Chapter 5

“Hyung what’s wrong?” Jungkook asked, “You look terrible Jin hyung, you should go home and rest.”

Jin shook his head and continued to fix up the Cortado for the customer that seemed to need a heavy dose of caffeine. That’s also something that he needed if he wanted to stay awake. He didn’t want to go home and rest. It was the one thing that he really didn’t want to do. It was all because of the nightmares he kept on dreaming. One after the other like a movie it kept on playing scene after scene. It was none-stop!

“Hyung, Kookie is right, you look like ,” Jimin noted analyzing Jin up and down. “This is no way to meet your romeo, now hyung.”

V came in between Jin and the two kids and shook his head, “Stop it guys. I tried to make this zombie go home a long time ago and all I got was ignored. Like, I mean a zombie shouldn’t be ignoring a functional human!”

Jin spoke softly, “It’s alright guys. We don’t have as much customer’s to worry about today.”

“Yeah, but a sick person shouldn’t be working at all!” Jungkook stated, “What if you contaminated the customers food and we run out of customers.”

Jin rolled his eyes. He was only sleep deprived not freaking sick.

“Oh, why don’t we make mon-man make Jin hyung go home – huh?” V said with his eyebrows moving up and down.

“Who’s mon-man?” Jin asked.

“Oh, last time we left the two of you alone, V came up with the nickname for Rapmon-hyung,” Jungkook stated.

“No way!” Jin protested, “Don’t involve him.”

“Let’s do it!” Jimin said instead.

Jungkook shook his head and patted V’s shoulder, “Sometimes you’re an admirable normal hyung, hyung,” and walked outside the kitchen.

V smiled, then realized something and frowned, “you , I am normal all the time!”

Jungkook stuck his tongue out teasing the other and ran out.  Jin tried to go after the boy and stop him but he escaped before he could be caught. He then glared at V and Jimin that were still inside the room but got ignored fully.

“You two are such, ughhh!” Jin shouted but all that came out was a coarse voice.

“What do you see in that boy, Jimin?” V asked annoyed. “Can’t even respect his own hyung.”

Jin tried to cut in, “You are the one that can’t even respect his own hyung.”

Jimin made eye contact with V, ““He’s nice, innocent, and isn’t that good at expressing his own feelings. That’s why he’s cute. Jungkookie is mine,” he stated and gave a pout, “he’s a fabulous friend of mine.”

“Right friend,” Jin sarcastically added and slapped both the boys in their heads, “thanks for ignoring me. I appreciate this so much.”

V and Jimin both rubbed their heads and whined in pain. “Meanie hyung,” both of them retorted in sync.

“Why do you have to get so mean when you’re sick?” V complained.

“But I am not sick….” Jin was about to start lecturing the two about respecting elders and their choices when the door to the kitchen opened. Jungkook walked in and behind him the man that would take the zombie home. Jin sighed at the thought of what these boys were making him go through.

Rapmon came right in front of Jin and lifted his hand and put the back of his hand against Jin’s forehead. Jin surprised kind of took a step back and could feel the heat in his face forming.

“You really do look like a zombie, totally don’t need a costume for Halloween at all,” he stated.

Jin shook his head for the umpteenth time for the day and replied, “I am totally a- okay just a little sleep deprived is all!” then hit Rapmon, “Watch your mouth young man!”

“You seem like you haven’t slept for years and that’s not good for your health. You should listen to your dear dongsengs and go home.”

“What are you worried about me?”

“Yea, is it making you fall for me?”

Jin blushed, “You really are straight forward and no!”

Rapmon smiled, “Now there is the regular smile I see,” he then said, “Let’s go home hyung, sleep deprivation or sickness either ways it’s not good for your body.”

“You can’t make me. I have to look after the café as an owner, before a hyung.”

“Well you are not going to progress well with the way that you are today. It’s only going to effect the rest of these kids that are working here.”

“Yes I will. Plus, if I leave, there won’t be enough people to function this café!”

“We can call Suga hyung and his co-worker,” V stated and Jin only frowned. “Your just one person and they are two. I also want to know what Suga-hyung’s co-worker looks like. I was told he looks like a horse.”

“But I don’t want to go home,” Jin whined.

Rapmon smiled, “Seeing a childish you isn’t quiet bad actually you look very cute.”

Jin felt his already heated face burn from the comment, “Compliments won’t get you anywhere with me,” he stated firmly though he was shaken badly.

