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A muffled hum filled the workroom later that day from none other than Kangjeon Aera as she worked calmly in the faint lighting. Yuri's desk was cleared considering the third worker never used it and Aera had neatly laid the fabric for the second jacket across the mahogany. Due to the irritation of Jae, Aera had returned home to shower, eat and change and the man himself was currently altering Yoongi's trousers across the room. Jae was very much pleased with the fresher Aera, her long skater skirt dress a black and white check chessboard around her slender frame. Hair brushed in waves that bobbed to her hips, Aera had even gone so far as to switch out her glasses for her contacts though she knew the glasses would make a reappearance later in the day.
Clasped between her pearly white teeth was a ruler, her small hands gently flattening over the expensive fabric as she twisted the paper stencils back and forth, slipping pins in accordingly. A piece of tailor's chalk resided in the front of her full brown apron but she usually neglected to use it purely because she hated to tarnish the beautiful fabrics. A stiff brush would obliterate the mark flawlessly but still, she was anxious about drawing the reddy orange lines.
"Do you ever think we're wasting our lives?" Jae decided to become all philosophical, attacking a bagel with his fingers to shred it into tiny pieces that he likely wouldn't even eat. He needed a pause from the constant sight of a needle and thread and Aera didn't blame him. Jae had been working his very hardest over the past few hours, sewing a beautiful handcrafted designed patch for Namjoons sleeve. He felt guilty, Aera could see that on his face even without him saying it. He felt as if he wasn't pulling his weight on their little team but Aera wouldn't blame him for that. They were going to create a beautiful show-stopping piece for Kim Namjoon to apologise.
Aera and Jae had been friends for much longer than they had been working for BigHit. Aera had first met him when they were studying together and he would sit beside her, sticking his hand in the air to ask the teacher any of the questions that Aera had because the girl herself was too shy. They had instantly become best friends and so, when they moved to the city, they moved together. Getting the job together at Bighit was a dream come true for them both, they both finally achieved what they'd been striving for, including a beautiful three-bedroom apartment to share in the BigHit accommodation block five minutes away. It all worked out well but, of course, they retained their own private reservations.
"What do you mean?" Aera queried gently as she tugged the ruler from her mouth, allowing it to drop onto the table, heading to one of the many cabinets built into the wall. The girl opened it to reveal their vast selection of materials. Fabrics, threads, buttons, ribbons and tassels galore. It was Jae's childhood dream in a wardrobe. If only the dream hadn't begun with an evil boss who'd happily lock them in a room for days on end if it ever came to that.
"I mean, we work here, the place of our dreams but we're still being bossed around by Gia, neither of us has had a proper nights sleep in days, you haven't eaten in such a long time, I'm genuinely worried that you're going to fade away before my very eyes and it just sucks so bad" he exaggerated in a groan, swinging slightly back and forth and wrestling with his apron that had become squiffy against his chest. They didn't know why they wore them, mostly to hold their many items and tools- the aprons weren't exactly featured fashion pieces. Aera's pockets were practically bursting with tools and Jae teased her constantly.
Aera was a slightly messy person, but the messy chaos was organised. The girl knew exactly where everything was and it always shocked Jae just how aware she was. Aera was shy, cutesy and adorable, giggly and girly, messy and indecisive, a complete people pleaser but Jae wouldn't have her any other way.
"What do you suppose we do, JaeJae?"
"Run away, far far away where we can open up our own store and make people happy with our designs every day. It shall be named 'Jaera' and people will come far and wide to gawk at our collections. Your beret, glasses-wearing self will become a fashion icon and the world will finally bow down to me as the clothing king that I am" he announced in a flourish, joking and eyes bright. Aera couldn't help but giggle. It was a pleasant dream but it wasn't reality and they both knew that it wouldn't ever be.
