Nocturnal Buddies ✩ Yang Jeongin

Chapte 70

Jeongin's heart was practically pounding out of his chest by the time the song came to an end. He stared at the sea of people as he stood still in his spot, posing. His chest rose up and down, his body desperately trying to restore the depleted level of oxygen, yet his heavy breathing was well controlled. Sweat drenched his entire body from the amount of energy he exerted. His posture would falter ever so slightly when his leader thanked the audience, announcing the end of their concert.

Fans began to shout as they begged the members to continue the concert. The eight boys entertained the idea for a while as they gathered together, giving people a glimmer of hope. Disappointment quickly surged through the stadium when the members began to hold hands, well aware of what was going to happen next. Laughter broke from each boy before they apologized to their fans. They collectively bowed to the sea of people, showing their gratitude for everyone's support. One by one, the members disappeared backstage, bidding their fans one last farewell. 

Despite no longer being on stage, they could hear their fans continuing to cheer for them. It brought a smile to each of the boy's faces. As they made their way into the dressing room, they conversed amongst themselves. Their energy from the concert continued to thrive, but it was slowly dwindling down with each passing second. Once they piled inside, they separated ways. Some went to rest while others went to get change. 

Jeongin stood in front of the large fan with Jisung as they attempted to cool down. They pulled at their tops, stripping it away from their sweaty bodies. A staff member came by after a while to hand them a water bottle. The two boys thanked her before Jeongin wandered off to the sofa. He fell onto the plush cushion before throwing his head back out of pure exhaustion. Jeongin lingered there for a while with his eyes closed, his tiredness enticing him into a short slumber.

Before it could lure him into sleeping, he perked up when someone called his name. He opened his eyes and got up from the sofa. The younger boy uncapped the water bottle while he made his way to the changing room. Jeongin took swigs of water, quenching the dryness that had occurred from the last song. He thanked the staff that gave him a towel to pat away the sweat dripping down his face before stepping into the room. As he started to change, his thoughts began to wander.

The boy couldn't help but wonder if he had performed well for their last concert. He could recall a few instances that he knew could've been better. Jeongin started to take mental notes of what could've been done differently, things that he needed to do to improve for the future. Despite feeling like he could've done better, his overall performance wasn't bad. He was just glad he was done, now he could focus on their next comeback.

Once Jeongin was done changing, he stepped out of the room. His attention shifted towards the circle formed by some of his friends, those who were done changing. They were discussing amongst each other. Jeongin was called over by Seungmin shortly after he noticed the younger boy. Their conversation continued to run on until everyone was finished changing.

"Should we celebrate?" Changbin asked the group.

"Did you have something in mind?" their leader asked back.

"Let's wind down with a beer or something," Changbin suggested, looking around to see what his members thought.

Although they didn't all agree to drink, they liked the idea of spending time together. It was a good way to celebrate the end of the Dome Tour, something they've worked hard for. Without much discussion or planning, the eight left the stadium and piled into their respective vans, four in each one. Before they could start their drive to a nearby market, Chan received a call from Changbin.

"Hello?" the older boy answered, holding the phone to his ear at first.

He exchanged a few words with Changbin before Chan put his phone on speaker. The older boy held the device towards the members who were with him.