"Hyung?" shouted Hoseok as he stepped into Yoongi's apartment. After a week of no contact, Namjoon, their manager, and he were beginning to worry of Yoongi's health. It was uncommon not to find the rapper-songwriter-producer in his studio but after so many days without any signs of life Hoseok couldn't stay put.
Bottles of cheap alcohol decorated his hyung's once clean floor, the stench of booze lingered in the air, furniture was flipped over and broken, and laying on the cold floor – dangerously close to the end table – was Yoongi's thin frame. The young rapper ran to his friend. He was soaked. His blonde locked clumped together, sticking out at odd angles. Sweat rolled down Yoongi's sickly pale cheek. Without hesitation, Hoseok pulled his phone out his pocket and dialed emergency services.
Jimin sighed as he stared out the glass doors of his apartment building – Jungguk on his hip, both with their school bags on. The forecast called for a clear sunny sky, but, alas, mother nature decided to fuck them over once more. His little one had just gotten over his cold and now he was going to be exposed to horrible conditions, Jimin is sure they'll have a trip to the clinic soon.
With one final sigh, the father-son duo nodded at each other and headed out to school. Jungguk held the umbrella with both hands like the good boy he was, glaring at any man or woman that even dared to look at his Appa. Jimin chuckled softly at his son's antics. Yoongi used to do the same whenever they would go on dates. Like father like son, thought Jimin.
Arriving at Jungguk's school, Jimin walked his son up to the blue large doors and kneeled to be at eye level with him.
"Have a good day, okay? No fighting with the other kids. Remember, if they hit you, tell the teacher and if the teacher does nothing about it, kick their lousy butt, 'kay?" If his brother heard what type of advice he's telling his son, he would never hear the end of it.
"Wit swag?" smiled his little baby bunny, showing off his cut little teeth everyone always cooed over.
"With sway, like abeoji says," laughed Jimin. "Now, Uncle Tae will pick you up on his way home from work, 'kay?" His cheeks puffed out and eyes disappeared as he smiled.
"Yeah," answered the four-year-old with small node. Just as his father is about to stand up, he put his tiny hands on this father's shoulders and looks him right in his eyes. "If ma fwends twalk 'bout their abeojis can I twalk 'bout him, too?"
Jimin's felt his eyes widen but quickly schooled his expression. The past few days all Jungguk has been talking about was Yoongi and how he wanted to see him. He wanted Jimin to tell him stories of when they were little and if he had always liked singing. Obviously, Jimin neglected on telling him stories of how he would sneak the elder into his shared room with Taehyung and kick his brother out for the night.
"Yeah," Jimin cleared his throat as his son's beautiful teacher came out to greet them. "Yeah, you can talk about your abeoji to your friends if you like but they might not believe you." Jungguk gave him his 'I don't understand' look. "Not everyone's Eomeoni or Abeoji is a singer like yours, let alone be on t.v. like Uncle Jin."
"Okay," nodded the four-year-old again. He waved at his Appa as he took his teacher's hand and walked into the building.
Jungguk sighed as he entered the bright classroom. That was what he didn't like about attending school. That and learning anything that had to deal with math. He knows how to count, knows his colors, how to read, how to write, ugh, and sharing! Why does he have to share his things with other people? His Appa didn't share his favorite cup with Uncle Jin or Uncle Tae. Uncle Tae didn't share his strawberries with anyone. Uncle Jim said to never share anything with ugly people because things will go nasty.
His eyes widened. He ate one of Uncle Tae's strawberries without permission. Oops.
Anyways, Jungguk took his seat at his assigned table – not without taking his drawing book and crayons out of the bag and then hanging it on the back of his chair. He ignored everyone else who entered the classroom. He didn't like these people! They were loud, cried all the time, talked about stupid things, and what angered him more was that everyone always wanted to see him draw. What's so interesting about drawing a stick figure of a dog in front of a house? The only ones who didn't annoy him as much as the other kids were his two friends BamBam and Yugyeom. Oh, and Ms. Goo, she was nice and pretty.
