Her Grammy article had the highest number of views in the history of tvN with the views still growing even days after the entire award show. The guys did get better, thanks to her and the over three more dozen cupcakes of different flavours she made and bought just for them.
They all got back to work and it wasn't long before Thursday came knocking; the day for the You Quiz on the Block recording with BTS. That Wednesday, the employees of tvN who were to work on that recording concluded the day's activities and then Yoo-rim and Taecyeon went over everything one more time in her office.
Taecyeon nodded slowly as he skimmed through the last page. "Nothing seems to be out of place so we're good to go."
Yoo-rim dropped her clipboard on the desk and stood. "I guess we can call it a day."
Taecyeon stood as well, a small smile playing on his lips. "You've been looking really good recently, sunbae."
She faced him, pulling her hair up in a quick bun. "Really?"
He nodded, hugging his clipboard to his chest where his heart raced. "Yes, I noticed. Your skin's glowing more this days and you're happier."
She picked up her jacket, giving him a small smile. "Well, I'm happy and there are less worries in my life. Also, I'm working with important people so..."
His small smile widened. "You never told us how your book being published went."
She made a face, her nose cutely scrunched up. "Don't remind me. They had my title dropped the day I quit at Korea Today."
There was no way he would have stopped his eyes from widening like saucers. "Are you serious!?"
She nodded, putting on the nude coloured jacket that matched her trousers. "I haven't been able to work on my other manuscripts and send them out." She smiled at him once again and switched the topic. "You're picking me up tomorrow, right?"
He let it go and nodded. "I am!" His grin showed just how hard he was crushing on her and whoever walked into the office in that moment would have seen the hearts shooting from his eyes. "Thank you for allowing me do so."
She scoffed. "You literally had tears in your eyes and you were so close to begging on your knees so..."
He smiled smugly, not the least embarrassed. "It still got you to say yes so I'm not ashamed of it."
She shook her head and put her things in her bag. "I'm tired of you, Taec."
"You love me, sunbae, and you know that." His voice turned playful. "Don't worry, I love you too." He sobered up. "Will you be at your parents' house or should I pick you up from your apartment at Gangnam?"
She stilled, suddenly realizing none of them knew she had moved. She blinked and turned around, speaking slowly as she was unsure how much she could tell him. "I actually moved from my apartment."
His eyes widened once again. "Really?"
"Yeah, I stay at Seongbuk-dong now." She picked up a notepad and wrote down the address before she tore out the paper and handed it to him, her heart nervously racing. "You'll pick me up from there."
Taecyeon read every word and his expression brightened. "Oh, I know this place."
"Just don't drive in." She said quickly. "I'll meet you outside"
"Why?" He asked teasingly, raising his head. "Is there something you're hiding, sunbae? You know I won't judge you."
She smiled, trying to stay calm although she wasn't. "No, Taecyeon. I don't live alone and I don't want you scaring my housemate."
"Oh..." He said in realization. His expression brightened once more. "Okay, Sunbae! I'll wait for you outside although I don't know how on earth I'll scare away your housemate."
Yoo-rim had never been so relieved. "Thank you, Taecyeon."
"You're welcome!"
When she got home that night, Namjoon was waiting for her. He was a bit tired from the recording they had completed at KBS for their upcoming special talk show – Lets BTS – that was to run for 100 minutes on KBS 2TV on the 29th of March. However, all of that didn't stop him from staying awake just so he could be there when she walked through the door and smile at him the way she always did when he came home.
The both of them made themselves comfortable at their usual spot by the fire after dinner and talked about how their days had gone, laughing at the crazy things that had happened. Just as they did every night since the morning after the Grammys, they fell asleep in Namjoon's room; Yoo-rim secure in his embrace with her head against his chest while a soft piano melody Yoongi had gladly composed for the both of them played lowly through the room's speakers.
When morning came around, Yoo-rim woke up to an empty bed. With furrowed brows, she sat up, calling out softly "Joonie?"
She was met with silence. She about to get out of bed when she saw his phone which was still at its charging spot and the sight of it made her calm down a little. She still got out of bed and headed out of the room, leaning over the corridor railing moments later. "Joonie?"
