Dark clouds had rolled in as the evening progressed and now sheets of rain poured down, illuminated by flashes of lightning now and then, echoes of thunder punctuating the silence.
"What can we do, though?" HoSeok asked. "His father seems pretty determined it's over."
He was sitting on the arm of the couch next to JungKook and TaeHyung. NamJoon was across from them on the love seat, examining his hands, feeling numb. He'd tried calling and texting YoonGi for hours and only just received the two word response: It's over.
Jimin leaned his head on NamJoon's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. He could tell the older man was wrecked from the absence of his friend and not just the possibility that their group would have to disband.
"It's just stupid," JungKook burst out. He had been crying. They all had. They felt like they had lost a part of themselves, but none to the extent of NamJoon who felt like his heart was gone. "We have to perform tomorrow! If we don't have YoonGi we can't and we won't have any more albums."
"I don't think there's a way to reason with Mr. Min since he doesn't see the value of our music. It has to be YoonGi's choice to come back. He has to have a reason to be here," NamJoon brushed his sandy blonde hair back from his face and exhaled. "But what if-" he stopped himself.
TaeHyung's head snapped up. "What if he's right to move on? How can you even think that?"
"A handful of decent songs and four albums isn't something to scoff at," Jin said.
"But if we can't make our... selves proud, then-"
"You mean our parents, Joon? When the fuck have you ever cared about the opinion of others? I thought that's what we're about," Jimin frowned at their leader. "We're gonna keep running after our dreams. All of us. We just have to make YoonGi realize this is our destiny. You have to." Jimin put his hand on NamJoon's arm and stared meaningfully at him. Go get your love, Jimin tried to telepathically tell him.
"I didn't even want to be the leader," NamJoon said softly as he rose and went down the hall to his room, closing the door behind him.
"What was that?" HoSeok asked, looking after him.
"He's hurting," Jimin said flatly.
"What did he injure this time?" TaeHyung asked.
"His heart," Jin said, catching on.