Chapter Text
Mask. Check.
Phone. Check.
Water Bottle. Check.
Bag Pack. Check.
Okay time to leave.
Jungkook checks himself in the mirror, humming the melody of the new song he planned to record that day. He zips up his hoodie, adjusts his hair, pushing one strand back on the right behind his ear and viola, all done.
He walks out to the hall, his bag secured to his back to find Jimin on the sofa playing Fruit Ninja on his I-Pad. Jungkook bends down and kisses him on the cheek.
“Alright babe. I’m leaving. ”
“Ah okay Baby. Say hi to P Dogg hyungnim for me. He’ll know what that means.”
“You sure he’ll be able to crack that code?” Jungkook laughs putting on his sneakers.
“Haha shut up… you know it’s about the duet. We need to wear him down. Tae was on it yesterday, today’s my turn.” Jimin gets up walking towards Jungkook.
“It’s his mixtape he should do whatever he wants on it, I honestly have no idea why you two are even bothering trying to convince P Dogg ssi.”
“Aishhh… Taehyungie wants his blessing for whatever reason and I’m just being supportive. Now go. Don’t be late, we have reservations, remember?”
Jungkook laughs.
“Of course not. I was the one who booked it Jiminssi. And anyways I’ll be back before that, for sure.” Jungkook bends down extending his cheek towards Jimin who promptly plants a kiss on it. Seconds later, he’s gone.
Jimin locks the door, excitement filling him as he began to think about their long awaited date night. When the concerts were there, they often used to step out to eat, occasionally being caught by fans, but it was nevertheless a fun change from room service once in a while. But with concerts a thing of the past and all the Covid restrictions, they haven’t had a chance to go for a date alone.
Until now, that is.
It’s happening. It’s finally happening.
They had been given a break for a few days before the New Year’s Eve Concert and Jimin had just two days ago posted his “Christmas Love” for the fans. It had been a good couple of days. He takes the I-Pad again to go through the comments. Few things gave him the joy that he feels when he sees ARMY being happy over his songs. The reactions never fail to warm his heart. Not that he doesn’t see the negative comments, but the report button is always right there. He keeps scrolling through Weverse when he hears the phone ring from the bedroom. Startled, he almost drops the I-pad.
Who would be calling me now, in the middle of the day?
Jimin cannot explain it, but suddenly, the worst sense of foreboding overcomes him.
Something happened.
Did something happen to Jungkook? No please don’t be that.
Jimin runs to the room.
No no no no please no.
He lifts up his phone from the bedside and sighs with relief on seeing his mother’s caller ID.
He picks up the call.
“Jiminie, my baby… we….we um… your father and I, got into an accident.”
“What do you mean accident? What happened Eomma? How are you! How is he!??”
“We were in the car. The airbags easily protected me but they didn’t unfurl properly on the driver’s side, your Appa…um he injured his head pretty badly. He’s in the Emergency Care now...”
Jimin throws his hand back, holding the phone away from his face. His ears ringing. Thoughts running a mile a minute.
What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck.
He brings the phone back to his ear.
“..so yes there was a lot of bleeding, but they’re saying he’s fine now. They’ve kept him under observation.”
“When did this happen!? He will be fine no? He will be….right? Eomma!”
“Yes baby the doctors are telling us that there’s nothing to worry about… but that’s just what we do… We are a bunch of worriers, aren’t we? Ji Hyun is here with me, so please try not to worry, my son. I just called to let you know.”
“My god I cannot not worry Eomma. I’m coming there right now. Till when will he be under observation?”
“Tomorrow evening but you don’t have to come over here son, it’s fine.”
“No it’s not! Appa is unconscious in a hospital 3 hours away from me and I’m just supposed to sit here all worried? I’m coming!”
“But the year-end award shows?”
“All of them done. I need to be back only on the 30th for the New Year’s Live shoot and it doesn’t matter…. I’m not gonna just sit here doing nothing. I’ll be there soon. Just text me the address.”
“What about Jungkookie?”
“He has a recording session today and the next two days for his mixtape so he can’t come.”
“Ah yes yes of course, okay then, how are you coming?”
“I’ll just call one of the company drivers, I’ll be there soon Eomma, you don’t worry about me. You’re fine right? Get the doctors to-”
“Yes Jimin! The doctors already checked up on me! I’m surprisingly unscathed.”
“Ah at least that’s a relief….you’ve had your food right?”
“Yes yes. Ji Hyun and I just had a meal before we called you.”
“Okay then see you.”
“Be safe, son. I love you. ”
“Yes Eomma! I love you!”
==
A few hours later.
{
Kkyu
Babyyyy
Where are youuuu?
Is this supposed to fool me so I’d think you forgot about the date?
Well, it’s working… where you at?
Aigoo Jimin!!
Where are you?
Why aren’t you picking up the call Jimin?