He didn't feel the need to listen as he drew a poor image of his father, Min Suga. They were learning shapes today but he knew what a circle was already and he had this behavior and star chart filled with gold stars. Gold stars, not everyone gets a gold star on every lesson.
"Jungguk, are you listening?" asked Miss. Goo, her hands on her hips.
Jungguk ignored her.
"Jungguk, you have to pay attention in class. I don't want to send a letter home to your father telling him you weren't following rules," she pinched the side of her nose when he mumbled a soft 'swag'. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing," grumbled the boys, rolling his eyes at her. That only infuriated her.
"Park Jungguk," she scolded, "you will put this book away and pay attention in class. I'm not sure what has gotten into you lately".
"Abeoji say all I nee is 'swag'," mutters Jungguk. Yeah, Jimin is not going to be happy to know he spent recess in timeout.
Hoseok drove around aimlessly in the harsh weather. Since he left the hospital his goal was to find Jimin and bring him back to Yoongi. He wanted Jimin to make his hyung feel better, like now. As he drove around the hoped to see that familiar mop of red hair. The old lady that lived in the building Jimin and Jungguk did said that he had missed them by ten minutes so they couldn't have gone far, and yet the closes bus stop was empty.
The streets were empty, except for these who had any reason to be out and about. Students in their school uniforms rushing to get to the nearest bus stop for shelter until the transportation arrives. Shop owners opening their business as others entered to avoid the weather.
It isn't until a few hours later that he spots through the window of a coffee shop. The boy's hair was hidden behind a black beanie but that was the only thing he was able to see from where he was. He found a parking space as close as possible and quickly ran inside to avoid getting wet.
Entering the establishment, the scent of freshly brewed coffee attacked his nose. The place was cozy – vacant, unlike the most popular locations around town but do able. Prefers less crowded areas like hyung.
When he reached Jimin's table he noticed the younger was busy reading over a course book, highlighting key points, and noting down anything that seemed important. Whatever he was looking over seemed to be important but he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"May I help you," spoke such a monotone voice that obviously came from Jimin since no one else was close by.
Hoseok clears his throat, "I'm Jung Hoseok and I'm…"
"I know who you are," the younger cut him off. Jimin raised his face from his book and looked at the elder – his glassed sliding down his button nose in the process. "J-hope. One of the three rappers of Bangtan, along with SUGA and Rap Monster. How can I help you Mr. Hope?"
Hoseok closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, this little shit was sassy and nothing short of what seemed to attract Yoongi. "I've been looking for you because I want to tell you Yoongi-hyung is in the hospital". He opened his auburn colored eyes to look at Jimin.
"I'm – ah – sorry, I – ah – don't know what you're talking about". Jimin quickly gather his thing and got off the chair, a loud screech from the chair seem louder than usual to him. There's no possible way that after so many years Yoongi's name would come up in a conversation directed towards him. Him coming to Seoul to live with Jin-hyung was a way to avoid shaming his parents name in their town. He left to forget everything that had to deal with Min Yoongi. He has no right to be back in his nor Jungguk's life. He sprinted behind the counter and into the employee lobby.
Hoseok followed.
"Jimin-ssi!" shouted the rapper as he walked past the counter and through the door towards Jimin, ignoring the other employees. "He came back to find you!"
Jimin threw his bag on the table and swirled around to look at the rapper. Hoseok couldn't believe how the boy's face matched his hair color. "Came back for me?! He came back for me?!" scuffed Jimin. "Where the hell was he when I needed him the most?! Where was he when I found out I was pregnant with Jungguk? When I had to leave so my parents wouldn't be shamed? When I was told my baby wasn't receiving enough oxygen and they weren't sure he'd even make it to the full term? He wasn't there to tell me it wasn't my fault my baby was dying and I couldn't do anything about it?" He wiped the tears he didn't know were falling with the sleeve of his shit. "H-how dare he trying to come into my life after what he did," that was said in such a low voice elder of the two missed it.
