The clock in the practice room showed two in the morning.
As the last song ended on the speakers, Jungkook slumped onto the floor and wiped his face with a towel. His sweat-soaked T-shirt clung to his back, but he could not easily catch his breath.
"Today is especially tough..."
As I muttered to myself, Taehyung, who was stretching in front of the mirror, turned his head.
That’s just how it is before a tour.
Taehyung tossed a water bottle. Instead of saying thank you, Jungkook took the bottle and drank nothing but water for a long time.
A moment of silence followed.
Both of us were tired, but neither of us suggested leaving the practice room first. It was always like that when preparing for the final performance. We wanted to coordinate just a little more and become just a little more perfect.
"brother."
"huh?"
“What do you want to do after this tour ends?”
Taehyung looked in the mirror and thought for a moment.
“I want to go on a trip without any plans. With just a camera.”
That’s just like you, brother.
Jungkook smiled.
Taehyung laughed along, but his expression quickly calmed down.
"you?"
As for me… I just hope I don’t have any regrets on stage.
It was a short answer, but it was sincere.
Taehyung stared at Jungkook for a moment and spoke quietly.
You always do your best.
At those words, Jungkook was speechless for a moment. He couldn't tell if it was due to fatigue or the early morning air, but he felt his mind loosening for no reason.
The faint sound of staff organizing equipment could be heard from the hallway outside the practice room.
“Shall we try matching one more time?”
"now?"
“Yeah. The last part.”
Jungkook slowly got up and turned the music back on.
As the intro music played, the two walked back to their places without a word. Even though it was a routine they had practiced hundreds of times, their feet naturally found the same timing.
Only music and breathing remained in the practice room at dawn.
And at that moment, I was able to forget for a while the anxiety and fatigue ahead of the long tour.
