ultraviolet

twenty one

KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE

~

I WALKED BESIDE HOSEOK along the steep, crackly sidewalk, grateful that he has been very comforting throughout this whole current situation between Taehyung, Jungkook, and I. To be quite frank with you, I don't think I would have survived the past several hours without him by my side. If Hoseok and I hadn't been together that night, I can't even begin to imagine what would've happened to Jungkook if we hadn't come across him. For all we know, Jungkook could've received more cuts and bruises than what we had originally found him with. Reasonably speaking, what if something worse happened?

"(First Name)-ah," Hoseok spoke aloud, shattering the thin glass of silence in the arctic, ice-capped atmosphere.

"Yes, oppa?" I answered him. In a moment's notice, a gust of cold wind rocketed past the both of us. As I folded my arms across my chest in search for warmth, I begin to lose my balance due to the heavy-duty breeze. I felt myself stumble over my two left feet towards Hoseok, and all at once, his warm arms ensnare around me like a net, catching the clumsy fish that I am.

"Are you okay?" he asks deeply, repeatedly huffing after each word. However, my eyes widen to realize that this voice didn't belong to Hoseok. I whipped my head around, and suddenly I'm met with Taehyung, whose face is only millimeters away from mine. His gaze is intense, all humor gone, and strange muscles deep in my belly clench suddenly. I tear my eyes away from his scrutiny, though my peripherals leer down to the smile playing along his mouth, and I find myself gnawing on my bottom lip.

"I-I'm fine, o-oppa," I muttered under my visible, wintry breath, awash with humiliation. "Thank you.."

"For what?" He frowns. He hasn't taken his hands off me.

"For saving me," I whisper.

"Well, I just didn't want you in the arms of another man. I'm honestly glad I was right behind you two." He releases me, his hands by his sides, and I'm standing in front of him feeling like a fool. "How about we continue on our way to school?"

Taehyung's sculptured, sensual lips curled in amusement, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. He digs his hands in the pockets of his slacks and turns on his heel, starting to walk off on his own. My eyes glued, I watched him depart into the distance, though I masked his tall physique with the frosty cloud that escaped from my prison of a mouth.

"I really thought you would listen to what I had to say," Hoseok sighed, snagging my attention.

With a shake, I clear my head, then tentatively turned to face him. "Wait, w-what are you talking about?"

"I told you that Taehyung has drastically changed over the years to the point where he's not even himself."

"From what I can tell, I'm positive that he's remained the same since childhood."

"(First Name), are you oblivious?"

My subconscious has emigrated or been struck dumb or simply keeled over and expired. I am numb. I can observe and absorb but not articulate my feelings about all this, because I'm in shock. I opened my mouth as to say something, but quickly shut it as I dwell upon Hoseok's words from last night.