Hoseok didn't know how to answer. He didn't have any children so he didn't know what kind of hell Jimin had been through doing this alone. "I'm sure he would have been there if he knew." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked anywhere but Jimin. Yoongi isn't one to run away from responsibilities so he knows he would have been there to Jimin throughout the whole thing. But it seemed that he hurt Jimin so badly he was broken.
Jimin gave a humorless laugh, "'If he knew', he didn't even tell me he was leaving. Now, if you excuse me, my shift started 10 minutes ago and I need to be a productive member of society for my son". Wiping off the last evidence of crying with the sleeve of his shirt, Jimin grabbed his apron from his locker and walked out to begin his shift.
Once again, Hoseok followed, but unlike earlier the place had slowly begun to fill as the rain got harder. "At least let him meet his son. He has the right to know he has someone to live for now". Jimin didn't answer. "Think about Jimin-ah. He's at Seoul Reginal, room 302." He grabbed a napkin and wrote down his personal number – he carried a pen for when his fans want autographs – and gave it to a reluctant Jimin. "Call me if you change your mind". And he walked out, hoping the younger would change his mind and see Yoongi.
"Was that J-hope?" asked a teenage girl that overheard the conversation.
"Um, yeah. Yeah, it was," sighed the red-head. He was conflicted. He wasn't sure if he should throw the number out or go see Yoongi after so many years.
"Dude, that is so cool. Who would have thought, that me, a nobody, would actually see such a huge idol at my favorite coffee shop?" the girl laughed.
"Yeah, cool," sighed Jimin for the umpteenth time. "Cool".
He was sure that if looks could kill, everyone in the room would be dead. He does not do hospitals so why is he in one? He should be back at home burning everything that had to deal with Jimin. But, noooo, the universe had other plans named Kim Seokjin in his golden blonde glory.
"What are you doing here, Jin-hyung?" God, his voice sounded even more raspy than usual. The nurse exited the room with a soft 'excuse me'.
"Well, Hello to you, too, Yoongi-ah. Long time no see," replied the blonde from his seat across from the hospital bed. "You know, I always thought that when I saw you again, I'd knock like live gunk out of you but I'm not sure if I should be glad or upset that I found Namjoon outside my apartment building looking for my little brother to tell him about his junky ex-boyfriend".
"I'm not a junky," groaned the rapper. He so badly wanted to rip off the I.V and getting the fuck out, but if Jin was there, he wouldn't be able too.
"Then what else should I call you, alcoholic? A drunk? When they found you, your blood alcohol level was over the legal limit, Yoongi. That is not something you should be proud off. I'm sure as hell glad Jimin wasn't around to see that".
Yoongi looked the other way. God, Jin was infuriating. "You have no right to bring him into this. He already made his life, there is no need for you to include him in mine".
Seokjin's face scrunched up in confusion. "Jimin didn't ask for the life he has. He could be at anyone of the world's best dance schools right now and he's not. It wasn't because he didn't get in, he could but he couldn't."
Jin eyed the younger curiously, resting this elbows on his knees.
"You don't know, do you? About after you left him?"
"I left because your father said it'd be best to have something to offer his son other than a shoebox apartment," grumbled Yoongi, glaring at the elder. "Your father said I had to leave if I wanted Jimin to be happy and follow his dreams. And when I do come back, Jimin already has his life set and I can't ruin that. That's not me."
"Wait, you spoke to my father? When? He never said anything to us."
"Around Christmas before I left. I, God, why am I even telling you this?" groaned Yoongi as he threw his head back. He felt the beginnings of a migraine. "I knew it was his last year of high school but I was selfish and had pulled you father aside to ask for his blessing".
"Holy shit." That was the last thing he heard from his hyung because as those words left his mouth, Jin was already at the door bolting straight to the elevators.