Waiting Game | pjm ✓

010. Black

Jimin felt as if he was drowning in his thoughts when the Harley came to a halt in front of the hotel building. Aera's arms around his waist felt like hot wires encircled around his body, causing his heart rate to spike significantly.

He wasn't sure exactly what their moment on the beach meant, but he was certain he was going to regret it. In a fit of recklessness, he had surrendered to the primal instincts that the proximity of her body evoked in him. Then somehow, they had ended up talking the whole night on the beach. It was already sunrise.

Under the moonlight, she looked so beautiful that he couldn't help himself. She had always been beautiful, but he had never allowed himself to dwell on that. If there was as much as a sparkle between them, he would no longer be impartial while doing his job. Her safety would be compromised. Absolutely no one had to know about this, or else he'd be let go.

That night, he was sure he had done something there was no going back from.

"Time to get back to the real world." Aera mumbled after hopping off the Harley. She removed her safety helmet and Jimin saw a certain sadness tainting her eyes.

"Yea," he let out a deep sigh, biting his lower lip hesitantly. It seemed like she wasn't going to bring up the kiss and in that case, neither was he. They sank back into awkward silence again.

"You should probably go and get ready for today." Jimin said bitterly. He hadn't forgotten they were going to announce the cause of Lee Dongho's death today and no matter how outraged he was of the idea of people getting together for that, he was still curious to find out the truth.

"Oh, yeah. Today," Aera's face darkened. "I completely forgot that my idiot brother is gathering us all today to remind us once again what a vile and evil scumbag he is," she spat out. "Are you not coming?"

"In a minute," Jimin waved it off, pointing to a rather anxious looking Namjoon standing at the entrance. "Namjoon is here to escort you. The penthouse is probably all cleaned up already."

Aera eyed him silently for a couple seconds. "Alright," she said finally. "I'll see you in a bit, right?"

"Right." Jimin confirmed, struggling to put a sentence together.

Aera took a hesitant step back, flashing him a small smile. Upon taking a few steps, she suddenly came to a halt, her eyes fixated somewhere in the distance.

"Do you see that?" she glanced over her shoulder to Jimin, a tinge of worry in her voice.

"See what?"

"That," she gestured to the pavement in front of the hotel a couple of meters away from her. "Is that blood?"

Jimin squinted his eyes at the red puddle. It certainly looked like blood, but it was so small that he wouldn't even notice it hadn't Aera pointed it out.

"Perhaps," he shrugged, not giving it too much thought. "It's probably from a cat someone ran over. Or a bird. Namjoon has probably called for someone to clean it up already."

"Hmm," Aera hummed pensively, tilting her head to the side. "You're right. Okay, later."

"Later."

Jimin parked the Harley and took a walk down the street to the little shop around the corner to grab a pack of gum. It wasn't that he needed it, it was just that he desperately wanted to clear his head. His mind swam in unanswered questions. What was the cause of the fire from the previous day? Was it even a fire? Who was behind it? What was that thing he felt when that scumbag drug dealer touched him in the hotel foyer? What did that kiss with Aera mean? Why did he even do it?

Jimin winced, feeling himself getting sucked into a vortex of thoughts. He was certainly going to go mad if he didn't get a grip. He took the change from the boy behind the counter and continued walking mindlessly on the street before stumbling on Vera, a blind old-lady and a beggar that resided on a cardboard box next to the shop on the street.

"There you go, Vera." Jimin bent over to put the coins in front of her like he did every single time he passed by her spot.

"Thank you, Jiminie," Vera raised her white, obscured with cataracts eyes to peer sightlessly at him. It never failed to surprise him how she would always recognize him even though she couldn't see him. "God bless you."

"God bless you too, Vera." Jimin smiled, knowing full well she wouldn't see, but hoping she would at least hear the smile in his voice.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he felt a solid grip around his wrist as Vera's scrawny, calloused hand shot to his sleeve. Wide-eyed, his head swung to stare at her.

"The Red thread. It's thin. It gets thinner by the minute. It connects your souls," Vera's voice was throaty, thicker, almost like it wasn't coming from her. "But he's there. He still has a hold on her. The Black thread. He has it around her neck. He's bad for her. She's ruined. She'll be ruined!"

"What?" Jimin breathed out, struggling to get out of Vera's grip but she wouldn't let go, her gnarled fingers tightly wrapped around his wrist.

"Black. Black eyes. Black soul. He's wicked. He's done the unspeakable." Vera continued, the words spilling from her mouth quickly.

"Who is he?" Jimin asked frantically.

"It's open. The barrier is gone. Evil. Grim. He... But it's too late. It's too late!" Vera screamed, her whole body shaking and convulsing before she lurched forward, head falling over her chest.

"Vera? Vera!" Jimin fell to his knees in front of her as a rush of panic flooded his veins. His hands traveled to her shoulders, starting to shake her slightly. "Vera, what are you talking about? Who is he?"

The old lady's unseeing eyes opened. "Jiminie? What happened?" her voice was back to normal now as a confused frown creased her forehead.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"You said something... about a thread," Jimin wavered. "And evil."

"Are you sure, dear?" Vera asked. "Maybe I just nodded off. I'm very old, you know. I was probably having a nightmare."

Jimin gazed at her silently some more. He decided he wasn't going to tell her that she hadn't nodded off and that she had been very much awake. Cold sweat broke on his forehead as he recollected what Vera had said.

He shook his head and stood back up. Vera was so old. How old was she again exactly? Jimin wasn't sure, but he was positive she was at least over ninety. He wasn't going to dwell onto jibberish that some old lady had blabbed in front of him.

Surely, it was just her dementia talking.