CONDEMNATION ✓

Chapter 29

You shimmied yourself from your brother's uncomfortable arm and walked silently just a few feet behind him, following him downstairs. The welcoming scent of cooked onions and traces of garlic drifted to your nose, followed soon by the sweet scent of beef that made your already angered stomach growl louder.

Looking down at yourself, scowling in protest to your loud bodily noises as you blindly followed Mono into the dining room. The sound of silverware clinking against plates quickly caught your attention as you realized you weren't alone.

Your eyes bounced up, lightly tilting your frame to the side to peer over Mono's shoulder and see who it was seated at the long table that could hold ten. Your eyes took quick notice of a familiar flash of blonde locks, much to your dismay - it wasn't the taller of two evils. 

"Oh, fuck no." You muttered under your breath. Your hands flew to your sides as you quickly began to backtrack the steps you had just taken; your eyes locked on Jimin as you tried to become small behind your bother's frame in your retreat. Your utterance wasn't as silent as it seemed in your head; heads quickly began to turn in your direction. 

Hoseok, carrying a plate of freshly cooked stir-fried noodles, rushed to the table and set the plate down, standing between you and Jimin, who occupied a seat beside where he had landed the plate. He raised a free hand and held his hand up toward Mono as his eyes went wide. 

"Woah! Woah!" Hoseok raised his voice as Mono took a protective step forward. "It's Jimin." He quickly added, leaving the blonde seated beside him left clueless. Big brown eyes bounced between Hoseok and Mono in confusion. Jimin's cheeks puffed and stuffed with food, and he quickly swallowed his meal before letting his plump lips spread into a childlike smile. 

"Hey, Mono~" Jimin chimed in sweetly. "Don't tell me you forgot me already?" Jimin's lips spread thinner as he began to emit a carefree laugh toward your brother. His smile was so big that his milk chocolate eyes almost disappeared behind his lids. "Are you back home from Spring Break?" He questioned, his head tilting to the side in his wonder—those blonde locks of his displacing and hooding his curious brows. 

You noticed your brother's shoulders slump, relaxing as he exhaled breath and released his defense. Moving over to the table, he found a nearby ashtray and quickly stamped out the cigarette he took in a few deep breaths as he left you defenseless in the archway of the dining room. You took another step back, reading yourself to bolt from this situation just as Mono cast a look at you from over his shoulder. 

But, Hoseok was faster. Abandoning the table, he rushed over to you and quickly placed his hands firmly on your shoulder. He backed you into the hall, away from the small crowd circling the table, and pulled you just out of sight. You slapped away his hand and stumbled back, bumping yourself into the wall as you looked at Hoseok with disgust for defending such a man. 

"Look, Jungkook told me what happened earlier. But that's not Minsu; that's Jimin." He held his large hands in front of himself in surrender as he blocked the passage back into the dining room as if you wanted to go back in there. 

"I don't give a damn!" You yelled, uncaring the volume of your voice. Hoseok quickly raised a finger to his mouth and uttered a soft 'Shhhhh' as he tried to get you to simmer down. "He just tried to kill me less than two hours ago!" Involuntarily you followed his gesture and lowered your voice to a yelling whisper. 

"I get that; I understand you're upset." Hoseok tried to keep his tone calm and soothing as he tried to bring solace to the beast raging in your soul. "But Mono told you, right?" He took in a breath before pointing toward the dining room entrance. "Jimin is sick. He doesn't even know that he has D.I.D."