"Missing?"
Jungkook's attention shift to his father who's reading newspaper over breakfast table
"yes" the crease on his father's face serious, eyes fixed on reading the article complete "two juvenile. A girl and a boy have been missing for more than 36 hours "
Distant sizzling of food and pleasant hums of his mother converge perfectly with early morning spirit followed by disrupt of his father's deep sigh,
"They seem to be lovers on run. Their families confirmed they didn't approve their relationship though they are claiming their children would never think of running away"
Jungkook wonders if he ever encountered them but can't seem to bring any memory for cleansing when their white-black photos stare back at him from the creased newspaper wilted with heavy news.
"Honey" his mother joins them sitting beside Miki who appear to be liking her meal a bit too much for rice is sticking around her mouth, dangerously prone to be inhaled which she wipes clean as her concerned gaze shifts to Jungkook then back to her husband
"This is first time I'm hearing something like..this. It's sorrowful they didn't leave any letter of their departure...what if they are in danger or worst—kidnapped!? "
Her tone hold absolute distress, with all the ups and down this town have it's certainly not the best with criminal handling
"Authorities are searching for them and what's more terrible is that they were last seen on shore"
Jungkook wince silently when his mother gasped, already knowing what's she going to say
"It's too close from here!—Jungkook." Her voice stern leaning forward " you will not go to bakery not..not until authorities find them!"
"Hone-"
"You both won't go outside, okay. "
His mother is what you can call sensitive for their children. She can't risk baiting her hamsters to danger at any cost
"Honey" this time his father's charming smile soothes" we all except miki are aware how competent these authorities are "
Jungkook snorts, instantly cornered under his mother's stern predatory gaze making him cough and squirm embarrassed on his seat
"I know it don't sound very assuring but he's twenty years old, he's no longer our ten year old hamste, plus it's not even confirmed if they were really attacked, there is no sign of resistance or violence, many people use that path, he'll be fine "
He insists squeezing her hand reassuringly and she hesitates making eye contact with all of their pleading one, eventually nodding with a loud sigh and breaking into a smile when they all cheer, well Miki cheers copying her brother and father without knowing what's the occasion
Jungkook smiles and kisses everyone's cheek after finishing his breakfast, walking out with his bag for bakery.
"Be back before sun sets young man"
His mother calls out as he steps outside, yelling a 'yes' in response before shutting the door and sprinting away
Mrs jeon sighs before giving her attention to miki who smiles with her full chubby cheeks and legs swinging under table
"All boys in this house are idiots, right baby?"
Miki nods and smiles when mommy high fiv her who giggles and resume chomping
Beside her she hears a faint purposeful cough
"I'm a man you know" Mr. Jeon muses making his wife rank him up and down with an unimpressed look before standing with a faint roll of her eyes saying
"Still an idiot"
"your idiot"
......................................................................
"Yo hyung"
Jimin lays his apron down with a grumble, finally able to take a break from all the rush of customers
"speak" his voice tough, not looking at his direction
"rude" Jungkook sing song with a fake offended tone sipping on his smoothie, his doe eyes locked over olders tensed shoulders from the moment he stepped inside. Jimin rolls his eyes soon breaking into a smile when younger pass him his favourite freshly prepared mango smoothie
Jimin moans over the delightful sip of his drink instantly feeling better with the coolness he could feel spread through his throat.
"I was in a bad mood but now I'm feeling wayyyy better" he sighs in bliss shaking his drink
"what made you upset?" Jungkook pokes the straw inside his almost empty drink, jiggling the thawing ice
"it's who" Jungkook scowls, already knowing who. It's always them.
