Twisted Every Way || Vmin/Yoonmin {Complete}

15 -- First Love

But it couldn't last. 

The longing to hear the voice turned into an obsession with the boy; the obsession distorted to  possession. From then on, there was no controlling his burning emotions or desires, and it drove him to madness.

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"I still remember the first time he mentioned Jimin to me." Namjoon gave a shake of his head. "He was completely infatuated, even then. Love at first listen, I guess, if you can even call it that. Soon he admitted that he'd started coaching him. I tried to talk him out of it, but it was too late. Even from the beginning, I think he was afraid of being rejected, and that's why he came up with the 'angel' nonsense--to not have to show himself. But the more he saw how sincere of a person Park Jimin was, the more he got attached to him. I think that, in just feeling like he was wanted by someone, he went off of the deep end. Yet the guy didn't even get love from his parents, so of course he wouldn't know how to show love to someone else. When things started escalating, I tried a few times to talk sense into him. But he always threatened that he'd out me if I turned him in. So, it was selfish of me, but I never called the police because of that."

Taehyung considered his story with a frown. His own life had been so full of privilege that he'd never had to worry about the prospect of poverty or homelessness, and nor was his family the unloving sort. They had always been busy and career oriented, but there was no doubt that between his mother and Seokjin, he had been spoiled immensely. On the contrary, Jimin had dealt with much worse circumstances. He was from a rather impoverished family, with no father to speak of and a mother who was so ill that he took care of her until she passed. Still, his outlook on life was so optimistic despite his struggles. Jimin's experiences were still very different from what the ghost seemed to have been through, but Taehyung couldn't accept that the ghost had turned out to be so manipulative and self-centered.

"Even if everything you said is true," Taehyung sighed at last, "that doesn't excuse this kind of behavior. Not one bit."

"I agree," Namjoon admitted reluctantly. "That's why I can't protect him anymore. He's taken it way too far. He did a long time ago."

At last, the two men came upon a closed door in a wider hallway, which Namjoon went to immediately. Yet when he touched the doorknob, he quickly found that it was locked. He cursed under his breath for a moment, contemplating whether or not to try to open by force--though he didn't consider it for long. Taehyung watched him with concern, but held his tongue.

"Looks like we'll have to find another way," Namjoon said at last. "Let's keep moving."

They continued down the hallway in silence; though Taehyung hadn't been told that they were getting close, he could sense it. His eyes were wide and alert as they moved forward through the darkness. He listened closely for any sign of his beloved, yet all he heard was their shoes clicking on the floor and the sound of his accelerated pulse beating in his ears. In time, they reached a point in the hallway where it split two ways; the two men stepped closer, shining in the lights from their phones and trying to peer into each one. Unfortunately, there was nothing telling about either in sight or earshot.

"I guess we should split up." Namjoon sounded hesitant, and yet he knew this was the best way to cover ground quickly. He looked over to the redhead, who nodded in agreement with a look of resolve in his eyes.

"I'll go right, you go left," Taehyung declared; Namjoon gave a nod.

"Just in case you find him first, be careful. We both know he's got a gun, but there's always the possibility of a smoke bomb. And speaking of..." The man reached into his pocket. Taehyung watched him closely, squinting as he pulled out a little metal ball. "... This is one of his. I snatched it a long time ago, just in case. All you have to do is press here and move the switch," he said, pointing to a little button on it. "It should just be black smoke, like what he used at the costume party. It'll burn your eyes a little, but you may be able to use it as a distraction to get Jimin out if the opportunity arises, so use it carefully."

Taehyung carefully took the ball from Namjoon's hand and eyed it closely. In some sense, it was  amazing that the ghost seemed to be able to make these by himself, but it was also rather terrifying. He gulped, looking up as the other man turned to walk toward the left hallway.

"Hey, Namjoon," he said, causing him to stop and look over his shoulder at him. "Thank you." The other man offered him a small smile and a hint of a wave, but neither wasted any more time in darting down their respective hallways.

Namjoon couldn't help but feel on edge as he paced alone down the corridor. He felt that he didn't have to stay quite so composed now; he'd made an active effort to keep his concern internal when Taehyung had been beside him. Even if he wasn't about to have a panic attack, he gulped as he wondered what was being done to Jimin. It would have been so incredibly easy for Yoongi to drug him up a little take him anywhere without getting fought at all, as long as the dose was strong enough and he found a clever enough way to keep administering to him as they traveled. He held his breath as he stepped forward, but paused as he thought he heard something up ahead. He quickly collected himself and strode onward, only to quickly realize that the sound had come from behind him.

He sharply turned on his heels to see a shadowy figure in a mask approaching him, holding a smoke bomb between his pointer finger and thumb in his raised hand; it was already going off, emitting a thick white smoke with a sweet smell.

"Yoongi--!" Namjoon exclaimed; he contemplated running away, but instead darted toward the ghost, who effortlessly sidestepped his attack, and grabbed the taller man by the throat, pushing him back into the wall as the cloud of smoke surrounded them. Namjoon coughed, trying to pry Yoongi's hand off of himself, but already falling weak to the drug. "Why...?" he asked quietly. "Why are you going this far...?"

"Because," Yoongi said calmly, loosening his grip, "Jimin hasn't given me much of a choice, and I can't stand to be without him."

"How long will it take you to get it?" Namjoon replied, exasperated. "He doesn't want you; he never will with the shit you've been pulling!"

"Given the right ultimatum, he might choose me," Yoongi replied smugly. Namjoon's eyes widened slightly.

"What do you...?"

"After all, you didn't come down here alone... Just as I'd hoped." Yet before Namjoon could do anything more to fight him or attempt to talk him out of it, his horrified eyes went distant and rolled back in his head, his body going limp. Yoongi was gracious enough to slowly lower him to the ground instead of just dropping him, and he tossed the still active smoke bomb on the floor beside him before turning and wandering further down the hall, toward where Namjoon had been heading. So far, his plan was falling perfectly into place.