"Darling, nobody said that it would last forever. That doesn't mean we didn't try to get there. I never said that we would die together. That doesn't mean it was a lie, remember. Nobody said that it would last forever."
~Lewis Capaldi, 'Forever'
~~~
*Jimin's POV*
"It's time for my mandated military service."
"What?!" Our group broke into a commotion at the shocking news. Everyone was frantically asking what was going on, why did he have to leave now, etc.
Everyone, except for Namjoon.
He sat there silently, eyes locked on Jin's face. Jin continued to look down at the table, avoiding eye contact with the rest of us.
"Boys, please," Sejin spoke up. "Try to calm down and we'll answer your questions one at a time."
"Why now?" Taehyung questioned. "Our group still has plenty of events lined up. We can't do them without Jin-hyung." The rest of us nodded in agreement.
"I'm twenty-eight now," Jin stated quietly. "I've already postponed my enlistment as long as I could. I feel grateful that I was given this long before having to serve, but I can't ask to be overlooked just because I'm an Idol. It's not fair to the rest of the men in this country who have to leave their families and friends for their service."
"Hyung..." I said softly. I reached across the table and placed my hand over his, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. Jin raised his head and gave me a small smile.
We were all silent for a minute before Jungkook asked the question that was on all of our minds.
"What does this mean for BTS?" Our gazes turned to Mr. Bang as we awaited his response. How were we going to continue without Jin? We're not BTS without him.
"Well," Mr. Bang took a deep breath. "We do have a few options. BTS could continue to perform with the six of you. We could look into adding another member if you're worried about having to change the choreography to accommodate for six dancers instead of seven."
My eyes widened at that. A new member? The seven of us have been together for so long; how are we supposed to adjust to a new member? What would happen when Jin came back? Would the new member be kicked out, or would we then be a group of eight?
"No." My head snapped to Namjoon as he finally spoke up. "BTS isn't just a music group. We're a family. We don't replace family," Joon spat.
"Joon..." Jin started softly, a slight blush rising to his cheeks as he continued to stare at the table.
"No, Joon is right," Hoseok piped in. "We're not BTS if it's not all of us. It wouldn't feel right."
Hoseok looked around the table at the rest of us. We exchanged glances before turning to Mr. Bang and nodding our heads in agreement.
Mr. Bang let out a deep sigh. "I had a feeling you all might feel that way. Our other option is to announce that BTS will be going on a hiatus so you can fulfill your military requirements."
"All of us?" Taehyung asked, confused. Mr. Bang nodded.
"Yoongi is close in age to Jin, with Namjoon not far behind them. You are all at the age where you would be expected to serve. I think it would be wise of you all to complete your two-year requirements at the same time. That way, we don't have to worry about taking another hiatus later when another member has to leave for service," Mr. Bang explained.
I sat there, still stunned by what I was hearing. Obviously, I knew that at some point I would need to fulfill my military requirement.
I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
And while I was in love with a man in the room with me.
A man who would also have to leave for two years to serve.
"So..." Yoongi mumbled. I quickly turned my head when I heard his deep, sweet voice. "When do you leave?"
We all looked expectantly at Jin, who was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. "They said that since I'm in an Idol group, I could have three months to wrap up any business and—"
"Three months?" Namjoon interrupted with a hiss. Anger flashed across his face as he leaned his head back, fixing his eyes on the ceiling. I watched him for a moment, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
I looked back at Jin, stammering. I couldn't believe we only had three months left together. We've been constant companions for a large part of our lives, and now we were going to be separated for two years. I was doing my best to keep my emotions at bay, but when I saw a single tear slip down Jin's cheek, I couldn't hold back the tears that sprang to my eyes. I jumped from my chair and quickly made my way to Jin, taking him by surprised as I pulled him from a chair and wrapped him in a tight hug. Jin didn't hesitate in returning the hug. That's the thing about Jin. He was always there for us. Always offering a shoulder for us to cry on. Always telling us corny jokes to cheer us up. I couldn't stop the tears as I thought about not seeing of my best friends for two years.
No, not friends.
Brothers.
Jin was my family. This entire group was. I don't know what I'm going to do without them.
I pulled back from Jin and used the long sleeves of my black sweatshirt to wipe my face. Jin comfortingly patted my pink hair as I tried to compose myself.
"Sorry," I mumbled in embarrassment to Mr. Bang and Sejin. I felt awkward for disrupting the meeting like that, but I knew they wouldn't hold it against me. They knew how much we loved each other.
I sat back in my seat as Jungkook rubbed a hand over my back. I gave him a small smile and tried not to think about how I would say goodbye to his bunny smile when it's our turn to leave for service. If I thought about that for too long, I was going to break down again.
"It's okay, Jimin," Sejin said with a compassionate smile. "We knew this news would come as a shock to all of you."
"So, what's the plan?" Our leader refocused his gaze from the ceiling to Mr. Bang, but his jaw was still clenched.
"As I assumed the consensus would be to go on hiatus rather than performing as an incomplete group, I've already starting making plans for a farewell concert." Panic rose into my chest at Mr. Bang's words. A farewell concert? That sounds like we're saying this is the end of BTS. It's not, right? That's the point of a hiatus, to come back after a break, right? Mr. Bang must've seen the panic on our faces. "Not exactly a 'farewell' concert. It'll be more like a... 'see you later' concert," he explained.