"Yeah?" He came into view a few moments later, smiling up at her from the lower floor. His dimples – are always – were beautiful. "Hey."
"You're up early. You nearly gave me a scare back there when I woke up alone."
His smile turned cheeky. "I'm trying to make breakfast for you. You have to be at work in like thirty to forty-five minutes so there's no way you'll be able to eat properly in that time."
She sighed dramatically. "Don't remind me."
Namjoon was tempted to laugh. "I picked out an outfit for you. It's on your bed."
Her heart soared and her belly flutters woke up for the day. "Thank you!"
His smile widened and his dimples went even deeper. "You're welcome."
"And you're right. There's no way I'll be able to eat at home once I finished getting ready."
"I know." He told her softly. "That's why I'm having it packed for you."
Her smile was so pretty. "You're a lifesaver, Joon."
Namjoon was ready to melt. "Go shower, Yoo-rim. Hurry up and come down."
She did just that, using his things in the shower instead of hers. He had picked out black high-waist straight cut trousers, a plain white shirt, and a black blazer for her. He finished up the outfit with a pair of black ASOS Timberland Classic 6 Premium boots that she never even knew she had.
She stared at the boots for a while, trying to remember packing them from her old place and then unpacking them when she moved in with Namjoon. When no memory came up, she shook her head and told herself she probably couldn't remember getting them as that had happened to her more than twice.. It took her twenty minutes to get dressed and she put on simple, chain earrings before pulling her hair up in a really secure ponytail.
She sighed at her reflection, tracing her hair length. "I need a haircut. I needed it like yesterday."
Once she was okay with the way she looked, she picked up her bag – her engagement ring gleaming once the light touched the gemstone – before she headed out of the room and straight downstairs. She dropped the bag on a couch in the living room and joined Namjoon in the kitchen just as he closed the pretty bag holding her food.
She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, I love the outfit."
"You look good." He handed her the bag after taking her in her entire appearance, a surge of pride in his chest at the fact that he put the outfit together. "I got sandwiches packed and fruits too." He then handed her a travelling mug, smiling as warmly as he always did with her. "Coffee."
She took everything from him, more than grateful and liking him more than she did the previous day. "Thank you. Also," She looked down at her booted feet. "I haven't seen these boots before. I got them?"
He shook his head. "I got them for you yesterday. You didn't see them when you came home from work last night so I brought them out for you to wear this morning."
Her pout was cute. "You honestly need to stop spoiling me."
Namjoon just wanted to pull her close and keep her in. "You do the same."
"I haven't gotten you anything!"
"You being here is everything, Yoo-rim." He said, giving into his urge and leaning in. He kept his hands to himself though. "I mean it."
She couldn't say anything and Namjoon had to force himself to not stare at her lips. She blinked as her phone rang, completely ruining the moment. She stepped back with a swallow, more for her sanity than anything else. "That must be Taecyeon."
He followed her out of the kitchen and into the living room, his hands in his sweatpants' pockets. His brows furrowed slightly. "Taecyeon? The same colleague you worked with at Korea Today who's now one of those with you at tvN?"
She nodded. "The very one." She fished her phone out of her bag and accepted the call, bringing the device to her ear a moment later. "Hey... Oh, you're outside? Alright, I'll be right out."
"He's driving you to work?" Namjoon asked once she had hung up. He had a brow raised.
She nodded, putting the phone back in her bag. "Yep. We are working as a team today so...We always have to be together."
He hated the idea, his jealousy rearing its ugly head, but he hid it well. She gave him a brief hug. "Have fun today, Joon."
He kissed her hair. "You too."
He wanted to see her out of the compound but he couldn't. He couldn't risk being sighted and then having her photos plastered on the front of newspapers and magazines, and on websites too. Outside, Taecyeon smiled at Yoo-rim the moment she stepped out of the pedestrian gate. "Sunbae!"
She smiled back at him. "You're here on time."
He opened the passenger door for her. "I had to pick you up so of course I'll be on time."
She shook her head and got in. He closed the door, walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. Minutes later, they were on their way towards the tvN headquarters while Namjoon got ready to leave for the company.
