Chapter Text
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Out of all his ideas, Jimin thinks, running away from home during a thunderstorm wasn't the brightest one.
It's dark, the sun having set a long time ago. The roads are deserted, except for the few lone cars and long distance buses passing by, temporarily lighting Jimin's way before driving past and leaving him in the darkness again. His bomber jacket, though a thoughtful present, does nothing to keep him warm and the wind has come to the point where it's harshly blowing rain drops in his face. With no extra clothes, no food, barely any money and a six year old child clinging to his neck, Jimin is so, so stupid for thinking they can survive even one night in this weather.
"Jiminie-hyung," his brother's voice is barely audible, muffled in his neck, "Where are we going?"
"Far away from dad, yeah?" Jimin answers shortly, his brain too preoccupied with other things to worry about what has just happened. "It's okay, baby, don't worry."
In reality, it's completely, most definitely not okay. Jimin has no idea where they're headed, where they'll stay for the night or where they'll end up. He tries not to think about his father sleeping at home, about his classmates and school calling in tomorrow to report his absence; his dad then proceeding to swing his bedroom door open, ready to teach him a lesson, only to find that his precious older son isn't there. He tries not to think about the amount of rage that will redden his father's face, the amount of effort he'll put into finding them, but not because he actually cares.
His dad doesn't give a shit about them. He just wants to avoid child protective services and any kind of law that prevents him from beating his own kids.
"I'm cold," Jihyun mumbles again while Jimin drags them along the street, trying his best to see anything through the thick layers of rain and mist. His cheek, where a dark bruise is blooming, hurts like hell. He knows there's a bus stop further down, maybe they can get on the last one. It's late, but someone has to arrive before the roads really get empty, right?
"I know that you're cold, hyung is cold too, but please wait just a little bit," even though he's close to being hysterical, Jimin tries to keep his voice as steady and calm as possible. The last thing he needs if Jihyun crying or freaking out. He has to pretend to have the situation in control, because there's no one else to do it.
He walks a few more minutes, covering Jihyun's face from the harsh wind, both of the boys startling at every ring of the thunder. Jimin knows their father is in deep sleep, passed out on the couch, but there's a sinking feeling, low in his stomach that he can't get rid of. He keeps looking over his shoulder, scared to see his dad's dark silhouette standing behind them. It's stupid and he knows it, but his mind is consumed by paralyzing fear and the thought that they have to get away, they can't go back. Not anymore.
The small bus stop finally appears in his line of vision, and Jimin wants to scream in relief. It's not much, but it provides somewhat of a shelter from the rain. He sets Jihyun down on the bench, trying to move away but the boy is clinging to him like a koala, scared to let go in case he'll leave.
"Let go, Jihyun," Jimin says softly, untangling the boy's arms from around his neck, "I'm not going anywhere. I just have to check the bus."
Jihyun nods, but it takes him some time to actually let Jimin go. He sits down on the bench, pulling his knees up to his chest and waits. He's scared, but he figures going on an adventure with his big brother is better than staying at home with dad, so he tries not to whine too much. His childlike heart still has hope that they'll find a nice comfy bed to sleep in, maybe even buy some cookies. He doesn't know that they're basically screwed, and for now, Jimin wants to keep it a secret.
"We have seven minutes, perfect," Jimin lets out a breath, following the cloud of vapor up into the air. He sits down next to Jihyun, wrapping his arm around the boy's shivering body. The rain has slowed down a little, or maybe it's just because they're sheltered from the wind, but the storm keeps going, lighting flashing every few minutes, making Jihyun yelp. He's always been scared of storms, so shoving him into one without any notice wasn't the best idea.
According to Jimin's phone, seven minutes pass by fairly quickly, and yet, the bus is nowhere in sight. The road before them is dark and empty, the sound of the rain drowning out Jimin's harsh breaths. As the seconds tick by, he feels panic crawling up his spine, helplessness taking over. He doesn't understand.
Another ten minutes roll by and they're still waiting, drenched to the bone at this point. Sitting still at one place in the cold has Jimin's muscles turning stagnant and stiff. Jihyun is shivering beside him, almost certain to catch a cold after this, so Jimin decides to keep moving, abandoning all bus plans since the last one is apparently not fucking arriving. He knows there's a small 24/7 convenience store a few blocks away, maybe they can go there and at least wait until the storm passes.
"Let's go," he stands up, cringing at the feeling of his wet pants sticking to his skin. Jihyun looks at him, confused, "The bus isn't coming. Let's go to the store where it's warm, sound good?"
