Kim Namjoon was by far the smartest of the bunch, and Y/n didn't mean that to say the others were dumb. She didn't even mean Namjoon was the typical 'smart' with high grades and book smarts. She was sure he had that, but what she meant was he was mature. The conversations he preferred to have were more meaningful than say what her favorite color was. Which was probably for the best; she didn't know her favorite color either.

He was by her side, the museum void of many people. It was either cleared out for filming, or it wasn't a busy day for the business. That wouldn't surprise Y/n. After all, it was a weekday. Museums seemed more like a weekend thing. Regardless, it had been some time since Y/n had last been to a museum. It wasn't because she wasn't interested in them, it was more because she didn't have the time between working and taking care of her little sister. Especially throughout this past year. Also, it didn't help that Angelica wasn't a huge art person unless it was music. Y/n didn't mind the arts and getting in touch with her artsy side, which is why she was actually having a lot of fun on this mini 'date'.

"Do you recognize any of these pieces?" Y/n asked, becoming increasingly aware of the cameras breathing down their necks. They had only been there for fifteen minutes yet somehow the cameras found a way to become annoying already.

"No... not really," Namjoon replied, stroking his chin and glancing at the art in front of him.

She got the message and stayed quiet while he stared, her peeking around the curvature of a room they were in. It felt like a Victorian style museum. The building itself was made up of pale marble that had specs of darkness on it. Pillars of the same material were outside, and some inside as well, holding up the ceiling that was over a dozen feet above them. It felt too grand for Y/n despite how she was on a reality TV show taking place in a mansion.

"You're holding back, aren't you?" Y/n said after a moment, and Namjoon brought his eyes off of the vibrant piece, tilting his head instead. "On me, I mean. You're holding back on your true thoughts since you think I'm a dumb reality TV star with no interest in art or this date, right?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, deciding to slowly smile instead. "Not anymore. If that's the case, hit me. Tell me your thoughts."

"I'm no art major, but I can appreciate an artist that knows how to blend colors together. They used a versatile palette, almost like they were trying to convey a positive message. But the figure of the painting ruins that, don't you think?" And it did. Although the unique hues utilized to bring the portrait to life worked, it didn't change how there was a single, tiny black figure in the midst of giant shapes and statues. There were little floating eyes and floating jewelry. Almost like it was symbolizing something that Y/n couldn't put her finger on.

"I'd have to agree, I like this one more than the others. To be honest, I thought they were dull." Namjoon paused, clicking his tongue. "We sound like nerds."

"No shit, I can hear America snoozing and the episode hasn't even aired yet." He laughed, her doing the same before placing her hands on the ropes that separated her from the hung up painting. "But I'm not here to impress America or make myself this ultra likeable person the entire country wants to bow down to. So screw America, yeah? Let's talk about whatever we want to talk about... starting with what the hell this means since I'm stumped." It was her turn to hesitate, Namjoon raising a brow at that. "This is going to physically hurt me to say, but... I need your help. With figuring this out, I mean."

"Uh oh, are you okay? Are you dying?"

"Haha," she replied in a snort, turning his attention to the jewelry. "What do you think that means?"

"It's a single figure surrounded by floating things. Some are more positive, like jewelry, and others are negative, like eyes. I think it's trying to represent someone caught up in all their desires, but also their worst fears. Being watched is their worst fear, and the jewelry is what they want. Or maybe money to buy the jewelry. That's why the figure is black, the only dark color on this entire portrait."

"I think a lot of us can relate to that," she said, shifting her weight onto her heels so she could observe him. "If you did this artwork, what would you paint?"

Namjoon genuinely considered it, moving his eyes to her. "A podium."

"A podium?"

"Yeah. It's always been a dream of mine to make an impact on the ones around me. Maybe by making motivational speeches, or leading people to be better. I wouldn't say a politician exactly, but someone who matters. Someone who has a voice and can use it for good. When I was younger, like every other kid, I used to look up at the stars and dream of being an astronaut, or a president, or a famous celebrity... but then I woke up, and now all I want to do is make a difference. All I want to do is have my parents look at me and be proud of who I am."

Y/n placed her hand on his shoulder on instinct, not thinking if she should or not. Namjoon jolted at the contact, then relaxed into it. He even relished it, leaning closer to encourage her not to move away. She didn't, and she gave him a gentle massage there as he flashed a dimpled smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get so deep on you. It's only the first date, after all," Namjoon said.

"There's a dirty joke in there somewhere."

"Y/n!"

They both snickered at Y/n's dirty mind, and they went back to observing the art piece. So many details hidden in plain sight. It truly was a masterpiece. "You never finished," she said, and he hummed in a manner that told her to keep talking. "I asked how you'd make this piece. You only said a desire, not a fear."

