Fire On Fire [TK]

(16) Open your heart

"Hey, you
Would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home"

— Hey You, Pink Floyd

❀

— V —

October arrived with falling temperature and icy gusts. The rain rattled the windows, thunder booming across the dark grey skies like the depths of Tartarus. Taehyung stood by the gate of the building, tucked under the awning, watching the angry drops of water slosh onto the ground.

He let out an audible sigh, shoulders drooping down in defeat. The last of his vocal lessons had ended and he skipped happily through the corridor relieved to rush back to the dorm, have a warm meal if Seokjin had been generous enough to cook, or warm up some leftovers, all options worked at this point, except now there was lay a hurdle between him and the warm meal he'd planning since the past two hours. His stomach grumbled in protest at the delay making him scoff and he sighed again, carding his fingers through his hair, exasperated with the turn of events.

It was almost one am. He did not have an umbrella on him and like an idiot he had forcefully sent Jeongguk back to the dorm with the spare umbrella when he had offered to wait for him. That child had to study for his upcoming exams.

He stretched his arms over his head, joining his palms, glancing up at the sky and trying to plea a silent deal of letting the rain stop for ten minutes so he could sprint back.

Thunder boomed in a definitive 'no.'

'Great,' he rolled his eyes.

He could go back inside, probably sneak in and pester Namjoon, who might still be in the cramped studio, sitting on the ragged office chair with his feet tucked in on the side, furiously scribbling in that notebook of his or bobbing his head with his headphones on to fix the beats of the track. Namjoon breathed and lived music. He carried around a pocket diary everywhere, and by that Taehyung probably concluded even the loo, noting down any passing thoughts he had that could be turned into a lyric.

Hoseok could be in one of the other empty rooms. After the dance practices ended, they sometimes used the empty studios as their own personal workstation. He sometimes found Hoseok in the park, sitting under a tree working on his rap, moving his fingers with every high beat and low beat, trying to get everything in sync. But with the pelting rain, that scenario was unlikely, so, Hoseok was either home or inside. Seokjin and Jimin were at the dorm, along with Jeongguk, who Taehyung hoped had slept since an hour ago he had been swaying where he stood.

And Yoongi? Taehyung was not entirely sure.

What he was sure about was Yoongi, apart from his training and school, worked at least two other part time jobs. How he worked out the time and energy for that, Taehyung simply had not the slightest idea. They were not exactly allowed to do so by the company, they needed the trainees to rest and let their bodies recover, yet he barely stayed in the dorm. Taehyung sometimes found him passed out in his bunk, or hunched over the counter stuffing instant ramen into his mouth. But he did not question the elder's burdened lifestyle, nor was he ever going to rat him out. Their allowance from the company was meagre. With the decreasing sales of the earlier girl group the company had debuted, the financial pressure was breaking their backs. It wasn't entirely bankrupt as far as Taehyung could tell, but if the next group that debuted failed, then it was a one way ticket to shutting down.

In the hazy hours of one early morning when it was clear that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep again, Taehyung had dragged himself to the kitchen to get something to eat. Yoongi had sat there, his back to Taehyung and he had overheard the conversation the elder had over the phone about the money his family needed. He didn't mean to spy, moreover, Taehyung had been in no place to judge the elder. Financial security seemed like a distant dream to Taehyung as well, keeping meticulous track of the money he had was second nature, and there had been more moments than less where he had to check his wallet before spending, but he worried about Yoongi. It seemed like that boy would work himself to death someday.