Blue and Grey || Taejin

Chapter 18

"Hey, Jin sunbae!"

Seokjin's feet halted when he heard his name being called from down the corridor. Turning around, he found none other than Jung Hoseok jogging towards him in his loosely zipped black hoodie that slipped off one of his shoulders to reveal his well defined collarbone.

[What a sight]

"H-hello," Seokjin greeted, lips curling into a stiff smile as Hoseok reached him with a blinding one.

"Doesn't really feel good to be back after so long," Hoseok commented although the brightness radiating off his face said otherwise; maybe it was only natural for him to carry himself in such a radiant manner.

"Yeah, it doesn't..." Seokjin tried to end the conversation by beginning to walk away, despite how odd it might had looked, but Hoseok probably didn't plan to leave Seokjin any sooner as he began to walk along side with Seokjin.

"I started to work part time at this dance studio as one of the instructors but broke an ankle when this kid lost his temper and pounced on me. Never again, I tell you, never again," Hoseok recounted with a dramatic grimace, his lips pursing at the painful memory.

Hoseok looked at Seokjin expectantly, as if waiting for him to comment something or talk about his own holidays. Seokjin wanted the ground to open underneath him and swallow his whole. Or maybe swallow Hoseok whole.

"Oh... That's nice." Seokjin really wanted to dig either of their grave right then.

"I learned the piano too. I mean, I tried to. Actually, Yoongi hyung had wanted to teach me- yeah," Hoseok cut off his own words and immediately averted his eyes to the ground before forcing a smile across his lips.

Seokjin clenched his jaw at the mention. His grip around the strap of his bag tightened and he tried to breathe normally in the stifling air that swaddled the two of them.

He didn't need to be reminded of Yoongi's absence by one of his other friends.

"Uh..." Seokjin heard Hoseok trying to grasp for some other topic.

"I saw you at the hospital a couple of times, just passing by. Wasn't sure if it was you. The purple hair now confirms it," Hoseok explained with quick hand gestures.

"You replaced the flowers, right?" Seokjin managed to say. Truthfully, as much as he didn't like to associate himself with Yoongi's friends, he appreciated the fact that Hoseok brought fresh flowers for Yoongi and checked on him regularly.

"Every week." Hoseok grinned, his lips forming a heart as if pleased with himself.

"I visit him like thrice a week. Just in case he wakes up you know?" Hoseok sighed, his smile getting tainted with flecks of blue.

Ofcourse Seokjin knew. He knew better than anyone. And especially more than Yoongi's side friends.

"Did you go somewhere recently, sunbae? Asking because I haven't seen you at the hospital that much since a month back." Although Hoseok spoke in a nonchalant tone, Seokjin did not miss the snideness.

"Problems at home," Seokjin muttered lowly, gradually putting some distance between him and Hoseok.

"Don't we all have that? Yoongi was- is always talking about you, worrying about you. Tries to hide that he's stressed when you don't respond to his third call, but I can read through him," Hoseok spoke- no, spat in bitterness that Seokjin could not comprehend.

"The least you could've done..." Hoseok chuckled, shaking his head before smiling strangely at Seokjin.

"He would be hurt, you know, if he hears his most beloved friend didn't come to check on him. If it was you in Yoongi's shoes, Yoongi would've gone-"

"Enough, Hoseok."

Seokjin blinked back the tears and stared down at Hoseok with red tinted eyes, his glare scalding. He wanted to tell Hoseok that if he had the opportunity, he would had visited Yoongi twice a day daily, would had just remained in the ward because he honestly had nothing else to do, nowhere else to be and nobody else to turn to. But could he really stand there and pathetically narrate his sob story? For what? A stranger's sympathy? A stranger who did not even bat an eyelash to degrade him like that?

No, he didn't have that sort of energy.

Violence wasn't the answer either.

So naturally, he let his limbs carry him further and further away from Hoseok, from the university, and he didn't even realize where his aimless footsteps were leading him to until he halted in front of the place where Yoongi resided. It would cost him heavily if his father got to hear about Seokjin visiting the hospital more than once a month, but Seokjin just prayed silently as he sailed inside without a second to spare.

After checking in with the nurse, Seokjin entered the ward silently, as if trying not to disturb Yoongi's slumber. He looked just the same, or maybe there was a bit of colour in his face. The scar across his face was turning white, and it hurt Seokjin to think that Yoongi would have to live with a reminder of that horrible incident throughout the rest of his life.

If he wakes up...

Ofcourse he will!

Hoseok's roses were still in perfect bloom and scented the room blissfully. Seokjin remembered how Yoongi mentioned long ago that flowery fragrances sometimes helped him sleep. He cursed himself, and pondered momentarily on Hoseok's words from earlier.

Seokjin straight went on his knees and bundled his arms on the bed to rest his head on top of them. It's been too long. Almost five months. How had he survived that long without Yoongi?

V...

Seokjin cleared his throat, even though there was nobody around to get a hint of his scandelous thoughts. On a serious note, V had really anchored him for the past three months. Whether it was by making his senses soar over clouds or by making his heart go off its rhythm, V had often made him less aware of his garbage life.

A long sigh sounded through the room as Seokjin turned his head to face Yoongi's hand that was connected to an IV. He dared a little and touched his fingers. They were cold, but perhaps, just perhaps, a little warmer than before.

Seokjin chuckled at the memory of Yoongi insisting to hold hands and Seokjin dramatically refusing to. He never understood what was so nice about holding hands; Yoongi surprised him at times.

But you like it when V holds your hands.

Seokjin cleared his throat again. What was wrong with him?

Seokjin decided he would get into trouble if he prolonged his stay.

"Goodbye, Yoongi. I'll see you-"

Seokjin gasped.

Yoongi's fingers moved.