Burning Heart

The Meeting

Why was he here again? Seokjin didn't know. There was a meeting and he attended as usual but why did he not expect the meeting to be about him? He was in a situation he didn't think he could easily run from.

"We know you've been having a hard time, maybe we can't understand you well now but we don't want you deal with everything by yourself. We want to be there for you like you were always there for us and... unless you let us in, we feel like we aren't giving you all of ourselves or our whole shoulder for you to lean on." Namjoon spoke slowly and with sincerity in both his voice and eyes. He spoke calmly but inside, he was a bit nervous to approach Seokjin with this topic. He didn't want his hyung to feel like he was being pitied for what happened to him and didn't want open an injury which they thought was healing nor did he want to create a new one so he had to be careful to not let any of that happen.

Seokjin let out a small sigh, casting his eyes down. He listened to what the leader was saying but couldn't really hear how much he meant his words or how much he cared. The knowledge that no matter what happened, none of them ever judged one another stuck in the back of his mind.

It was silent for a few seconds. Seokjin didn't speak nor did anyone know how to really get into the conversation but Namjoon, being the leader he always proved himself to be spoke up again.

"Hyung, what you feel, we'll try to understand it so please, don't keep it all to yourself. We've always been there for you and we'll continue to do that so could you tell us if there's anything bothering you? Whatever it might be, a small or big bother, you can tell us and maybe we can find a solution together."

Namjoon did not at all sound like he was pressuring Seokjin to speak. However, the oldest was already feeling uncomfortable and with the silence that followed his words, Seokjin felt the need to speak.

"You don't have to worry yourself." Seokjin looked up, a small smile stretching over his face to reassure his friends. "I don't understand why we're holding this meeting, really. I'm fine." Was what he said but the bags under his eyes and how puffy they were as well as that fake smile everyone wanted to wipe off his face said otherwise. The oldest hyung was not really a good actor in front of these five people, they could see through him if they looked well enough and now, all their attention was on him.

Seokjin stretched his arms in front of him "You all should just go rest." He stood up to leave and end this meeting as casually as possible but a hand was holding his, halting him in place before he could take his second step away.

"Seokjin-hyung, please stay...and please don't lie to us, you don't need to do that." Taehyung looked at his hyung with heartbroken eyes that took Seokjin aback. "It hurts to hear you lie like this so please don't lie, don't hide from us. We left you on your own but we're not going to leave you again, I'm afraid to do that."

Taehyung was afraid? Seokjin couldn't understand. Why would he be afraid for him?

"Tae...I... really there's noth-"

"No hyung, stop lying to us please...don't you trust us anymore?"

"It's not like that-"

"Then why were you saying you have no one to help you? If you trusted us, you'd have come to us. Didn't you say you wanted someone to help you? We're here now. We're here to help you, let you lean on us properly, lessen your pain and try to make you feel better even if just a bit. You're not going to be a burden if you tell us what's on your mind because we care about you more than you think. Please hyung, your silence will be the thing to hurt us rather than you speaking." Taehyung tightened his grip on Seokjin. "Knowing that hyung is hurting alone...I can't take It. I hate it! I...I don't want to see you cry alone anymore..." His voice was trying to reach out to Seokjin, almost pleading him to open up and lean on them a little.