Yoongi placed the various documents that he had gathered and organised neatly, positioning them on the bookshelves, where he had taken them from. After almost an hour of effort and work, the pianist finally took a deep breath and settled down to have a much needed rest. Yoongi was trying to decompress and relax after a long day but it seemed he would not have the luxury he had been hoping for as the sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts. "Yoongi!" he heard his name being called, immediately catching his attention.
Upon entering the room, Mino snapped the door shut and approached the pianist with a stern expression on his face. "What's your problem?" Mino began questioning Yoon, clearly frustrated by the pianist's actions."What the heck is wrong with you?" He further inquired with an angry harsh tone.
Yoongi was caught off guard by the sudden outburst that the Mino exhibited. So he responded with a mixture of frustration and indignation, in the calmest way possible "First of all, learn how to knock," he said to express his annoyance towards the lack of decorum by which his friend had entered the room. "Second," he continued, shifting to the main focus of the situation, "what are you talking about?"
"My problem is the upcoming play," Mino relayed in a firm and almost irritable manner; "Listen," he proceeded to advise him, his words coming out in a straightforward manner, "Your job is to determine if everything is going well with the external connections of the play and act accordingly. My job is to train the dancers." He continued, making clear which role and responsibilities were in charge of whom. "Don't mix them up," he stressed, as they should not interfere with each other.
Yoongi sat back down into his seat, he had not realised he had been standing, his hands folding together upon the table as he focused his attention on Mino's words. I don't know what nonsense you're talking about," he stated, expressing his confusion. "Mino, speak clearly," he continued to press; his patience and tolerance clearly nearing their limits at this point.
Mino ran his hand through his hair -a gesture full of stress, then he turned toward the pianist once again. "It's exactly about Park Jimin," he stated. Upon mentioning Park Jimin, the pianist's expression instantly changed, this guy was driving him nuts.
Yoongi appeared confused and dismissive of Mino's comments, "I still don't see anything relevant to me," he stated coldly, remaining defiant as he responded.
"His performance has been getting worse for the last week," Mino uttered, revealing that his concerns about Park Jimin extended beyond just the play rehearsal, as he disclosed the fact that Jimin hadn't attended practice sessions for the past two days. In addition, he continued; "Jimin has proven himself to be the epitome of the phrase "practice makes perfect". Even if he's covered in blood, he's going to show up".- he remained silent for a second staring at the pianist
"You have seen him dancing through sprains, sickness, and fever. His commitment is flawless."-Mino appeared increasingly frustrated as the discussion progressed- "Every time so far, everything has been fine, so do you have any idea why he is missing the dance sessions?" he finished up.
Yoongi maintained his defiant stance, then proceeded to remind the trainer that the dancers were his responsibility and area of expertise, "Like you just said," he stated. "Your dancers are your business, not mine. How am I supposed to know?"- he answered.
Oh Min Yoongi, you are supposed to know; -Mino spoke back at the pianist- I am aware he came to you when last week's lesson finished, and I overheard what you said to him.- Mino continued to press -You probably remember the club we went to a few days ago, Jimin was there, last time I saw him you were leaving together, and the very next day he hit me up saying that he couldn't come to practise- he pointed out.
Yoongi was caught off guard by the accusations that had been levelled against him, and thus, he kept quiet as he heard Mino's words. Instead, he remained silent, his mind spinning as he attempted to figure out what was going on between Jimin and him. Why had Jimin gotten so mad that night? It had not been such a big deal, right?
Mino was not satisfied with the silence that was returned to him as he continued to speak; "I know you've only just met, maybe it hasn't even been a week," he started off, "but you need to understand, he hasn't had the easiest life so far."
"Jimin is prone to push his own limits, oftentimes to extremes. He is extremely stubborn, clinging onto his goals with a degree of determination that could sometimes border on the irrational."- Mino trailed off. -"He won't stop until he gets what he wants, and the way he goes about it is just sickening"- He paused for a moment.- "I'm aware of it, he's aware of it, yet he does it anyway."
"And what you say to him breaks him down." Mino said solemnly, his eyes glancing toward Yoongi as he spoke. "Even the things you say without thinking or paying attention to, might affect him." He paused for a moment, remembering something. "Yoongi... he might seem tough, but a single word could break him apart. He's like a mirror, whatever you say, he takes it all in, and he might pretend to be okay. But deep inside... he's not." - He turned to face the pianist before speaking again- " You don't need to go easy on him. Just try to be aware and more considerate. -"
Mino sighed with resignation. "I think he won't come for another couple of days, he will force himself to practise in order to improve." He paused for a moment.- "He tends to do that. push until he feels like everything's fixed, or until he can't do it anymore."-Mino stated.
