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

Chapter 47: Of Court Cases and Couch Spaces

I bite back a smile, quickly typing a response.

Y/N (Group Chat)
What happened, bear cub?

Yoongi's phone vibrates too, and I see him peek at it from the corner of my eye.

Taehyung doesn't leave us waiting long.

Taehyung (Group Chat)
I just finished editing an entire VR project, then my software CRASHED. 🙀

Taehyung (Group Chat)
Everything is gone. My will to live is gone. I am but a husk of a man⚰️💔

I wince.

Y/N (Group Chat)
Please tell me you had backups.

Taehyung (Group Chat)
Noona. Do I look like a man who remembers to back up his work?

Yoongi (Group Chat)
You look like a man who needs to suffer the consequences of his own actions.

I slap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

Jae, who is speaking at the moment, pauses and narrows his eyes at me. "Something funny?"

I clear my throat, forcing a straight face. "No. Nope. Continue."

But my phone buzzes again.

Taehyung (Group Chat)
Hyung. Noona. I need comfort. Tell me I'm still handsome and talented🥺.

Yoongi just smirks as he types.

Yoongi (Group Chat)
You're still handsome. Your talent is currently in question.

I shake my head, quickly adding-

Y/N (Group Chat)
You're handsome and talented, but please BACK UP YOUR FILES, TAE.

A second later-

Taehyung (Group Chat)
You guys are supposed to blindly support me. What is this tough love?🙄

I glance at Yoongi, who meets my eyes at the same time.

We both smirk.

But before we can respond, Dara walks in, taking her usual seat at the head of the table.

"Alright, team," she says, clapping her hands together. "Let's wrap up. We have a launch in a few days, and I want to make sure we're fully prepared."

We refocus, going over the final checklist.

The testing schedule, the deployment plan, the last round of approvals.

Everything is moving smoothly.

By the time the meeting ends, I feel lighter.

Because despite everything-despite the fight for Taehyung, the stress of the case, the uncertainty-this? This is something we can control.

Something we can build.

As the team starts packing up, Dara stands, adjusting her blazer.
Then, casually-
"Suga. Y/N."

We both glance up.

"Come to my office," she says. "We need to talk."

And just like that, the lightness vanishes.

Because the way she says it-calm, direct, serious-tells me exactly what this is about.

Taehyung.

The case.
The fight we're still in.