The first time Taehyung sees her, it's in the middle of the studio's parking lot. It's nearly two in the morning; the last of their solo schedules has ended, and she's heading towards her van, her eyes red with exhaustion. He wonders how much sleep she got last night.
A hand taps his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. He looks up at his friend Jungkook, who is already staring at him.
"Let's go," Jungkook says simply before walking away.
Taehyung follows after him, already knowing where they're going. The door to their practice studio opens up quietly; it's as empty as he thought it'd be.
The second time Taehyung meets her, it's at 1 am in the practice studio. Her voice echoes from behind a closed door; he watches as Jungkook closes his eyes and lets out a sigh that he's never seen before. It's a mix of relief and happiness. He's seen Jungkook smile before, but this is different.
Taehyung opens the door to the room, letting them know that he and the rest of BTS are there. Jungkook immediately stands up and joins their group in the hallway. Taehyung's eyes follow Jungkook's movement as he walks past him and into the room.
"Tzuyu-ssi," Jungkook calls out. "Do you want to get a drink? We're heading out to get some."
He watches as she looks at Jungkook, then over at him. He smiles, trying to reassure her.
"I want to go," she says softly. "I can't though. My schedule is packed tomorrow."
"It's okay," Jungkook reassures her. "We understand."
"No," Taehyung interrupts Jungkook. He takes a step forward, closing the distance between them. He lowers his voice and leans in a little, so she can hear him. "We'll be back before 2 am. It's just down the road." He smiles, adding a little wink in for good measure.
He doesn't know why he did that, but when he looks up at Jungkook, he's not looking at him anymore. He's looking back at Tzuyu with an intensity that he's never seen Jungkook use before.
Jungkook takes the keys from Hobi and unlocks the door to the van. He opens it, allowing Tzuyu to climb inside. She crawls over to the passenger seat in the back, and Jungkook gets in next to her. Taehyung climbs into the front seat next to Hobi, who is driving them to their destination.
Tzuyu looks a little out of place; Jungkook looks comfortable. Taehyung watches them talk back and forth, catching bits and pieces of their conversation. He watches as Tzuyu's smile gets bigger and bigger; it's something he wishes he could make her do.
It's a quiet drive; they get to their destination in under twenty minutes. Hobi pulls into a small parking lot tucked away in a secluded corner of the restaurant.
"What's this?" Tzuyu asks as she steps out of the van and onto the asphalt of the parking lot.
"It's a twenty-four-hour bakery," Jimin explains. "They have great pastries, and we can get them fresh from the oven." He smiles over at Jungkook. "Kookie told us about it a few days ago."
Taehyung catches Jungkook looking over at Tzuyu as he hears Jimin say his name. The way he smiles over at her, Taehyung feels a pang in his chest. He wants to be the one that makes her smile.
They spend the next few hours laughing and talking. They eat pastries and drink coffee; they talk about everything, from their favorite foods and music to the places they want to travel. They talk about everything but their jobs. Jungkook talks to Tzuyu nonstop; Taehyung tries his best to interject into their conversation.