PANDEMIC ESCAPADE | TAEKOOK ✓

24 ➷

Taehyung's Pov

A few days later, everything seemed to go back together. I played the usual games with Jungkook, help Yoongi hyung cook, you know, my usual routine. But Jungkook's been busy since yesterday so I just use the time to talk to my friends, including Jackson, for saving my life.

I sit down on the couch, reaching for the TV remote as I put it on a news channel in YouTube.

The television flashed with a giant white screen, the words 'PANDEMIC SHORTLY LIVED' in big bold letters sat on top. A few paragraphs were written underneath it, I paused the television and take my time to read the words.

'Hello, citizens of South Korea. It is Mayor Chaeyin here and I am proud to say that the outbreak has eventually stopped. The last few cases of positive people are being held in Seoul's Hospital and are on the way to recovery. The cases worldwide has decreased and more countries are bringing back the normal routines. We humbly thank you for following the guidelines the government has set for you. We hope that in the future days the virus will soon be part of history. That is all, from Mayor Chaeyin.'

What?! The virus... stopped?! Is this real life?

I hear footsteps rush downstairs as Yoongi hyung approaches me, a damp towel on his head.

"Did you see the news?" He asked cheerfully.

I nod, pointing to the TV.

"Finally! Oh, I'm so glad!" He cheers, tapping on his phone repeatedly.

"I'm glad too," I smile, "I wanna go to the Playground, hyung."

The 'Playground' is a bicycle area beside the park with swings and merry-go-rounds. Teenagers used to vandalize the place all the time until the cops caught them and added a law that no one should step foot on the property. Soon enough, the law was lifted but no one really knew about the re-opening of the Playground so it's just Taehyung and his friends' secret place. Confidential between them, you know.

"Great idea." Yoongi hyung smiles at me, "We can go later, let's invite the rest, yeah?"

I nod.

"And Jungkook."

"Jungkook?" I gasp.

"Why? You don't wanna hang out with him?" Hyung raises an eyebrow at me.

"No, it's just that he's been quite busy lately. Well, since yesterday." I said.

He looks at me with a lazy frown, "Oh c'mon, he can spare some time for us, I'm sure."

—

"No."

"Why?!" Yoongi hyung whines while looking down at Jungkook, who was focused tapping on his phone, sitting down on the couch.

"I am busy." He said with a frown, paying his focus on his phone screen.

"Told you," I say, "let's just go with the gang."

"No." Yoongi hyung said sternly to me before facing Jungkook again, "C'mon Jungkook!"

"Gosh," the younger sighs before looking at Yoongi, "why are you obsessed with me?"

I look away, trying to hide the fact I'm on the verge of laughing. Pfft, 'obsessed'? Yoongi hyung's obsessed?

"Please Jungkook, we'll treat you for ice cream." Hyung says with a lazy smirk.

Jungkook raises an eyebrow at him, trying to read his expression like a kid solving a puzzle. He sighs as he focuses on his phone again.

"Just great!" Yoongi hyung lets his arms fall to the side, "Why did I even try?"

I roll my eyes, putting a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him we can't force Jungkook to come with us.

"Fine," the male looks up to both of us, "I'll join you guys."

"Yay!" Hyung smiles, "I knew you'll come around." He gives me a stern look.

"Eh," I mumble, "what matters is that we're all going."

"But where are we even going?" Jungkook looks up to both of us.

"The Playground." I say with a smile.

"Seriously? A playground sounds lame to spend my Saturday on." He scoffs.

"Oh c'mon, you'll see it when we arrive there!" I reach my hand out for him to take, which he does, hesitantly.

—

"You're finally here!"

The three of us exit the car and walk towards my friends who were waiting at the entrance of the Playground.

Seokjin smiles and runs up to hug me, "God, Yoongi didn't allow us to visit you for days! He said you were 'resting' from your incident."

"I'm fine, hyung." I said in between gasps, "You're gonna choke me from this hug."

"Oops— sorry." He said as he releases me from the hug.

"I see you brought Jungkook." Namjoon smiles, "Long time no see."

"Hey." The said male claps hands with Namjoon.

"Glad you're okay now, bud." Hoseok says as he pats my red jacket, "Oh, you've got a bandage." He said, referring to my hand which was wrapped in a white cloth.

"I accidentally got a scar." I said.

"Let's go!" Jimin cheers as they open the mini gate that separates the Playground from the main road.

Suddenly, the world seems to stop. And everything feels like it has been 300 years since he last saw the place, which in my opinion, felt like it. The place had the same vandalized walls and flooring, the same dusty swings and wet stairs.

It felt nostalgic.

"Whoa," Jungkook gasped beside me, breaking the silence of the group, "this place is beautiful."

It really is, besides the vandalism and squirrels asserting dominance, it was a beautiful place. Our their special space.

"I told you." I said as I exhale a breath I didn't realize I kept.

"How long have you guys been hanging out here?" Jungkook asks with curiosity sparkling in his big, doe eyes.

"A couple months." Yoongi hyung smiles, looking around the place.

The rest of us fall silent once again, walking towards the broken merry-go-round, taking a seat on it's circular platform.

The birds sing and the trees dance along the wind, making the moment seem even more ethereal than it already was.

Jin hyung takes a seat beside me, singing a song I am not familiar with.

"It's been weeks since we've last been here." He whispers, in which I nod in response.

"Weeks felt like years," I said, facing him, "I missed this place."

"We all have." Namjoon grunts, sitting beside me, smiling as big as ever.

"True." Hoseok joins in, putting his leg on the platform, causing it to shift a little.

"Be careful, you nearly made us fall." Jin exclaims, fixing his messy hair.

"Sorry." The other male whispers, before suddenly, his eyes sparkled. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?"

"What do you say in trying to fix the merry-go-round?"

—

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Because Of The Virus! The book is finally comin' to an end and I wanna thank you for sticking up until now, I appreciate it. Have a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening!