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

Chapter 128: A Glass House

"If you don't sleep tonight," Jimin hyung says, dangerously soft,

"I swear I'll drag you from this desk, lay you out on the nearest couch, and spoon you until your stress levels beg for mercy. And you know just how much my hands like exploring."

Yoongi hyung blinks, caught somewhere between amused and surrendering.

He doesn't argue.

Just lets a small sigh escape and slides a hand to Jimin hyung's waist, grounding himself like he always does when he doesn't have the words but feels everything.

He huffs a laugh under his breath, but it's the kind of laugh that tries to hide how tightly wound he is.

The kind that says thank you without saying it out loud.

I sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, Jimin hyung still on his lap playing with Yoongi hyung's hair.

"If they're watching us," I murmur,

"they're going to learn something else, too."

Yoongi hyung glances sideways, eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

I meet his eyes.

"That we don't back down."

That lands. He doesn't say anything, just nods once, and that's enough.

From the kitchen, Jin hyung doesn't miss a beat as he flicks syrup at Jimin hyung like he's setting a trap.

"He has a lap limit, you know."

"He does not," Jimin argues smoothly, now fully lounging across Yoongi hyung like a cat with an agenda.

Tae hyunh lifts Tannie into the air like a royal decree.

"Yeontan wants turns too. Lap rotation schedule. Fair is fair."

Before I can reply, Wacha saunters across the bench and settles dramatically onto my shoulder with the weight of a ruler taking her throne.

She purrs. Loud. Unbothered.

And then Joon hyung, who's been quiet all this time, seated at the far end of the table, tablet resting on his knee, finally speaks.

He pushes his glasses up and looks at all of us, gaze steady, something knowing flickering behind his calm.

"This," he says, voice low and deliberate, "is how we protect each other."

His eyes land on Yoongi hyung, still pinned under a smirking Jimin, and then on Y/N noona, who hasn't said a word in minutes, just watching us with that careful, overthinking look she wears when she's trying not to fall apart in front of us.

"We hold each other up. We build walls around the people who built homes in us."

He nods toward the laptop, the swirling breach logs, then back to them.

"Not just with code," he says gently,

"but with connection. With noise. With showing up."

No one argues.

Because when Joon hyung says it like that, it's not just wisdom.

It's a blueprint.
A reason.

A reminder that they're not the only one fighting for us and that we're not just here to comfort them.

We're here to guard them.

Around me, everything is chaos.

Sticky syrup.
Flying dog and cat hair.