23 | THE RAINFALL

It was twilight when I made my way to where Jungkook told me to meet him. Arriving there required a walk along the outskirts of the most castle-like building on campus. The walls were stone of a weathered soot color, and the outer edges were adorned with high archways under which I walked. Reaching a final arch that opened up to an expansive courtyard, I found Jungkook and Namjoon waiting, their conversation cutting short as they noticed me.

"There she is," Jungkook grinned, coming up to me without missing a beat. I let out a short chuckle as he slung his arm around my shoulders. "Missed ya, Red."

"You just saw me this morning," I replied flatly, though I knew he was just being playful. I couldn't help but tease him back in my own way.

Namjoon lifted an eyebrow at the sight of us, his lips turned up almost in amusement. "When did you two get so close?"

My mouth opened to speak, but Jungkook answered swifter than I could.

"We're the two who are closest to Jimin, so what happened sort of brought us together."

His explanation was a good save, but I knew it held plenty of truth. The first time it felt like I could start trusting Jungkook was when I saw how guilty he was over not rescuing Jimin from the fire sooner. His eyes had housed a pain that I recognized as sincere, the same kind of pain I felt upon seeing Jimin so hurt.

Namjoon raised his chin in understanding, his eyes softening at the mention of Jimin. "Speaking of, how is he? When will he be discharged?"

"He has to go through another procedure or two, then they said in a few weeks he'll be let out, as long as he's healing well. He'll need to stay in a wheelchair to keep off his feet for a while, though," I said, doing my best to keep my emotions at bay.

Strings of lavender hair fell over his temple as he shook his head. "I'm not a dancer, but I can't imagine how he feels being kept from what he loves. I don't know what I'd do without my music. He must be hurting."

I grew quiet as that familiar wave of sympathy for Jimin washed over me. Why couldn't I have been the one to get hurt? As much as I kept trying to fight it, guilt persisted clawing at me.

Jungkook seemed to pick up on my fallen mood as he squeezed me closer to him. With his free hand - the bandaged one - he held my chin and turned my face toward him just slightly, then his lips were planting a light kiss on my cheek.

Even knowing how flirtatious Jungkook was, the action flustered me. I knew his motive was not to be romantic, but rather to comfort and reassure me. The kiss was his way of wordlessly telling me that it was not my fault, what happened to Jimin. Placing a hand on the spot he pecked, I felt the ever-growing warmth of my face. My gaze briefly caught Namjoon's and found him as surprised as me.

"What's that look for? Never seen two lovers kiss before?" Jungkook asked him, only to wheeze on his last syllable as I smacked his chest.

A scoff came from behind us. "Lovers my ass."

Jungkook let his arm drop away from me as we all turned toward the sound. Yoongi stood under the arched entrance, his irises too dark in the night to read. During the short time Jungkook, Namjoon, and I were talking, the remainder of violet in the sky was swallowed up by blackness. The only light came from the moon above and the lampposts in the corners of the courtyard.

"Is it that unlikely that we could be a couple?" Jungkook questioned.

Yoongi looked between the two of us. "Not a good fit."

"Anyway," I jumped in before Jungkook could continue, "Let's sit while we wait for everyone."

The courtyard was all cement except for the center, which had a large, round patch of grass surrounding a stone fountain. Where the night would have otherwise been silent, the faint sound of running water filtered into the cold air. The sculpture of the fountain was unlike the one I'd seen while practicing with Hoseok some days ago. Rather than dancers, the two figures - male and female - shared an embrace as they crumbled in on each other like both were falling and clinging to their only source of life. Their expressions were carved into ones of desperation and longing, and I wondered what it was like to experience a love such as theirs.

Beyond the fountain was a large area filled with outdoor furniture, including cushioned chairs and couches, as well as a couple of small fire pits. While Jungkook and Yoongi worked on lighting the pits, I sat on one of the couches. Namjoon went to a lounge chair across from me, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he reclined. I watched as Yoongi lit the fire and the flames sent orange light onto Namjoon's face, drowning out the purple in his hair to make it appear more platinum.

