☽ ⇼ ☾

He can't breathe—the air surrounding him thick and heavy, choking him slowly—as he sinks, his mouth open in a soundless scream, his eyes clamped shut in fear of what he might see when he opens them. After a few more agonising seconds, he feels grounded, his eyes springing open in alarm as he sucks in mouthfuls of air, unable to clearly make out the area he now rests in.

His vision soon clears, giving him the ability to cautiously look around what seems to be a small and confining square, the area in front of him covered up with broken bits of wood, allowing fractured rays of light to seep through and provide the small space with some warmth.

Swallowing thickly in an attempt to moisten his mouth, he shuffles forward, shaking as he peers through the gaps, an involuntary gasp leaving his mouth as he sees Yoongi sitting patiently on a worn out chair. He is quick to cover his mouth, clamping his trembling hand over his warm and damp skin as he awaits some sort of reaction from Yoongi.

When nothing happens, Jungkook relaxes, deciding to quickly scan over the room that his hyung sits in.

It's definitely old, Jungkook notes, looking over the peeling plaster on the walls with distaste. There's a slight green tinge to the room, the colour making it hard for Jungkook to stare into it for so long, a soft whimper of disapproval habitually slipping from his lips. He winces when Yoongi shifts on the chair, adjusting himself so that he's looking directly up through the gap.

"Jungkook? I know you're there," he hums, the always melodic voice of his hyung easing the tension in Jungkook's shoulder as he stares back, gulping when his eyes meet the melancholy ones of Yoongi.

He freezes, his gaze unwavering, afraid that if he so much as let himself breathe, Yoongi may die horribly just like everyone else. The older sighs, his hard set features softening into a fond smile as he can just make out the outline of Jungkook's fluffy mop of hair and his sweater.

"Jungkook-ah, I don't want you to come out of there, okay? Just listen to hyung," he coaxes, his voice sweet in an ignorant way, as if he has no clue of the horrors that are yet to come. Jungkook stays quiet, offering his brother a small nod of acknowledgement, his hands quickly muffling the whimper that slips out as his eyes once again brim with tears.

"You just saw Hoseok, right? He's a tricky kid, that one," Yoongi fondly laughs, running a hand through his damp with sweat hair, hands trembling as he pulls away. "I suppose that must mean that I'm next."

The younger scrambles towards the light, pressing his fingers through the gap as he looks through in worry, hot tears hitting his cheeks in small drops. Yoongi reassures him with a smile, his hands shoving themselves into his pockets, one of them grasping onto his lighter in refuge, hurriedly fidgeting with the small gadget.

"I'm sure that you're struggling with this, Kook-ah, and I'm sorry for that. I wish that I could help you through it but this is real life, this shit happens. People lose family, friends, loved ones—sometimes even themselves. This is all inevitable," he explains cautiously, drawing his gaze away from Jungkook to instead stare at the fire place.

"But you. You're different, special. I know you can hold yourself together while the rest of the world falls apart. Me? I'm not like that at all. I crumble when it becomes too much. Don't be like me, okay? Continue to be strong. Please, try and be strong for me."

Yoongi repeats his last sentence once more, a single tear rolling down his cheek slowly. Jungkook chokes on his sobs, gripping ever so tightly onto the planks of wood as Yoongi's smile wavers. He's always known that his hyung puts on the tough act to hide his growing insecurities and he's shamelessly wondered what it's like to act that way—to be plagued by those thoughts—and see the effects.

He finally has his answer.

Yoongi flicks his gaze back over to Jungkook, using every spare second to memorise the boy's features, knowing very well that it will be the last thing he ever gets to look at. He lets his eyes run over his sharp nose, soft cheeks, child like eyes—so big and full of wonder—and his rosy pink lips that are usually stretched up into a bunny like grin.

The explosion happens without warning, the noise of it unable to startle Yoongi as he awaits the flames to lick his skin and create ugly blisters. Jungkook wails, banging on the planks as he yells and screams for his hyung to get out of the room. The tears are uncontrollable as he wishes he stayed home and patiently waited for them all to return.

Only, they wouldn't.

This would all still happen, just without him here to say goodbye.

Yoongi manages to utter a single word; a piece of advice that he hopes Jungkook will adhere to as he ventures deeper into the Magic Shop.

"Run."

☽ ⇼ ☾

dashi run run run! sorry

shania