The Seven Passengers (BTSxTitanic)

Chapter 42: Jungkook

 My heart stops.

From the distance, I watch as Jimin scrambles to the edge of the raft, crying out Taehyung's name. He looks at me and screams, "Help him!"

I won't wait around. Hoseok does not contradict me when I dive into the water. Pain shoots up my body in what feels like a thousand knives. I swim as fast as I can. The water is choppy, restless. At first, I struggle to find my balance. I'm flailing from one current to the other until I finally regain control.

When I'm close enough to Jimin's raft, I hold my breath and duck under.

I can barely see anything in the inky black void. I reach blindly for any sign of life, although in this icy death, I grow doubtful that I'll find anything alive. I pray I'm wrong.

I resurface. Now I'm a few feet between Jimin's raft and Hoseok's raft. When they spot me without Taehyung, both of their faces fall. Ji-woo is the only one asking what is happening. I try again.

This time, I force myself to stay under until I have some sort of lead. I remind myself of what Taehyung did for me the first time we met—he saved me, so I will do the very same. I will not let the greatest gift I've ever encountered die on my watch. The water is unforgiving as it threatens to swallow me whole. But I'm just as stubborn.

My arm brushes against something. It's sinking slowly.

I snatch the figure. My arm wraps around something that feels like flesh.

I'm quick to resurface. When I bring the figure with me, I lift Taehyung's face above water. His hair clings to his face. His eyes are closed, and his jaw is slightly parted.

"Taehyung!" Jimin shouts. He reaches for him and hauls him up on the raft. Taehyung does not move. "No. No, I can't lose you too."

I meet them on the raft and cup Taehyung's face. His eyes open lazily, glossing over me and Jimin. His breathing hitches as he tries to speak, but instead starts a coughing fit. He vomits up water.

"Jimin—ah—you did it," Taehyung whimpers after he pulls himself together.

Beside me, Jimin takes Taehyung's hand. "You helped me," his voice cracks as he swallows back sobs. "Thank you, hyung."

Taehyung nods and rests his head on my lap. His eyes find mine and he chuckles. "Don't think I wouldn't—wouldn't do the same for you. I don't w-want you feeling left—left out n-now."

"Save your breath. We'll be rescued soon, and you'll be good as new."

"You avoided the subject," Taehyung cracks a smile. He winces and reaches for his stomach. I'm positive Victor broke some ribs. If Jimin didn't kill him, I would have. And I would have shown a worse way to die.

Along with the gun wound on his shoulder, and the broken leg, Taehyung still smiles. I can't help myself. I smile with him. Even when my vision becomes blurry with tears. "You really like the spotlight on you, huh?"

Taehyung tilts his head and smiles. "I have to get my name out there somehow, right?" He winces again, this time closing his eyes. I feel his breathing become shallow, his heartbeat slows.

I caress his cold cheek and his hand finds mine. This feels so familiar, yet so long ago. I have known this man for five days, and still I think of him as my world; my everything. "Don't leave me."

Taehyung lightly kisses my hand. "Then don't forget me."

I can't stop the tears. I lean down, pressing my forehead to his and giving small kisses on his nose, cheeks, and forehead. "I won't...I promise."

"Take care of Jimin for me," Taehyung smiles. "Make sure he's okay."

I cradle his head and kiss his lips. I taste a mix of him and my tears. In my arms, Taehyung runs a hand through my hair, ending on my cheek and gently pulling away. "I lo—"

"A ship!" cries Hoseok.

I turn. In the distance, I can clearly see it. A ship, a quarter of the Titanic, is sailing nearby. Just a few miles away is a lifeboat being rowed by people wearing the same life jackets as us.

Survivors.

The lights from the ship guide us closer, enough where Hoseok waves for help. We are spotted. The lifeboats row toward us.

"Taehyung, we're going to be okay," I say breathlessly. When I turn to him, he does not open his eyes.

"Taehyung?"

I hear Hoseok call my name. I hear Jimin climbing into the lifeboat. I hear my own heart in my chest, breaking into a million pieces.

I feel arms pull me away from Taehyung, and it's then that I snap back to reality. I clutch Taehyung in my arms and scream for them to let me go. They don't.

Hoseok has to drag me into the lifeboat. I'm shoved into the small space and forced to row away for other survivors. The task gives my hands something to do, and my brain something to focus on. The only time I look back is when we are far away, and I don't see the rafts anymore. All I can see is the ocean.

~

As the morning comes to shed light on our backs, it does nothing to lift our dark moods. The Carpathia has rescued all the surviving passengers of the Titanic that were responsive last night and is now heading home.

Home sounds foreign. More foreign than before, if that's possible.

We stay quiet through the entire ride back. Ji-woo is in the nurses cabin being treated for frostbite. Jimin walks around the Carpathia, too afraid to sit still. Beside me, Hoseok waits for Ji-woo. His gaze is staring off at the waters.

"She will be okay," I say softly. "She's a tough little one."

Hoseok agrees silently. His eyes lift to meet mine and I wonder how much he also had to endure. Tonight, he lost a mother, and has the possibility of losing his sister too. We are the same, in that aspect, of losing family members together. The sobbing passengers around us tell me that we are all the same.

Funny how the class status does not matter in this. For once we are all equal.

"I'm sorry about Seokjin." Hoseok's voice is very low, very quiet.

I return my condolences. "I'm sorry for your mother."

Hoseok moves to look me in the eye. "I'm sorry for separating you from..."

I put a hand up. "I know."

He nods and returns his gaze to the sea.

"You introduced us," I say, "thank you for letting us say goodbye."