"Can't get this one to light," Jungkook muttered, and Yoongi sighed as he went to help him. While the two continued to fiddle around, I heard footsteps approach.

"Hey, Taehyung," Namjoon greeted.

"Am I late?" Taehyung's voice was thick with depth as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. Eyeing the silky material of his brown shirt, I shook my head.

"No, we all just got here," I said, to which he nodded. After a brief pause, he moved to sit beside me.

"How is Jimin?" he asked.

"He's doing pretty good, considering what happened," I replied.

Taehyung nodded, looking away from me as he watched the boys groan about the unlit fire.

"How are your nightmares?"

I peered at him carefully, observing his profile. He always acted like he was disinterested, but his question suggested otherwise. Thinking about the nightmares only reminded me that I needed to be on guard throughout the night, as Jungkook and Hoseok were sure The Hood was one of the four.

"I'm managing," I said carefully, and only then did he finally return his attention to me.

"I have something for you," he said quietly, pulling his hand out of his pocket. His fist opened to reveal a silver necklace with a teardrop-shaped glass pendant. Inside the clear glass was a small, dried rosebud of brilliant red. Two small strands of herb-like leaves framed the bud, sticking along the sides of the teardrop.

"Why...?" I lifted my eyes to his and found him already studying my reaction through that curtain of dark curls.

"It'll help with the nightmares," he mumbled, offering no further explanation. His brows raised slightly and he lifted the necklace toward me as he asked, "Do you mind?"

I resisted the urge to glance at Jungkook, worried that Taehyung or the others would pick up on it. The last thing I needed was to risk getting more people hurt because of their involvement with me.

Taehyung's gift was perplexing and left me uneasy, but it felt unwise to deny it outright. I could simply take it off when I got back to my dorm later that night. I would be sure to ask Hoseok and Jungkook what they thought of it.

"Go ahead." Turning my back to him and lifting my hair, Taehyung brought the chain around my neck and the pendant rested just above the collar of my olive top, cold against my skin. When he finished latching it on, he leaned back and I let my hair drop back down before, returning to my original position.

"It suits you," he commented.

"Thank you," I said, and he gave me a slight smile before turning his head to watch Jungkook and Yoongi.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me as I tried to make sense of what happened. I never could tell if Taehyung just had a strange way of looking out for me or if those brief moments were glimpses of him lowering the veil of apathy he placed over himself.

"Ah hah! Finally!" Jungkook exclaimed as he and Yoongi stood from the flaming pit.

"Did I miss anything?" Seokjin walked past the fountain and stepped into the warmer light from the fires.

"Well, it was pretty entertaining to watch those two struggle so much with the fire," Namjoon said while he brought his hands back behind his head.

"We all just got here," I said, catching Jin's gaze for a moment. He nodded before moving to sit on a chair next to Namjoon. Even after our talk at the hospital, I still wasn't sure what to think of him, but I did know that I had the hardest time believing he was the boy I couldn't remember. I'd dated him for over a year, so surely I would have recalled our past together if it was him.

"So I guess this is all of us, right? At least until Jimin comes back," Jin said while Yoongi went to sit beside him. Jungkook didn't think twice before he claimed the open spot on my left. Since the couch was small, his company effectively put the three of us shoulder to shoulder.

"Not exactly," I spoke up hesitantly. "I may have invited Hoseok."

"You what?" Jungkook whispered beside me, but it was the silence of the rest of them that most concerned me.

"I'm sorry, I know I should've asked you guys first, but he's really not so bad-"

"He agreed to come?" Yoongi questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." Only after plenty of convincing on my part.

"Seems out of character," Namjoon said. "Doesn't he usually keep to himself?"

"Look, all I ask is that you guys give him a chance, alright?" I asked hopefully. I knew Hoseok had his reasons for keeping a distance from others, but that didn't mean I couldn't at least try to create an environment where he might feel accepted.

The boys grumbled their agreeance in unison, save for Jungkook, whose gaze was plastered to the side of my face the whole time.

"How did you convince him to come?" he whispered after leaning in closer to me.

I turned my face just slightly to whisper back, "I just told him it's the perfect chance to figure out who it is."

Jungkook sat back but still seemed dissatisfied with my answer.

