XI

POV: Y/N

I stood in front of my apartment building, tugging at the cuff of my blazer and shifting my weight from one foot to the other. It was 9:32 a.m., and the car was late. First official workday, and I was already nervous enough to throw up — I didn't need tardiness adding to the mix. I checked my outfit again: black jeans, white shirt tucked in just right, and a black blazer that made me feel like I knew what I was doing. I had debated high heels but opted for my most comfortable flats. Namjoon and I were supposed to go furniture shopping later, and I didn't want to limp through the shop.

Finally, a sleek black SUV pulled up to the curb, and a moment later, the driver's door swung open. A young man stepped out — tall, clean-cut, with a smile that reached his eyes.

"Miss Y/N?" he said cheerfully. "I'm Kang Maru. I'll be your personal assistant from now on. Please take good care of me."

He gave a deep bow and extended a hand with such respectful formality that I nearly laughed. He couldn't be more than a couple of years older than me.

I shook his hand. "Hello, Kang Maru-ssi. Nice to meet you. And please — just call me Y/N, okay?"

He grinned, clearly relieved. "Will do. Thank you. If you'd like—" he stepped aside and opened the door for me "—I don't want you to be late because of me."

The gesture made me smile. I slid into the seat, grateful for the calm energy he brought. As the car pulled into traffic, I tried to break the ice.

"I didn't know I'd have a personal assistant. This is all... really new to me. Please be patient with me while I get used to it. I promise I'll do my best."

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, warm and encouraging. "Don't worry. It's my job to make things easy for you."

"What exactly does that entail?" I asked, curious. "Like... what do you actually do?"

He laughed lightly. "A bit of everything. I'll keep your schedule in check, take you where you need to go, run errands... Your words are my command, basically."

I raised an eyebrow, half-joking. "That's a dangerous thing to say to someone you've just met."

He chuckled. "Let's hope you're one of the good ones."

I smiled at his easy banter and made a silent vow never to become the kind of person who sends her assistant out for absurd things like gold-dusted coffee or perfectly ripened strawberries.

When we arrived, he rushed to open the door again, but I stopped him with a raised hand and a teasing smile.

"It's okay, Kang Maru-ssi. I can manage a door. Relax around me, yeah? Think of me as a colleague, not your boss."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Miss—uh, Y/N."

"And please, drop the 'Miss' too," I added as I stepped out.

He grinned. "Then call me just Maru."

"Deal," I said.

As I turned toward the building, he called after me. "Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"Fighting!"

His cheerful voice echoed behind me, and I couldn't help but laugh. I gave him a thumbs-up, then took a deep breath, steeling myself. This was it.

But before I could take a step inside, another black van pulled up next to me, smooth and swift. The side door slid open — and there he was.

Namjoon.

He was grinning, eyes crinkled at the corners, clearly delighted to see me. For a second, time paused. Then came the not-so-subtle voices behind him.

"Hyung, move—come on!"

Jungkook and Taehyung's heads popped into view behind him, trying to push past. As they jumped out of the van and saw me standing there, a chorus of knowing "Ooh"s and laughter followed.

"Hi," I said, trying not to look as flustered as I felt. "Good to see you all again."

Jimin stepped forward with a playful smirk. "You too. Are you joining the meeting?"

I blinked and glanced at Namjoon. "Wait... they don't know?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Surprise. Bang PD wanted to explain it himself."

"Oh... I see."

I turned back to Jimin. "Yeah, I'm coming to the meeting."

"Well," Jin said, motioning toward the entrance like a gracious host, "let's not keep the mystery going any longer. Shall we?"

I let them walk ahead, but Jungkook and Taehyung slowed down to match my pace.

"So," Jungkook said, nudging me slightly, "this is about you becoming our teacher, right?"

Taehyung frowned. "Nah, too small a reason for a full board meeting. Bang PD would've just called."

I gave them a cryptic smile. "I'm sure your curiosity will be satisfied soon."

They groaned in mock defeat, clearly aware they wouldn't get anything else out of me.

We reached the meeting room. Bang PD-nim was already seated at the head of a large, modern conference table.

"Ah, good. You all came together," he said with a nod. "Y/N, come sit next to me."

I took the seat beside him, and Namjoon settled across from me. Jungkook moved to sit beside me, but Yoongi silently placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Without a word, Yoongi took the seat next to me instead.

That surprised me. He'd been the most distant so far. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Namjoon's brow rise slightly, clearly surprised too.

Bang PD-nim cleared his throat.

"So, you all met Y/N briefly. What you don't know is why she's here."

Taehyung piped up. "She's going to be our teacher?"

Namjoon nodded. "That was the plan, originally."

"But there's more," Bang PD continued. "She's going to be the bridge between you and ARMY — internationally. She speaks an incredible number of languages and will be essential for your upcoming world tour."

He paused dramatically, then leaned forward.

"But that's not all. The producers of RUN BTS have been telling me we need to innovate. So... we're launching a new show. Y/N will be your guide abroad. She'll represent ARMY from all over the world. Fans will send suggestions — what you should see, eat, do. And she'll lead you. In return, when you're in Korea, you become her guides. Show her the best of Korea through your eyes. It's like letting ARMYs see the world with you... and letting them see their own country through yours."

The room went quiet. They were absorbing it, the gears turning.

Jimin broke the silence with a laugh. "Y/N, you're gonna be living "Y/N's" best life."

I blinked. "Y/N?"

"It means 'Your Name,'" Taehyung explained. "In fanfics, it's what they call the reader so they can imagine themselves as the protagonist."

Yoongi snorted. "I'm not sure how ARMY will take that."

