Euphoric Agony

Hyuny, Please Don't Let Go.

    Practice had gone well, all things considered. Hoseok may have been behind a step, and Jin may have been sniffling the whole time, but despite those things, their choreo-nim had sent them home with a bright smile, and well deserved praise. They had a tour- correction, world tour- coming up, and their choreographer had told them that every part of rehearsal was crucial.

Filing into the stuffy management van, Jin at the wheel, Jeongguk rested his face against the cool glass of the window, breathing easier. Taehyung was humming their latest song, Namjoon was tapping out the beat to a song still in production, Hoseok was happily whistling the chorus as Taehyung hummed, and Jimin was fast asleep against his seat.

 He was okay, and it was all okay, at least until there was screaming, and tire screeching, and metal cracking, and bending. Then, his world settled into a comfortable darkness as he lost consciousness.

Sometime later, Jeongguk opened his eyes sluggishly. A lot of smells hit his nose all at once, fire being the main one. Then, he heard something-

No, that's someone.

Jeongguk lazed his eyes around the car. He was at an odd angle, his back stiff, and uncomfortable.

“-guk!”

The sound fluttered in one ear, out the other. Jeongguk was more focused on what in the hell just happened, rather than some figment of his imagination. Then he heard it again.

“-ngguk-ah!”

The sound was persistent, and Jeongguk realized it sounded oddly familiar to his name.

Wait, Hyung?

“Jeongguk-ah!”

Jeongguk finally recognized it.

“N-,” Jeongguk sputtered as blood clogged his throat, and he worked hard to remove it. “Na’joon-Hy’ng-”

“Guk, Jeongguk,” Namjoon’s voice was clearer than day in Jeongguk’s ears, and the youngest pulled his head up to the direction of it. “Jeongguk-ah, can you open your eyes?”

Jeongguk tried, really, but he only managed them open slightly. Things were blurry.

“I know they’re blurry,” shit, musta said that aloud. “But the van is on fire, so I need you to climb out, okay? I’ll even help you, how does that sound?”

“N’eel, H’ng,” Jeongguk couldn’t feel anything lower than his waist, if he was honest with you, so extracting himself from the management van would prove to be an issue. “E’w’p,” Jeongguk cringed slightly as his words continued to slur, worse, and worse. They were hardly recognizable to himself, how was Namjoon supposed to decipher his delirious mumbling?

“Help?” Namjoon quipped, and Jeongguk sighed with relief. It was times like these where Namjoon’s 148 IQ came in handy. “I told you I would, right?” At Jeongguk’s jerky nod, Namjoon continued. “Take my hand, okay?”

Jeongguk flopped his left hand towards his Hyung, rather pathetically. Jeongguk had to fight to get the limb free before he could reach out, though. His hand twitched when Namjoon squeezed the uncooperative limb.

“E’y’ng,” Jeongguk tried, he figured that sounded enough like ‘Hyung’ for Namjoon. “Fir’?”

“Yeah, the van’s on fire,” Namjoon answered. “So we have to get you out as soon as possible, okay? Asap.” He heard Namjoon chuckle at his lazy smile at his favourite English word.

“‘Mell ba’,” Jeongguk scrunched up his nose only a moment later.

“I know, the smell of gas is nasty,” Jeongguk could hear the smile in his Hyung’s voice.

Suddenly, Jeongguk felt the van rock heavily to one side, and heard Namjoon curse heavily as their hands were torn apart.

“Y’un-Hy’n?” Jeongguk’s breathing picks up again, and suddenly, his world isn’t so clear anymore, and he’s starting to feel slightly claustrophobic. “Y’un-Hy’n!”

“Guk,” he heard, relief flooding his being. “I-”

“Joon, that thing’s about to blow!” Jeongguk thought that voice sounded vaguely familiar, too. Maybe Jin-Hyung? “Namjo-”

“Hyung, Gukkie is still in there,” Jeongguk could hear struggling, just over the sound of crackling fire.

“Ow,” Jeongguk pouted as his legs suddenly got hot. No, not hot, scorching. “H’un!” Jeongguk tried to yell, but his throat was closing due to the smoke. “U’hn, e’p!”