Yoo-rim was able to eat breakfast in the office before they got on their feet, ensuring everything was perfect. Along the line, she discarded her blazer and Taecyeon gladly held it for her. They went through the schedules, double checked that every needed person was on ground and that the filming equipment had been moved to the shooting site which was the Korean Furniture Museum.
As they headed back to his car so they could leave for the museum, Taecyeon filled Yoo-rim in. "The special guest is already on her way there. Jae Suk and Se Ho sunbae-nims said they'll tell her what to do when she arrives."
She nodded as they got in, both of them pulling out their seatbelts once they were seated. "Good enough." She buckled the seatbelt, securing it in place. "Jeon PD-nim was just telling me Armys bought all the commercial slots for the show."
Taecyeon's eyes were wide as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Are you serious!?"
She nodded. "They want the show to run without any interruptions. They're such an honourable fanbase."
"But we will have breaks while filming, right?"
She nodded again. "Of course. They'll get tired in between and we'll all have to eat too. We can't go shooting for so long without cut breaks. We'll drain ourselves."
"Well, that's good enough for me."
It didn't take too long for them to reach the museum. Security – as expected – was tight and Yoo-rim recognized her bodyguards in the midst of people present. They didn't stand out in any way, blending in perfectly, and she was glad.
At Big Hit Entertainment, Bang Si-Hyuk listened to Manager Hobeom who let him know that Yoo-rim was a member of the You Quiz on the Block production team and that the members of BTS knew nothing of it, including Namjoon.
Si-Hyuk raised a brow. "Are you sure she wasn't told to join the team today?"
The manager shook his head. "No, they had their schedules given to them before the Grammys. I made sure to ask."
Si-Hyuk was quiet for a long moment and then he said "Keep an eye on her, and on Namjoon too. Don't let them do anything stupid, especially Yoo-rim. We can't risk anything."
"Yes, sir. I'll do just that."
News had spread that BTS was going to film the You Quiz on the Block episode at the Korea Furniture Museum so it did not come as a surprise that a few Armys were in the vicinity along with some paparazzi when the entourage arrived. The members got out of the cars one after the other, bowing at the crowd before they headed in, warmly welcomed by the You Quiz on the Block team.
Yoo-rim and Taecyeon were inside one of the traditional buildings with some of the crew members, having no idea that the guys were just right outside.
They – the members of BTS – were dressed expensively in Louis Vuitton (and Anderson Bell in Jimin's case). Jungkook wore a black coloured LV Staples Edition DNA Denim jacket, a black inner top, black trousers, and LV Abbesses Derby shoes. Taehyung, on the other hand, was clad in an LV luxurious single breasted blazer, a plain white shirt, an LV Friends tie, and Gincourt Derby Shoes. Jimin was in a black LV inside-out crew neck sweatshirt which he tucked into his Anderson Bell stud washed boot-cut wide jeans. An LV friends' pendant necklace sat prettily on his neck, Major Loafers (still Louis Vuitton) covered his feet, and Tony CH earrings adorned each ear.
Hoseok looked adorable in a light weight tailored jacket, a white shirt and skater tailoring shorts, a wood necklace, a Volt multi ring, and Ollie Sneakers. Yoongi wore a sweatshirt similar to Jimin's but white in colour, a staples edition flared jeans, a monogram charms necklace, and LV Tattoo sneaker boots.
Jin looked extra handsome with his full, long hair and his casual, yet expensive, outfit that comprised of a blue LV Staples Edition DNA Denim jacket (similar to that of Jungkook), a white inner shirt, black trousers and Beverly Hills sneakers. Namjoon wore a Striped Monogram work wear denim shirt and a matching pair of striped cargo pants, a white inner shirt and a pair of LV Ollie Slip On shoes.
They happily chatted with the hosts who took them through the shooting schedule, each member listening attentively and nodding at intervals. One of the hosts, Jo Se Ho, was telling them that shooting would commence in 10 minutes so they could rest for a little when Namjoon spotted Yoo-rim. His smile disappeared immediately and he tuned the world out, missing out what said in that very minute.
