SPRING DAY | KNJ x PJM

when the cherry blossoms fade.

O1.

namjoon thinks jimin comes to visit him sometimes.

mostly, its through the form of dreams, after a long day of navigating and sightseeing and song writing. namjoon has formed a bad habit of looking forward to the moment the sun dips below the horizon, replaced by her dark, alluring counterpart. it is then that he gets to see jimin - chubby cheeks, rosy glow, crescent eyes over genuine laughter - a stark contrast to the hollow cheeks, sunken eyes, and sickly white of reality's jimin.

when namjoon awakes in the morning, pillow damp with happy tears he had unknowingly shed, the memories of his dream fades as quickly as his smile. it is always gut-wrenching to leave the world of dreams, but namjoon refuses to let sleep consume him.

jimin wouldn't visit him then, anyway.

so he focuses on the real jimin, the one in the hospital an ocean away that he can visit. a tangible being with crimson red coursing through his veins and small hands calloused but comforting to the touch. the thought alone that jimin is alive - waiting - is enough drive for namjoon to pick himself up and see the world for his other half that can't.

kim namjoon has a box full of postcards, souvenirs, and self-composed songs from the cities he has visited. there is one more city left on the list of places jimin wants to visit, and he ticks another one off as he grabs his luggage and closes the motel door behind him.

one city until he can see jimin again. until the day comes, holding hands in dreams will have to suffice.

O2.

the destination is san francisco, california.

it is mid-april during the heart of spring, and the skies are clear during namjoon's short stay. namjoon has been here once before with his parents when he was just a child, but he doesn't remember much other than the immense skyscrapers in downtown that seemed to glower down at him.

now, the buildings seem a little shorter, a little less intimidating, a little more like friends huddled together for warmth. namjoon finds peace in it, and snaps a couple shots of the row of buildings from a crosswalk before continuing on.

san francisco is eclectic, to say the least. namjoon thinks jimin would've loved it here, with the endless sites to see and the immense selection of restaurants to try. the city itself has a heartbeat, steady and firm with its residents safe its warm embrace.

"jimin, you've always wanted to see the golden gate up close. well, i'm finally here."

namjoon stands on the great golden gate bridge that spans across the bay, looking out at the waters with the wind whipping at his face. the rusty amber of the bridge reminds namjoon remotely of the dear orange hair jimin had donned a while back, and he makes a mental note to include that in his song.

a few photos later, namjoon perches himself up against the railing, shuts his eyes, and inhales the fresh smell of salt and water and san francisco.

"wish you were here with me."

O3.

park jimin a ticking time bomb.

the place he has called home for the past five months is a rundown, obsolete hospital, too far in debt to afford basic patient necessities but not enough to kick their patients out entirely. jimin's room is on the fourth floor at the end of the sterile hallway, the one that hosts all the other ticking time bombs.