Seulki's first appearance to the fans since the boys forced her to take a break
Seulki felt like she was debuting all over again. The nerves were there mixed with the anticipation and excitement. They were doing their online concert, and while it was short and sweet, Seulki was excited for it. It had been months since the boys even let her appear on a Vlive, let alone show up at the company to practice.
She was honestly surprised when Namjoon asked her if she felt ready to do this. And she felt more than ready. She was steadily gaining weight and while the normal every day anxieties were there, her irrational ones had all but disappeared. And if she did have them, she was better about talking to one of them about it rather than keeping it in.
Namjoon was so proud of her. When this all first came to light, he was honestly worried that they were too late. He didn't expect her to go all-in and be as motivated as she was. From what he read about, most people were reluctant, some fighting it off all together and never accepting the help offered. Seulki never ceased to amaze him.
He thought she had fought hard enough. Sure, there was still some steps to climb, but she was making great strides. She was opening up more about her struggles or stresses. Before, she would just let them eat away at her or dote on the boys in order to distract herself from it. She was able to go out in large crowds (with another person) without feeling like she was suffocating.
Namjoon had noticed all of this. And he wanted her to know that they knew she was working hard and doing really good. Better than any of them could have expected. So, he asked her one day as they watched their daily documentary if she was feeling up to participating in the concert. He didn't think he'd ever seen her hazel eyes shine so brightly or her smile so wide. Except for maybe when they first debuted.
She excitedly said yes, jumping up and down and all plans of watching the rest of the nature documentary were thrown out the window. Namjoon was a little disappointed; he was actually really getting into it. But if missing it this one time because something as small as this made her this happy, it was worth it. He also wanted to see if she was truly going to take the advice she had been given.
She was notorious for masking any type of discomfort or pain, especially when working or on stage. It was one of the things that made her so good. She could keep it professional and break down off camera. Literally or figuratively. He wanted to know that she was actually going to tell one of them if it was too much, if she needed a short break to collect herself, etc. And she surprised him yet again but doing just that.
They'd practice for hours and while they were used it, it never got any less tiring and exhausting. Seulki was diligent, as always. She caught on quick and didn't seem to have lost any stamina over her forced break. Namjoon chalked that up to be that one of the maknae's was secretly taking her away to let her work. But he was fine with that; he knew it would happen no matter what.
"Joon?" He heard her call his name, panting heavily. He turned to look at her, a slight glint of worry in his eyes. She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "I'm okay. Can we just take five? Just need to catch my breath." He smiled, nodding and calling out for everyone to take five. Seulki wiped the sweat off her face, sitting down and drinking from her water.
Jin sat next to her, handing her half of his cookie he had hiding in his pocket. She accepted it quickly, shoving it into her mouth. "Mm, good!" She said and Jin chuckled. "Thanks. For asking for a break. I thought my knees were going to break. I'm old now, ya know?" Seulki laughed, swatting his shoulder. "Please, oppa. You don't look a day over 20."
Jin scoffed, a smug smile on his face. "I know. I guess everyone can't look this good. You look like you're nearing your 40's." She smacked him, eyes narrowing. "Yah!" He just laughed, ruffling her hair before helping her stand back up. "You ready?" She nodded and they continued their practice. Her vocals had gotten stronger and while she was always stable even from when they were trainees, it seemed like she had trained her voice even more.
Finally, the day came and they stood off to the side, waiting for their cue to go on the beautifully crafted stage. Seulki was in awe that their staff was able to put this together in just a few short weeks. She had made sure to buy extra coffee and donuts for them this morning before she came in and they all were shouting with joy.
"You look good," Taehyung winked at her as he came to stand beside her. She laughed, bumping him with her arm. She agreed with him though. She had asked her stylist to go with minimal makeup and a less flashy outfit than she'd normally wear. She wanted to show the 'new' her on this stage and to the fans. The her that she was finally happy with; the her that she could proudly say she loved.
"You too, V. Let's do the damn thing." They all gathered around and did their chant, running out on to the stage. All the boys would glance at her from time to time, just to make sure she was okay. And she was more than okay. Her smile was wide and bright and they were surprised her cheeks weren't hurting from how much she was smiling. They didn't think she had stopped from the moment they started.
She was dancing with all the power she had, her aura once again gracing their presence. It was strong, powerful, but never covering the rest of them. They were more than happy, more than grateful and more than proud of her. She had so much dealt to her with life, especially since joining Bangtan. She fell a few times, but they were always there to pick her up. And she was always there to pick them up. At the end, they all looked at her with a bright smile.
They had their Seulki back.