Last Steps // Kim Seokjin

• 3 the hope •

☽ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ☾

ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇ

*𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐒𝐔'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕*

I was sitting on the dusty internal windowsill, looking outside where the night had fallen. I couldn't see much from here, only a glimpse of the filthy quarantine area. I breathed, trying to imagine what life was like outside those huge barriers.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" The husky voice behind me asked. I thought he was sleeping but, somehow, he didn't scare me. To be honest, I didn't think I could feel anything else except anger lately. I was becoming numb... 

"Nightmares. As always..." I whispered the last words and I was pretty sure he didn't hear them, but he didn't bother to make me repeat them.

"I have nightmares too," he said absent-mindedly but it seemed like he wanted to empathy my misery. I didn't need his empathy, I didn't need his words. I didn't need him.

I sighed. I didn't bother to start arguing with the half-sleeping man. My eyelids felt heavy too but my brain didn't seem to leave me enough peace to rest.

"What are you thinking about?" He switched from lying to sitting position on the couch, without even looking at me.

"How life is outside." I hadn't really been out of this place (Seoul's quarantine area) for years, I absolutely needed fresh air, I needed non-polluted wind dancing with my hair, and a blue sky above me free from smoke coming from explosions. It was almost every day like now to fear for your life even inside of the barriers. I've been outside once tho, a few weeks ago, it turned out badly because of the infected ones. I wanted now to see further, the real outside world.

Before any of us could say anything else, the door busted open which made both of us turn our heads. Naomi and the other man finally came back.

"It's huge, hyung." The other man just nodded his head in understanding, now wide awake, and stood up.

"We're going." I knew this was meant for me but he didn't even bother looking into my eyes while speaking to me, it infuriated me how disrespectful he was to me.

I knew he must have gone through horrendous things, Naomi told me a bit about him, but I had too. Nothing would excuse his behavior, he was rude and ill-mannered, it made my blood boil, and I knew it was only the begging. Instead of nourishing my disdain toward him, I had to ignore him if I didn't want to commit an unnecessary murder.

I wouldn't have to deal with him for long anyway. We just had to join the Plurisy and then I was free of them. I kept remembering why I was doing this...

Naomi noticed that I was lost in my thoughts, not following the already gone two men.

She sighed and spoke up, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I know it won't be easy. And they don't seem like two sweethearts. But-"

"-I have to do this. Yes, I know." I looked down at my hands while Naomi tried to smile reassuringly.

"I only explained to them that you have to find the rest of the Plurisy," she nodded at her own words knowingly. "You'll be fine."

I bit my lip and stood up. I didn't know her for long, three weeks to be exact, but I was still sad I had to leave her behind. To be honest, Naomi was the only one I had left. I had no family, and no friends anymore...

Before I could go, she grabbed my arm.

"He'd be proud of you." A stinging pain pierced my chest at the mention of him. A knot formed in my throat. I missed him...