Baby I know I was later than I promised I’d be, but I was still here one hour ahead of the date.
Jiminssi!!
Jimin!!!
Hellooo
I see you are online!
Wtf is going on??
CALL ME!!!
}
10 minutes later his phone rings, Jungkook immediately attends the call.
“Jimin what the fuck??!”
“I’m sorry baby I can explain.”
“Yes please do! Where are you??”
“Busan. It’s a long story. But Appa got into an accident and I rushed here as soon as I could..”
“What the fuckkkk?? Why didn’t you tell anybody?? Is he okay???”
“Yes yes there was heavy bleeding, but thankfully most of it was external. The doctors have told us that he’d be fine. They’re just keeping him under observation until tomorrow evening. Because of Covid the rooms are tough to get. Even the VIP ones. I didn’t reply to your messages because I was trying to mail the hospital admin asking for a room for him to stay for a few more days, just to be safe.”
“Oh okay. So he’s fine then?”
“Yes mostly, I just got super freaked out. I went full on panic mode. It was like I was holding my breath the entire car ride and I started breathing again only after I saw him breathing through that teeny gap in the ICU door.”
“Aish why did you not call me Jimin!!”
“You had your mixtape to record baby, why would I call you? It’s not like you could have done anything anyways.”
“What the fuck Jimin?? What does that mean? Do I not care what happens to your Appa?”
“No that’s not-”
“You almost had a full scale panic attack and you didn’t call me like… what the fuck??”
“Jungkook why are you freaking out?? I’m in a fucking hospital right now I can’t deal with this. I’m sorry that the reservations had to be cancelled.”
“What the fuck? Reservations? I don’t care about that. Oh god okay I cannot. I’m super fucking hurt you didn’t even think about calling me and now you’re apologising for the date getting cancelled as if that’s what matters now. Ughh I really don’t want to pile onto the stuff you’re dealing with right now so I won’t, imma go now.”
“Jungkook it’s not like that. I know you’d drop anything and come if I asked you to, but this is super important to you and I did-”
“Jimin for fuck’s sake I couldn’t give- I really don’t… okay no...not gonna say anything. Just take care of yourself until I get there.”
“Jungkook no you can’t come here, there’s no need to, I told you-”
“No Jimin what the fuck I’m definitely coming. I’ll see you in 3 ho-”
“No Jungkook listen to me! There is no need for you to come here. Appa is fine. We’re here for him. There’s nothing you can do. Do not come. I need you to stay in Seoul.”
Silence.
“You take care of yourself and stay there. Promise me you won’t come Jungkook.”
Silence.
“Jungkoook! I need your word that you won’t come here. That you’ll stay in Seoul and finish your recording. Promise me.”
“Fuckin fine. I won’t come. I’m sorry. I don’t wanna be mad but I am, I have to go.”
“Baby please you are-”
“Bye Jimin.”
==
5 hours later, hospital.
The members had just done enquiring about everything and wishing his father a speedy recovery, on the group chat, and Jimin is just about to keep the phone away, when suddenly it buzzes, a personal message from Tae.
{
Baby Bear
Take care Jiminah. I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t worry yourself about Jungkookie. He’ll come around. Sleep tight!
My Penicllium
Thanks Taehyungah. I love you.
Baby Bear
I love you. Goodnight!
}
Jimin is just about to respond with another goodnight when his phone rings.
Moni Hyung says the caller ID. Jimin picks up the call.
“Jiminah.”
“Yes hyung.”
“How is the sleeping arrangement?”
Jimin looks around. He’s going to be sleeping on a chair in the middle of the corridor.
“Could be better.”
“You said you made Ji Hyun take Eomeonim back home?”
“Yeah. It’s a miracle nothing happened to her but I can’t make her stay back in the hospital and sit and sleep no matter how fine she tells me she is.”
“Yes yes, but wait what? Sit and sleep? Is the hospital that bad?”
“No no it’s not that, they’ve put him under observation in the Intensive Care Unit. There’s only one person who’s allowed to stay and because of Covid there aren’t any rooms available anyways, and Ji Hyun drove all the way from his university and Eomma was in the accident, there was no way I was gonna let them sit and sleep through the night.”
“Why didn’t you get a VIP room for yourself Jiminah? You can obviously afford that.”
“No it’s not that. I’ve mailed them about it, I should get one tomorrow. But also some unknown high profile patient has been admitted in the hospital so journalists are hanging around the hospital I was told, I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. That’s why I didn’t even call Jigaemae hyung.” Jimin says referring to his personal manager at BTS.
“Ah about that… Jungkook was so mad Jimin. He called all of us one by one when he didn’t find you at the house, I was at Bighit when he called Jigaemae hyung. Oh the way the colour drained out from his face. Poor guy… you should have told him at least, but anyways I called Jungkook up as soon as that call was done and managed to somewhat calm him down.”