"My parents, they are dragging me with them saying I should stop wasting my time at bakery and accompany them to work to learn what I'm gonna inherit" Jimin's displeased voice riled Jungkook up, if only he could give them a piece of mind
"I'll not be able to come here tomorrow, hope you can manage without me" Jimin sends him an apologetic look
Jungkook smiles and nods with a thumbs up "Don't worry hyung I'll manage, you'll manage too, just don't fall asleep like a horse"
Jimin's laugh made him smile scrunching his nose
"Brat"
"the one and only" quirking an eyebrow he lifts his drink up imitating great Gatsby from the movie they watched two days ago
They both chuckle before resuming with their task, time ticking from minutes to hours finally ending their shift at 5pm
"I want to eat something spicy"
Jungkook yawns smacking his lips, stretching his tired body like a cat, beside him Jimin who's no better popping his shoulder and neck with a groan
"yeah, all the sweetness from bakery makes me crave something spicy"
"Let's go to my home, I'm positive mom left something"
Jimin grins wide halting younger on his steps by holding him by his shoulder "Whoever comes last is nescience"
Jimin yells instantly running forward leaving a whole human behind who took his seconds before whining-running behind him
They run and laugh. Jungkook eventually catch up to older, running shoulder to shoulder but struggling to surpass older who is pushing himself hard to win, winking at him with his fiery ebony eye before increasing his speed
They both side glance at each other, breathing heavily and shrieking whenever other seem to exceed only to catch up again
They eventually reach shore, warm sand making it tricky to run, stumbling quite few time, challenging each other by their narrowed gaze with breathless smirk
In all their craze they didn't notice a whole lot of people walking in front of them and by the time they realized, they had tumbled over two innocent of the group, crushing them with their weight of gruesome impact causing whoever under them to shriek and claw in futile attempt to crawl away
The impact knocked the air and senses out of their system, throb of their physical exertion pulsating In their neck and chest, gasping and wheezing for air before the white–black dots separate from vision.
Sand in hair, sand in mouth, sand in eyes and aching shoulder for the brutal impact of momentum is never a good combination
That is condition of Jungkook who sputters and simultaneously push himself back from the poor soul who got crushed under 70 kg muscle weight, he might have imagined this but the poor victim knowingly or unknowingly slapped his face with long end of clothing on their arm
Well he deserved it so he didn't comment except muttering apologies while trying to clean his sandpaper tongue by end of his t shirt, his abdomen for the world to see
In constant cleaning of his tongue and his watery eyes his gaze searched for Jimin who is sprawled on his back starfish with wide eye in no better condition with a person wincing under the calves of his legs
Eventually he dare to crane his chin up only to meet three judging eyes squeezing his soul by the scorching force scowling down at him concluding with him wobbling ungracefully on his butt
Blinking rapidly he squeaks in between his whistles of heavy breathing "I'm..I'm really sorry, I-we weren't looking..please forgive us" he bows biting his lip, Jimin joins him struggling with after–shock dropping on his knees
A few suffocating moment pass where no one speaks before a hoarse voice grumbles making both him and Jimin flinch, caught off-guard
"We should leave, he'll not be pleased by this place" an old man with siam eyes, hands wrapped behind his back in respect and power with a low displeased tone staring at others who are all draped in black satin and cloak covering their forehead to toe.
Their feet bare and firm on sand, eyes wide as they communicate with minimum moment of lips, only the subtle movements of their heads and hand covered under long cardigan are what reminding Jungkook that they are not statue
Soon all the voices volunteer, completely ignoring the two boys who weirdly glance at each other before standing straight on their feet
"We can't" A female, her voice wise and collected, leaving no place for argument with her powerful and authoritative way she carries herself interjects
"We can't risk upsetting him, we have to follow orders no matter how unpleasant our first impression is" her tone didn't change even once though her wide hazel eyes settle thickly over two boys nervously shifting on their feet, wondering if it's alright to leave now.
Jimin expands his chest and exhales before softly addressing them, all five pair of eyes fall over them and Jungkook shrinks internally on so much unfiltered dominating attention focused over them.
"We are really sorry for bumping into you, but may I know what brings you here? "
Jungkook nods, patting Jimin in his mind. Nice save dory!
