The Earthquake of 2016 | A BTS Story

Meeting: J.J.

Jeongguk was outside jogging, the cold morning air blowing against his face, causing his cheeks to blush. The cold air helped clear his head when he started to hear voices.

Schizophrenia led Jeongguk to insomnia, and running at six in the morning was the hardest thing for him to do. He currently hasn't slept in two days, and he was definitely feeling the after affects.

Stopping at the corner of his block, he placed his hands on his knees, panting for oxygen to fill his lungs. He was sweating and it felt like his knees would collapse at any moment. No sleep also left him constantly worn out and exhausted, he pushed himself almost every day. He had to. The only way he could fall asleep without hearing voices and having hallucinations, was to pass out from exhaustion.

Jeongguk felt the familiar feeling of utter exhaustion. He sat down on the cold concrete, the sun struggling to rise over the horizon. Jeongguk rested his head on the telephone pole, his body shaking from tiredness and the cold.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jeongguk heard someone ask him. He opened his eyes and saw a stunningly handsome man standing over him. He nodded. "Are you sure? You don't look too good..." The stranger crouched down to be level with him. "You look familiar..." He mumbled. Jeongguk thought he looked familiar as well.

"Were you at Lim's Petals at the time of the earthquake a few days ago?" The man asked. Jeongguk nodded. "Were you the one in the gray hoodie?" He asked. Again, Jeongguk nodded. "I'm Taehyung, Kim. I've been trying to find the men who were in the shop but you're the only one I've found...I can feel something inside me telling me to find all of you...oh, here- have some water. You look rough." Taehyung handed Jeongguk a water bottle, but Jeongguk refused. "I'm fine, thank you." He shook his head. "No, really, I insist." Taehyung sat down next to him.

Jeongguk took it from him and drank a little more than intended.

"Thank you..." He sighed, handing it back. "You can have it..." Taehyung trailed off. "Jeongguk...Jeon." He answered. "You can have it, Jeongguk. I have more, don't worry." Taehyung smiled. Jeongguk chugged the rest of the water.

"Pardon me for being rude, I haven't slept in two days...insomnia." He closed his eyes.

'You have to be good, we're watching you.'

'We're always going to be here, watching...'

'You should ask him out.'

"What?"

'Just around the corner there's a high bridge to jump off of.'

'We're watching, be good.'

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked Jeongguk when he started mumbling to himself. Jeongguk snapped out of the whispering voices, he started feeling small and overwhelmed. "Yeah, sorry." He shook his head. "Did I say anything?" He asked him. Taehyung felt awkward. "I'm not sure...you were quiet. I'm sorry." He told him. "Okay."

"Here, I have to go to work, let me have your number." Taehyung got out his phone. Jeongguk got out his and they exchanged numbers.

"Have good luck at work." Jeongguk wished him. "Thanks. Get some sleep, it's important." Taehyung stood up, and walked off.

"Yeah...sleep..."

Jeongguk stood up and began to walk again, eventually pushing himself to run.

As traffic increased so did people on the street. As Jeongguk turned the corner, he crashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Jeongguk couldn't breathe. He was panting so hard and so exhausted, the only reason he kept running was because he didn't stop.

"Hey, are you okay?" The male knelt down, as Jeongguk relaxed against the wall of the closest building. "Oh, sorry, you must be on a morning run- I should've been careful, sorry for running into you." His eyes suddenly widened. "Hey, I know you!" He smiled.

Jeongguk whimpered. He was about to pass out. Sleep was close.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" The boy asked. Jeongguk was too tired to speak. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think he's from the flower shop." Jimin nodded to Seokjin. The dehydrated boy laid passed out in the hospital bed. "Yes, I think I saw him too. We'll have to wait until he wakes up...it's weird we've met three in a hospital." Seokjin told him. "Well, I was impaled and Yoongi hyung has a condition. He passed out." Jimin told him.

Suddenly, the boy woke up. Groaning, he opened his eyes. "Oh, hi there." Jimin gently took his hand. The boy looked confused. "Where...who are you?" He asked. "I'm Park Jimin, and this is my Seokjin hyung." Jimin introduced them. "I bumped into you in the street and you passed out. You're in the hospital now, I didn't know what else to do." He explained.

"Seokjin..." Jeongguk remembered the name. Oddly... "Kim?" He turned to Seokjin. "Mhm. Were you at Lim's Petals-" "I was...you saved me." Jeongguk nodded. "Jeongguk. Jeon..." He introduced himself. "Can I call you J.J.?" Jimin giggled. "No." Jeongguk shook his head.

"Sorry. Well, you're here because you were really dehydrated and malnourished. I wanted to help." Jimin further explained to him. Jeongguk rubbed his head. "Yeah, I know..." He mumbled.

"I don't mean to be rude, but do you have a health condition or mental illness?" Seokjin asked, sitting down. "No, I just forget to drink water before and during my runs." Jeongguk lied, easily.

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."