To the Sea | Jikook |

Chapter 9: A decaying rose

         Taehyung listened to the voice that sang to Jimin asleep. At that moment, Taehyung wondered what type of apparition was this? Phantom? Or a Demon? He didn't understand how Jimin was falling into the ghost's trance. Jimin was already fast asleep while Taehyung still listented to the hidden singer serenade the older and this alone scared Taehyung a bit.

            To Taehyung, the voice was impressive... But not enough to slip into his mind and make him fall asleep like how it did to Jimin. Taehyung gazed up at the vents and stared at nothing as Jimin smiled in his sleep. The younger waited there, listening to the voice that called out to Jimin. But it took a long time for the voice to finish up his songs. It took a total of 50 minutes until he was sure Jimin has fallen asleep.

           But Taehyung was still awake. Only wanting to know who this was... So far, Taehyung only thought of this man being nothing but an apparition. No one else would sing and suddenly Jimin would fall asleep so suddenly. It was a voice that lured Jimin in and the voice alone seemed very addicting to him. It was either Jimin was in a deep trance the Apparition cursed him in... Or he grew very fond of the voice and wouldn't want to hear any other to sleep but just that calming angel melody.

           After the song, the unknown singer would conclude and wait a good minute before leaving Jimin off to sleep. Of course, He must have known what he was doing... Giving Jimin what he longed for. Yet Taehyung knew this wasn't right. Rather, it was odd and this unfamiliar has been singing to Jimin every night since the first day!

             "Are you resting...? That's well... Goodnight~"

              Said the voice from up the vents as Jimin was asleep, he couldn't hear a thing. Taehyung heard the youthful tone in the man's voice, yet it echoed and sounded unrealistic to his ears. "Hey!" Taehyung called out, but no other sound followed. Just a stray tapping noise from up the vents. The tapping was quick like someone tapping a sharp object onto a metal vent in anger or fustration that flooded their mind.

            With every tap, Taehyung felt his heart pound in fear and only wondered what it could have been. Was the spirit angry at him? But for what reason? "Hey! I'm talking to you! Apparition or not... Leave Jimin alone!" Taehyung raised his voice, not knowing who or what he was talking to. Yet he wanted his message to get across the unfamiliar's mind. Taehyung worried Jimin was falling too addicted to the unknown's voice and that can soon lead into love sprouting from the seed... This was what Taehyung feared. He wanted Jimin to be safe, not fall for an unknown apparition or some pervert that sings him to sleep, disguising his voice to sound more youthful.

             Taehyung then heard a scoff from up the vents, footsteps as if the unfamiliar left the room, leaving the side of the vent with heavy footsteps like stomps. This angered Taehyung, he worried about Jimin and didn't want him hurt, what if there really was a pervert up those stairs, luring in younger boys to the third floor? However, this was what Taehyung believed. In a world like this, there was nothing beautiful about an unknown male's voice that sounded like the angels. Taehyung believed something twisted was going on and couldn't rest without knowing the voice will stop.

            Taehyung sighed, reaching out to Jimin's recorder and listening to Jimin's logs for the three days he has been in Busan. So far, the logs spoke about the boy Jimin ran into. Taehyung knew Jimin must have longed to meet someone new. It was part of who Jimin was. Always longing to meet someone new, but with the amount of limited time he was given in between work, it was tough for him. So Jimin knew if he could make atleast the shy boy his friend, that would make his stay here more better.

            After listening to Jimin speak out words describing the boy he met when stumbling upon him for the first time. The description was one of Jimin's brightest and artistic words he can paint onto his canvas, explaining his feelings, his thoughts on the boy and the many things he hoped for. This made Taehyung pity Jimin's wishes, for once he was able to sit down and record a perfect log after months and months of practicing his entries. Out of all the topics and trends, Jimin finally found something that caught his attention.
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            When the sun rose that morning, Jimin opened his eyes to see that from the corner of his eyes, Taehyung resting on his bed, wrapping his arms around the older man. Jimin shook his head quickly and pushed Taehyung's arms away, causing the younger to let out a huff and a whine, giving off an sour look on his sleepy face as soon as Jimin decided to pull away.

           Taehyung opened his eyes and looked up to see Jimin was already heading to the bathroom. Leaving him on the bed. "You left me!" Taehyung teased as Jimin let out a giggle, pointing he head out of the bathroom door and looking at his best friend.

            "Shut up! You have your own bed and your own Tata. Sleep with it. Not me!" Jimin added. Closing the door while Taehyung made sure to raise his voice while talking to Jimin through the bathroom door.

            "Ah, you know I'm a hugger! Besides... I doubt you disliked it~" Taehyung kept teasing and joking around just to make Jimin's day brighter. Just today, Jimin would have much more entries, blogs, interviews and more to write. So Taehyung wanted to be the one that gave Jimin a great start of his day. Even if it didn't mean much compared to the work the Journalist had for the day... He couldn't risk sacrificing a bit of his time.

             Not a moment too soon, there was a knock at the door. Taehyung must have already known it was the boy Jimin longed to hear from. Of course, Taehyung had nothing against that. Just the unknown and shady voice that would sing at night from up the vents... Just thinking of the creepy routine that rose from this spirit or man, made Taehyung feel sick to his stomach on how Jimin was targetted by this thing.

            The younger got up, stretching and placing on his round glasses after yawning and throwing his hands up to stretch more. Only then, the knocks got louder and louder, making Taehyung scowl at the door. Taehyung then dashed to the door in curiousity, checking through the peephole in silence... Realizing no one was there. "No one?" Taehyung asked as he opened the door to see no one down the halls or anywhere near the area. Just a rose on the ground that was cut up... The stem was cut in two, the rose petals had jagged cuts on them and nothing else after just a decaying look to it.

            This didn't just deliver Taehyung a random dead rose cut in two, it gave Taehyung a feeling this was for him since he told the spirit or man off just early in the morning. Taehyung only picked up the rose and rolled his eyes, taking it back into the apartment room to dispose of it quickly before Jimin could see it and question it. That someone or something started to grow upset over Taehyung's sudden shouts through the vent. This lead the unknown growing upset after.

            Jimin then stepped out of the bathroom, drying his face after washing it as he stepped back into his room in silence. Jimin then started to set out clothing for himself as if he was going out again, but deep down he knew Taehyung heard the voice too. Jimin's close friend heard it and this showed Jimin wasn't so crazy after all. "There's no way I'm going to wait every night to hear you..." Jimin said, taking out one of his black shirts and black and white sleeved shirt to wear under it to keep him warm.

           Jimin finally had plans to go up to the third floor for the day, not caring about what he was told so the man went onward with his plans. Just hearing the voice serenade him, called him to make this decision. Jimin had to know who or what this was or else he wouldn't have a clear mind as he focused on his job. Of course, if Jimin was going to venture up there, he preferred to head up the floor during the day as the sun was still out. Just to avoid the eerie darkness in the shady floor after midnight.