*Trigger Warning, bullying and offensive language.*
Jimin and Auden were all over the internet.
Auden saw the news the next day. She woke up to ten missed phone calls from Emmie and dozens of texts with article links that directed her to a variety of news sites.
Pictures of them surrounded by a mass of fan girls leaving the Perch restaurant, Jimin's arm around her protectively as he led her to the SUV.
It looked bad. And the headlines made it even worse.
Park Jimin secretly dating American lyricist?
Famous Kpop star caught on a date with American producer.
Is Park Jimin finally dating?
The list went on.
How they'd discovered so quickly who she was, where she was born, and what she did for a living, was honestly beyond her comprehension. But the paparazzi seemed to know everything about her, except for how she managed to end up with Park Jimin at a fancy French restaurant.
Auden was having trouble registering the chaos that was unfolding via social media when suddenly her bedroom door opened and she screamed.
Jimin came barging in, dressed in a casual sweat outfit, his hair still wet from the shower.
"Jimin, what are you doing in my room!" Auden yelled, grabbing the sheet and covering herself. She wasn't naked, but she was wearing sleep shorts and a thin tank top without a bra.
"Did you see the news?" he asked, not even focused on her scanty attire or the fact she was in bed still.
"Jimin, you can't just barge into my house at eight in the morning, I'm indecent." Auden glared at him, but he was absorbed in his phone. He sat down at the foot of her bed, still scrolling incessantly.
"Bang Si-hyuk must have seen it by now, and if not he'll see it soon."
Auden gave up trying to get him to leave and began to feel the gravity of the situation.
"Do you think your fans will really believe that you're dating someone? And would it really so bad if you were?"
Jimin looked up, finally meeting her eyes. "We were seen leaving a fancy restaurant together Auden. People are definitely assuming we're dating." The expression in his eyes was troubled. "Allegedly looking at a women has had our fans up in arms."
"What do we do?"
"Deny the accusations, and then do our best to ignore the chaos." Jimin sighed, and just then his phone rang and he looked mildly scared as he answered it and put it on speaker.
"I've seen the news," Bang Si-hyuk said immediately. He didn't sound happy.
"I'm sorry Bang Si-hyuk," Jimin said.
"This can be fixed. But you have to tell me one thing Jimin and tell me the truth," Bang Si-hyuk said.
Auden held her breath as she listened to the conversation.
"I promise," Jimin said.
"Are you two dating?"
"No," they both said in unison. Auden cringed, realizing she spoke aloud.
"Hi, Bang Si-hyuk," Auden said pathetically.
"Hello, Auden. I'm sorry to tell you the next couple weeks you'll need to stay hidden as much as possible from the public eye. We need to get the attention off the two of you and back onto the real reason Jimin is there."
"How are we going to avert their attention, they think I'm dating someone," Jimin said obviously stressed.
"This isn't the first time dating accusations have come up," Bang Si-hyuk said. "We can work with this. We just need a distraction."
"Like what," Jimin asked.
"There is an American dancer that wants to do a collaboration with you, Jimin. Her name is Maddie Ziegler, they want you to both perform with her on the Tonight Show. Then they want to interview you afterwards. I think it would be good so you can deny the accusations in person and then also talk about some of your new songs."
"Alright if you think it will help," Jimin said.
"I hope it will," Bang Si-hyuk said, and he sighed. "Don't worry Jimin, this will all blow over. Just be careful, and don't leave the apartment unless absolutely necessary. You too Auden, there may be threats put out against you because of this. You need to be very cautious."
"I will be," Auden said, the weight of the situation much heavier and real now that he mentioned threats. Would people really threaten her for being seen with Jimin?
Auden felt suddenly cold. She didn't think that her life would be in danger by taking this job, but what if someone found out where she lived? What if they tried to hurt her?
"I have to go, but I'll message Han the details," Bang Si-hyuk said and then the two said goodbye before Jimin hung up the phone.
Auden started thinking up scenarios of people hunting her down, until she felt Jimin's hand suddenly on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to you." He must've seen the concern in her eyes.
Auden nodded, trying to put on a brave face. Then he stood up from the edge of her bed, seeming to realize what state of dress she was in finally because he awkwardly looked away from her.
