Never Give Up

Chapter 20

POV: Jimin

The morning after Y/N left, Jimin could feel the loss in the group dynamic. Everyone was lethargic and depressed, which was very stressful to him. Normally, he might have partnered with another maknae to raise spirits, but he didn't have the energy for that either. He spent a lot of time tearing up while curled on the guest bed. Honestly, he was starting to get concerned about his own mental health.

Taehyung walked in and laid next to him. Jimin could only stare at his soulmate. Taehyung opened his arms and Jimin curled into him and the tears continued. They comforted each other and hardly noticed as the rest of the group gathered around them as well. Jimin had never been more grateful that they'd splurged for larger beds in all of the rooms.

Namjoon sighed in Jimin's ear. "Sejin says we need to start practicing for the tour again. He worked with management, but they're threatening to charge us with abandonment of duties."

Yoongi's anger was evident. "Do they even know what's going on? How could they be so insensitive?"

"You know PD-nim has our back, but we didn't give them all the info when we told Sejin about our situation," Jin said calmly. Jimin knew that his eldest partner was only maintaining calm to support the rest of them. "Y/N had insisted... I guess it was a good thing."

"I want her back," Jungkook said brokenly. "I knew she had to return, but it doesn't feel right without her near. I can't focus on anything." Jimin nodded sadly. He had the connection with these partners, but the emptiness he felt without her near was surprising. He wondered how she was doing.

Namjoon sighed and started pulling people up off the bed. "Listen, we have to get active. It doesn't help us, Y/N, or ARMY to allow ourselves to wallow. It isn't as if this is even helping us find her."

"It's only been a day! Can't we have more time?" Hobi asked in a surprisingly angry tone. Even though he was angry, he did allow Namjoon to pull him into a standing position and hug.

Taehyung disentangled himself from Jimin's arms and his face took on a determined cast. "We're acting as if Y/N is dead. She's still out there and Namjoon's right that being maudlin isn't helping us find her. We need a plan."

Namjoon looked at him gratefully. "Exactly, we'll work on our dance routines. Getting our blood pumping will help trigger endorphins which might spark some ideas in our brains." His rah rah attitude completely irritated Jimin, but he knew that their leader was right.

It took the group 30 minutes to get ready to leave. Jimin wondered if Y/N was also going back to work at this point. He did some mental math and realized she might even be sleeping at this point. He wondered what her room looked like and if there would be room for all of them in her bed. Thoughts of her consumed him and he found that he needed tactile contact with his other partners so he didn't completely fall apart. He was grateful that they seemed to have the same need. Time seemed to be flowing differently now as it felt like it took forever but no time to make it to the BigHit office.

As they exited the vans in the parking garage, Ahnjong ran up and clung to Jimin. Her touch made him want to vomit and he desperately tried to push her away. "Jimin! Jimin!" she cried, refusing to allow him to remove her. His soulmates gathered around them, unsure what they could do to help him. "You have to be my soulmate! I love you so much!"

He looked at her with disgust. How is it that this face that I've loved for three weeks is now something I never want to see again? he wondered. "You loved Jungkook just yesterday. Don't you feel you are being too fickle? Why should I even consider you? You lied about your soul mark yesterday!"

She looked up at him with what he was sure she thought was puppy eyes. She just looked crazed to him. "I was just caught up when I woke up in his arms," she said with a high-pitched titter. "But you're so handsome and talented... It has to be you!"