A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

25: Judgement Day

There was a tension Mara felt that could not be soothed, a guilt that made her sick to her stomach. The girl refused eye contact with Taehyung, hoping to not be confronted by him. She was avoiding confrontation only for now, but she knew she would have to come clean to Jimin eventually.

If he didn't know already.

Jimin appeared oblivious to her guilt despite her wariness; to that she was grateful. Jimin only wanted them to get along, so for now she would avoid the tough questions and tackle the matter at hand—her future. It was a daunting task to put her life in the hands of other people, but considering her unfortunate past she wondered what more could go wrong.

"Namjoon should be in his office," Jimin took Mara by the hand, about to guide her away. Mara noticed the way Taehyung's stare lingered on their intertwined hands. When he finally looked back up at Mara, his expression was blank and his eyes held no glint to them, nothing to characterize his unexpressive face.

"We'll see you later," Jimin muttered, eyes shifting from the two with uncertainty as he finally pulled Mara away and out of the infirmary. Mara was left in a daze as trepidation settled firmly at the pit of her stomach. Jimin noticed this, bringing her in under his arm and attempting  to comfort her with a smile. Mara tried her best to reciprocate, but when everything was going the opposite of what she expected, it was very hard to maintain a calm and hopeful attitude.

"You've got a lot to offer," Jimin suddenly spoke, sharing his determination in the way he lightly shook the girl. Jimin guided them towards the living room, however, as they approached the doorway he took a sharp turn, now taking them up the stairs towards the second floor. There was a cold draft that swooped in, goosebumps rising on Mara's clothed skin.

"Everyone...or at least most people have learned to manage in these times," Jimin whispered, glancing at her momentarily as he spoke, "You were the catalyst that helped me develop confidence, bravery. I was a nervous wreck and you steered me in another direction," he smiled as he reminisced, "It was such a small push, but it started a change. I think we need a few of those around here," Jimin concluded, standing before the very last door at the end of the hall.

Mara remembered the crippling anxiety that had wrecked Jimin's self-assuredness, and how he had begun to grow right before her eyes. Seeing Jimin again, she felt that change. Though it wasn't big, it was noticeable.

Jimin rapped his knuckles on the door, voice calling out to the person inside. He let go of her hand,

"Namjoon-ah, we're here."

The second floor filled with silence, and as Mara shifted she could hear only the creaking of the floorboards under her. Her head perked at the sound of muffled voices coming from outside. Beside her was a window, the full view of the backyard coming to view. Mara watched as Jungkook grinned widely, shoulders shaking as he laughed. A wide-eyed Jin whacked him with a cloth he held in his hand, repeatedly hitting the other as he scolded him. A smile had pulled at the corner of Mara's lips before she could realize it.

"Come in," a voice called from in inside. It was a deep voice, piercing Mara's chest and once again filling her with apprehension.

Upon entering, the girl was mesmerized. A long mahogany table sat at the center of the large room, shining in the sun. Several wooden chairs surrounded it, a few candles sitting at each end. Light cascaded into the room from the windows at the wall furthest away, the curious girl reaching out to pierce the rays of sun. Bookshelves held several books, all meticulously arranged and sitting beside several metal cases holding an arrangement of carbines, shotguns, pistols, rifles—she couldn't quite name all of them. The weapons were on display, kept from reach by a single lock at each metal cage. There were four, two at each side of the girl, a threatening glint to the sleek metal. A couple of decorative pieces and paintings furnished the walls, giving character to the very intimidating nature of the room. At the center of the table, spread out, was a large map. As they drew near and entered the room, Mara could make out the markings; it was a map of the city and the towns in the surrounding area. The paper was stunningly preserved, and there were no marks or scribbles on the paper, which confused the girl. The map she'd lost a while back was incomparable to theirs.