Through the Chaos (Jihoon)

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The waiting room was strangely shaped like a rectangle that was standing up straight, the long walkway stretching toward the back of the room where a row of makeup stations sat, currently vacant. Brown couches lined the bath, their backs toward it, with small coffee tables in front of them, covered with snacks and papers that had been provided by the company. Another set of couches sat opposite the first, facing the walkway. The right side of the room was occupied by Stray Kids while the left held the younger group, Treasure. Both groups were waiting patiently for their turn on a Kpop quiz show, talking and laughing amongst their own group.

Everything was calm. Well, as calm as it could be with two very chaotic groups.

But this changed rather quickly when a man was thrown through the door, busting it from its hinges and tossing splintered wood across the floor. Both groups jumped in surprise, watching as a hulk of a man stepped through the doorway, his hands clenched so tightly that they were beginning to change color.

"Y-You're crazy!" the smaller man cried, scrambling back across the carpeted floor. Bang Chan recognized him as the manager for a small girl group that had debuted only a couple weeks prior. "I'll have you arrested for this!"

"I don't care," replied the bigger man, pulling a small knife from his pocket. "As long as you pay for what you've done to my daughter."

"N-No, wait!"

The idols on either side looked on with fear, huddled close to their members, not knowing how to handle this situation. Should they try and stop him? No matter how they looked at it, that seemed like a very bad idea. Were they about to witness a murder?

You had just been returning from the bathroom when you heard the ruckus, peering through the door to see what was going on. No one seemed to notice you, too focused on the unfolding scene before them, but Jihoon saw you and his heart hammered in his chest. He felt relieved to see you but also scared for you. The last thing he wanted was for you to get hurt, but he also understood that it was your job to deal with such things.

Holding back a sigh, you darted forward, easily snatching the knife from the man's hand before stepping back toward the fallen man, twirling the knife between your fingers. "Just some friendly advice - if you're gonna hold a knife with the intent to hurt someone, at least hold it tight enough so people can't snatch it away from you so easily."

"Y/N, don't help him," Han scolded as he clung onto Hyunjin for dear life.

You ignored him, keeping your eyes on the larger man in case he tried to grab the knife back. "You wanna tell me what your damage is, big guy? I'm not fond of it myself, but I get scolded for not trying to 'talk my problems out' before resorting to violence so let's give that a try."

"When have you ever done that?" Han scoffed.

You quirked a brow, pointing the knife in his direction. "I'm doing it right now. Weren't you listening?"

"Only because you're not the one in the situation!"

You motioned toward yourself and then the guy. "I very much am in this situation. What are you even on about, Hannie?"

"Don't get involved," the bigger man stated softly, giving you a pleading look. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I mean~" you tugged the security badge from your pocket, holding it up so he could see it. "I'm kind of already involved, man. These are my boys and your presence is threatening their mental wellbeing. They might even have nightmares about this."

Upon seeing the badge, the smaller man jumped up, a smug look on his face as he pointed angrily at the man, making sure to remain behind your body. "Ha! You're going to be arrested for assault and your daughter won't survive the controversy! Like father, like daughter. You're both pieces of trash! She doesn't deserve to be an idol! She's ugly just like you and she can't sing for shit. Plus she's -"

You had heard enough, bringing your hand back so you could punch him. You didn't even use that much power but he still stumbled backward.

His annoyed face snapped toward you. "The hell do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to be saving me, stupid!"

Your eyes narrowed at him. "You shouldn't be so quick to go around calling people trash. And judging from your attitude, I'm starting to side with the big guy and I'm really tempted to return this knife to him."

Jackson from GOT7 appeared on the scene, peering around the doorway. "Don't do it, boss."

The bigger man lowered his head, his voice full of emotion. "I'll admit, my daughter is a bit slow and she can be a real airhead sometimes, but she works hard and never gives up. Because of you…" he was holding back his tears, shoulders shaking. "Because of you, she wants to give up on her dream! She stopped eating properly and she's always so sad. Every day she tells me the horrible things you say to her… she even told me she doesn't want to live anymore because she's just a burden to everyone! How can you live with yourself knowing you did that to a young girl?"

