Heartless || •OG• ✔️

Chapter 24 - Jimin

"Jashido."

Ariel's curious eyes darted over to Jimin, his beat up sneakers kicking up dirt as they traversed down the cold land. There was a breeze in the air, clouds covering the sky and making the daylight shift darker and darker by the second. Traveling through grasslands and forests wasn't Jimin's ideal day, but he made it work by keeping to himself with Ariel. He was watching the rear while Charlotte and Ivan took point, guiding the group to their future safe haven. Jimin wasn't sure he believed in the word safe anymore.

"Really? Him?" she asked, and he shrugged, keeping his hands in his pockets to prevent the chill from giving him goosebumps.

"Jashido's badass, okay? He gets the job done."

That was only the truth. Jashido had always been Jimin's favorite character from The Infinite Abyss. He was fierce, but what made him so likable was his charm. He had a sense of humor and a face that eased all worries. Part of Jimin envied that, but he forced that part of himself down.

"No way, he's always screwing up."

"And then he learns from his mistakes," Jimin said, visualizing all the stages of the comic where Jashido was at his lowest before he rose to meet his potential. "That's the point of a character. If they don't have flaws, they're not interesting. They have to have flaws that impact them. A journey. Something to overcome, whether that be physical or mental."

Ariel considered his words for longer than he thought she would. Her lips were pursed, her brunette locks dangling in front of her face. The light was too dim for him to say it was shining on her features, but he could still make out the confusion she felt by staring at the position of her eyes.

By the time she looked at him again, he wasn't expecting her to have a soft smile on her face. It was in direct contrast to the misery following the group around. Kayden was pretending he was okay with standing next to Jericho, and Jericho was the same way. Asa was micromanaging Theo to make sure his injury wouldn't get any worse. Meanwhile, Charlotte was just as stressed as ever. If the eye bags didn't give that away, it was the way she fiddled with her fingers. Maybe she had been hanging out with Jericho too much. Jimin couldn't bear that thought, so he focused on Ariel despite not really wanting to.

"Books, movies, TV shows: if they're all based off people, would you say we're characters too?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Then what's your flaw?"

Okay, he wasn't prepared for that. Jimin nearly tripped, which was something he was prone to, but he managed to regain his balance on the grassy ground. There were few trees on their left, but they were over a dozen feet away. He couldn't use them for support unless he made them go through the woods. That was the last thing they should do. They needed to stay in the open so they had a better view of the area around them. It gave them a better chance if they could see the danger coming before it got there.

Flaws were a funny thing, weren't they? Jimin could list a million flaws. On the other hand, he could list maybe a handful of positive traits. He could count on one hand how many positives he had. And that was about his personality, not his abilities. With his talents included, he had a bit more to work with. Excellent fighter, a manipulator, great at reading people. He sucked ass at hacking though. That was more Kayden's thing. Same with the cars. Jimin, no matter how rich he was, never cared for cars. Not even sports cars.

"I have none," he replied, his lips curling up into a cocky smile. "I'm what's called a Mary Sue."

"That's like when they're perfect, right?" He hummed to confirm it. "You're funny old man, but I know your flaw."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" he asked, although his stomach turned and nipped at his organs as the words passed his lips.

"You're too grumpy." Her nose scrunched up, and he chuckled from the answer. It brought relief to his core, but that relief was shattered right after. "I see you with the others. You smile, laugh, joke, pretend life is fun and okay. But when you're alone or with me, you crack."

"I... crack?"

She nodded, their paces slowing. "You're you."

Those two words should have meant nothing, but they meant everything and more. Ariel probably wasn't aware of that. Actually, that wasn't true. The more likely answer was that she was very aware of what those words would do. That was why she said them. And that was what made her presence even more terrifying to him.

Ariel didn't say anything else. She didn't have to. Jimin fell into his thoughts and hid there as long as he could. The forest on their left was growing larger, which meant they'd likely have to pass through some trees soon. For now, Jimin was naturally shifting toward the grasslands on their right side. The side they were currently on.

A tap of moisture hit his nape, and Jimin froze at that. Seconds later, the others did too. He wasn't sure if it was from the moisture, or from Jimin stopping. It could have been either one.More moisture came, and Jimin held out his hand when he realized what was happening. A pale blob smashed against his skin, his eyes expanding. All of them were in the same position as him. Their hands in front of them, catching the little flakes of snow that pitter-pattered across the sky and down to them.

Ariel had a giant grin on her face. She stuck out her tongue and caught a few, giggling after each one. Jimin watched her closely. Every motion had him ignoring the snow more so he could keep her in his sights. The young girl was bouncing in place, her hands attempting to snatch as many as she could.

Her gaze caught Jimin's, and she swiveled toward him with her bright irises glistening. "I've never been outside when it snowed," she said, sticking her tongue out to take another before she spoke again. "I was never allowed, so I always watched it from my window and imagined what it felt like." She kept bouncing around, Jimin observing the whole process. He swallowed what saliva was left in his mouth, unaware of how his lips were twitching up in a smile that mimicked hers.