“Aigooo, it just was so sudden. I didn’t want him to drop his recording and come obviously, and now he’s mad about that. I just wanted to look out for him.”
“Yes yes Jiminah I know. But you gotta think of his side also. That you were in trouble and you didn’t call him?”
“Yeah but also there’s nothing he could have done.”
“That’s not the point”
“Gah anyways I made him promise not to come here, he’s so impulsive and Appa seems fine, there’s no reason why he should come.”
“Ah Jimin you just talk with him and clear stuff out, not tonight though. I think you should sleep soon. It might be difficult sitting up and all, so don’t you keep playing games on the phone to distract yourself.”
“Okay hyung. Just look out for him.”
“You know I will, goodnight now.”
“Goodnight”.
Jimin hangs up the call wondering what Jungkook would be doing right now. If the day hadn’t taken the turn it did, they would have been back from their date and probably playing some video games in the game room or watching a movie cuddling in bed. He deliberates whether to listen to his hyung and actually go to sleep without contacting Jungkook. He should sleep, he really needs it. But he can’t go to sleep knowing that Jungkook is mad at him. He decides against calling and texts him instead.
{
Minnie
Baby I’m going to go sleep now. I’m sorry and I love you.
Kkyu
Goodnight Jiminah.
I love you.
}
Gawd what the fuck? Can he be any colder?
What is this?
My dad got into an accident, I put his needs first and came alone…. inconveniencing nobody!?
Why the hell is he being so mad?? Argh.
But also he probably wanted to have been told before I left. But how can he be mad at me when my dad is unwell.
And Appa.
Oh what if he’s not okay like the doctor’s say…Oh God.
Jimin gets up, shaking his head vigorously as if that would somehow clear his thoughts. He starts pacing the corridor.
No Jimin, this is what you’re not going to do.
You’re not going to blame your boyfriend who just wants you to be safe and happy.
You’re not going to think up worst possible scenarios when the doctors themselves have told you there is very little reason for worry, if any.
You’re not going to work yourself up, especially when the sleep is already gonna be difficult with the seat being that fuckin uncomfortable.
Jimin looks at the chair and groans, he hears footsteps approaching the corridor. He quickly plops down on the seat, pulls up his hoodie covering his head and then leans back against the wall pretending to sleep.
Okay deep breaths. You can do this.
You can do this. You can sleep on this chair c’mon.
Appa will be fine. You can do this.
He tries to breathe steadily.
1.2.3.1.2.3.1.2.3
It might be the intense emotional roller coaster he was on the whole day, or the travel but before he knows it, Jimin drifts off to sleep.
Jimin’s phone buzzes. One unread message.
{
Kkyu
I know you’d be freaking out now, but know that nothing will happen to him. The doctors know what they’re doing, so please don’t worry yourself to death babe. I need my boyfriend back once this is all done. Just kidding ofc. But no for real… don’t keep worrying, take care of yourself for me. I love you.
}
==
Next day evening, hospital.
Jimin is sitting outside the room again with his mother and Ji Hyun, munching on the snacks that Jungkook’s older brother Jung Hyun had brought them. He had left just minutes ago having spent around an hour trying to make conversation.
Poor guy. We were so worried we barely said anything to him.
Jimin makes a mental note to call him later.
Suddenly his phone rings. It’s Jungkook. Jimin attends the call and starts pacing the corridor again like he was doing when Jung Hyun had dropped in.
“Jungkookah, Jung Hyun came! You didn’t have to do that you know.”
Jimin could hear Jungkook exhale deeply before asking “How is Abeonim doing?”
“Much better, they checked everything and he’s doing pretty great actually, they agreed to let him stay here for a few more days, so that’s that. Jung Hyun bought Eomma’s favourite bean soup too, what a coincidence that he got it, anyways see… you didn’t have to drop everything and come. We’re fine here.”
There’s silence again on the other end.
Sighing. Deep breaths.
Jimin hates it. Hates this.
They never fight!
And if they do…it’s usually fought and solved in hours if not minutes. This fight spilling over to the next day business is so alien to him, he shudders.
How do other couples do it?
“How is the recording going?” He asks, breaking the silence.
Jungkook must have been distracted as he asks him to repeat the question.
“Um it’s going great.” Comes the answer finally.
“That’s good I’m happy.”
“Um yeah...”
Silence again.
Ugh why is this happening!?
“Okay I gotta go Jimin. Text or call me if you need anything and I .. I love you.”
“Jungkookah…”
The phone cuts off. Jimin blinks at it.
He’s mad.
Sweet thoughtful message from yesterday night notwithstanding.
He’s still mad.
Should I call him back? I should. I’m gonna.
But before Jimin could unlock his phone, the doctors arrive to shift his father to a private room and Jimin puts that thought away.
==