A sudden fan letter takes everyone by surprise.
"To the toughest member of BTS"
The members begin to argue over who it's addressed to... and agree to test their courage to prove who deserves the title.
It was a dark and spine-chilling night, no stars above to twinkle the atmosphere with a little of its sparkling beauty. Just blue and black shades of the naked sky.
A car, with a sign of a ghost being crossed out with the name "BTS BUSTERS", parks to the side of where a supposedly haunted house was supposed to be.
The boys, minus Taehyung, were wearing some yellow safety helmets and holding flashlights. They sneak up on the walls as Namjun is leading the way and signals them to get behind him and form a line.
"Okay, we're doing this for real now." Namjun states. "Just do it like we practiced."
Hoseok, who was in the back, was looking unsure about the mission. "Namjun, I don't think this is a good idea. There's no such thing as ghosts at this day and age..."
"There are, and we're gonna catch them! Move!" Namjun shouts.
Crows caw in the mysterious aura of the night and startle a few members.
"Don't be nervous. The crow's just... watching our backs." Namjun reassures the group, even though he's feeling nervous himself. "We'll do a headcount. One. Two! Three! Four! Five."
"E-Eight!" Hoseok stutters out.
"Why are you eight? Focus! Again. One!"
"Two."
"Three!"
"Four."
"Five."
"Ah! Six. Sorry, sorry, sorry. End of count!" Hoseok shouts.
"We have six?" Namjun asks in disbelief. "Who's missing?"
As he asks that, a wolf howls at the bright moon crossing over them above the black, eerie sky.
The atmosphere starts getting more and more ominous, making the boys shiver in fear.
"G-Ghosts? No way..."
Yunki, who was holding a sensor, was looking at its screen. "11 meters." The numbers started decreasing. "10 meters."
Namjun, being the fearless leader, calls out, "Let's take them down, charge! Forward!"
The members follow behind their leader and pull together a brave face.
They get to the front of the gate of the haunted mansion and Hoseok looks over Yunki's sensor.
"4 meters." Hoseok says as he starts to shake even more.
"3 meters."
A shadow figure creeps slowly to the other side of the gate where the boys were at. Walking very groggily as the boys bring their guard up.
Yunki looks through the scanner again. "1 meter... but we're in front of a metal gate..."
The shadow figure in inches away from the gate and slowly opens it, making a horrifying creaking noise as it opens.
The boys see a glimpse of the shadow figure right in front of them and scream to the top of their lungs as they scurry away to who knows where, as long as it was away from the gate and away from the house.
Little did they know, that the shadow figure turned out to be Taehyung in a cute green dinosaur onesie.
Taehyung yawns and begins to rub his eyes, "I was taking a really nice nap... Where's everyone going? Weren't we supposed to meet here today? No?"
After that whole thing, Taehyung goes straight back to his nap.
*Timeskip*
"Wow. It's been bad, but it's getting worse. What's gotten into him lately?" Seokjin's frustrated voice rings through the practice room. "I asked him to eat with me over text yesterday and guess how he replied? One single dot! Is that supposed to mean he'll eat with me, or that he won't?"
"He did it to you too, Hyung? I asked him to practice dancing with me and was confused because he sent a single dot." Hoseok says, a triangle frown formed upon his face.
"He sent me a single dot when I asked him to go eat lamb skewers with me, too." Yunki states with a sour look.
Namjun's lips form a grim, thin line. "I think that single dot is positive, though. I mean, guess who hasn't gotten one..."
"It's me. I'm the winner. He just leaves me on read." Taehyung answers, feeling pretty carefree about it.
The guys stop getting worked up and turn to cast pitying looks at Taehyung.
"You must've been so anxious when the 'I' next to your message disappeared." Yunki states.
"Taehyung. Don't call 119 when you're hurting. Call me instead. Okay?" Namjun tells Tae as he ruffles his hair.
Everyone's suffering because a certain someone's pretending not to know them and acting cold, even though they know he can't push them away.
"Manager! Jeongguk's acting really strange lately. What do you think's going on?" The members all crowd around (Y/N) with concerned expressions.
The certain someone is none other than BTS's maknae, Jeon Jeongguk.
'Jeongguk has become quieter and more distant lately... to the rest of the group's frustration. I better find out the cause of Jeongguk's sudden change and solve this misunderstanding! But how do I do that?' (Y/N) thinks deeply as she is figuring out a plan.
That's when she spots Jeongguk's practice log sticking out of the bookcase. Without thinking, (Y/N) reaches for it...
'Just a peek can't hurt! Maybe there's an answer in here.' (Y/N) peels open the pages carefully and is shocked at what she finds. 'There's nothing written here! Just a single dot!'
"What are you doing, Manager?" Jimin asks from behind her.
(Y/N) jumps in fear, "Ah! You scared me!"
Jimin sees what's in her hand, "You must be curious about Jeongguk, too." Jimin smiles and gestures to the practice log in her hands.
"Ah, this? It's... Um... Ha, yeah. You're right. I wanted to know why Jeongguk's acting like this."
"Actually... I have a hunch. Take a look at this."
Jimin holds his phone out to (Y/N). She can see the comments on a performance video of <Boy In Luv>.
[Look, a tough baby in luv hiding between all the boys in luv]
[Wow the maknae looks so young awww]
[Was he born yesterday? He's at least ten years short of being a tough guy]
"Jeongguk's been reading the comments."