If Jae and Aera quit on that very day, the fashion department would go into chaos. Without their two top clothing designers, the fashion team wouldn't be able to dress their idols. They would rely on label brought outfits rather than the custom made pieces they were used to. And Gia would finally have to get her hands dirty. The style team were sensational but their work was limited, they dressed the idols in the outfits laid out for them, or the brand brought purchases. They were easily replaceable.
Jae and Aera would never abandon the idols like that. They didn't deserve the stress of having to worry about their clothes on top of everything else. Though truly, they were walking talking models for twenty-four hours of the day, whenever they wore an outfit by a brand, it got media attention and the article was sold out in days. That was why the appearance of custom pieces was growing more and more frequent- they had to look impeccable to retain their image and Aera and Jae were happy with the reliance weighted upon them to achieve that goal.
"You're already a fashion king, JaeJae" Aera smiled sweetly and he winked around his mouthful of coffee, his cup swirling in his hand as he stared around the room.
"Thank you, Precious. How is the jacket looking?"
"It looks like three yards of forty-five-inch wide fabric with paper stencils pinned to it" Aera huffed and Jae scoffed out an amused chuckle as he shot her a glance over his shoulder. "This is not getting finished by tomorrow even if I stay up all night."
"It's not needed until Monday so take a deep breath, RaRa. Remember, quality. Gia can shove it if she thinks you're staying up another night for a jacket that doesn't even need finishing yet. You have bags under your eyes babe and not the designer kind. Snip, sew and get on with it but you and I are walking out that door at eight and we are not coming back until nine tomorrow morning. You need beauty sleep." Jae waved off and Aera didn't protest as her head dipped to look back down at the fabric. In a way, Jae appreciated how obedient Aera always was, she was a people pleaser through and through and if he asked her to jump, she'd say 'how high?', if he asked her to make dinner, she'd come back with a three-course meal. But equally, it made him worry for her, worry for the advantage somebody could take from it. She wouldn't stand up to their boss, she'd work for days on end without break rather than protest and he felt very protective over her for it. Jae had long since assumed the role of protector, he'd been Aera's voice for so long, it was second nature to him. They were family, after all, blood relative or not.
"Do you have plans for the evening?" Aera questioned calmly. Small talk wasn't her forte, she didn't engage in unnecessary discussion with anybody except Jae himself and that caused a smirk of amusement to pull at his bow-shaped lips.
"Nope. You, Sang-Hoon and I are going to drown our sorrows in a gallon of ice cream and have a group sleeping session. Nothing is more inviting to me than a nice long sleep. I feel like I'm walking on air. At what point do people start seeing hallucinations?" Jae hummed, expertly manoeuvring the fabric in his hands- he didn't really even need to think about it as Aera began to carefully cut the fabric, after having checked, re-checked and re-re-checked the measurements. They didn't have time for mistakes.
Sang-Hoon didn't live with Jae and Aera but he may as well have, the times that the two of them were actually at home- he was there and they were more than happy with the addition to their family. Aera, of course, had been slightly disheartened to spend less time with her best friend, the only person she truly confided in but, more so than that, she wanted the best for Jae and would never jeopardize that.
"Maybe I'm a hallucination?" she giggled, wiggling her fingers ominously and he cackled in response. Jae's laugh never failed to make Aera laugh- it was booming and rowdy, the kind of laugh people would call an 'ugly laugh' but it was prime smile-inducing material for Aera. Hearing it, she couldn't help but burst out laughing too, her giggling fueling his further and when she made a teeny tiny little snort sound, gasping in horror- they fell into stitches, Jae slapping his hand on the desk as he failed to breathe and Aera put both her hands to her face as tears slipped down her cheery cheeks. They had definitely been sleep deprived for too long- the two currently rather hysterical at that point.
It was the kind of moment shared between best friends, the kind of moment that others wouldn't find funny- nothing obviously humorous had happened and yet, the two of them were beside themselves in laughter. That was why Jae and Aera were best friends- they just connected in a way that they hadn't ever achieved with anybody else.
