VMIN / THE GUTTER

10

"Taehyung."

The boy snaps his head up, eyes wide, instantly recognising the voice that's riding on the wind's back, curling its way to his ears. Pulling off his headphones, he turns to see Kim Namjoon meandering toward him, crunching his way through the forest. It's a warm evening, just as all the others have been, and Taehyung had just finished his final exam for history, and the freedom he feels at never having to look at the subject again, is instantly overrun by joy as he sees Namjoon wandering over to him.

"Joon!" He cries, running over the hard mud, and stomping his boots against the ground, coming to greet the ghost, who's face is as beautiful as it must have been in life. He's one of the few ghosts Taehyung's come across who has the honour of changing his clothes, so every-time he graces the boy with his presence, he's bedecked in a different coloured turtle neck. It's always a turtleneck, as he's clearly trying to hide various abrasions of his skin. Today, it's grey, and it compliments his sultry, light hair, and his deeply imprinted dimples. And Taehyung wraps his arms around those grey muscles, hugging the being close to him.

Namjoon laughs, and pats the boy on the head, grinning from ear to ear, as usual. "Been a long time, huh?"

Taehyung nods his head ferociously. "Fuck, yeah, I can hardly remember the last time I saw you."

"I remember." Namjoon informs him. "You were crying and telling me I shouldn't leave. It was about two years ago today."

The boy grins at him, letting him go, so as to take in his obviously unchanged appearance. "Oh yeah. That was a mistake. My life's been great since you've been gone."

"Has it now?" He raises a brow and gestures avidly to Taehyung's still bruised face. "Hoseok said you got into some trouble."

Taehyung thinks that's definitely putting it lightly, but he nods along and agrees anyway, because he knows what Namjoon means. He groans out exasperatedly, and informs him, "some kids thought I should be taught a lesson." He looks down at the ground, at the spot they currently occupy and he says, "actually, it was probably around here."

"School boys are pernicious." He claims, shaking his head, and Taehyung nods in silent agreement. Namjoon's eyes go a little narrower as he says, "you seem okay, though."

Taehyung sways on the balls of his feet and shrugs, confidently telling him, "I've dealt with pernicious all my life."

Namjoon nods and chuckles, evidently agreeing. His face turns serious in a second, and it's a wicked sort of thing, the way he manages to change the entire atmosphere in split seconds, just by the tones of his facial codes, or the jaggedness of his voice. "But, that's not why Hoseok brought me back."

The boy shakes his head softly, understanding exactly why Namjoon was back. Sighing, he suddenly questions, "how was your trip, by the way? You don't seem to have found what you were looking for."

"What makes you say that?"

Taehyung rolls his eyes, and plainly states, "well, you're still here."

Namjoon can't argue with that so, instead, he promptly continues, "don't change the subject. Hoseok tells me he's back."

And the boy can do nothing but bite his lip as he nods his head and lets his fear fall from his water drop eyes, gently informing, "he's gotten so much worse."

&&&

When Jimin returns home, the house is quiet. He surmises the twins are out at a football match with the rest of the family, and so he can walk silently through the kitchen, finding a hastily written note from his mother: back late, dinner in fridge. it's your turn. And Jimin scrunches it and chucks it in the bin. The house smells like food, and he sighs in relief as he finds two servings of hobakjuk in the fridge, just as his mother had suggested. In truth, he couldn't bring himself to make anything — the day was growing grey hairs and skins of time were beginning to wrinkle, as the ventures of the night cast over him.