The Eighth One - BTS AU (Mystery/Thriller) | Complete

Chapter 11💛

Seven years later...

It seems like it was yesterday that I set foot in the Bowl. Met these boys for the first time. And yet I cannot think of a time before their existence in my life.

Joon thought as he walked slowly, a small smile on his lips slightly making way to small depressions on his cheeks. Head down, his shoulders hunched a little. His hands as usual were in the pockets of his long coat. A beanie covered his head with just a little portion of his black bangs making an appearance on his forehead.

"Appa I'm here", he announced as he pushed the handle of the door of the shop.

"I'm back here!"

Joon followed the voice to the back of the shop where he found his appa eating a sandwich. Joon plopped himself on the bed watching his appa eat.

"What? No Bowl today?", his appa asked him offering him a bite of the sandwich.

"No I ate. And yeah I'm heading there. I thought I'd just stop by".

His appa chuckled and said ,"Of course, like timetable". Joon gave him a small smile. "How are the boys?", he asked. "They are good", Joon smiled staring at the floor.

Standing up, wiping his hands on a tissue his appa said," I'm glad you have them. Call them home sometime".

"Okay appa", Joon stood up and said ,"I'll leave now. You take care"

"You too!", appa said as Joon walked out of the hardware store his appa owned.

Joon could never invite them home. His parents would behave, he knew. But it somehow seemed fake. Things weren't much different at home.

His parents still fought. But appa had started staying at the store a few nights a week now. Not that it made any difference in the situation whenever he did come home.

As he approached the Bowl he could hear the laughter.

"Joonah! Save me!", Tae said as he laughed and hid behind the towering Joon, trying to escape from a very fast Jimin, as soon as Joon stepped in the Bowl.

Tae ran back to the others, Jimin trying to catch him. Yoongi waved at Joon as he made way to the lowest step where they sat. "Did you go to appa's?", Yoongi asked and Joon nodded in response and looked around at everyone.

Kookie and Hoseok were arm-wrestling which Jin monitored and Kookie lost, as always. Hoseok did a little victory dance while Kookie whined ,"One day hyung! I will beat you!".

Hoseok chuckled in response ,"We'll see", and continued dancing.

Jimin and Tae were still running around, almost out of breath. "Kim Taehyung! Get back here!", Jimin growled at Tae as he almost caught Tae's arm.

Tae had long thin legs but Jimin was fast and strong. However Tae escaped from his grasp and said ,"Only if you promise not to kill meeeee!", and ran into the Bowl.

Jimin followed him almost losing balance and that went on for a few more minutes.

About half an hour later they sat leaning on each other on the highest of the steps, staring into the sunset. They could never got tired of it. This was their own.

The Bowl was theirs now. No one else ever came there anyway. Some random boys had visited a few times in the past years. But no one stayed.

"Remember when we used to come here for skateboarding?", Yoongi asked with a smile. "Oh yeah!", Joon chuckled. "Not me", Jin added while he sat with his arms on either side.

"You are the only exception hyung", Kookie said as he shifted towards Jin. Jin put his arm around Kookie's neck and pretended to choke him as he laughed.

"Hey, I skateboard even now", Jimin added to the conversation. "Good for you Jiminie", Tae said as he patted Jimin's back.

"Sigh...I wanted to be a skateboardist back then", Tae added.

"I don't think that's a word Tae", Joon said.

"Skateboardone?"

"Its skateboarder"

"Are you sure? Skateboarder sounds so wrong. Skateboardist sounds right. I'm going to say 'skateboardist'"

"Okay 'Skateboardist' Kim Taehyung"

The boys laughed as they relaxed and watched the sun disappeared into the thin line of the horizon...