JiMina Collection

From Within The Rubble ~ Part 12

Bonus Chapter: Many of you requested an additional part to this story, so I've written something akin to an epilogue for you all.

         Mina sighed as she inevitably stepped into the daunting structure. Here she was again at The Building, almost three months after the initial incident. It was remodeled, rebuilt, and as good as new, yet she couldn't help but feel awfully uneasy. Reporters lined the walls and railings, but as she faced the cameras, her smile couldn't quite reach her eyes. She gave a fleeting glance towards the very hallway in which she met such misfortune just months ago. The collapse came out of nowhere, on a fine day just like this. Her body was already extremely tired, as they'd just come back from several weeks of promotional activities in Japan. She really couldn't take much more at this point. However, the world moves on, with or without her.

          Tzuyu grasped her hand for a moment in an attempt to provide her with a source of comfort. Her friends knew she felt anxious, as it was obvious that they cared. They begged their managers to let them arrive early, so as to give Mina some time and ease her into the unfortunately familiar environment. Mina could feel them glance at her every few seconds, as if to make sure she was still there - still with them. Wrapping her coat even tighter around her nervous body, Mina braved on. Passing the hoard of photographers and reporters alike, the nine girls made their way to their waiting room.

           Mina went through the usual routine. She got dressed and had her hair done. She quietly sat down for someone to do her makeup. And as usual, she was one of the first to be ready. Despite the many distractions provided by the usual commotion of the waiting room, Mina's mind roamed elsewhere. She couldn't help but think about the collapse or what followed afterwards, no matter how hard she tried not to. Mina yawned, unable to keep it in. They had just arrived in Korea last night, hence the appearance of deep, under-eye circles on their faces. The constant worrying was definitely taking its toll on her fatigued body, and before she knew it, Mina had fallen asleep on the sofa.

           Sana hopped off the stylists' chair as soon as her hair was finally done. With a grin, she skipped off to talk to Mina, only to find her fast asleep. Sana grabbed a blanket and lay it over her tired friend. As soon as she'd done so, there was a loud knock on the door. Confused, she walked over and turned the handle. As soon as the door opened, her face lit up with excitement. 

"Surprise!"

           A certain seven guys stood grinning back at her. With a giggle, she quickly let them all in. Taehyung was the last to enter, and pulled her into a huge hug, one that she returned with just as much enthusiasm. Jungkook teased Taehyung mercilessly as the boy continued to hold onto Sana, swaying on the spot with her. However, as soon as Tzuyu came into view, Jungkook stumbled over to her gracelessly.

"H-Hey." He stuttered.

"Hey.' she responded, cooly.

"I missed you." He smirked. He knew Tzuyu had trouble expressing her emotions. As expected, she blushed a bright shade of red and coughed. She mumbled something inaudible, but Jungkook knew what she meant. "I can't hear you." he prompted her with a grin. Tzuyu blushed an even deeper colour.

"I missed you too." she repeated, playfully annoyed and louder this time. At this, Jungkook smiled and grabbed her hand, dragging her over to another corner of the room. Everyone else could be seen talking excitedly amongst themselves, excited to see one another again after so long. After all, it had been almost a full month since they'd last met up.

         Jimin, however, did not choose to engage in conversation, and instead went looking for Mina. At last, he spotted her asleep on the sofa, cuddled up in a fluffy blanket. Not for the first time, he had a mini heart-attack as he noticed how adorable she looked. Jimin couldn't believe she was his. Secretly dating her behind the media's back has its perks. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. In her sleep, she shifted and slept on his chest. From this angle, Jimin could see how worrying had tired her out, as she looked thinner than before. He could sympathize with how she felt, as one of the main reasons he wanted to visit the girls was to assure himself that Mina was safe. Just being inside this building made him uneasy, and he knew it did the same for Mina too. Looking down at her face, he traced her cheek and jaw, then pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

         For a while, he just sat there underneath the blanket with Mina in his arms, stroking her hair in comfort. He listened to everyone else's conversations to pass the time, but couldn't bring himself to shift his gaze away from her face. As time flew by, she grew restless and Jimin noticed her eyebrows beginning to furrow. He kissed right between her eyebrows to stop her from frowning in her sleep. Later on, he spotted a single tear roll down her cheek. Jimin wiped it away and just hugged her even tighter. Jimin was expecting this, and just wanted to keep her safe and happy. Helping her eased his anxious mind. Eventually, Mina woke with a jolt, panicking at how compressed she felt. It reminded her of the helplessness that ensued while she was pinned beneath a pillar of concrete just five months ago. Jimin frantically tried to help her relax.

"Mina. Mina! Shh... Calm down, it's me." he whispered, soothingly.

"Jimin?" Her eyes were glassy and wide.

          He pulled her on his lap in an attempt to cradle her even closer than before.

"Scared?" he asked. She just nodded.

"Me too." He assured her. They sat in silence for a while.

         After some time, they had garnered the attention of the others. The other fourteen idols knew about their relationship, as many of them had their own.

"Are you guys okay?" Tzuyu asked. Jimin exchanged eye contact with the girl in his arms.

"Yeah... It's just a little weird to revisit this place."

"Well, I'm not letting you guys go anywhere  without us, if it's the last thing I do. We're all staying together." Jihyo resolved, playfully clenching her fist in the air and making everyone laugh. Even so, everyone knew what she said was true. They weren't getting separated any time soon. Not on anyone's watch.

           Jimin and Mina smiled at everyone, sharing a sweet, brief moment among the sixteen of them. This time, Mina's smile really did reach her eyes. Her anxious demeanour ebbed away, and Jimin's heart soared as soon as Mina directed her newfound grin towards him. He eagerly returned it. Now that their smiles had returned, everyone went back to their excited chattering and intense conversations, leaving the two alone. Jimin turned back to Mina, brushing stray strands of hair from her face.

 "You heard them. We're together, and nothing matters more than that."

Mina giggled and playfully poked his right cheek. "You're so gross sometimes."

Jimin smiled down at her, pressing their foreheads together. "That's why you love me."

She blushed and looked down in embarrasment. "Yeah."

It was Jimin's turn to blush as he pulled her in for a kiss.

             The past was the past. There isn't much to it. You can't change what had already happened. However, the future was full of fruitful opportunities. What happens next is completely up to you. Yet, with Mina in his arms, Jimin chose to cherish the present. His friends, family - the people he loved - were what mattered most. You can't foretell what will happen. It's best to treasure what you hold dear to your heart while you still can. Sitting there, wrapped in a blanket with Mina cuddled into him, Jimin decided that he was doing a good job.