kicks ✓ || namgi || k.th

006: run

chapter 6: run
location: san antonio, texas, day 2

"So tell me again," Jimin asked, head tilted. "Why do we say to remember the Alamo?"

Jungkook read the plaque, written in English, in front of them. "A long time ago, before Texas was a state, it was part of Mexico. The people of Texas didn't want to be part of Mexico; they wanted to be their own country. The Mexicans were not very happy with this and attacked the Alamo, this building where troops and people lived, late at night. The battle took several days, and all the people from Texas died. The other fighters vowed to never forget their fallen comrades, and they won their permanent independence."

"Yeah, and then shortly afterward they fell apart and became part of the United States," Hoseok finished.

"Whatever. How do you know so much, anyway?"

"My map book tells me, duh! It's not just maps in there. What do you think, I have an Internet connection in my head?" Hoseok started making modem noises, and the boys laughed.

"You know, I would have expected the Alamo to be out in the middle of the desert," Namjoon said. "I never would have guessed that it was downtown." Sure enough, they were surrounded by skyscrapers, the post office was across the street, and Namjoon could see an ice cream store nearby.

There were lots of people around, tourists taking pictures and paying their respects to the people who died so long ago. Seokjin led the group into the building's church section.

Old fashioned chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The rock facades kept the inside cool and mysterious. All was still.

"How do we pay our respects?" Seokjin asked.

Yoongi glared at him. "We don't know anybody who died."

"He's not wrong, though," Namjoon said. "Should we just bow?"

"Let's," Jungkook said, and the seven formed a line, facing the front of the church area, and bowed.

When they got back outside, the sun was still shining and people were still taking pictures. "I'm glad we came here," Taehyung said.

"Why?" Jimin asked.

"The men who lived here fought for their freedom, and for the freedom of others. I just feel like that's really inspiring right now."

"Yeah, don't forget what this feels like," Yoongi said out loud as he stretched his arms toward the sky. The wind whipped all around him. He knew he was still downtown, but with the sky above him and the ground below him, the expanse felt endless, like it could go on forever. He wanted to run into the sky, to kick the clouds, to embrace the sun.

This was what it was like to live life on your own terms. To make your own plans, draw up your own map and follow it to where you want to go, without other people telling you what to do. This was the ability to dream, and to not dream all at the same time, to live life one day at a time.

This was freedom.

~*~

Aster: Two cookies to EVERYBODY who saw this chapter title and immediately thought, "DASHI RUN RUN RUN!" You're probably wondering where I'm getting the chapter titles from. Truth is: they're random prompts! I get a city and a prompt and I have to write on what BTS is doing in that city, with that prompt. That's all the direction I get!

A quick reminder: if you want BTS to go somewhere specific in America, let me know! I've planned the prompts for the rest of the story but haven't planned where they're going yet. That's part of the fun. It's just as spontaneous as pushing the 'supercharged' button :) See you next chapter!