Jennie looked at her surroundings. Thankfully the three of them were in a secluded, VIP room of the restaurant, so no one was watching.

Namjoon looks on. He wanted to intervene because it looked like Jen was about to lash out, but
decided to look on, staying out of her way. Looking at the door were two of Hailey’s security guards, blocking the entrance so no fans or paparazzi could intervene. She wanted to speak to Jennie privately, and without no press.

“Okay, first of all, K-Pop is NOT stupid, it’s stupendous. It’s a blessing and I am proud to say that I’m a part of it. It’s inspiring, it’s addicting to listen to, it’s fascinating. You just can’t accept the fact that K-Pop is here to stay and it’s getting popular year by year. Wonder Girls, Girl’s Generation, Big Bang, Shinhwa, IU, SHINee, 2NE1, the list can go on and on. I guarantee you that K-Pop will continue to grow internationally. And BTS and I will prove that. Just you watch.”

Continuing her rant, Jen demands sternly, “Don’t you ever tell me that you made me. You didn’t do shit. You never helped me with my music like Namjoon has done. You never helped me with my stage presence or dancing like BTS has done. You never did anything. And you call yourself a leader? What kind of leader doesn’t help her members grow and set a good example? To be someone they look up to? Namjoon does that.”

“I did not quit. I left because that was best for me. I worked my ass off to get where I am today. To get that spot in BTS, I didn’t pay anyone, I didn’t do anything to sweet talk someone, I had no connections, I had to work just as hard as the other girls trying to get the spot as the Bangtan Girl. I’ll admit I get exhausted, especially with the dance practices, but I’m happy because I’m doing way more than what I was doing in Amity. You know it, I know it, the fans know it, and so does the members. Don’t come up in here, and tell me that I can’t handle it, because my work ethic in Big Hit Entertainment is stronger than ever.”

“I got a lot to learn in this industry. It’s not every day you see an American in a K-Pop group. People have high expectations, thinking if you can really speak Korean and know the culture. If you can really live up to being a part of a K-Pop group. I had my doubts, but BTS guided me through it all.”

“I need to work on a lot of things, I know. My singing, my dancing, I want to rap, I want perfect my guitar skills, I want to do a lot of things as a performer. And Big Hit Entertainment is giving me those opportunities. You know why? Because they care and they believe I can do it. I don’t like when people want things to be a competition. I want to grow with everyone. Not see who’s better than everyone else. That’s your mindset, not mine. I have my weaknesses and BTS helps me with them, so they can become my strengths. And what have you done?” Jen gestures, looking at her up and down.

“Belittled me and told me I couldn’t do it. I almost believed you when I was younger, but now, if you ever say something smart to me, again, I will not hesitate to set you straight. Touch me, and you will catch these hands. Try me. I am not the one. I am not the one you’re going to talk down, to better yourself. That ends today.”

Amused, Hailey decides to push her buttons by getting in her face and pointing at her. “Oh, you really think you’re high and mighty, now?”

“I never said that and that wasn’t my intention, don’t assume stuff. And I’m going to need you to get out of my face and stop putting fingers in my face, right now.”

“Or what?” She pesters on.

Exhaling shakily, Jen looks up at the ceiling, clasping her hands together. “Hailey, get out of my face.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Get out of my face.” Jen says in a louder voice.

“What are you going to do, if I don’t?” She mocks.

With her voice going down an octave, Jen retorts, “You have five…seconds…”

Giggling at her anger, she puts her arms up in defense and backs away, sitting back down in her seat. “It’s funny seeing you mad. Let’s be civil, shall we?”

Glancing at Namjoon, Jennie decides to sit back in her seat, fuming as she shoots her another scowl. Tears of anger and frustration were starting to appear in her eyes. She hated how much she got a reaction out of her. She wanted to be the bigger person, but all that went out the window.

“You’re really pathetic.” She hears her spat.

“Am I?” Jen bluntly replies, feeling the urge to smack her.

