A burning sensation was felt in every inch of the lining of his throat, almost like his whole throat was on fire, his tongue lingers with an ugly bitterness that reminded him of his grandma's disgusting herbal tea. Was Soju always this bitter? It felt different from the last time he had it, but he liked it somehow, a little masochist if you would like to call it. Hoseok smirk.

Hoseok dislikes those tiny Soju glasses, it's a hassle to pour it out of the bottle into the tiny glass where it was all down in just one go, Hoseok doesn't see the point to it. He preferred to just drink it from the bottle, like a man. He felt his face burning up, he is pretty sure he must be looking red by now, like a tomato, but who cares. There was a mixture of disappointment and excitement when one bottle empties and he get to move on to a whole new bottle. He wasn't even counting how many time he had repeated that process, the only thing he knows is that it was still not enough, he was still way too sober.

"That's not how you drink." A rather gentle voice broke Hoseok's drinking flow. A hand came and grabbed the bottle he was gulping down and took it away from his grip. He saw the hand swiftly poured the Soju into those tiny shot glasses that he hated and a glass was pushed in front of him.

"Why do you care?" Hoseok blurted out, now gulping down from the shot glass instead.

"You are abusing your drink, that's why." The voice still as gentle as it is. Hoseok let out an empty laugh as he down the next shot.

"Hyung."

"Mm?"

"I'm tired." Hoseok starts to tear up, staring into the empty green Soju bottles lined on the table.

"I don't think I can fight anymore." Hoseok now swirling his shot glass with a tiny bit of Soju left in it.

"It's not a war. You don't need to fight." Yoongi was drinking from his glass as well, closely looking at Hoseok in front of him.

"I-I hurt him. I slapped him." Hoseok with tears streaming down in silence.

"He hurt you too. If you really want to put it this way."

"I shouldn't have slapped him."

"That's because you care."

"No. I was ... I was angry, it pains me everytime he was like that. He had suffered enough already. If I can, I wish it was me that was in that wheelchair."

"You don't need to carry the burden alone like that, I'm not saying you shouldn't care for him, but it is not your responsibility, you don't owe Jimin anything, Hoseok."

"You know, I got him into dancing. I gave him empty hope."

"You never knew, it's not your fault. You are a victim yourself, you've done your best. Jimin is really lucky to have you." Hoseok shook his head.

"I don't know what to do anymore, hyung. I'm scared, I'm worried... I don't want to lose anyone anymore."

Hoseok was totally knocked out when the conversation somewhat ended (though not quite), Yoongi had to drag the drunken mess back to Seokjin's place. Yoongi was exhausted and sweating profusely when they arrived at the doorstep, Namjoon and Seokjin quickly took over from Yoongi before Yoongi's legs gave way.

"Oh my god. How much did he drink? Where did you find him?" Seokjin taking off Hoseok's shoes and socks as Hoseok slumps on the couch, mumbling things that no one could understand.

"Found him drinking on his own at the hawker stand two blocks down the street. How's Jimin?"

"Should be asleep by now, he was just crying and crying for the past few hours when you guys are out... Thanks Yoongi." Seokjin gave Yoongi a warm smile.

"Don't mention." Yoongi smiled.

Hoseok was reeked of alcohol, and they had to put a trash bin by the side of the couch because he was throwing up too, it was a sleepless night for everyone under that roof.

The next morning, as expected, the hangover sets in. Hoseok woke up with a throbbing headache and he just feels like he was down with some flu or something, it's just pure torture. As Hoseok opens his eyes, what came into focus was Jimin staring down at him.

"Ji-Jimin, y-you alright? I'm so-sorry I-I... yesterday, I didn't mean to..."

"Hyung."

"Y-yes?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Promise? Wh-what?" Hoseok with the pain in his head and Jimin saying weird stuff to him was utterly confused.

"Just promise me."

"O-okay."

"Promise me don't give up on your dreams. Dance. Hyung."