"The one where Mrs. Son works at?" Jihyun's face lights up at the mention of a store. Jimin nods, smile strained. "Okay!"
The convenience store is open and thankfully empty, the bright lights inside serving like a beacon of hope to Jimin and his aching legs. He makes sure to dry his feet at the entrance, running a hand through his wet hair, encouraging Jihyun to shake the water off like a dog before going inside. Fortunately for him, it's not Mrs. Son who greets them at the register, but Seokjin, the bubbly college student from Jimin's street. They're not friends, but Seokjin is nice to everyone and likes to check up on them sometimes. Even though Jimin tries to keep his family issues behind closed doors, Seokjin is one of the few people that know about his dad. When he found out, he was going to go straight to the police, but Jimin begged him not to, so he resorted to silently watching them and occasionally bought ice cream for Jihyun after class.
"Hey, Jimin," he greets them and Jimin sees the flicker of concern in his eyes before he can soothe his expression into a friendly smile, "Jihyun, buddy! What are you doing out so late?"
Jimin swallows the lump in his throat, knowing very well that nothing he says will convince the older, "We were waiting for the bus, but it's late, so we came here to wait."
"The night buses got cancelled tonight, due to the storm," Seokjin informs nonchalantly, biting back the urge to ask Jimin the real reason they're here.
"Really?" Jimin sighs desperately, too tired to find the strength to bang his fist against the counter. He swallows down the string of curse words threatening to leave his lips.
Seokjin looks up, "You didn't know that? Pretty much everything closed earlier or got cancelled tonight. This storm's no joke, man."
"Then why are you open?" Jimin quirks a brow. Seokjin points to the sign that says 'open 24/7', smiling sadly,
"Mrs. Son might look sweet, but she's a devil. Took no mercy on me," he says, and after a minute, adds, "Why were you trying to get on a bus this late anyways?"
"No reason," Jimin shrugs, wanting to laugh at how ridiculous the situation is. There's not way Seokjin actually believes half of what he's saying. He knows they ran away, if the huge bruise under Jimin's eye is a clear indicator of what went down. Seokjin used to always ask about his bruises and scars, so worried for the teenage boy, but after a while he stopped, knowing that there was nothing he could do and that it made Jimin feel uncomfortable. "I'm staying over at Taehyung's tonight, figured I'd take Jihyun with me."
"Right," Seokjin raises his eyebrows, unimpressed, "I've known you for two years already, and you're still a shitty liar, Jimin."
Jihyun tugs on Jimin's hoodie sleeve, "Jinnie-hyung said a bad word."
"I know," Jimin can't help the small smile at his brother's genuinely scandalized expression, "Jinnie-hyung deserves a slap on the butt, right?" that makes Jihyun and Seokjin giggle, lightening the atmosphere a little.
"Do you want to watch the counter with me, buddy?" Seokjin asks Jihyun, his low voice naturally drifting into a soft lilt, the kind he always uses to speak to kids and toddlers. Jihyun loves it, he loves Seokjin and his goofy jokes and the clumsiness he's known for. It warms Jimin's heart every time, knowing that a kid who's grown up in such a toxic environment, still remains so kind and trusting. So innocent.
He faintly listens to Seokjin's and Jihyun's banter, walking around the aisles and picking some snacks for Jihyun. He doesn't have that much money, having left his house unplanned at all, but he figures it'll be enough to buy food, at least. He's standing in front of the various kinds of cupped noodles when he hears the door slide open. Two voices catch his attention, and he turns, scared that it might be someone he knows. If any more people see them here, they'll grow suspicious and tell their father. And if that happens, Jimin's done for.
Luckily, the two men that enter are strangers to Jimin. He lets out a breath of relief, shoulders sagging. He can't resist glancing a few more times, intrigued by new faces. In the small area that he lives in, everyone knows everyone, so seeing fresh blood is interesting. The strangers don't even look like they're from here, something about them giving off a different vibe.
"Hey, what can I get ya?" Seokjin's tone is just as friendly as before, but he's also noticed that the two guys aren't from around the area. Jihyun just watches them silently from his spot at the counter, dangling legs catching the taller one's attention. They don't say anything to each other, just stare in some kind of telepathic manner that Jimin can't really grasp. He stays alert though, just in case.
"Actually, we could use some directions," the shorter one of the two starts, looking around the store. Despite being small and lean, his voice is rough, Daegu dialect bleeding through, and his eyes are almost cat-like, hooded. Intimidating, is what pops into Jimin's head.
"Directions to where?" Seokjin asks.