That had him hesitating, and she wondered if she should apologize. But, he let out a breath that was confirmation she was doing the right thing by asking. Getting to know him was her top priority. Not only for the cameras, but for herself too. Knowing who she lived with was never a bad thing. Besides, she actually liked Namjoon. He was thoughtful and genuine, but in a way that was intriguing.

"Rollercoasters?" Namjoon said, but it was more in a questioning tone.

"Rollercoasters? Really?"

"Those things are death traps, okay? It's not my fault they designed them like that."

"Like what?" she asked. Namjoon mumbled something, and Y/n leaned closer. "Huh?"

"So... breakable."

"Did you break a whole ass rollercoaster?"

"Anyway," Namjoon replied, and Y/n chortled at his antics. Namjoon was grinning, but it faltered when he stared at the picture again. Y/n did the same. However, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Nothing that she hadn't noticed before, anyway. "Failure. I'd put the fear of failure on here." She didn't need to ask why. That was a fear they shared, likely for different reasons.

"Pretty sure I'd do the same. Who isn't afraid of that? It's not fun to work hard on something just to end up failing. Feels like that's how it's been my whole life. You?" she asked, him shrugging.

"I've had my ups and downs. Would love to make a break into the business world, but it seems like I have more work to do to get there."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you'd make a great businessman." At his laugh, she shook him off. "No, really. You have all the traits of one. For starters, you have the ability to maintain conversations. Your thoughts add more to each sentence we've shared so far, and that's without mentioning your attention to detail. Oh, and how could I forget? You're well-spoken and well-dressed. At the very least, you'll look and sound the part."

"I thought this show was about me flattering you, not the other way around."

"You're working hard for what you achieve, and you're surprisingly open with me despite how we just met," she said, smiling. "I can appreciate someone like that. It's not about flattery, really. It's about inspiration, and above all else, being honest."

"You value honesty that much?"

"I try to. Sometimes it's hard. For weeks I didn't tell my sister I was going back into the reality TV world, I only told her on the last day humanly possible." At his questioning glance, she brushed it off. "She would try to stop me, but we need the cash. Besides, I'd say I chose the right show to come on. Otherwise I wouldn't have met you."

Namjoon took her hand and held it, his dimpled smile making her swoon. Admittedly, Namjoon was a gorgeous man. He had an amazing, admirable body he clearly worked on for possibly years. His arms and chest were wide and well-built, his jawline sharp, his eyes like a dragon's. Y/n knew the boys were mostly chosen based on their looks, but she wasn't expecting them to all look this good. Maybe she was being shallow, which was the last thing she wanted. Regardless, she needed to take a moment to admire Kim Namjoon. He deserved it. He was a genuinely good person, someone who was kind but intelligent from what Y/n could tell so far.

"That means a lot to me, you know," Namjoon said with a chuckle. "You don't have to say that."

"I know, but I want to."

They kept their hands on each other's for perhaps too long, then, Namjoon cleared his throat. "You know, I love writing song lyrics in my free time. It's like a way of expressing myself when no one else can listen to me. Or even when someone can and I just don't want to be a burden. It's one of my favorite things to do. I wish I had more chances to do it."

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how deep are they?"

"How deep?"

"Yeah, how emotional and deep are your lyrics?" she asked with a smile. A smile he was quick to return.

"Oh, definitely a 10. You couldn't understand them even if I gave you an explanation." They laughed at each other's antics, moving away from that one art piece and going to the one behind it, on the opposite side. The cameras followed them, none of the crew saying anything as they went. They were getting juicy footage. Y/n really did mean it when she said he was good at maintaining a conversation. That trait was amazing for the cameras, and the producers were probably loving this entire interaction. Hopefully America would too.

"This isn't nearly as creative as the last one," Y/n said, giving it a frown. It was smaller, which wasn't the problem, but they didn't make use of the space they had. In fact, whoever the artist was didn't use the space... at all. It was a swirl of darkness spreading on the canvas, but it stopped before it was even halfway toward the corners of the piece. "When I was 12 I think I made something like that. Can I be put in a museum?"

"Ha, I wish. Sometimes I never understood how art like this could get into a museum. There's so many great pieces here, and the sculptures we've seen so far have been lovely. But this? I've drawn stick figures with more detail." The pair shared more laughs together, and Y/n really adored it. Namjoon was quickly becoming someone she wanted as her friend. If the other boys were even remotely similar, maybe she would love this show after all. That was dangerous, sure.

But not as dangerous as her feelings.