Chapter Text
Jungkook sighed as he sat on the edge of the skyscraper. He was high enough that it felt dizzying looking down at the ground below. He scooted a bit closer to the edge and sighed again. He wasn’t going to jump, even though a small part of him wanted to, too many promises to keep. He just needed high ground and the skyscraper had been the closest thing.
Jungkook knew he was lucky, so many people died in the floods, but wouldn't it have been better to have not survived the floods than to be struggling to survive now? Jungkook barely had enough food to last him to wherever his feet were taking him. He could count his ribs easily now and it made his stomach turn.
Jungkook watched as the water filled the streets and the ground disappeared. The tsunamis had started a few years back, but Jungkook had thought he was far enough inland now for the waves to not reach this far. Mother Nature seemed dead set on killing him though, so even in this city, thousands of miles from the sea, the waters reached him. Because of his wandering mind, Jungkook had to rush up the skyscraper iwhen he realized another tsunami had hit.
Jungkook rubbed his pendent and watched as yet another building was taken down by the water’s wrath. It felt like the ocean was following him sometimes, he thought distantly, its currents always on his trail.
~~~~~~
Jungkook jolted awake at the sound of thunder. Glancing up at the sky, Jungkook cursed. He hadn’t even realized that he had fallen asleep. The floods tended to disperse quickly so the water had receded to around ankle level when before it had been taller than some trees. The rain would make the water rise again so he needed to get away from the building before the rain started or he’d be trapped overnight.
Huffing, Jungkook took out a poncho and put it on, making sure it covered his bookbag as well as himself. The last raid he had done had been less than successful for getting food. Despite this, Jungkook had found a poncho, radio, and a flashlight. The radio didn’t actually work, but Jungkook found comfort in something familiar. The flashlight did work, so Jungkook had made sure to wrap it in as many layers as possible in order for it to not get wet.
Rushing down the stairs, Jungkook remembered flashes of the beginning. The news anchors staring blurry eyed at him through the TV trying to convince them everything was going to be okay when the tsunamis first started. They said it over and over again like a mantra.
The next week, Jungkook had been on the fifth floor, in his college classroom, when a flood had wiped out most of his town. Everyone had complained loudly when they found out they had to go to class on the very top floor of a building with no elevators, including Jungkook. They were silent, however, watching debris and bodies float past their windows. When the water receded, Jungkook had run home, mud splattering against his jeans, to find- nothing. Every house, including his, was destroyed and it was obvious that wherever his parents were they were dead.
Jungkook had curled up on the ground and screamed until his voice grew hoarse. Then he stood up and started walking and he still hadn’t stopped years later.
Pushing open the doors that led to the street, Jungkook sighed. He didn’t even know what year it was or what city he was in. The only reason he knew that years had passed was because of the seasons. Right now, it was most likely late summer because the air was getting colder at night yet it was still unbearably hot during the day.
Jungkook walked down the sidewalk avoiding the deeper puddles and groaning as the water started to seep into his beat up converse.
It was eerily quiet. Jungkook was used to the quiet, he hadn’t been close to another human in years, but this quiet seemed off. Thunder sounded again rattling some of the few remaining store windows. Jungkook looked up at the dark clouds and started walking faster.
~~~~~~
In all honesty, Jungkook really should have seen this coming.
He had just left the main part of the city and was walking along the highway when the rain started. Glancing at the ankle deep water he was walking in, Jungkook realized what a dumb decision he had made. As if he could outrun mother nature when millions of others couldn’t.
Jungkook looked around until he saw a tree that was tall and looked sturdy enough for him to climb. Grabbing at the foothold and pulling himself up Jungkook settled himself in the highest branches as the water rose again. The rain pelted on his skin and Jungkook really hoped he didn’t get a cold. Nowadays, it was like the stone ages, one cough and you’re done for.
Lightning flashed in the distance as the rain came down harder. Jungkook moved more towards the trunk as the wind started blowing the branches around. He touched the trunk and then immediately pulled his hand away.
“Shit,” Jungkook mumbled, wiping his hand on his poncho.
One side of the tree’s trunk was covered in sticky red liquid that was oozing out of the tree. Jungkook didn’t know much about trees, but even he knew that nothing good could come from a leaky tree.
Whipping his head around, Jungkook looked around for another tree to go into. The other trees were too far away for Jungkook to jump to and they were much shorter than the tree he was currently in.
“Why am I such a dumbass?” Jungkook groaned, “Well, as long as the water doesn’t get too crazy the tree should be able to hold its ground.”
Then, because the world liked to fuck with him, the wind started blowing harder which caused the waves below to get bigger and start hitting against the tree. The tree started to make a groaning sound and Jungkook held on for dear life as it started rocking back and forth. Finally, the tree snapped in half and sent Jungkook plummeting into the water. Clawing his way to the surface, Jungkook grabbed onto the tree to help himself float.
For as long as it had been After, Jungkook had never actually been caught in the floods. He had many close calls and one time he was stuck on a roof for two days. He had never been caught in the flood himself though and all he could think about is his parents being tossed around like this trying to break through the waves.
Roughly pushing his wet hair out of his face, Jungkook frantically looked around as he was carried down the makeshift river. He had to get out or he might meet his parents sooner than he’d like.
Climbing on top of the broken tree, Jungkook balanced on his knees unsteadily. He was trying to grab a branch to pull himself out when something hit his head, hard .
Falling off the tree headfirst, Jungkook fell into the water. He tried to get back to the top, but the tree was blocked his way. Jungkook struggled briefly before he felt his consciousness slipping away and the water pulled him in.
~~~~~~
Opening his eyes felt like he was driving nails into his skull. The sun was shining on him and from the pain on his face, Jungkook knew he was sunburned. He tried to sit up and then floundered when he realized he was still in the water. His book bag was still on his back and everything in it was definitely soaked. He clumsily felt for his pendant and sighed in relief once he felt the heart shaped metal beneath his hand.