"Oi," you took a threatening step toward the man and he took a step back. "That true?"

"Yeah, so what? His trashy daughter is a burden so she deserves to work until she collaps -"

You twisted your body to bring your foot across the side of the man's head and he went flying over the couch toward the Stray Kids members who jumped back to put distance between themselves and him. "People like you are the worst," you spat, taking a step forward but Jackson threw his arm around you, holding you in place. "What right do you have to decide if someone is trash? You're just a manager. You don't know jack shit about talent, yet you push your idols until they're so tired that they don't even have the energy to live anymore. If anyone is trash here, it's you!"

Jackson started to type quickly on his phone, his fingers tapping your shoulder with a silent message.

"You're going to quit your job and never work with idols again."

"Who do you think you are?" he glared at you, clutching his face. "You're just a lowly security guard, what can you do?"

"Who am I?" you repeated, leaning your hands on the back of the couch. "I'm a security guard, and I won't let the likes of you run around so long as my boys are idols, risking them crossing paths with you and ending up with the same fate as his daughter. If you're gonna treat people like that, you don't fucking deserve to work with idols, so you're gonna quit."

"Keep dreamin'," he snarled. "This pay is too good to give up."

Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you tugged it out, a smirk slipping onto your lips as you clicked on the image attached to the message, holding your phone out so he could see it. "I guess you don't mind these being sent to everyone at the agency, including all of your friends and family. Hell, we might get them put on a billboard for good measure."

"H-How the hell did you…" his eyes widened as he shakily stood up, his heart racing as he stared at the picture of him.

"You should really be more careful what you post online," Jackson commented. "Nothing ever truly gets deleted, you know."

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded angrily, fear dancing in his eyes. "How did you get those?!"

You scowled at him. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm a security guard, hajimemashite ." You bowed, putting your arm over your chest.

"You're not in Japan anymore," Jackson chuckled, nudging your arm.

"Oh right… how the hell do you say it in Korean again?"

" Mannaseo bangawoyo ."

"What he said."

"I can't believe you forgot." Jackson gave you a fake offended look which you returned with a deadpan stare.

"I've been in Japan for like five years, gimme a break."

"Pretty sure it was two."

"Same thing."

"Not even close to the same thing."

While the two of you bickered, the man seized his chance, snatching the phone from your hand and throwing it against the ground. It smashed into pieces before he started to stomp on it, finishing the job. You stared at him blankly.

Jackson started to laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

"It's not funny," you complained with a scowl. "I just replaced that bitch. Do you have any idea how long Jinyoung has been bitching at me to get a new phone? That shit's expensive, man."

"It's not like you don't have the money."

"It's the principle ."

The man laughed in a maniacal way, his eyes wild. "What now, bitch?!"

You held your hand out to Jackson, who proceeded to hold his phone out above your hand, showing the same picture. "Did you really think there was only one copy bitch ?"

"Plus, destroying the phone doesn't destroy the message," Jackson added.

"A for effort, though."

"E for effort."

"What?" your brow furrowed at him.

"Effort starts with an E," he replied blankly.

"E isn't a grade in school."

"It could be."

"Where?"

"I don't know. There are a lot of schools in the world!"

"Exactly."

The man darted, scrambling over the couch as he tried to get to the door, knowing it was his only option.

"Why do they always run? It always makes them look guilty," you questioned with a sigh, preparing to give chase when the father thrust his arm out, clotheslining the man and knocking him out cold. "Damn."

"He's gonna feel that one in the morning," Jackson smirked.

You tossed the knife over to Jackson before approaching the two, crouching down beside the unconscious man, slapping his cheek a few times. "Oi~ you got an important life decision to make here. You either quit and never work with idols again or we show these lovely photos to every single person you've ever even been in the same room with." He didn't budge and you clicked your tongue, standing up. "Idols work their asses off and deal with a lot of stress, they don't need someone like you around makin' it worse. Bastard."

