On-Way Passage || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Chapter 54

Seokjin didn't say anything for a long time, as if dumbfounded.

Jimin had a sudden desire to see Taehyung. He then told Seokjin, "Dad, I should get back to work. Why don't you go outside, get some fresh air? Don't stay at home by yourself." After that, he immediately turned away to leave.

"Jimin," Seokjin stopped him in a somewhat urgent tone.

Jimin stopped in his tracks and looked at him.

"Wait for me," Seokjin said after briefly hesitating. "I'm coming to the company with you."

"Ah?" Jimin uttered in surprise.

"I'd like to hang around the laboratory," said Seokjin.

When Jimin came down, Taehyung was on the phone. The man paused for a second and asked Jimin, "Can we go now?"

"Give it another minute." Jimin sported an awkward expression as he pinched his forefinger and thumb together.

Taehyung gave a nod. He turned around and resumed his phone call, but once he hung up, he said "I'll have the driver bring you over. Something came up and I have to leave now."

"Your dad said that he's coming to the company with us," said Jimin.

Taehyung appeared somewhat surprised for a fleeting moment. "Hm?"

Jimin approached him and whispered, "I guess he's just lonely after his breakup. He doesn't want to be alone."

Taehyung nodded when he heard that and said, "Wait for the driver to get here, he'll take you two to the company."

"Okay," Jimin obediently agreed.

Taehyung drove away in his own car.

Because Seokjin was still upstairs, Jimin sat in the living room, bored stiff, and waited for him alone.

A few moments later, he saw Aunt Lee wheeling Ju-yoon out of his bedroom. She greeted him as she passed through the living room on her way to the garden.

Ju-yoon looked completely incognisant in his wheelchair, his condition worse off than before. The sight of him was barely bearable to Jimin's eyes.

Aunt Lee retreated inside after positioning Ju-yoon's wheelchair in the sun, telling Jimin that Ju-yoon generally stayed alone in the garden every morning for some fresh air, and that she would head back in to tidy up his room.

Jimin stood at the doorway, watching Ju-yoon.

Before ten minutes could go by, Hoseok's car pulled up at the Kim house.

Jimin had never thought that he'd be seeing Hoseok at this hour. When the two men spotted each other, they exchanged greetings, and Jimin said, "Yoongi's already left for work."

It was clear that Hoseok hadn't expected to run into Jimin. "I know," he answered with a nod. Then, in an uneasy tone, he added, "I'm here to check on Ju-yoon."

"Oh," was Jimin's response.

Without even setting foot inside the house, Hoseok turned and made his way to the garden.

Slightly perplexed, Jimin pondered what Hoseok meant; since he knew that Yoongi had already left, did that mean he was purposefully taking advantage of Yoongi's absence to pay a visit to Ju-yoon?

Curiosity piqued, Jimin couldn't resist the urge to go and see what Hoseok and Ju-yoon were up to, but he was too ashamed to go to the garden and spent a long time finding the right spot to peep at them from the dining room instead. Through the window, he could just manage to see Hoseok and Ju-yoon outside.