YOUTH. | JK | COMPLETE

five more minutes

CIRCLES
MAC MILLER

And I keep you safe, I can keep you safe, mm
Do not be afraid, do not be afraid
You're feeling sorry, I'm feeling fine
Don't you put any more stress on yourself, it's one day at a time
It's gettin' pretty late, gettin' pretty late
Yeah, and I find
It goes around like the hands that keep counting the time
Drawing circles

It's been a week since Jeongguk met up with Hoseok, and they've hung out three times since then. For the first time in a long time, Jeongguk has plans after work. Hoseok shows him many things he didn't even know existed, like street dancing and video games. He would never get frustrated with Jeongguk when he didn't understand, not even when he would continually drive off a cliff playing Mario Kart and the little character had to come fish his character out of the ocean over and over again. It's refreshing to be completely honest with someone, and Hoseok doesn't judge him for it at all.

Jeongguk tells Hoseok about his long life, and Hoseok is curious to find out more. He tells him about life without technology, life without indoor plumbing, life when you couldn't even talk to a girl without her father's permission. He tells him about Jimin, and Hoseok is so saddened by the tragedy that he cries, and Jeongguk begins to cry because of his overwhelming empathetic gene. Jeongguk even tells him about Haneul, and Hoseok teases him for it, even stealing Jeongguk's phone to text her while he was in the bathroom.

Hoseok has even taken Jeongguk to hang out with the guys from the club, Seokjin's friends. He received a sincere apology from Taehyung, and after that, they all arranged to go bowling one night next week, even though Jeongguk has no clue how to bowl. "Do you compete to stack a tower of bowls the highest, perhaps?" He had asked Hoseok when they brought it up, and he had only laughed. Friendship was more natural with Hoseok than the others, but he still enjoyed having friends. It was a welcome change to his typical routine. Hoseok and the others had officially resolved his boredom.

One thing not even Hoseok can do for Jeongguk is solve his nightmares. Jeongguk thought that maybe, just maybe, having friends would make some sort of difference. He has even told Hoseok about his nightmares, and he suggested he go see a therapist, but he couldn't make any sense of why they were recurring. So, just as before he had multiple friends as opposed to a singular friend, Jeongguk wakes with a start in the middle of the night, sweat soaked and breathless and scared.

That's what occurred tonight, and he's just gotten out of his mid-nightly shower. He puts on his usual sweats and lays down in bed. Just before he can shut his tired eyes, he hears his phone buzzing rapidly. He grabs his glasses off the bedside table and slides them onto his face, fumbling for his phone.

jeongguk

please be awake

please

i need you

Jeongguk's brows furrow in concern, reading Haneul's last message over again. Worry forms a sickening pit in his stomach. He has needed Haneul many times before, but never once has she needed him. Something is really, really wrong. Jeongguk can feel it.

I'm here

I'm right here

oh thank god

jeonggukkie i messed up

i messed up really really bad

I guarantee you you did not make as bad a mistake you believe you did

no jeongguk i did