Aftertaste | J.JK

Eyes of a Vampire

It's obvious what I'm going to say next.

"What happened?"

Jimin gives me a look, and I already know that he won't give me an answer. But instead, he motions at Jungkook.

The boy is completely frozen, his head hung low, his eyes not leaving the floor.

What would had to have happened to make Jungkook act like this?

"That's for Jungkook to tell you at his own time. I'm just here to check on you because Jin hyung told me to." The dark circles seem to come back to Jimin's eyes as he presses his lips together.

Jungkook's words are careful. Like he's walking on water, and a single misplaced word could send him tumbling in.

"What happened, hyung?"

Jimin hesitates for a split second, his expression unreadable. I nearly think that he's not going to tell us when he opens his tightly pursed lips.

"V," He whispers. "Is not in good condition."

I find myself holding my breath in terrifying anticipation as he continues. Part of me doesn't want to hear, to stay ignorant. But I had to know. It would kill me not to.

"Some damn human provoked him, started throwing things. Called him names."  Jimin says, rubbing his tired eyes. His tone has anger in them, and I can't help the corners of my eyes curve down in sadness. "But that wasn't the worst part."

Jungkook bites his bottom lip.

"They numbered up on him."

My tongue goes dry, my mouth sticky with horror.

They hit him.

"He couldn't fight back. He lay there, bleeding, and he had to hold his breath and let those damned humans give him blow after blow. Just because he was a vampire. Because he knew all of us would be put down if he resisted."

I'd never been so disgusted of my own race.

In my peripheral vision, I see Jungkook. He's frozen like a statue, beautiful, icy, and untouchable. Angry.

When the maknae's eyes slowly shift, Jimin nudges him in warning. He glances over at me, and I suddenly feel ashamed of myself. I can't believe I'm part of this specimen, where they loved and hated so quickly.

Where they were selfish and arrogant, never caring more about someone else than themselves.

"You're not them, Elle." Jungkook tells me, watching my shoulders slack in guilt and shame. "You're nothing like them. Too pure. Too innocent and kind- something they are not."

Even though he means to comfort me, I can't help but feel worse. Imagining the Taehyung I'd seen smiling and laughing on the ground, surrounded by people who hurt and scorned him....

It didn't make me as pure as Jungkook believed I was.

"So is he okay? No suppression? No permanent damage?"

Jimin nods, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. I'd been worried to death that this had gone over the edge, leave scars behind that couldn't be mended.

"Taehyung won't heal as fast as he would if he drank human blood, but I think that stuff the hospital gives will help his regenerative abilities. He'll be released sometime this afternoon. The hyungs will stay with him."

At Jimin's words, my ears perk up with the notion I could help.

"I can give him blood. He could heal faster that way, right?"