LOST STARS

Chapter 16

Jungkook regained consciousness after 40 minutes but remained groggy. His vision shifted to the side, and he noticed an upside-down Taehyung. Taehyung, on the other hand, was clearly not as taken with the scenery, emotions, or fireflies as Jungkook was. Taehyung devised his perfect plan just a few hours ago. To kidnap Jungkook and demand a ransom from his relatives. It passed, even though many things did not go as planned. But here they were, with Jungkook lying in the back of his van and no one following them.

It was now up to Taehyung to take the second step. To contact or send a message to Jungkook's parents, correct? Ideally, that is what he should be doing.
Instead, he shifted slightly, turned the corner of his beanie, and released a firefly. If Taehyung's goal was to gain attention, he had Jungkook's full attention. Jungkook, who was silent, wide-eyed, and looking around, turned his full attention to Taehyung.

Then a second firefly appeared from one of his pockets, followed by a third from the cuff of his sleeve, and then a fourth, fifth, and sixth. It was as if he was attempting to construct a world for Jungkook to focus on. He completed the magic by creating large, soapy bubbles around each of the fireflies. Once Taehyung was certain that he was Jungkook's focal point, he turned and began to walk a little, towards the estate road, out of the trees.
Jungkook quickly turned on his stomach, trying to figure out what Taehyung was doing. After a minute or two of batting his eyelids and fiercely chewing on his lower lip, he realized Taehyung was walking away.

Jungkook stepped gingerly out of the van, attempting to regain his footing on the uneven ground. At that point, it appeared that his trust in Taehyung outweighed his trust in the ground beneath him.
Also, it is incorrect to assume that Taehyung simply walked away because he checked his peripheral vision to ensure that Jungkook was following him safely. He took the next step after the wide-eyed boy behind him had taken one step.

They arrived at his house after some falls and bumps along the way, with Taehyung walking a few feet behind Jungkook. However, as Taehyung unlocked the door to the house, he noticed Jungkook hesitating. It didn't take him long to figure this out, but what surprised me was how instinctively he seemed to know his way around it.
When the lock opened, he slammed his face against the door. Deliberately. What happened for the next one to one and a half minutes was pure shenanigans. Jungkook responded to the same tricks he used on kids on the street or people who were sad around him. He gave a small smile. It was so faint and small that anyone else would have missed it, but not Taehyung. Taehyung entered the house, leaving the door open behind him, allowing him to take his time. Jungkook soon entered.

Taehyung was certain that Jungkook had been kidnapped late last evening, and who knows if those people gave him anything to eat or drink. His initial instinct was to feed him. He went to the kitchen to find something to eat, but he had been lost for the previous two days because there was no prepared food. However, he did find some milk. He prayed that Jungkook understood as he gestured to him, to the best of his ability, that he would bring him something.

Jungkook shouted, "Aehyun," as Taehyung turned around. It was extremely monotonous, almost robotic. Thankfully, Taehyung kept checking on Jungkook. He could tell Jungkook was calling out to someone or for someone. Taehyung took 2-3 long steps back to stand in front of Jungkook. Jungkook blurted out, "Pee, need to pee." His words remained staccato and jerky. Jungkook also raised his pinky finger, as if someone had taught him to do so, and Taehyung immediately understood what he was saying.

Unfortunately, the bathroom was on the backside and outside the house, with a few steps down and then back up. Taehyung knew it had to be wet by now because of the dew drops. Taehyung instinctively grabbed Jungkook's hand and led him safely to the toilet. But the speed with which Jungkook pulled his hand back was not amusing. Taehyung was surprised because he had never seen him react so quickly before. When he realized Jungkook didn't like the touch, he had to maneuver again.

Taehyung slid his hands into one of his pockets and pulled the cloth inside out. The long pockets were not useful for keeping cash in the bank, but they did help to provide Jungkook with the necessary support beyond the physical realm. Jungkook didn't hesitate before pinching the cloth between his index finger and thumb. As they walked out, the neighborhood's musical instrument was turned on. The music always seemed to reflect Taehyung's mood. Today, it played a soft piano instrumental. Although Taehyung couldn't hear it, music was always present in his life. They stumbled across the steps, and some water drums were kept outside. Taehyung pointed to the toilet door, indicating Jungkook to leave, but Jungkook stood there. He was shuffling his weight between his feet at a fast pace.

Taehyung clapped, attempting to shake Jungkook out of it. Jungkook did not move but instead did something that made Taehyung take a half-step back.

Jungkook pulled his T-shirt up without hesitation, revealing half of his torso. Taehyung paused, blinked, and sighed. He knew exactly what Jungkook needed. He wanted the shorts string untied. Taehyung tried to look away as he nudged Jungkook inside the bathroom, but just as he was about to close the door, Jungkook made some hyper movements again, and Taehyung couldn't hear him shouting, "No, no, no." Do not close."

Taehyung stood guard outside the bathroom's open door and carried Jungkook in the same manner, holding the pocket cloth. The music playing outside made Jungkook feel better, and Taehyung's priority was to get something into Jungkook's stomach. As he extended the glass of warm milk to Jungkook, the reclusive boy took a step back. Maybe Jungkook didn't realize he was hungry, was too groggy from being unconscious all day, was skeptical, or was simply scared. Taehyung returned to what he did best: his infectious, charming smile and miming. Jungkook blinked a few times before accepting the glass of milk.

Jungkook made it to the mezzanine floor bed after some more slow moments and Taehyung's shenanigans. Taehyung decided to act as if he had slept so that Jungkook could sleep as well. He planned to get up and initiate his second phase.

However, as Jungkook lay there looking at the ceiling, he kept looking at Taehyung out of the corner of his eye. He soon turned to the side to face Taehyung. In a few moments, he scooted closer and locked his pinky with Taehyung's, and whatever Taehyung's plans were, he would have to wait until morning.