"Thank you…"

"Eh?" You glanced at the father, seeing the tears streaming down his face as he looked at you with a grateful yet sad expression.

"Thank you. I… feel more at ease knowing there's people like you around who are willing to stand up for idols and their mistreatment. Thank you." He bowed at the waist and you rubbed the back of your head awkwardly.

"Ah, it's no big deal… it's in the job description, you know?"

Jackson chuckled, throwing his arm around your shoulders as he nodded toward the unconscious male. "Pretty sure blackmail and violence aren't, though."

"Which is why we don't talk about it, man, come on."

Jinyoung and Jay B appeared in the doorway, looking at you in disbelief.

"You've been back in Korea for less than a week and you've already caused a scene." Jay B shook his head, bringing his hand to his forehead.

Jinyoung sighed, folding his arms over his chest as he gave you his 'mom' look. "What did you do, Y/N?"

"Why you always gotta blame me for shit?" you scowled, stuffing your hands into your pockets.

"It's usually your fault."

"Okay, fair, but also really rude." You stepped past the father and picked up the heavy wooden door with a grunt, making the two take a step back as you placed it upright, kicking at the hinges to make it stay. "See look, it's fixed!"

"You can't fix a bullet hole with a bandaid, Y/N!" Jay B complained from the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, did you forget December of 2012?"

Silence was your answer, but you didn't know if they had just decided this was too much trouble or if you had truly stumped them by proving that you could, in fact, patch up a bullet wound with a bandaid. Not very successfully, mind you, but it was possible.

"Well, that solves that," you commented, dusting your hands off as you turned around. It was then that you realized something very important that you had been too distracted to realize sooner. The whole of Treasure was there, huddled together with fear and confusion on their faces as they watched the scene unfold. You scanned them, feeling a tug at your heart for making them witness that but it really hurt when your eyes met Jihoon's. His eyes were wide, swirling with a mixture of mostly negative emotions that had you looking away, unable to bear the weight of it for another second. "Shit…"

There was a knock on the door but the force was enough to knock the door down, revealing the surprised expression of a police officer. "W-Well, I knew I was strong, but I didn't know I was that strong, hahaha."

You held back a groan, sending Jackson a look which he returned with a nod.

The officer cleared his throat, surveying the scene. "I got a call of a disturbance going on here. What is going on?"

The father stood up straight, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his plaid shirt. "I was -"

"Visiting his daughter," you interrupted with conviction, sending the man a warning look before motioning toward the idiot on the floor. "Her manager just suddenly went crazy, calling everyone trash and threatening to hurt himself. We tried talking him down, but he had lost it. We did what we had to in order to subdue him."

The officer frowned, pulling a pad of paper from his pocket and beginning to jot down what you had told him. "Is this true, sir?"

The father sent you a look, seeming to debate on whether he should go with it or not.

"Sir?"

"Ah, yes… yes, it's true. He's really upset my daughter."

"I see. I'll need to speak to her, then."

"Of course."

"And you," the officer looked between you and Jackson. "I'll need your phone numbers in case I have more questions."

After supplying the numbers, he pulled the guy up with the help of the father and left the room, most likely taking him to the police car so he couldn't run away before being questioned. A tense silence settled over the room and you could feel many pairs of eyes on you from both sides. You honestly just wanted to run away. You had promised yourself that you would be careful about not fighting or getting angry in front of Treasure, not wanting to scare or upset them, but you had done just that.

'They must hate me now…'

Felix walked around the couch while you were lost in thought, throwing his arms around you. "Welcome back, Y/N~"

Chan scowled at you, his hand on his hip. "Why didn't you tell us you were back in Japan?"

"Uh… it was kind of a last-minute decision." You reached up to rub the back of your head but Felix's arms were restricting you from doing so. "I haven't even been back that long."

"But GOT7 knew," Felix pouted, resting his chin on your shoulder. "You're supposed to be a STAY, we should be told these things!"

"Wait, when did I become a STAY?"

Stray Kids gasped dramatically, staring at you as if you had just greatly offended them in the worst way possible.

"That's just hurtful," Chan complained, his hand over his heart.

