❒ Requested
❒ members: Yoongi
❒ genre: Fluff
❒ summary: In which Chaeri has an infallible method for turning off too-noisy thoughts and decides to share it with Yoongi
❒ warnings: not proofreaded
requests are open (even if it takes a while)
May, 2013
჻ She did not need to step through the door of their studio (or rather basement) in Namsan-dong to realize that the boys were fighting, again
჻ The object of each argument? The mattress
჻ A short time earlier, while searching for discarded furniture that might be suitable and clean enough to furnish that small room they had to work on their music, they found a sleeping mattress that was still in good condition
჻ They couldn't claim much since they were practically broke, so they had been excited enough about that piece of furniture that was very useful to the long nights spent there
჻ Unfortunately, the space on the mattress was barely enough for two people
჻ So, arguments always revolved around whose turn it was to sleep on it at night
჻ The others made do as they could, some on sleeping bags, some on uncomfortable chairs
჻ At that time, however, deciding who should use it was even more difficult
჻ With the humid heat that had hit Korea in those last few days, sharing the narrow bed with someone could not be contemplated
჻ Sometimes, because of their busy schedules, returning to the dorms to sleep in their room was just out of the question
჻ And so they ended up fighting all the time
჻ Men.
჻ Chaeri, used to sleeping on a chair, didn't bother to fight for her turn
჻ The door opened before she had the chance to do it herself.
჻ A visibly bored Taehyung, followed by Jungkook, walked out barely giving her a quick nod before leaving
჻ The girl stopped Jungkook before he could disappear behind the alley like the other boy did
჻ Both of them, like her, were carrying a large pile of flyers to distribute
჻ "Mattress?"
჻ "Mattress."
჻ "Who did Tae argue with?"
჻ "With Yoongi hyung, either of them won't give up their turn to the other," he gave her a small smile that made her realize that mediating between the two must have been hard work
჻ And that the next few hours in there would be spent with an even more annoyed Yoongi
჻ What a lovely day
゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜
჻ "I'm back"
჻ The backpack on her shoulders filled with dozens of posters to promote their soon-to-be debut had stuck to her sweaty T-shirt
჻ In a large grocery bag, meanwhile, she carried a small fan earned by doing a chore at the appliance store a few miles away from there
჻ She had spent the entire morning delivering flyers, picking up from the recycling bin those tossed by passersby just ahead, and then helped the elderly store owner unload the goods that had just arrived
჻ That had earned his sympathy and the device she brought with her
჻ Sitting on the floor, with about ten sheets of paper in front of him, Yoongi kept scribbling words in illegible handwriting
჻ "Welcome back"
჻ He was always very polite, but never too warm to her nor to the rest of the maknae line
჻ Despite Chaeri's constant efforts to try to get him to like her, their relationship did not seem to have improved much since its beginnings
჻ It was not that they did not get along, he simply considered her not very much. A mere coworker
゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜
჻ "Were you able to hand out enough flyers?"
჻ The staff told them that they would soon be making their debut in the industry, confirming the actual position of all 8 members
჻ That's why they were taking turns handing out flyers to promote their upcoming music release and performances
჻ "Handing them out was no problem, but I found far too many thrown in the paper bin just ahead of where I was. I picked them up and brought them back here."
჻ They couldn't afford to print a lot of them, picking them up from the pile of other discarded papers was a need
჻ Not that they would get dirty, in fact, since the bins were specifically dedicated to newspapers and flyers
჻ Yoongi nodded to her as the room was filled with the notes of a song she did not know: His phone was ringing
჻ Not to be nosy, Chaeri took the opportunity to shrug off her backpack and bag and go to the bathroom to take a shower
჻ She needed it, sweaty as she was
゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜
჻ As she turned on the faucet, she could hear Yoongi's conversation with someone on the phone. His tone was calm, collected, but there was an edge of frustration in his voice. She couldn't help but eavesdrop a bit, walls too thin not to allow her to hear
჻ Yoongi sighed his conversation with his mom, shaking his head. He knew what was coming: another lecture on why he should quit the music career and focus on something else. He had heard the same thing a hundred times before and it never changed.
჻ "Mom, I'm fine," he said, trying to be polite and respectful. "I enjoy what I do here"
჻ But his mom wasn't convinced. She kept insisting that that was not for him and that he should find something better suited for him. She argued that he was already too old to not have a job and to be messing around with kids
჻ As much as he tried not to be affected by the words of the one who raised him, not being supported was what hurt him most
჻ And this continually spilled over into his daily peace of mind and the relationship he had with other members
჻ Especially the younger ones
჻ His parents' words echoed in his head more than he wanted to
჻ What if he was really making a mistake? wasting time instead of studying and finding a respectable job? was he really wasting time with kids?
჻ He could understand his parents' thinking to some extent. Chaeri, the youngest, was almost 6 years apart from him.
჻ Was he really getting so influenced by her that he felt the weight of those details she kept pointing out to him?
