Survival Instinct // Namkook

chapter 25 - holding onto the light

As they got the jeep rolling again, Jungkook settled back into the driver’s seat with a sigh of relief. The brief hiccup with the engine seemed to be resolved, and the open road stretched ahead of them. Jungkook couldn’t help but feel a sense of freedom behind the wheel, something he hadn’t felt in years. The silence weighed on him, though, just as it had before. Without thinking too much about it, he began to sing again—a soft, melodic tune that seemed to soothe not only him but the tense atmosphere around them.

J-Hope, sitting in the back, listened in silence at first. His jittery energy seemed to calm, his eyes flicking between the road ahead and the trees passing by outside. Slowly, a small smile tugged at his lips as he leaned forward a bit.

“Your voice…” J-Hope spoke up softly, almost as if he was afraid to break the magic of the moment. “It’s… it’s really beautiful.”

Jungkook glanced at him through the rearview mirror, caught off guard by the compliment. He wasn’t used to hearing praise from strangers these days, especially after everything that had happened. And to add to that Namjoon wasn't one to let him in on his thoughts. But the genuine tone in J-Hope’s voice made him smile.

“Thanks,” Jungkook replied, his voice warm with appreciation. “I used to sing a lot, you know, before everything fell apart. It’s kinda funny how some things just stick with you.”

J-Hope nodded enthusiastically, his earlier nervousness fading slightly as the conversation continued. “I can tell! It’s like… you didn’t lose that part of yourself. I wish I could do something like that. I mean, I used to be kinda energetic, you know? Always bouncing around, trying to cheer people up.” He paused, his smile faltering briefly as he remembered the harsh reality they were living in. “But I guess that doesn’t really help much now, huh?”

Jungkook glanced back again, noticing the genuine warmth in J-Hope’s expression. For the first time, he was seeing a different side of the man who had once held him at gunpoint. Beneath all that fear and anxiety, J-Hope had a vibrant, almost infectious energy—a spark of optimism that hadn’t been completely snuffed out by the world’s collapse.

“I don’t know,” Jungkook said thoughtfully. “I think it still helps. It’s… refreshing, actually. People forget how to be kind, or even just themselves, when things get this bad. But if you can still smile, that’s something. It’s important.”

J-Hope’s grin widened, and for the first time since they had encountered him, there was a brightness in his eyes that outshone the fear. “You think so?” he asked, his voice a little louder now, more confident. “I mean, I guess I do try to stay positive. It’s just… hard sometimes, you know? When everything around you is so dark.”

Jungkook nodded, completely understanding. “Yeah, it’s hard. But I think that’s why it’s worth something. Holding onto a little light when it feels like there’s none left.”

J-Hope chuckled softly, leaning back against his seat. “I like that. Holding onto the light. Maybe we can both try to do that, huh?”

The two of them exchanged a glance, and Jungkook could see the real person behind J-Hope’s earlier bravado and fear. He was cheery, hopeful even, despite the circumstances. It was a side of him that seemed to appear whenever he let go of the fear for just a moment.

The jeep rumbled along the dirt road, and Jungkook started singing again, feeling a little more comfortable now with the light conversation breaking up the silence. As his voice filled the space between them, J-Hope tapped his foot along to the rhythm, and Jungkook couldn’t help but smile to himself. Despite everything, this moment—however brief—felt almost normal. It felt good.

And for a while, at least, the fear and uncertainty seemed to fade into the background.

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Ouuuu do I see a friendship forming?
(⁠/⁠^⁠-⁠^*)/