"Girl, you kill me." he finally gasped and she hiccuped a giggle, making him grin and swallow another laugh- Jae refused to break back into hysterics because then they truly would never get anything done ever again. "You need to get yourself a boyfriend, RaRa- someone to join in on our slumber parties. Give you someone to cuddle other than your pillow and Percy the mannequin" he gestured over his shoulder to the random mannequin- Aera had no memory of when he had been named 'Percy' but they both just mutually agreed that that was what they would call him somewhere along the line. The mannequin was adjustable and currently standing with nothing more than Aera's emerald green beret on his head and a tape measure around his neck... They got up to a lot of nonsense in that workroom.
"Cuddles are overrated" she lied and he looked at her as if she had grown an extra head.
"They are the words of somebody who's never had anybody to cuddle" he pointed out and Aera rolled her eyes, lips tugged in a slightly amused smile. Though when Jae bounded to his feet, she squealed and grabbed her ruler, holding it out in front of her like a sword. Jae boomed another laugh as he lunged toward her and Aera scampered, hiding behind 'Percy' as Jae skidded toward her. The man grabbed her in under ten seconds.
Jae wound his arms around Aera's waist from behind, hitching her backwards into his chest, her feet completely leaving the floor as he straightened his back. The male chuckled brightly as she squealed out a cough, his body swinging back and forth to throw her backwards and forwards, her dress flying around them as he laughed boisterously.
"Awe, cuddles" he squealed in a high pitched voice, spinning them around entirely and Aera squeaked again, laughing uncontrollably now, a beautiful bubbling stream that somehow managed to light up the entire dingy workroom.
The giggling of the female drowned out the sound of the door opening and only when a voice spoke up, did they pay attention to something other than their amusement.
"What are you two doing?" Gia's voice grated through the room and the mood instantly mellowed as Jae dropped Aera quite ungracefully onto her little feet. The girl in the chessboard dress slopped sideways, dizzy as she walked around, entirely off balance and leaning widely to the side as she swallowed her laughter.
"Taking RaRa for a spin, of course," Jae smirked, shifting to sit on the corner of his desk, grabbed Aera's skinny arm in his large hand before she tumbled straight to the floor. Despite the presence of their boss, she couldn't stop the giggle that bloomed from her as Jae pushed her to sit back in his chair before she fell. Only when she was steadied, did Aera notice the others in the room. Instantly, the mood of the situation shifted and Aera felt entirely uncomfortable, eyes flashing to the items on the desk to avoid seven smiling faces.
Aera and Jae had been working for thirty hours straight and of course, Gia had to bring the celebrities to the room the second they took a break to do something other than sit and stare at a sewing machine. Gia looked fed up with them both and Jae looked like he couldn't care less. Jae was like this when he was tired- grumpy and grouchy with everyone he didn't particularly like, Aera on the other hand, was giggly and dreamy which was arguably worse.
"Right, well could you both please get back to work? We have visitors" Gia gestured to BTS but Aera didn't see the guiding of her hand as her doe eyes were stuck staring at the sewing machine in front of her. Gently, she reached up and threaded the light grey thread through the needle, appeased that it was now accurate. It soothed her as her cheeks begged to become inflamed in embarrassment. The girl could feel the eyes of the boys on her and it was making her want to melt into the ground.
Though vaguely, Aera was shocked by the tone and words of Gia- the woman had never said please before in her life and now she was? As well as being kind enough not to shout at them for their distractedness?... This was an act in front of the idols and Aera resisted an eye roll. This woman was incessant.
"I see that" Jae hummed, tossing a piece of tailor's chalk between his hands and watching the men in question passively. He had much more confidence than Aera- he wasn't ashamed of openly staring and BTS surely got that a lot because none of them seemed uncomfortable by his intense eyes. Gia, on the other hand, instantly begged for their attention.
