongi was getting at. "She didn't grow up in the music business, and it hasn't been her lifelong dream...so she's being careful and making sure it will be worth the risk."

"So fucking smart," Yoongi murmured, and they rode the rest of the way home in silence.

–Saturday Night–

Ami walked into their apartment. "Hey, is everyone here?"

"I think so, want me to find people?" Tae was sitting in the living room watching TV.

"If you would please." She said with a smile and headed to the table. Everyone came and joined the table, interested to see what was on her mind.

"What's up, is everything OK?" Jimin asked, worried as he was the last to sit down.