Bang PD nodded. "That was my concern too. But it all depends on how you support her. If she's the one you chose to represent them, ARMYs will trust that. There will always be haters. But it's time to normalize your lives again. This is a step."

Namjoon nodded. "True ARMYs love us. If this is a step toward freedom... they'll love it too."

Jin crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Actually, the fact that she's not Korean, but speaks Korean, could be a huge plus. International and national fans might connect with that."

Yoongi raised an eyebrow. "So what? We're all going to live together?"

Bang PD shook his head. "No. She'll be in the flat under yours. It's already ours. We'll install cameras in both spaces for the show. Just go on with your normal lives. Editors will take care of the rest."

"When do we start filming?" Hoseok asked.

"In two days."

I nearly choked. "Two days?! I still have so much to learn to even appear on camera!"

Everyone laughed. Even Yoongi cracked a grin.

"That's the point," Bang PD said. "You're not an idol. You're ARMY's representative. You'll have photoshoots, yes, and we'll teach you how to behave in front of a camera. But your teachers will be BTS. And all of that will be shown — unfiltered."

"I'm telling you," I muttered, "I'm a complete goof. This will be a disaster."

They laughed harder, and my cheeks flushed.

"We'll have a goofiness contest, then," Hoseok said, shooting playful glances at Namjoon and Jungkook. "Some members here are clumsy legends."

I gave him a grateful look for trying to make me feel at ease.

"So," Bang PD said, pushing his chair back, "now you know. Cameras get installed today. Y/N, when do you move in?"

"Today, actually."

Namjoon added, "We're going furniture shopping this afternoon."

"Can we come too?" Jungkook asked immediately.

"Are you crazy?" Jin exclaimed. "BTS can't just waltz into a store and not cause chaos."

"I rented the whole place," Namjoon said casually.

Bang PD nodded approvingly. "Good. Do that. Get to know Y/N better. I have about a hundred meetings to handle, so I'll leave you to it."

We all stood as he left the room.

The meeting had finally wrapped up, the buzz of a hundred new possibilities still ringing in my ears. My body hadn't moved, but mentally, I felt like I'd been sprinting since morning. The air in the conference room felt lighter now, charged with something unexpected — maybe anticipation... maybe disbelief.

"Well," Jungkook said suddenly, stretching with a dramatic sigh, "now I'm hungry."

Jin clapped his hands together and nodded, as if that settled it. "Let's go home, have lunch, and then we'll go shopping. What do you think, Y/N?"

I hesitated. "Before buying furniture, I should really see the flat first — just to know what I'll actually need and what would even fit."

Taehyung gave me a small nod, his eyes half-lidded with that mischievous calm he wore so well. "Your flat is right under ours. Let's check it out after lunch, before the shopping trip."

The decision was made without much discussion, like I was already part of the flow. I just nodded, grateful. "Thank you... for putting up with me today."

They all smiled, shrugged, joked — like it had been no trouble at all. But inside, my stomach was in knots. The reality of it all hadn't quite settled. I was about to move in under BTS. I was about to be on a show with BTS. I was about to share my life — and theirs — with the whole world.

Outside, the sun had risen higher, and the day felt warmer now, brighter, like it too was aware that something was changing.

Kang Maru stood by the car with his hands behind his back, looking like some perfect assistant straight out of a K-drama. As I approached, he stepped forward and opened the door for me with practiced grace.

Seeing him, I mumbled under my breath, not expecting anyone to hear. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to this..."

But a voice piped up behind me, soft and reassuring.

"You will," Jimin said gently. "Don't worry."

I glanced back at him and managed a tired smile. He gave me one in return — small, kind, and knowing.

"Maru-ya!" Hoseok called, throwing an arm casually around the assistant's shoulder as if they'd known each other for years. "Good to see you, man! Could you please drive Y/N-ssi to our dorm? Her new flat is the one under ours. After that, you can take the afternoon off. We'll take it from there."

Maru gave a deep, respectful bow. "Of course. Thank you, sunbaenim."

Soon enough, we were following the boys' van through the streets of Seoul. I sat in the back seat, watching the city blur past the window, thoughts spinning like wheels. Maru glanced at me through the mirror, reading the tension on my face like it was written in bold.

"So... how was your first meeting?" he asked casually, voice light.

I didn't even hesitate. "Terrifying."

He chuckled softly. "It's going fast, huh?"

"Too fast," I admitted. "I haven't even processed everything. It's like I signed a contract and got swept up in a tornado before I could blink."

"You'll get used to it," he said, trying to reassure me.

I appreciated the words, I really did. But excitement hadn't quite caught up with me yet. I nodded vaguely, watching the way the city moved around us, as if it belonged to another world — one I wasn't quite part of yet.

I sank into the seat, fingers twisting in my lap.

I just hoped I'd made the right decision.

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A.N. Dear fellow ARMY,

I hope you're enjoying this fanfic as much as I'm enjoying bringing it to life for you. Writing this story feels like sharing a part of my heart—and I want you to be part of it too. 💜

So here's your moment! As BTS sets off on their world tour in the story, Y/N will be their guide in each country they visit. And that's where you come in.

✨ If YOU were their guide in your country (home or current), what would you show them?

What must-see places would you take them to?

What foods have to be tasted?

Any fun facts or phrases in your language they should know?

A local tradition, a hidden gem, or your all-time favorite spot?

If you had just one shot to show BTS your world... what would it be? 💫

Drop your answer in the comments—you might just see it included in the story! 🗺️🌍 Let's make this journey feel real, together.

And if this fic made you feel something—smile, cry, squeal, or dream—please let me know by voting and leaving a comment. Your love means the world and keeps this story going.

With all my heart, 💜