Jimin’s heart raced as he stood in the middle of his living room, staring at his phone. Something was off. Every morning for the past few months, Jungkook had knocked on his door two hours earlier, without fail. But today, there was nothing—no text, no call, not even the familiar sound of Jungkook’s gentle knocks.
At first, Jimin tried to brush it off. Maybe he’s busy at the gallery, he told himself. After all, Jungkook had a lot of responsibilities and projects that often demanded his attention. But as the minutes ticked by, the uneasy feeling in Jimin’s chest grew stronger. He dialed Jungkook’s number, but after three rings, it went straight to voicemail. He texted, but there was no response.
"Appa, waeyo?" Jae’s small voice broke through Jimin’s thoughts, tugging at his sleeve.
Jimin looked down at his son, his anxiety written all over his face. "Kookie Appa isn’t answering my call," he muttered, biting his lip.
Jae’s eyes widened with concern, mimicking his appa’s worry. "Should we go to Kookie Appa’s house?"
Jimin blinked, and then smacked his forehead, realizing how silly he had been. "Aish, why didn’t I think of that earlier?" he muttered to himself. Of course, he could just go to Jungkook’s house. He had been so caught up in his worry that he hadn’t thought of the most obvious solution.
Without wasting another second, Jimin grabbed Jae’s hand, and they hurried out the door. The walk to Jungkook’s house felt longer than usual, his worry growing with every step. When they finally arrived, Jimin’s stomach dropped as he noticed something strange—the front door to Jungkook’s house was unlocked, slightly ajar.
"Stay behind me, Jae," Jimin instructed as he cautiously pushed the door open. His heart pounded in his chest, dread rising in his throat.
The inside of the house was eerily quiet, which only made Jimin more nervous. "Hyung?" he called out, his voice trembling. There was no response. His eyes scanned the room, everything seemed normal, but the silence was unsettling.
Jimin moved further into the house, his mind racing with all the worst-case scenarios. He reached the hallway leading to Jungkook’s bedroom when he finally spotted him. Jungkook was lying on the bed, but something wasn’t right. His normally energetic and vibrant self seemed completely drained. His face was pale, his eyes half-lidded, and he didn’t respond to Jimin’s call.
"Hyung! What happened to you?" Jimin rushed over, panic seizing him as he dropped to his knees beside the bed. He shook Jungkook gently, trying to rouse him, his heart hammering in his chest.
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"Kookie Appa..."
Jungkook waved both of his hands weakly, signaling for Jimin and Jae to keep their distance. His fever had spiked, and his coughs had become more frequent and harsh. His body ached with every movement, and the last thing he wanted was for Jimin or Jae to catch whatever illness had taken him down. He knew how much Jae loved to be close, but he couldn’t risk either of them getting sick because of him.
