.2016.
Exiting the sound check room, our group headed towards our dance room to practice on our upcoming comeback's choreography. I had my arm around Jungkook's shoulders and we playfully swung lazily with every step.
"Ah, Marin. Can you come here for a minute?", One of our male director's called for me from behind. I patted Jungkook's back and told the rest to go ahead. The director brought me into a room which had two other staff members.
"The cameras are already set on the practice room. Like we practiced alright?", The director said and I gritted my teeth in excitement.
"I'm nervous", I shook in my spot. I've never acted like this before. I was scared I wasn't going to be convincing and the whole prank would be a flop. One of the staff members was already holding a camera and recording.
"You'll do great. You've been going to extra acting classes haven't you?", The staff member asked and I nodded.
"Introduce yourself and explain the prank for context for the Bangtan Bomb", the director instructed.
"Hi guys", I waved to the camera. "This is BTS's newest member Marin."
"At the end of this month it will be my one year anniversary of being an official member in this group", I clapped softly. "Even before debuting though, you know how I was already close with the other boys since their predebut days."
"It is April 1st today, so me and some staff thought 'why not we do a little prank on the boys?'" With a cheeky grin I continued, "I'm going to act like I've been so so stressed and that I've decided to become a solo artist. I know, I know, it's mean but I myself is curious on how'd they react. So, shall we go now?"
.
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It had been half an hour since the director pulled me aside into the room. We were going over our choreography of our new song 'Fire'. We were all excited for ARMYs reactions. It was going to be a drastic change from our last comeback.
Mr. Song knew about the prank, so he didn't question why I had a few angry fits when I kept slipping up every now and then. Being the perfectionist I am, even if I was acting, I get easily get frustrated when I can't get a step right, which fortunately made the scene look more convincing.
"Let's take 5", Mr. Song said and I walked over to my water bottle, slipping down on to the ground.
"You alright, Marin?", Hoseok said from across the room. I waved him off with a short nod. "I can teach you slowly step by step of you'd like." I waved him off again.
"No no it's fine. I don't want to be extra weight", I sighed.
"Extra weight? You wouldn't be extra weight, what are you talking about?", He laughed around the end. "You can learn again together with Jin hyung and Namjoon."
"That's what I mean", I gestured forward. "You already have Namjoon and Jin oppa to handle. I'm suppose to be one of the quicker learners", I said with a little grunt.
"No one is perfect, Marin", Jimin spoke up with his thumbs twiddling.
"I never said I was perfect", I argued. "I'm just saying that it's expected of me to have this dance settled with." Right before taking a break, Mr. Song recorded our dance one last time so we could catch our errors. Tapping the screen I watched the video attentively.
Barely 20 seconds into it and I paused it. I threw my head back, annoyed.
"What's wrong?", Taehyung who had been sitting on my left asked, surprised that I suddenly stopped the video.
"I'm slow." I held the screen up to Taehyung so he could look closer. As he observed the video I got up and ruffled my hair.
"Don't beat yourself up about it, we all know how hard-working you are. You got this", Jin playfully punched my shoulder. I mentally frowned in my head with how sweet they were accessing the situation. I started feeling a bit bad for pranking them.
Nevertheless I continued with the act. "Haven't you noticed I've been getting slower nowadays? With Save Me's dance, RUN, Dope?", I listed.
"Don't be so negative, Marin", Namjoon frowned. "You're not usually like this, what's wrong?"
I crossed my arm and shifted my weight onto my right leg. I visibly shuffled uncomfortably to show that I was hiding something.
"Marin?", Taehyung called out, now worried.
"I've been thinking about it," I started. "And maybe I'm not cut out to be in this group."
"You can't be serious", Hoseok spoke up in denial. I pursed my lips.
"A group should be harmonious, it should be synchronised. I've been sticking out like a sore thumb. Like, one girl in a seven member boy group? Did we really think this would've worked?", I said with doubt.
"Is this about those hate comments?", Jin brought up.
"We told you not to care about them", Jimin continued. I noticed how Jungkook was still siting silently by the side.
"It's not just that", I argued. "These complicated choreographies, they're hard for me. It's more boy group styled; all those hip rolls and hip thrusts. Do you honestly think it's not weird seeing a female doing all that?"
"Bullshit", Yoongi voiced out with an underlying pissed tone. I just knew I struck a chord in him. "Dance genres don't have genders, not if you're a pussy." Namjoon shot his hyung a look.
I sighed heavily. "I've thought about it for weeks now, and I think it's better for me and you guys that I drop out of the group", I finally announced. At that moment you could've heard a pin drop with how silent it was.
"Marin don't you think you're acting a little dramatic?", Hoseok went a bit harsh. "If you were having doubts you could've told us."
"Well that's exactly why I didn't", I argued. "You would've thought I was just being dramatic."
