His Boxy Smiles

Chapter 6

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Drifting into nothing...
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"Manager-nim said he sent Taehyung back to the dorm for a shower. They should be here in half an hour," Namjoon announced as they took a break.

"Good. I need coffee," Yoongi muttered from his lying position on the floor. He was trying to get some sleep like he always does.

Half an hour passed and the manager came in, alone.

"Where's Taehyung?" was the first thing the man had asked.

"Huh? Isn't he supposed to be with you, manager hyung?" Jimin frowned.

"Yes. But he wasn't in the dorm when I got there. I figured he went ahead to come here. That boy can be a little impatient sometimes, you know," the man replied.

"Then where'd Taehyung hyung go?" Jungkook asked.

"He's probably walking around somewhere," Jin shook his head in amusement.

An hour passed and there was still no sign of Taehyung.

"He's not picking up," Jimin scowled at his phone.

Everyone was starting to get worried.

"Seriously, where's that kid?" Yoongi grumbled.

"Strange," all eyes looked at their manager. "Hooshik-nim isn't answering either."

"Seriously, that kid!" Jin said worriedly.

"Where do you guys think he went off to?" J-Hope asked. "I'm hungry."

"Maybe hyung went to the park?" Jungkook suggested.

"No, he would bug us to join him if he did," Namjoon disagreed.

"Maybe he's eating somewhere?" Jimin suggested.

"No," their manager shook his head. "He was beaming when he announced in the car that he was going to drag you guys out for dinner tonight- rejected or not."

That made then the boys smile.

They weren't going to reject Taehyung this time though.

Jungkook scrolled through his phone as they wondered where Taehyung had gone himself to when he stumbled upon an article titled;

'Kim Taehyung of BTS dead?'

That somehow struck a dread in Jungkook's insides.

At the same time Jungkook pressed the link out of ominous curiousity, the manager had received a call from an unknown ID.

Jungkook froze when the picture of a very familiar car emerged through his phone screen. It was wrecked but it was one of the cars he'd seen Taehyung jump into.

The others seemed to have noticed Jungkook's paled expression.

"Kookie, what's wrong?" Jimin and Jin asked simultaneously.

When Jungkook didn't answer, Yoongi tried again.

"T-there's an article," Jungkook stammered. "It's- it's-" Jungkook gasped at the second image.

It was blurry but he recognized that shirt. And it was soaked with blood.

'What is this? Some sick prank?' Jungkook wanted to curse whoever made this article. It was filled with bullshit. No way will his hyung be in the middle of an accident. He was at the dorm a little while ago, wasn't he? Definitely impossible. Isn't it?

"What is it?" Namjoon snatched the phone from the maknae but before he could view the image...

"W- what?" the manager had stuttered, wearing the same paled expression the maknae wore, eyes as big as saucers. "A-alright! Thank you! We'll come over now. Ne. Ne. N-ne. Is he... Is he...? Ne... Oh my-" the manager had clamped a hand over his mouth. "I'll get over there right now."

"What's going on?" J-Hope asked.

Something about the manager's panicked expression gave a sickening feeling in their gut.

"I- It's Taehyung-" the manager stammered. "-he's- We have to get to the hospital right now!"