The Missing Piece

Chapter 15

Jimin, Narae and Seokjin were psyching themselves up a little. They'd been thinking about today for a while and as it had loomed in at the start of this week they worried more and more.

Seokjin wrapped his arms around Jimin's shoulder, who wouldn't move away from the entryway to the room they'd been staying in at the shared apartment. It was Narae he wanted to put his arms around, but this would have to do.

"You two, honestly. I'll be just fine!" She lamented, folding the final pieces and shoving them roughly into the duffel bag she'd borrowed from Jimin.

"I feel like you wouldn't tell us if you weren't going to be though." Jimin complained, reaching up to grasp Seokjin's hands.

"Well, then you'll never know!" she shrugged, then smiled easily at them both. "Come on, we've been joined at the hip for nearly four weeks now, and no offense, but I'm actually getting kind of sick of the pair of you!"

Seokjin kept his gaze steady. He wasn't falling for her bravado. Jimin on the other hand looked a little downcast at her words.

"Oh baby, as if I could ever get sick of you." She dropped what she was doing and rushed forward to him, wrapping one arm around his waist while the other curled back further around Seokjin's. "I will miss you so much I think it might actually kill me. Is that better?" she asked hopefully.

"No." Jimin grumbled. "Not at all better actually. Maybe somewhere in the middle."

Narae looked up and past Jimin to where Seokjin's face was clouded with grumpiness and worry. "Please tell him that I'll be fine, will you." She asked.

Seokjin didn't respond but he did tighten his arms around Jimin and pulled his soulmate tighter to try and soothe them both. Narae smiled at them, then went to resume her packing.

The truth was, she didn't feel at all fine about the separation they were about to endure. Her joke to Jimin about dying had resonated disturbingly in her chest. She didn't feel ready or settled at all, but there was nothing she could do to delay it any longer without calling everyone's attention to the fact that she had a serious problem. The doctor had ordered them to give it time, but she was out of time. Everyone else's bond had settled down easily into what most people called the honeymoon phase of bonding. But Narae's were still raw.

So they were going to leave her for the night, and it was going to suck, but she was going to just deal with it, like a grownup, and not let them all see how much it was going to affect her. She'd missed things or people before, felt anticipation for something she'd get to see or do the next day. How different could this be? How much could it truly hurt to be parted from them?

"What's up with you two?" Namjoon asked as he wandered past.

Narae grabbed her bag, but Seokjin immediately took it off of her and began carrying it through to the living room where most of them were gathered.

"Oh, they're just worrying about me." Narae brushed it off.

"We're all worrying about you!" Namjoon answered. "Even I think it feels strange to be going off all together and leaving you here."

"Why can't she just come?" Jimin grumbled, pulling her down into their assigned sofa with him.

"Because I haven't done the makeup course thingy yet, and without that, I can't join the Cordi team so there won't be anything for me to do, and everyone will know something's up. You know all this."

"Who cares, just get on the flight after us and sneak into the hotel." He knew she couldn't.

Narae rolled her eyes at his petulance and kissed him to make him hush.