"Well, while we wait for him to show, why don't we play a game to honor Jimin?" Seokjin offered, to which Yoongi faced him and scowled.

"You make it sound like he died."

"Jimin didn't even like your games," Namjoon added.

Jin scoffed as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "We all know he secretly loved them. His protests were just a show."

"He seemed genuinely annoyed when we played Paranoia last time," Taehyung said.

"Okay, fine. Then what do you propose we do?"

"The opposite of whatever you want to do," Yoongi deadpanned.

A few of the guys snickered at his response. Jin rolled his eyes.

"Jangmi, how's your dance project going?" Namjoon asked as he caught my eyes.

A wry smile spread over my lips. "I've hardly had any time to work on it. I don't even know where to start, really."

"Pick a track first," Taehyung said from beside me. "Find the perfect music for your foundation, then build the dance from there."

"I know I need music, but the problem is that I'm not sure yet what kind of tone I want it to be."

"Like we said before, Namjoon and I can help you out with the music," Yoongi said with more intention than normal.

"Yeah, maybe," I said quietly, glancing between him and Namjoon, apprehensive at the thought of being alone with either one of them.

The two seemed to contrast each other greatly. Namjoon was well-built with long legs and a wide frame, but Yoongi was smaller and slimmer in stature. While Namjoon's skin was sunkissed and tan, Yoongi's appeared untouched and fair. The straight, silver-lilac hair on Namjoon opposed Yoongi's dark merlot waves. Most notably, Namjoon tended to speak thoughtfully, while Yoongi was usually quick to give snappy responses.

My mental comparison of them ceased as Taehyung spoke up. "Are you going to work on the choreography alone?"

"I'm helping her."

The strong, clear voice that suddenly rang out sent a wave of pleasant tingles over my shoulders and down my spine. Everyone, including myself, straightened up as he strode out of the shadows and into the light.

He had changed since I last saw him, wearing maroon boots with black laces, slim black pants, and an oversized olive green hoodie that matched the shirt I had on. Right after noticing that he switched back to his obsidian mask, our eyes locked. My hand felt the faint memory of the burning touch we shared earlier, and he seemed to do the same as his eyes fluttered. Then his gaze broke away from me and severed the invisible tie that always seemed to form between us.

Hoseok lifted his gloved hands up, holding a few bags of various snacks. "Brought these in case anyone's hungry," he said neutrally, a hint of awkwardness buried in his tone.

"I'm starving, thanks," Taehyung said, moving to take one of the bags from him.

I stood from my spot and Taehyung brushed past me to return to his seat. Walking up to Hoseok, I carefully took the remaining two bags from him, feeling his eyes on me as I kept mine lowered.

"You can sit here," I heard Jungkook say while I went to hand one bag to Jin and the other to Namjoon.

"The whole bag is for me, right?" Namjoon asked teasingly, still lounging back as he took the sweets from me.

"It's for you to share," I said with playfully narrowed eyes.

My outward behavior could not have differed more from what I felt inside. It took everything in me to put on a smile, to act relaxed and comfortable around them, but it was important to do so. I couldn't tip The Hood off to the fact that I was two steps closer to discovering his identity, and part of that meant acting the same as I had previously despite the added sense of danger that came from being nearer to encountering him.

When I turned back to head to the couch, I saw that Jungkook had given up his spot to Hoseok and moved to another chair. It was baffling, especially considering how Jungkook always tried to be near me so he could flirt.

Sitting between Hoseok and Taehyung, my shoulders brushed theirs. While Taehyung didn't make a move, Hoseok shifted in his seat.

"So what made you want to help Jangmi with her dance?" Yoongi asked the masked student directly, his gaze as piercing as ever.

Hoseok clasped his covered hands together as he matched Yoongi's stare. "I'd been wanting to train another dancer, and then she showed up. I see a lot of potential in her, so I asked her and she agreed to dance some of my dances as long as I help her with her project."

"Wouldn't that be considered cheating?" Namjoon asked as he munched on his snacks.

"No," Hoseok replied easily, "I'm not choreographing for her, just guiding her through the process and letting her form the routine on her own."