“And despite how happy you are in your little K-Pop charade, you’re really selfish for leaving.”

Raising a brow, Jennie asks, “How so?”

“You gave up on Amity.”

“You know what? If that’s what you want to believe, then okay. I’m not going to argue with you. All this frustration you have for me, I wish that you would drop it.” Jennie looks at her with sad eyes as she attempts to calm herself down. “Jealousy gets you nowhere. And it’s sad that you would let that control you. Ruin a friendship. We were great pals. And ever since you gotten more fame, it’s been starting to change and control you.”

Scoffing, Hailey rolls her eyes. “Don’t make me laugh. I was never jealous.”

“So…who was the one that talked to your uncle and the rest to get me to stop dancing, hard? Namjoon declares himself as being a part of the ‘can’t dance line’ but I don’t see him ordering Hobi to not dance his best when he’s one of the most talented dancers in the group.” She counters. “You guys seem to be doing better without me, right? What was I supposed to do if I stayed? Get bossed around? I wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t even being included like I used to. How do you think that made me feel?”

“Don’t guilt trip me. That’s not going to work.”

“That’s not my intention. I’m telling you how I felt. You know what, I’m glad you approached me today. You just motivated me to work even harder and to become a great performer. So, I hope the next time we run into each other, I’ll be a better performer than I am today, and prove to you, that I can do it. It’s sad that people don’t want others to succeed, but I hope when I see you again, you’ll have a bitter taste in your mouth, watching BTS and I thrive.”

---

Letting out a dry laugh, Hailey decides to do the unthinkable and toss a glass of orange juice, directly in her face. A loud gasp escapes Jen’s lips as her eyes are shut, mouth open in disbelief at what just happened.

Did she just throw a drink?
A drink.
Orange juice.
In her face?

“Hey! What was that?”

Jen could hear Namjoon shout and Hailey’s laughs. Jen opens her eyes, hair and clothes drenched.

All she could see now was red as she blacked out.

Standing up abruptly, Jen leans across the table to grab her but Hailey manages to jump out of her seat, escaping her hands. When she sees, Jennie getting out of her seat to run after her, Hailey runs behind one of her security guards while the other security guard restrains her.

“Now you want to run and hide.” Jen wipes her face, once she’s released, with her path blocked by the guard. “Don’t throw a drink at me and just run!”

“Well, it looks like I just did~.” She hears her mocking voice.

“Get back over here, I was not done with you. Now you just pissed me off.”

“I’ll think about it...well, it was nice seeing you, quitter, but I have people to see. I’m looking forward to running into you, again.” Hailey waves and leaves with the guards.

Sighing loudly, Jennie paces around. “I’m about to go after her-“

“No, not today. Another day.” Namjoon grabs her back by the waist, trying to calm her down.

“No! She just threw a fucking drink in my face, that’s not okay!” She shouts at him.

Knowing that her shouting wasn’t intended for him, he remains calm and tries to dry her off with one of the cloths. “I know it isn’t but I need you to breathe and use your head. I know what she did was dirty and uncalled for, and I know how much you want to kick her ass, but look at your surroundings. We’re in public.”

“Oh? Well, she certainly didn't mind throwing a drink in friggin’ public, that bitch...” She shakes her head and kicks a nearby chair.

It surprised Namjoon how sweet Jennie could become so scary when irate. He made a mental note to never get on her bad side, and only pondered how she would act if they weren’t in public and if she did have a physical altercation with Hailey. Part of him thought he should’ve just let her go after her to fight, but another part of him thought it wasn’t worth it since they were in public.

One thing’s for sure, this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Hailey better watch her back.
Exhaling, she turns back to Namjoon, feeling bad for her actions. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you had to see that. And to see me so mad. I never wanted to act like that in front of you or the guys.”

“Jen, I’m not judging you, we all get pissed off.”

“I kind of lost my appetite. I’m just ready to go back to the dorm and take a shower.”

“Me too. I’ll pay the bill then we can go.”