There was a splash behind him as Jungkook tried to get his bearings. As far as he could see, all he saw was the endless blue ocean. A looming shadow fell over him and Jungkook bewilderingly tried to find the source. Turning around quickly, Jungkook looked up and gaped.
Behind him, there was a huge yacht. From what Jungkook could see, it was big enough to even have a pool.
“See! I told you he wasn’t dead. I could see his chest moving up and down.”
“Like we were going to determine his life over your shitty eyesight.”
“Just because my vision isn’t 20/20 doesn’t mean it’s shitty.”
“Hyung, you can’t see five feet in front of you.”
Jungkook stared wide-eyed at the two men staring down at him from the boat. One of them was waving at him while bickering with the other man.
“Sorry about them.” A voice said to his right.
Startled, Jungkook screamed and looked over to his right. A man was swimming next to him with a lifebuoy and raised eyebrows that furrowed when he made eye contact with Jungkook.
“That’s the exact same reaction I had when I met him too!”, the waving man yelled at them.
“Fuck off!”, the man glared up at the yacht before putting the lifebuoy over Jungkook and turning back around to swim to the yacht.
“Come on.”
Jungkook wondered if this fell under stranger danger. Not that it mattered, there was only the water or the boat. If he turned down going on the yacht, what was he going to do, float around till another one came around?
Jungkook slowly swam and followed the man onto the yacht and prayed he wasn’t dealing with cannibals.
~~~~~~
“You don’t have to tell us your name if you’re not comfortable.”
They had given him a towel which Jungkook had unceremoniously draped over his head like a nun when he was done with it. He had also been given aloe vera and sunscreen which made him wonder if he really looked that bad.
His bookbag was somewhere on the deck, but Jungkook had stopped caring about it as soon as he saw the lounge chairs. The only thing of value that he had was around his neck anyway.
The man speaking to him had handsome features you would normally see on celebrities. Although, Jungkook doubted he was a celebrity from the excessive waving he had done before. The yacht did probably belong to him though. His hair ends were blond, but the rest of his shoulder-length hair was black which gave Jungkook the impression that he had dyed hair Before and it was growing out.
The man next to him had what looked to be a recently done undercut. (Jungkook made a mental note to ask for hair clippers later. His own hair was shaggy). He was watching Jungkook with wide eyes which made him look younger than he probably was. His features rivaled the handsome man’s and Jungkook could feel his face getting warm as they both stared at him.
“No, it’s fine my name-“
A gasp sounded from his right, “Jungkook-ah?”
Jungkook turned his head to the man who had helped him onto the yacht. He’d been staring Jungkook down ever since he came on the yacht so Jungkook had been awkwardly avoiding his eyes. As he looked back at him, however, Jungkook felt jolted into the past.
To Before, when Jungkook used to live in Daegu, and his neighbor, Taehyung, was his best friend. Taehyung had an older brother a year older than them with a cute smile who played with them sometimes named-
“Yoongi hyung?”
The handsome man looked in between Yoongi and Jungkook in shock while the cute man made sounds of disbelief.
“You know Yoongi?!”
Yoongi was staring at Jungkook with wide eyes and he looked absolutely terrified. The last time Jungkook had seen Yoongi was Before. Jungkook had only been 8 when his family moved to Busan. Taehyung and Yoongi had waved bye to him as he left until he couldn’t see them anymore.
Yoongi more or less looked the same. Pretty features, long fluffy hair that curled a bit at the ends, cat eyes, a small stature, the indifferent mask he liked to put on, but Jungkook could see how he grew into himself and how After had changed him. His eyes looked sadder and based on the fact that Taehyung didn’t seem to be with them Jungkook could guess why.
Yoongi stood up abruptly and haphazardly pushed away his chair.
“I’m going to my cabin. Don’t bother me.”
The three of them watched Yoongi stalk away from them to go inside, slamming the door behind him. A resounding silence followed as Jungkook was left with strangers.
Jungkook’s hands shook as he tried to wrap his head around seeing Yoongi again. Especially after so many years.
“Well before I ask about whatever the hell that was, I’ll introduce myself. Hello, I’m Kim Seokjin and this is Kim Namjoon. We’re cousins, but we’re so close we might as well be brothers,” Seokjin said, squishing Namjoon’s cheek with his hand “Isn’t that right, Joonie?”
Namjoon rolled his eyes and moved away from Seokjin. “If you say so,” he whispered under his breath.
Seokjin smacked Namjoon, “Yah, respect your elders.”
Namjoon rolled his eyes again, before cutting them to Jungkook.
“What was that all about? Were you guys on bad terms?”
Jungkook laughed nervously, “No, I- um- we were- his brother and I were friends a long time ago. I haven’t seen him in years. I-”
“Wait, you were friends with Taehyung?” The look of amusement had dropped off of Seokjin’s face. He and Namjoon shared a weighted glance at each other before turning back to Jungkook.
“Uh- yeah. I used to live in Daegu, but I moved when I was 11. Taehyung and I used to be best friends.”
Seokjin’s brows furrowed and he stood up, “I thought that Yoongi was just being… well himself, but if this is about Tae-” Seokjin gave Namjoon a nervous glance, “I’m going to check on him. Show Jungkook around, Joon-ah.”
Seokjin went through the same door Yoongi had and left Namjoon and Jungkook alone.
Namjoon plastered on a smile and gestured for Jungkook to stand up. Jungkook wondered how they had met Yoongi. They all obviously seemed close. Trying to distract Namjoon from Yoongi, Jungkook awkwardly gestured to the yacht, “Soooo who’d you kill to get this thing?”