Apart from the night they had watched her anchor the tvN e-News 9 programme, Namjoon had never seen Yoo-rim working and neither had the others. She was focused on her clipboard, lower lip caught between her teeth and her brows drawn in deep concentration; the perfect epitome of a woman in her element.
Namjoon watched as she turned around to talk to the really tall guy whom he recognized as Ok Taecyeon and he – Namjoon – found himself wondering if asking them to move Taecyeon to tvN alongside Ha-neul and Kwon had been a good idea.
Jin blinked when he noticed the group's leader's attention was somewhere else. "Namjoon, what are – Oh, is that Yoo-rim?"
Namjoon nodded. "Yeah, it is."
"Did you know she was part of the production team?" Jin asked in a hushed tone, moving closer.
Namjoon shook his head. "I had no idea."
The others had sighted her too, and although they wanted to scream out to her like they always did, they knew they had to be professional. They couldn't risk it, for their sakes and for hers too.
Luckily, the director pulled her to them, smiling widely. "This is the new ace of our team, Lee Yoo-rim. Yoo-rim, you know BTS, right?"
Yoo-rim let out a light laugh. "Who doesn't?" Acting as though she didn't know them personally, she put on a smile and bowed respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lee Yoo-rim."
They shook her hand, Namjoon being the last and the look he gave her let her know that they were going to have a talk later. She simply smiled back and looked away just as the director promised that the shoot was going to go as perfectly as possible.
As planned, recording began in ten minutes and as the boys were professionals, it went smoothly. Their reactions were priceless when the special guest, Kim Jung Hyun, made a dramatic entrance. Kim Jung Hyun, popularly referred to as "the dancing star army", was popularly known for her Mic Drop and Dynamite dance covers. Due to the pandemic, she hadn't been able to meet with them earlier but the show – You Quiz on the Block – had given her a chance and the guys were extremely happy.
They had fun as she made them flustered time and time again, especially when she shot them finger hearts at the end of her dance. They were a bit bummed when she had to leave but the hosts got another reaction when they informed the members that Armys had bought out all the commercial slots just so they could run the episode without any breaks.
Yoongi's eyes were unusually wide. "Really!?"
Yoo Jae Suk, the show's other host, nodded. "Yes! We were so shocked as well...You have a mighty fan base."
Namjoon nodded, his smile small but proud. "Yes, we do."
They spoke about their career and how far they had come; going from a rookie hip-hop group to being the biggest act in the world, surpassing artists that once seemed unbeatable. The members all attributed the success to Armys who had always been with them and then there were heartfelt confessions by the members.
Namjoon wondered how he was able to concentrate as it was really starting to irritate him how touchy Taecyeon was with Yoo-rim. Taecyeon was noisy, Namjoon noted, but it wasn't disrupting the shoot so no one could say anything. He – Taecyeon – stuck to Yoo-rim like a second skin and would always play with her hair or her earrings or just hold her hand as she talked or become mischievous just so she gave him her attention.
By the time they took a break from filming, Namjoon was ready to kill. Orders were placed for lunch and they had their make-up touched. That's when Jin moved closer to Namjoon and whispered "You are going to kill the poor boy if you keep glaring at him like that."
Namjoon, who now had his tongue tucked in the inside of his cheek, forced himself to look away while Jin looked nearly comical with his cheeks puffed as he tried to stop himself from laughing over Namjoon's jealousy.
On the opposite side, Ha-neul smiled at Yoo-rim. "You seem to have captured Kim Namjoon's attention."
Yoo-rim made a face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Kwon joined them. "Yoo-rim, Kim Namjoon has been staring at you. At first, it didn't seem like anything until he kept doing it. He only looked away now."
"I think he likes her." Ha-neul teased "I mean, if I were a boy, I'd like Yoo-rim too."
Taecyeon nodded. "Exactly."
Kwon scoffed. "You're too smitten by Yoo-rim, Taecyeon. Allow her breathe."
Taecyeon shook his head, sticking further to Yoo-rim. "Sunbae and I are a team so where she goes, I go."
Ha-neul shook her head. "You're really patient, Yoo-rim."
Yoo-rim was about to reply when her phone rang. When she saw who it was, she stepped aside and accepted the call, her eyes meeting his across the distance between them.
"You do know this is risky, right?"
