A World of our Own | K.TH *COMPLETED*

Hospital

I wake up feeling like my entire body has been dipped in molten lava, thrown into an icy Arctic pool, and then had my head run over by a heavy truck.

I can't believe how much my head hurts when I finally get my heavy eyelids open.

Groaning sorely, I kick the hot blankets away and slide off the bed like my body is entirely formulated of water. When I try to focus, I realize that I'm in V's room.

The house is completely silent.

But how could that be? It was never silent with those six around— silence was something that just could not exist in their presence.

My mind still spinning and my legs like heavy blocks of stone, I take my first step just to collapse to the ground like a newborn. Hissing at the dull pain that comes slashing just a second later, I pull myself up and push open the door.

I don't go too far before my legs give out again, but this time I don't hit the ground at all.

"Stay in bed, noona."

Jungkook?

His face is too solemn and too filled with sadness for me to just brush past. Not to mention this house feels empty, almost. Like it's just the two of us and no one else. Where was V? Where were the rest of them?

"Something bad happened." I can feel Jungkook's voice shiver with tears, and try to ignore the growing ache in my head and focus on consoling him. And getting him to tell me what exactly happened.

"What?"

"V-hyung's mother..." At the mention of the soft spoken woman, my emotions flare up with anxiety. The pain in my head long forgotten, I grip both of his shoulders— eyes wide with fear and panic.

"What?! What do you mean his mother? What happened to her?"

"She's in the hospital. V hyung had to go— and the others as well." Distress masks his face as he buries his fingers into his hair in alarm. "He told me not to tell you— and have you stay in bed and recover. You scared us last night, noona. Especially V hyung— he was torn between staying here and going to visit his mother."

My expression must look incredulous because he bites his bottom lip. Of course he should've gone to his mother! How could he have even considered that choice?

"Well, I'm definitely not staying in bed anymore after that. Jungkook, let's go."

As if he was just waiting for someone to tell him that, he jumps up to his feet and rushes out the doorway so fast that I'm shocked that a person could possibly have the velocity to move that quickly.

"Noona, come on!"

"Coming."

Time skip

"No, Jungkook." I say firmly. "We cannot go to the hospital riding bicycles. Wherever did you even get that idea?"

He winces at my harsh tone, and I immediately simmer down. I'd never meant to be so sharp— I was just stressed about this entire situation, not to mention the aftereffects of the alcohol. It had definitely took its toll on me last night.

"I'm sorry. But the hospital is a thirty minute drive from here— and look," I wave at Jin's car. The others had thankfully taken V's and Suga's, probably— leaving the eldest's vehicle in our hands.

"There's a car."

Jungkook looks at me with a horrified expression. "Noona, we can't drive there! Last time I checked, neither of us have a valid license and actual experience with driving! We're going to get ourselves killed and then V hyung will probably burn my corpse for letting you do this."

"It's going to be fine," I reassure him, searching for the car keys in the dropbox. My hands clasp around the cold metal ring, and I pull it out triumphantly. "I've driven before— so it's not like I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You've driven before? How? Are you sure you're not talking about some careful back and forths in a wide, empty parking lot? This is real, noona. I'm serious— I really don't want to get ourselves smashed."

I flush with embarrassment. He was right— I'd driven myself an year or two back when my parents had been too lazy to go pick up groceries and had made me go. But the grocery store had been just a brief minute drive— and I'd once hit a mailbox on the way.

"It's going to be fine. Get on." Masking the anxiety in my voice, I start the engine as he gets in the passenger seat. "I promise I won't get you killed."

"I'm not worried about that, noona." He says, tapping the seatbelt in a crude reminder. "I'm worried about what V hyung is going to do to me once he finds out I let you drive. Trust me, a car crash is a better option to take."

I give a laugh at his comments as I slowly pull out of the driveway, mind racing already. "He can't possibly be that bad. I know he can be scary sometimes, but—"

"That's because he has a soft spot for you. It doesn't mean it's that way for the rest of us." He whines, pointing out the directions to the hospital. I trust his judgement— the boy went there every week for a checkup, so he was probably a better choice than a navigator.

The rest of the drive goes smoothly, not counting the time that I accidentally run over three flowerbeds, violate two signal stops, and nearly crash the car into a furniture truck. Other than that, I would describe my new exploration as absolutely perfect— although Jungkook might completely disagree.

We get to the hospital in ten minutes— partly because I went over the speed limit by at least 20 miles per hour. Jungkook finally heaves a sigh of relief as I shakily park the car in an empty spot.

"Thank the Lord."

"It wasn't that bad." At my playful comment, his entire face goes stark white.

"You nearly crashed us into a gigantic truck! If it wasn't for me telling you that, we would've been pancakes and being carried to this hospital in a stretcher!"

I laugh as we both simultaneously break into a run for the hospital entrances. Jungkook purposely slows down his pace to match mine, and I'm thankful that he doesn't leave me in the dust. I've seen Jungkook run before— and I had to say that he was fast. Very fast.

When we get to the hospital desk, she seems to know both of us before I can even tell her. And then I realize she was the woman when V checked in here as an emergency patient.

"Chou Tzuyu and Jeon Jungkook— all your other friends went up to Room 251, so I'm guessing that you want to join them there. Or am I wrong?"

We quickly shake our head in synchronization, proceeding to bow a complete 90 degree angle to show our silent gratitude. Then we rush upstairs, eager and concerned at what we'll see at the same time.