Chapter Text
Jimin had not known pain like this before. Sure, he had been a dancer in one of the country’s…No, wait. The World’s biggest K-Pop groups of his time. And that amounted for countless days of stress, tiredness and at times even sickness. They had all been overworked at some point in their careers, and on a few occasions, himself and his bandmates had been admitted to hospital, on the order of their acting manager. It’s not like they don’t care for their own health. It was admittedly fault in their biological idol DNA that made them immune to exhaustion. That is until their bodies physically cannot handle anymore and collapse in the practice room. And stubbornness. We can’t forget that.
This time, however, stubbornness was not to blame.
“Jimin-na? JIMIN?!” Namjoon was becoming nervous in the rear of the car, until he saw movement coming from the seat to the left of him. Yoongi looked up from his phone, noticing the fragility in Namjoon’s voice, from the backseat and realised there was a problem too; they just didn’t know how serious it was about to become.
Jimin stirred after hearing the voices around him, although he couldn’t hear anything crystal clear. It felt like his head was surrounded by cotton. Cotton that had been resting in a 200-degree oven. The beads of sweat caught him of guard, he was sweltering, but he hadn’t put two and two together yet to realise this was abnormal. It was summer yes, but the car they were driving in was always so cool. In both temperature and flair. They had the best rides in Seoul and the air conditioning worked, right? Yes, it was working. He could feel a slight breeze attacking his bare ankles. So why was the rest of him sitting inside a volcano?
“…min-na?—IMIN?!” Namjoon tried to get his attention. Clicking his fingers near his friend’s head.
“…Joon-hyung?...”
He heard that, his own voice. But why did it sound so small? What is wrong with me, Jimin wondered. He felt fine about twenty minutes ago. Well, his stomach hurt, but that was because he had been winded. That is what he told himself and the others, when that guy ran at him in the pick-up section of the airport.
It had been a long flight and none of the seven bandmates or their security were prepared for any sort of upcoming drama. Everyone just wanted to get from the baggage claim, through the crowd of photographers and fans and to their respected vehicles. They could rest as soon as they were in the safety of the blacked-out trucks. But when you’re returning from the States to your home country, as the biggest celebrities of the moment, a smooth welcome isn’t how things pan out for BTS.
They had been given orders, for their own safety to stick in a close-knit group…As usual, this is how most of their airport appearances tended to go. Somehow word always managed to get out to the public, about their flight schedules and dates.
Picking up their carryon bags and wheeled suitcases, they plodded their way forward to deal with the carnage waiting on the other side of the arrival gates. Their security had guided them and protected them from outreached hands, as best they could. The camera’s shoved in their faces from the get-go was just the norm. The members loved nothing more than interactions with ARMY, but even they had to admit there was a time and a place, and this was not it. This scenario was always nothing short of chaos and to have a nice fan encounter here was practically impossible for the boys.
Namjoon, Yoongi and Jungkook led the way for the rest of the group, they usually stuck to the eldest at the front, back and middle. Hoseok and Jin followed the leaders, and it was Taehyung and Jimin bringing up the rear. Or trying to keep up the pace with them at the very least. It was common knowledge by fans and members alike that the older Hyungs were very protective of their younger members usually. But as it happened that day there had been a mix up of luggage at baggage claim, the unloading of passengers had been a complete train-wreck and the amount of people leaving the flight at the same time meant they didn’t have time to figure out a safe formation, before being crammed between their security guards and wandering aimlessly through the growing crowd. Despite the feeling of claustrophobia that was slowly reigning upon him, Namjoon thought this was going swimmingly well for an airport escape. He always tried to see the best in things. Those positive thoughts he would soon wish could burn in a fiery pit of hell.
They were nearing the exit doors, sunlight baring down upon them and some sense of peace and quiet on the other side of the gate. Although there were paparazzi still hanging around on the outside, it wasn’t nearly as busy as the crowd on the inside of the airport. If only it was as peaceful as he assumed…
Jimin kept his head down as he neared the exit, pointed out to him a guiding hand. The rest of his bandmates and managers had already breached the doors and he and one other guard were left to follow. As his foot hit the pavement, his body suddenly slammed into the frame of the sliding door, a great burst of pain coming from his left side. He heard a scuffle behind his head, and whilst he was leaning against the door, his boots suddenly skidded on the metal framework. He began to fall, being caught just short of the ground by the guard looping a firm hand through his arm and heaving him up. Jimin’s physical weight was justifiably light as a feather, but now he felt like it as the pain in his side threatened to take his consciousness away from him altogether. He fought through the haze with concern to his other member’s safety. He had to know for certain that there was no threat of danger to them and that they had made it to the cars that awaited their arrival. Jimin didn’t know how much time had passed, but the next thing he knew he was walking, no, stumbling with an aide over to the car with Namjoon and Yoongi, who were waiting by the passenger door.
