On the walk to the library, the temperature seemed to drop increasingly fast. Jungkook regretted leaving his sweater in his locker, he hadn't realized how cold it would get. He couldn't imagine how cold it would be by the time he left the library.
He soon began to wonder if going to the library was a regretful decision, and thought about turning back and going to Hoseok's house. It wasn't but five minutes from where he was. He began to think about it but his thoughts were cut off upon seeing Seokjin and Yoongi walking in the opposite direction.
*****
As the boys descended down the creaky staircase, Namjoon became anxious. He couldn't decide whether to go down there with them, or stay up here, where he knew he had the light on his side. He eventually got up and began pacing around slowly. Jimin said that he'd come and get him if the machine worked, so far to no avail.
Namjoon finally got the guts to at least look down the staircase. The staircase itself was completely dark, but it began to light up the farther down he looked. He realized that there was a light on down at the bottom, and decided that if he went slowly, it would be alright.
Then he heard the scream.
Hoseok's scream.
Namjoon darted down the stairs as fast as he could, not caring about the incredible noise he was making on the way down. He swung himself around the bottoms of the staircase only to find Hoseok lying on the floor laughing so hard no sound was coming out. All the other boys were laughing too.
"What the hell you guys?" Namjoon screamed, taking a breath for the first time since coming down the stairs.
"What?" Hoseok said back, looking confused.
"You had me terrified!"
"Hoseok saw a jumping spider and screamed and tripped over that crack in the ground," Taehyung said, gesturing towards the crack in the ground that seemed almost impossible to trip over.
"Uh, okay.." Namjoon started, going to return up the stairs. Jimin stopped him.
"We got the air hockey game working," he said with a smile.
"Why didn't you come get me? You said you would," Namjoon said with obvious annoyance in his voice.
"Just wanted to see how long it took you to come down here on your own," Taehyung answered with a smirk.
Namjoon shook his head and stepped fully into the room. He looked around at all of the shelves, filled to the brim with various things Namjoon didn't bother to pay any close attention to.
While everybody else continued to play air hockey, Namjoon only stood aside. He didn't want to play, but he didn't know why. He was wondering why Jungkook wasn't with them. He had always loved to hang out with Jimin, since they were bestfriends and fellow maknaes. Jungkook had never much been a fan of Hoseok's house- it had always creeped him out- but typically, wherever Jimin went, Jungkook went. It wasn't unusual to see the two mistaken for a couple. So the fact that Jungkook wasn't here today made Namjoon slightly worried. He decided to text him just to let his worries subside.
8:35 pm
Jungkookkkkk
Read 8:36 pm
8:40 pm
Stop leaving me on read you brat
Read 8:44 pm
The number you are trying to reach has been deactivated. Please call the number below if you think there has been a mis-
Suddenly Namjoon's phone died. He had been sure that it had been at least 40% charged while he had been texting. He decided to confront Jimin about it.
"Hey Jimin?" Namjoon tried to steady the uncertain tone in his voice. It wasn't working.
"Yah, what do you want? I'm just about to crush Tae at air hockey!" Taehyung rolled his eyes.
"It's important."
Jimin sighed. "Be right back. Tae, warm up a bit before I get back, you'll need it," Jimin said. His voice had a hint of annoyance yet also he seemed worried. Namjoon never called anything important unless it was actually detrimental to someone or something.
"So what do you want," Jimin asked, though it wasn't a question. Namjoon looked back at the basement to make sure no one else was listening.
"It's Jungkook." Jimin's face went from annoyed to concerned immediately. "I can't get a hold of him. He keeps leaving me on read."
"You know Jungkook is not a very good reespo-" Jimin got cut off.
"Then it said his phone was deactivated. Jungkook would never deactivate his phone. You know as well as I do that he could absolutely not survive without it." There was a silence while Jimin thought. He was obviously concerned and no one could be oblivious to it.
"Well what are we supposed to do? We don't even know where he went after school." Jimin paused again. "I think we might be getting worked up over nothing." The words Jimin said hurt him, but he only wanted to stay positive.
"No Jimin, I definitely think this is something to get worked up about."
Jimin didn't say anything for a while. He was thinking, thinking about everything else that could've happened that resulted in Jungkook's phone getting deactivated. Everything that could've happened that resulted in him leaving Namjoon on read. He could think of lots of things for the whole 'left on read' situation, but the phone deactivation brought all of those scenarios to a dead end.
"Why don't we ask Jin and Yoongi? The didn't come with us either. Maybe Jungkook was with one of them," Jimin suggested.
"Shouldn't we tell the others too? They deserve to know just as much as Jin, Yoongi, you and I do," Namjoon said sternly.
"Taehyung maybe, but I don't think we should worry Hoseok. You know how easily he gets worked up over these things."
"No, that's not fair! He'll be the only one left out. We can't do that to Hoseok." Jimin sighed in defeat, not wanting to argue with Namjoon about this.
"Fine, but if he starts hyperventilating I'm gonna say I told you so." Namjoon nodded his head, not wanting to accept the joke under the circumstances.
"I'll text Jin and Yoongi," Jimin said, "since your phone's dead of course." Namjoon nodded.
"I'll go tell Taehyung and Hoseok," Namjoon said, already starting off towards the basement.
As soon as Namjoon step foot in the basement, Taehyung and Hoseok were waiting for him. They obviously hadn't been playing air hockey. They both looked terrified.
"Well I sure would've hoped you would've told us."