"Any BigHit produced outfit you have ever worn started life here" Gia gestured around her. "In the earlier years, idols wore brand bought products but as the fame rose, fans sold out stores purchasing what they saw on their favourite celebrities. Celebrities became models in their own right and image became incredibly important. And thus, came the evolution of the BigHit personally tailored design department, run by me" she smirked and Jae and Aera exchanged a glance... This woman.
"As you know, you wear custom made outfits for any big events- Music videos, award shows, television interviews, and red carpets. The managers request your outfits and give me nothing more than a theme and I sketch the looks that you are to wear" she grinned and Aera's eyes flashed up to look sceptically at the woman this time... Imagine lying so calmly through your teeth. The work always got delegated to the workers, usually, the style team came up with the concepts and drew the sketches and Aera and Jae brought them to life while Yuri was non-existent in the workroom.
"I then purchase the required materials'"' she continued and Aera looked up at Jae- the style manager was actually the one who completed that procedure. "When the materials have arrived, I come down here to bring the sketches to life" Aera risked a glance at the boys in the room and happened upon the expression of Hobi who was staring at Gia with a look of disbelief, an eyebrow raised- Clearly, she was a liar and they were finally receiving an insight into that.
"Well, we do actually" Jae informed and Gia's outraged eyes whipped around to him as Aera stared with her own set of wide eyes- her gaze warning and meaning only one thing: 'abort mission'. Jae was far too grumpy and grouchy to be having this conversation, and it certainly wasn't the time considering the idols in the room. But, Aera equally wondered whether that was his whole point, he knew the Bangtan boys were notorious for caring about their workers, for being kind and compassionate... And maybe he hoped that they could ignite a change in the running of the company... Aera wasn't so certain, it could just as easily get Jae fired.
"I'm sorry?" Gia pressed, imploring him to change his mind on publicly humiliating her. BTS proceeded to grin encouragingly, looking excited as if set to watch the greatest fight known to man. The conflict-hating Aera dropped her head into her hands.
"The materials get dropped here and it is up to us to deliver your outfits in time for your events. Yuri- The absentee" he gestured to the empty desk. "Little Madam over here" He pointed over his shoulder at Aera "and yours truly, have a deadline to be met and we work to get it done. Usually, just as we finish your designs, Gia over here comes to give her... Opinion and ninety-nine per cent of the time, your design gets changed entirely just days before you need to wear it. And that leaves us working through the day and night to make sure you aren't dancing on stage with faulty pieces of fabric to wear. And when I mention 'us', I mainly mean this workaholic" he patted Aera on the head and she shook it with a sigh.
"I supervise" Gia returned, trying to salvage her position and Aera didn't even have to look up to know that her lies were being ignored now. Aera had no idea what was happening, over-caffeination, a hyperactive laughing fit, a sleepless night, continuous hours in the dark workroom and irritation had led Jae to stand up for them... Right in front of the idols. It was a stupid idea... But it was also very very effective.
"Okay, Supervisor" Jae mocked bitterly. "Where were you last night? Aera and I have been here since nine yesterday morning, this little bird went home for half an hour only to get changed out of her ugly dishwater dress" he continued, growing in volume and anger and Aera was pretty sure he'd forgotten about their audience. Sitting back in her chair, she kept her eyes firmly placed on the growing anger of Gia though, in the corner of her peripheral vision, she could see the grins of BTS as they watched. They each looked as if this was the greatest TV drama they'd ever seen.
Though Jin and Namjoon were looking ready to intervene, eyes oddly enraged but Aera had the overwhelming feeling that it wasn't rage toward Jae but instead to Gia. Maybe this plan would work after all.
"If you really want to supervise, then supervise. Stay here all through the night with us. You are the reason neither of us has slept in days. You keep us here and work us unnecessarily. There are hundreds of outfits in that junk pile- it's taller than the bloody BigHit building" he exaggerated and Gia was practically shaking in her shoes... This wasn't going to end well.
