Work Text:
read Forever (We Are Young) here~
Before Jungkook came to visit Jimin, he had called Taehyung and asked him to come along. Taehyung, as stubborn as he ever were, had said no.
But now that Jungkook had seen Jimin and the reason that had driven him to his stupid decision, Jungkook called Taehyung again.
"I said no!"
"Taehyung…" Jungkook sobbed. "Please. Just get here."
The other boy was quiet for a second. "What's wrong…? Is he okay?"
"Please, just—just come here."
There were noises, a door slammed loudly, and Taehyung replied a moment later. "I'm on my way. You wait there."
Jungkook had spent the time waiting for Taehyung to sob some more. He had parked the car two blocks away from Jimin's to avoid being seen by him or his family.
Jungkook still couldn't process the image of Jimin in a wheelchair, his smile as bright as before, everything was just as they last saw him. Only his right leg was missing. And Jungkook couldn't think of the reason. Did something happened after Jimin had left? Was it an accident? Did it hurt him so bad? Was that why he never reached back to any of them? And he had gone completely off radar. He didn't even answer his phone anymore.
Jungkook couldn't keep his head clear. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Jimin in a wheelchair. He pulled out his phone and dialed Namjoon's number. And then he pressed cancel. He dialed Yoongi's number. And canceled. He dialed Jin's. And canceled.
His phone vibrated a call from Taehyung. He answered with shaky voice.
"Where are you?"
"I'm in my car… parked two blocks away from his house. Don't go to his house, hyung."
"I'm not. I'm-" Taehyung panted. And silence took over for a short while. "I'm away. I'm coming to you."
Jungkook rested his head on the steering wheel. Teardrops wetted his cheeks.
A knock on the window. Junkook unlocked the car door without even looking. Taehyung climbed into the passenger seat.
"Jungkook,"
"Hmm?"
"Jungkook ah,"
Jungkook finally looked up and he found Taehyung in tears just like him.
"What happened to him?"
-
Yoongi woke up and stared at the ceiling. He stayed like that for a few minutes before he got up on his feet and headed to the bathroom. He was in there for almost an hour before he came out all showered and clean of growing beard and mustache. He grabbed a new set of pajamas and changed into it. Then he plopped back into the bed.
Life was boring this last year. So quiet, so boring, so alone. He didn't go out that much because people would crowd around him and shout questions into his ears. He didn't want to jeopardize the little hope he had left in reviving Bangtan as a team so he had kept his cool and silence. He turned to the side and reached for his phone, meaning to check what was going on in the outside world.
He saw Jungkook's name on the screen. Missed call.
He dialed back almost too quickly. The call was answered with a sobbing, sniffing, and then a fainted "hello, hyung…"
"What's happening there?" Yoongi sounded hoarse. Maybe because he hadn't even spoken for a few days now that was why. "Why are you crying?"
"Hyung, I'm- Jimin, he-" Jungkook hiccuped and couldn't continue. But that was all Yoongi needed. Jimin's name. Something happened to Jimin.
He fished through his closet for a jacket, and when he found one he put it on without much thought. Grabbing his phone, Yoongi rushed out the door.
-
Namjoon saw the missed call and ignored it. He turned back to computer screen, nodding to what his fellow underground rapper was telling him about their new collaboration track.
-
Jin was in Creative Writing lecture when his phone beeped briefly. He saw Jungkook had missed call him so he texted back.
Hey. What's up?
It took around 2 minutes for Jungkook to reply.
Jimin.
Jin's heart skipped a beat. He had a hunch that this wasn't a pleasant kind of what's up with Jimin.
Are you with him right now?
Can you come to Busan right now? Call me first when you're here. Please, hyung.
Jin decided he was right. Something was wrong with Jimin and Jungkook was clearly freaking out.
I'll be right there. Stay calm please.
Jin left mid-lecture, and his professor wasn't very happy. But Jin didn't care. His professor can kiss his ass.
Outside, Jin ran to his car. He also didn't forget to call Hoseok, telling him everything he knew for now. Hoseok asked Jin to stop by and take him too, and Jin agreed immediately.
-
Namjoon called Jungkook back after his rapper friend had left. The voice that answered him was Jin's.
"Hey. Are you free?"
"Yeah,"
"Good. Come to Busan quick. You know the park not so faraway from Jimin's house?"
Jimin. Namjoon took a moment before he could answer. "Yeah. Yeah, I remember that. But… are we visiting him?"
"Namjoon ah," Jin sounded like he had just stopped crying. "Come quick."
-
Namjoon got to Busan and he found all the boys there. Well, all except Jimin himself and Yoongi. Jungkook saw him and just ran to hug him like a son missing his dad. Namjoon was taken aback a little, but soon he hugged Jungkook back.
"Hey, Jungkook," Jungkook started crying. Namjoon looked at the boys, puzzled. He raised his brows at Jin.
