Love Story Short | Jikook/Kookmin

Chapter 14

[A/N: Hiiiiii this chapter was supposed to be twice as long, but I've kept you waiting for a while now so I'm publishing away the part I have ready. Missed meee? :")]

8 p.m. same Friday night, Yoongi leads the way through the sliding doors of the international departures at the Incheon Airport.

Jungkook is a little restless from sleepless nights on end this week but it doesn't bother him that much. His interesting way of coping with stress has kicked in since late afternoon. His body is doing the thing were it seizes all willpower when things get unbearably lot to process, and pulls the autopilot breaks instead.

Just survive. Go out there, be crazy, be wild. Do anything. Don't feel better, just feel alive. 

The back of Jungkook's mind is loud and busy with doubts, fears, heartbreak and insecurity, but his actions are firm, steadfast. Operating in moments of crisis is all he has known to do. He had gotten better with not letting moments turn into crisis to begin with, so that he didn't have to deal with them like this later on. That progress happened while he was in therapy two years ago though. As today's show turns out, he forgot everything he learned. 

He is back to pure instinct and impulsive decision-making. 

They enter the airport building. Lights flicker all around, movement surrounds them. Jungkook's eyes first catch the huge billboard up front, a grounding block amidst the chaos. Writings and numbers slide left and right diligently, rearranging themselves to reflect latest flight updates, destinations.

There it is.

Flight: YJ  8257  |  Destination: Florence  |  Dep. Time: 21:00

They are really doing this.

Butterflies flap in his stomach. A part of him wants to stop it from happening and give up the pursuit. Another knows comfort is the last thing he will find back home. He'll probably go crazy and cry and break things because his heart is hurting even when he is not particularly focusing on what happened earlier in the day. Yoongi, as vulnerable as he is at the moment, gives him more comfort than any part of Jungkook could. And Jungkook is hoping to do the same for his hyung throughout this journey. Finally be there for him, in true sense of the word.

They get in the check-in line. 

Jungkook's phone rings on silent for the nth time that night. He stares at the caller's name. A huff leaves his lungs as he imagines the frustrating conversation he is bound to have either now with Jin if he chooses to pick up, or later at the office with his boss when he has resurfaced on earth after leaving no notice behind.

Fuck. It has got to be the first one. 

But boy, isn't it just as chaotic as he thought the call would go. Jin is upset. This isn't one of  his sassy and threatening cute tantrums. He is genuinely worried about Jungkook's wellbeing and his personal fate in the company, because what Jungkook is asking of him is not a simple favor.

"Tell them I'm bereaving!"

Even Yoongi who has been ignoring Jungkook's flurry on his phone, the train of sighs and neck craning accompanied by every back-to-back call left unanswered the past hour, turns around to look at him.

Jungkook blushes. 

"You don't have to be here," Yoongi reminds him. 

Hearing that aggravates him even more, because he doesn't want to seem like a burden on Yoongi's back. He wants to be his support, the voice and body that will keep him from doing insane things... like killing Hoseok.

"It's okay, I got this," he pats Yoongi on the arm and uses the excuse of advancing in line to turn the man the other way. He curls into his chest to resume his conversation with Jin rather privately, which he doubts will happen because now he is facing the little kid behind them who is staring up at Jungkook with curious eyes.