Stylist {j.h} A BTS Fanfiction - ON HIATUS

열 다섯

Him

3:09 AM

I sighed and rolled back onto the bed. Four and a half hours since leaving the pool. Four hours since flopping down on the covers determined to contact Hiroko. Three hours of waiting for a response with not so much as a 'READ'  left on the chat. An eternity spent dealing with my rebellious and aggravating feelings. 

I glanced around the room. Jungkook was passed out on the bed across the narrow aisle. His chainsaw-like snores had helped keep me up through the night. He had been out cold since Jimin and I had returned upstairs. Jimin was asleep in the room next door. He had left through the connecting door in our rooms about an hour ago. 

I had wanted to talk to Jungkook and him about the night's events but they had been so excited to watch the movie that I had kept to myself.

I checked my phone again. Nothing. I sighed. 'She's probably asleep,' I thought. 'She won't see it until morning.' I sighed again defeatedly. I wanted to talk to her. It seemed like she was the only one I could these days. 

On an impulse, I snatched up one of the hotel blankets and my headphones. I slipped my key card into my shorts' pocket along with my phone. 'If I can't sleep, might as well go outside to think,' I reasoned. I was really just tricking myself with this to use as an excuse to snoop around. 

My hand lingered on the door as I was ready to leave the room. Jungkook snored loudly. I wouldn't be gone for long. 

I gave him a small wave from the doorway. "Bye, Kookie. Cover for me,"

I slipped out of the hall and to the main staircase. No one was around. What floor had she said she'd been on? Three?

I jogged up the stairs to the third floor. I had decided that this was a good place to walk around. It was only by accident that this was also her floor. 

The halls looked exactly like the ones below. Same plush carpets, identical light fixtures, with a few different paintings along the walls. I could pretend I was on my own floor.

A thin figure came around the corner at the end of the hall. I slowed my pace. Her long hair was pulled back in an attempt at a ponytail that had backfired badly. Her pretty face was strained with worry. I pulled out an earbud as she came down the hall.

"Miss?" She didn't look up. "Miss is everything alright?" When she did, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. It was Ara from the pool.

"Oh, it's you," she sniffed. "I'm sorry."

This was worrying. She was one of Hiroko's friends. Whatever was wrong must involve her. "No, it's fine, really. No need to apologize to me. What are you doing up so late?"

She wrung her hands. "I can't find Hiro. Chai was an idiot and so was I. He came back to the hotel room after Dohyun dragged him off. We distracted him and Hiro slipped out for some peace and quiet. But she didn't come back when we texted her he was gone. Her phone must be dead because she's not picking up our calls." Her voice choked off. 

"I'm scared she gave in." She motioned her hands around her head as she spoke. "She can't be left alone when things like this happen. Something about her past overwhelms her and she has to have someone with her or she has a hard time not focusing on what happened in the past." She sobbed. "I shouldn't have said those things to her."

My heart stopped. Gave in? Gave in to what? What was she talking about? 

I squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. "Go back to your room. I'll go find her, okay?"

Ara nodded eagerly. "She'll listen to you. Please find her, J-Hope."

I grimaced. "I will." She left, feet padding silently down the hall. Quiet sniffles trailed after her.