"Even if he seems like he doesn't care about people's opinions, deep down, he cares a lot." Mino said. "It's like... he's afraid of being judged, or failing, or looking bad in front of others. So, he hides his vulnerabilities, his emotions... he hides everything that might make him "uncool."- Mino spoke with clear insight and understanding of the dancer's internal struggles and emotions, then continued,- "Jimin can also be somewhat closed off and guarded when it comes to opening himself up to others, especially if he feels as if they are judging him unfairly. It took him ages to open up to us."- he said.
"You don't have to say those things to him, you know." Mino said, now seemingly slightly annoyed. "He's his own harshest critic. I know you've been having a rough time lately, too, so try to be a little understanding. And let me do my job." With that, Mino turned around and left the room, leaving Yoongi alone with his thoughts.
Yoongi nodded as Mino retreated out the door. He took a deep breath, trying to process the things Mino had said. It was true, he hadn't been having the best of times lately. Moreover, he had been quite harsh when it came to Jimin. Maybe he should take a more gentle, understanding approach towards him.
Yoongi maintained a solemn silence, neither ashamed nor regretful, but rather thoughtful and contemplative. He reflected upon Jimin's behaviour, and despite the fact that the dancer certainly possessed a number of narcissist traits, he realised that the situation was far more complex than he had initially believed.
Yoongi acknowledged the fact that he was used to being ignored by people- that came with his disappearances, and therefore, was also used to the lack of emotions that came with it. Which caused him to lose his sense of empathy, leading to his prejudices towards Jimin.
Maybe Jimin deserved an apology.
..........................................................................................................................
The final half hour of the day approached as the instructors had begun to slowly make their way out of the practice halls, alongside most of the dancers. All the halls were left in the grip of darkness, save for hall 04 located on the second floor, whose lights remained on.
Inside the hall room were Taehyung and his favourite student, Jeon Jungkook. Jungkook was still working on his lesson, while Taehyung was standing next to him, observing his every move closely.
"Try again."- Taehyung hissed, he was taking a seat in front of Jungkook, watching him intently as the younger attempted the same move for what felt like the hundredth time
"But Taehy-" Jungkook began to protest, however, his words were quickly silenced by the strict and unrelenting attitude of his instructor.
"No buts."- Taehyung cut in.- "No excuses. You'll do this right, or you won't do it at all. Understand?"
"Sir, that's not working," "Besides, everyone is leaving now, let me go too,"-Jungkook stated as he attempted to argue for an end to the lesson.
"No." The tone in Taehyung's voice was firm, his expression giving no leeway. "You're not going anywhere until you've mastered this move. You must do it perfectly, every time- He stared at his student- "You're under my tutelage and you're staying right here until I say you can leave. Is that clear?"
"Again!" Taehyung barked. He was beginning to lose his patience with each attempt. "Don't hesitate. Don't overthink. Just do it!" He watched as Jungkook took a deep breath, and went for it.
Despite his best efforts, Jungkook's attempt ended in failure as he lost his balance and fell to the floor, landing on his back. Jungkook let out a soft moan of pain as he tried to get up from the ground, he was too tired for this.
-"You're not picking this up fast enough, Jungkook."-Taehyung said, his irritation growing.- "You're not following my instructions, you're not focusing. Either you get this right, or there's no point in continuing." "You can't open your legs all the way. You'll lose balance, and fall over"-he claimed. Jungkook stood a little straighter as he heard Tae's words. Taehyung's voice was harsh, compared to how he normally treated Jungkook. The younger member felt himself tense up in response, and he began to doubt his own abilities.
"Do it again," Taehyung said bluntly. There was an intensity in his eyes that made it clear that this was not optional. However Jungkook tried to talk back.
"Tae, I'm tired!" Jungkook protested. "I'm pushing myself to the limit, but you haven't let me breathe. You haven't given me a chance to stop and rest."- he paused- "I'm trying my best..." Jungkook muttered, looking down at the floor.
Taehyung sighed, his exhaustion was affecting him. "You're not trying hard enough if the best you can do is half-ass it. And that's not good enough."Taehyung's eyes narrowed and his voice grew even harsher.- "One more time. Come on. Give me your best shot."
"Show me what you're made of, Jungkookie." Taehyung said, his voice daring, and slightly sultry. He was challenging Jungkook.
