IDOL | BTS 8th member

Enlistment: SEOKJIN

DECEMBER 2022.

The air felt colder then it should have.

Minhee wasn't sure if it actually was, or if it just felt that way because of where they were.

The military base stood tall and unwelcoming, it's gates looming in a way that made everything feel... final.

Too real.

Around them, there were other families, other goodbyes, some loud, some tearful, some quiet like theirs.

But Minhee couldn't focus on any of it.

The voices around her blurred together, fading into something distant and unrecognizable.

All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, like it was trying to keep up with something it didn't understand.

Because this wasn't supposed to feel real yet.

A small staff member stood off to the side, holding one of the handheld cameras used for their Youtube Bangtan Bombs.

A short clip for fans. A way to make this feel easier than it actually was.

"Say something to ARMY!"

The voice cut through the cold air, almost too bright for the moment.

The members shifted slightly at that, instinctively turning toward the camera. Even now...especially now, they knew how to do this. 

How to smile, how to wave, how to make things feel okay.

It was December. The cold settled into everything. They were bundled up with heavy coats, layers and face masks covering most of their faces.

Minhee had pulled her baseball cap low, the brim shadowing her eyes, her mask hiding anything she didn't want seen. 

Her puffer coat swallowed her frame, making it easier to disappear into herself, to avoid the camera when it inevitably turned her way.

Jin stepped forward slightly, naturally taking the lead.

"ARMY," he started, his voice warm despite the cold 

"don't worry too much, okay? I'll be back soon."

There it was.

That smile again.

Even with the mask, you could hear it.

A few of the members chimed in after him, adding small comments, playful remarks, trying to keep the tone light, something fans could watch without feeling the weight of it.

Minhee stayed quiet.

She stood with her hands tucked into her sleeves, eyes fixed anywhere but the camera. If she moved too much or spoke too much...

She wasn't sure she could keep it together.

So she stayed still.

The camera doesn't stay off for long.

"Let's take a photo first!"

Someone suggested it, maybe a staff member, but everyone agreed almost instantly.

They gather together, naturally falling into place with Jin in the middle.

Minhee was on the left hand side on the edge at first, then Taehyung pulled her in between himself and Yoongi. 

The members crowd around him, shoulders brushing, arms wrapping around each other in a way that feels tighter than usual. 

Then it was time for last goodbyes.