Musen 11 ✔

Chapter Ten:

Eventually, morning came and they once again braved the journey to paradise. Evidence of the downpour the previous night decorated the streets in form of dew drops. Handy backpack in her grasp, Fei looked out the window and examined the damage of the explosion.

They drove past where they were supposed to the previous night and it took everything in them to tear their eyes away from the hundreds of Hosts that lined the street, half limbed, if at all, and with dried black blood splattered all around.

The explosion had captured the lives of them too many to count and they all stared at what were once living, breathing humans, wasted like rubbish along the streets. Tossed like rag dolls.

Quarterly through their journey, it was essential that they passed through a tunnel that would lead to the other side of the city. After all, the metropolitan bridge was blocked and it was the only other transit available for interlinking.

The tunnel was very dark. It was expected after all, the power in half the city had gone out by the third day of the outbreak. Dong-in turned on the headlight, but even then, they could only see two or something feet in front of them. Coupled with the unnerving silence in the car, it slowly became a very eerie experience. Something Seokjin quickly noticed and attempted to solve.

"One time, the bridge had a lot of traffic so my dad and I had to go through here," Seokjin began his tale, shuddering for added theatrics. "I could've sworn there were ghosts. I know that because one whispered I was ugly and its common knowledge that ghost's lie because come on,"

Taehyung laughed. "Maybe it was just dad,"

Seokjin scoffed. "Please! Dad worshipped my beauty everyday. All I had to do was smile and he would swoon. That's why he took me to Building 63 instead of you,"

Taehyung cackled. "Yeah, right! While you and dad rolled in pig slime all day, mom and I had a fun, relaxing time at the spa,"

"I don't need a spa. I'm already beautiful," Seokjin teased as he flipped his neck length brunette hair.

"I wish I could disagree," Namjoon joked, earning a scarlet faced Seokjin as a reward.

"So, what even is that place? Building 63?" Jimin perked up, directing his question at Seokjin.

"It's a lot of things but its somewhat of a rearing park. They breed animals, indulge in farming and whatnot. It's super big like three times the size of Songai Farm. There's also three or four hotels for overnights tourists. Long story short, it's this really big government owned property interested in  agriculture and they host a tour once every week." Seokjin explained.

Realization dawned on them as they came to know this Building 63 would be the perfect place to wait out the pandemic until the government did something about it.

"I've heard of it," Fei said. "We were supposed to go on a school trip there later this month,"

"How is it fair that you guys go on a school trip to a really cool place while we were taken into the middle of nowhere?" Namjoon pouted and folded his arms.

Fei giggled. "Because the universe accepts that us middle schoolers are way cooler than you seniors. All you do is skip classes and talk about yucky things," she scrunched her button nose.

"Skip classes?" Jungkook spoke.

"And talk about yucky things?" Hoseok completed.

"Namjoon what have you done to make your sister hate us so?" Yoongi joked, a small smile playing at the side of his lips.

"You have stained the senior name, Namjoon. What do you have to say for yourself?" Sonya asked with a playful tsk.

Namjoon raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I never skip class or talk about yucky things. I'm pure. If anything, Jin's the one who stained our name,"

"Hey!" Seokjin shouted from the front seat, ignoring Dong-in's badly suppressed laughter at their bickering.

"It's true. We were in all the same classes and I only ever saw you once: for the exams!" Namjoon retorted, sticking out his tongue.

"My doctor said school is bad for my health," Seokjin threw right back.

"My doctor said you existing is bad for my health," Taehyung said calmly, Hoseok, Jungkook and Jimin cackling beside him while Fei just smiled at the chaos she had caused and Sonya looked at her fondly. The little girl was making her forget her period cramps and that was saying something.

"You wouldn't exist without me, stupid! We're twins!"

"Yeah, and I'm obviously the better looking one," Taehyung jabbed at his older brother. 

"Here we go!" Jimin cackled, knowing what was coming next.

"Me being crowned the hottest guy in school begs to differ. On valentines day, I got sixteen confession letters and what did you get? Blue balls!" Seokjin casually dragged his little brother, enjoying the conversation very much.

"Yeah, after you pretty much drugged them with brownies, you manipulator!"

"You little shit, you baked those brownies!"

Soon enough, their bickering included everyone else other than Cha Won who was just not in the mood. It was the first time after everything had happened where they could actually laugh and joke and forget about their worries for a split second. Everything felt normal again and they all revelled in it before, as they knew, it came to an inevitable end. Their laughter and lighthearted jabs livened up the entire car, drenching them in familiarity.

This was probably the happiest they'd ever be after everything that'd happened and everything that was going to happen but that was okay. It was now and there was no use dwelling on the future and what it held.

Cha Won stared outside the window as they finally emerged from the creepy tunnel and unto the other side of town. The state of the city was even worse there on and the eighteen year old boy shuddered at what had become of his lovely capital, the place he called home, in a matter of weeks.

Then he glanced again at all the laughing occupants of the car and he sighed. It was good that they were taking a break from reality, after all they needed it. To prepare for everything that lay ahead like the road in front of them.

He looked down at his wrists, the part of his body he'd scratched so much it drew blood due to him being immersed in grief. He thought of Minho and how much he missed him.

And then he wondered, if he too would come to an inevitable end, just like Lee Minho did.

▶

not me being distracted and writing this while i had like ten pots of food on the fire lmao. i think we all deserved a care free chapter because it's been nothing but pain for a while. thoughts? x KJ.