"I mean, I was already forced to be an IGOT7 and that's been pretty stressful," I shrugged, earning a smack from Jackson.

" Forced, yeah right! You joined because you love us~" he grinned, throwing his arms around the upper half of your body, squishing you between himself and Felix.

Your nose scrunched up and you started to try and free yourself from their grip. "You guys are idiots, lemme go."

"Not until you admit that you love us," Jackson replied.

"And that you're a STAY," Felix added.

You sighed as the rest of Stray Kids laughed at your misery.

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Ever since that day, you had been avoiding Treasure, for the most part, staying just close enough to ensure that they were in no danger but keeping far enough away where they wouldn't notice your presence. Maybe you were being a bit of a coward, but you couldn't stand the thought of them looking at you with fear and hatred, especially not Jihoon who you had gotten close to in a short amount of time. You may not have known these boys for long, but they had worked their way into your heart pretty quick and they had become precious to you. All you wanted was their safety and happiness.

You pulled the fedora down farther as you sat at the opposite end of the hallway from Treasure, watching as they got ready to go on stage for an interview. You were feeling down again, unable to stop seeing their scared expressions. Were they traumatized by the experience? You had been watching them closely for any signs, but that didn't seem to be the case. Though you had noticed that Jihoon would often stop and look around him with a frown on his face. Was he worried that someone was going to appear with a knife again?

"You are so suspicious," Bang Chan commented as he settled down beside you, handing you your favorite drink.

You scowled at him but accepted it anyway. "I have mastered the art of stealth, thank you very much."

He hummed. "Are you sure? I noticed you as soon as I turned the corner."

"There's an exception to every rule."

"True," he chuckled, noticing how you kept glancing toward the boys. "Why don't you just go say to them?"

"No."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"They look at me like I just killed their pet rabbit."

"That's… morbid. And probably not going to happen."

"But what if it does?"

"You're too caught up on the 'what if's," he sent you a look similar to Jinyoung's mom look. "You're their security guard, Y/N. Isn't it better that they know you're around? At the very least, they'll probably feel safer."

"Unless they're scared of the person that's meant to protect them," you commented bitterly, bringing the drink to your lips but he snatched it from you before you could drink any, standing up so you couldn't take it back. "The hell, man?"

"This drink is mine until you stop sulking."

"I'm not sulking."

"What do you call it, then?" he quirked a brow.

"…strategic rejoicing."

"That doesn't even make sense."

You shrugged one shoulder, leaning back against the wall.

Bang Chan glanced at his watch. "I have to get going, we'll finish this later!"

"Sure. Looking forward to it."

He chuckled, turning to walk away but then pausing, sending you a grin. "By the way, a little birdie told me that a member of Treasure is having a birthday tomorrow. You might want to go ask them who."

You narrowed your eyes at him as he walked away. Whose birthday was it? You tried to recall the information, but you had never actually asked when their birthdays were, it wasn't something that came up in normal conversation, after all. You glanced at the group, your eyes falling on Jihoon as he teased Junkyu about something. What if it was Jihoon's birthday? Even if you were sure they hated you, you didn't want to miss his birthday. What if you were wrong, though?

Yedam glanced up, meeting your eyes and you froze, knowing your cover was blown, but he just smiled kindly before turning to listen to Doyoung. A frown tugged at your lips, your shoulders relaxing a bit. Well, he didn't seem to hate you, at least. Though you were fairly certain he wasn't capable of hating anyone. Maybe you could ask him? But the boys were rarely ever alone, often traveling in packs like puppies looking to explore and play. He looked up when Jihoon said something to him and you caught his eye. This was your chance.

You jerked your head up as you stood, hoping he understood the meaning. When he stood up and started speaking to Jihoon, you turned your back to them and walked away, turning the corner where a row of vending machines sat. As you fell into the chair across from the soda machine, you couldn't help but wonder what the hell you were doing. Why did you even care what Jihoon or the others thought of you? How many idol groups had you worked for where you displayed violence on the first day? You were there to protect them, so it never bothered you if they feared you, but there was something different about Treasure.