"I'm going to be in the kitchen," he said and then he left the room.
Auden was still processing everything that just occurred when her phone buzzed again. Auden answered it this time and Emmie's voice shrieked from the other line.
"You and Jimin are dating?!"
"We are not dating, we went to lunch." Auden could feel a headache coming on.
"You two were at one of the fanciest French restaurants in LA! How else was I supposed to perceive that?"
Auden hated that her best friend would instantly jump to conclusions. Auden's resentment for the fangirl that lived within Emmie somehow deepend. If this was how her best friend was reacting, how would the rest of the fandom?
"He wanted to go there after his interview and so we did. It was just as friends. I didn't think anything of it and neither should you!"
"You two are literally making headlines on some of the biggest new sites ever!" Emmie said dramatically.
Auden started to feel angry that her friend was acting so ridiculous.
"Emmie, I had no idea how those fans found out his location but it's not good."
"Have you been threatened?" Emmie asked, her tone turning gravely serious. It was the side of her friend that Auden liked most, the sensitive, caring Emmie.
"Not yet," Auden said rubbing her temples. "Ugh, I had no idea this was going to be like this."
"I should've warned you." Emmie said, her tone suddenly filled with guilt. "You've declared war with some people."
"But we aren't even dating!"
"I know, but it doesn't matter. You've been seen with him and that's enough for some ARMY."
Auden knew that ARMY was the title for their fans. She heard it a lot when watching their variety show.
"Let's just hope it passes quickly before anything happens," Auden said. Emmie was silent on the other line and that made Auden even more anxious.
"Be careful Auden," Emmie said.
"I will."
"I've got to go to class but I'll check in on you soon," Emmie said.
"Bye Em,"
"Bye."
The line went dead and Auden sighed, laying her phone on the bed she left it there and went too check on Jimin.
He was in her kitchen making breakfast. Auden went to sit at the counter across from him.
"So what do we do now?"
Jimin flipped over some eggs he was frying and sighed. He looked troubled, his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed.
"I'm going to learn this dance so I can perform it on the show with this American dancer and hope that the interview with calm things down. And you," he looked up at her, his dark, worried gaze meeting hers. "You're going to stay here and keep writing until this all blows over."
"I'm sorry, Jimin," Auden said softly.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for. It's my fault for being complacent."
"This isn't your fault," Auden assured him, reaching out to touch his hand that was holding the spatula. He froze, looking down at their hands. "They invaded your privacy, not the other way around."
He looked up at her again, his eyes softening. "Thanks," he said gently, his expression still conflicted.
"It will blow over. I'm sure of it." Auden pulled her hand away, trying not to think about how she'd just comforted him so intently.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm going to go shower."
"Food will be ready in fifteen," he said, and Auden gave him a weak smile before walking back into her room.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, letting out a long breathe.
Her phone pinged from across the room and she reluctantly walked over to her bed, finding it buried in the sheets. Then she saw a new text message waiting for her on the screen.
She swiped up and felt her heart fall into her stomach.
Unknown Number:
He's mine. Touch him again and I'll kill you.
Auden gasped, dropping the phone and backing away from like it was literally on fire.
Who would message her that? Auden's hands began to shake, and she had to physically hold them to her chest so they would stop quivering.
Breathe, Auden she told herself. It's just a jealous fan trying to scare you. Breathe. She told herself.
She gathered her resolve, pushing away the nasty feelings in her chest the best she could and then forced herself to carry on with her morning and head into the bathroom to take a shower.
No amount of hot water and body soap could wash away the horrible feeling she was having though after reading the message that was sent to her. Auden had pretty tough skin, but she'd never had her life threatened.
Auden got out of the shower, skin hot and flushed from the water, but her insides still cold as ice.
She dressed for the day, and then with her heart beating fast she glanced at her phone sitting on the bathroom counter. More unread messages appeared on the screen and her skin erupted with fearful goosebumps.
She gulped and then opened the messages. Some were in her social media DM's and others directly messaging her. There were dozens upon dozens now.
Die B*tch.
I hate you. How could you do this to me?
