Chapter Twenty Seven

Seokjin stood at the back of the group. He was feeling a little nervous, this would be the first time he would be on stage in three months since becoming ill in Osaka. With their new song about to debut, they had been working hard on preparation for their comeback stage and interview. Seokjin looked at the others for a moment before glancing away. He still didn’t feel like he had done enough to prepare. He had worked hard during the night, getting up while the others were still sleeping and practising again and again.

“Okay, it’s time,” Namjoon said, a smile on his face as he turned and looked at each of them in turn, “Let’s do our best as always!” he added as the others joined in.

Soon enough they were on stage, ready to go through their new song. They got into position as the lights came up. The music started and with practised ease, they started their routine.

Seokjin became out of breath too soon, the smoke machine that they were using wasn’t helping at all. And he was starting to struggle to keep up. Entering their final pose for the second song they were doing he wobbled a little. When the lights dimmed he felt an arm around his waist and he leaned tiredly on Namjoon as they walked off stage. He tried his best to straighten himself out as he noticed the cameras around them. Namjoon sent him a worried look.

“I’ll be fine,” he whispered as they went towards the small area where they were to be interviewed. Turning his head as they walked, he coughed a few times. He mentally cursed anything that irritated his lungs would set him coughing a little over a few hours.

“You sure?” Namjoon asked quietly as they walked over and began to sit down on stools and a sofa.

“Yes,” he said, taking a steadying breath and settled on the sofa between Yoongi and Namjoon.

They went quiet as the interview started. The usual questions started, Seokjin remaining quiet for the most part. The interviewer turned to him.

“Jin,” she said, a smile on her face. “Over the last three months you’ve been pulled from all shows that the rest of BTS has taken part in, and at a fan signing you had to leave earlier than the others, “ she stated, “The fans would like to know what has been going on? There are rumours going around that you are seriously ill and that you still haven’t recovered..”

Seokjin was about to reply when he started to cough, Namjoon rubbed his back, hoping it would help since the interview was going out live. Seokjin stopped, a little out of breath.

Yoongi looked at his hyung and then turned towards the interviewer, “Jin-hyung has been really ill. He’s still recovering, but it’s left him out of breath a lot and the occasional cough when something irritates him. It’s been three months since he first got ill while we were in Japan on tour.”

“What was wrong?” she asked him, looking at the eldest of BTS who was taking slow breaths.

“I had pneumonia, and it can take a long time for someone to fully recover from it,” Seokjin answered, his voice a little horse from the coughing.

“So you’re still ill?” she asked, prompting to answer more.

“I’m recovering. The illness is over, but the recovery is long, it can take a long time for someone to get back to full health, and it seems like it’s taking a long time for me as well,” he said a soft smile on his face as Jungkook passed a bottle of water over the back for him, “Thank you,” he said, taking it and opening it, sipping it.

“Jin-hyung gets tired easily still, and when we practice he has to stop sometimes. It’s hard for him, but he is doing his best all the time,” Jimin said softly, glancing towards Jin for a moment.

“We have to stop him from overdoing it all the time,” Taehyung added, grinning down at Seokjin.

“Yah,” he said looked back at the two of them.

“He does that so much,” Jungkook agreed, “It’s why he was pulled from the last performance we had. He’d overdone it the day before, and he needed to rest.”

“How much longer will it take for you to be fully recovered,” she said, a smile on her face as she saw the embarrassed look on Seokjin’s face.

“It can be a few more weeks or another couple of months. There is no way to determine how long it will take me to finish my recovery,” Seokjin answered her, giving the others a look.

Yoongi gave a smile, “And we’ll be spending most of it trying to stop him from overdoing it.”

Namjoon nodded his head, laughing lightly “Yes, that's true.”

“Yah, stop it,” Seokjin complained.

“We care hyung,” Hoseok commented from behind them, “We know what you’re like. You should rest more.”

“I can see that you all care about your hyung well,” she said laughing along with the younger members as Seokjin looked like he was sulking.

“They don’t want me doing anything. Whenever I’m home they won’t let me cook often. They’ve taken over. I’m still not able to attend practice as long as the others, while I’ve gotten stronger and more able to carry on, they worry a lot about me overdoing it. So I go home early, and even when they remain there at night for so long they still don’t want me to do the cooking even when they are all so tired,” he complained, though the others could tell that he was only playing with them as he did so.

“We have to keep an eye on him all the time,” Taehyung said, laughing with the others as Hoseok leaned over and patted Seokjin on the shoulder.

The interviewer laughed softly, the topic changed to their new song and the energetic dance that went with it. Ten minutes later the interview ended. The group made their way backstage, each of them happy with how things had gone. Changing it didn’t take them long to leave and arrive back home, Seokjin still had a while before he would fully recover, but with his brothers beside him, it might not be as long as he fears.