"Better step up my game," Taehyung mumbled for only me to hear.

Following Hoseok's response, the others seemed to relax and slowly acclimate to his presence. The snacks were passed along and we began discussing random topics. All throughout our conversation, I tried to note whatever stood out to me. My hope of picking up on new clues was tarnished, however, when all my mind wanted to focus on was the fact that Hoseok remained silent through it all.

While the others grew animated and laughed about Namjoon's most recent interaction with a girl, I glanced at Hoseok, failing to decipher a single thing except that he was observing them all with precision. But my eyes were drawn away from his face when I noticed his hands rubbing his thighs.

I felt disappointment and guilt run through me at the realization that he was uncomfortable, if not anxious. How selfish I had been to pressure him into coming when I knew he preferred to keep to himself. His dominant aura still radiated off of him, but it was only serving as a shield for him - at least for that evening.

Before I could contemplate my next move, my hand had already slid over to him, timidly encircling his wrist. I was sure to touch only the part of him that was covered by his hoodie, not wanting to scare him off like last time. At my touch, he froze, and I braced myself for his retraction but it never came.

"Jangmi? Are you even listening?" Jungkook's voice was like cold water that woke me from the daze I had with Hoseok, and I discreetly pulled my hand away from him as everyone's attention zeroed in on me.

"Sorry, what? I zoned out."

"Jungkook was just mentioning the masquerade ball we have every year," Jin explained, his eyes drifting to the spot my hand had just been.

Shit. If he saw, did that mean everyone else did, too?

"Have you heard of it?" Namjoon asked, and I tried to find any sign that he had seen it, too.

Nerves gnawed away at my stomach as I replied. "No, I haven't heard about it until now."

"It's right after the winter showcase. The last event before we get off for break," Jungkook said.

"You should come, Jangmi. It's a pretty big deal," Yoongi's low voice spoke.

"I didn't peg you as someone who's very involved in events," I said, and I heard Taehyung chuckle beside me.

Yoongi held my gaze. "I'm not most of the time, but the masquerade is something you don't want to miss out on. You should go with us."

"I'm sure she can decide for herself without you pressuring her," Hoseok suddenly said in a challenging tone. I glanced at him and immediately noticed him bouncing one of his legs anxiously.

"What's your problem?" Yoongi asked as he locked his eyes with Hoseok's.

Hoseok held their staring contest for a few seconds, then he shook his head and stood up. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling well. I'm going to head back to my dorm."

Without so much as a pause, Hoseok walked off.

A glance at each of the males made it clear that they were as lost as I was.

"I'm... just gonna make sure he's okay," I stated quickly as I went to follow him.

Jogging beyond the fire's glow, past the running fountain, and through the entrance, I found Hoseok walking down the arched hallway, his figure just barely illuminated by the white hue from the moon.

"Hoseok!" I called after him, but he kept walking. Cursing under my breath, I ran up to him and caught his wrist, gasping as he instantly tore out of my hold.

It wasn't until that moment that I recognized how much power he'd gained over me. The simple act of him pulling away felt, for a second, like a dagger plunging into my ribs.

I could tell from his eyes that he saw how much it hurt me, and he took one step forward, but still kept some distance.

"Jangmi, I-"

"I'm sorry," I whispered, clinging to the sleeves of my jacket. "I pushed you to come here tonight. I shouldn't have done that."

He shook his head, taking another step closer. "No, I like that you wanted me to come tonight. This isn't about that."

"Then what is it? Why do you seem so uncomfortable around me all of a sudden?" The pain was obvious in my voice. "Is it because of that... what happened this morning when you held my hand?"

He winced at my words, frowning as he looked down. "It's... not exactly that either. I don't know why, but you have this-" his words cut short when he looked back up and his eyes landed on my chest.

"What-"

"Where did you get that?" he asked as he gestured to my chest. My hand went to hold the pendant of the necklace.

"Taehyung gave it to me. He said it would help with my nightmares."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at it one last time, then he met my gaze again.

