Brighter Days || Taekook

Part 19

Namjoon is the first person Taehyung spots when Jungkook drags him back to the studio, Japanese textbook forgotten in a corner of the room. His eyes are red-rimmed and wet with tears as he brings Taehyung in for a hug without even thinking. It's the best thing to come out of the amazing news, because for once he doesn't seem to remember his guilt.

"You know what this means, right?" he asks Taehyung, and Taehyung nods against his shoulder while Namjoon squeezes him even tighter.

A debut song. It's the most important thing about debuting. It doesn't mean that they know when or how, but it means that they are definitely set to go out there now. Namjoon has worked so hard for this moment for the past few years. They all have. And now their dream is finally a step closer than it was before.

It makes it all the more special that Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok have been contributing to the production of the song.

"Even Yoongi hyung cried," Jungkook chirps happily, "when Namjoon first told him. You should have seen it!"

Yoongi scowls and gets Jungkook into a headlock, the younger one squealing and all the others laughing. They're elated, all of them. Their good mood hangs in the air like electricity. Taehyung's never seen Namjoon smile this engagingly before.

"We need to celebrate," Jin says.

"Bangtan style," Jungkook chimes in, who finally wrestled himself out of Yoongi's grip again.

"How do you celebrate Bangtan style?" Taehyung asks, and when everyone grimaces he realizes that there's an inside joke he's missing out on. He's been with them for almost half a year, and there's still so much he doesn't know.

"By practicing," Hoseok says. "Bangtan style is working hard."

Namjoon, one arm now slung across Taehyung's shoulder - Taehyung wonders if Namjoon even realizes it's still there -, shakes his head.

"For tonight Bangtan style shall mean good food and a great time."

Taehyung's Japanese textbook lays forgotten where he left it as they all start to file on a plan that they hope will loop Bang PD-nim into buying them a celebratory dinner.

"I know the company doesn't have much money, but we deserve this," Yoongi stresses.

"You go tell him that, hyung," Namjoon answers. "And then see if he still wants to let us debut."

They get the dinner they ask for. It's an easy tactic, really. Quite manipulative and unfair, exactly how Yoongi suggested would turn out best. Taehyung likes his way of thinking. They push Jungkook forward when Bang PD-nim stops by a final time to check up on them before making his way home.

Wide-eyed and innocent, Jungkook struggles to find words, but Taehyung can see that he's just desperate to turn around and tell his hyungs to go fuck themselves. He'd never actually say it though. Too polite.

Bang PD-nim sees right through them, sighs, and asks what they want.

And so they get the kind of dinner they haven't had for a long time. The kind of indulgence that Taehyung only remembers from staying at his grandma's house, and for a moment he wonders if she can see him right now, happier than he's been in years. He hopes she does. He hopes she knows, even if she's gone, that Taehyung for once in his life has found a good place to stay with people he can rely on.

—-

Word travels fast within a small company. Before Taehyung has the opportunity to tell Jimin about the happy news - granted he did forget to do so the same night he learned about it, too occupied with happiness to think of anyone else -, Jimin already sends him an urgent text asking if it's true. Taehyung's dying to let Jimin listen to the song, their song if nothing goes wrong, but Namjoon has briefed them very thoroughly on the fact that no one uninvolved with production is allowed to listen.