"We'll hold a press conference to relay our plans with the public. Your fans love you, and I'm sure they'd rather hear this news from you directly rather than reading about it from a secondary source," Sejin told us. I felt sad again when I thought about ARMY. They've supported us and loved us for years. They were going to be heartbroken to hear we'll be going on hiatus for a few years. I would be worried about our fans losing interest in us while we're gone, but I knew the love ARMY had for us was stronger than that. They would also be supporting us and cheering us on, no matter what. "Over the next few months, we'll be preparing for the farewell— er, the 'see you later' concert. In the meantime, we'll work on getting the six of you scheduled for your military services."
"I'm sure you guys will need some time to process this all," Mr. Bang stated. "You should all head home for the day. Take the day to rest. I'll keep in contact with Sejin about the press conference and the concert, and he will keep you all informed."
We nodded and began to rise from our seats, taking turns shaking hands with our producer.
We were silent as we piled into the van. I rested my chin on my hand as I stared blankly out the window. Two years. Two years without performing. Without my brothers. Without Yoongi. I felt a warm hand slide over mine, and looked to see Jungkook giving me a sad smile. I could tell by his expression that he knew what was on my mind, and that he was thinking the same. I leaned towards him and rested my head on his shoulder. He leaned his head against mine, his soft brown hair brushing against my forehead. I intertwined my fingers with my best friend's.
While I was extremely close to all of the members, Kook was truly my best friend. I loved Kook in a way that was hard to explain. It was easy for me to define my love for Yoongi: it was a hopeless, romantic type of love. But when it came to Kook... he was like my other half. My soul mate; my brother. We were the younger members of the group, and we always had the best time together. The two of us, with Tae, were a chaotic group. I smiled as I remembered the times we would play hide-and-seek in our hotel room by blindfolding each other. I was so upset (but not surprised) when Tae cheated by continuously moving while I was blindfolded. He would also throw things around the room to make me confused about where he and Kook were. I got my revenge though when I tried to suffocate him by wrapping his face like a mummy with the blindfold.
When we returned home, Joon immediately entered his bedroom and slammed the door. Jin flinched at the loud sound, while Jungkook and I exchanged nervous looks. We knew that Joon had a soft spot for Jin, but we weren't expecting him to act this angry. Sad, yes. But angry?
I placed my hand on Jin's shoulder. "Don't worry, hyung. I'm sure he just needs the night to calm down. He'll be better tomorrow."
Jin gave a small nod and offered me a warm smile. "I'm going to go rest. It's been an emotionally draining day." I nodded in understanding as he retreated to his room.
Yoongi brushed past me and Kook, headphones situated over his ears. He didn't say anything to us as he made his way into his studio.
"Um..." My eyes slid over to Jungkook, who had taken a seat on the couch. "I'm going to check on Yoongi... just to make sure he's okay." Kook narrowed his eyes in suspicion. No one knew that Yoongi and I had been hooking up, but Kook was my best friend. He could read me like an open book. I needed to distract him from thinking too deeply into this. "You should go check on Tae. I'm sure he's having a hard time." Jungkook's eyes lit up at the suggestion and he scrambled off the couch and made his way to Tae's room. I sighed in relief and headed for Yoongi's studio.
I knocked on the door, knowing Yoongi didn't like it when we just barged in without permission.
"Come in," his low voice called out. I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. I saw his long form stretched out over his black leather couch. His arms were folded behind his head and his eyes were closed. I would've thought he was asleep if he hadn't just spoke.
"Hyung..." I said softly. Yoongi didn't stir. He knew it was me, and didn't need to open his eyes to confirm that. I took another step towards him. "Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" He answered gruffly. My brows furrowed in confusion. Was he really asking, or was he playing dumb?
"Well, with the news... Jin leaving... the hiatus... us having to fulfill our military requirements... it's a lot to take in," I explained slowly. Yoongi let out a deep sigh, but didn't open his eyes.
"I'm fine. Just tired." He peeked at me through one eye, squinting at me. "Is there anything else? If not, I'd prefer if I could nap in peace."
My head dropped slightly. I was used to Yoongi acting cold and distant, but I thought this would be different. We're not going to see each other for a few years. Didn't that make him feel something? Anything? Wasn't he going to miss me?
What was I to him?
"Jimin." Yoongi interrupted my train of thought. Eyes fully opened now, he raised an eyebrow at me as he waited for my answer.
"No," I mumbled. "There's nothing else I have to say." Yoongi kept his eyes on my face for a second longer before closing his eyes again. Normally, I would've looked too far into that lingering look. But I felt too disheartened.
"Then close the door when you leave, please." He shifted on the couch so he was lying on his side, his back towards me.
Defeated, I turned and left his studio, softly shutting his door behind me as to not disturb him further. I made my way to my bathroom and took a hot shower as I tried to force myself to relax.
Three months.
I had three months left with him.
A swell filled my chest and I found a new resolution.
If I only have three months left with him, I'm not going to waste it. I will not allow us to part ways without him knowing just how much I love him. I've waited for almost three years to tell him, and I couldn't wait another two years until we were reunited to tell him.
Whether or not he wanted to hear it, I was going to tell Min Yoongi I loved him.
~~~
Whoooooooooo, I feel like this was a long chapter. What do you guys think about the boys separating for their military service? It makes me sad to think about this being a possibility one day 😭
Next chapter will be a bit different, but I want to provide some insight into the feelings of the other members... two members in particular... 🤫
I hope you're liking the story so far! If you are, please leave a vote! If you aren't... whelp, sorry lol
P.S. This picture is an accurate representation of my last few brain cells trying to write this chapter after barely sleeping last night #pregnancyprobs
See you in the next chapter, loves!
-Gumbie