Sempiternal: • Contaminated • || BOOK 3#

24. Another travel companion

"Huh? You're going out?"

"To accompany you. Yoongi asked me. He doesn't have the energy to go out today and in order for you not to go alone, he asked me to go together." replies Taehyung and Jungkook clicks his tongue indiscreetly. "Hey, don't make that face, I'm helping you." argues Taehyung in disgust.

"Don't say it like I asked you to. Yoongi did," grumbles the younger one. "Let's go now. I want to try a new route and we're not going back today."

Taehyung freaks out at this, he had nothing prepared. Although judging by Jungkook's empty backpack, he doesn't plan to bring anything. Just his existence and staying in some apartment somewhere. The taller man moves so naturally on the street that Taehyung becomes envious of him. Being so calm and attentive at the same time, as if this is his world and that's why he's so well off.

They don't talk for hours. Taehyung follows him without argument or question. Keeping the map open with the route they are going to follow. So to the letter that it makes him strange. Did Jungkook have some plan in mind and that's why he's irritated to have company? Jungkook knew Yoongi wouldn't be out today. Not with so much exhaustion from the previous day's continuous running.

There are many suspicious details circulating in his mind.

"Are we going to look for something specific?" asks Taehyung and Jungkook shakes his head.

"Namjoon wants books on whatever. You know he's obsessed with reading. Jin wants calculators and those huge payroll books; as far as I know Hoseok doesn't need anything and Yoongi was looking for a guitar. Hopefully we'll run into one," Jungkook explains roughly and leans back, leaning against the wall that has a huge hole filled with blood on the right. "I just wanted to verify that where we're going, we won't run into anyone."

"Umm... ya..." He squints, not quite believing his plan. It might be a true one. After all, they've talked about it a lot. However, he has a feeling that other than that Jungkook has another plan. "I thought we could look for a botanical store and stuff. Namjoon wants to use the school's greenhouse."

"I know."

The silence between the two is long and awkward. Jungkook dozes, looking for an excuse with which to get Taehyung to take another course and give him a little time to look for communication equipment. Asking Yeou is an option, but he wouldn't want to wait that long. It's barely two weeks since he left, there's still a lot of waiting to do.

Or so it is for Jungkook.

"Is Jimin more important than all of us?"

Jungkook opens his eyes. Taehyung looks up at the slightly cloudless sky, his hands resting on the ground and his head thrown back.

"No." Jungkook replies.

"I don't know if you're lying or just have a strange way of showing it."

"What do you mean?"

"That these days none of us seem to matter to you," notifies Taehyung with distaste and even regret at that. "You hardly talk to us, you don't like spending time around us either, and you resent anything we say to you. All because-"

"When Jimin is here it will be like before," Jungkook states crossing his arms. "And after y'all apologize for believing the worst."

"He may not be there Jungkook. Most likely he is no longer there. Whether he died right or wrong, he's gone" Taehyung remarks sharply, now looking directly at him. "And...truth be told, that's enough for me. It's enough that I don't have anyone in my family, that I lost him, and now I feel like I lost you too."

Jungkook bites the corner of his lips.

"None of you have faith in me," Jungkook retorts. Hurt and in no mood to continue the conversation. "None of you believe me. Even you are treating me like I'm a child. Like I'm fifteen years old."