My Muse [Jungkook x Reader]

CHAPTER 20 - THE CONCEPT

CHAPTER 20 - THE CONCEPT

"EVERYONE UP!" A booming voice shook through the entire room from somewhere out in the living room. I stirred and grumbled under my breath, not wanting to open my eyes. I reached out to grab for the other pillow so that I could cover my face from the light, but instead my hands were met with a much firmer surface.

"You're awfully grabby first thing in the morning," a low voice whispered in my ear.

My eyes shot open, and I was met face to face with a bed headed Jungkook. I took a moment to recall the events of the previous night before going into a complete panic. Right. I did go to sleep next to Jungkook...my boyfriend. That did actually happen, then. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Sorry, I'm used to waking up to Mina's yelling not..."

"Pretty sure that is Mother Jin," Jungkook joked, sitting up in bed. "We should really go- he won't hesitate to burst through the door."

"Uh...right, of course," I stuttered out, looking away from the man next to me, suddenly feeling shy in his presence after the realization that I had slept next to him last night hit me. I hurriedly jumped out of the bed so that I could go get changed in the bathroom before Jungkook had the opportunity to tease me.

As I finished and made my way to the main room, I noticed Jin was standing with his arms crossed in the kitchen, accompanied by Namjoon. Only Jimin and Taehyung were in the room otherwise, having both slept out there, but neither of them looked even the slightest bit awake.

"Hoseok! Mina! Jungkook! OUT HERE NOW!" Jin roared again, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Please...please stop yelling," Taehyung groaned loudly from the couch. He didn't look so great, and given how much he had drank last night, that was no surprise. His eyes were plagued with dark circles and his face was puffy.

"Yes, please..." Jimin whined. Next to Taehyung, Jimin was probably feeling it the worst right now. He could barely even keep his eyes open, wincing from the light.

The three that Jin was waiting on finally emerged from the bedrooms and joined the rest of us. Mina and Hoseok appeared surprisingly sober and unsurprisingly attached at the hip. I made a mental note to ask Mina about what happened last night, though I was sure it wouldn't take much prodding to get her to spew out the details. She was one of the most transparent people I had ever met, and I loved that about her.

"I brought over coffee and some breads," Jin spoke, patting the counter. "Eat up and then go get ready for the day. There is filming today in case you all forgot."

"We aren't even really involved this time," Taehyung grumbled, burying himself in the couch cushions, refusing to move.

"Oh no, this round is the full concept test!" Mina gasped at the sudden realization. "Let's go, Y/N!" Mina thanked Jin, grabbed a coffee and shoved a piece of bread in her mouth, and started to rush out of the door without a second glance back. I quickly said my goodbyes and followed behind her, apologizing for our sudden departure.

"Shouldn't we have at least said a proper goodbye?" I complained, trying to keep up with Mina's brisk pace.

"There is no time for that!" Mina cried out. "We only have an hour to prepare- didn't you read the itinerary for today?"

Nope. I sure didn't.

Once we were in the clear back at our room, I laid down on my bed and caught my breath. Mina wasted no time plopping down next to me and starting her interrogation, still munching on her bagel. "So..." she said coyly, dragging out the word. "Where did you sleep?"

"In the spare bedroom," I answered flatly.

"The one Jungkook came out of this morning?"

"That very one."

Mina started shaking my shoulders wildly at my deadpan responses. "Stop being a smartass, Y/N," she complained. "You know that I want the details, you are boring me to death." I knew I was annoying her, but I couldn't help myself, messing with her was just so fun.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, preparing my ears for the excited squealing that was sure to follow my next words. "Jungkook and I made things official, I guess..."

Like clockwork, Mina started screeching and jumping up and down on the bed. "YOU WAITED UNTIL NOW TO TELL ME?"

"Did you want me to knock on your door last night, hmm?" I questioned, sarcastically.

Mina's face turned a shade of crimson red. "N-no...ugh, whatever!" she stuttered out. I cocked my eyebrow at her suspiciously and she rolled her eyes in response. "Nothing happened, we just cuddled...and kissed...and cuddled."

"Well, if that's all..." I snickered and stood up from the bed. "Let's go figure out what exactly a full concept test is."

The two of us made our way down to the main room where we would be filming today. Da-Eun was already standing up on the stage waiting for all the contestants to arrive. Once Jia and Joo-Won stepped into the room, Da-Eun began to address the four of us.

"Welcome everyone!" she started. "Today we will be drawing the theme for your fourth-round assessment- the full concept test!"

Da-Eun pulled out a velvet bag and instructed us to join her on the stage. "Inside of this bag is a 'theme' that your concept must follow for this round," she explained. "You will need to not only compose a song to suit your theme, but also provide all of the vocals for the song and create choreography as well."

This was going to be a lot of work, but with enough time even this sort of challenge was doable. I promised myself that I wouldn't get discouraged or demotivated. "You will of course be performing your song and managing your own styling for the performance," Da-Eun continued. "The purpose of this round is to see how you can execute your vision from start to finish."

Da-Eun beckoned us forward to select our themes, starting with Jia. "Girl crush- heartbreak," Jia read aloud after pulling her card. Her face showed no particular reaction, but I thought the theme fit her vibe perfectly. I could only hope that I would be lucky enough to get something that even remotely matched me if I was to go up against her.

I was up next. I reached my hand into the bag and felt around for the pieces of paper, praying for a positive fate. I pulled out the small paper and read aloud, "Fantasy- new love." My usual style was a bit darker and more cynical, but this would be manageable. After all I did have a new...well, something, to reference.

Mina jumped up after me to grab her slip. "Cute- unrequited crush." Mina couldn't stop herself from doing a celebratory little dance and cheering quietly to herself. She was wishing for a 'cute' adjacent concept- so this was right up her alley. After her struggles with the dance round of the competition, she was looking forward to a redemption arc.

Joo-Won was the last to make his selection. "Retro- love rivalry." That was probably the most unique and challenging concept, but I was certain Joo-Won would be capable of creating something fun to match. Of all of us, he was probably the most skilled writer. His artistry was truly impressive.

With our concepts officially assigned, we were instructed to begin working immediately in our designated studios. This time, we would have no mentor and no partner for our performances- we were strictly on our own. I was a bit disappointed by this fact. Thinking back on the time I spent with Jungkook during the second round- those were some of the best days that I had spent here. Working by his side gave me inexplicable happiness, unlike anything I'd ever felt before. In this industry free time was a luxury, so finding someone you could work with and enjoy every moment with was a rare blessing.

As I pulled out my notebook to start brainstorming ideas for my song, I caught myself thinking of him. New love. I chewed at the eraser on my pencil and pondered over the words. Is that what this is? This feeling. I had to admit to myself, despite every fiber in my being screaming at me not to, that maybe it was. But I didn't 'do' love. Not like this.