A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 45

The following days were some of the most gruelling of Reader's time with BTS. The slog from the chaos of the airport, the first trying day of rehearsals and across a long strenuous week was as hard as any she had undertaken in her life.

At the end of the first day, the two international teams sat down together and agreed on a plan to recut the couples dance into something more palatable for their shared audience and to finesse the choreography of the first sequence. All of it was doable, but they were lacking in time. They had three clear days of rehearsals and Reader's only other requirements were costume fittings and a quick shoot to give the editors an opening sequence for the concert. So between 8am and 10pm every day, she was in the studio, on her feet, spinning round and trying to maximise every minute they had.

The only way to allow for the slippage in Dev's dance sequence was to make Reader's more complicated. The difference between their two capabilities was starker than they'd hoped but he had a lot of charisma and Reader assured him his reputation was safe. But the strain of the dance hours she was clocking up was taking its toll on her body.

Reader was accompanied always by a gaggle of her boys who would jump up and take over her instructions to Dev when she needed to collapse for five minutes or else lose her sense of perspective. They chivvied her out of the door in the mornings and propped her up throughout the day. Her mind was nowhere except for the show and so from time to time they'd halt proceedings, make her sit and push sandwiches or cold cuts or fruit into her hands and mouth. They kept a water bottle constantly within her reach and would race to her side in fallow moments to pummel her swollen legs or stiff neck. They saw her struggling and had shared their energy with her freely, repeating little mantras, smiling encouragingly and standing centurion when her tether was up and she needed a moment.

In the evenings, she was delivered sleepily into Jungkook's waiting arms who guided her through an evening snack, a shower and then laid her down in bed. His agile and breath-taking body covering hers and peppering her stiff joints with kisses and caresses. She fell asleep each night to his soft affirmations.

"It is like this before every show?" She asked drowsily a few minutes after the alarm from Jungkook's phone woke them.

"Depends on the show. But we don't normally change everything right before." He smirked.

He whipped the blankets away from her and swatted at her bottom before staggering out to the shower. She groaned and started negotiating with herself to rise up. They had a morning session and then a three-hour rest over lunch which both of the groups had insisted their pupil's needed if they were going to be in any condition to perform that evening.

"Is it going to feel good when I'm performing and it's over?" she asked weakly from the end of the bed. Jungkook stuck his head round the door with a toothbrush between his teeth. He smiled and nodded before disappearing to spit.

"Yes, it will feel very good." He promised, coming to sit behind her and placing a minty kiss on her shoulder. "And then I will take you home. And then we start working again." He added cheerfully and Reader slumped back in a sulk.

.....................................................

Their morning and final rehearsal over, Reader was sat with the boys in their hotel suite, eating a room service feast and trying her best not to stand for any reason at all.

"How do you feel about the singing?" Asked Jimin, spearing some broccoli from the central platter and adding it to her plate.

"Good," She decided. "To be honest, I've just had to relegate that. To put it to the back of my mind." She dropped her fork and rubbed her eyes, saying out loud what she said in her head one hundred time a day. "I hope it's all going to be alright."