---

Storming back into the dorm, Jennie ignores the greetings from the guys and makes her way to the bathroom, slamming the door.

Namjoon sighs as soon as he heard the door slam, running a hair through his hair as he makes his way to the couch. “Is she okay?” Jimin asks with concern.

“Yeah, the hell was that, all about” Yoongi raises a brow.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Jungkook adds with his eyes filled with worry. None of them have seen her so upset before.

“We had an uninvited guest confront us. I want to talk to her as a group once she comes out.” Namjoon replies.

“Who was it?” Tae asks.

“Her leader from her old group.”

“Ah! I wanted to know what happened! She never talks about it.”

“Yeah, well now I saw why.”

Ten minutes later, Jennie walks out wearing jeans and a random shirt. Watching her walk into the living room, Namjoon calls her out.

“Jennie, we need to talk.” He gestures for her to sit on the couch.

Letting out a sharp sigh, she shakes her head. “Namjoon, please, I don’t feel like talking about it. What’s done is done. We should’ve just left when she came.”

“Jennie.” He repeats in a serious tone. “We’re all concerned.”

“You guys don’t need to be.”

“We all want to know what happened. Please just tell us.” Jin speaks up as they all stare at her.

“I don’t like it when you’re troubled.” Hobi adds. “My munchkin should be smiling, not frowning.”

“Fine! Okay.” She lets out a sigh, running a hand through her curly hair. She makes her way over to them and decides to stand. “I need to stand for this. I don’t like thinking about it, it just always makes me sad. So, hopefully I won’t cry.” She lets out another breath.

“When I was 13, I signed a one year contract to be a part of this girl group. Reason it was just one year is because it was a trial run, to see if the company could do well with a young girl group. I auditioned, and managed to get a spot with four other girls. We all became great friends, things went great. We were adored by many. We got popular fast, thanks to the company partnering with Disney. You know how Disney stars can get.” She shrugs. “But as time went on, my leader, who you unfortunately met Namjoon, her name is Hailey. The fame…it started to get to her. It was something that I feared when I first started performing.”

“As a performer, I don’t want to change because of the fame. I try my best to stay humble and grateful for all the opportunities, I have received. But Hailey, she wanted more. And since she has her connections, she got more. So, she started to get more attention, being in more magazines, photo shoots and stuff. I was happy for her, I was happy for all the girls because they also, slowly but surely did more things, too. But I was just sitting there, wondering, okay, what am I supposed to do? I want do something. Anything. I play the guitar, maybe I can play it for one of our new songs or make a cover.”

Shaking her head, she crosses her arms. “I hate not being productive. Like this is a career. I want to work and do stuff. Not sit around. Yes, I love relaxation time, but when I was waiting, I felt like I had too much relaxation time. To the point where I would get bored.”

“We made more songs as time went on, but the company told me not to dance as hard as I wanted to, because I would overshadow the rest.” She lets out a dry chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. “I was put in the back for the dances. I mean I didn’t really care, that I was in the back, you can’t always be in the front, y’know? I didn’t mind that, at all. But I just didn’t like how they made me want to look sluggish.”

She continued while they just stared and listened. Jungkook frowned at her words. He knew how passionate she was about performing, but hearing the things that she wasn’t able to do, made him upset.

“I started not to get any lines for our songs. So, then I was like, okay, could I at least do the harmony? I’m good at that, let me harmonize with someone, but no, I was basically just dancing, not doing anything else. Like even if you want me to do any oohs or whoas in a song, I’ll happily do that, at least I’m doing something. Even if it’s just one word or one line in the song, I’ll be happy.”

“All of them got their solo songs. The company told me that each member will be getting their solo song. So, I was like, okay, cool, I can’t wait for it to be my turn. And then I waited…and waited…and then I was like, okay can I do one now? I continued to wait patiently as they told me, you will soon, just wait. But it never came. Maybe they thought I wasn’t ready for a solo song or something. But it is what it is. I’m not dwelling over that.” She waves the thoughts away.

