misunderstood || bts x red velvet

➣ Twenty Three

"Yoongi hyung, I don't know what to do." Another tear fell from the blond's eye as he shrunk in the older boys comforting hold.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here." Yoongi could be cold when he wanted, but when it came to this one boy, he was soft. He knew how hard it hit Jimin when his father died in a car crash 8 years ago and how it hurt more when his mother ditched him. Jimin had had a hard past and the one person that could make him happy was Taehyung.

After Jimin went MIA from school for 5 days without any contact, Yoongi was the first one to initiate a search for him. 

⇥             ✴︎            ⇤

Yoongi furrowed his brows in worry as he paced the spacious chandelier lit living room, the crystals reflecting the white lights. The entire group was there, except one.

"Yoongi, he probably just needs some time." Seokjin said, trying to calm the worried boy with a voice he hoped sounded steady.

"5 days of time? Without any contact? Without me?" Yoongi stopped, standing right in front of the older boy. "He's always come to me hyung, especially if it was about Taehyung."  He spat, glaring at the silver haired boy. 

Taehyung didn't want to be there, under the scorching glares of everyone else, other than Jungkook. Not that it helped, that boy was weak. He shrunk under the cold stare of the blue haired boy, wanting to melt away into the soft leather sofa. 

They were gathered at Namjoon's place, he was the richest of them all, but he was also the most humble. If they hadn't been to his house, they'd never know how loaded he really was, with his being dressed all normal.

"Why are we gathered here again?" Asked the peach haired boy, confused.

"'Cause we need to find Jimin you ass." Yoongi was afraid, afraid of what might've happened to Jimin. He'd already checked the boy's house earlier that day, but when the aunt gave a careless "I don't know" followed by a shooing wave, he called the others for a meeting.

"Okay, geez. Where could he be?" Namjoon pulled his phone out and clicked notes. There was nothing in the world that he couldn't take notes on.

"I think I know." A small voice, clogged with held tears spoke. Taehyung was sunk into the corner of the dark sofa that no one else was sitting on. Jungkook was standing awkwardly at the edge of the group, by the front door.

"Well?" Yoongi pressed, stepping painfully close to the other. "Where?"

"I need to go alone." Taehyung said, looking down at his slender fingers, laying in his lap.

"What?" Red shone over Yoongi's view. "You really think that after what you did to Jimin, that we're going to let you go to him alone?" His tone raised, he loomed over Taehyung powerfully.

"Hyung, stop." Yoongi turned to Hoseok, who had been unusually quiet the entire time. For some reason, the boy felt calmer under the red head's comforting touch, and he stepped back. 

"I know where he might be, but he wouldn't want anyone else to know where. It's a special place for him." Taehyung stood, ready to leave as soon as he got word that he was allowed. "I can find him for you."

"That's fine." Hoseok said, his hand still on Yoongi's shoulder. The blue haired boy snapped his head towards the other, but Hoseok stayed calm under the piercing glare. "If it's for Jimin, the fine. But as soon as you find him, you bring him back. No delays." The silver haired boy nodded slowly before turning on his heel and rushing through the door.

⇥             ✴︎            ⇤

He'd been walking for about 7 minutes with his sunglasses on to block out the sun. And to cover his puffy eyes. 

He rounded the corner and finally reached Jimin's house. The same white fence as his, the same green grass. You'd never think someone so troubled was staying there, it looked like something straight out of tumblr. He knew Yoongi said he'd already checked the house, but there was one place no one knew of except Jimin and Taehyung.

He cautiously stepped through the gates, his loose shirt flapping in the wind over his olive green shorts. He remembered what Jimin once said: "My aunt is never home before 7." Taehyung checked his watch: 4:52. At once, he relaxed knowing that there was no one there.

Except for Jimin.

As Taehyung made his way around the house, he wondered to himself if he had gotten the place all wrong. If Jimin really wanted to hide, then why hide in a place Taehyung knew? Is it because he didn't expect the others to talk to him, or maybe because it was the only place he felt safe? Shaking the thought out of his head, he told himself he might as well try.

Around the white house he went, the paint on the planks peeling slightly. When he reached the back, he found the familiar thicket of bushes, green as ever, by the back door. He pushed aside the branches -strangely loose compared to what they really looked like- and felt the familiar iron handle. He looped his fingers around it and pulled, exhaling a sigh of relief when he found it was unlocked. The only other way in was from the inside, from Jimin's room at the back, a hidden door in Jimin's minuscule closet.

Taehyung pulled his sunglasses off and with one last breath of fresh air, he plunged into the darkness, stepping onto the first rung of the ladder. As he reached the bottom, a cool mist hit him from deeper in the room and he pulled the door above him shut, trapped in black. He breathed, remembering how scary he found this place at first, and shut his eyes as his legs took him in, the path easy and familiar.

When he snapped his eyes open again, there was a corner, and a dim yellow light glowed from it. He took another step forwards and leaned against the concrete wall and listened for any sign of life. Suddenly, the light flickered off, and he was left in darkness again.

"Hello?" Jimin's voice was clogged with exhaustion and tears as he spoke out weakly. "Is anyone there?"

Taehyung sighed before rounding the corner quietly, making sure that Jimin didn't hear him. unfortunately for him, the boy lit the old oil lamp again and nearly jumped out of his skin when he was the boy frozen in front of him.

"Taehyung?" He whispered, a single broken sob choking out of him. "Why are you here?" The boy remembered everything from before, the cheating, the kissing, the reason he locked himself away in the first place.

"Jimin." The silver boy's hand flew to his mouth when he took in the other's face, eyes puffy, face pale, hair disheveled. He looked like he hadn't seen light in months. "I-"

"Please don't." The other said, standing from the old mattress he was sat on. "Why did you search for me?"

Taehyung inhaled, blinking rapidly to rid of the oncoming tears. "The others are worried about you. And so am I."

To both of their surprises, Jimin managed a scoff. "Save it." He pushed past Taehyung who was still somewhat traumatised by Jimin's shattered appearance. The sound of shuffling footsteps stopped behind Taehyung as Jimin spoke again. "Where are they?"

"Namjoon hyung's place." Taehyung turned to see Jimin slip on a pair of sunglasses and dust his denim shorts off after shaking his hair into place. He pushed the door open and was hit by real sunlight for the first time in days. Taehyung climbed out after him and was surprised he was waiting. As well as the fact that the other looked like he was perfectly normal and didn't just spend 5 days underground. "You waited?" Taehyung slipped his sunglasses on again.

"I forgot the way to hyung's place."