Brighter Days || Taekook

Part 15

Taehyung's ducking away from the arm that Jungkook has thrown over his shoulder as they are bowed over a monitor, taking a look at the outcome of the photoshoot they're having.

"It's a concept photoshoot to try some stuff out," Namjoon had explained. "To see how we look in certain clothes and styles and for us to practice handling a camera."

Taehyung had hated the camera up in his face and capturing his every angle. The black jeans he's wearing are ridiculously tight and the black t-shirt with a golden pattern around the neck too baggy. Matched with the heavy chains around his neck and the ridiculously large but cheap-looking rings on his fingers, he looks like an absolute idiot.

"You look good in every picture, hyung," Jungkook says in awe, and Namjoon, who has been trying to catch a glimpse at the monitor over their shoulders as well, agrees.

"You're really photogenic."

Taehyung turns around and stares daggers at Namjoon, whose hair has turned to a disaster under the stylists, before walking away from the monitor. Is that Namjoon's opinion of Taehyung's blackmail pictures as well, that Taehyung looks photogenic in them?

Jin is currently smoldering at the camera. He looks good in the clothes he's been given, and Taehyung has noticed that some of the female assistants on set have a hard time taking their eyes off him.

Taehyung's stomach is growling. It's already evening, and the only thing he has eaten so far today is a banana and two apples, so his face wouldn't look bloated in the pictures. Yoongi urged him to eat some more, because he's still on the thinner side, but since the rest of the band had skipped breakfast and lunch as well for today, Taehyung wasn't going to eat on his own.

Besides, he hasn't been particularly hungry lately. His stomach feels constantly queasy with dread, and most times he's playing around with his food more than actually eating it.

Taehyung walks to the adjoined room that was turned into a makeshift dressing room. Hoseok's in a chair, a woman toying around with his hair. She pulls and tugs, but Taehyung doesn't see any difference in any of the adjustments she makes. Hoseok's hair is styled upwards. It suits him a lot, actually. The bags under his eyes are concealed by make-up. Taehyung knows they are there, because Hoseok had been pacing around their living room all night after an argument with Namjoon that Taehyung wasn't able to catch the topic of, as they had mostly communicated in whispers.

"Are you done already?" Hoseok asks eventually, after Taehyung stands next to him and silently watches for a minute.

"Yes. They said my pictures turned out good enough."

"With a face like yours it's no surprise," Hoseok murmurs, and when he gets told that his hair is finished, he gets out of the chair and leaves without another word. Taehyung watches him leave quietly.

The quietness in the room is disrupted again soon after, when Yoongi comes into the room furiously rubbing at his face, followed by Jin who looks at him sympathetically.

"I fucking hate make up," Yoongi seethes. "We're supposed to be a Hip Hop group, why do we need so much of it?"

"First and foremost we're still idols," Jin gently reminds him, but closes his mouth as Yoongi shoots him a dark look, before turning to Taehyung and rolling his eyes.

Taehyung doesn't know why, but the mood between all the members is dangerously bad today. One wrong word, he thinks, and someone's bound to boil over. It's nothing new that Taehyung's in a bad mood, but for the others it's untypical. Even Jungkook, shy and polite Kookie, snapped at Namjoon today, before ducking his head and apologizing quickly after.