჻ As he hung up the phone, Yoongi leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh. He felt a pang of guilt for not being able to make his parents proud, for not being able to live up to their expectations
჻ He tried to push the thoughts out of his mind and focus on the work that he needed to do
჻ He grabbed his notebook and started scribbling lyrics, trying to take his mind off of things. But the words wouldn't come. He couldn't focus
჻ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he saw Chaeri standing in front of him, long black hair still wet, a white T-shirt that accentuated the slight golden tan those outdoor mornings of work had given her.
჻ He quickly looked away.
჻ "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to stare."
჻ Chaeri gave him a small smile "It's okay," "Do you need the bathroom? I'm almost done."
჻ "No, no, it's fine, I can wait."
჻ When she finally walked out of the bathroom after drying the hair, Yoongi was still sitting in the same spot, his eyes glued to his notebook
჻ For a few moments, there was silence, save for the scratching of Yoongi's pen
჻ Glancing at the papers in front of him, all she saw were crossed-out sentences and incomprehensible scribbles
჻ Totally different from what she was used to seeing in the boy's hands
჻ Yoongi, noticing the look in the girl's eyes sighed and looked up at her. "I'm just...not feeling very inspired today."
჻ Chaeri nodded, understanding. She knew that creative blocks were common in the music industry, but she also had a feeling that there was more going on with Yoongi than just a lack of inspiration, because of the tense tone with which she had heard him speak on the phone just before
჻ "Is everything okay?" she asked gently, taking a seat beside him.
჻ Yoongi hesitated for a moment before he finally spoke, "Yeah, it's just some family stuff. My parents don't really support what I'm doing here."
჻ "You have to do what makes you happy. You can't live your life to please others."
჻ The two sat in silence for a few moments, Yoongi lost in thought and Chaeri trying to figure out a way to help him.
჻ That's when it hit her. She was wearing the necklace she had built in Jeju months earlier, as soon as she returned from France
჻ It was quite simple, with a shell dangling in a thin string
჻ She usually never took it off
჻ It was her habit to bring the shell to her ear whenever her thoughts became too noisy
჻ The sound of the sea from it always managed to calm her somehow
჻ Chaeri took off the necklace and held it out to Yoongi. "Here," she said. "Maybe it'll help you find some inspiration."
჻ He looked at her, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"
჻ "This shell is from Jeju. Whenever I feel lost or stuck, I listen to the sound of the sea in it, and it helps me calm down and focus. Maybe it'll do the same for you."
჻ He took the necklace from her and examined the shell. It was small and delicate, but it held a certain charm. He put it to his ear and listened.
჻ At first, all he heard was the rushing wind and some distant traffic, but after a few moments, he started to hear something else. It was faint at first, but it grew stronger with each passing second. It was a melody, soft and gentle, but it was there.
჻ Yoongi looked up at Chaeri, amazed
჻ She had managed to break through his walls, if only a little
჻ "It's beautiful," he murmured. "Thank you."
჻ Chaeri smiled. "It's okay" She paused for a moment, then added, "If you ever need to talk about anything...I'm here to listen."
჻ Yoongi nodded. He had been so closed off for so long that it felt strange and foreign to have someone who was willing to listen. But he found the thought comforting.
჻ He slipped the necklace around his neck, not wanting to let go of that feeling just yet
჻ "I'll remember that"
゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜
჻ As the sun began to set, the members who had been out during the daylight hours were approaching to return to the studio
჻ Taehyung, especially, had been able to relieve the tension that his fight with Yoongi earlier caused him
჻ At that moment, tired and sweaty, exhausted from the suffocating Korean heat, they wanted nothing more than to take a cold shower and have dinner
჻ The first to walk through the basement door was Tae himself who, immediately, was hit by the scene he faced:
჻ A small fan was puffing a cool breeze toward the mattress on which Chaeri was sleeping. Yoongi, sitting on the floor beside the mat, was holding his papers with one hand which he was reading carefully and stroking Chaeri's hair with the other
჻ Taehyung couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. He knew it was selfish and childish, but he couldn't help it. Yoongi didn't even want to let him sleep on the mat earlier, and now here he was, letting the female member do it
჻ He felt his fists clench slightly as he tried to stop himself from saying something that would probably make him sound like a child. Instead, he pointed at the mattress and asked: "What's going on? I thought it was your turn today since you repeated it to me a million times this morning."
჻ Yoongi looked up at Taehyung "It was. But I wanted to give it up to her"
჻ The members, who by now had passed the boy still standing in the doorway, began to laugh at the look on his face
჻ Amazed, outraged
჻ "Did you really give up your turn?"
჻ "Yes."
჻ "But it should have been mine!"
჻ " Might be tomorrow."
჻ "Oh no, tomorrow will be mine!" Jimin immediately jumped in.
჻ And while the arguments about whose mattress should go the next day, Yoongi was unable to think of anything else that keeping the youngest of the group away in those months had been a big mistake
჻ Especially Chaeri, who had given him something so precious to her despite his being unfriendly
჻ "Be quiet, or you will wake her up."
჻ And the room became silent
჻ With no one arguing, for the first time in months