The Siren's Song

Chapter 30- comfort in hobbies, comfort in family

(Y/N) POV:

It's a few days before Habaek oppa and Mi-sun unnie even considering letting up on the house imprisonment they'd forced on me, refusing each plea and request to leave the house with stern looks and one or the other tugging me back onto the sofa, hugging me from behind as they played nurse and doctor. They'd tried to make it seem less confining by keeping me engaged one task or the other, even dressing up in their anointed roles to check up on me- drawing weak tired giggles when I saw Dr. Mi-sun ask Nurse Habaek to bring in my medicine which I had no option but to take, softening the nuisance of having to take fever-reducers and painkillers by bringing in cupcakes and hot chocolate afterwards.

And honestly I think they were thriving in their role as being my caretakers, despite there only being a few years gap between us, easily stepping into the role of giving me comfort and cuddles and looking after me in ways they really wanted to- giving in to those doting instincts and giving them full reign.

And it was nice being looked after, of seeing them fuss and try to out-do each other, squabbling good-naturedly for my attention. And it was in those few days when I was restricted to the sofa and living room as my large space that I drew out my scrapbook again to begin my hobby once more, smiling when I opened it and got reminded of the first time I met Taehyung, the first few pages filled with our handwriting and our games. I don't even consider ripping them out to start my scrapbook afresh- rather wanting to keep the proof of the first instances I'd interacted with someone, proof of the friend I'd made. And I leave it there, adding only a small tag to reference the date and place of the first encounter, feeling my heart squeeze happily as I move on to begin making the first page, slowly sketching out a circle of flowers, name in the centre- faint calligraphy to be done later with pens.

And somehow that helps the time pass, makes me feel less caged and more spending some time for me to start creating pages dedicated to the memories I've begun to make.

It's only when I'm making my way around the house searching for my laptop, wrapped up in a blanket that I suddenly freeze in shock- when the second search brings me nothing. I had it with me the other day at the park and with a sinking feeling of despair and of ice trudging through my veins I realise that Jimin still has it.

I shiver with the horrified feeling that if he or any of the guys were to look at it, not believing they'd do so out of malicious intents, but in curiosity even then they'd come face to face with the web pages I still had opened up regarding the cruise ship. They'd either fear for me and whatever I must be thinking to research it so deeply or wonder whether I had some sort of personal attachment to it.

Both were true, but I didn't want them to see that twisted part of myself, that shattered broken piece of me and I felt pure unadulterated panic flood me at the thought.

The blanket threatens to slip off my shoulders, the weight of the mental burden weighing down on me as I rush back downstairs, almost fumbling and tripping the last five steps and had it not been for Habaek oppa entering at the same moment, I would've gone crashing into the floor painfully. His arm shoots out to steady me, bridging that gap as he stabilises me with wide eyes.

"What on earth are you doing rushing around when you're sick?" he exclaims.

"Sorry oppa, I need to find my phone. It's an emergency." And rather than complain like he often does about 'kids these days' when that sentient truly doesn't apply to me, he nods and watches me rush past him to get to the living room, scooping it up from the sofa with shaking fingers.

I hurriedly send a text to Jimin, eyes catching onto the happy text he'd sent back- spammed with cute emojis and a recent one he'd sent yesterday saying he was fully recovered and couldn't wait to hopefully see me at the dance practice in a few days.