BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 150: concert day

"Is this about Jieun...?"

Jungkook's silence made the couple confirm that it was, in actual fact, indeed about Jieun.

"Why?" Seokjin frowned. "Is she gonna be late? Well, at least she's coming! Take it easy, JK-"

"She's not coming, hyung-" Jungkook finally exclaimed, burying his head in his hands with his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "She's not coming, she has work..."

"Huh?" Byulyi exclaimed. "But I thought she said she was gonna come...?"

"It's a last minute thing-" Jungkook swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "She chose her work over me, even though she knows how much this first concert of mine means to me... Well, I can't blame her - I haven't been giving her the most attention over the past few months as well. I'm the one to blame - I was the one who chose my work over her first... there's nothing I can say."

"What do you mean?" Seokjin frowned. "You mag have chosen work over her... but I'm sure she understands! She has been so supportive of you too, how can she just not show up last minute? Byulyi-ya, why don't you give her a call-"

"Actually..." Byulyi pursed her lips as she glanced at Jungkook. "It's true that she hasn't been the most happy that you have been lowkey neglecting her, I'm sure she told you too... Of course she's happy that you're having your first concert, but perhaps because of what happened over the past few months, she thinks that maybe she has the right to do the same - that is, to put work first."

Jungkook felt like utter crap.

All that talk about not breaking up, all that talk about conquering everything together, all that talk about wanting to tell the whole world about them. All that... for nothing. All that... just for her to treat him like this. She said she wasn't breaking up with him a month ago, but did her mind change since? Was she finally starting to crack under pressure? Was she finally beginning to see that he wasn't the right one for him and that her work meant more to her than he did? Jungkook was afraid.

"I'll go give her a call, Jungkook-ah," Byulyi said as she rose to her feet and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it and focus on your concert. She'd want you to perform well - whether she's here or not."

Byulyi gave Seokjin a meaningful look before sneaking out of the waiting room. The room went awfully silent the moment Byulyi was gone.

"I..." Seokjin looked around the room and cleared his throat as he rose to his feet as well. "I'm gonna go out and take a breather. Take this time to calm yourself down, JK. Everything's gonna be alright."

The room was quiet again now that Byulyi and Seokjin were gone. Jungkook threw his head back, closed his eyes and tried to think. 

Click!

Jungkook sighed as the door opened once more and there were a few pairs of feet shuffling around the room in preparation for the concert.

"Jungkook-ssi, we're gonna start doing your makeup now."

"Okay-" Jungkook sighed loudly. "Whatever."

They began working on his makeup. But Jungkook was no longer in the mood. If she wasn't going to be in the crowd, what even was the point of him performing? Who was he going to look at while he sang the very song that he wrote for her...? Jungkook let out another loud sigh as his eyes fluttered open.

And Jieun was right in front of him, looking intently into his face as she did his eye shadow.

"Ya, don't open your eyes!" Jieun laughed as her eyes met Jungkook's. "I'm doing your eye shadow halfway."