The Story Behind BTS’s Famous Group Photo Revealed After 12 Years

Here’s what really happened behind the scenes.

BTS‘s RM and Suga appeared in the new episode of Epik High‘s YouTube show EPIKASE, where they chatted about BTS’s ARIRANG album, shared behind the scenes stories, and more.

BTS RM and Suga

At about 28 minutes into the chat, Tablo brought up this iconic M Countdown group photo from 2014, when BTS met Epik High. For BTS, who greatly admired their industry seniors, this was a dream-come-true moment. Tablo, however, wasn’t exactly having the time of his life that day.

BTS and Epik High

Tablo surprised Suga and RM by revealing he had been suffering from severe kidney stones that day, one of the most painful experiences possible. He collapsed in the bathroom that morning, was rushed to the hospital for a painkiller injection, and still performed live with the stone inside him to avoid disappointing his group and the schedule.

Despite the agony, Tablo posed for the photo with the energetic BTS members, who greeted them cheerfully with their signature pose, completely unaware of his condition.

Watch the rest of the episode here: