The Raven Hotel | Jikook |

Chapter 2: One Rainy Night

Behind the familiar black silk curtains, remained the cold rain that tapped against the long windows repeatedly. In the distance, thunder continued to roar while lightning bolted across the sky; lighting up a few seconds of the dark streets outside. Namjoon walked the young man to the nearest black leather couch and placed him onto it so gently. Making sure he didn't shake the boy up too much just so he wouldn't throw up from the amount of alcohol he took on before.

"Stay here... I will brew some tea and I will bring you a few blankets. That should sober you up for the night and keep you warm."

His voice was caring and gentle, but the tone to it was dull. Jungkook could tell Namjoon rehearsed these lines from nights before and only turned his face away. Not even daring to thank the man who would travel to hell and back for the young boy.

While Namjoon boiled water for tea, Jungkook turned his head towards the window and rubbed the center of his pale forehead. His beautiful round eyes closed to relieve the unbearable pain burning within, but with the loud clashes of thunder just roaring outside, he couldn't find peace that easily. At this point, Jungkook was slowly beginning to grasp things in his mind and sober up a bit more, but it didn't mean he wasn't nauseous at every quick glance he took.

Once the boy laid over the couch silently, he thought back at The Raven Hotel. He couldn't help but to feel curious about the history or the current state of the place that looked as if it told many stories. Was it truly abandoned? The boy had endless questions but only remained silent. He couldn't find himself believing those paranormal rumors, on the other hand, he just didn't feel at ease when they passed by the isolated neighborhood; something was watching over his every gaze even if he was in the car the whole time. Just as Jungkook reminded himself of the feeling, goosebumps formed over his skin and even the hairs on his neck stood straight.

Without another second passing them by, thunder struck and the lights went out shortly after. Namjoon turned his phone on and used it as a flashlight while Jungkook remained in the dark, running his fingers along his forehead, hoping to numb the headache that was coming and going. Namjoon tended to Jungkook's needs; serving him tea and eventually crashing onto the closest couch to keep an eye out for the younger throughout the rainy night.

As a few hours passed by, Jungkook was sound asleep and as for Namjoon, he was thinking to himself; pondering his plans on how to help Jungkook with his bad habits and how to make him a better man that he is now. There was never a moment where he didn't stop thinking of better ways Jugkook could change his life now. When he turned over to face the direction Jungkook slept in on the opposite couch, he watched the lost boy for a bit longer until he began to receive a phone call.

Namjoon's phone vibrated against the leather of the couch until he finally found it in himself to peel his worried gaze away from the boy to check who was calling at this hour. As the phone continued to vibrate, Jungkook opened his eyes gently and watched as the older man got up and answered the call. Each footstep he took further away from the young boy left Jungkook at ease, he could tell Namjoon was staring at him again with his guilt tripping eyes that begged him to change his ways, but Jungkook would always avoid them. He didn't want to be saved... at least, not now.

Just as Jungkook remained on the couch, he heard Namjoon speak into the call like his whispers were carried through the echoes of the house. He couldn't close his eyes to rest now and silently listened to his conversation.

"Yeah... I'm sorry I bailed... no, no, it was my fault! I had... business to take care of," Namjoon spoke as he let out a sigh and pulled up a chair by the dining table. The exhausted man plopped down onto the chair and began to fidget with the petals of a fake flower just sitting upright within its vase. There was a long pause as he then looked over his shoulder to where Jungkook slept and finally looked back to the flower he toyed with. "No... he... he's just lost... I tried to help him again but he would never let me! Believe me, I'm exhausted... so exhausted," he went on as his voice fell into a whisper. "But he doesn't want any of my help... at times I wish I never took him in..."

With those words finding their way into Jungkook's head, he softly turned his face away and let out a sharp exhale as Namjoon carried on.

"I never knew how exhausting it could be to take care of a grown boy! He never does what he's told and at times I just want to drive him to the nearest place that's hiring and demand that he gets a stable job! I want so much for him, I feel so bad for him, yet, I can't feel bad for someone who doesn't try... At this point, I don't want him to live with me anymore unless he turns his life around!"

"Never does what he's told..." Jungkook whispered to himself and continued to lay there and listen to what else Namjoon bottled up inside. Of course, the boy refused to act and only remained there to hear more of what Namjoon had to say. But, deep down he felt those words like they were the sharp end of a dart striking at every breath he took.

"What good does it do to me if I keep taking care of this child after every night he goes out to drink? It just teaches me that he would never change or think of anyone else. He's selfish and I allowed him to act this way!"

"Selfish.." Jungkook mouthed those words and finally gripped onto the blanket over his body. As the call with Namjoon went on, the man finally made his way up to his room and closed the door shut. Leaving Jungkook alone downstairs. But just as the man closed the door, Jungkook sprung up and shot his doe eyes up at the stairs. "I need to get out of here... a-at least for the night." Jungkook whispered underneath his breath and stood up.

At this moment, Jungkook wasn't thinking clearly when he carefully made his way up the stairs and walked into his room. He was anxious; just hearing Namjoon's words left him more bothered than he was before, but not as much as how the truth left him. Jungkook was always a silent boy, but also a distant person ever since he was little. He was afraid of confrontation and when a situation arised, he couldn't help but to run away from it.

As he stepped into his bare room, he took out a backpack just sitting within his wardrobe and began to stuff clothes into it. "I'll just stay until sunrise, so I won't continue to bother him.. this is what needs to be done for now," Jungkook thought in his head.

His drunk and sober thoughts fought back and forth as he packed. He believed this was the best decision so he could stay away from the older man and take time to think on his own. In a way, he had good intentions, but running away from the situation while the wound was still cut open, didn't allow things to heal the way it should.

Just as the boy began to pack up, he found enough money in his backpack that served as his emergency stash for a rainy day. Just as he stared blankly at the stash, he began to think of places he could stay for a bit until things calmed down on its own. While the boy began to think, he suddenly remembered the familiar shiver that raced down his spine just earlier. The familiar yet unfamiliar shiver, the nerve racking stares and the unsettling feeling he felt as he thought of The Raven Hotel.

"A hotel like that must be very cheap to stay in..." Jungkook thought as he searched up directions to the hotel that was surprisingly close by. "If anything, I'll just stay until sunrise. I don't want to stay for too long... I just know I can't stay here," Jungkook whispered and as he continued to pack, he finally decided that staying at The Raven Hotel for a while was alright. Even if the place didn't seem very inviting, he had no other places close by that he could run off to. He had no one, so this hotel was his last hope.