Where he stood, Namjoon placed his free hand in his pocket, maintaining eye contact. "I know. I just needed to ask a question."
She wondered what it was. "Go ahead."
"Is that how Taecyeon always is?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Is he always so annoying, flirty, and extremely touchy?"
She was about to ask him to clarify what he meant when realization dawned on her. She nearly laughed. "Joon, are you for real?"
Namjoon did not share in her humour and it was as clear as day. "It's not funny."
Actually, it was. She had always wondered what it was like to have a guy being jealous over a girl as Young Do never got jealous when another guy came up to talk to her each time they went out. But, right then and there, Namjoon was jealous and although it was funny, she found it sweet. She let out a soft breath, her heart all warm and fluttery. "Taecyeon is an annoying and cute fellow but I'm used to it."
"I don't like it."
"Are you jealous, Kim Namjoon?"
She expected him to say no but then again, he was always honest. "Yes," He replied. "I am."
She lowered her gaze as she noticed curious glances, staring at her boots instead as she said "You don't have to worry about anything. He's just like a brother to me."
Namjoon did not turn away from her. "I'm going to try to believe that. He's pushing my buttons."
She laughed briefly. "We'll talk later. People are starting to stare, Joon. It's dangerous."
It was funny how Namjoon didn't care. "Don't let him bring you back home."
She raised her head. "Joonie –"
He wasn't having it. "I'm serious. I'll pick you up myself"
"Alright then." She said with a resigned sigh. "I'll see you later."
She hung up before he could say anything else, smiled at him and then walked back to where Ha-neul, Kwon and Taecyeon stood while Namjoon watched with a clenched jaw.
Shooting resumed shortly after, indoors this time, and they played the classic Mafia game where they had to guess who the mafia was. They then revealed that they were huge fans of the show which left the hosts flustered.
"It was a decision we happily made when they asked what show we wanted to appear on." Jin said with a warm smile. "We chose this one because we really loved it."
"Oh, you're making me embarrassed." One of the hosts said, his cheeks burning. "Stop!"
They all laughed and recording went on. At the end, the members were presented with life size chicken nugget pillows and they were awed. Jae Suk laughed. "I'm glad you like it."
Shooting came to an end shortly after and they had pictures taken before the members thanked the staff and team members for working so hard. That was when Namjoon discreetly asked when he could pick her up, Yoo-rim replying that she had to head back to the headquarters first to get her things so an hour was enough time.
Namjoon's left eye twitched. "Is he driving you back?"
She nodded, tempted to roll her lips in just so she didn't laugh. "Of course. We came together so it's only right that we leave together."
Her name slipped past his lips as a near growl. "Yoo-rim..."
She laughed. "Bye, Joonie. I'll see you in a bit."
The members left alongside Namjoon and they –the production team – headed back to the tvN headquarters. It was exactly an hour later when Namjoon texted her, stating that he was in the parking lot waiting for her. Yoo-rim had to do everything to stop Taecyeon from following her all the way down, knowing it wasn't going to end well if he did.
Throughout the ride back home, Namjoon's expression was sour and she laughed when he went on and on about how much he hated everything Taecyeon had done. When they got home, she removed her boots in the entryway and put on slippers, moving to walk deeper into the house.
"Joon, you really need to –"
The rest of her sentence died on her tongue when Namjoon grabbed her wrist and spun her around, towards him. Before she could ask what was wrong, he cupped her face and his lips came down on hers in a kiss that was all shades of jealous and crazy but brief, ending just before she could fully comprehend what had happened and kiss him back.
She blinked when he pulled back, her heart screaming for mercy as it struggled to function properly. Her lips tingled like never before. "W-What was that?"
He smiled, as though he couldn't hurt as little as an ant. "Just something I wanted to do." He pecked her lips, leaving his lips on hers for a moment longer than necessary before he said "Don't get too close to Taecyeon and please do not let him get so close to you. I don't think I'll be able to hold myself back next time."
She could stare at him, her mind and emotions a jumbled mess. With one more peck, Namjoon smiled and walked past her, heading deeper into the house while she remained in the entryway, blinking repeatedly and asking herself what the heck had just happened.