don't die yet // kim seokjin //

five

chapter five—

"Hahaha. H-Hyung, stop it!"

"Why would I?" Seokjin gave Taehyung a sly smile, hands on the younger's sides.

Taehyung had his eyes closed from the wide smile caused by the tickling of Seokjin. "J-Just stop. I have to do something–!"

"What was that?" Seokjin called out loud through Taehyung's laughs, working his fingers to the vocal's sides.

"S-Stop it!" Taehyung yells out, tears already at the corner of his eyes. Seokjin smirked, satisfied to hear the younger's laughter, stops the tickling, only Taehyung's tired, exasperated breaths heard in the air.

Taehyung opened his closed eyes and met Seokjin's smiling lips, an unreadable gaze looking down at him. Taehyung sent back a smile. "Happy torturing me?" He jokes.

Seokjin chuckles, bringing his palm to the side of his dongsaeng's head, palming small circles on his fluff of hair, the smile still gracing on his lips. "Happy to see you laughing." He whispers under his breath.

Taehyung huffs a laugh at this, taking in the silly comment. "I'm numb, hyung. I'll laugh when I want to laugh." Taehyung says, his eyes smiling at the elder.

Seokjin's smile tightened but loosened as soon as he shows his teeth in a smile. He jokingly pecks the younger on his forehead, patting his head. "Of course you do, Taehyungie. I trust you." He says before patting the younger's cheek, standing up as he was called by their stylist.

Taehyung eyed Seokjin's back as the eldest walked away from him. His lips pushes forward a bit, his head tilting to the side. He trusts me for what?

"Taehyung-ah," The latter looked up to see Hoseok crash beside him, his hair already tamed and outfit in place. "I'm thirsty."

"Get water." Taehyung simply replies. Hoseok pouts from Taehyung's lap.

"You're right. Jungkook-ah!" Hoseok suddenly calls.

Taehyung looks around to see Jungkook about to sit at the chair beside the couch they were currently comfortable on.

"Jungkookie, can you pass me a water bottle?" Hoseok pleaded to the maknae.

Jungkook leaned his head on his fist. "But it's on the other side of the room." He says. "And I'm already comfortable here."

Hoseok pouts harder. "But I can't go there and I'm thirsty."

"It's also at the snack table, I might be tempted." Jungkook retorts.

"Please Kookie. For hyung?" Hoseok pleads.

Jungkook groans physically as he threw his head back. "Fine."

Hoseok beams and smiles so brightly it made Taehyung giggle as he pressed lightly on his hyung's locks. Jungkook shook his head as he got up and headed to the snack table.

The maknae steps towards the table, eyeing the bottles of water. He hums and reaches for the bottles before a hand slaps his outstretched one.

"I'm sorry, Jungkook-ssi but you may not get anything from the snack table. Orders from the head staff."

Jungkook turns to his side and raised eyed the staff member questioningly. "I was about to get a water bottle. I am very much aware that I'm not allowed to get any of the snacks but I can't recall being forbidden to drink water."

Speechless, Jungkook grabs hold of two bottles with a swift move of his hand and turns around, leaving the staff member standing. Jungkook huffs and plops on the chair, sighing to see his hyungs.

"Thank you so much Kook, ah." Hoseok said exaggeratedly, accepting the bottle from Jungkook's hands, sitting up, leaning on his back.

Taehyung caught the bottle Jungkook throws over to him, though he didn't ask for one for himself. He catches the scowl on Jungkook's face, making him raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Hoseok looks at Jungkook after taking a huge gulp from the water bottle.

Jungkoom sighs frustratedly, rubbing his eyes in pure irritation. This made the two look worriedly. Hoseok leans forward, pulling the hand Jungkook used to rub his eyes. "Don't do that, Jungkook-ah. What happened?"

Jungkook drops on the arm rest closest to the couch. "This diet is a bitch."

Hoseok flashes a look of disapproval at the youngest. "I mean, you're not wrong, but what made you suddenly say that?"

Jungkook eyes them. "They tried to stop me from grabbing a water bottle. They thought I was going for the snacks." He says in despise.

Taehyung only purses his lips. It had been atleast a week since they started the diet and to say honestly, it wasn't helpful nor beneficial to any of them.

They were only allowed to drink water in the morning before their individual schedules. They meet up at lunch to eat a decent meal and go through the day for they schedule as a group.

Snacks or any traces of food were taken from their dorm, only pitchers and bottles of water and their condiments. They did leave kimchi but that wasn't ideally eaten alone.

What's worst was that they weren't given any food in the day except for noon, at twelve o'clock, no other time.

There was this one time when Yoongi slept in from staying in the studio. They didn't give him a pass after showing up at one, making him starve for the next 48 hours. This caused them to be mindful of the time they sleep and wake up, knowing they'd only receive an amount of food at a particular time.

In short, it wasn't good at all. And if this was to continue, Taehyung wouldn't know what could.possibly happen next.

"Let them say what they want, let them do what they want." Taehyung looks up to see Yoongi standing in front of him. Out of habit, he raises the bottle he held to the elder, the other accepting it.
Yoongi twists the cap and takes a sip before twisting it back in. "Namjoon and I are planning to speak with Sejin hyung, it just seemed like he didn't have enough time for us."

Taehyung catchss the bitter sound to Yoongi's statement but he nods anyway. They couldn't possibly allow this thing to continue, nor can their managers. He just hoped it won't take long. Who knows what can happen, the next thing he knows, one of them were falling on the floor because of exhaustion and starvation.

The staff couldn't possibly risk that. Right?

—end of chapter five
im predicting this book to reach atleast 20 chapters but idk it might be more or less uwu