ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇsǫᴜᴇ. | ᴊɪᴋᴏᴏᴋ ✔️

18 | gotta keep it together, i guess

The rest of the day kind of goes by at an odd pace for Jeongguk.

He tries to enjoy himself, and he does, to an extent, but he can't fully get his mind off the incident from earlier. Or several days ago, because the fact that it happened again makes Jeongguk even more uncomfortable. If it were just once, maybe he could learn to brush it off, to forget about it. But it's been twice in one week now.

It's not a good feeling. Jeongguk has never experienced hallucinations before, so it doesn't make sense to him why it would start now - and so vividly, messages, cryptic messages addressed directly to him.

He's never believed in supernatural things. And he has to admit, he doesn't particularly want to, either.

But the fact that the messages disappeared both times makes him wonder - convinces Jeongguk, rather, that it has to be either one of those two things. Either some strange, supernatural being is creating and erasing these messages, or something in Jeongguk's brain is causing him to experience these visual hallucinations and become paranoid from them. Well, either way, he's starting to become paranoid.

"Tae, you wanna drive home?"

"Tuckered out?" His friend chuckles and heartily pats Jeongguk's back. "I told you not to have too much fun, Guk."

"I'm tired..."

"I can tell," Hoseok pipes up. "For real, are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good."

He feels the subtlest tug at the hem of his shirt.

Jimin's staring at him with questioning eyes of concern.

"For real, I'm just tired."

He smiles, but it doesn't seem to help reassure the boy this time. However Jimin doesn't push the subject on him. He stays quiet, as does Jeongguk for the entire ride home that evening, sitting in the passenger's side of his own car as he stares out the window. He contemplates whether to wonder or sleep. Sleeping doesn't seem to be on his mind's, agenda, however. So wondering it is.

It's around 11 p.m. by the time Taehyung finishes dropping everyone off but himself and Jeongguk. He pulls up to his own house, puts the car in park, then taps his friend's shoulder till the boy finally moves his gaze away from the window.

"Oh, right." Jeongguk unbuckles his seatbelt and prepares to get out of the car so he can move over to the driver's seat.

"Guk, you're kinda bumming me out, man."

Taehyung's tone of disappointment stops him from opening the door. "What's wrong?"

"That's what I'm asking you. Are you sick? You looked like you were gonna throw up. Several times today, and not just 'cus of the rides."

Jeongguk shakes his head, forcing a laugh. "Nah, that's passed, I'm all good."

"You're acting weird lately."

"Sleep deprivation."

"Is that it?" Taehyung tilts his head skeptically. "You've never mentioned having trouble sleeping."

"Look, Tae, it's like you said before." Opening the car door, Jeongguk drapes his legs out and stands up. "Probably stress." He closes the door, then walks around the front of the car to meet Taehyung at the other side. "I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning. Okay?"

"Mm." Taehyung scans his friend's face and sighs. Then, with one final goodbye wave, he heads down the short walkway to his house and goes inside.

Jeongguk drives himself home in silence.

Arriving at his house, he locks the door after himself, greeting his mother who's downstairs and asks him right away about his day. Normally, he'd give an enthusiastic answer to her enthusiastic question, but in his state of fatigue he responds with a blunt, "sorry, Mom, I wanna go to bed, but I'll tell you tomorrow."