Jungkook wakes early the next morning, ready to start work. He's not in the studio today, instead he is planning to work on a visual example of the music video for the new song. It's a slower song, and he thinks he has access to enough footage of the group in different places, live and from other sources, to create a 'found footage' version of the MV to showcase his ideas. Of course he would want to direct, and shoot new footage for the song, it's a single, and it deserves it's own imagery, the fans deserve new imagery, but, being slower, it is easier to create the storyline without concern for choreography that would limit him to working in a studio.
He sits down with a matcha latte at his desk in the edit studio in his apartment. It's a completely enclosed room, dark enough to work on the large monitors he uses, and piled with racks of equipment for storing and offloading, connecting video to edit. It's been a while since he did anything specifically for the whole group. He's done bits and pieces for the members at various times, and plenty of shorts for their fans.
He switches on the monitors and begins the slow tedious process of reviewing files of footage, to find the images he wants to use. The song plays continuously on a loop in the room so he can listen to different elements and find inspiration. It's close to his heart, and he thinks that maybe, when all of this is done, one day, far in the future, hopefully, he would like to direct more projects, maybe even films or documentaries.
If Bang PD gives him the opportunity to direct the tour documentary, it would be a huge step in that direction. People across the world would see it and look at him differently. He wouldn't just be the singer and dancer, a member of the largest group on the planet, he would have this skill, to share, that he could keep sharing with the world long after his back or his legs give out. He knows that other members would likely all still be involved in music, and he wouldn't entirely give that up, but, he loves the idea of being in charge of an entire movie set, being the one to make all the creative decisions, start to finish, and releasing it to the world to live on as part of his legacy, of his own legacy, something he alone did, not something BTS did, or 'Jungkook from BTS' did. He wants to have recognition for his talent outside of the group. No one would say he did well because of BTS when he wins an Academy Award for Best Picture, someday.
He works through lunch, not stopping to eat. There are so many files to review, and he's less than organized when it comes to labeling them all properly. He wanted to have an assistant at the company go through all of his hard drives to create a good filing and labeling system, but he hadn't gotten around to it yet, and so he sits, and watches, and searches, and gets stuck sometimes watching a video and remembering it all, remembering what they were all like then, or what they thought and felt at the time it was recorded. It's easy to get lost in the history, in his history, and he rarely allows himself this time to look back, and remember. Today, a crisp spring morning, it looks like it could rain, it's the perfect day to just sit in the dark room, and relive it all.
***
Jungkook works tirelessly all afternoon until his phone alerts that Hoseok is calling. They were supposed to have dinner together, but he's been working so long he has forgotten the time. He realizes it's really late now. He answers the phone.
"Hobi hyung, I am so sorry! I was working and I forgot about dinner," he apologizes immediately.
"It's OK, I got caught up at Taehyung's anyway," Hoseok explains. Jungkook's brow furrows at the mention of Taehyung.
"So he told you, about the girl?" he asks tentatively.
"Oh yes, he did, I went over there after the studio, I just left, want me to come by?"
"Bring food! I'm starving, I haven't eaten, I've just been editing all day." His stomach growls as if to punctuate his statement. Hoseok is always the person to make him feel better. If he needs a good friend to talk to, or needs a bit of a cheer up, Hobi is there. He's never been too busy to help when someone needed him. It's always been that way, even though he works constantly on his own projects, he's always ready to stop and help. It's good to have someone to bounce ideas off of, now that he's hit a wall with the cut.
Jungkook opens the door to Hoseok a half an hour later, and smiles as he holds up two bags of food. He recognizes the smell, and the colorful bags.
"You went to BBQ!" He greets him, taking a bag from his hands. This was a favorite chicken shop they went to when they were trainees, late at night, after working 16 hours on choreography. They would stumble in exhausted and order far too much food which always managed to disappear quickly. The smell of the 'half and half' takes him back instantly and he can picture himself sitting among all of the hyungs, being fed like a baby bird, they took such good care of him. He chuckles at the memory as they walk into the apartment. Hoseok follows after him and sets the bag down on the counter, digging into it immediately.
"I had such a craving for this stuff. It's not something I eat when I'm in training these days, but once in a while, it can't hurt." Hoseok sits down beside him at the counter and they begin to dish out the packages, opening each box and leaving them spread out along the counter. "What were you working on all day?" Hoseok asks. Jungkook takes a big bite, feeling the warmth of the comfort food and smiling at the memories it brings back.