"Marin, this isn't something you can just think lightly--"
"I know that, oppa. That's why I waited a few weeks and finally decided to have a meeting with Bang PD", I lied. All of them looked shock. "PD-nim agreed that it would be best."
"Wait wait wait-- what are you trying to say here?", Jimin stepped forward, trying to get his head wrapped around the situation.
Swallowing the nervous lump in my throat, I properly announced, "I'll be leaving the group."
"Oh hell no", Jin immediately disagreed. I gave him a weird look.
"Guys, it's been decided--"
"Then how come we're being told like this?", Taehyung asked frustrated. "Why weren't we called in for a meeting?"
"I wanted to tell you guys myself", I answered. All of them started to pace around on their spot, even Yoongi got up to ruffle his hair.
"You can't just-- how can you decide-- you cannot be serious", Namjoon said as he had just went through the first three stages of grief. My teeth gritted with a frown as I watched all the men go through their states of shock.
"Before you guys freak out, me and Bang PD discussed about me possibly becoming a solo artist", I tried lighting up the mood, but it barely shone any light.
"But we don't want you to become a solo artist! We want you in BTS", Jin exclaimed.
"You're joking, c'mon Marin this isn't funny." Jimin had came forward and took a hold of my arm, staring at me straight in the eye. I tilted my head, staring straight back.
"We can talk through this. Don't make these rash decisions like this without us. Don't we mean anything to you?", Taehyung spoke. That hit hard in my chest, but I couldn't let it show too much.
"If you guys didn't mean anything to me, then I wouldn't have thought of leaving the group! Trust me, BTS will be better without this random girl being a part of it. Your image, choreography, the fans--"
"But we don't care about any of that", Yoongi cut me off. "What about us? Not as BTS members, but us as friends?"
Words were stuck in my throat. I never thought they'd bring that subject into it. A bit of guilt started to bubble up in me.
"Uhm-- Kook-ah?", I called out to try advert the attention away from me. Jungkook was sitting crossed legged on the ground, head hung low.
"Kookie...?", I called out again. He slowly stood up, long dark hair covering his eyes as he walked towards me and bumped his body against mine, wrapping his arms weakly around my frame.
"No", his little wobbly whisper met my ear. My breath hitched at the vulnerable tone. Jungkook rarely showed vulnerability.
"누나 하지 마세요..." I had to hold his shoulders as his body started to shake. He buried his face into my clothed shoulder as he clutched onto me tightly, trying to fight the urge to cry.
With wide eyes I looked at the other boys, signalling them to help me out, but even they were in disbelief. I caught Hoseok rubbing his eyes, and I couldn't help but sigh out.
"Hoseok oppa are you crying?", I asked softly. He turned his head away, his back facing me. God this is one of the reasons why I hated doing pranks.
"Oh boys, I'm so sorry", I apologized.
"Don't be, let's just talk about this as a group and--"
"No no, I'm seriously so so sorry", I cut Jin off. "Guys, don't you know what day it is today?"
Furrowing his eyebrows, Taehyung turned on my phone he was still holding. He read the date, and his hand immediately covered his face in embarrassment. The other guys who weren't holding their phones at the moment were confused.
I smiled awkwardly. "April Fools..."
I coughed out a sharp breath as Jungkook suddenly pressed me against his body tighter, almost constricting my breathing. "Jung...Kook!", I tried patting his shoulders to let me go. He didn't budge a bit.
"Marin you asshole!", Hoseok cried out as he held his phone in his hand after just retrieving it. His expression had a mix of annoyance, relief and embarrassment. I wanted to laugh along but Jungkook was practically choking me.
"Look I'm serious--"
"Don't ever say things like that!", He squeezed me harder at the emphasis of 'ever'. I heaved as I patted frantically, desperate to breath. The other members were already starting to laugh. It looked like this prank backfired hard.
He finally let go and I dramatically dropped to my knees, breathing in as much air as I could. At that moment the staff came in with their cameras, recording the boys with their aftershock reactions.
"Is this gonna be a Bangtan Bomb?", Namjoon pointed to the camera and the staff behind it silently nodded. He hung his head low, laughing at himself.
"Marin is going to get it when we get back to the dorms", Jin smiled with the underlying tone that he was really going to fight me later in the dorm. I could only laugh breathlessly. The staff recorded for a bit longer, getting at least each member's reaction until they were satisfied and left us to continue our practice.
"애기야~", I cooed at Jungkook who had sat down next to me and laid his head on my shoulder. "Why did you cry?"
He flusteredly laughed at first, and tried to get up and leave but I used my weight to pull him down.
"Awwwh, does baby love me that much?", I batted my eyelashes with the tiniest smile on my face. As much as I teased him about it, I was genuinely really touched. It was a weird but happy warm thought that I meant that much to him in his life.
"Don't think I forgot about you too, Hope oppa", I called out to him who was at the other side of the room. He weakly held his hand up to cover his embarrassed smile.
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This was longer than planned lmao
-ali