"So they had to fire the editors and bring in some new ones, which is why the campaign will be launched late. Actually it should coincide with the movie promotions next month, which should add to the boost in chatter about you caused by the recent album drop. Which reminds me: we have to fit in your appearance on Mnet this week... Kim Taehyung, are you listening?" Jin asked, glancing sideways at Taehyung, who was sat in the passenger seat.

They were on their way to their first day of filming, and although it was exciting, it was terribly daunting for the two men. Especially with how busy they'd been the last few weeks, which was quickly leading to exhaustion.

The actor spun his head towards Jin and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I wasn't... which photoshoot?"

"The Seoul fairy land one... Hey what's up with you? You seem distracted."

Seokjin sounded worried, and although it was nice for a change to have someone care, it made Taehyung's smile turn into a grimace.

"Hyung, I saw those paps again, except..."

"Except what?"

He thought back to the couple he'd seen at the coffee shop the other day, and at the convenience store last night, and in his car park the night before, and in the street across from Big Hit and under his balcony and basically everywhere over the last week. Always looking like they were on a date, always looking like they were taking selcas with loving poses, always wearing hats. Always carrying bags. Large ones.

"Well... they didn't look very... paparazzi-ish?"

"Kim Taehyung," his manager spoke, his voice dropping a tone, deadly serious. "Are you telling me you think you have stalkers?"

"Well..."

He was interrupted by a long string of swear words from Jin's side of the car, which then evolved into an intense rant which seemed to never end. At some point, it seemed he'd dialled their boss without breaking his flow, and was now shouting obscene things about security and moving flats effective immediately down the phone.

Taehyung eventually tuned him out, his thoughts_ as they now always seemed to do_ floated off into the distance, searching for their Kookie.

***

"So, is your hand okay Kook?"

"Hm?" Jungkook mumbled, distracted as he lifted his head up from his bland soup lunch.

"Your hand," Jimin repeated slowly. "Any reason why you've had it bandaged for god knows how long and won't tell me why? I'm getting worried over here!"

Jungkook sighed and let his spoon fall into his bowl with a clutter. How long had it been, really, since the campfire? It felt like yesterday, yet it had already been over a month, if their production schedule was anything to go by. Nearly two months since he'd met V.

"I'm fine hyung, honestly."

It was an utter lie, of course. His skin felt like it was constantly on fire. The night it had started he'd been unable to see V, unable to spend the early hours giggling and sighing and recharging his soul. He hadn't see him since, and every day the burning feeling got worse, and his mood dropped lower. He hadn't felt this depressed and lonely in years. And he was scared, oh so terrified, that he would never see him again.

"Riiight," Jimin sighed. "Want to try that without lying now?"

Jungkook sighed again, glanced around at all the people chattering in the canteen, and stood up tiredly.

"Fine, but not here."

***

Taehyung ran his hands under the tap water, washing them with soap over and over. He was distracted, thoughts flying in the hurricane occupying his mind. He'd been thinking about the dreams non-stop since the car, his focus altering between putting his all into his job, and the ghost boy who used to visit him late at night.

He'd been unable to sleep late recently. Since the night he'd waited up until 1am for Kookie, he'd fallen asleep impossibly early every day, earlier than his night-owl habits had ever allowed him to before. Dreams threaded with life and colour and glowing cerulean light had pulled him under as soon as he was home, transporting him to a stranger with blue flames tattooed on his hand.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak, but there was something about the stranger... Something he knew, something about the way he moved so erratically around a room, constantly finding something to be captivated by.

It had been weeks, but it was only recently, when he'd seen the drawing, that he'd figured it out.

With a sigh, Taehyung pushed the tap back into place. It was as he was reaching for a hand towel that he froze. Eyes fixed on the floor, his head tilted sideways with curiosity.

"Huh..." he said to himself. "That floor looks... familiar."

The water dripping off his hands was soon forgotten as he crouched down and ran the pads of his fingertips over the cracked ceramic tiles. Slowly, impossibly, his fingers traced a looping, elegant seven-shaped fissure, lodged in the pink and blue floor.

"No way..." Taehyung whispered as if in a trance, before he stood up faster than he'd ever stood before.

He ran back over to the sinks he had once seen rippling with other-worldly light, looking up into the mirror as if his own confused and desperate reflection could give him a clue.

"He works here..." the reflection spoke to him, and Taehyung grinned, excitement and hope painting new dimples into his cheeks. "I found him!"