Underneath The Surface (JiKook)

Chapter 8

The two boys stood in silence. The corridor was quiet, the only thing heard was the muffled stomping of boots on hard ground.

Jimin swallowed, shifting his gaze to the other side of the hallway again. He opened his mouth to talk but closed it again, apparently deciding that whatever he was going to say wasn't worth it.

Suddenly Jimin kicked himself off of his leaning position on the wall, walking away from Jungkook down the hallway. He bowed his head and shoved his hands in his pockets as he left, not once looking back. Jungkook stared earnestly at his friend's back. He could see Jimin's muscles shifting through the black sweater.

Jungkook frowned as Jimin finally left his sight. What kind of thoughts were those, what with the events that just occurred? He shook his head, deciding to leave Jimin alone and walked back to the bunker.

The others didn't say anything to him as he came back through the door. A couple of them looked up from their books and other entertainment and nodded at him, simply acknowledging that he was even in the room.

They didn't ask about Jimin, either. Do they know?

Jungkook plopped down on his bed and stared longingly at the ceiling. Whatever was happening with Jimin, even if it wasn't his business, he had to get to the bottom of it. Numbing the pain would do nothing in the long term.

Although Jungkook didn't even know what Jimin was cutting about or for, he knew that he had to get him to stop.

Jungkook scrunched his eyes closed. He was going to go find Jimin if he didn't come back in at least fifteen minutes.

15 minutes.

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1 minute.

Jungkook lifted himself off of the mattress and pulled on a plain white T-shirt instead of his military clothes. He wore the sweatpants provided and didn't bother to say goodbye to the others before leaving.

Jungkook headed back to the showers, seeing as how that was the last place he had seen Jimin. No one stood outside. What was I even expecting.

Jungkook stood there for a bit before heading off down the hallway in the direction Jimin had gone in hopes of finding him.

As Jungkook rounded the corner and saw the hall his roommate had gone down he realized it wasn't worth it. He still didn't know the layout of this place and didn't want to get lost again. He didn't think Jimin would be there to help him again.

The hallways were quiet as Jungkook strolled up and down them. He made sure to always know where he was in the building and locate familiar landmarks so he wouldn't get lost.

Pretty soon Jungkook found himself back at the showers. He sighed, pushing the door open. He didn't know why he was even going in. There wasn't much of a point, right?

The drip drop of water hitting the cold linoleum was the only sign that someone had been in there recently. Jungkook wandered around, looking in the corners and getting familiar with the place he would be using to shower for the next two years.

It really is a shame I don't get to do music for two years. No dancing, no singing, no anything. For two years I have to go through this.

Oh suck it up, you wimp. You'll be fine.

Jungkook stopped mentally complaining as he heard a hiss from around the corner. Jungkook scrunched his eyebrows and stopped walking. He calmed his heart and slowed his breathing, waiting for another sign.

No sound emanated from the same area again, so Jungkook peeked around the corner. He didn't want some other soldier to be in here and have them think he was weird because he was just wandering around in the showers. Not even showering.

Jungkook's breath hitched. Jimin sat with his back to Jungkook on the bench. He couldn't tell what was happening, so he inched forward. Jungkook stopped moving as Jimin grunted quietly.

What on earth-

Jungkook's eyes snapped to the floor as he saw a drop of blood land near Jimin's feet on the white tile. He peeked over his friend's shoulder while still remaining as far away as possible.

Jimin let out another hiss as he sliced the razor blade across his skin. Blood welled in a thin, straight line. What seemed like hundreds of smaller, more scarred cuts littered the skin of his wrist.

Jimin dropped the razor blade to the floor, letting his head fall into his hands as he let out quiet sobs.

"I feel like I am gasping for air.
Screaming for help.
But everyone just looks at me with confused faces.
Wondering what I'm struggling over when they're all doing just fine.

It makes me feel crazy."

Jimin didn't turn around, but Jungkook knew his friend was talking to him. How long had he known the younger boy was in the same room?

Jimin was silent and Jungkook finally walked over and sat beside him on the bench. He didn't look over at his friend, just stared ahead for a while...thinking.

After a couple of silent minutes between the two, Jungkook looked over at Jimin. His face was stone-cold, staring into space.

"You know...you know it will get better, right?" Jungkook whispered. The older boy didn't respond, but Jungkook could see his eyes move a fraction of an inch.

Silence enveloped them again.

After a couple of minutes staring at Jimin looking off into space, the boys' gazes finally met. Jimin didn't say anything, just locked eyes with Jungkook.

The two were different. Jungkook's eyes had a deep sorrow filling them, sadness seeping into his gaze. Jimin, however, had nothing portrayed through his eyes. He was either emotionless, or he had become extremely good at hiding his feelings. Probably both.

Jimin's eyes had glazed over by now, and he looked almost as if he was staring through Jungkook at something else.

A single tear escaped his friend's eye, and Jungkook instinctively reached up to swipe it away with his thumb. Jimin immediately darted his gaze towards Jungkook's. The younger boy slowly pulled back his hand. What the hell was that I didn't...

Jungkook didn't finish his thought. Jimin was staring at him with a crazy look in his eyes and was honestly scaring Jungkook. He swallowed harshly, trying to slowly create some distance between him and the other boy. Jungkook moved his body so that his legs were draped over either side of the bench; so he could see Jimin as he crept away.

Suddenly Jimin also changed his position so it was like Jungkook's, and slid forward on the bench.

The boys' knees were now touching and Jungkook could feel his face heat up.

Jimin brought his head up, slowly moving his hand so it was lightly resting on the back of Jungkook's neck. The younger boy's eyes widened as Jimin leaned in.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" Jungkook stuttered out. Jimin was about three inches from his face now.

"You already know the answer to that." Jimin started to lean in again, and everything seemed to go in slow motion.

2 inches.

As quickly as he could, Jungkook brought his hands up to Jimin's shoulders, lightly pushing him back. Damn he's strong.

1 inch.

Jungkook pushed harder and the older boy's strength finally gave in.

Jungkook stood up abruptly. He had nearly avoided a disaster. Jimin stared at the empty space Jungkook had left when he got up. What the hell was that for?

Jungkook shook his head and left the room, leaving Jimin on his own.