"Wait till Yoongi's here and Jungkook will say it one last time. Yoongi should be here any minute now, he knew even before you."
-
But Yoongi didn't go to find the boys. He went straight to Jimin's house. Now he was standing on the doorstep, taking deep breaths. Before he could knock, the door was opened and Jimin's younger brother came out. Jimin's brother stopped and gave Yoongi a look. Then he seemed to know.
"Yoongi hyung?"
There was a noise of something dropping inside the house. Yoongi couldn't see what. Soon there was mumbling, and chair being dragged across the wooden floor. And then quiet.
Jimin's brother turned back from the inside.
"What are you doing here?"
"Jimin," Yoongi breathed. "Is he… fine?"
"Yeah, he's fine."
"I… I want to say hi."
"Hmm," Jimin's brother looked inside the house, then back outside. "Are you gonna take long?"
"I'll only be in and out."
Jimin's brother stepped aside and Yoongi entered. Inside the house was very warm and spacey. Yoongi first noticed how all the windows and curtains were pulled shut, and only a lightbulb was giving the house a little life. By one of the windows, Jimin was standing behind a desk. He smiled when Yoongi finally noticed him.
"Hi, hyung."
"H-hey," Jimin seemed okay, Yoongi noted. He seemed just as alive and well as he was before. So what were Jungkook so upset about? "I was in the area and… I thought I want to say hi."
Jimin nodded.
"So, hi."
Jimin nodded again. And the whole room fell silent. Yoongi looked around awkwardly, and Jimin's brother came back with a glass of water. He handed it to Yoongi.
"Sit down, hyung. Or are you leaving already?"
Yoongi watched Jimin standing by the window, his hands propped over the desk. Jimin was fine so he wasn't worried anymore.
"I'm just leaving," Yoongi told Jimin's brother. He turned to Jimin after that, and forced out a smile. "See you next time?"
"See you, hyung. I'm happy you stopped by."
Yoongi tried not to look at Jimin's eyes too much so he let his gaze fell to the floor underneath the desk instead.
He nodded. "I know."
Jimin's brother walked him to the door. Before Yoongi exited, he looked back at Jimin one more time. Something flickered in his eyes. Jimin waved but Yoongi was already outside. Once the door closed, both Jimin and his brother let out a heavy sigh and Jimin limped his way back to the couch. His brother helped him sit down, and then the front door busted open.
Yoongi hisses under his breath as he saw what Jimin was trying to hide. Jimin didn't look at him with his fake happy smile anymore; now he was just looking.
"Why?" Yoongi asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Don't feel bad. I didn't tell anyone."
"Park Jimin." Yoongi sounded very angry. And sad. "Was this the reason?"
Jimin didn't reply.
"Was this why you left us?"
"Well, I can't dance on one leg, can I?"
"You could have said something, at least!" Yoongi shouted and the first teardrop rolled down from his left eye. Jimin signaled his brother to leave the room. Once they were alone, Jimin tried to stand up but Yoongi rushed for him and kept him seated. He knelt down across Jimin. "You should have told me. Hint at it. Didn't have to be a fool for one year and suffer alone." His voice was softer now.
Jimin placed his hand on Yoongi's shoulder, squeezing it to comfort him. "The pain was mine to bear. I didn't want to any of you to worry about me."
"Jimin, we want to worry about you. I want to."
"It's okay now, hyung. I'm okay now."
Yoongi looked at the space on the couch where his right leg could have been. "This is okay?"
"Yeah. At least I'm still alive."
A half-chuckle escaped Yoongi's throat. "If this is okay, then I guess I am doing pretty damn well."
Jimin smiled, now. He patted the space next to him and Yoongi climbed on gently. Together, they sat and in silence for a long moment before Yoongi spoke again.
"Jungkook is hysteric knowing you're like this. He's probably still crying right now."
Jimin sat straighter. "Jungkook was here?"
"He's the one who called me."
"Then…"
"Yeah, I guess they all know by now."
Jimin pulled out his phone and dialed the last number that had tried to reach him. Hoseok answered after the first ring.
"Jimin!"
"Hyung,"
"Park Jimin, can I enter now?"
"What?"
The front door busted open again. This time, 5 figures rushed inside. Soon, Jimin was buried in a big circle of hugs and tears. He broke down himself, but this time it was more happy tears and only a tiny bit of sad ones.
"It's alright, everyone. I'm still here." He reassured them.
"Don't try to leave again!" Jungkook sobbed into his neck. Jimin reached for the maknae and nuzzled his hair.
"I won't," The boys smiled with tears in their eyes. Jimin then added, "At least not without my wheelchair."
Namjoon punched his arm for joking like that.
"Too soon?" Jimin grinned. He reached to wipe away Taehyung's tears but the latter shook his head.
"This is happy tears," Taehyung said.