Promises

17

"... that the character should stay on the stage and not in their private life. That's why they perform the last dance to get out of the character."

"Very well, Minsuk. Thank you." Seokjin looked around to ask another question, but the bell rang. "Okay, so we shall complete the discussion here. Before you guys leave, I want to announce that our department is conducting a play. Anyone from any department can take part. It will be announced officially after a week. I told you because I need a team that would work with me. I need a director, AD, casting director and set designer. You can mail me for the positions and I will select you according to your capability. You guys are the final year students, so please give in appropriate applications. You guys can leave now. Thank you."

As he was going to the teacher's lounge, he was stopped, "Hyu- sorry, ssaem!"

Seokjin turned back and smiled, "What happened, Taehyung-shi?"

"Can I be the director, please?" Taehyung looked at him with a sweet smile and puppy eyes.

Seokjin chuckled and sighed, "Send in the application, Taehyung-ah. I can't just pick you. And make the application impressive."

Taehyung pouted but nodded. He knew Seokjin can't just let him be the director because he was his brother-in-law. Seokjin went to the cafeteria for a drink when he heard the gossip.

"Did you know, TXT came second again?"

"I know! They should have waited a month for the comeback."

"I tell you, they have a good potential. But the timing was wrong."

Seokjin sighed and thanked for his iced tea and left the cafeteria.

~

"I am home!" Namjoon shouted from the door while taking his shoes off.

"In the kitchen," Seokjin yelled back and waited for the man to come to him. It had been two months since Seokjin's breakdown, and he was coping with it well. In these two months, Seokjin and Namjoon got closer. 

These two months had been hard on both of them. Seokjin tried to cope with his depression and loneliness and his only support other than Hoseok was Namjoon. While doing so, he often lashed out at Namjoon without any reason and then would feel guilty. But Namjoon never held it against him. 

Namjoon was having a hard time dealing with the constant backlash of the board members and the desperation of the group to do anything to win just one of the awards. Namjoon's response to these problems was different from Seokjin's. He would lock himself up in the studio for days alienating himself from everyone. Though many times Seokjin told him to talk things out with him, Namjoon rarely opened up. 

Namjoon entered the kitchen and went straight to Seokjin. He put his head on Seokjin's shoulder and his hands around his waist and sighed. Even though Seokjin had broad shoulders, he always shrank in Namjoon's hugs. It had become their thing. Whenever one of them was stressed or anxious, they'd hug each other. The first few times, they asked each other if they were comfortable. But then it just went on like it was always a thing.

"You must be tired." Seokjin patted Namjoon's head, "Go get fresh, I'm almost done."

Namjoon hummed and stayed there for a few minutes. After a while, he went to the room to take a bath.

"Why were you cooking?" Namjoon asked as they sat at the dining table.

Seokjin hummed, "Saeha's mother had set her up for a blind date. Though she didn't want to go, she didn't want to disappoint her mother as well. So she went there."

"Ah!" Namjoon took a bite and moaned, "This is tasty! So good!"

"Joon-ah"

Namjoon looked at Seokjin with big doe eyes, "Huh?"

"Are you alright?" Seokjin asked very softly.

Namjoon sighed and put the chopsticks down, "The boys came second again."

"I know." Seokjin smiled sadly, "But are you okay?"

Namjoon shook his head, "The kids are having a hard time. I am trying to make them believe that it is not a failure, but it doesn't work."

Seokjin nodded, "I think your words are like empty motivation for them. You should tell them that they have failed."

"Huh?" Namjoon looked shocked, "How-"

"Hear me out first," Seokjin said softly. "Tell them that it is okay to fail. Successes do not define who you are. Failures do. You learn certain things about life and about the people around you when you fail. You don't lose when you fall down. You lose when you don't even try to get up."

Namjoon smiled and nodded, "Thank you. You made my mind clearer. I was really worried because the board members have been on my neck for this."

Seokjin chuckled, "They just want their money. But you should focus on the boys and not on the board. They'll shut up when they get the money."

Namjoon nodded, "Yeah. Thank you!"

For the rest of the dinner, they enjoyed the silence and each other's company.

They were in their bedroom at about 12 midnight. Namjoon sat on his side of the bed, working on his laptop and Seokjin was ready to sleep. After a while, Namjoon heard soft snoring and looked away from his screen. He smiled and patted Seokjin's hair, making sure he didn't wake up, "Your glow is coming back. I hope you can completely bury your pain and never look back to your old memories." He got out of the room, closing the door behind him.

~

Seokjin woke up with a jerk in the middle of the night. He looked at his phone and it was 3 in the night. He sighed and was about to go back to sleep when he saw that the other side of the bed was empty. He scrunched his eyebrows and looked around. Namjoon's laptop was on the desk across the room. He woke up and went to the bathroom. It was empty as well. As soon as he went to the living room, he gasped. Namjoon was sleeping on the couch. Seokjin suddenly felt bad. Namjoon didn't even fit on the couch properly to have a good sleep.

Seokjin knew he could not carry Namjoon to the bed. Namjoon was too heavy for him. He looked at the TV, but the remote was kept on the table across the room. This meant that Namjoon wasn't there to watch shows late at night. This meant only one thing. Suddenly things started adding up in Seokjin's mind. This is why Namjoon slept after Seokjin and woke up before him. He had been sleeping on the couch for two months.

He huffed and decided to catch Namjoon red-handed the next day.