They're all just so… innocent and precious. You didn't want them to feel fear, especially not fear of you. You'd never hurt them but you doubted they knew that.

"Y/N-ssi?"

You sat up straighter when Yedam turned the corner, giving you a curious yet kind look.

"Did you need something?" he asked politely.

"Is it someone's birthday tomorrow?" you questioned him bluntly.

"Mhm, it's Jihoon hyung's birthday!"

"Ah." So your instincts had been right. What the hell were you going to get him? You had no idea what he might want or need and there wasn't much time left to do anything spectacular. The day was half over and by the time you got off work, it would be nearing ten, which meant you wouldn't be able to buy a cake for him. Maybe you could make one yourself? But your skills in the kitchen were dreadful. "Thank you."

"Of course," he bowed to you, hesitating for a moment. "Are you okay?"

You quirked a brow at him.

"It's just that you haven't been around much lately. We've been worried about you, especially Jihoon hyung. He'll be really happy if you wish him a happy birthday!"

Despite yourself, a smile came to your lips and you nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. And I'm fine, just… busy, is all."

"Ah, I see. I'll let them know so they stop worrying. Bye bye~"

You waved at him, watching as he headed back down the hall, disappearing around the corner. You found it hard to believe that they were worried about you, but it made you feel warm nonetheless. With a wave of determination, you stood up, fist held out in front of you. ' Alright, I'm going to make him a cake and it's gonna be the best damn thing I've ever made!' You started to walk toward the front of the building with the intent to go shopping but you stopped short, turning back around. 'As soon as I finish my shift here.'

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After getting permission to do so, you gathered the ingredients you had bought and made yourself comfortable in the large kitchen inside the JYP building. All the bags barely fit on the counter, each one filled with cake mix, frosting, candles, and assorted decorations. Though you intended to try your best as making a cake you could present to him, you weren't feeling very hopeful and you had prepared to make plenty of mistakes. Surely one of them had to work out.

You tugged the list from your pocket that Bang Chan had written for you, offering step-by-step instructions on making a delicious cake. 'It sounds simple enough. I can definitely do this.'

You couldn't do this.

The first cake you made cooked too long and the outside was hard as a brick. The second cake, you accidentally used salt instead of sugar. The third cake was dropped as you transferred it to the oven. The fourth had way too much flour because the bag ripped open when you were pouring it. On and on it went, messing up cake after cake with no end in sight. The kitchen was a mess, flour covering the floor, egg splattered across the counter and the wall, cake corpses lined up across the counter, each one looking more depressing than the last.

You wiped the sweat from your forehead, feeling exhausted and frustrated by your lack of success. Why was the universe so against you making a damn cake?

Unknown to you, the sun had begun to rise and Treasure was arriving at YG to begin their day, practicing for their next comeback. They had just entered the building when they heard a sudden, loud clanging coming from the kitchen as if something metal had been thrown across the room. The boys exchanged confused looks.

"Go check it out, Jihoon," Junkyu lightly pushed the boy's shoulder.

"Why me?" he quirked a brow at him.

"You're the strongest! If it's an intruder, you can take care of them."

The other boys nodded in agreement and Jihoon shook his head, turning around and approaching the kitchen door. He pushed it open a tiny crack, peering inside. When he saw the mess, his eyes widened, wondering what had happened. His first thought was that someone had purposefully trashed the place, but then he noticed you, your head lowered as you placed your hands on the metal countertop. Seeing you made him relax and he stepped into the kitchen, noticing the row of cakes in various different states, most of them destroyed or incomplete.

"Y/N-ssi?"

Your shoulders tensed at the familiar voice, a huff of frustration passing your lips. Your voice was tired when you replied. "Yeah?"

Jihoon frowned, taking in the mess and your tired state, clicking them into place in his mind. "Were you here all night?"

"Yeah," you muttered, pushing around the counter and beginning to clean up. You had long since run out of ingredients and if he was here, that meant it was morning already. Your attempts had failed. "Damn it." You tossed a bowl into the sink harder than you meant to, the sound echoing loudly throughout the empty kitchen. "I'm sorry, Jihoon."

