Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Thirty-sixth -

Taehyung opened the door to the hotel room with a flick of his shoulder, the wood creaking slightly under the pressure. The place was far from a palace, with its faded walls and worn carpet, but it would do for the few days they needed for their mission. The vaguely unpleasant smell of dust mixed with that of cheap cleaning products greeted them, but no one paid any attention to it. Logan, with his usual distrust, glanced around the room quickly, holding back a slight grunt. He'd been through a lot worse, but after the comforts of the Institute, it was hard to go back to basics.

Jimin stretched like a feline with a sigh of relief, before dropping onto the nearest bed, enjoying this moment of respite. He tested the mattress a little, but of course it was as hard as concrete. He glanced at Yoongi who, as usual, showed no emotion whatsoever. He was standing by the window, silently observing the street leading to the hotel, as if looking for the slightest suspicious detail.

Hoseok, still in good spirits despite the fatigue of his journey, put his bag down in a corner before sprawling out on one of the armchairs in the room, instinctively reaching for the restaurant menu. As for Taehyung, he just put his things down by the door, his face drained of emotion.

The atmosphere was tense, with no one daring to say a word. Taehyung's bad mood was so intense that they could almost feel it floating in the air. Honestly, they hadn't expected to meet Jungkook so soon. They suspected it would happen eventually, but not so quickly. Nobody had prepared for it. Especially Taehyung.

The heavy silence in the room was becoming almost unbearable, punctuated only by the light rustle of the paper Hoseok was absent-mindedly leafing through. Taehyung ran a trembling hand through his hair, staring at the floor. His thoughts were still swirling around that unexpected meeting with the Cajun. He felt a dull ache pierce his heart, every memory of that exchange burning like a raw wound. But he refused to let himself go in front of the others. He'd spent the last year healing his wounds, and they'd all seen him at his worst. He didn't want that to continue. He'd built himself a shell, a solid protection; it mustn't break now, when he'd only exchanged a few words with Jungkook.

Taking a deep breath, he sat up abruptly, attracting the attention of his friends, who tensed involuntarily.

"Logan, can you come here please? I'd like to talk to you about what's next."

His voice was firm, barely betraying the tremor that threatened to crack it. Logan looked up, nodding without question. He knew Taehyung well enough to understand that he needed space, and a little distraction.

Without another word, Taehyung left the room, Logan on his heels. They found themselves in the deserted hotel corridor, their footsteps echoing in the heavy silence. Once they were out of earshot of the others, Taehyung leaned against the wall, his façade of control cracking a little. He took a long breath, trying to regain his composure.

The silence of the corridor was even more oppressive than that of the room. Taehyung leaned against the wall for a moment, breathing deeply to calm the tumult of his emotions. His hands were shaking and he had to fight the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. The encounter with Jungkook, so sudden and unexpected, had shaken him more than he cared to admit. Finally, he looked up at Logan, who was waiting without saying a word, his expression as impenetrable as ever.

"So, you had enough time to sniff something out?" asked the young man, preferring to guide the conversation before his friend decided to speak about the Cajun.

Logan nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I could pick up a few things."

He paused, as if searching for the right words.