❝I just want to be whole again.
Maybe the four boys beside me can help.❞
One lost his parents.
One lost his childhood pet.
One lost his first love.
One lost his brother.
One lost his memory.
But can they find healing, through each other?
The...
Beomgyu's fingers are trembling as he strums the first chord. Of course, he's played the instrument thousands of times, but performing in front of an expectant crowd seems to have a dizzying effect on him. Still, he remembers the time he picked out of a guitar in the Philippines with his father, how it seemed to call his name. The guitar has never let him down, so he trusts in its stalwart neck and strings that respond with his slightest touch.
Yeonjun did a great job with the bonfire. It stands in the middle of their circle on the beach, illuminating both the crowd—sitting on chairs resembling tree stumps—and the members of Tomorrow by Together. They stand in a straight line, with Beomgyu at the center, leading the performance with his greatest tool between his hands.
The first progression is a little wobbly, but soon his fingers are warmed, remembering the many hours of practice in his bedroom—where he produced his own music and missed many nights of proper sleep.
Beomgyu, singing the first line, can't help but be enamored by his surroundings. The waves are gentle brushes against his ears, and the stars are a net so much brighter here than in the city. The darkness is offset by Yeonjun's bonfire, casting a soft orange onto everyone in the vicinity, including a smiling Taylor who sits in the center of her audience. The wind distorts Beomgyu's sense of hearing a bit, but he anchors his feet into the sand and leans close to one of the five mics Taylor's team arranged.
They had a miniscule amount of practice, but Beomgyu is proud of how their harmonies form, how each of them remember the lines along with which notes to enunciate and fall back on. They sing of love, but for a rare moment his mind isn't on the girl who broke his heart. They rest in the welcoming arms of his team members. They bring him joy, and he can't help but break into a grin as leads the last part of the second verse.
And the sparks will fly
They will never fade
'Cause every day gets better and better
Beomgyu feels the audience swaying to his strumming. They are like glass that ring to the most delicate touch. And each time he plucks a new string, they respond. Moving into the third verse, Taehyun takes the lead and reaches the high notes as easily as plucking falling feathers from the sky. As the five of them take on the last chorus in unison, Beomgyu can feel their hearts repairing. Even if there are still cracks and ravines to be filled, in the moment they are one band who share one spirit.
Over and over again
Beomgyu completes their debut performance with a gentle strum. Then, the night air is filled with silence, the audience leans forward as if expecting a bit more, and a few sand crabs scuffle near his feet. The stillness of his team members speak of both their relief and worry of how they'll be received. In one definitive movement, Taylor responds with a standing ovation and cheers that could be hear a mile off shore.
Beomgyu breaks out in laughter, composed of half nerves and half joy. He jumps a foot in the air, even with his guitar weighing him down. His team members react in various ways when the audience also jumps and cheers as if witnessing an intimate session with a favorite artist.
"But they don't even know us," Beomgyu whispers.
He's not heard above the cheering, which somehow makes the night sky feel less empty and the air five degrees less cold. Huening Kai grabs his arm and pulls him along, toward the center of the crowd. "C'mon Beomgyu, let's say hi to our first fans."
Our first fans. The thought is enough to power him through the rest of the night, meeting other teenagers who come from all parts of the island.
"Where did you learn to play?"
"How long have you been singing?"
"How are you getting along with the other boys?"
Beomgyu is funneled away to every direction possible. He feels some aspects of his old self rising to the surface. He was once the energy of the whole room, lighting up the space with his smile and bright laughter. He by no means wishes to regress, but there are some parts of him he wishes to preserve. One of them is his ability to spark a mood.
"You did so great today, Beomgyu." Taylor meets him somewhere between his floating around. She wraps him in a warm hug, and as he returns it he can't help but release a cry of delight.
The audience and his band mates laugh at the sight, which only succeeds in making him more hyper. He talks for hours, until finally the exhaustion takes over and he must navigate back to the campground with his team. Despite not having a bed, he falls asleep immediately between Soobin and Huening Kai. Even while dreaming, a huge grin is plastered on his face—evidence of their night's success.
A/N: I think my bias is becoming Beomgyu! Let me know what you think of this chapter and Camp Heartbroken so far :). Thank you for reading!
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