Jungkook stood by the counter as he wondered where Jimin had disappeared to. He had come back from teasing Aspen to tell Jimin all about it to find him gone. Normally one of them had to stay stationed out front in case - on the rare chance - there was a customer that needed their assistances it was odd to Jungkook that Jimin just wasn't there. Jungkook kept the megaphone he had found in the closet in one hand as he watched a few customers start to trickle out past him to leave and go about the rest of their day. He raised a hand in parting, getting a few in return.
It was after an elderly lady and her husband left that he turned his head and saw Aspen appear down the hallway. She had her hand behind her holding the hand of a man dressed in a black suit. His jet black hair matched the suit; the tips hanging down over his ears some. Behind the man came Jimin with his hands clasped over the stranger's ears. Jungkook cocked a brow in interest, moving away from the counter with the megaphone in hand.
"Aspen, what the heck is this?"
"This is a man that I found in the theater room you scared me in," said Aspen. "It wasn't empty like you thought, doofus."
Jungkook looked at the man. He looked familiar for some reason even though Jungkook knew in the same instance that he had never met this man in his life. Jungkook held up the megaphone partly in his hand.
"Scared you like this, right?"
Jungkook caused the megaphone to let out a squawk again after he finished speaking. The sudden loud and abrasive sound was too powerful to be muted by Jimin's hands and scared the crap out of the stranger before them. The man shoved backwards against Jimin in an attempt to get away from the sound, sending Jimin onto his backside. The man's hand dropped free of Aspen before he ran off past them. Jungkook turned to look at the man run, watching him disappear into the darkness of the closet. Aspen reached out a hand to slap Jungkook on the back of the head.
"OW! Hey!"
"You're a genius," said Aspen, rolling her eyes. "Look what you just did. You probably gave this man a heart attack."
"Nah. I mean - if I did - he wouldn't be running."
"Aissi!" muttered Aspen as she moved to walk towards the closet.
Jungkook turned his gaze towards Jimin who was still sitting on his butt in the hallway, watching Jimin reach a hand behind his back to rub it.
"I'm going to kill you or that megaphone. Maybe both of you," said Jimin.
Aspen reached the closet, knowing better than to reach for the light switch. This man was obviously afraid. She had to take this slow. She stood still, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness before she could see his outline in there. He was shuddering near the back wall; his hands clinging tightly to one of the metal racks as his forehead was pressed against it. His face was turned away from the door. She entered slowly, picking her way among the mess that Jungkook had left behind when he found the megaphone. When she reached the shaking man, she put her hand gently on his back.
"I'm sorry for my friend," she said softly.
He didn't say anything, but did turn his head to look at her. She watched as the man tried to move his lips, but nothing came from them. Perhaps the man was mute. She looked about the closet, finding a pad of paper nearby and a pen. She held it out to him. Maybe he could at least write. He looked down at the offered things before letting go of the rack that he was holding tightly to. He took them from her, beginning to write something down. He turned it to her after.
- Where am I?
She held out her hands for the notebook, writing down her response and putting an 'A' at the beginning to stand for her name.
A - The theater. Who are you?
- My name is Kim Seokjin.
A - Can you not speak?
- Speak? So I'm not reading your thoughts?
She couldn't help but to chuckle at that. When she looked up, she saw that it was a genuine question that the other seemed to have.
A - No, you aren't reading my thoughts. Can you speak?
- I have never tried.
She watched as he tried to move his lips again with still the same effect. She smiled softly.
A - Are you afraid of sound?
- It's something new to me, so yes.
A - What about light?
- Light, no. Why do things not look gray?
A - You mean why does it have color?
- What is color?
Before Aspen could write down anything else, she turned to see that Jungkook had come over to the closet. He was megaphone less, which was a welcome sight.
"I'm sorry, dude," said Jungkook. "I didn't..."
"He can't talk," said Aspen as she held the notepad out to Jungkook.
"Can he not understand us either?"
"Well, ask him," said Aspen.
"Fine," said Jungkook as he took the notebook.
JK - Can you understand what we're saying?
- Yes, I can. What were you holding in your hand?
Jungkook looked at the written response from the other.
JK - That was a megaphone.
- Megaphone? Well, it was mega annoying. Hurt my ears.
Aspen happened to see the response then, unable to stop herself from laughing.
JK - Sorry about that.
- You're fine. It's fine. I just am not used to it.
Jungkook was about to keep hold of the notebook and look back through the rest of the chat he had been having previously with Aspen when Jimin appeared in the doorway.
"Are you all having some kind of closet party without me?" asked Jimin.
"Aspen has figured out how to communicate with this man," said Jungkook, waving the notebook in his hand. "He can understand us when we talk, but he's mute."
"Wonderful," said Jimin, noticing that the man had seemed to be calmer than he was before. The notebook was reclaimed as the man wrote something and held it so Jimin could see the response.
- Sorry if I hurt you. Sound scared me.
"You're fine," said Jimin. "I'll just have a bruised rear."
"I need to take him to see a doctor," said Aspen. "Jungkook, can you please bring the car around?"
"Am I a chauffeur service?" asked Jungkook as Aspen shot him a look.
"Look! You owe me for giving me a heart attack, and Jimin needs to stay with me since Seokjin is comfortable around him."
"Is that his name?" asked Jungkook.
"Yes, now go."
Jungkook mumbled under his breath as he slipped out of the closet to go do what was asked of him.
"I'll go start closing things up while we wait for Jungkook," said Jimin, casting one more look at Seokjin.
"I'm fine," said Aspen. "He's not going to hurt me."
Jimin just nodded his head before disappearing out of the closet to leave just the two of them.
- I don't need a doctor.
Aspen looked at what Seokjin wrote, frowning.
A - We can take you home then.
- I don't know where my home is.
A - Then that means you need to go to the hospital.
- No. I mean I don't think my home is around here.
I just need somewhere to stay for now.
Aspen chewed her bottom lip as she wondered how to respond. What was she supposed to do? She supposed they could drop the man off at at hotel, but that would accomplish nothing.
A - You can stay with us until you're able to get home.
- Us?
A - Me, Jimin and Jungkook.
- Are you sure?
A - Yes. What do you say?
- YES.
Aspen looked up then to see a dazzling smile on Seokjin's face. It had been the first time since she had seen him that he had done that. Even though it was insane to invite a complete stranger home with her, she didn't know what else to do. Besides, she had Jimin and Jungkook with her if anything did go south. What could possibly go wrong?
- - -
AN: I realize that the word 'mega' wasn't used in this form in the 1930s, but I couldn't help myself. Where this is a fanfiction anyway, I decided to make an exception.
Thanks for reading! <3