"It looks good on you. I'll see you tomorrow for our lesson, alright?" Something in his demeanor had shifted, and I knew it had everything to do with the necklace, I just couldn't understand why. All I knew was that he was beyond reach at that point, and I had to let it go until I next saw him.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," I said quietly.

He held my eyes a moment longer before he walked away, turning the corner and vanishing from sight.

My feet took me back to the courtyard, and on the way there, it began sprinkling. Light raindrops cooled my cheeks as I returned.

"Everything okay?" Namjoon asked.

I feigned a smile and nodded. "He just felt a little sick so he went to get some rest."

"Speaking of feeling sick, we should probably go inside somewhere now that it's raining," Jin suggested.

"You call this rain?" Yoongi raised an eyebrow at him.

Before Jin could respond, the drizzle grew heavier and turned into a full rainfall that doused the fires.

"Nevermind."

We all threw our hoods over our heads and left the courtyard, staying under the roofed hallway that rounded the building.

"Well, this was a bust," Namjoon commented, his voice rising to be heard above the rain.

"Where to?" Taehyung asked.

"I think I'm just going to go back to my room," I said. "I'm pretty tired."

"I'll walk you back," Jungkook said as he crossed his arms to fight against the cold.

The two of us bid the others a good night before heading toward my dorm.

"I didn't remember anything," I said after a short time. Jungkook peered at me curiously, his eyes softening as they took in my face.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, alright? Don't worry about it for now," he said with a gentleness that was becoming more familiar to me.

The rain had eased up during our walk back, but it continued to grow heavier again the closer we came to my dorm. We'd fallen into a comfortable silence, accompanied by the steady sound of the rain and our shoes stepping on the wet concrete. Eventually, we reached the small staircase that led to the entrance of the building.

I took three steps up the stairs before turning back to him, finding him standing at the bottom with his hood on and his hands in his pockets. He watched me carefully, surprised I'd turned around.

"Why did you give your spot to Hoseok?"

An amused smile slowly tugged at his lips. "What?"

"You... gave him your spot next to me. Why?"

Jungkook let out a short laugh, looking away briefly. When he returned his gaze to me, he couldn't keep himself from grinning. My brows furrowed at his reaction.

"Does it bother you that I was willing to let him sit next to you instead of me, Red?"

"What? No!" I shouted incredulously, annoyed by his assumption.

Jungkook's amusement remained. "You thought I'd be too selfish, right? That I wouldn't give up the chance to sit next to you because I like flirting with you too much."

I bit my lip and pressed on. "Why did you do it?"

That smile of his finally began to fade as he observed me. He sighed, "I may not always get along with him, but he's still my brother. I knew he came for you, and I knew you're the only one he's relatively comfortable with, so I let him sit with you."

I leaned against the handrail, feeling my own features soften as I stared at him. 

"That look..." His eyes roamed over my face. "What's that look for?"

"I just didn't expect it."

Suddenly, Jungkook climbed the three stairs it took to stand directly in front of me. My body shifted to face him fully, my hips backed against the rail. He took a single step closer, and I got a good look at the raindrops that streaked down his face, collecting on his eyelashes and wetting his hair to an even darker black.

"Why not?" he asked, and I caught his gaze drifting to my lips. "Do you think I can't resist being near you?"

No sound came from my mouth when I tried to speak. My heart drummed in my chest as he leaned in, his nose nearly brushing mine. The rain continued to fall around us and my eyes began to flutter, feeling him inch even closer. Then his hands were holding either side of my jaw, fingers threading into the hair at my nape and thumbs gliding over my cheeks. He angled my head up slightly and my lips parted as he hovered his mouth over mine, the two of us sharing a breath.

"Well, I can't," he whispered before he kissed me.

• • •

A/N:

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️💨

Big chapter! Lots to unpack! So... what did you think? If you hate love triangles, don't worry. Stick around a little longer!

Anyone in particular stand out as suspicious? What do you think Taehyung's necklace is all about? And why was Hoseok so on edge?

Sorry for the cliffhanger (not really). We'll pick up where we left off next week! Thanks so much for your support. If you guys are enjoying this story, recommend it to your friends! It would mean a lot :)

Your nervous-to-see-your-reactions author,

Kat ❤

October 26, 2020