"We need to get to Daegu, but our GPS broke and I can barely see shit on the road with this fucking storm happening," he says, lips pulled into a thin line. There's annoyance in his tone, but it's not directed at Seokjin, just in general. He must be frustrated about the storm, but Jimin can't blame him. The male turns to his friend, nudging him toward the aisles, "Grab some food for the road, kid," the taller boy nods, shuffling away to where Jimin is standing without a word.
"Hyung, that man said a lot of bad words," Jihyun whispers into Seokjin's ear a little too loudly, causing Yoongi to smirk. He looks over the small boy, gaze softening.
"You got a cute kid," he comments.
"He's not mine, but thank you," Seokjin smiles back, taking the map that Yoongi hands him as he begins to draw a route to the main highway that'll take them out of Busan and towards Daegu. Jihyun occupies himself with Seokjin's colorful pens on the table, so Jimin finally focuses on the snacks and the few crumpled bills he manages to pull from his pockets. He takes a few cups of instant noodles and a few protein bars, counting the price in his head.
"Fuck," he mutters under his breath when it's barely enough, taking the items into his shaky hands. God, he didn't think this through. "Good job, Jimin. You fucking idiot," he doesn't register the fact that he's talking to himself until he feels a pair of eyes on his back. The taller boy from earlier is watching him quietly, darting his eyes away the moment Jimin catches him. He's younger than he looked at the counter, Jimin's age at most. Jimin shortly wonders what his relationship with the other guy is.
"Ah, I'm really bad at directions," Seokjin groans from the desk, throwing the man in front of him an apologetic look. He crosses out a few lines on the map, biting his lip in contemplation. To Jimin's horror, he turns to him, his face lighting up, "Hey, Jiminie, you went to Daegu with Taehyung last summer, right? Maybe you can help us?"
Jimin's eyes widen when the taller boy looks over at him again, searching his face curiously. Now he has all eyes on him, thrown into the spotlight without any warning. He sputters, composing himself behind the aisle, "Uh, yeah. But I don't– I mean I can try to direct you, but I'm not sure if I remember–" he bites the inside of his cheek, effectively stopping his rambling and slowly walks up to the counter, very aware of the boy's eyes following his every move.
"You're from Daegu?" the short man asks with a raise of his eyebrow. He has his mask pulled down now, exposing the lower half of his face, but that doesn't make him less intimidating than before. If anything, it's worse.
"No, but my best friend has family there. I visit a lot," Jimin decides on saying, gently pulling the map to himself. He knows the route perfectly, but he tries not to let it show. He can't let Seokjin know that he's spent countless nights studying the roads to Daegu, planning his trips with Taehyung, planning to leave and never come back to this forsaken town. He's memorized everything, he's just never had the guts or the transport to actually take his brother and leave. As he's drawing out the correct route for the man, an idea pops into his head. It's stupid, and likely unrealistic, but at this point, he literally has nothing to lose.
"There, that should be correct," Jimin slides the map to the man after he finishes sketching out the route, offering him a small smile. The taller boy comes back with snacks and beer, his intense gaze flitting back to Jimin every few seconds. Jimin ignores it, but it's really hard to concentrate when it feels like his skin is burning.
"Thanks, kid," the shorter man says, hints of sincerity slipping past his rough demeanor. He drags the sentence out, clearly asking for Jimin's name.
"I'm Jimin," he says quietly, nodding.
"Cool. I'm Yoongi, this is Jungkook," Yoongi gestures to himself and then his taller friend, the same one who looks like he wants to murder and eat Jimin at the same time.
"Hi," Jungkook says shortly. Jimin acknowledges him for a split second to not seem rude, but then averts his eyes, deciding that he likes Yoongi better.
"If I may ask, what are you guys doing out here in the middle of the storm? If I were you, I'd just get a hotel room and wait it out or something," Seokjin starts a casual conversation, something he's really good at these days. Yoongi reaches for a pack of cigarettes, throwing them on the counter next to the snacks as Seokjin scans them.
"I don't know, we don't really like hotels," Yoongi says, exchanging looks with Jungkook, "We usually sleep on the road."
"Are you ghost hunters?" Jihyun asks out of nowhere, surprising Yoongi a little. It takes him a second to digest the question, but then he's laughing, showing a gummy smile that makes him look harmless. Jimin relaxes a little, smiling as well. Jungkook seems to be the only one who stays quiet, gaze fixed on the chewing gum display.
"No, I wish," Yoongi answers Jihyun's question, amused, "We're just passing by. Moving, you could call it."