"Sorry for what?"

You refused to face him as you continued piling dishes in the sink. "I wanted to make a cake for your birthday but I didn't find out 'til the last minute and I apparently can't bake to save my damn life…" You shook your head, slowly turning to face him. "Plus… I wanted to apologize for scaring you."

"Scaring me?" he echoed in confusion, realizing what you must have been referring to. "Ah, I wasn't afraid of you, I was just… surprised by the situation." A soft smile came to his lips as he approached you, using his finger to swipe a bit of frosting from your cheek, bringing it to his lips. "Lemon frosting, good choice."

You didn't know how to reply.

"I'm really grateful. To think you stayed here all night trying to bake me a cake… that means a lot," his smile was genuine, his eyes shining with warmth as he approached the line of cakes, humming softly. "And you know, just because it doesn't look perfect doesn't mean it's terrible."

"Ah, wait, don't -"

Before you could stop him, he picked up a fork and took a piece of the most normal-looking cake, popping it into his mouth. His nose wrinkled as the taste hit his tongue. "Salty…"

You felt your face getting hot with embarrassment. "Sorry… I grabbed the salt instead of the sugar…"

"It's not bad, though. Aside from the salt, it tastes pretty good."

"No way."

"Yes way," he grinned, grabbing another piece before approaching you, his hand beneath the fork to catch any crumbs that may drop. You looked at the fork warily as he held it out to you. "Try it."

Since he had already done so, you figured it was the least you could do so you leaned forward, allowing him to place the cake into your mouth. The salty taste hit first, making you scrunch up your nose like he had, but the taste of the chocolate cake quickly overpowered it. It actually tasted decent, leaving you surprised.

"See? I told you," he chuckled, setting the fork down on the counter. "Thank you, Y/N. I really appreciate this." He seemed to hesitate for a moment before leaning closer, his lips soft as they brushed against your cheek.

You reached out to him as he pulled away, your hands on his waist to keep him close. "Happy birthday, Jihoon."

He didn't miss the way your eyes flickered to his lips and he hummed, wrapping his arms around your neck. "You still owe me a present, though."

You nodded. "Tell me what you want and I'll get it."

Jihoon tilted his head to the side innocently, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Kiss me."

"Eh?"

"You don't want to?"

"I do," you replied quickly, earning a chuckle from him that left you feeling embarrassed. "Are you sure?"

Instead of replying, he closed the distance between you, his lips meeting yours. What started off as unsure and timid quickly deepened into something warmer, more passionate, and he found himself pressed up against the counter, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

A sudden yell from outside the kitchen had the two of you breaking apart, although reluctantly. His brow furrowed in confusion as he headed for the door, you close behind. The other members were squealing and laughing loudly and when he stepped out, he realized why. The lobby of YG was being invaded by tiny puppies and kittens, running around playing and chasing the members.

"What the…"

"Oh yeah," you stopped behind him, a sheepish grin on your lips. "I kinda forgot about that."

"You did this?" he questioned, kneeling down to pick up a tiny gray kitten that mewed at him, lightly pawing at his cheek.

"Yeah. I asked Jackson if he was willing to set this up for me but I was so focused on the cake that I forgot." You smiled as he held the kitten to his chest, a bright smile on his face. "If you want to adopt one of them, you can."

His eyes met yours. "Can I really?"

"Mhm."

"I want them all."

"E-Eh?" The response caught you off guard, making him giggle at your surprised expression. "Oi, don't joke like that, Jihoon."

"Sorry, sorry~ I couldn't help myself. But," he held the kitten up, bringing it closer until his nose lightly tapped the kitten's. "I think I might be attached to this little guy already."

"He seems to like you," you commented, bringing your finger up to gently rub between the kitten's ears.

"Oh, he's purring. That's so cute!"

"Just like you," you murmured, wrapping your arms around his waist to bring him close. "Happy birthday."

Jihoon leaned back against you, a bright smile on his lips and a warm feeling in his heart. This was one birthday he wasn't going to forget any time soon.

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