Moving Forward

12. In Jimin's Room: 2022.02.12

"Taehyung can't come today, or maybe he'll be very late," Hobi told the guys as he walked into Jimin's room. Taehyung had called him earlier. "He has to finish a shoot."

It was 9 PM. Over the many weeks that they had been meeting at Jimin's, their arrival had progressed from evenings to late nights to the wee hours of the morning. Jimin's parents didn't mind anymore. There was always someone awake 24 hours for Jimin anyway, who would open the door for them. They stayed at least three hours, and there were many times when they slept over.

"Okay, let's watch this now," Jin told them.

"Watch what?" Namjoon was half lying, half sitting on the couch. He had been recording an album all week and was ready to fall asleep.

"The results of the investigation. I got it from Bang PD-Nim." Jin turned on Jimin's 85-inch TV and accessed his cloud file.

Yoongi sat up. "He had that? Maybe we should watch it when Taehyung's here."

"No, I don't want him to see this. It's too graphic." Jin sat on the couch beside Namjoon. "I'm not even sure if we can handle it, but here goes." He clicked play.

"Wait!" Hobi felt uneasy. "Have you seen it?"

"Just some parts."

They all settled on the couch opposite the TV, while Jungkook sat on the floor. From what Bang PD-Nim told him, Jin explained that this was the video presented by their security team when the investigation was done and when the results were reported to the HYBE Board.

Hobi moved to the floor beside Jungkook. They had watched footage of the accident before, from fan-cams posted in youtube, but BigHit had more high-precision cameras and they were always surrounded by these in their concerts.

The video began with simulation graphics of what caused the accident. A metal joint holding up one of their set's ramp legs had cracked and the end of the two metal poles it was holding together began moving and eventually fell away. Slides on metal density and capacity requirements followed, with the conclusion that the assembly and procurement processes for materials used by the contractor for the stage were up to standard, but that the manufacturing and supply chain may have to be investigated. The boys remembered that this presentation was included in the HYBE press conference that took place after Bang Si Hyuk resigned, when it was announced that HYBE had been cleared of culpability by all investigation teams, including the government's.

The next slide disclosed that all footage used were BigHit's and was a compilation of those gathered from drone cameras, hand held, mounted, and other camera rig set-ups they had for that concert. The footage that followed showed them on the set, the precise moment when the set started to malfunction and when they began falling. A timer was at the lower right hand of the screen, and the video would stop frequently for short narratives that popped up, explaining the height and speed of each member's fall. Namjoon and Yoongi sat up to pay closer attention as the video showed them falling. The ramp leg that collapsed was at Taehyung and Jimin's side of the set. They were the first to fall, followed by Suga and Hobi who were at the side, and Namjoon, Jungkook and Jin from the opposite side of the globe behind them. The narrative explained that the other members were able to hang on to the globe or the ramp as they were falling, and this slowed the speed of their fall and cushioned some of its impact.

Hobi looked at Jin, searching for a warning. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see what came next. Beside him, Jungkook sat tense but unmoving, his doe eyes taking in the whole scene. The screen gave them all the warning that the next footage was sensitive and may be disturbing for the viewer.

The footage was in high definition, so clear that it hurt their eyes. In slow motion and with no audio it showed the ramp under Jimin and Taehyung's side tilting, of Taehyung reaching for and holding Jimin in his arms, of both of them falling through nothing but air and landing on the stage. The narrative explained as the video slowed down further that it was Taehyung's left shoulder that first made contact with the stage, resulting in a compound fracture. Since he was holding Jimin, his body had cushioned Jimin's fall but the impact of Jimin's weight had broken his ribs. It explained that fragments of his ribs had punctured his left lung which had caused internal bleeding.