Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 13: A Night to Remember

Every small movement he made, every subtle shift of his eyes, felt deliberate. It was as if he knew how to control the room without saying a word.

When he spoke, his voice was smooth, carrying a resonance that sent a shiver down my spine. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," he said, his gaze flickering between Yoongi and me.

There was something in the way his eyes lingered on the both of us for just a moment longer than necessary-a sense of being seen, truly seen, in a way that made my heart race.

Before I could fully process the feeling, Namjoon turned to speak to Mr. Lee, leading him away to mingle with other guests.

A strange distance formed between us.

Yoongi's hand brushed mine, his fingers tightening slightly, as if feeling the same strange energy that had enveloped the room.

"Did you feel that?" Yoongi asked quietly, his voice low, the weight of the question heavy in the air.

I nodded slowly, unable to form the words that might explain the peculiar mix of intrigue and discomfort that Namjoon's presence caused. "Yeah... it's just like how we felt when we met that man at the restaurant." I paused "Yoongi...It's like what we felt for each other when we first met"

Yoongi frowned, his fingers lightly tapping against the edge of his glass. "He doesn't seem that fazed, though, but I can't help but feel like he's avoiding us."

I glanced over my shoulder, my gaze naturally finding Namjoon among the crowd.

He was standing with a small group of people, his posture commanding but his attention never fully lingering on anyone for too long.

Every now and then, his eyes would flicker towards us-quick, subtle glances that were gone before we could truly react.

His brows would furrow for a moment, as though something weighed on him, before he turned back to the conversation as if nothing had happened.

I caught myself doing the same, my eyes darting toward him every few minutes, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression, trying to decipher what was going on behind his guarded gaze.

Yoongi seemed to do the same, his attention snapping towards Namjoon whenever his presence neared.

It was as if some invisible thread connected us, pulling us toward him despite our better judgment.

"Is he... he's probably..." I murmured, mostly to myself, but Yoongi heard me.

"I think so too," Yoongi replied thoughtfully, his tone pensive, as if he understood my unspoken thoughts perfectly. "We know this feeling already, this is the same thing. But he's distant. Although, I don't think he's indifferent. It just feels like he's contemplating."

His words hung in the air between us, the same questions we had at the restaurant coming to the surface again.

It felt like something important was unfolding right before our eyes, but there was no validation

We both fell silent, letting the weight of his words linger as the night continued around us.

We tried to focus on the task at hand, engaging in conversations, speaking about the new features of the LoveMap app, its potential impact, and the exciting collaboration with the Speak Yourself Foundation.

People were interested, genuinely curious about what we were creating, but no matter how hard we tried, the pull of Namjoon's presence was constant.

At one point, as I was speaking to a group of potential investors, I noticed Namjoon standing off to the side, his attention briefly turning toward me before quickly shifting away.

There it was again-the same odd, heavy feeling. It was as if he was fighting something, trying to hold back whatever was going on in his mind.

I couldn't help myself. I turned to Yoongi, who was standing beside me, and whispered, "He's doing it again. Why does it feel like he's avoiding us... but not really? Like he wants to come over, but he's holding back?"

Yoongi met my gaze, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know. But if he really is what we think is, we have to let him decide for himself" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "when he's ready"

I nodded, feeling my heart race with the same unspoken tension.

It was like we were in some kind of standoff with him, each of us waiting for the other to make the first move.

But neither of us could bring ourselves to break the silence.

The night pressed on, and we found ourselves once again standing near Namjoon, who was now speaking with Ha Eun.

His presence still loomed over everything, pulling our attention even though we tried not to show it.

I caught his gaze once more, only for him to quickly look away, his eyes darting to the side as if he had just realized we were looking.

The pattern repeated itself-brief glances that were gone too quickly to be understood.

"Why is this so difficult," I ask, though I can't help but understand him. "If he is really is one of them, it's frustrating that we can't do anything about it."

Yoongi sighed, his hand brushing against mine once more. "I feel the same, but if there's something I learned about all of this, is that there's beauty in waiting. We can't push anyone that isn't ready to face it" he thoughtfully says as he holds my hand.

"For now we work. We make this event and all the hardwork we have done, worth it." he adds as he squeezes my hand gently.

I nodded, trying to clear my head.

The last thing we needed was to get lost in this strange, magnetic pull.

We were here for a reason-to make the LoveMap app a success, to help launch these new features, and to build something that could make a real difference in the world.

As we mingled and spoke to more people, I could feel Yoongi's subtle protectiveness beside me.

His presence grounded me in a way that kept my head clear, but even he couldn't ignore the weight of what was unfolding between us and the enigmatic CEO.

For the rest of the evening, Namjoon seemed to keep his distance, always just out of reach, never lingering for too long but never fully leaving our thoughts.

The questions remained unanswered, the tension unresolved.

I couldn't help but wonder, as I caught a glance of Namjoon's silhouette in the crowd, if maybe, just maybe, fate had something more in store for us.