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Bangtan Sonyeondan had a lot of firsts since the time of their debut. Together, they became the first Asian act to sweep awards in AMA. They were the first Korean group to perform at the Grammys, the first Korean act to sell out stadiums worldwide, the first to guest in countless shows. They have 25 Guinness World Records under their belt so the list could go on and on. BTS is unmatched, and the whole world knows it, both fans and haters alike.
Here they are going through another first, the first time being away from each other for a long period. They sent off their eldest hyung the day before to fulfill his duty as an active soldier. Travelling one hour to the training center to leave one of their members there is certainly a first.
Seokjin took the time to speak with each one of them in the two weeks before his enlistment. He had different reminders, and directives for every one of them, but one thing was common - he asked every one of them to check on Yoongi. He knows how his soulmate could be, taking care of the others but not allowing them to have a chance to return the gesture. In their 10 years together as a group, only Seokjin has been able to break through.
So while he reminded all of them to take care of themselves and each other, he mentioned Yoongi to every one of them. Up to the last minute when they were taking pictures to show ARMY, while they were hugging Seokjin and touching his newly shaved hair, he was giving them instructions about how they could prepare better when it was their time to enlist. He especially gave instructions for the day after.
Annoy him like you always do, Jimin-ah. Show him who’s taller, that would rile him up!
Namjoon-ah, you have to do this for hyung, ok? Make sure you bring the whiskey Yoongi likes and talk about it with him.
Hoba, don’t let him stay in the studio, alright? Watch cat videos at home instead, that would make both of you smile.
You know what, Jungkookie? Yoongi has new equipment in his home studio. Ask him about it on the 14th.
Taehyung-ah, I think Yoongi will be a huge help on your new album. Let him listen to your song this week, okay?
Make sure you distract him, yedera.
As promised to the said hyung, the five of them are in Yoongi’s apartment the day after Seokjin began training to make sure he doesn’t stay holed up in his studio pretending everything is normal. It snowed the day before but luckily, it stopped that night. That’s one less thing they have to worry about.
Everyone is sitting together in the living room trying to keep the mood light. They keep the television on, Hoseok switching youtube channels trying to find cat videos while they all talk about different things. As it always is with large groups, they have about three topics going on at the same time. At one point, Hobi stops at a cooking channel while he joins whichever conversation he could. Until one of them says, “Yeah, Jin hyung always says that too.”
Just like that, everyone stops talking to hear what would be said next. Jimin clears his throat after accidentally getting attention and repeats, “Yeah, Jin hyung always says that I can’t use the same chopsticks I’m eating with when I take kimchi from the jar. He used to scold me saying I’ll spoil it.”
A few seconds of silence pass before Namjoon responds, “Hyung is a good cook, he’s knowledgeable about things like that too.”
“He loves eating, that’s why,” Yoongi replies. “Remember the time he got upset with the staff during filming? He said food is something he looks forward to but they were taking it away from us and he was not having it.” He finishes smiling.
Five sets of eyes stare at him, trying to gauge his condition. While others still think that the two hyungs have different personalities and therefore are not as close, all of them are aware of how similar they are to each other, actually being the closest in their group.
Jungkook glares at Jimin as if to say, What a way to distract him.
Yoongi looks around him and sees their reaction, “Guys, it’s okay. Hyung will be okay, he’s not gonna break, he is stronger than we think.”
“Yeah, Jin hyung is strong. Remember when he gave me a piggyback ride during one of those Dalbang episodes? When Jungkook betrayed him!”, Jimin exclaims as he pushes Jungkook, sending everyone to laughter.
“Jin hyung keeps saying I grew tall and strong but he was still taller and stronger than me”, Jungkook answers with a pout, eyes getting rounder. “He always initiates the rough play, by the way. He hits my neck so I have to defend myself!”
Taehyung starts tapping the table as he seems to remember something. He starts laughing even before he could get his word out, “Jin hyung really likes playing around. I remember the last time we all went to America. The two of us went out to try the zero-gravity room, the helmet was too big for him, so he asked the staff there if they had one for kids and everybody started laughing!” Taehyung pauses to think before blurting out, “But actually, the one for teenagers fits Jin hyung!”
“I remember that one time when I thought he brought a girl home because of the noise coming from his room. Turned out he was doing a vlive!,” Hoseok shouts laughing.
“We used to still share a room at that time,” Yoongi answers, voice getting serious. “He used to practice a lot, sometimes he would even dream he was getting scolded. I remember we used to drink soju together back then when you kids were asleep. We would talk about different things, we would talk about the future.”
“Jin hyung and I talked about the group too when we were younger. He was the oldest but I was the leader so we had to find harmony to work together. He became one of my closest friends,” Namjoon smiles, remembering how he felt awkward with Seokjin at first, but the eldest made sure he knows that he will support him in everything.
A sniffle is heard before Jungkook speaks up, “I remember when Jin hyung brought me to their family house. He was so worried I would get sad because I was so young. He used to call me a baby.” Jungkook’s voice cracks before he could finish his sentence. “I knew then that I had a hyung that would take care of me even though I’m far away from home.”
Jimin starts openly crying after hearing Jungkook, “I learn how to enjoy life because of Jin hyung.”
“Yoongi hyung, do you remember when Jin hyung wrote you a letter during our Japan showcase? We all wrote letters for the fans but he chose to direct his to you”, Hoseok inserts. “I learned from him that it’s okay to do what you want if it means showing your love and you care for others.”
“Yes, I remember”, Yoongi answers quietly, looking down at his own hands. Of course he remembers. Seokjin has always been caring of all of them, but even Yoongi knows he was special to his hyung. He doesn’t want to break down in front of the members. He wants to be strong for them, just as his Jinnie hyung has always been strong, but he can’t help but feel like there’s a missing piece of his heart now, the piece his soulmate has with him.
“Can you believe I learned what real happiness is when Jin hyung and I ate sashimi together on a boat?” Yoongi tries to joke but his voice betrays him.
It’s like a dam has been opened and they all start crying and laughing openly while sharing stories and experiences from the past about Seokjin. Before they know it, they are all sitting together with no regard for space, seeking comfort, aware they can only get it from one another.
Around 6 pm, their group chat pings with a message. It’s from their Seokjin hyung:
First day was not tough at all. The only activity we had was getting to know each other. Hey, I might have new favorite dongsaengs, at least no one hits me here. ㅋㅋㅋ.
Another message comes just seconds after. Hyung is okay, take care of yourselves, alright? You know how strong hyung is, right? And in true Seokjin fashion, he ends it with a winking emoji.
“Jin hyung is only allowed 30 minutes to use his phone, good thing he knows his priority”, Hoseok laughs.
Yoongi smiles as he reads the messages, he looks at his dongsaengs; who are also smiling though one glance at their eyes shows how hard they’re trying not to cry. Their silly hyung, still making them happy, not wanting them to worry.
He looks at another message that pops up, this time a personal one: Yoongi-ah, take care of yourself ok. You promised hyung. You have to rest well today too. Hyung will do his best here.
Yoongi’s heart calms down after seeing the message. He is about to go through his enlistment soon too, they all are, and it will take another couple of years before they can get back to normal. But he knows they will do well, they are strong after all. Together, they are strong.