Omelas ~ BTS AU [✓]

|| Chapter 12 ||

"Are you enjoying the food?" Eunwoo enquired, watching everyone from the opposite side of the table with an inviting smile. The boys nodded eagerly as they finished their meal, thankful for the hospitality of Eunwoo and the others.

"It's really good - what is it?" Jin asked. Just then MJ walked in and seated himself in the corner of the room, legs crossed as he answered the question which wasn't even directed at him. "Deer."

Everyone tensed up as Euwnoo gave an airy chuckle. Hope he didn't poison it, thought Yoongi. "Anyway, you want to know how we got here right?" Namjoon gave a firm nod and everyone shuffled to the edge of their seats, eager to hear.

"I guess it all started when i was 7. One day i was out the house with my family for a festival. I returned home briefly to grab a toy that i forgot to bring with me..."

...

..

.

The brunette boy stared back at him like a deer in headlights, giving him a look somewhere in between fear and aggression. He clambered to his feet with his arms full of breads and soup taken from the cupboard of the kitchen.

"W-who are you?" Eunwoo asked hesitantly. The boy pulled a switchblade from the pocket of his tattered jacket and fumbled to open it before shoving it in the direction of the confused inhabitant of the house.

Eunwoo took a few innocent steps forward and stared down at the boy's knife clenched tight in his shaking hand before giving a smile. "You can keep the food if you want."

The boy flinched. He was slightly taller and possibly older than Eunwoo but quite a bit skinnier, and Eunwoo was fairly average size for a boy of 7.

"My name is Eunwoo. What's yours?"

For a while the boy stared back in silence, analysing every expression on his face before answering.

"Myungjun..."

"Nice to meet you Myungjun!"

Just then, a small girl darted from the living room to Myungjun's side, clinging to his arm for safety. His hand went to stroke her gingery locks for comfort.

"Brother, who's this?"

"I'm Eunwoo, what's your name?"

"Jaeun." She answered with a shy smile. Eunwoo gave her a pat on the head before turning to her brother. "So, why are you here?"

.

..

...

"MJ and Jaeun's mother didn't have a lot of money, so she had to steal to provide for them, hence why she was a criminal. When a parent is a criminal, the child must be too - that's what the law states anyway." He explained, clenching his jaw.

"Oh...but you're not a criminal so what happened to you?" Hoseok asked.

"I hid them in my room and said they could stay. It wasn't long before my parents and the police found out. So, i was punished for harbouring criminals. Not long after that, MJ's mom died so him and Jaeun were put in an orphanage and sent to our school to learn.

It wasn't a nice place. They were harassed and bullied for being criminals, by the people at the orphanage and the fellow students. I stood up for them...but then i began to be mocked too. I was a criminal. I was the same as them...

So when middle school ended we decided. We couldn't take the stupid rules of that stupid town anymore and we left. For the first few months it was hard, but...here we are now."

For a while, nothing was said. After all, it was hard to make a comment about that.

"I understand." Jungkook muttered. "I don't remember much from before... before being locked up by the rules of that town, that no one understands."

Taehyung gave a sympathetic nod. "I think if I were in your position Eunwoo, I would've done the same thing as you. I think all of us would. I mean, here we are now after all. None of us were shunned by society, at least not to a great extent. But Jungkook... what happened to him was inhumane. We couldn't stand to live there knowing that THAT was what was happening."

MJ stood up and, in silence, walked over and sat down next to Eunwoo.

"I'm sorry for assuming things when you first arrived. I'm sure you can understand why I was cautious. Now that I know what happened to you Jungkook, I can see that we're not so different." He spoke honestly with an almost sad downward gaze. They could tell it was genuine.

Eunwoo grinned and threw an arm around his friend's shoulders. "There we go! I'm glad that all these misunderstandings have been sorted out. I'm sure it's okay for you to stay here as long as you like, right MJ?"

The brunette gave a nod of approval.

"Wonderful! Actually we've been trying to find some information about the next town over. If you want we could tell you all about it tomorrow?"

The boys gave grateful nods and words of appreciation before the door opened to interrupt them.

"Hey guys it's getting pretty late, shouldn't you be asleep?" Jaeun asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Ah, you're right it is. How about I show you all to your rooms?" Eunwoo asked, beckoning for them to follow.

"Oh by the way," Jaeun began, "your friend is in the bedroom and he's beginning to come around, do you wanna come see him?"

"I'll go, you guys go get some rest." Yoongi ordered more than offered, following Jaeun through the treehouse to the bedroom where Jimin lay resting peacefully. When the door opened he opened his eyes, giving a wide smile and thanking Jaeun before she went to her own bedroom.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Yoongi asked, sitting on the bed next to him.

"My head is kinda sore, but other than that not too bad. Jaeun brought me some food too."

"Kind of a wild day huh?"

Jimin chuckled. "You can say that again. So did you talk with MJ?"

Yoongi briefly retold the story that Eunwoo had given them, finding amusement in the boy's reactions.

"You know, MJ kind of reminds me of you. When we first met you were pretty cold too."

"What? I'm nothing like that guy. He's still kind of an asshole. Besides, it's not like we met cos i broke into your kitchen."

They both giggled slightly and paused with fond smiles to relfect on their first meeting and how they became friends, and then best friends, how they met the other boys and all the fun they had had up until...well, you know.

"Well, maybe some time we should tell our story. Maybe tomorrow. But I'm pretty tired..." Jimin explained with a yawn.

"Yeah me too, budge over."

The two exhausted boys fell asleep after quick "good night"s with their own comforting warmth surrounding them. Before long the house was quiet and dark as everyone drifted into slumber.

Not too far away however, someone was still awake.