Fourteen

"How much longer to I have to keep lying to everyone? It's been two years Kenji. A lot of people are getting hurt and I dont think anyone will every forgive you two for this. Me for that matter...Okay fine. Look, someone is knocking on my door, just....Just tell him that he has really fucked up and no one will ever forget this. Yeah. Bye."

"Come in!"

Layla entered Sejins office with her duffle in tow. She was mad. Hurt. Upset. She did this to herself.

"Layla, what are you doing here? Why do you have your bags?" Sejin said and placed his phone back on his desk. Laylas eyes were red and she was sniffling. She couldn't believe the words Jin said to her.

She thought the boys would speak up.

They didn't.

She took everything she could and packed it into her car and left straight for Big Hit. She was done. She didnt need this shit. She was emotionally drained, tired and just wanted Jackson back.

She needed Jackson back. She couldn't think. Maybe tomorrow she would regret this but now? She didnt give a shit.

"I would like to resign, effectively. "

"Resign?!" Sejin stood up fast. "Layla, why, you signed a contract?" He ran his hands through his hair. "What's happened?"

"I dont think this is the right job for me." She muttered. "Thank you for the opportunity, but living there, it's not working out and frankly, this is all too much."

"Cant I convince you otherwise? Please, Layla. I need you. Bangtan needs you."

If Sejin were to find out about what I done with half of Bangtan, he wouldn't be begging me like this. She thought.

"Here," he said handing her a set of keys. "These are to your private living quarters. The builders finished yesterday. Just, move in. No one will know where you live apart from me. Stay. Please. And if you still dont like it, you can leave at the end of the month. I just need time to find your replacement."

She looked at the keys for a moment before taking them. "At the end of the month, I'm gone."

************

Her private space reminded her of how alone she was.

No Namjoon.

Taehyung.

Hoseok.

Yoongi.

Jimin.

Jungkook.

Even Jin.

She understood Jins words. A lot of people would agree. She was behaving like a whore. To the public, if anyone ever recognized her, she was still Jacksons fiancee. If anyone found out about her and half of Bangtan, it would ruin them. It would ruin everyone.

Bangtan probably doesn't even exist anymore.

Layla sat on her new leather couch and looked out the window overlooking Seoul. The rain was falling hard again, the sky was dark; it was a perfect representation of how she was feeling; how all of Bangtan was feeling.

She needed all of her stuff. What she didnt grab was back at the dorm. She knew she couldn't text Jimin, he would probably be recording by now. Everyone else wasn't an option. She didnt know who was mad at her and who wasn't.

She looked at her watch.

9:00.

She had no one now.

She unzipped her duffle and pulled out her pink Cooky blanket, the one Jungkook bought for her when she surpassed his high score on Overwatch.

"I got something for you to celebrate your highest achievement in life," JK said as he smiled; his bunny grin causing Layla to giggle. "Well, so far anyway."

"Okay, Kook. I get it," She smiled. "What's behind your back?"

He pulled out a poorly wrapped gift with a makeshift bow. The paper was barely taped and the bow was falling apart. To anyone else, this would look awful. But to her? It was sweet and beautiful.

"I know," he said pushing his hair back. "I'm not the best wrapper or rapper but here."

Layla took the gift and opened it. Once she seen the fluffy blanket inside, she squealed; launching herself onto the blushing Jungkook.

"Cooky! I love it!" She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. He placed his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "How did you know he was my favorite BT21 character?"

He pulled back and looked into her beautiful eyes. He could tell she was happy. Up until that moment, he had no idea. It was just something he wanted her to have, but he wouldn't let her know that.

"I have my ways."

She quickly unfolded it and wrapped it around her. The soft pink fabric felt warm against her skin. She looked up at Jungkook and pecked his cheek before skipping off to her room. "Best gift ever, Kook! You're the best."

Jungkooks heartbeat skipped.

He fell for her hard right then.

Layla fell asleep holding onto the blanket. Hours passed and Jungkook never showed up back at the dorm. He didnt have to record that day, but it got everyone worried. Sejin called at the boys to a meeting and demanded to know what was going on.

"Where is he, Namjoon? Hes not answering his phone." Sejin glared at the six members before him. "I want to know why hes gone and why Layla quit."

"She quit?" Yoongi looked at the other members. "Manager-nim, what do you mean she quit?"

Jin's head hung low. "After the fight between you and Jungkook, I blamed her for it."

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "That was between me and Jungkook. Sure, Layla was the topic, but that was just me being an asshole. She had nothing to do with it."

"But she does have everything to do with it! We all fight because shes there!" Jin looked up at Yoongi and whiped a stray tear from his eye. "But what I said to her, was completely wrong. She didnt deserve it."

"No she didn't. And I'm going to find her." Jimin said as he headed for the door.

"No, Jimin," Sejin said clearing his throat. "Layla needs space from this. She came here wanting to quit immediately and I asked her to stay. You will only see her at practice or any trip we take until the end of the month."

Hoseok spoke up. "Is she really leaving us?"

Sejin nodded his head. "Yes. Find Jungkook and make this work. I dont care what you have to do. Find him. Call Layla. That's all I'm asking. I have a lot of stress on me boys. First you dont listen to your previous doctor and now all of this arguing and disappearing? Should I just do a press release saying Bangtan is no more? I can easily promote TXT to the top. Is that what you all want?"

The boys drop their heads and all answer together. "No, Manager-nim."

"Great. I'll try Jungkook again and you try his favorite spots. Wear your masks and wait until night. The less chance of the press seeing the better."