Jungkook tried to land the jump again, his breath coming in rapid, shallow gasps. He was exhausted, his muscles were burning, and he felt like he couldn't push himself another inch. When he finished, there was a thin moment of silence, before Tae's applause was heard.It was enough to make Jungkook feel a small bit of relief.
Jungkook's gaze was directed towards Taehyung, and he was about to chastise him for how harsh he had been that afternoon. He was about to say something, but before he could, his breath caught in his throat as he spotted Taehyung staring at him with a mix of admiration and... something else.
A moment of tense silence filled the room as the pair remained still. For a moment, Taehyung just watched Jungkook. He was studying him, taking in every small detail about his expression and his body language. The tension grew to the point where it felt almost physical, and the younger felt a wave of nervousness wash over him.
Suddenly, there was a sound that broke the moment. It was a soft knock at the door. Taehyung then broke eye contact with Jungkook, his gaze now directed towards the entrance of the room.
The door squeaked softly, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. "Brother?" Taehyung smiled with a warm expression on his face as he saw who it was.
Namjoon looked at his watch with a puzzled expression on his face. "Taehyung, you should have been done with the lesson by now..." he asked curiously, pretending as if he hadn't noticed the tension between his brother and the ballet dancer. He gave a quick glance at Jungkook, but didn't ask any questions about it.
"We'll be done soon," Taehyung quickly assured him, trying his best to sound innocent. However he was still casting brief glares at Jungkook
"I'll just wait outside then..." Namjoon sighed, knowing his brother well enough to be suspicious of what was going on. Taehyung could be quite abrasive, and... possessive at times. "Don't take too long, and leave the kid alone." His voice had a warning tone to it, and as he stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind him
Jungkook turned his gaze towards Taehyung now, wondering if he had an older brother. He had never known about one before, but he knew that Taehyung was quite protective of his family, so it wouldn't be surprising.
Namjoon and Taehyung have been half-brothers for 22 years. It wasn't something that they often spoke about in public, but they were close even with the age difference between them. Taehyung had been adopted when he was a child, and Namjoon had been the one to welcome him into the family.
Once Namjoon had left the room, Taehyung finally turned his attention back to Jungkook. Now that they were alone again, Taehyung seemed to look him over once more, his gaze softening "This one was good, Jeon," he said, his voice lighter now. "Like I said, keep up the retakes. Let's finish up for the day."
Taehyung's eyes never met Jungkook's as he spoke, and after a few moments, he brushed his hair out of his face with his hands and said a quiet "good evening" before finally waking out of the room.
When Taehyung was gone, Jungkook was left alone with his thoughts. He was struggling to make sense of the exchange that had just taken place -- the tension, the subtle glares, and the sudden shift in Taehyung's attitude towards him... What had happened between them? Why had the tension seemed to build so quickly? And more importantly... Was he imagining things, or had Taehyung really been lingering a bit too long after that last jump. After taking a few moments to compose himself, he went to the locker rooms and changed out of his clothes. All he wanted to do now was to go home and rest as soon as possible. When he left the hall, his only thought was getting home and crawling into bed.
Namjoon left the duo alone in the hall and headed downstairs to the first floor. He hoped to catch Yoongi before he left, so he went to his office and knocked before entering. As he came into the room, Yoongi looked up from his computer and was noticeably irritated, as the sharp response he gave Namjoon made quite clear. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for an hour."
"I'm sorry for the delay." Namjoon's voice came out calm and steady, as he stood before Yoongi- " But I have to tell you something."
"Let's go to my house," Yoongi added quickly before Namjoon could get a word in. He didn't want to waste any more time.
Yoongi was indeed impatient as he drove. He tried to ask questions and get answers to some of his curiosity along the way, but Namjoon would only remain tight-lipped. |The wait was driving him crazy. "You're going to tell me eventually, right?" Yoongi said, his tone more curious than actually annoyed. "Why are you acting like a mystery box?"
"Could you just be a little patient?" Namjoon said with a mild irritation in his voice. "I'm going to tell you when we get there, so stop rushing me."
Yoongi's tone seemed sharper now, and his annoyance was growing clearer by the second. "What are you going to tell me?" he demanded, his patience growing short, "C'mon, just tell me what you want to say."
"You are going to take advantage of this," Namjoon said calmly, even as Yoongi was growing more and more impatient. "Just keep driving, Yoongi, and I'll tell you when we get to your house. I just want to talk to you about something."
Yoongi remained silent for a moment, still clearly annoyed but he nodded, accepting his fate, and waiting till they reached their destination.
