In Retrospect - Jikook

Chapter Eleven: Poetic Lies

"Hoseok." Jimin said, catching Jung Hoseok, right hand to The Kims, by the forearm with in a the Gala halls. Hoseok's suit was loud. He wore a brown oversized suit jacket with a deep emerald shirt underneath. It was why Jimin wasn't fully sure it was him when he'd noticed his frame earlier from the back - it was swallowed by his clothes. Seeing him now, Jimin had no ide how he could have mistaken him. Hoseok had always been the louder one between the two of them. Louder fashion, louder laugh, louder smile. Jimin pushed right past Hwasa from The Parks to get to him, his heart hammering in his chest.

"How are you here?" Jimin asked, surprised by the panic in his voice.

"Just follow me." Hoseok said under his breath, weaving through the crowd and waving off the servers with wine trays. They reached the elevator and Jimin followed him inside, staring at Hoseok as the doors closed. Jimin's head was ringing; it was impossible not to imagine the walls crushing them. Hoseok smelled like Busan. Like sand and salt and rain. The scent choked him, like his lungs were inhaling cigarette smoke that he couldn't cough up.

The doors opened and Jimin followed Hoseok towards a staff exit. They pushed the heavy steel door open and single white lamp above them flickered as they entered a half empty parking lot. Without the paparazzi screaming at them for photos, Jimin realized just how quiet it was outside.

The city felt dead around him.

"Hoseok, what's going on? I've been here for almost five months with no word from any of you. Then what, you guys send a letter and now show up here? I don't understand the play here." Jimin said, ignoring the pull to look back at the skyscraper behind him where he'd left Jungkook. He knew better than to turn his back on a Kim.

Hoseok turned around and the light flickered across his strong features. "What? What letter?" He said, brows furrowing on his long face. He looked exhausted, Jimin thought. Not different than he looked before, but it was strange to see someone so torn down after spending so many months with people who looked the opposite.

"What do you mean 'what letter?'" Jimin snapped back, still waiting for the catch. What was this? Some test?

Jimin wished he had his knives. Without really thinking about it, he searched for Hoseok's weak spots in front of him. His neck was bare but his wrists were covered by the heavy suit. If Hoseok was smart, he could use the suit to swallow any impact thrown from Jimin. Hoseok was larger and had more muscle, but Jimin was faster. His best bet wouldn't be to fight hand to hand, he'd need to either find a substitute for a knife or find a way to get that suit jacket off of Hoseok and use it to strangle him.

Hoseok frowned. He stared at Jimin's focus and Jimin blinked his instinctual thoughts away. Neither Hoseok or Taehyung had ever seen him work on the field, not directly, at least. But he knew neither had ever been analyzed by Jimin in such a way either. Jimin wasn't exactly obvious about it, but something in the air shifted between them and Hoseok seemed to take note of it.

"Jimin, we didn't send anything." Hoseok repeated. "We got reports that you infiltrated The Jeons ranks and assumed we'd find you here. It's a smarter place to meet than on Jeon territory. We needed to talk to you."

Jimin noddded, dropping the topic. He wasn't convinced The Kims didn't send the letter, just that there was a possibility Hoseok had nothing to do with it.

"Look, before anything happens, I just want to-" Jimin ran a hand through his hair "- I never got to thank you for what you did in Busan. For warning me."

"Are you out of your mind?" Hoseok cut Jimin off in a hushed voice, shoving him to the ground as he looked around to make sure nobody heard him. "The Don's here. You could get me fucking killed. Don't say anything about me so much as talking to you in Busan or he'll replace both of us. I don't know what is up with you but fix it - fast."