SECOND LEAD SYNDROME | JJK

62 | CUTS AND BRUISES

"Fuck, he's taking too long," I get a little uneasy. The thought of sending Lucas, out of all people, in to help probably wasn't the best idea— I'm truly realizing that now.

Lisa glances at her watch with the same uneasiness. "It's only been five minutes," she tries to assure me.

"Let's go," I grab the wheelchair and swing the door open. All of my rational thoughts disappear as I mount it with the help of Lisa. She wheels me through the grassy plain until we finally reach concrete and I take it from there.

I hadn't even reached the house when we spot Taehyung running out, covered in... blood? There were splatters across his face and his eyes grow wide at the sight of me, as if I caught him in the wrong. Instead of running off, he takes my wheelchair and starts wheeling me back to the helicopter.

"Woah, what the fuck are you doing?!" Lisa shouts from afar.

Much help she is.

"We have to go, hurry!" Taehyung shouts.

"What's going on?!" I yell.

Lucas finally appears and he's running full speed with the same expression as Taehyung. Sooner or later, Namjoon appears with a gun in hand and the same frightened look. Within a matter of seconds everyone is running towards the chopper.

Everyone except Jungkook.

"Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on?!" I allow Taehyung to help me back into my seat as everyone boards the helicopter.

"There's a bomb that's gonna detonate in a few minutes, we have to leave— now," Namjoon says as he shuts the door behind him and signals for Lucas to take off.

Lucas doesn't hesitate and starts the engine.

"No wait," I plead. "Jungkook-"

"He's out," says Namjoon.

Do I believe him? Am I supposed to trust that he's telling the truth? The possibly evil conniving brother who may or may not have plotted to poison me and probably tried to kill his brother and now plans to lowkey kidnap me? Or am I overthinking things?

"I don't believe you," I say as I reach for the handle.

Taehyung yanks my arm away and hovers over me. "He's telling the truth. As you can see, Jimin isn't here because they left together. Lucas told Jungkook that you left the hospital so he tried to come stop you before you entered the house but we got split up."

"What's going on? Why is there a bomb?" Lisa questions.

"It's a long story," Taehyung sighs. "Just trust that they'll be fine."

And it was right after those words did the entire helicopter shake as the manor went up in a cloud of smoke. The entirety of it was set ablaze like one big bonfire. Something in my gut made me uneasy as I thought about Jungkook possibly not making it out in time. The only thing that made me feel assured is the fact that Jimin's with him— there's no way they wouldn't make it out together... right?

Then again, Jimin is Jimin...

I glance in Namjoon's direction and he's obviously distressed about the manor.

"Look!" Lisa points downwards.

I follow her gaze and see two moving figures a couple miles outside of the estate. My heart is finally at ease as I realize that they were both safe. But yet, I still tremble from the recent events. Everything just seemed to have overwhelmed me as I couldn't stop crying. I was furious that someone had just tried to literally kill me and— everything was just too much, too fast.

Taehyung unexpectedly rests his hand on my shoulder.

When I look at him, he tries his hardest not to react and turns away instead.

Lisa gives me an assuring squeeze on the knee and smiles. "We're good now. Everyone's safe."

Lucas makes a landing near Jungkook and Jimin. The two enter the helicopter and there's barely enough room with everyone crammed together. Jungkook's first instinct as he boarded was to make sure that I was okay, and after doing so, he gives me the biggest hug I've ever gotten from him.

The guys stay silent for the entire ride to the hospital, and even after everyone's separated, no one says a word about what happened back at the manor. I tried prying it out of Jungkook and even asked about the little cuts and bruises he had all over, but he just insisted that everything was fine and that he'd talk about it later.

Not even Jimin was willing to talk about it— Jimin who never kept anything from Lisa.

Everything after that was so fast paced that I didn't have a chance to register what went down. Jungkook met with his brothers for a couple minutes before we left and when I asked, he said that everything was taken care of. And when I confided with Lisa about the entire thing, she told me that Jimin begged her not to ask about it again.

Obviously, something happened.

I respected his wishes and decided not to talk about it, at least until Jungkook was in a better mindset.

Lisa and Jimin separated ways with us as Jungkook brought me home, and what waited for me wasn't as welcoming as I'd expected.

My parents were furious.

"We entrusted you with our daughter and you have the audacity to bring her back in this condition?" My mother scoffed in disbelief. Everything in her expression screamed of disappointment and I just knew right then and there that she'd probably never forgive him for this.

My father wasn't any easier. He clenches his jaw along with his fists. "You two," he points between the both of us. "Won't be seeing one another anytime soon."

"But dad-" I began.

My father shakes his head and gives me a menacing glare— I wasn't able to retaliate after that. "You're a troublesome young man and I don't want my daughter anywhere near you," he says to Jungkook.

Jungkook stands there, visibly upset but still respective. He nods his head and bows before my parents, but we both know that he'll be climbing up my window later tonight. So I allow him to part ways with me in hopes that we'll both recuperate from the recent events.

And maybe then will he be able to tell me what happened.