a/n: yes it's been a hot minute but it's finally here, enjoy!
- - - - -
jungkook looks over the trip photos, wishing he had followed his love here so much earlier. seeing all the beautiful photos of his beautiful jitae is amazing, and he has been making sure to perfectly label all of them before putting them in the album he had purchased just for this trip.
"hey kookie," a soft voice sings from behind him. jungkook spins in the chair he is on and looks at his amazing boyfriend, "i'm just going to go out a little while, i'll be back though, i promise."
"where are you going?" jungkook inquires, surprised he wasn't inviting him to leave as well. jitae just smiles cheekily.
"you aren't allowed to know that." jitae slides back on the little patch of lino by the door and puts on his shoes.
"hey! why can't i know?" jungkook asks, not seriously. he gets a wink.
"because it's a surprise." honestly, that isn't a surprise, jitae often left their home to buy jungkook stupid little presents, it was one of his favourite things about him. not because he got things, but because he knew that jitae loved him.
"fine! but you better bring me back one of those nice custard things as well," jungkook says in a fake bossy tone.
"yes, my lord." the snarky comment came with a swift bow and is followed by jitae leaving out the front door of their hotel room. jungkook just laughs and shakes his head.
- - | | - -
jimin waited at the school gate to pick up the children, leaning against the small cheap car he was stone-faced and staring at the ground. he hadn't seen these kids in a while, not since he moved out of the orphanage he grew up in and that was only just two years ago. he had moved out at twenty-one, after living there and earning a little cash by being classed as an official worker for three years.
he was surprised the three children recognized him. they were the eldest three, fifteen, thirteen, and twelve respectively, and they had all been super close to jimin before he left.
"jimin!" the eldest, a girl named sunae, recognized him first, running at him. the other two, boys named inseok and jinho, ran up to him right after. all three hugged him tightly, jimin plastered on a wide smile.
"we missed you so much!" jinho says, the three of them ending the hug and looking up at jimin.
"i missed you all too! i have a few days off so i thought i would come stay, and why not pick you three up from school too?" jimin says. he moves around the car to the driver's door. "get in."
the whole twenty minute drive to the orphanage was spent with the three children telling jimin everything that had happened since he had moved out. so much had happened, some people had left, others had joined, jimin didn't know what to make of it.
they reach the place and all got out, the three super excited to reveal him to everyone. it hurt being back, staring at the brightly coloured walls, memories of school and his early years here floating in his mind. his later years though were grabbing his hands and dragging him inside.
"everyone! everyone jimin's here!" inseok cheered, the children who knew jimin all rushed him and the fake smile came back, though it was a little more real now, even if it wasn't truly happy.
mantra's of 'i missed you' sang around the room as jimin was suddenly pulled around and shown everyone new, as well as awards a couple of kids had won and a new slide that had been built outside last summer, it even had a hose attachment to make it into a little water-slide.
jimin liked spending time here, for now, especially with his plans for later tonight.
- - | | - -
jitae wasn't back. it was late morning now and jungkook had fallen asleep watching tv only about thirty minutes after jitae left. there was no note, no nothing.
jungkook was currently pacing, panicked, calling jitae's phone as it dialed and dialed.
"hey, this is jitae, sorry i'm not here to take your call, but leave your name and reason and i'll make sure to call right back."
"park jitae, where the fuck are you? you left at eight last night and it's now eleven thirty, if this is your idea of a joke it isn't funny. please just come back to the hotel," jungkook left a message. an hour and six messages later he called the police.
"this is one-one-two, what's you emergency?" a woman's voice played from the other side of the phone line.
"my boyfriend left our hotel last night and he hasn't been back," jungkook answered, panicking wasn't enough of a word to describe what he was doing right now.
"have you called him?"
"of course! i've left heaps of messages, but his phone isn't even dialing anymore and he hasn't replied," jungkook felt like he was going to cry. where the hell was he?
"i'll send someone to you to talk to you a bit more, can you tell me your name, what hotel you are in and your room number?" the woman asks calmly. jungkook answers her questions. "thank you, jungkook, someone will be around very soon, if possible please have a photo ready, would you like to stay on this line? we can keep chatting until someone gets there, you could tell me about him," the woman offered.
"i..." jungkook paused, then hung up. he broke down, kicking the unmade bed before falling onto it and beating up his pillow. time passed until there was a knock at the hotel room door. jungkook bolted to it.
"jitae i swear if that's you-" jungkook cut himself off when he opened the door and came face to face with two police officers.
"are you jeon jungkook?" one asks. jungkook just nods and steps to one side, allowing them inside. "we're here investigating a disappearance, may we ask you some questions."
"of course, yeah." jungkook and the officers sat down.
"what is the name of the man who has disappeared?" the second asks.
"park jitae."
"age?"
"twenty-three, just turned it in october."
"what was he wearing the last time you saw him?"
"he was wearing... um..." jungkook though hard, "a grey hoodie, and jeans, on and a dark red beanie."
"and do you have a photo of him?" jungkook instantly grabs one and hands it over, a picture they had taken recently, in the last couple of days.
"please find him," jungkook begged.
"we'll do everything we can."
- - | | - -
jimin was sure there was nobody around, it was only a footbridge but the distance was enough. he stood on the side and watch the river's waves below him. this was it.
he stepped up, and climbed over, sitting on the rail and letting his feet dangle over the edge. this is what he deserved. he had nothing, no money, no job. his car was being taken in less than a week and he no longer had a house to go to. he had nothing besides the forty thousand won in this wallet he had pick-pocketed from this guy last night, so why would he continue?
he drew on last deep breath.
exhaled.
pushed away.
he fell with a splash into the water, his hoodie and jeans weighing him down severely. he struggled against the water. it hurt. his lungs burnt and screamed at him to go up, he needed air. but how far was up?
all feeling washed away.
- - | | - -
"ma'am, i'm sorry but we need you to come in and identify a body."
"sir, we found him."
.
.
.