Survival Instinct // Namkook

chapter 37 - peaceful and quiet

J-Hope couldn’t quite believe it. As they were released from the prison and brought upstairs, he felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. The tightness in his chest that had been there since he was first captured began to ease. It felt surreal—they had actually been offered a place to stay. Not tossed out into the streets or left to fend for themselves, but given a room in the very city that only hours ago had felt like a death sentence. He hadn’t expected it to go this well.

He glanced at Namjoon and Jungkook, the two men who had unknowingly become his lifeline. Sticking with them had been the best decision he’d made since the start of this apocalyptic nightmare. If it wasn’t for them, he knew he’d likely still be out there on his own, scavenging, hiding, and surviving day by day with no real plan or future. But now? Now, there was a sense of stability—a sliver of hope, ironically enough.

J-Hope snuck another look at Jungkook, who had practically thrown himself into Namjoon’s arms the moment they were freed. The younger man clung to Namjoon like he was his anchor, his protector in this harsh world. J-Hope had noticed it before, but now it was even more obvious. The way Jungkook looked at Namjoon, the relief that washed over him every time Namjoon reassured him—it was more than just survival instincts. There was something deeper there, something J-Hope couldn’t quite put his finger on yet.

Is he...in love with him? J-Hope wondered silently, watching how Jungkook stayed close to Namjoon even as they were led upstairs. It was subtle, but the way Jungkook’s eyes softened whenever Namjoon spoke, the way he leaned into his touch—it was hard to miss. J-Hope made a mental note to ask Jungkook about it one day, maybe once things settled down and they had time to talk. It wasn’t really his business, but curiosity tugged at him. If anything, it could help him understand the dynamic between the two a little better.

As they entered the small room, J-Hope felt a wave of gratitude wash over him again. He owed a lot to these two, especially Jungkook. Without him stepping in back when Namjoon had been ready to put a bullet in his head, he wouldn’t be standing here now. Jungkook’s kindness had saved him, and it was a debt he wasn’t likely to forget.

He sat down on one of the mattresses, running a hand through his hair and sighing quietly. His mind wandered as he thought about his situation—about whether or not he could really trust these two. They had spared his life, that much was true, but trust in this world was a fragile thing. Still, they seemed different from the people he had run into before. Namjoon was tough, sure, but there was something about him, something beneath the surface that he could see glimpses of. Jungkook, on the other hand, was kind—maybe too kind for this world. And J-Hope didn’t want to take advantage of that. He wanted to repay that kindness.

That thought led him to consider something else. Should he tell them his real name? Up until now, they had only known him as “J-Hope,” the nickname he had clung to after the world fell apart. It had been a shield of sorts, a way to separate himself from his old life, from the person he used to be. But if he really wanted to build trust with these two, maybe it was time to let that part of him go. Maybe it was time to tell them his real name—to let them see a bit more of who he really was.

He glanced at Namjoon, who seemed lost in thought, and then at Jungkook, who looked equally tired but relieved. J-Hope wasn’t sure when the right time would be, but he made a promise to himself that if things kept going well, he’d tell them. He wanted to start fresh, to find something close to friendship again in this broken world. And maybe, just maybe, these two were the people who could give him that chance.

For now, though, he kept quiet, leaning back against the wall and letting the exhaustion of the day wash over him. There would be time to think about all of this later. Right now, he was just grateful to be alive and to have a roof over his head, even if it was only for the night.

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A deeper look into Hobi's thoughts <3