POV: Jin-BTS
Time: 9:00
I recognise the driver instantly.
It's Jimin.
They're back.
I dart out of the room, TXT and the newcomers in hot pursuit. I get through the main entrance and run over to a van, the exact same model as Jungkook's with the only difference being that it's a different colour.
The vehicle comes to a stop. I wave at the car, hoping that one of the members will notice me.
Jimin is the first to get out. He runs over to me, waving and shouting at the top of his lungs,
"HYUNG!!!!!! HYUUNNNGGGG!!!! YOU'RE SAFE!!!"
He embraces me, squeezing me to the point I can barely breathe. I hug him back.
"How's everyone? I missed you guys so much!" I say.
"We're all fine!!! We just picked up some new survivors!" Jimin answers, tears of joy forming in his eyes.
Ah... I missed that iconic eye smile.
"Let's go welcome them, then!" I exclaim.
Jimin holds me by the hand, and we jog over to the van. TXT and Vernon's friends follow close behind. I look backwards and see Jungkook running out of the building, joining us. By the time me and Jimin arrive to the van, Hoseok and Namjoon are already helping the survivors exit the vehicle.
They're both young males. One of them was a tall young man, with a face which clearly portrayed the features of Yeji and Hyunjin, and the other was a man, with a very trustworthy face.
I smile at the survivors.
"Welcome to-"
"SEUNGKWAN!!!" I hear Vernon shout, while he runs over to Seungkwan to give him a big hug.
"Oh... well I guess you already all know each other, then there's no need for introductions, right?" I ask.
"Well... I would actually like an introduction..." Says the younger boy.
"Do you not know each other?" I ask, staring at the young boy with concern.
"No... we only met a few hours ago... when Seungkwan had got separated from his group." The teen says.
"Oh! Ah... Vernon, Seokjin, this is Ni-ki. We found each other when I got lost." Seungkwan informs us.
"Oh... Hello Ni-ki! Uhm... were you travelling with anyone else? Are they still out there?" I ask.
Seungkwan shakes his head at me, giving me a look, which clearly tells me that it's better if we don't talk about it.
Ni-ki bows his head low, his eyes glistening in the morning light. He says nothing.
"Never mind, uhm... why don't you guys follow me? I'll get you a bed." I say, walking back inside the building.
Jimin and the other members of BTS run ahead of me, each of them waving as they go past.
I smile and wave back.
I open the doors to the bedroom. Everyone stares at the newcomers. I guide them in as I look at Vernon and his friends very closely. They look familiar... really, really familiar... Ni-ki looks really familiar too...
A thought crosses my mind. Why didn't I recognise them earlier?
"Vernon... Your name sounds very familiar to me... didn't you also work under HYBE?" I ask.
"Yeah... Seokjin... we're part of the band, Seventeen." Vernon says.
Bingo! That's them! Seventeen! I knew that they looked familiar!
"Oh! Yes! I like your music a lot! I just didn't recognise you at first because you guys weren't a complete group!"
"Yeah..." Vernon says, his smile slowly disappearing.
"Oh... Sorry... I- I did- I didn't mean to make you feel... like that..." I say, hints of pity in my tone.
"No. It's fine... You didn't mean to." Vernon says in a quiet tone.
He walks away from me, going over to the rest of Seventeen to have a chat with them as they ready their beds.
I can hear voices behind the curtain. Jisoo is awake.
I go over to the curtain, peeking through,
"You don't mind me checking up on Jisoo? Just to examine the wounds. You guys can stay here, you don't need to leave."
Blackpink look at me and then at each other. Jisoo nods her head groggily and I come in.
Lisa moves over so that I have a space to kneel next to Jisoo. I check her temperature. It's a little hotter than usual, but it's not too bad.
I take the bandage off her arm. Lisa and Jennie turn away from it, disgusted but Rose just stares at me, cursing under her breath. The wound seems to have done well. No traces of infection are left.
"The wound on her arm is doing well, and her temperature will go back to normal. She just needs to rest for a bit. She'll be fine by tomorrow. Now, I just need to check her shoulder." I say.
I unwrap some of the bandages covering her shoulder. The swelling seems to have gone down and the redness is nearly gone.
"The shoulder is healing really fast as well. Luckily, there's no complications anywhere."
The Blackpink members all let out collective sighs of relief.
I rewrap the bandages, Jisoo winces as I tighten the knot. I look up at her, signalling that I'm sorry.
"Now... Jisoo. You don't me asking you some questions?" I say.
"No..." She answers in a hoarse voice.
Lisa, noticing her hoarse tone, suddenly stands up and says,
"Unnie, I'll go fetch some water."
I nod and she leaves.
I decide to start the questions.
"Does anything feel somewhat different? That could be like, complete numbness in an area or any peculiar cravings?" I ask
She shakes her head.
"Well... All I can say is that you're going to be just fine. You just need rest." I say.
I stand up and leave. I pass Lisa bringing the water over to Jisoo.
I look around the bedroom. Everyone is sitting in their groups, all chatting and getting comfortable with each other, some playing games. I see Itzy and Twice playing a game of blooming flowers and I laugh as Chaeryeong gets caught, arguing with Nayeon who is the tagger.
That's when I see him.
Ni-ki.
He's sitting alone in the corner. Tears all around his face.
I go over to him.
"Ni-ki? Are you ok?" I whisper.
He doesn't reply.
I sigh.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I reach out and hug him.
He gasps, shocked by my sudden movement.
"Let me go." He says.
I hold on. Saying nothing.
"Let me go." He repeats.
"No."
"Are you crazy?!? Let me go!!!" He says, his voice quivering.
"Are you crazy? I said no." I say.
He starts to push me away, trying to pry my arms away from him. He's bigger than me, but I hold my ground.
...
"Do you miss anyone?" I ask.
He stops trying to push me away.
We sit there in silence.
We caught the attention of the room. Everyone freezes and stares at us.
Ni-ki gives in to his emotions and slouches in my arms and breaks down in tears.
"They're all gone. They're all gone... I ju- just can't ba- bare the fact tha- that they're gone."