The Seven Passengers (BTSxTitanic)

Chapter 41: Jimin

Pain.

All I feel is pain.

My chest aches from the cold. And from crying.

I have managed to find a piece of metal as a makeshift raft. It holds up for the most part. Although at this rate, I accept death. There's nothing for me here. Not anymore.

I once believed I was falling in love. No, I did fall in love. It was for him, the pianist who saved me. I thought of a future with him, one with us in New York performing together every night. One where we lived in a cottage home together, just like he wanted.

Now I'm floating alone, holding his notebook that he should have read to me for our wedding vows. I force myself to stop crying before I am allowed to open the book. It takes me a very long time.

Finally, I dry my tears with what's left of my shirt and carefully open the notebook. Some pages are already peeling away, while others are holding on. The penmanship is smudged from the water, but legible. I struggle to keep my tears from hitting the papers as I read.

Dearest Jimin,

I don't know any more than what I've seen, and I have no right to say the following, but I can't sit around anymore. Jimin, they don't deserve any part of you. There is so much more out in the world, waiting for you. I know you never wanted to do this for a living, and I also know it's not easy to walk away from. It will take time, lots of it. It will hurt to stop, but when you do, you'll learn to heal. You'll learn to love the person who needs it the most: you. As much as I want to, I can't do it for you. This is your choice in the end. All I wish is to be by your side, holding you like they never could. Loving you like they never did. You were born to be loved, not to be taken advantage of.

I love you, Jimin.

-Min Yoongi

I hug the notebook to my chest. The water threatens to swallow me whole as I slam my fists on the metal. I can't stop sobbing.

Around me is death. Bodies float with iced over eyes and frost coating their hair. Aside from my heavy breathing and the shush of the ocean, there's nothing out here. The thought of Yoongi's body being somewhere near frightens me enough to cover a hand to my mouth. I don't know why, though. Nobody would hear my cries anyway.

"Jimin!" a voice hollers in the distance.

I nearly convince myself it's all in my head when I hear the sound of waves splashing; getting closer. I sit up. It's Taehyung. He is with Jungkook, Hoseok, and the girl Ji-woo. They paddle with their arms while balancing on a door they converted to a raft.

Relief and joy overflow in me. I almost want to jump in and swim to them. I wave my hands like a crazy person, whooping and hollering.

Then I feel the raft sinking below me.

I turn and scream.

It's Victor.

He has managed to climb his way onto my raft using what strength he has left. The tips of his hair are covered in ice, spiked permanently. His cheeks are a ghostly white, with eyes that seek revenge.

I have no time to defend myself. Victor charges across the raft, almost invisible if it wasn't for the moonlight.

My back hits the metal. Hard. I feel hands snake around my neck. I can't breathe.

"Did you miss me, Jiminie?" Victor taunts. "Don't struggle. It will only make things worse for your rescue. You're welcome."

My vision goes hazy. The stars above me blur into a mix of shimmering lights. I feel everything going numb.

Then I feel Victor's weight being pulled off me. And the raft begins to sink more.

"Taehyung!" I shout. He draws back and swings. His fist punches Victor, earning a crack somewhere in Victor's jawline.

He curses and lunges for Taehyung, growling like a beast. Victor is quick, and manages to knock Taehyung down, causing the raft to flip and momentarily send us all overboard.

I am the first to crawl back on top. Victor is on the other side, with Taehyung snaking his arm around his neck.

He is not strong enough.

Victor slips out of Taehyung's grasp and kicks. Taehyung drops, clutching his ribs.

"Stop it!" I rush to him, but Victor catches my shirt tail. In one swoop, he jerks me to him and pulls my hair back, forcing me to look at Taehyung.

"How many people have to die for you? Look at what you're doing to him."

Taehyung coughs up a dark liquid that smells like old pennies. I can't see anything in the darkness, but I have to assume it's blood. I thrash in Victor's arms.

He jerks me again. "You're making him suffer so much. Just say you'll be with me and end this!"

"No!" I hear Hoseok scream. Both he and Jungkook are struggling against the ocean that pulls them farther away from us. "Jimin! Don't listen to him!"

Victor laughs. "It's over. You have no one to save you now!"

No, there is no one—but there is me.

I lower my head as far as I can, bending until my chin touches my knees, then spring backward. The back of my skull collides with Victor's face, sending him over the raft.

When his head pops up, I push it down with all my strength. I'm shaking and screaming and cursing and crying. His hands find my legs and try to pull me under, but I kick them away. All I need is a few more seconds.

"Is this what you wanted?" I scream. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?"

It's so sudden, I'm not sure if I did it at first. But when I don't feel anything pushing against me, I lift my hand. Nothing emerges from the water.

I force myself to plunge my hand in the icy ocean. My hand grazes the tips of Victor's hair before it disappears down into the darkness. He's gone. He's dead.

Emotion swells inside me. I can't look away from the water. My greatest fear—my worst enemy—is at the bottom of the ocean. All because of me. I won't have to worry about him appearing behind me anymore. I'm free.

"I knew you could do it," a small voice says.

Taehyung's voice.

I whirl around.

He's sliding off the raft.

I am too late to catch him.