Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 2

The Silence After the Encore

"BTS!!! BTS!!! BTS!!!"

ARMY's enthusiastic chanting thundered outside the stadium, a rhythmic heartbeat that seemed to shake the very foundation of the Earth.

The purple ocean of lightsticks swayed in perfect unison, a galaxy brought down to ground level.

After a few minutes, the concert started.

As usual, RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook never failed to give ARMY their best performance.

The stage was a whirlwind of purple lights and synchronized perfection.

But knowing this final tour stop at the Seoul World Cup Stadium would be their last for a while, a heavy secret hung beneath their smiles.

Every note was hit with more passion, and every dance move was executed with an underlying intensity—as if they were trying to bottle up the energy of the night to last them for a long time.

As the concert neared its end, the boys gave their heartfelt speeches before their last performances.

They talked about the struggles they had and the happiness that ARMY brought to them through the never-ending support and love they receive.

Everyone was crying at this point.

After everyone gave their speeches, Jin and Yoongi made a heartbreaking announcement that made the stadium fall into a stunned, tearful silence.

It was about their impending military service which they could not avoid.

Both boys decided to enlist together two months after their tour ended.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, two pillars of the group, choosing to face the transition together.

They decided to tell ARMY in advance before the media outlet reports it to the world.

It was a final act of intimacy, a way to ensure their fans heard the truth from their own voices first.

Everyone was devastated, the realization hitting that the stage would soon be quieter.

The cheers were replaced by a collective, shaky exhale of thousands of people.

Then, to lift the mood in the stadium, both guys cheered everyone and reassured ARMY's that they'll surely come back very soon.

"Two years is just a few numbers away," Yoongi added, his gaze lingering on the sea of lightsticks.

He didn't just mean the days on a calendar; his mind briefly flickered to the tally on his own skin.

After that, BTS did their last performance for the night and bid farewell to ARMY.

As Yoongi bowed deeply, his sleeve shifted slightly, exposing the skin of his wrist to the cool night air.

To the cameras and the thousands of eyes on him, his wrist appeared perfectly bare, but to Yoongi, the numbers were glowing with a frantic, low pulse, vibrating with every step he took across the stage.

***

As soon as morning came, media outlets reported the news that BTS Jin and SUGA had decided to enlist in the mandatory military service two months later.

The world felt a little heavier that morning, as the countdown to their departure officially began.

For Yoongi, the countdown had already begun long ago—one step at a time.

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This chapter is dedicated to my friend Chi 🧡 and StarLove748 💚

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