Yoongi frowned as he got out of his car and made his way inside his house. Stepping into the living room, he took off his jacket and sat down on the couch, waiting for Namjoon to join him.
Along with his career as a musician, Namjoon was also someone who had graduated from university twice, and his field of study was physics. and he had written numerous doctoral theses on the topic of time travel and its implications. He was the perfect person to talk to about something like time erasure. Namjoon sat down beside Yoongi on the couch, his expression serious as he prepared himself to speak.
"I'm all ears."Yoongi said quietly, his attention fully focused on Namjoon.
"You seem a bit flustered." Namjoon objected gently, his tone still calm.
"Nevermind," Yoongi said softly as he tried to move past the disagreement they had had earlier.
"Whatever." Namjoon dismissed Yoongi's attitude. There was no point in continuing arguing about that.
"There is no such thing as that on the internet," Namjoon said, referring to Yoongi's disappearance and reappearance. "I've been asking around and looking into it myself, but I still can't figure out why it keeps happening. But," he added, pulling out his own phone and showing it to the pianist. "Last time-"
Yoongi's phone rang at that moment, the chime filling the air momentarily. "I won't be there for fifteen minutes."- Yoongi pointed out in frustration.
"Don't worry," Namjoon said, his voice still calm but with a hint of amusement in it. "This is the perfect example for me to explain what I was saying earlier. You can still hear me while you are invisible." He opened his phone screen " As you see It looks like there's nothing wrong.",
As the second chime of the phone rang out,Yoongi disappeared completely without a trace. As if he had never been there.
"I don't know how I didn't notice this before," Namjoon continued, speaking to Yoongi even though he was no longer there. His phone suddenly started acting strangely as it loaded different apps and turned on and off on its own."The energy you emit when you disappear causes this. And there's a conclusion we can draw from here." Namjoon said optimistically- "If you can cause this effect, you have to be able to control it. Once you can achieve this, you should be able to find a solution for this problem." Namjoon paused for a moment, seeing if Yoongi had understood or if there was anything left to explain. Then he realised that even if his friend was there, he could not reply to him.
If anyone else had seen Namjoon,, they might jump to conclusions about his sanity. But he was well aware of the fact that Yoongi was there, right in front of him yet invisible -- even to himself.
"If you're not understanding what I just told you, let me rephrase it," Namjoon added. "What I'm suggesting is that the same could happen with time, if you're able to control it."- he stated- " If you manage to control the object of your sudden disappearances and your reappearances. You can control the flow of time around yourself while you are lost or invisible. I would say the idea of that is impossible, but considering you are able to disappear like this then reappear in front of me once more, then anything seems possible." He paused for a moment and looked waiting for his invisible companion to return back into visibility.
When Yoongi reappeared, Namjoon could only observe as his friend looked at him with that confusing gaze of his. "So how is this supposed to work?" was his response, the same level of incomprehensibility intact on his face.
"If this is correct, then we might be able to prevent your sudden disappearances using a secondary object or something similar. It might work if we find a way to redirect the energy you emit when you vanish into that object. Sharing your energy would prevent you from disappearing," Namjoon explained, adding a note of optimism to his tone that hadn't been present before.
Yoongi took a few moments to gather his thoughts as he remained silent, a sense of hope filling his expression as he processed what Namjoon had just said. "So you're saying that if I use another object or method, I can control my own disappearances, right?" he finally asked, his tone showing an eager determination to try it.
"That's right," Namjoon responded, with a smile plastered on his face.
"If I were able to control my energy and its effect on electronics, like my phone going crazy, I could exert control over my disappearances to a certain extent." Yoongi recalled, his voice was hopeful. However, he knew that there was a part of the equation that was still missing. "But what is the object that will make the control permanent? How do I find it?"- He finally asked.
"Now, this part of my theory is somewhat rudimentary."- Namjoon acknowledged- "But it can be grasped by imagining it this way." he began - "You are a human, and there are things that you can control simply through your will. For example, using a television as an analogy, you have the ability to turn it on as long as there are no external factors hindering you, such as being out of range of the television's remote control. Thus, the remote control acts as an interface or intermediate, as if it were an object during the innercourse of the action."-Namjoon explained.
He frowned when a specific name came to mind, completely interrupting his train of thought. Then he decided that it was finally time to ask the question that had been on his mind. "Could this object... could the object, itself, be a living thing... a human, for example?"
Namjoon paused for a moment as he thought about Yoongi's question. "Yes," he replied slowly. "It could be a living thing. It's unlikely, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't happen. The potential is there."
A small smile played upon Yoongi's lips as a realisation hit. "I've found it"