Continuum

-じゅういち

Yes, it was common knowledge that the idea of asking Taehyung to meet them was a completely stupid, foolish, asinine one. (And perhaps a bit suicidal, Seokjin remarked with a quick glance at two boys in particular.) But, it was better than the alternative option of trying to send someone over the Japanese border to try to find Taehyung. There was a reason the more attractive young adults on the government watch list were sent to work in the entertainment industry: they had eyes on them at all times. If someone were to leave for no particular reason, it would draw attention. And this seemed like something that should stay a private event as long as possible.

"Hey, Jin?" Jimin soft voice cut through Seokjin's rambling thoughts. He looked up from where he had been blankly staring at the computer screen to the younger boy's face.

Jimin had an appearance that could only be described as soft. Even with all the sharp edges forced upon him by strict dieting orders, there was something about him that made him seem gentle and soft, like a child's toy or pillow. Something comforting. (Not that Seokjin had favorites. Not at all.) So it was nice to just look at him when things were bad.

Wait, were things really bad?

It was hard to tell in those days. Good, bad; right, wrong. What goddamn difference does it make when the world is ending?

He was getting sidetracked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

Jimin raised a light gray inhaler to his lips, pressed down on the cap, then held his breath before releasing it like a smoker releases the smoke being held captive in his lungs. He shrugged his shoulders. The end of his earring was hiding under the collar of his shirt. "You've been zoned out for a while." He waved an abnormally small hand in front of Seokjin's face. "You okay?"

With one raised eyebrow, the older boy lightly swatted the hand away. "Yeah, baby, just thinking."

At that, Jimin giggled a bit (the medicine made his voice a bit higher-pitched) and sat down on the bed next to Seokjin. "If Yoongi were in here he would say 'well, there's a first for everything'."

He deserved a not-so-light slap to the arm for that one. After that task was finished, Seokjin realized that the two of them were the only boys that remained in the room. The others hadn't left his apartment, though, he could hear them walking around. He shrugged, looking back to the computer screen that had gone dark already, and stared at his reflection in the black. He looked tired. And young. Or old. He hoped not old. Maybe it was just the lassitude of his now-daily life making an appearance.

He sighed and asked the question on his mind. "What do you think of Taehyung, Jiminie?"

The boy let out a soft breath of air that Seokjin assumed to be a breathy laugh. "I'm so confused," he said. "I mean, I don't want to be mean to him, he sounds nice, but those pictures were hella creepy and I don't trust him because of that, but what if what he's saying actually has some validity to it?"

Seokjin smirked at Jimin's adorable indecisiveness. "Yeah, I think the same."

Jimin leaned back so his backside was against the headboard of the bed, crossing his arms and putting his hands behind his head as a makeshift pillow. "So at what point did you zone out? Right after you asked the question, when we all started arguing, when the others left..."

Seokjin vaguely remembered hearing yelling. He looked at Jimin. "Arguing. What was the consensus?"

"'Consensus'?" Jimin replied with a smile. "You're feeling a bit overzealous, aren't you?"

True. Since when was a harmony ever reached with all six of the boys? "Fine. What was the general thought process?"

Jimin bit his bottom lip, his eyes distant as he thought. "I guess the general thought process that Taehyung should come..." he paused. "Yeah, I guess that's it."

"Oh."

"So you gonna ask Taehyung?"

"Why was I put in charge of this again?"

When Jimin took in a deep breath of air to begin a tirade, Seokjin knew it was a dumb question. "Because you're the oldest and Yoongi's a hardass and Hoseokie is too nice and Joonie talks too much and I'm too nervous and Ggukie is too shy."

Seokjin rolled his eyes. "Right. Got it."

"So, ask? No ask?"

In response, Seokjin slammed the laptop shut and stood up, walking out of the room, to go meet his closest friends with his decision.