“Our contracts were about to expire and the company was expecting us to renew them. Their trial run for Amity was very successful and they wanted us to sign a seven-year contract. Thinking long and hard, I realized I didn’t want this, anymore. I had to leave. It may be selfish to some but I had to leave, I couldn’t stay in that environment. I thought, let me find some place better for myself. I wanted to work with a team, as a family. I want to contribute, even if I don’t sing or something, let me play the guitar for you.”

Pacing around, she lets out a shaky sigh. “It hurts…it really friggin hurts…when you think someone was your friend, this whole time but gets more things and ends up being a different person. It was so cruel. It was like the fame for almost all of them changed them and they became bitter. The company really sucked. Don’t ever go to Songstress Entertainment. Mind you, I’m still going through puberty and they wanted me to diet and not eat as much. Like, come on, I still have my baby fat, stop trying to make me look a certain way, I’m fine with how I look. My body is going to change anyway, I’m still young and growing. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to starve myself. I got people calling me a snake because of Hailey. She’s so bitter for me leaving. Always thinking I’m never going to get anywhere in life because I’m not with Amity, anymore.”

Leaning against the wall, she continues. “I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. And I feel crappy for leaving one of my friends, behind.” Her voice gets shaky as she breathes in and out in a shaky breath. Her chest tightens as she starts to cry. Sliding down to sit against the walls with her knees up and arms resting on them, she starts to break down. “I haven’t spoken to her at all and I hope she’s doing okay. I feel like a shitty friend, because she told me to stay in touch, and what did I do? I didn’t. She probably hates me, now. She hasn’t done anything but support me through everything. And I miss her so much. I feel bad, but I don’t regret leaving. I feel like it was the best decision for me. The environment was toxic. It wasn’t fun.”

The guys silently watch on before they make their way to her, sitting down in front of her.

“Please don’t cry!” Jungkook murmurs, looking helpless as he grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I hate it when you cry.”

“Don’t cry~” Tae sits next to her and wraps his arms around her neck, pulling her close into a warm hug.

“Smartie, I don’t think what you’ve done is a bad thing. Don’t beat yourself over it.” Yoongi calmly mentions, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Yes, please sweetheart, don’t cry.” Jin speaks up, trying to console her.

Nodding, Jennie continues, “I couldn’t just sit there and let them leave me hanging, I wanted to do something. But when I wanted to do something, they wouldn’t let me. I wanted to contribute more in the group but they wouldn’t let me. So, what the point of me being in the group? To be a cute little girl? That’s not what I signed up for. I want to sing, I want to dance, I want to work on the songs, anything! I want to be exhausted after performances and give it 110% every time. I want to perform like it’s my last performance, not being told to hold back. I want to sweat, bleed and shed tears as I work hard. That’s all I ever wanted, being a performer. And I found it here, in Big Hit. With BTS. And I’m happy.”

“And we’re happy that you’re here with us. And we’ll never tell you to hold back, only to work harder. We’re a family, always remember that.” Namjoon ruffles her hair.

Hobi decides to stand up and do a goofy dance to make her laugh. Jin and Namjoon follow suit, doing their trademark goofy dances.

“Jennie~ don’t be sad~” Namjoon sings goofily. “Smile~ I want you to smile~”

She couldn’t help but burst out in laughs when he began to sing out of tune. As soon as everyone hears her laugh, they cheer, jumping up and down and applauding.

“She’s laughing! We did it!” Jin beams.

“Group snuggle!” Hobi offers as he wraps his arms around her, snuggling against her cheek. Everyone else follows his lead, creating a big group hug.

“Thanks guys…” She happily says, overwhelmed with joy. “I’m sorry I didn’t open up about it, sooner.”

“If you want, we can make a diss track?” Yoongi offers.

“When I’m better at rapping, I’ll create one with you. Come on, let’s get ready for K-Con. We have a long day ahead of us.”

Notes