Lost Boy [BTS]

Part 1: Growing Pains

Jungkook poured the cool water down his dry throat. His hair was stuck to his scalp with sweat. He always felt gross and sticky after being on stage.

He wiped his face as, his personal favourite, stylist cooled him off by fanning him in the humid backstage area. The fans in Japan were always so supportive and passionate that he felt burdened because he knew he could have done better.

"Good job, Jungkook. You've worked hard," Jungkook looked at the older woman in the mirror as she plugged in a hairdryer.

"I could have tried harder."

She rolled her eyes and swiped him lightly on the head with her pale fingers. The hot wind hit his damp hair as she dried out the dark, limp locks that didn't quite cover his eyes.

"You know, most sixteen year-olds would still be in school studying."

"Yeah," he smiled. Smiling even though it was mostly forced. "There are also a lot of talented trainees who never get to debut."

"What are you trying to say?" She cocked her head.

"Nothing, I don't know," he shook his head. "I'm the one who signed up for this and I don't regret a thing," Jungkook told her, looking down at his hands. "This has always been my dream. Still is. This is my dream."

This is my dream, as if saying it aloud was to remind himself.

He hummed at the pressure at his temples.

"And that doesn't mean you can just stop looking after yourself." She looked at the younger in the mirror, who was massaging his forehead with the tips of his fingers. "Are you okay, Jungkook-ah?"

The headache that Jungkook had endured since they arrived at the venue was still there, throbbing a steady beat next to his brain. The adrenaline rush of being on stage had gotten him through the performance. Now he was suffering the aftermath.

"It's just a bit of a headache," he said, lied, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm fine."

He pushed himself up and out of the chair, only to be pushed back down again by the small hands of his stylist.

"Idiot," she muttered. "I'll go find a painkiller, stay here." With that, she put the hair dryer down and disappeared into the crowd of staff.

Jungkook sighed. He ignored the buzz of his phone and sunk further into the cushioned chair, leaning his head back. Finally. He drifted into a limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness until the edge of something hard hit his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw a big camera lens staring back at him.

"Go away," he mumbled, in what could have been a pathetic whine, to Taehyung who just chuckled and turned away again to film something new across the room. Filming Jungkook as he slept became a regular thing. Although everyone laughed about it afterwards, Jungkook tried not to hold a grudge.

"It says these have a drowsy effect, but you'll be going back to the dorm soon anyways."

Jungkook opened his eyes for the second time, only to see his stylist popping a small pill out of a silver packet, "Do you still have water in your drink bottle?"

He groaned as he sat up, grabbing his almost-empty water bottle and waving it in front of her face. He received an eye-roll in return before swallowing the white pill with one gulp of water.