On-Way Passage || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Chapter 3

The atmosphere in the room seemed to stagnate.

After Taehyung spoke, his expression thawed minutely. He sat on the sofa with his back straight, eyes on Jimin.

Jimin was still processing his words. "You're lying to me, aren't you?" he said.

"Why would I lie to you," said Taehyung.

No one would ever lie about such a thing-Jimin shortly realised after his knee-jerk denial. He curled his legs, lowered his head, and pressed his forehead to his knees. The news of his grandpa's death arrived without warning, hitting him completely unprepared, and moments passed before his sorrow overshadowed his fear.

Jimin lifted the covers to get down from the bed, wanting no more than to go back home and see whether his grandpa was still alive in person, but before he could, tears streamed down his face unbidden.

He wept soundlessly, his head buried, not wanting to be seen by Taehyung.

Yet between one second and the next, Taehyung had already walked up to the bed and lightly touched his back. Though the Alpha's demeanour had an unchanging indifference, his palm was a warm weight through the thin hospital gown on Jimin's back.

At this point in time, Jimin was in no mood to avoid him. His eyes were open but his mind was filled with nothing but his grandpa. On the winter vacation of his second year of university, Jimin had gotten a part time job, and he'd only rushed home right before the New Year. At the time, he'd always thought he'd be able to see his grandpa as long as he went home anyway. And yet unexpectedly, he'd been informed of his grandpa's death the moment he awoke from a car accident.

It wasn't until Jimin registered Taehyung's palm on his bony, emaciated shoulderblades did he slightly recover his senses and turn to the side, visibly avoiding his touch.

Taehyungs's palm met empty air. He stared at Jimin for a moment then silently retracted his hand.

To fill the awkward silence, Jimin said, "Thank you. I'm fine."

Taehyung turned and walked to the doorway. He grabbed his coat that had been draped over the back of the sofa during lunch and coldly said, "Something came up at the company. I have to get going."

"Oh," said Jimin. As he watched Taehyung head out, something occurred to him and he hurriedly shouted, "Hey!"

Taehyung stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Jimin, his jaw slightly raised. His face was almost blank of emotion.

Jimin could only ask cautiously, "Have you seen my phone?"

Taehyung said, "It broke."

"It broke?"

"In your car accident." Taehyung's grip remained on the door handle for a few seconds. Upon seeing that Jimin had nothing else to say, he immediately stepped out of the room.

That afternoon, Cha Eun woo came by to accompany Jimin for a while.

Jimin seemed down. After listening to Eun woo's remarks about his condition, he suddenly asked, "Do you know how my grandpa's been doing?"

Jimin had no parents. His grandpa had been the one to raise him since he was a child. Most of his senior high school classmates were aware of this, but too many years had passed, and Jimin's question stumped Eun woo. "I don't," he said. "We didn't keep in touch after graduation. I only met you again because you were hospitalised."

"From this car accident?"

Eun woo nodded.

"Was I the one behind the wheel?"