His words seem to work better than expected for the weird people drapped in rich silk and satin, two of which soiled because of them. Oops.
Finally decide to forget or atleast put aside what happened and talk about their purpose
"We want to talk to your mayor"
The one onto whom Jungkook unintentionally crushed speaks, Judging from his voice quite young with an innocent enthusiasm in twinkle of his baby blue eyes and a tint of wince when he tries to raise his shoulder, smiling afterward when Jungkook sends him a guilty look
"I see" Jimin's suspicious look ranked them all, afterall it's not common for five strangers drapped in silk and cloak visit them barefoot for daily tea.
"May I know from where have you reached here? "
One of them narrows their eyes, clearly annoyed with the number of questions" Far and we have proposition for your mayor, kindly lead us and we'll part our ways " her voice gruff and impatient
Jimin sighs and nods, fishing out his phone, calling his parents for the strangers who seem quite intrigued with his phone, their focus collectively shift over the small device making Jungkook tilt his head sideways
As on que two old people make their appearance, their comical way of walk blend of sprint and wannabe grace for good impression. The old man wearing suit and fixing his tie while his lady pushing her purse over her elbow with sunglasses jumbling on her perfectly styled hair.
Mr and Mrs park
So much for good impression, Jungkook snickers before stealing another glance at strangers who don't look amused either
"oh what a lovely day, how may we help you?" Mr.park scream in enthusiasm cause him to cringe with a visibly pained expression while Jimin steps back totally embarrassed
"Mayor"
"oh... Haha.. Right, please follow us"
He sighs when finally the five mysterious outsiders walk forward with Mr and Mrs park who are trying to initiate a conversation with them, their voice fading with distance.
Jimin didn't want to waste their time over them which he would rather spend at his home so he decided to call his parents who instantly agreed when he used the magic word 'business'
Jimin wearly stands beside him when he's sure he can't hear anything more embarrassing, Jungkook laugh seeing Jimin's petrified expression for all the events that happened in span of half an hour
He looks back at the disappearing rear of the cryptic people probably belonging to some cult, who knows.
Until one of them, specifically the lady with hazel eyes turns back gradually until her wide eyes stare right into his brown one.
Pinning him down on his feet, his lungs suddenly feel airless, he tries to gasp for breathe but his mouth refuse to open, his eyes turn wide and fearful trying to scream with all his might before everything immediately stops.
He topples forward, bending on his waist gasping for air and sweating heavily, his hands clasp over his throat, few tears manage to escape as he shudders on this disgusting haunted feeling that last barely five seconds.
From behind he can feel Jimin pat his back with urgency and concern as he coughs a bit more before wiping his mouth with back of his hand, his eyes immediately falling back over her retreating back, almost disappearing from his vision with others until he can't see them anymore.
Jimin looks at him worriedly unable to decipher with his sudden stillness
" Jungkook "
He flinch before nodding, his smile weak
"I'm fine, probably overeating" he sheepishly smiles, scratching back of his head
"Told you eight donuts are not salad"
Jimin scolds him who meekly scrunch his nose, smiling merrily like a child caught stealing candy, showing his tongue to elder who grabs him by elbow and strides forward lecturing him about food coma
His mind drifts, it's an odd feeling he's struggling to point, something like a dream that you start forgetting the moment you wake up, he have experienced this before but he can't tell anymore what to make of it
He feels like throwing up to be honest, throwing up in sense of the imbalance from drastically getting overwhelmed and then back to normal, that presence of slight discomfort after a scary ride that lingers silently in your gut all the way back home, his heart still clutching at his ribs in lingering dread.
As time passes the sickening feeling eases, his surroundings pushing him back to reality and he can't help but wonder again why that particular look from her made him want to stay miles away from her, not wanting to think about them even though his non cooperative brain is still trying to make sense of this unplanned encounter.
Was she by any chance threatening him?
Feedback?
I think I should add something more in author's note to seem more interesting but look like I'm failing miserably hehe.