{fear}

Under the soft rays of the setting sun, Jungkook made his way down the street. It didn't take him very long to reach the convenience store, wedged between two taller buildings. It looked squeezed, as if the neighbours were closing in. The sign was old, some letters had become illegible in the peeling paint. But the windows were clean and the inside appeared tidy, so this was where Jungkook always ended up shopping.

Jungkook pushed the door and a bell rang. The store was far longer then it was wide, almost like a corridor with shelving spanning on both sides. It was pristine, and Jungkook found himself happily strolling throughout the store, a basket in his hand as he pulled things from the shelves. 

First was a few cups of ramen. He had run out of them after getting involved with Bangtan. Namjoon had called him so early in the morning sometimes that Jungkook simply didn't have time for a nutritional breakfast, simply boiling a packet of ramen. It wasn't very healthy, but Jungkook had been more concerned about his sleep schedule more then his eating habits. He was beginning to develop dark circles under his eyes... he wondered how Hoseok managed to remain so lively looking. 

Next he picked out some fruit and vegetables, deciding to make a proper meal for dinner. And finally he grabbed a fresh carton of milk, eggs and butter for the necessities. 

Strolling over to the front counter, Jungkook placed his basket onto the bench, unpacking it as the man behind the counter scanned the goods. With each beep of the machine, Jungkook watched the price total go up, and he couldn't help but visibly cringe at the price. He'd skipped a lot of his part-time work shifts recently, and his wallet was certainly hurting. 

The shopkeeper rose his gaze, "That's a total of twenty-three dollars." 

Jungkook let out a huff, swiping out a couple bills as he handed them over to the man. He never used a debit card... for obvious safety reasons. 

The man handed back the change along with a plastic bag of Jungkook's groceries. So with a quick smile, Jungkook took his things, making his way out the front of the store and back out into the streets. 

Eyes drifting to the sky, Jungkook watched as the blue transformed into a golden hue, peach climbing over the clouds as the sun began its decent. He found himself stopping to stare for a short moment, the wind cool and refreshing on his face as it tousled and toyed with his hair. 

Letting out a sigh, Jungkook's eyes drifted back down, his legs beginning to move as he made his way back towards his apartment. 

But then he stopped moving

His feet came to a hard stop, his careless expression falling into something alarming as his eyes grew wide. 

His breath fell short as his gaze fell over a familiar man in the distance. He was dressed in all black, his hat shrouding most of his features, but Jungkook would recognise that man anywhere... that stance, that build... that sinister smirk. 

Jungkook's body wanted to either run fast for the hills or work to find weaponry, but instead he stayed right where he was. Simply watching... expecting the worst. But to Jungkook's complete surprise, his father, that man, was not looking in his direction, he hadn't spotted him. 

Almost as if a dizzy spell had hit him, Jungkook felt almost weak, his legs almost buckling as a wave of nausea washed over him. Dropping his bag of groceries to the footpath, the fruit began to roll away, but Jungkook didn't care as he turned on his feet and bolted. His feet moved fast over the cold streets, the wind chilling against his face as he rounded one final corner. 

Limbs shaking, heart racing, Jungkook latched his hands onto the nearest trash can, bending over as he released the contents of his stomach into the bin. He hurled and coughed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he did so. 

With a shaking hand, Jungkook wiped at his mouth as he backed away from the bin, not caring about the disgusted stares of passers by as he leant his back into the side of a building. His heart raced and pounded against his chest, almost like a sharp pain as he began to struggle for breath. His throat felt tight, his surroundings a blur as he brought his hands to his head, pulling at his hair as he crouched down to the ground. His father was here... right here. He had found him. No. He hadn't. Was he really here for him? He wouldn't be. He'd kept himself hidden for years. There was no way...

Just as Jungkook felt another wave of nausea creep over him, the soft buzz of his phone inside his pocket sounded. Slipping his hand inside his jumper, he slipped out the device, hitting the answer button when Hoseok's name lit up against the screen. He didn't answer right away, trying his best to regain himself as he remained crouched against the ground. "Hoseok?" he spoke, cursing to himself at how raspy his voice sounded. 

"Jungkook?" Hoseok replied, pausing before he continued, "Are you alright? That chip monitors your pulse and your heart rate is high... scratch that, it's past anxiety levels! What the hell happened!? Are you in trouble--"

"No Hoseok..." Jungkook drew in a shaky breath of cold air, "I'm fine, I was just sick that's all." he explained... technically he was telling the truth. 

"Oh." Hoseok replied, the line going quite for a moment, "Are you sure you're okay?"

The words were soothing to Jungkook's ears, like a breath of fresh air. It almost persuaded Jungkook to tell the truth... but he wanted to be sure first, to be sure that his father was actually after him and not just here on other business. There was something wrong with this picture, Jungkook knew that his father was up to something much greater, that something big was going to happen. 

Placing a hand against his chest, Jungkook let out a breath, 

"I'm fine."

-----

Jungkook wasn't fine... far from it actually. 

Which is why he was here, standing outside the grand front door of the Bangtan mansion. 

Swallowing his breath, Jungkook stood shivering in the front garden. He had left in such a hurry, he didn't even think about what to pack, simply stuffing a backpack with whatever he could think of bringing. He didn't even snatch his winter coat off of his hanger, leaving him in a thin jumper and sweatpants in the middle of the coldest time of the year. Above him everything was dark, the clouds snuffing out the moonlight from the starless sky. 

He couldn't stand outside for much longer, so raising a closed fist, he gave a knock against the door. Taking a step back, he didn't have to wait long for the sounds of footsteps to erupt from inside, the door quickly swinging open as the light from inside the mansion illuminated the front yard. 

With a raised brow and a surprised expression, Taehyung stood at the door. His hair was a tousled mess, small blue tuffs poking out in all different directions before he ran his hand through it. He was wearing sweatpants and a large white hoodie, a packet of chips in his hands suggesting that he was probably lounging around. After all, Taehyung probably didn't need to go on as many missions as the other guys. 

As their eyes locked, Jungkook gave an awkward cough, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck as he gave a sheepish smile, "Um... I've decided to take you up on that offer..."

"Offer?" Taehyung frowned, leaning against the doorframe as he scanned Jungkook's appearance. "Sorry to break it to you... but I don't know anything about an offer." he explained, the chip bag rustling as he reached into it, pulling out a handful of chips as he shoved them lazily into his mouth. 

Jungkook's nose crinkled at the strong smell of salt. 

Taehyung let out a sigh, "I can go fetch Namjoon or Hoseok-"

"-That won't be necessary." Hoseok's voice chimed in, the raven haired male trotting his way down the stairs and into the foyer, "I know what he means." he said, opening the front door a little wider as he took his place beside Taehyung. Hoseok gave a small smile, "The spare room upstairs is all yours..."

Taehyung's eyes began to widen as he turned to Hoseok, "Wait, do you mean he's-"

Hoseok gave a small chuckle, as he gestured for Jungkook to come inside, "I don't know why you've decided to move in now... and I won't ask," he moved aside, 

"Welcome to the Bangtan mansion."

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{Author Note}

The track-list for MOTS7 came out just now and holy shit I've never been so excited for an album in my life! The collab with Sia, the extended version of shadow... another Bulletproof song and potential rapper dis track! We're being fed next week! x