"Jae" Aera tried softly, placing her hand on his forearm and in that very moment, he mellowed considerably, averting his gaze from the raging Gia to look over at Aera with a softer stare. He read the panic in her eyes, the warning and he swallowed the remainder of his rant, nodding once in reassurance. His large hand came up to close over her little fingers where they resided and he finally turned to face Gia, waiting expectantly.
Gia stuttered for a long moment, coming out with nonsensical words, the beginning of sentences with no ends and she was driving herself mad in that very spot before she gave up entirely and strutted off with enough anger to burn holes in the concrete floor. Some manager.
"Sorry about that, gentleman" Jae bowed, somehow entirely calm now and Aera continued to stare adamantly forward to the point where it was obvious she was avoiding the gazes.
"Don't worry about it" Jimin chuckled, shaking Jae's hand and bowing his head slightly as the others nodded along. "It's always good to blow off a bit of steam, nothing worse than a bad boss" he laughed again and Jae chuckled along, nodding.
"Well, you all are welcome here at any time, even just to browse the wardrobes" he laughed, "We've got every custom made outfit you've each ever worn since your debut until now, ordered by year, event in that category and then by age, labelled of course. If you happen to want something new to take for a spin, our junk pile is looking impressive" he laughed, oddly calm with the people who were international celebrities. The man pulled open one of the wardrobes to show off the many unworn outfits in the closet, their junk pile was less of a pile and more of a rail, ordered by colour and size by Aera.
"Thank you, we will do our best to have a word with our managers about Gia" Namjoon nodded and Jae chuckled.
"Don't worry about her, she's like a cockroach- she'd survive a nuclear war. No matter what you say to your managers, she'll weasel her way back in." he shrugged. "The only disadvantage to the job" he waved off, watching Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung as they sifted through the clothing with excitable eyes. Aera soon realised that they were going to be there for a while, Hobi and Yoongi choosing to look at their old outfits as they laughed in reminiscence. It was good to see how truly happy the outfits could make them- it made all the energy and long nights worth it.
The girl in the long dress made her way cautiously back to her table, taking the silver scissors from the edge to get back to work on the suit jacket. Being back in her element was something akin to squeezing a stress toy for Aera, it slowly but surely lowered her anxiety considerably as Jae made friends with Jin- the oldest BTS member, and Namjoon, the leader.
"You really don't have to make me a new one" his voice was gentle, as soft as the silky material beneath Aera's small fingers and she almost jumped at the suddenty of it, her body only twitching ever so slightly as she resisted such an intense reaction. Namjoon rounded the table to stand across from her and the frozen seamstress trailed her eyes up his body to his lips, seeing them in a warm, meaningful smile. Though, she refused to meet his gaze as she timidly bowed her head again.
"It is okay" she returned. "You deserve an outfit that is as fitting as the others" Aera responded, elaborating ever so slightly but not saying too many words. She hated how horribly shy she was but her heart hammered in her chest even now, purely because she knew that he was looking at her. It was terrifying to her and she hated that- but it had once been the same with Jae and look at them now. Aera had the ability to grow in confidence around a person, to become more of herself but not with a stranger.
"Jae said you haven't slept? You should head home. I don't need this jacket for another week, have a day off. You deserve it" Namjoon's voice softened when he talked to her, head dipping as he attempted to meet her gaze though she didn't allow it- The leader had the unreasonable urge to reach out and cup his fingers under her chin to pull her head out of it's bowed position. The urge was so strong in fact that his hand even twitched and he had to remind himself where he was.
There was so much care in Namjoon's voice that Aera had a hard time disbelieving the fact that he did really mean his compassion- that he really was concerned for her. Either he was a very good actor, or he genuinely was one of the gentlest men she'd ever met. Of course, Aera wouldn't know, because she hadn't heard him speak to anybody else- but his voice changed when he spoke to her, just as Jin's had. His voice softened, smoothed out and deepened, calming and caring all in one beautiful melody that would surely lure her to sleep if she listened long enough. These men were hypnotising to her in a way that Aera had never previously experienced before.
