On The Run || JJK ✔️

14 - Inside the Hobbit Hill

All homework had to be done while sitting in bed since there wasn't enough space for desks. Because the beds were stacked onto each other so tightly though, it was never comfortable.

"Anyways," Jimin claps his hands. "Enough thinking about school. We're not there anymore, so why bother?"

Then he points to the center of the room. "Let's sit on the couches! The green one, because that one is the comfiest."

He's really bright and cheerful. My own mood shifts to match his as we walk over to the green couch, Jimin bouncing on his feet. We plop ourselves down. The couch is surprisingly squishy and relaxing - a wonderful change from the stiff chairs at school.

I take this opportunity to look around the room more. I observe the vines hanging from the ceiling, the mini water fountain in the corner, and the various books on the bookshelves...

I look around for J-Hope, too.

But he's nowhere to be found.

"Wait." My mind races to catch up. It's just me and Jimin in the room, and no one else is here. "Where's J-Hope and the Wooden Spoon Guy? Where'd they go?"

Jimin laughs. "The name is Jin."

"Hm?"

"The Wooden Spoon Guy, as you called him. He has a name." Jimin raises his eyebrows in amusement. "And his name is Jin."

I said that out loud?!

"Oh. Mkay," I mumble, embarrassed. "Got it. Thanks for telling me know. Now where did they -"

"Telling me know?" Jimin echoes.

"Telling me, letting me know - Oh, forget it!" I say as Jimin struggles to muffle his laughter. I find myself smiling with him despite my embarrassment.

His laughter sounds so nice.

There is something unmistakable about him that makes me instantly trust him.

"They went to the Healing Room," Jimin says when his laughter dies down a bit, "since J-Hope is hurt."

That makes sense, I think.

Wait... Healing Room?

The words sink in, and their meaning only hits me now.

"Ohhh... should we go check on them? I'm a little worried..." How could I have missed them leaving? After J-Hope drove so well to get us away from the guards, the last thing I want is for him to think that I don't care about him.

"No," Jimin shakes his head. "It's better if we don't distract them."

"But I want to make sure they're doing okay. Surely, checking in for a few seconds won't distract him that much -"

Jimin suddenly reaches out. My gaze is drawn down to my right hand, which he's holding with his left. His physical contact abruptly eases the anxiety inside me.

The worry that I felt is still there, but it feels distant now.

I blink in surprise.

"Listen... J-Hope is likely asleep right now." His tone is soft, but it leaves no room for argument. "You know how he used up all his energy?"

I nod, curious to see where he's going with this.

"They don't teach you this at school, so I don't expect you to know," Jimin says. "But when a person uses their energy up to the point of exhaustion, they need sleep to recover. And if you wake them up while they're in that recovery sleep... they could get really hurt."

He gazes intently into my eyes. "And you don't want J-Hope to possibly get more hurt, do you?"

My mind wanders back to what the nurses said when I was in the school hospital wing.

"No matter. Tell the doctor to get the first test ready. If she's not awake by then, we'll just have to wake her up."

"Won't that affect her healing process?"

"Not at all." The first nurse pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think so, especially with how powerful she already is."

"Alright then," the second nurse scribbled notes on a clipboard. "I'll tell him as soon as possible."

"Good."

And it all makes sense. The nurses wouldn't care about my wellbeing, but they did mention something that matches with what Jimin just told me.

"I think I get it now," I say.

Jimin smiles.

"So we're like bears!"

"... I'm sorry, what?" Jimin's surprised and clueless expression makes me laugh.

"We're like bears," I say. "The sleeping part is like hibernation in winter, and if we don't sleep then we wouldn't reserve enough energy to make it to the summer. Right?"

Jimin just blinks.

"... unless I have it all wrong?" I ask uncertainly.

"No actually," he smiles. "I think you're right. I just haven't thought of it that way before."

THUD.

"It's always this stupid hobbit door every single ****ing time," a new voice echoes from one of the tunnels, muffled by distance. "Who even gives a **** about this ****ing ******* of a ***** -"

A long string of curse words follows. I silently agree with the "hobbit door" description.

I look beside me only to realize that Jimin has already slid onto the floor, putting the green couch between him and the tunnel where the new voice is coming from. Then he gestures wildly at me to do the same.

There are hurried steps as the person shuffles down the hallway.

I settle onto the floor with Jimin. He's holding a finger up to his mouth, telling me to stay silent.

All the playful smiles from before have disappeared. Jimin's concerned expression makes my worry return as we wait together with baited breath.

Who could it be?