Chapter 43 - CHAPTER 41

Taehyung and Jungkook get in the van without saying a word. Taehyung opens a small cabinet in front of Jungkook, his elbow pressed on Jungkook's rib and the younger doesn't complain, but lets out a long sigh. Taehyung retrieves a map and opens it, looking at it briefly: the northern area is completely marked in red."Here," Taehyung smashes the map on Jungkook's chest and he scoffs, but stays quiet and takes a look at the paper. "We've finished searching north, we can go south today."They stay in silence all the ride, and when they enter the southern area Taehyung reduces the speed. He drives through the most common streets, approaching lastly the oldest neighbourhoods. He keeps looking at his front and his side to spot the personification of the colour red. After a long hour, Jungkook's attention focuses more on the pink sunset than finding Mimi.Jungkook yawns. "Are you sure we'll find her if we stay inside the van?"Taehyung shrugs. "No luck today either. What if she left Seoul?""What if we take a walk?" Jungkook questions back, his head against the window. "We miss a lot of places staying in the van. Taehyung, she's a criminal, she belongs to a mafia, I don't think she walks around the streets oblivious of all the people that may want to kill her. Look, she knows that we saw her, okay? Maybe she guessed we would chase her and now she's hiding."Taehyung nods his head. "I'll talk with RM. We need a new plan."* * *Taehyung goes upstairs with Seokjin and Hoseok. As the gunman expected, they came back with any news and no trail of Mimi."Seokjinnie I can stay with him and help finish his bath." Taehyung says after he finishes explaining today's mission.Seokjin smiles and stands up. "Dinner will be ready soon, mm-hmm? Is there something you would like to eat?""A 'get well' soup?" Hoseok proposes with a small smile. His face's finally recovering some colour."Perfect. Let me check if we've some beans." Seokjin kisses both of their foreheads and makes his way to the kitchen.Taehyung moves his hand slowly in the water, playing with the pink rose petals. "Hobi, how are you feeling? Does it hurt a lot?""Better baby, don't worry." he turns his head towards his shoulder and coughs. "I just need rest, food, and your love."A boxy smile appears on Taehyung's face. "Can I join you or is it too late?""Mmm, I don't want you to get sick little bear.""I don't care. Can I? Can I? Can I?" he pouts with puppy eyes.Hoseok sighs with a smile. "Come here, baby."Taehyung undresses himself and gets in the bathtub with Hoseok, who hugs him from behind. Taehyung rests his back on Hoseok's chest for a long time, gently playing with the water and listening to their own breathing.At the kitchen, Seokjin sighs to himself. He has all the ingredients but the red beans."Cutie, do you need help?""Huh?" he turns around. "Ah, yes, Hoseok wants a 'get well' soup for dinner and we don't have red beans. Should I go to the grocery store to buy some? It will take me a minute.""I'll go, you can start cooking. Let me help you when I come back, okay?"Seokjin hugs him as an answer, resting his cheek on his shoulder for a moment. They pull away, but Yoongi captures his lips and cups his face, turning them around. He pins Seokjin on the island kitchen, deepening the kiss as he buries his fingers on Seokjin's brunette hair.Someone clears his throat and they pull away quickly—"Ugh, it's only Joon." Yoongi mutters.He kisses Seokjin's lips one last time and does the same to Namjoon with a smirk. Yoongi exits the room receiving a small spank on his ass and he turns around, his smirk intact.Namjoon lets his book on the marble counter and observes Seokjin as he takes some vegetables from the refrigerator."What are you cooking?""Hoseok's request, a surprise for you." he says with a grin. "Yoongs will help me later, he went to buy red beans. Can you believe we've already run out of it? Goodness, I thought I bought three jars the last time we purchased food on the internet website.""There's seven of us little prince, and we eat quite a lot, frankly."Seokjin laughs, washing the red pepper. "You're right. Oh," he turns around turning off the tap, "how did it go? Did Bang PD mention something weird? Did he try to hurt you? Did he look suspicious? My goodness, I should've come with you."Namjoon shakes his head. "He actually acted very mature about it. . . more than I expected. Honestly, he didn't look like him. I expected he would insist more or even threaten me to stay. That's odd—but we're finally free, that's all that matters right now.""Everyone knows they can't mess up with the Bangtan Boys and get out of it alive." Seokjin mocks one of the reporters he heard once on television, even if what he said is one of the biggest truths."I saw Dora today." Namjoon blurs out."That bitch. What did she want?" he starts cutting the vegetable in front of him brusquely."She asked for you a lot. I denied, denied, denied, and kept everything to myself.""Huh, what did she ask?""She wonders if you've a boyfriend."Seokjin laughs bitterly. "For what? So she can obsess herself over him and try to kill me again? If I could report her to the police I would've years ago."Namjoon sighs, his hands on his temples. "Me too, little prince."Namjoon walks to him and hugs him from behind, placing his hands on top of Seokjin. "Anyway, how do you do this? Do you mind teaching me again?""All the times you need until you get it right." Seokjin chuckles, changing the position of their hands.He starts cutting the red pepper again, slowly, guiding Namjoon's hands with his. But Namjoon's eyes stay locked on Seokjin's face, the most perfect and beautiful he has ever seen."I adore you."Seokjin blinks at Namjoon's slight frown. "I adore you too, baby. Is there something wrong?" he places the knife down and turns his body to Namjoon."No," he smiles showing his famous dimples. "I just wanted to tell you." he clears his throat and walks closer to Seokjin, making him turn around to the food. "Keep teaching me until Yoongi kicks me out of the kitchen. Do you think helping Jimin with his drugs can become my thing?""Joonie, don't you dare."Namjoon chuckles and let Seokjin guide him, but even if his eyes are glued to his hands and follow every move, his mind returns to a certain conversation he had hours ago.What if she's right? What if they've never belonged together? Seokjin shouldn't be here right now, living this kind of life, wondering if he'll come back home every time they go on a mission. Namjoon will never forgive himself for letting Seokjin join this life. What if Seokjin doesn't belong with him? What if he doesn't belong with Seokjin? What if one day Seokjin gets tired of this life and abandons all of them?