Chapter Text
The room was so dusty that Jungkook could barely breathe the air. He swatted his hand in the air as a pile of dust wafted around him. It had been a few years since the door of the library had been opened. His father was extremely secretive about his belongings, especially his books. However, that wasn’t the case to why the room hadn’t been opened in years.
This wasn’t a story about a poor, struggling boy finding the inheritance of his long-lost wealthy parents. The truth was that when Jungkook was around the age of six, he had thrown a tantrum in public and thrown the key to the library in the river water on a lovely picnic day, as he wasn't taken the aquarium as promised.
As punishment, his beloved parents had kept the previous library room locked for the past fourteen years; only to make their son clean every speck of dust, only after paying for the lock of course. Jungkook had suspected how come he wasn't scolded for it back then but it seemed like his parents were one step ahead of him when it came to the term “tit for tat”.
Thankfully, the library wasn’t that spacious. It was the size of two small bedrooms, the large desk taking most of the space. The walls had the bookshelves built to them. Considering the genius his father was, he was hoping to find books attached to the ceiling.
Some people did like to comment that Jungkook had grown to have the same sort of patience and dedication like his father, which was very much disliked by his dad.
“Hello!” Suddenly a chirpy voice startled Jungkook. “Jesus Jimin! Stop trying to kill me.” Jungkook complained clutching his t-shirt above his chest, as he turned around towards the door with astonishment prominent on his face.
“Is that the attitude I get for coming to help you?” Jimin asked pinching the younger’s cheeks. Of course not, Jungkook appreciated every help he could achieve at the moment. However, Jimin wasn’t the best source of help. He was more on the side of the best source for distraction. With a chuckle, Jungkook brought down Jimin’s hands from his cheeks and clutched laced together.
Their faces were slowly nearing with eyes fluttering close. “Not today, bitches.” They both heard a very familiar and obnoxious voice. “You invited Yugyeom?” Jungkook asked with another long sigh. “Excuse me that I came here to help!” Yugyeom barked, grabbing his friend by the neck and rugby tackling him on the floor.
Jimin laughed as the sight unfolded before him. He snapped a good amount of photos to send them to Bambam afterward. He’d surely enjoy some comedic content from his boyfriend and best friend on his holiday back in Thailand. “Let’s get cleaning guys, we don’t have all day.” Jimin informed, separating the two by their collar before they began to fist fight.
“This is going to repay you the fifty dollars I owe you.” Yugyeom informed as he began to clean the desk. Everyone was wearing face masks as none of them wanted to risk having lung cancer from the thick coats of dust in the room. “Fuck you, pay me my fifty dollars. I didn’t even ask for your help. I can do this myself.” Jungkook replied avoiding the urge to slap the books together in order to blow the dust away.
Jin would murder him thrice and cook him as dinner for the dogs.
Jimin climbed on the ladder and began his duty by cleaning the top shelves. He had to try his best from getting distracted by the title of the books. He was greatly intrigued to read them all. He was sure Namjoon, the owner of the library and Jungkook’s father would be kind enough to lend him a few books. Namjoon was actually much fonder of Jimin than he was of his own son. They had once suggested Jimin’s parents that they swapped children but they had kindly rejected the offer.
“Oh my god, we’re never going to be done cleaning this room.” Jungkook complained as he lied down on the floor, imitating a starfish. “Shut the fuck up, you dusted like twelve books. Why is your dad’s desk so huge?” Yugyeom replied in a half-bitter tone.
“Stop it you two. The earlier we progress, the fewer days we have to spend here. And besides, it’s not like we have—.” The first half of the sentence was finished with Jimin on the ladder whilst the other half of, “anything else to do....” was said as the eldest of the three fell on the floor on his butt.
He had no clue how he had slipped his foot on the ladder but he had grabbed a handful of books in an attempt to stop the great fall. However, it was only an attempt. He was now lying on the floor with a few books scattered around him.
“Are you okay?!” Jungkook asked impatiently, as he had hurried towards his lover with great speed.
“Shit, how many fingers am I holding?” Yugyeom asked, in order to make sure the elder wasn’t having a concussion.
“Three?” Jimin replied with confusion as he was slightly dizzy. Thankfully the answer was correct so the two younger boys could let out a sigh of relief, for now. “Take rest, we’ll finish up, okay? I’ll go bring ice from the kitchen for you.” Jungkook informed with a very worried Yugyeom nodding next to him. The eldest gave a soft smile and agreed to his lover but rejected the offer of ice. He had assured that his head wasn’t hurt and he couldn’t use ice on his ass, at least not at the moment.
As the two went back to their duties, Jimin decided to gather the books which were scattered on the floor. He stacked them on top of each other in order to skim through their titles and summary; to keep them in their mind when he’d be borrowing them later. As he went through each book, a very interesting book came to his hand.