"I couldn't, I don't want to risk it not being finished" there was stress in her voice even at the thought of it and he smiled gently as he reached across and placed his large hand on top of hers delicately, his fingers cupping easily around the back of her hand to hold her fingers softly. Aera was hypnotised by the sight of their hands entwined so sweetly, just as she had been with Jin and it was horrifying to her just how intense and identical the reactions she had were to these people. Aera already knew that it was the beginning of inconvenient emotions on her part and it was terrifying. It was just her luck that she would somehow manage to find herself equally attracted to seven men all at the same time- men who were effectively brothers to one another and the most untouchable, unobtainable people she knew.
"Aera" she didn't question how he knew her name, purely basking in the sound of it in his gentle tone. It was a word she could hear forever from Namjoon's lips. "It's okay. I don't need another custom made jacket- at least, certainly not as much as you need sleep. I wouldn't want you getting ill" he breathed softly and Aera was mesmerised and confused all at once. Why wouldn't he? Why would it matter? Why was he acting as if she was so important to her? Aera had a hundred questions, all of which she was far too shy and timid to ask out loud.
But overall, Aera hated the overwhelming desire she had to run into his arms, clutch to him and finally fall into a gentle dreamless slumber, lying warmly against his chest. BTS sparked desires in Aera that she had never previously had, wanted or needed.
They brought her to life, after only a handful of meetings...
Aera couldn't help but feel as though she was making a terrible mistake in the small smile she sent Namjoon, finally meeting those gorgeous eyes that melted her thoughts instantly and thrust a bolt of warmth right the way through her. Just as confused negative thoughts swam through her, the softness of his gaze chased them away- there was nothing but sweet reassurance in those orbs and as calmed as she felt... She also knew she was doomed.
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Kangjeon Aera yawned as she walked into the workroom-- True to her own promises, Aera had taken a moment to herself, catching up on sleep and tidying her shared apartment with Jae before she returned to work. Finally, she had the opportunity to finish the suit jacket for Namjoon. Jae and Aera had been working together and were both mutually proud of what they had created.
As the raven-haired girl walked into the dingy room that she knew so well, her eyes were instantly drawn to the splash of colour that had emerged across the room. Perched upon a table, entirely pristine- was a bouquet of flowers of vibrant colours, they were exquisite. The roses were reddish-pink, almost orange, each pruned professionally and expensive to the eye- a ribbon tying them together as they stood at attention in their pretty vase.
Aera was understandably curious at the sight of them on her desk. Where had they come from? Who had put them there? Were they for her? Aera's initial understanding was that they were probably for Jae from Sang-Hoon. But when she approached them, she spotted the note attached and her fingers opened it gently, almost jumping in complete shock at the sight of the name inside.
'애라'
That was all the white piece of card said, letters that spelt her name so beautifully. Aera felt confusion fold in all around her. Who had sent these? Why hadn't they put their name on it? Aera promised herself to consult Jae on the situation when he arrived back from his lunch break but the confused thoughts refused to leave her mind, her eyes flickering over to the beautiful roses all the way through the day as she attempted to complete her daily routine.
Aera had never had a suitor, or a secret admirer- Any sort of admirer at all, for that matter and Jae was convinced that it was because she did not make herself easily available- she rarely socialised or put energy into creating relationships, content with the ones she already had. But for somebody to send her flowers? It was a situation that she had never experienced before and she had the overwhelming desire to thank the sender, the sight of the roses alone was enough to bring some joy to her life on that dark and dreary day. Her life had fallen into a routine, a routine she had once dreamed of, being a seamstress for idols but now that she had that- she found herself aspiring for more...
Aera just didn't know what change she prayed for.
Kangjeon Aera did not yet know that the very change she required was right around the corner...