"I have been cutting together a rough video for the new song, to show Bang PD. I asked him to consider me to direct the MV." Hoseok nods as he digs into his plate.
"That would be good, it's been a while since you directed for us. It would be nice too since we know you will have to listen to our ideas," he teases, pointing his finger at him, pulling the senior rank. Jungkook smiles.
"I also want him to consider me for the tour documentary. I want to direct it." Hoseok stops chewing and looks at him.
"Wouldn't that be too much work with being on tour? We have to learn all the choreography still, for the songs we haven't even recorded yet, and the traveling and performing...it sounds like too much Jungkook." He shakes his head as he says the words. Jungkook stares back at him.
"That's what Bang PD might think too. But I really want to do this. If not now, then when?" Hoseok continues to eat his dinner.
"He's probably right. You don't want to spread yourself too thin. But the MV, that would be great. Want to show me what you've done so far after dinner?" Jungkook nods, and thinks about what Hoseok has said. It would be a lot of work, but he has only this, only the songs, the choreography, the tour, and when they aren't performing, when they aren't on stage, he has long hours of nothingness. He use to fill those hours with the other members, but now that some of them are in relationships, or have families, he has fewer and fewer people to occupy his time, and if he sits in the hotel room, isolated and alone, his mind is just not in a good place. Concentrating on the production, would be a really good way to fill that empty time in between the shows. He would have a whole crew of people to interact with that are there just to make the documentary, and just to be with him.
They finish their dinners and tidy up in the kitchen before heading into the small edit room to watch some of the footage Jungkook has already cut together. Hoseok has some helpful suggestions and is very supportive of the direction Jungkook wants to take the MV and it makes him feel a little more at ease with the idea of pitching this to Bang PD. If he can work on it for the next few days, he can have it ready to pitch when they meet after the V Live. He has a few studio sessions planned with Pdogg for his mixtape, but he can work around that schedule and get something ready to present to them.
Hoseok watches some of the old footage back, of them in their first dorm, their tiny apartment where they all shared a room and slept in bunk beds. He laughs at the sight of them, looking like such babies, and so full of hope. He sighs.
"Ah look at Taehyung, he'd never even spoken to a girl properly then. He is trying to look so fierce but he was such a baby bear." He shakes his head, smiling at the memory. His expression suddenly drops as he thinks of something. "I hope things work out for him and this girl." Jungkook looks over at him.
"What did he tell you? Did he meet her yet?" He frowns wondering if he made good on his plan to reach out to her after their lunch together. Hoseok nods.
"Yes, and he said he's definitely in love with her, she is the one." He laughs to himself at a new thought. "That's funny because her name means 'one'. How perfect!" He laughs harder at the idea. Jungkook looks over at him.
"I take it they're together then?" Hoseok's expression grows more solemn as he shakes his head 'no'.
"Not yet. She might have a boyfriend or something. He wasn't sure. He thinks she moved to Korea for someone." Jungkook's eyes get wider.
"That sounds pretty serious. He should just leave it alone. I told him she could be married but he insisted she was waiting for him." He smirks as though he thinks he's right. Hoseok watches him and wonders at his response.
"If it's true love, it will work out. I told him to go for it!" he announces. Jungkook looks back at him surprised.
"What? He's going to get hurt, he's going to break up their relationship, hurt her, then hurt himself. This is not what he should be thinking about when we have a Comeback to record and a tour to get ready for." He sounds very determined and decided. Hoseok studies him, narrowing his gaze as he thinks about why he's so sure this is wrong.
"He needs this. It's time, he's ready. You have to let him work this out, and just support him Jungkook. You won't be able to stop it, if it's real." Jungkook looks shocked at the idea.
"I'm not trying to stop it, I- I just told him it was a bad idea to try to meet someone you don't even know anything about, and tell them you want to marry them." He defends himself. Hoseok laughs a little.
"It's good for him, and good for us all if it works out, it doesn't mean he's leaving us," he says, surprising Jungkook more. He sits silently, trying to take in his words, and the ideas in his head and not give away too much of what he's feeling. He isn't sure himself what he's feeling but the more he says, the more sure Hoseok seems to be about it, so for now, he's going to keep it inside.