"Is it what you imagined?" he asked.

"It's even better."

The tall trees of the forest were becoming covered with moisture, white specs cloaking the bark of them. The grass was the same way. Each blade tickled Jimin's ripped pant leg, saying hello to his bare skin. He ignored the sudden blast of chills he got from that. Ariel's first time in the snow was a far more pressing matter.

Charlotte was ecstatic from the weather change. For the first time since this happened, Jimin saw genuine joy on her face. Her cheeks twisted upwards, Ivan the same way as he brought his eyes to Jimin's. They shared a look that said it all, them dipping their heads to the other.Jimin desired to plop on the damp floor and admire the scenery, but they had to move before they got distracted. Yet he still stayed put. Ariel wasn't done, so he wasn't either. She kept reaching out for more of the flying substance, never disappointed, even when the snowflakes drifted by her grasp.

A bush shaking brought Jimin's attention to the forest. He seemed to be the only one who noticed. Well, Theo did too, but with his bum arm, he wasn't much help. Jimin had his hand on his holstered pistol. It was that action that got Ariel to stiffen and come over. He held an arm up to keep her in place behind him. One by one, the others saw the situation and fell into a silent agreement to have their weapons ready.

The trees were hiding much of the inside. Bushes were too, and there was one that was shivering like Jimin was not long ago. There were bugs on the sides of the wood, birds soaring through the air, critters making their distinct sounds deep within the forest. This was different. The bush shaking was a sign that life was close to them, no matter if it was human or animal.

Numerous seconds ticked away, a pendulum swinging inside Jimin's mind. A twig snapped. Silence. Another twig. Another shake from the bush. Then, a slim figure with four legs trekked out and into their view. It had dark eyes and ears that were on the side of its head, a nose matching its eyes. For a beat, Jimin mistook the animal as a dog because of its front snout resembling one. But no, it was only a deer.

The group relaxed and released their pistols. Jimin followed a millisecond after them. The hooves of the deer were covered in moisture, the white of its belly and face matching the light chestnut shade the rest of its body had. Jimin hadn't seen creatures like deer in far too long. It was like he was visited by a Goddess in the form of a four-legged thing. He almost smiled.

"I've never seen a live animal before," Ariel said, Jimin's blood freezing at that. She came a bit closer, watching the deer munching on the blades beneath it. It didn't give two fucks about their presence. Jimin admired that, if he was being honest.

"Have you ever pet an animal before?" She shook her head. Dammit. He shouldn't, but his body was already moving before his mind could stop him. "You should at least once," he said, then, to Kayden, "Kayden, watch our rear."

"Jimin, what are you doing?" Charlotte asked, but he shushed her out of fear they'd scare the deer away.

He went closer as slowly as he could, directing Ariel to follow him. She did. Ariel was light enough that her footsteps barely made any noise. There were no sounds as they went, the deer keeping itself calm. They were a foot away, but it still didn't seem to mind their presence.

"Don't ever do this again, you shouldn't pet deer," Jimin said, Ariel agreeing without any hesitation. He took her hand and guided it to stroke the side of the deer. It didn't so much as budge. They both laughed, but quietly. Together, they pet the deer.

It was rougher than he expected. Its coat had dark specs on it that came from the snow and its general living conditions. Deer were fascinating animals, weren't they? Dumb enough to jump out in the middle of roads, but they were gorgeous creatures with rich history Jimin wished he took the time to learn.

Ariel backed off, the deer almost nodding at them before it pranced away. Jimin and her chuckled, watching it retreat to where it came from. The moment was over, but Jimin stayed in it for a blink longer than he should have. It was interrupted by Charlotte strolling over, clearing her throat.

"I don't see anyone, but that doesn't mean they aren't around. We should get moving before we give anyone a chance to creep up on us," she said.

Jimin and Ariel went back to the others, him guiding her up front so he could focus on watching their rear. She complained the whole way there, him handing her off to a perplexed Charlotte.

"Why can't I stay in the back with you?" she asked, Jimin shaking her off.

"Stay here with the adults."

"You are an adult."

"They're adultier adults. They'll keep you safe," he said, but she said more words that had him stalling.

"And you won't?"

Flashes of an eye smile filled his vision. It was the smile of a young girl Jimin knew all too well. A young girl who relied on him for protection. Now, she was gone. He would never get to hold her again. In each of his dreams, he saw her. None of them ever came true.

Without answering, he returned to the rear. He was alone at that point. Ariel threw a few glances back at him, but he didn't meet any of them. Charlotte told him to take care of Ariel. To observe her and find out if she was a threat. Ariel wasn't a threat to their operation, their organization, or the rest of the group. Hell, maybe even the world.

But she was Jimin's biggest threat yet.

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