Darker Blood

Chapter fifty-four

Inori pov~

"How did you get that?" Taehyung asked me with a horrified face, his eyes glued to the swollen purple bruise on my cheek. The swelling had gone down only a little bit, and it was slightly difficult to see out of one eye.

I shrugged. "It was an accident."

He gaped. "Are you sure?"

I sighed. "Quite sure. Do you know where Jin is?"

Taehyung shook his head, a fearful expression clouding over his face. "I guess he'd be in his study, probably hiding."

"You're afraid of him?"

He shook his head ever so slightly, looking down at his hands clasped together so tightly his knuckles were stained white. "No, I'm not scared. Just worried about him.."

He trailed off, his eyes focussing on something distant behind me as he zoned out, and I turned around, expecting to see Jungkook or someone else, but nothing but a plain wall met my eyes. I shifted awkwardly, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, mumbling a thankyou, trusting my legs to lead me to Jin's study.

I passed Jimin in the long hallway and stopped in my tracks. There he stood, hands in his pockets, standing casually facing the wall, his head supporting his whole body, his eyes closed and motionless.

"Jimin?" My voice sounded like a squeak. "Are you okay?"

He opened his eyes slowly, and I saw straight away that they were tainted red with bloodlust and tears.

"Jimin, what's wrong?"

I tried to make my voice sound as gentle as possible, even going as far to reach out a hand towards him, yet he did not answer or move, not even to breathe.

"Nothing." His voice was so cold and lifeless, and I felt so guilty for just standing here, unable to save him from drowning in his own thoughts. "I'm fine."

I shrunk a little where I stood. "Is this.. vampire stuff?"

He sniffled. "One should not pity the dead."

I backed away from him slightly, moving down the hall more. I didn't see him move.

My hand froze over the front of Jin's door, poised to knock, but having second thoughts already. As if he could hear my doubts through the door, he called out for me to enter in a cold voice.

I pushed the heavy door open, standing in the doorway facing him as he sat with his eyes closed in his desk chair, a quill resting in his fingers. I smiled a little to myself at that.

"Umai, leave."

My gaze snapped to my sister who was stretched out on the floor, a book over her face. She let out a sigh and closed the book, dropping it on the floor carelessly, letting the pages fold randomly, damaging the book for sure. Yet, Jin said nothing as she rose to her feet, glaring at him.

"Where shall I go now, master?"

He slowly opened his eyes, still calm. "Hoseok."

She scoffed, still not even glancing at me. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Sleep under the watch of Hoseok."

Umai glared so fiercely at Jin I was sure his shirt would turn on fire, but she stormed out, bumping hard into my shoulder on the way, while I looked after her in horror. What had I done to deserve that?

"She's just in a foul mood."

I nodded, slowly walking towards him, before taking a seat opposite him. The chair was so comfortable, and felt too expensive for me to even deserve to sit in.