The morning felt strange before I even opened my eyes. The dorm was quiet, but it was the kind of quiet that held a story inside it. I stretched, checked my phone, and the first thing I saw was a picture Taehyung posted the night before. Nothing special at first glance, but the comments were wild. People noticed Jungkook's reflection in the background. People always notice everything.
I put my phone down and sat up. I already knew today would feel different. The air inside the group had shifted. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made me pay attention.
When I walked into the living room, Jungkook was sitting on the couch, hood up, staring at his phone. He looked relaxed, but he had a small smile he could not hide. A private smile. A smile that belonged to someone. Taehyung was in the kitchen, drinking water and pretending not to look in Jungkook's direction every ten seconds.
I caught both of them in one glance. That was enough.
I walked past Jungkook and flicked his hood.
"You look suspicious."
He looked up fast, cheeks warm. "I look normal."
"Normal people breathe properly."
He threw a cushion at me, trying to hide the blush. I let him have his denial. It was too early to start teasing properly.
Taehyung joined us, leaning on the couch from behind Jungkook.
"You woke up early," he said.
"I smelled secrets," I replied.
They both froze for one second. One second too long.
I didn't push. Their relationship felt soft and new. I wanted to protect it, not break it open before they were ready.
We left the dorm together for rehearsals. The van was quiet, but the kind of quiet that makes every sound louder. Jungkook's knee kept brushing Taehyung's. Taehyung kept doing that thing where he pretends to look out the window but checks Jungkook's reflection instead. I watched from the seat across from them, chin in my palm, pretending to scroll. They thought they were subtle.
They were not subtle.
When we reached the studio, Yoongi was already there, headphones around his neck, hair messy, eyes tired but sharp. He nodded at us, then looked directly at me a second longer than usual. Yoongi always sees everything before anyone else.
"You look like your brain is full," he said quietly as I walked past him.
"My brain is always full," I said.
"Not like today."
I didn't answer because he was right. I watched Taehyung and Jungkook disappear into one of the smaller practice rooms together. The door closed soft, like they thought closing it soft made them less obvious.
Yoongi followed my gaze.
"So they're finally letting themselves breathe," he said.
"You knew?"
"It was loud for months," he said. "You were the only one pretending you didn't hear it."
I stepped closer to him, bumping his shoulder lightly. "I wasn't pretending. I was giving them space."
Yoongi breathed out a small laugh. "You always give people space. That's why they run to you."
The room felt smaller for a moment. I looked down at his hand hanging by his side. Yoongi never shows much, but today his fingers tapped against his thigh, slow and restless. I knew that rhythm. It was the rhythm he had when something was on his mind.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
"Everything," he said. "Them. Us. How things change without asking. How it feels good, but heavy."
I nodded. Yoongi and I always talked in short lines that held long meanings. He was opening a window, and I felt it.
When we started practice, Taehyung and Jungkook were brighter than usual. Their steps lighter. Their timing more in sync than ever. It was impossible not to see the difference. They moved like two people who whispered to each other the night before. Like two people who shared something real.
Namjoon noticed too. Jin noticed. Hoseok smiled like he had been waiting for this. The whole room softened around them.
During break, I sat on the floor drinking water. Yoongi dropped down beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched. He didn't move away.
"You're thinking again," he said.
"So are you."
"Maybe."
His voice was low, warm, almost careful.
I turned my head. He was staring straight ahead, but his jaw was relaxed, and his eyes were not cold like they are when he shuts everyone out.
"You know," he said after a moment, "love changes the shape of a room. Even when it's not yours."
I swallowed slowly.
"Are you uncomfortable with it?"
"No," he said. "It makes me think about things I haven't thought about in a long time."
My chest tightened in a way I didn't expect.
"Like what?"
He tapped his fingers again.
"Who I trust," he said. "Who I let close. Who I feel safe with."
He didn't look at me. He didn't need to.
The room felt warm around us. The world felt slower.
Taehyung and Jungkook laughed loudly on the other side of the room, brightness spilling everywhere. Their happiness filled the air, but it did not drown mine. It just added to it.
For the first time in a while, I felt something shift inside me too.
Maybe this was the start of something. Not loud. Not rushed. Something slow. Something honest.
And Yoongi stayed beside me the entire break. He didn't move even once.
That alone told me enough.