jangmi (장미) ● taejoon

n i n e .

"... Please, tell me you didn't get food poisoning from that nasty half-cooked lunch you ate."

Namjoon coughed, running his fingers through his hair. His skin paler than friday, and his lips burning from the stomach acid. He was sick, and on one of the worse days to be.

"... I couldn't break that little girl's heart, Seokjin," Namjoon sighs, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just- Just get the car started while I brush my teeth."

"If you're not feeling well, you don't have to go," Seokjin crossed his arms, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. "... I can get Jjang on call. He can accompany me to the kilo issue for the time being. Next time, don't eat unsafe food from that little girl ever again."

"I'm going, and she tried her best on that food. I can't throw that away," Namjoon insists, flushing the toilet and grabbing his toothbrush. "Get the car."

Seokjin sighed before nodding. Leaving Namjoon alone in the bathroom. The man walks out to the front door, opening it and stopping from the sudden figure in front of him.

"... Jungkook?"

The teenage boy bowed slightly at the older. "Is Namjoon hyung here? I wanna talk to him-"

Seokjin blocks the entrance with his arms when the boy tried to walk inside. "No, no. You aren't suppose to be here, Namjoon made it clear to your brother that you can't be anywhere around here. Especially when it's past curfew, and it's past your curfew."

"C'mon," Jungkook groans, "I-I need to-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Seokjin scolded, pushing the younger back. "Go home now."

"No, seriously Seokjin-"

The man was in the process of closing the door. "No, I'm tired of your bulls-"

"LET ME FUCKING FINISH!" Jungkook shouted, shoving his foot between the crack of the door before he closed it. "I know I'm young, but I should get some goddamn respect too!"

Seokjin grunted, frowning before opening the door again. "Come in," he huffs, "Don't lecture me about respect, you brat. As soon as you're done talking, you're going home."

Jungkook rushed inside, waiting for Seokjin to lock the door. "We need a room without any windows."

"Why?"

"... Just- Just trust me."

Jungkook grabbed his hand and opened the hallway closet, pushing the older man in. He closes the door behind him, and in darkness he using his phone as a flashlight.

"What the fuck-"

"Someone's been stalking the area."

Seokjin groaned. "What are you talking about?"

Jungkook sighed. "... A group. I was on my way here, and a car was parked a couple blocks away. It didn't look suspicious, but the people who got out... Don't look like they live here. It was a group of people with cameras, expensive ones. I don't know where they went, but they scattered as soon as they got out of the car."

Seokjin's expression went from irritation to seriousness in the matter of seconds after what Jungkook said settled in. "... What did they look like?" he asks, "What did they look like, Jungkook?!"

"I don't know!" Jungkook exclaims, "They-They all wore black. It was a black SUV, nobody drives an SUV here. I think they saw me."

"Fuck," Seokjin hissed, pursing his lips and pinching the bridge of his nose. "You stay silent about this around Namjoon, got it? You're coming with us, it's not safe right now. As soon as you meet with your brother, you stay with him. Stay with him at all times."

Jungkook nodded firmly, before flinching as sudden light enters the dark closet. Seokjin turns his head.

Namjoon holds the door, and with confusion in his eyes.

"... What is he doing here?"

[unedited]