You're the ugliest person I've ever seen.
Leave Jimin or I'll come find you.
There were more, but Auden couldn't see them because her eyes blurred with tears. Auden felt droplets dribble onto her cheeks as the hurtful comments pierced her heart. She quickly slammed the phone into the top drawer of her dresser and shut it in there. She didn't want to look at it anymore. She couldn't.
"Auden, you okay in there?" Jimin's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Breakfast is ready."
"I'll be right out!" Auden managed to somehow keep her voice steady even though a giant lump sat in her throat.
She took in a couple more deep breaths to calm herself down. Then she swallowed back the tears and allowed the anger to surface.
She wasn't going to allow these people to intimidate her. She wouldn't. These people weren't real fans of Jimin's if they were sending her these types of messages. These were awful individuals, crazed by jealousy and not worthy to be called fans. These were bullies and terrorizers.
She wouldn't cower to them.
***
Bang Si-hyuk returned a couple days later. He checked in on Auden and asked her if she was okay. She told him that she was doing fine but failed to tell him about the death threats. She didn't want it to be a big issue. She didn't want to give the bullies any more ammunition to make her feel afraid. If she just ignored it, she hoped it would all just fade away.
So she went on with her life as if nothing had happened.
She threw herself into her writing. And when she couldn't think up lyrics, she studied. She needed to catch up on a bunch of online schoolwork so she took the time quarantined in her apartment to get done everything she'd been procrastinating.
Jimin didn't come over very much in the week or so following the leak of their dinner together. He must've been practicing for his upcoming dance with the famous American dancer. Because he didn't text her or barge into her place unannounced. It was sort of odd not having him around. She'd gotten so used to his company.
Her doorbell rang just then and she jumped a little at the noise. She told herself to stop being so jumpy and went to answer it.
To her relief it was just groceries that Han put on her doorstep and she carried them inside and put them onto her countertop. He always brought her groceries and Auden had to admit, she loved not having to go grocery shopping. It was one of the many perks of her new job. They provided her with anything she needed.
Auden started putting away milk and egg cartons when she stumbled upon a pack of snacks that were most definitely Korean. They usually stuck to giving her American brand foods so Auden could only guess that it was for Jimin and that they'd accidently put the snacks in one of her grocery bags.
Auden took the pack of what looked to be Korean noodles and walked over to Jimin's apartment.
She'd never actually been to his apartment before and Auden felt a little strange knocking.
But no answer came.
She knocked again and waited.
Still no answer.
Auden couldn't help but feel worried about this, but not wanting to raise an unneeded call for alarm she pushed open the door, hoping that he wasn't naked or something. Then she remembered how many times he'd come into her apartment unannounced and became a little braver.
The apartment was very similar to hers. The same modern sleek style, except the place smelled like him. Hints of vanilla tantalized her nose as she set down the noodles on his kitchen counter and then she walked past the living room towards the hallway.
"Jimin," she called. "Jimin they gave me some of your groceries!" she called, her voice echoing throughout the empty house. And then she wondered if maybe he was out and he wasn't there at all.
But just then she heard music and she stilled.
It was a lurid beat, humming through the walls. It was coming from one of the rooms. She edged towards the music slowly.
She stopped outside the last door at the end of the hall, her hand sort of shaky as she turned the knob and revealed what was on the other side.
The R&B style music was playing over a series of big speakers, and Jimin was dancing.
It was a dance room, the floor made of sleek hard wood and one wall covered completely in mirrors.
He was oblivious to her watching him, and Auden was completely entranced for several moments.
She had seen a couple of music videos where he'd danced. But this—this was different. It was fluid, and graceful, and utterly captivating.
He moved so easily to the music, his body obviously practiced and skilled. It was like the music was flowing through him, and even his eyes would close at some parts when he was really connected to the melody. It was beautiful.
He wore a pair of joggers and a loose shirt that would show parts of his abdomen when he lifted his arms, and Auden found her breath hitching at the sight.
Everything about him resembled some sort of fallen angel, and Auden wondered briefly how he was even real?
She didn't get to break the spell. It was him who caught her watching him.
He stopped dancing, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. And then his eyes found hers in the mirror.