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

Chapter 25: Unity in Difference

But I quickly pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the matter at hand.

"Apologies for the delay," Namjoon said, settling into the seat at the head of the table. "Let's dive in."

With that, the meeting began, and the weight of it all settled in again.

The room was charged with energy, but it was a controlled kind of energy-everyone aware of the stakes but determined to approach it with professionalism.

Yoongi's presence beside me was a reminder that no matter how tense things became, we had each other to lean on.

And as I looked around at my team, I knew we were in this together. No matter what happened in that room, we'd stand our ground.

_____________

The meeting continued in a careful back-and-forth, the air thick with anticipation and the weight of decisions yet to be made.

Namjoon had taken his seat at the head of the table, and I could feel the steady pulse of his presence from across the room.

The way his eyes flickered from person to person, listening intently, evaluating, making sure each voice was heard.

But every now and then, his gaze would land on me-or Yoongi-and linger just a moment longer than it should, enough for me to feel that familiar pull.

Yoongi sat beside me, his eyes narrowed, his focus unwavering as he listened to the exchange.

His hand, resting lightly on the table near mine, was the only thing keeping me grounded in the chaos of the room.

I could feel the tension in his fingertips, the way his chest rose and fell as he processed everything around us.

But his presence next to me was a quiet reassurance that we were a team.

I found myself trying to focus on the discussion, but every time Namjoon's gaze met mine or Yoongi's, it was as if time slowed down for just a beat.

His eyes-so familiar, so unreadable-pulled at something deep inside me, tugging at the connection I still wasn't sure how to fully explain.

There was a quiet intensity there, something unspoken but undeniably present, and I could see it in the way he looked at Yoongi, too.

It was almost like he could feel the pull too.
The room felt a little smaller each time it happened.

There was something in the air-something unspoken-floating between the three of us that neither of us could ignore.

Yoongi, ever perceptive, must have felt it too, but he was good at hiding it, his expression remaining a mask of calm professionalism.

He kept his attention on the screen, his fingers absently tapping the table.

But I knew him well enough to see the tension in his jaw.

The conversation continued, each side presenting their arguments.

The foundation's team-led by Namjoon-expressed their concerns about releasing the Advocacy Updates without first gathering user feedback through surveys and discussions.

They worried that the lack of user engagement would diminish the impact of the project.

From their standpoint, the foundation was all about creating something that would truly resonate with people, not just move forward with a product that could feel disconnected from its intended audience.

On our side, we stood firm on the need to push forward without delay. We had already invested too much time and resources into the project, and the momentum we had built couldn't afford to be halted any further.