The One I Should Love

Chapter 11 | 오빠

Hana came into the practice studio that afternoon and whatever practice was supposed to be happening stopped immediately. 

"There she is!" Namjoon said with a wide smile as the members came over. 

"Manager-nimmm!" Jeongguk yelled victoriously, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He didn't even need to say that he'd told her so, his happy face did it for him. 

Hana laughed, embarrassed by the attention. They'd been so busy with the second day of shooting yesterday that she hadn't had time to tell them about her new position, but word had traveled around already. 

"About time," Yoongi said with a small smile. 

Seokjin stood behind the others quietly, and she had to look away from his fond smile, feeling a little overwhelmed but happy. "I just came to check how things were going, but I didn't want to disturb you. It looks like you're all very busy," she teased. 

"We were taking a break anyway, Manager-nim," Taehyung said, swinging her arm. 

Not much had changed in two days, and it made her realise how much responsibility the team leaders had already been giving her. She was glad that accepting the position hadn't suddenly doubled her workload, but the extra money that accompanied the new title definitely helped. 

"Okay, let's get back to it!" Hoseok said, urging them up a short while later. 

Though still his usual happy self, he had become more intense over the last few weeks. They were all eager to prove their skills, but their dance leader was on another level. 

He and Jimin had been practically living in the practice studio, and the other members had started joining them for the long hours too. Hana had taken to kicking people out when she found them there too late. 

They needed their beauty sleep, but Seokjin had just looked at her in reproach the one time she'd tried to make him go home. Apparently she couldn't say much when she was there before they were most days. 

She had eventually given in when she realised she was fighting a losing battle. Instead, she often stayed with them, and arranged meals so at least she was sure they were eating properly and keeping their energy up. 

Late one evening, most of the members were still in the building somewhere, and Hana was sitting cross-legged, working on her laptop from the comfort of the practice room couch. No one had seen Yoongi for several hours, so she assumed he was deep into a creative space in one of the recording rooms like he often was. 

Jimin and Jeongguk had been practicing sections of their choreography while she quietly kept them company, though Hoseok had finally left for the showers. 

One moment Hana was reading up on the debut schedule drafts, her eyes drooping as she peered at the screen under the fluorescent lighting, and the next she was cozy under someone's coat, curled up on the couch. Her laptop had been placed on the side table.  

She didn't know how much time had passed, but someone had dimmed the lights, and there was a warm presence next to her. She sat up a little, disorientated and looked around.

Squeezed into the small space behind her bent knees was Jeongguk, resting peacefully with his cheeks flushed from sleep, his hair still all mussed from dancing. She could see Jimin had given in as well, sleeping on the chair next to them and hugging a cushion, his legs spilling over the side of the chair as he spread out. 

Hana smiled fondly at them, grateful to have these sweet boys in her life. Sometimes she felt like the maknae line were the little brothers she'd never had. Jimin and Taehyung were the same age as her, and would turn eighteen later that year. She wondered if they would be close friends if they knew.