The Promise || pjm

Chapter 11

I called out his name, but there was no answer.

I looked around our apartment just in case he fell asleep anywhere, but there was no sign of him.

"Jungkookie he's not here" I said as I rested my head against his bicep, while he was leaning against the front door and texting random people.

"Give it a rest Hailey, it's already late. Maybe he crashed at a friend's or something" he tried to comfort me.

Jimin hadn't been answering any calls or texts since noon. I was really worried that something happened to him.

"He wouldn't. He never leaves me alone at night" I explained.

"Well there's always a first time" Jungkook put his phone in his pocket and brought me into a hug.

I tried acting like I was mad at him about what he had done earlier, but I just couldn't keep it up. He always softened me up with his cute ways.

"Let's go check at the studio once" I pleaded.

"But it's already eleven o'clock. The studio is closed"

"My brother runs the place. He can have it open if he wants to" I raised a brow

"Fair enough...ok let's go quickly because I have somewhere I need to be at soon" he informed.

"We won't be long" I promised.

The studio was a few minutes drive away from the apartment.

As we got closer to it, I could see no source of light coming from anywhere inside. There were only a couple of spotlights projecting their white light against the big letters on top of the entrance, that formed the name of the studio, "Hope on the Street".

"Let's go check if any doors are open" Jungkook suggested as he parked the car in front of the modern black and white painted building.

The cold breeze that found my skin as soon as I got out of the car, made me shiver.

I rushed to the front glass door and pushed the metal handle, only to be let down as it didn't open.

"It's locked" Jungkook observed as if it wasn't already obvious. "Want to go check the back door as well?" he suggested.

I completely forgot that existed and a sudden spark of hope came to me.

I dashed to the back of the building and found the door.

I pushed the cold black handle downwards and was let down once more.

I repeated my actions in frustration over and over again, as if the door would magically open if I did so.

My vision began to blur as the tear level rose. My lips quivered and tilted downwards as that familiar bitter taste formed in my throat.

"What if something really bad happened to him" I held myself from screaming and crying like a lunatic.

"I can't afford to lose him.  He's the only one I have left He's my life." I stared blankly at my shadow that was casted on the floor by street lights near by, remembering the last time I saw my parents.

Of course, I was still too young when they were gone, to remember a lot about them, but some subtle details were carved in my memory. As was the night they died.

One warm drop slid down my cheek, which Jungkook wiped with his thumb.

"Hailey. It's ok. Your brother is fine" his voice was warm.

"How do you know that?" my jaw was then trembling in an attempt to keep my voice down and to stop any more tears from falling.

He stared into my eyes for a few seconds, before closing his and sighing in exasperation.

The sound that the crickets make as well as the sound of cars swooshing by, were the only things that broke the silence on that lifeless street.

"Listen, I know things are hard for you at the moment, I know that you're really worried and I know that you feel powerless with nothing left to do. Busan is a big city, there's nothing much to do. We can't report anything to the police yet and we can't just go mindlessly looking around for him. He's an adult after all."

And he was right. There was nothing I could do but wait for him.

"I'm taking you with me" he announced.

"Where are we going?" I wiped my wet face with the bottom of Jungkook's shirt which made him scrunch his nose and I gave him an apologetic look.

"First we're going to freshen up and wear some more appropriate clothes" he said while leading me back to his car.

"Appropriate for what?" I furrowed my brows.

"Ummm....a party?" he opened the door for me and I paused to look at him.

"It's Monday. Who throws parties on Mondays?" I was actually surprised.

"It's never the wrong time to party for my friend Taehyung. And besides, it's not exactly a party party....maybe a gathering I could say?"

I gave him a confused look.

"You'll see when we get there" he shut my door when I got in and went to his side and took a seat.

"What if I don't wanna go?" I played hard to get, even though I thought that his idea was good. It was a way to take my mind off things.

"I'm forcing you to go" he said as he drove off.

"But I have school tomorrow"

"Fuck school" he looked at me and grinned, his bunny teeth still visible in the dark car.

"We'll stop at my place for a minute to get my clothes and then we'll go at yours to change there. Is that ok with you?"

"I don't mind" I shrugged.