Truths of Florid Nebulae [NamKook]

•Chapter 1: Rain•

Namjoon was walking down the block when he smelt it. He took off his hood so he could raise his nose to catch more of the appealing scent, sad raindrops gently kissing his face.

His sense of smell wasn't really useful most of the time. If you asked him to smell around for a daunting forest fire, he would most probably shrug his shoulders as an answer. He messed up in the kitchen often and couldn't cook to save his life because of this.

That and also he was prone to breaking cooking utensils, so he wasn't even allowed to enter that specific part of his shared apartment. And when he dared to, bad things tended to happen.

But this time, he could clearly make out a tender cinnamon aroma in the air, even when the overwhelming urban scents and the rain should have masked it.

Namjoon glanced around slowly, wondering who could be the owner of such an aura in a heavily overpopulated and industrialized city like Seoul.

He thought he saw weird movement at the entrance of an alleyway, the quick shifting of lone blades of grass in front of it calling his attention.

The tall beta hesitated for a moment, weighting his chances at the prospect of heading inside a dark, narrow alley that could give shelter to muggers and thieves. The possibility of murder came to his mind, but he deflected it. His therapist said he had to avoid pessimism and negative thoughts as much as he could. Be impulsive, trust his instincts.

Shaking his head, he cautiously walked inside the alley.

Darkness spread around him like a strangely calm blanket, his feet driving him further inside despite Namjoon's initial fear. The small walkway radiated a hideous trash odor, making his face scrunch up in disgust, but he kept walking. He tripped over a few small cans and accidentally tangled his ankles in a couple of shopping bags once. But he stopped at the presence of a sudden new smell entering his nose.

After years and years of accidents and unfortunate events, he was able to recognize that smell immediately.

Blood.

He hurried even further inside and found the source of both smells. Alone, a bleeding boy lied unmoving in the alley floor, hair sticking to his forehead with dried blood and yellowish bruises staining his naked, pale legs. A large, dark red gash ran along his left bicep. Both of his eyes were closed, as if the young, hurting boy was simply asleep and probably not on the verge of death.

Namjoon ran to the unconscious youth and placed his hand in front of the boy's nose. When Namjoon felt ragged but very much alive breathing, he sighed in relief. The beta then gently shook his body in hopes of waking him up. When the boy remained still, Namjoon fished for his phone inside his pockets, deciding that the youngster's injuries were too severe for the older to carry him to a hospital. He punched the emergency number and waited for someone to answer. When a calm female voice picked up, he gave his name, current location and explained the horrible situation the boy was in, recounting his observable and possible injuries.

When the woman asked for the boy's name, Namjoon searched for any sort of ID on the youth's torn clothes.

He found a Tag hanging from his neck, indicating that the boy was an omega.

He read the name out loud for the woman to hear.

Jeon Jungkook, 17 years old.

§

"So how'd it went with Jiminie, Hobi-hyung?", Taehyung asked, his head hanging upside down from the top bunk. The loud pounding of the droplets of rain had Hoseok tilting his head in order to listen better.