Boys in Blind Lights [**rewrite**]

•2•

As soon as the director yells cut, Seokjin feels a huge weight fall from his shoulders, huffs out a load of air as everyone begins clapping and shaking each other's hand.

He's done. A fifty episode drama all wrapped up. Seokjin couldn't be more relieved.

He bows to his fellow co-stars, smiles and claps along with them as they thank each other for their hard work. Seokjin mentally pats himself on the back. He did well again, he did well.

As the team starts packing up, Seokjin heads over to his style team and helps them load. The more helping hands, the better.

Director Lee Jaesang calls him over as their closing the doors of the van. Seokjin bows to his team and runs over to him. Director Lee claps him on the back.

"Good work Kim Seokjin-ssi," the man says with a smile. "You've worked hard."

Seokjin thanks him, feels the tips of his ears as the production team all agrees with the director and shoot their praises in his direction, many giving him a few thumbs up.

Being the youngest in the cast, Seokjin can shamefully admit that the staff and team all took care of him. It had been his first long series, a family/romance drama in which Seokjin played an important part even if he hadn't had the main role.

"We'll be seeing you at the after-party, right?" Director Lee asks. "After all, you're no longer a minor, you can drink with us and enjoy yourself a bit, no? We rented a nice building in Gangnam, how about it?"

An after-party was honestly the last thing on Seokjin's mind at the moment. And although Gangnam was close to his current apartment, Seokjin would rather not arrive home late.

"I appreciate it Directornim, but my dongsaeng is waiting for me back home."

Director Lee clicks his tongue. "Can't bring him along, can you?"

"Afraid not," Seokjin politely replies. "He's a minor."

"Lucky him." Director Lee squeezes his shoulder sympathetically. "You'll miss it, you know, the days when you weren't allowed past 10 for work."

Seokjin just smiles. He lets Director Lee put in a few extra words in before he bids his goodbye. His co-actors all comment on how they'd wish he'd join them for the after-party but Seokjin declines.

Never again did he want to go to one of those.

The style team left before him. Manager Ahn never showed up. That didn't surprise Seokjin in the slightest. He had basically expected it.

Once he's in the car, Seokjin refrains himself from laughing, recalling the director's words.

His company has never followed the law in terms of working with minors. In the last four years especially, Seokjin had worked in the inhumane hours of the night, all while having to get up early to commute to school the next morning.

He thought graduating would make things better. That he would have more time to rest. Instead, he had been given more assignments. Almost the triple the work Taehyung had to deal with.

It was his fault really. When Taehyung had collapsed due to overexertion Seokjin had told his company he take part of Taehyung's workload. That had been one of his mistakes. But he didn't regret it. No, he never regretted his decision when it came to someone who was like a brother to him. Taehyung was a good kid, someone who deserves a comfortable life.

One where he didn't have to go through the things Seokjin had gone through.

Needing to drop off the van back to the company, Seokjin drives off, following the directions on the GPS. He was tired and the next morning he had an interview with a magazine regarding the drama.