Hoseok wasn't expecting this to come out of Jimin's mouth. Hoseok's eyes grew wide and stare blankly at Jimin.

"I saw you watching those dancers dancing in Hongdae that night, you were so engrossed I've never seen so much longing and passion in you for a while, but you look sad... Then I realized, I just ... I just can't be so selfish tying you down from your dreams like this."

Hoseok holding back his tears. "Jimin, you are not tying me down. It's not because of you that I stopped dancing, it's because I couldn't. You had no idea what I saw in the plane wreckage and what happened the weeks that followed, you are in a coma, but I... Jimin, knowing that they (dance crew members) are dead and seeing them dead before your eyes are different. Every night, every time I tried to dance... I saw... saw... they... It's never the same anymore." Hoseok let loose his tear faucet.

Jimin didn't know Hoseok had nightmares, Jimin felt guilty not knowing Hoseok had his own sufferings too.

"Hyung, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I'm so stupid, how could I..."

"Jimin, don't... you are the one that held me together, you helped me to live on."

It was an emotional morning for the duo, thanks to Seokjin's hangover soup, everyone felt better after a satisfying breakfast, and that episode came to an end, they left the tears in the past. Today will be a brand new day.

*************

Jungkook is sulking. He's been upset the whole day now. Jimin had tried to cheer him up, but Jungkook just couldn't get himself in the right mood.

"Oh Kookie. Don't be like that, we can still meet up in the future." Jimin's not sure if he should be laughing at the younger boy, the way he is angry and pouting is just hilariously adorable.

"I hate her. She won't listen to me!" Jungkook crossing his arms sitting on the couch.

"Well, in fact, she did listen to you. She had let you stay another week the last time you called her, remember?"

"I just don't want to go back!"

"Jungkook, we all need to go back to our homes eventually. Seokjin's place is not your house. We are just here for this 'gathering', a vacation."

Two weeks ended in a blink of an eye, Jungkook's aunt is coming in two days to bring Jungkook home and he is not happy about it. Hoseok and Jimin are leaving too, Jimin needs to carry on his physiotherapy. All three are leaving in another two days. As an old idiom goes: All feasts must come to an end. They meet and they part. Perhaps this is just how life is.

*************

Yoongi was packing his guitar when a man approached him in Hongdae.

"Mr. Min Yoongi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Lee Deukchang from BH entertainment..."

Okay, now for some facts. Yoongi never gambles, he does not believe in his own luck, luck had never been on his side as far as he could remember, meeting Yena being the only exception, of course. But that too did not last. But he might want to change his perspective on that now. It's an audition call, just like the one he had before the incident. He didn't know if he should take the chance, but the others ensured Yoongi that it was probably a once in a lifetime chance and that he should go for it. He had got nothing to lose anyway. He had let the opportunity slipped once, though not intended at all but he should not let himself regret again.

Yoongi did not believe his ears when he received a call from the company the next day after his audition, he's in. . Yoongi struck the lottery for real this time.

"Guys. Oh my god." Yoongi went pale. The other boys hate seeing pale Yoongi, it just reminds them when Yoongi had his crazy panic attack.

"What? What happened?" Seokjin jumped off the couch, eyes wide, preparing himself for some bad news.

"I'm in."

"In what?........ Wait! You mean you got IN?"

"Yeah."

The next second was as if Korea just won 4th again during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Cheers erupted in the house, with all of them jumping in joy.

"This calls for a celebration! Future Star!!!!" Seokjin announced.

"C'mon guys, I will be just a trainee, I don't even know if I will get to debut or even just stay and do music."

"Yoongi hyung. You are the most talented person I've ever seen. You'll surely make it!" Jungkook gave Yoongi a thumbs up.

"Since we had great news today and we have another day before Jungkook, Hoseok and Jimin goes home, let's go somewhere and have some fun shall we?"

"Where?" All of them asked in unison.

"Everland?"