It had a wooden cover. The pages were as yellow as Yugyeom’s hair. The front wooden cover had no title and the back was equally solid and empty. He opened the first page to find the name, “Min Yoongi” scribbled at the very end of the page.
The first three pages were empty. On the fourth page, was a short poetry, what Jimin had deduced after reading it.
“As the sun shines through the leaves,
The sound of college kids and their youth are ringing in my ears,
Today too,
I only think of you;
My, you.”
Jimin fluttered in his eyes in astonishment once he had realized that the beautifully written poetry was indeed not printed but was written with an ink pen. With another two pages empty, the boy found another entry; this one much less likely to be a poem.
“I watched you today, again.
You wouldn’t look at me. You were right beside me. Yet the gap between us being no less than a few centimeters, felt as if there were an empty void between us; the void consuming each second of my life and sucking my breath away. I wonder what I lack, why you’re so unhappy.
Today too, I still look at you.
Tomorrow too, I will only look at you.”
The handwriting of this journal was a bit more inaccurate as if it were written in shaky hands. Jimin could feel the words coming back to life in his mind. He was curious to know who these were about.
However, the answer came too soon.
After three more pages, there was a photo inserted between the pages. It was a photo of three boys, just about their age or a bit older. One of them had bleached hair, almost had a poker face but Jimin could see light shining in his eyes. The boy in the middle had shiny hair which reflected the sunlight. He was smiling broadly with his dimples vivid even in the photo taken from afar. The boy the right was much taller and broader than both of them. He was a wearing eccentric choice of clothing, however, his face proved some sort of innocence.
Jimin turned the photo around to find their names at the back. Min Yoongi, being the bleached hair man, Jung Hoseok the man in the middle and Kim Taehyung the taller male.
On the page where the photo had been, was written another entry.
“Growing up not fearing isolation,
was perhaps because no one had warned me that I would be hearing nothing but the sound of my own eyes blinking. The room filled with the sound of oppressed memories.
It’s quiet without you. The light of my lighter keeps me company as I think of you.”
Before Jimin could turn the pages around to read further; a shadow had covered his source of light. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Jungkook asked with a hum as he kneeled down on the floor. “Do you know anyone named Min Yoongi?” The elder asked. “Min Yoongi? I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone like that. Why?” The younger male replied with furrowed eyebrows.
“I found this...book? I don’t know what this is. It’s like a journal but in a book format with some poetry I guess? Does Kim Taehyung or Jung Hoseok ring any bell?” Jimin asked, anticipation hitting his nerves. “Nope, this is my first time hearing those names. Why would someone’s journal be in my dad’s library?” The younger replied, asking his words with his eyebrows furrowing further.
“Let us see what you’ve read so far.” Yugyeom said, popping out of nowhere, almost giving his friends a stroke. Jungkook and Yugyeom read the book together with their facial expressions changing each second.
They ran their eyes through the photo. It was at least half a century old, according to Yugyeom’s great exaggeration. The ink by which the names were written, almost beginning to fade. “This photo is so....peculiar...” Jungkook began, his eyes gazing at the photo.
“What do you mean?” Yugyeom asked.
“I don’t know. I feel some sort of sorrow emitting from it. It feels like they are trapped in time. I mean it’s a photo and that’s the point but it’s just...sad. It’s like; they captured this at their best moment to freeze themselves from moving on.” Jungkook replied.
Yugyeom and Jimin shared a look before they heard Namjoon say, “Did I just hear my idiotic son say something philosophical?” with a scoff.
The smile which was on his face had disappeared when his eyes had fallen on the photo. “Dad?” Jungkook called out once he noticed his father had stopped breathing and his eyes were as wide as owls. “Go call your pops, tell him I’ve found the book.” Namjoon informed as he took the photo from Jungkook and took the book from Jimin.
He clutched it close to his chest and closed his eyes, his lips quivering to prevent tears from rolling down his cheeks.
Soon the sound of running was heard by everyone. “Is that...is that his book?” Jin asked soon as his eyes had fallen on the journal clutched to Namjoon's chest. Tears had already begun to roll down his cheeks. He places his palm over his mouth from preventing himself from bursting out in sobs.
Namjoon gave the book to Jin, who clutched the book just as tightly. Namjoon wiped the tears away from his waterline and bit into his lower lip to prevent himself from crying along with Jin.
Jungkook stood in outside the door, watching his parents break down. For some reason, he could feel his heart squeezing shut, bringing him physical pain from unknown emotions. Not because his parents were doing so, but because the words from the book reminded him of the loneliness which he had never felt before.
He wondered where those people in the photos were now, why his parents were so melancholy just from finding the book, how come it was affecting him as well and most importantly, what the meaning behind those entries was.