Last Girl Alive | Bangtan

128: Friends

It's been three days since that conversation.

In fact, the more you thought about it had been three days since any conversation.

Jimin no longer spoke. It was like he'd gone mute. The truth wasn't that he just didn't want to speak it's because he couldn't speak. When he spoke he couldn't breathe. So he stayed quiet. The only time he ever opened his mouth was to eat or drink or mutter something that told everyone he was fine, it could be worse. There was some truth in that. You hated seeing him like that. The bouncy, happy man had resorted to look like those cold boyfriends who never spoke a word. Jimin could never be like that. He would hold you close, wrap his fingers in yours and pay compliments. He was always kind to you and despite his pain he still glowed. You wished he wasn't in pain though. Yet, however much you couldn't bear to see Jimin fading it was even more painful to watch Hoseok. 

He no longer ate. The color had drained from his face and his cheeks were hollowing from the malnourishment. He was tired all the time and even though he refused to admit it, he lacked the energy to help. Nevertheless, he seemed to be able to take the stress better than Jimin by putting on a smile and pretending to be okay. Pretending that any moment now someone would come and save you all. That no one else had to be worried about him, that he could still talk and laugh and offer his sympathy. The only thing keeping him alive from now, would be himself. The moment he gave up ...

Don't say it. 

I cannot.

We aren't better off either, you and me.

"Come on people!" Jin calls hopefully. "Our last meal." He opens the plastic box he'd saved for the last. It contained eight purple mochis, a little delight he'd decided to slip in with the leftover ingredients he'd had. You feel the instant salivation of your mouth at the sight of food and groan out loud as the same impact comes flooding with desire through your brain. 

"That's the last thing?" Namjoon repeats, raising his eyebrows. "Shouldn't we save it?"

"I agree," you say, despite your own wishes. "It scares me that there's going to be nothing after that."

"We're going to have to eat it someday," Jin argues. "I don't want them to go stale either. They'll lose their taste and we've had them for so long too." Jin had an ulterior motive for it as well. Personally he knew it would be better to starve for a while and then indulge in the mochis but he missed everyone being together. Hoseok, Jimin and occasionally you or Jungkook never came to mealtimes because it made everyone uncomfortable to have them watching the others eat. On the other hand, the lack of unity, conversation, or just being together was hurtful for the family man. 

"Fetch those two," Jin waves at Jungkook. "I want them to be part of this."

Jungkook pouts, not wanting to go to their rooms individually and pull them out, knowing they would resist. He takes a deep breath, channeling the little breath he had before screeching:

"HYUUUUNG!"

Yoongi doesn't flinch and neither do you, as you could hear it coming. Jin, however, lamps his hand over his ears, wincing at the pain. Taehyung pops a grin at Jungkook's unwillingness beside Namjoon's too common fed-up expression.

Before Jin can even open his mouth Jungkook hurls again like a seagull over the ocean.

"HOSEOK HYUNGGG. JIMIN-SSI !!!"

"They're not coming," Jungkook adds, turning unfazed, to everyone else. He sits down, latching his eyes on the food, more interestedly.

You smile a little at the comedy, that unusual stretch of your mouth making you realize how unhappy you actually were.