“Jimin-na, are you okay? What happened back there?” Namjoon leant towards the singer, one hand on his shoulder back and the other gesturing for Jimin to take hold of his hand for some stability.
Shaking, Jimin couldn’t find an answer for him. He was just as confused as the other members looked. He remembered the pain in his side and his hand instinctively reached up to hold the area. When he pulled his hand back, he expected to see red... Nothing. He was sure he was overreacting, but it felt like a stabbing pain when he tried to piece together what had happened. He was told by the security guard that helped him to the car that a man had ran at them from the crowd of fans, somehow managing to break through the barriers and had knocked into Jimin from the left side. The airport security and receptionist were behind them and managed to pull the guy away and restrain him, giving them enough time to get back to the other members on the outside of the airport. Apparently, the man had been arrested there and then but the members listening to the details didn’t care for the sanction of the man who had tried to attack their brother. They nodded their heads and accepted the man’s fate, deeming it appropriate. If he was locked up, he wasn’t there to present any more danger to the boys or Army. He wasn’t a fan. No one who called themselves true Army would ever dream of hurting one of the members and causing a scene like that. He deserves what he’s got, Namjoon mused to himself.
Before entering the vehicle Jimin was briefly checked over, but he swatted back at caring hands and insisted he was just winded and a bit shell-shocked to say the least. Management wasn’t happy that Jimin had outright refused to go to the hospital, but Jimin just wanted to get back to the dorm. It had been a long day of travelling and he knew he needed nothing more than to get home, have a shower and get straight to sleep. And no. It didn’t matter to him that it was midday. The world could wait. He needed his bed.
Once Yoongi was situated in the back of the vehicle, the chairs were folded back giving way to Namjoon and then Jimin. Jimin crawled into his seat by the door and leant his head back on the neck rest.
“IS HYUNG OKAY?!” He could hear the shouting from the cars further down the taxi line. Was that Jungkook? Was Tae with him? What about Jin and Hobi-hyung?
“He’s okay guys! Just get in the cars, we’ll meet back at the dorm!” That was their driver; he’d assured his team after getting the thumbs up from Jimin himself, before closing the door. Jimin however was starting to doubt his own verdict, as the cloud of heat began to surround his head and side. He felt foolish now, becoming the centre of attention yet again for being knocked over in the airport by a crazed, over excited fan. Could he be called a fan? Maybe the heat was from his embarrassment of the fresh memories in his head, although he hoped no one was thinking the same as him in the car. Jimin glanced over to Namjoon and Suga-hyung and quickly turned away again. All eyes were on him, but not in a mocking way. More of a concerned brotherly tone. It didn’t stop his face and ears from turning a shade of red brighter than Mars. This must be how Jin-Hyung feels when we look at him for too long. The ache in his side had now become a dull, numbing sensation and he assumed it would just become a purpling bruise in the next couple of days. The man had pushed him and knocked the wind of out of him. That’s all it was. He was worrying too much and decided to let the gaze on him know this too.
“I’m okay, you guys can stop worrying so m----ouch!” He moved his arm to pat Namjoon on the shoulder, giving his brothers reassurance, but with the reaching movement came a small bout of pain that had almost subsided whilst he was sat, motionless in his seat.
“Yeah, you don’t sound like you’re okay. You should have gone to the hospital...We can still go now; I’m sure our driver won’t mind Jimin-na!” Yoongi sounded annoyed by the huffiness in his words, but Jimin knew it was only out of care for himself. Care from his big brother.
“I know everyone is worried, but I wouldn’t lie about this hyung. Honestly, that guy just knocked me over and I think he just winded me. We can go home, and I’ll take it easy for the next couple of days, promise! I’m only tired, aren’t we all?” Yoongi agreed he was making sense of the situation but that didn’t make him any less worried for Jimin. Both he and Namjoon could hear the nervousness in his voice, as Jimin spoke. But then he had just been jumped at the airport by a crazy man. Maybe it was a natural reaction?