(Y/N) stares at the phone screen as she reads more of the comments. "So he's being brusque... On purpose? To seem tougher?"
Jimin nods, "Right. What he's doing is exactly what comes up when you search for 'How to be a Tough Guy' online. He refuses to use an umbrella when it rains..."
*Flashback*
It's pouring outside but a particular maknae doesn't seem fazed.
Jeongguk's arms cross, "I don't need an umbrella. I can just run."
*Flashback ends*
"...He only showers using cold water."
*Flashback*
Jeongguk starts his shower and turns the knob to a really cool temperature.
"I don't need warm water. I can just be fast."
*Flashback ends*
"...And even after he takes a selfie..."
*Flashback*
Jeongguk takes a selfie and doesn't bother looking at the photo to see if it's a good shot.
"I don't need to look at the picture. Tough guys don't check their selfies!"
*Flashback ends*
"So... What I think is that he doesn't dislike us at all... He's just trying to be a Tough Boy in Luv."
(Y/N) thinks about the assumption for a second. 'That's a relief if it's true, but what if it isn't? What if he's acting out because he's unhappy?' That's when she's struck with a great idea. "I know how to communicate with Jeongguk!"
*Timeskip*
(Y/N) calls for everyone to gather at the dining room. "Everyone's here, right? Ok! We're going to pick chores with rock-paper-scissors. Let's start!"
"Okay!!" The members respond in sync.
"Okay! Rock, paper, scissors!" Yunki yells out.
"Huh? Park Jimin played scissors! Don't you know that real tough guys pick rock?" Taehyung states.
Jimin looks embarrassed, "Ah! It was an accident. I know tough guys pick rock!"
Seokjin pats both of them on the back, "Hey, come on! You're supposed to pick whatever wins!"
Namjun looks at Seokjin, "What are you talking about, hyung? Tough guys pick rock."
"...You too, Namjun?" Seokjin seemed dumbfounded.
Jeongguk's eyes flit around as he takes in what the hyungs say about how tough guys play rock-paper-scissors.
Hoseok tries to calm everyone down. "Now, now! No one's been chosen yet. Let's start over. Rock, paper, scissors!"
Jeongguk is the sole loser of rock-paper-scissors, as expected. Like a tough guy, he only knows how to pick rock.
"Jeongguk, go easy on yourself and use the vacuum. Why are you trying to sweep?" (Y/N) asks.
Jeongguk shakes his head, "I don't need the vacuum cleaner. I'm too tough for that!"
While Jeongguk goes to find a broom, the other guys gather together to whisper conspiratorially.
"Even the sweeping instead of vacuuming bit is straight from 'How to be a Tough Guy'." Taehyung whispers to the group.
"He's not going to wipe the windows with newspaper like it says to, is he?" Yunki asks.
Jeongguk comes back and asks (Y/N), "Manager, do you know where the newspapers are? I wanna wipe the windows."
"Um... Maybe the utility room? They might be there. Haha..." (Y/N) answers nervously as she points the direction.
As Jeongguk goes to look, the other members burst into laughter.
"Wow. He's really going for it." Seokjin holds his stomach as he is dying of laughter.
"Should we look up more things tough guys do? We need to know how weird Jeongguk's gonna get." Namjun says, using that as a solution.
Jimin raises his hand, "Hoseok hyung and I are already on it.
"Huh... Hey, wait. There's something weird here." Hoseok assures to everyone.
Taehyung chuckles, "Weirder than Jeongguk? He's the weirdest person in the world right now."
"Yeah, weirder thanks that. Look at it."
Hoseok shows everyone a music program's page listing the week's 1st place nominees. Everyone turns to look at the screen.
"BTS's Boy In Luv... Is on the 1st place nominee list?!" (Y/N) shouts out, not believing her eyes.
Bewildered, everyone checks and rechecks the list over and over.
Jimin looked just as shocked, and he just kept staring at the screen then looks over at (Y/N). "It's not a error, is it? Manager, is this real?"
(Y/N) sends a hesitant text to the music program PD to verify and get a very short reply- 'Yeah.'
"Guys... I just checked with the PD! We really are 1st place nominees."
"Woooooooww!!"
Deafening cheers shake the dorm. And then Jeongguk walks back in.
Taehyung rushes to the Maknae, "Jeongguk! Boy In Luv is one of this week's nominated songs! Amazing, right?!"
"Well... Yeah, that's nice. Can you move for a sec hyung? I need to sweep where you're sitting." Jeongguk replies oh-so-casually.
'What? Jeongguk doesn't seem very happy... How is he not overjoyed?!' (Y/N) eyebrows furrow as she was confused as to why Jeongguk isn't excited as they are.
Jimin sees her quizzical expression and smiles, turning his cell phone screen towards her.
[REMEMBER! Never, ever laugh! Laughter is tough guy enemy #1]
She manages not to laugh as she exchanges knowing winks with Jimin.
.
.
.
'Well, here's to BTS's true Boy In Luv!'
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A/N: Hey guys!! Hope you all have been doing well while I was away. Sorry for the long wait but I got some good news!! The new Jimin x Reader another story will be coming soon! I just had lots to do with my job (to get that 💰), some stuff with friends came along the way, So lots happened but I ain't dead😃 As always, I purple all you beautiful ARMY and have a safe and happy day 💜🌸🦋