STRAY KIDS ONESHOTS/IMAGINES || OT8

runaway . jisung

Prologue

In your village, you were well known - the chief's daughter. The next heir to lead your people. It was ridiculous. You were no leader, no chief. You were a girl who wanted a quiet life, a carefree life. You wanted a life like Jisung's, a regular one. He had no such expectations placed on him, no such pressure of fitting in to what people wanted. He was there for you, to listen to your struggles. But yet, you felt lonely.

One day you decided to run away. Then and only then would you have everything you wanted. You'd be alone, but free.

~

" Y/n, are you ready?" Jisung was clutching the straps of this bag as you hastily tied your shoelaces. Standing up, you looked into your friend's eyes - they were wild with excitement. You were hiding in an abandoned, run-down garage in your village, and it was past midnight. You could hear the sounds of the patrol plodding around, supervising and watching the grounds for unwanted guests, thieves, runaways - like you.

You were running away from your life that night, with your most loyal companion and best friend - Jisung.

Just then, a beam of light shone through the front door, illuminating the garage. Luckily, you were just far away enough to be concealed in the shadows. " Now's our time! " Jisung half-whispered, half-blurted. He took your hand and looked at you, waiting for your signal. You could feel the adrenaline building up, the burst of energy right at your fingertips as you grinned at your friend, eyes on fire.

The footsteps faded, and the flashlight turned away from your hiding space. "Now!" On cue, Jisung guided you as the both of you ran for your lives, passing patrol officers with their backs facing you, zooming past the houses, the sleeping village. Jisung was fast, and he was pulling you. You held on to him for dear life as your legs carried you faster, faster, faster...

"She's missing!" your heart skipped a beat as you heard one of the patrol officers yell, "the chief's daughter!" Your father had finally realised you had gone - and the next part would be the hardest. Finding a way out.

But you and Jisung were on track, arriving breathless at your next and last pitstop - behind the storage shack. There, it was the darkest, and no patrol officer usually checked the stinky, moist area. It was way too near the dense forest - but that was how you were going to escape.

The momentum you had gained from sprinting there caused you to slam hard against the wall off the shack. Jisung had done a 180 degree turn, pulling your arm as the both of you nearly crashed into each other. The voices of the patrol were not far, and the both of you remained as quiet as possible, panting, perspiring. Your back was pressed against the wall, and Jisung was standing in front of you, leaning over to remain hidden. You were biting your lip in anticipation and exhilaration, gazing up at him as he covered you. If the both of you were found breaking curfew, running away, you were done for.

" They're looking for you." Even in the dimly lit place, you could make out the words that formed on Jisung's lips as he mouthed them to you.

You nodded. "We need to go." you mouthed back.

Just as Jisung tried to turn back around, a rustle in the bushes startled you both. You jumped, but Jisung's reaction was swift. He instantly whipped his head back around, closing his eyes as he shielded you. His hands were on the wall, next to your face, and he breathed hard as you calmed your beating heart.

It was beating fast. Not because of the party of patrol officers trying to hunt you down, not because of how quickly you ran to safety. It was beating as fast as a humming bird's wing because of Jisung. His face was awfully close to yours, he was nearer to you than he'd ever been before. Sure, you'd hugged him and held his hand, but as a friend, you never felt yourself falling for him like that. He looked charming even when he wasn't trying, and as he slowly opened his eyes to meet yours, you felt a deep red blush creeping up your cheeks.

Hopefully, the night was dark enough to conceal it.

He inched backwards, embarrassed by the proximity. The coast was clear, and the time had come to leave for good. You knew you had to keep your eyes on the path, your mind on your goal. But you couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened.

"Y/n?" an officer was close by, bellowing your name.

"Come on!" there was no time to lose. You snapped back to reality, subconsciously grabbing Jisung's hand and pulling him towards the foliage. Another round of running, this time through the forest path you had spent hours memorising with Jisung. It was familiar yet foreign to you, and as you felt Jisung shift his grip to intertwine his fingers with yours, a rush of emotion coursed through you. It felt so right, so perfect, to be running away with the boy you loved.

Soon, you reached a road, partially shrouded by thick forest leaves and plants. At this point, you were outside of the village boundaries, and you had nothing to fear. Mentally, you went through the plan you had made. Next step, hitchhike, or journey the night on foot, before the dawn arose. Where you wanted to go, was an island, miles away from your village. There, you would begin a new life.

The only thing that bothered you was what Jisung would do from here. He promised to help you escape, keep your whereabouts a secret. But to think of it, he didn't guarantee he would follow you. Jisung was content with the village. If you hadn't brought up your master plan in the first place, he wouldn't have dreamed of leaving, not to mention travel for days to another land with you.

The rumbling sound of rubber tyres on the road caught your attention, and you managed to get a ride from two girls in their twenties who were heading in your direction. They pulled over at the side, allowing you to load your belongings into the back of their pickup truck. It was around four in the morning already, and the air was still. Jisung looked thoughtful as he watched you.

" Are you sure you want to do this?" Jisung asked you just before you clambered into the back of the truck. It was pitch dark, only the stars spotting the sky like a dozen fireflies. But yet you could see the apprehension in his eyes. " You have everything you want in our village. Leaving and starting a new life means letting go of that."

An expression of hesitation flashed across your face for a split second. You looked back at the forest, the village, your home, beyond the trees.

"I have everything but the thing I want most - freedom. I want to start my own life, my own family. I want to leave this behind." you extended a trembling hand to Jisung. Will he take it? You waited for his unspoken answer with bated breath. He stared at your outstretched hand, lost in his thoughts. You could understand his actions, and you weren't going to force him. But you felt sad all the more. Leaving your life behind meant leaving Jisung as well. Perhaps the pain of leaving would subside, the wound of not being able to see him again heal. You just wished he could come with you, run with you.

You told yourself that you'd be alone but free. Back home, you'd be trapped, but Jisung would be with you. Your heart was playing a game of tug-of-war - love or liberty? You were so sure of the latter at first, but the reality of your situation hit you hard. You hoped to have both, but did Jisung?

Slowly, you started to retract your arm from its extended position, turning away, but Jisung stopped you. He didn't speak, but didn't let go either. You could tell he was conflicted.

No matter how subtle, how small the feeling was, you could tell he wanted to come. "Jisung, will you run away with me?" you murmured softly, hanging on to the last sliver of hope inside of you.

Jisung paused, but it was only for a second.

"Yes."

~

Epilogue

In the pickup truck the scenery flew by, time passed fast as you sat back against the sides of the compartment you were in, a jacket draped over your legs. The early morning air was cold, little drops of condensation forming on the rear windshield. Jisung was sitting beside you, the both of you watching as the sun began to peek its rays over the horizon. Jisung ran his finger along the glass window, drawing a heart shape which formed from the water droplets trickling down. You noticed, and smiled to yourself. You rested your head on his shoulder, feeling tired from the night's events. You felt him lean his head on yours, slipping his arm around you, causing your heart to flutter once more.

Eventually, sleep came just as the dawn broke, the truck driving along a long stretch of road. Before you drifted away into your own world, dreaming about your new life, you could have sworn you felt soft lips brush against yours, promising you you'd never be alone again.