"Don't like staying in one place, huh?" Seokjin says, putting everything in a bag. As Yoongi's pulling out his wallet, Jimin sees his chance. The possibility of rejection is high, but he wants to try. For Jihyun's sake, they need to fucking leave for good.
"Would you guys consider giving us a ride?" he starts, feeling his throat close up just from the look Jungkook throws him. It's not mean, but it makes him shiver in fear. "My brother and I are trying to get to Daegu too, but the buses are cancelled and the last train left a while ago," he has no idea if the train left or not, but he doesn't have enough money for tickets anyway. Yoongi and Jungkook are his last hope of getting out of Busan before dawn, and he decides not to waste time and just ask. They don't look dangerous, and if anything, Seokjin will know that he left with them.
"You want to go with us?" Yoongi pays for their snacks, frowning, "And take a child with you?"
"It's urgent, we can't wait until tomorrow," Jimin is aware how ridiculous he sounds and that he's close to pleading, but he's desperate and panicked and if he can't score this ride, they're practically doomed.
"Don't you have school, kid?" Yoongi's lips twist into a teasing smirk, not too mean, but not entirely nice either. He's making fun of him. "How old are you?"
"I turn eighteen in a few months," Jimin answers without stuttering for once, growing agitated by the second. He liked Yoongi two minutes ago, he really did, but right now the first impression is quickly changing. "Please."
"What about your parents? For all I know, you could be running away from home and I can't afford to get involved in kidnapping scandals or some shit," Yoongi crosses his arms, not budging.
Oh, you have no idea, Jimin thinks.
"I'll inform his parents," Seokjin suddenly pipes up, "They will understand, he visits Daegu a lot. There's just been a last minute misunderstanding with the trip, hence why he's asking for a ride."
"Yeah, we won't bother you afterwards, I promise," Jimin adds, throwing Seokjin a grateful look. He makes a mental note to treat him for dinner sometime, if he ever comes back.
Yoongi seems to contemplate for a minute, raking his eyes over Jimin from head to toe before he gives in with a long, exasperated sigh, "Fine. You can come with us. But I swear to God if you frame me for kidnapping you or your brother, I will actually murder you."
For some reason, Jimin believes him.
"Okay, no worries," Jimin quickly shakes his head, his heart exploding with relief and newly lit hope. Maybe this isn't the end. Maybe they have a chance.
Seokjin turns to Yoongi, smiling politely, "If you don't mind, can I talk to Jimin for a second? You know, goodbyes and all of that."
"Yeah, sure," Yoongi nods, moving a safe distance away from the cash register. Jungkook follows him like a shadow, leaving them alone.
"Thank you so much," Jimin is quick to say, pulling Seokjin into a hug and ignoring the way the edge of the counter digs painfully into his side. Seokjin wraps his arms around him, giving a comforting pat on the back.
"No problem, Jimin. Listen, I don't know what you're up to and I won't stop you. I know your dad is a horrible person, I just wish you would've chosen a different approach to this," he says, mouth twisting down into a frown. It's clear how much he worries, Jimin just wants to tell him that he doesn't have to.
"Don't worry, hyung, I know," he says, pulling away, "But I have a plan, trust me. In a few months I'll turn eighteen and then I'll be free from him. I'll get Jihyun out of this too, somehow. I'll handle it."
"I'm sure you will, but just know that you're not alone in this, okay?" Seokjin says, "If you ever need me, I'm going to be there for you. Don't forget that. And be careful. I don't think Yoongi is a bad person, but just in case, you know? Take care of yourself and your brother."
Jimin smiles, "I will."
They spend a few more minutes saying goodbye, like this is actually the last time they'll ever see each other. Jimin knows it's not, he'll see Seokjin again, just under different circumstances. When he's safe, when Jihyun's safe, when he's got this all figured out - he'll come back for Seokjin.
"Goodbye, Jinnie-hyung!" Jihyun waves when he gets scooped up by Jimin, smiling brightly. Seokjin waves back with a huge grin, soft for the little boy.
"Bye, hyung," Jimin says one last time before they disappear through the door and walk up to Yoongi and Jungkook, their ticket to freedom. Jimin feels a little uneasy, trusting two strangers to get him to Daegu so blindly, but he knows there's no other way and at this point, anything will be better than coming back home to his awful father.
This could be it, Jimin thinks when he secures Jihyun in the backseat, sliding in next to him. This could finally be the start of a better life.
It's only when they're far away from the convenience store when Jimin realizes that Seokjin didn't even charge him for the snacks. He smiles, already missing the older man.