Run With Me || JJK+PJM

eleven

JIMIN

"What is this? Therapy?" I snort and twist my body to fully face Jungkook.

He shrugs. It's like all his sentences and thoughts run in shrugs. It's irritating.

"Do you want to listen or not?" he prys. I look him dead in his eyes, weighing invisible odds because in reality, whether he shared about his life or not - it wouldn't change a lot of things.

"Humour me," I say.

He rolls his eyes and I smirk.

"Well? Are you going to be my background music or-"

"I was born in Korea," he starts. I try to get comfortable - he seems like a rambler and I don't want to die of boredom.

"I have an older sister - Dae, she's twenty-two. Appa and Eomma were pretty happy and neither Dae nor I remember when Appa started his... many addictions. We were bankrupt and being chased by gangs," he smiles bitterly and I let his words glass over me. It's so dry - his sob story.

"My grandparents were so tired of it all, having to hear about our troubles. Apparently, they were so tired that they gave my parents enough money to migrate here. But Appa's still violent," he chuckles sadly, "maybe he's more violent than how he was in Korea. I did something and that's only made him more upset with me-"

"Doesn't your mother intervene?" I ask before I can stop myself. It seems pretty obvious - his mother could've just left his father. He seems to snap out of a daze and he looks at me incredulously like he didn't think I'd be listening. He straightens and looks at me when he speaks this time.

"She just... follows whatever Appa wants. So Appa started hitting me more and Dae's just there to fix me up afterwards. But now Dae's gone. To Cambridge," his smile is more genuine this time.

Wow. She sounds smart.

I want to ask a question when there's banging on our cabin door. Our heads swivel and we come face to face with an old man who's knocking loudly.

Dr Kim.

My blood runs cold and Jungkook senses the change in atmosphere.

"Who's that?" he asks in fear as the banging gets louder. The old man's face is pressed against the door and it seems like all he wants to do is cause a ruckus since there is no lock on the door.

"Get him in and help me pin him down!" my voice wavers in fright and I open the door. Jungkook doesn't hesitate in pressing Dr Kim against the seats as I close the door, breathing heavily. Jungkook's hands clamp Dr Kim's hands behind him and push him against the backing of the seats. His knee is pressed down against Dr Kim's calves.

"Who is this?" Jungkook demands.

"Dr Kim what're you doing on this train- how did you find me?" I ask frantically as he thrashes about.

"I was on the way to your father's funeral -"

Jungkook casts a questioning look at me.

"- when you came hurtling onto the train! Obviously, I had to see what was up!" he says, half his face buried in the cushions.

"But there was a whole morning meal thing so I couldn't get to you till now," he struggles.

"What do you want?" I ask in horror.

"Why are you here? Where's Mi Cha?"

Jungkook casts me another glance.

"Just- please stop making noise!" I plead in exasperation, worried that an attendant might come.

"Tell this friend of yours to let go of me first," he says roughly. I give a slight nod to Jungkook who slowly releases his grip. Jungkook's lanky body slightly shields me from Dr Kim who calmly sits down like he wasn't kicking up a fuss moments ago.

"Why aren't you with Mi Cha to comfort her?" he asks.

Dr Kim was my father's friend. He moved away to start his own hospital somewhere else and he has never seen Mi Cha in person since the wedding was after he moved. So, he certainly did not know how I felt about Mi Cha. But he never did give off the best vibes.

I smile uncomfortably as I stiffly take a seat diagonally across Dr Kim, closer to the door in case I need to somehow bolt. Jungkook remains standing - I suppose he is unsure of what he's meant to do.

"Should we get off at the next train station to head back?" he asks.

"I've already paid my respects, Dr Kim," I say politely.

"Are you running away?" he pushes.

A lump in my throat turns sour.

He hit the nail on the head... a bit too accurately.

"I don't think Mi Cha would be very happy about that-"

"Why're you pushing this?" I ask calmly.

"Should I not? You are my friend's son, of course I'm worried," he laughs airily and reaches out to hold my hand but I shift.

"You should get off at the next station if you want to get back to pay your respects," I say.

"You're coming with me, right?" he asks, smiling too widely for my liking.

"Dr Kim, I've already paid my respects and I have somewhere to be-"

His hands dart out and cling on to mine.

"You will come with me, right?"