"Hyung, Suga hyung is on the line and he sais he's free to come and help," V said smiling his phone in his hand, "His co-worker J-hope-ie is also coming!"

"Give me that," Jin said and snatched the phone and yelled directly into it, "Suga, you better not have set up Taehyung with Hosoek!"

"So that's his real name," V commented in the side. 

"Hyung, just go home and rest," Suga siad, "Trust me hyung, with my swag I will dominate your daylight cafe!"

"You can't be working the night shift and the day shift! It's too much."

"No worries, I got my chocolate abs back after meeting my bae during winter."

"That's not what I  am talking about!"

"Hyung, hyung just go home and let me see V!" J-Hope yelled into the phone. "You nag like a mother."

"What's so wrong about worrying for my little dongsengs, especially you Suga!"

"Hyung, I am not a little kid, I am freaking over 20: an adult!"

"But cousin!"

"Hyung, just rest! We will have two people working. That's better than one right!"

"No way, you haven't let me come into your late night club because you say I am too tired from my job. Therefore I am not allowing it either! Especially since i feel like all you are going to be doing Hoseok is flirting with my innocent Taehyung."

V took the phone back and then pouted at Jin, "Hyung, I know how to act during work and after work. Hosokie won't be a problem."

"But I really don't want to go home." Jin whined.

“I know, that’s why let’s compromise,” Rapmon said, “You go home and I will take you there.”

“How is that a compromise, I get nothing out of this!” Jin yelled but suddenly the sudden headache pierced his brain and it ached like his head had been shot with arrows. His vision blurred and he lost his balance and everything became blank.

                Then suddenly Jin could see himself being held by two strong built taller guys. Their faces were a blur but he could see himself – abused. He was being taken by force to some unknown room and it terrified him. This other him, was wearing very flimsy transparent clothes but other than that he was bruised all over.

Jin tried to go to the two men and stop them from carrying this other him to a place that he doesn’t know but terrified him. He tried and tried but he couldn’t get their attention. It was like he was a ghost: unseen, unheard.

“Please, please let me go,” his other self begged. “Not today, not again!”

He begged and begged but the men wouldn’t faze at his scared terrified needy yells. Then he was pushed into a room that had a bed only and people. He looked horrified and turned around and knocked at the door begging the two men to open the door for him. He knocked hard until his hand started to bruise and swell but nothing.

“You know you can’t escape this,” a rough voice said, “You were sold to be a slave and you’re a slave and nothing can get you out of this Jinne.”

“Stop. Don’t please,” he begged this man but he wasn’t terrified.”You’re my last hope, Please!”

“You know I can’t,” the other replied – he seemed so familiar.

“Please, you have to help me,” he whispered like it really depended on his life.

The other shook his head no with a similar heartached face that Jin himself was making.

__________________________________________

“What, what’s wrong?” Rapmon asked him, “Did you see a nightmare?”

Jin looked around in quick motions. Looking everywhere that he could to see where he was. His breathing was heavy, his cheeks flushed and tears in his eyes. He looked around again and still he felt insecure, this wasn’t his home.

Rapmon saw that Jin was in confusion so he went in and hugged Jin to calm him down. “It’s okay, you’re at my house,” he said with a soft voice and soothingly patted the others back.

Jin looked at the other and finally noticed his presence and felt at calm but the tears didn’t stop. He felt extremely petrified because for unknown reasons he could feel and understand what happened next. What the other him had to endure in the dream!  How heart-wrenching it was! He could feel it and the thougth terrified him because he kept thinking maybe, maybe this did happen. Maybe it did.

“Are you okay now?” Rapmon asked his voice deep sounding worried.

Jin still had his hands wrapped around the other, his head still rested on rapmon’s chest but in here he felt safe, unreachable. So, he nodded his head but wouldn’t let go. 

It was quiet.

Jin listened to Rapmon’s heartbeat. Felt the way his chest moved up and down. Felt the unease wash away from him. Felt the warmth he needed but felt wary.

“You know, you should still get some rest,” Rapmon said softly.

Jin looked at Rapmon with the most pitiful eyes. He couldn’t, no he wouldn’t ever sleep again.

“What if I sleep with you?” Rapmon asked, “Then will you reconsider?”

Jin didn’t talk.

“It’s a Friday and I feel that tomorrow you would still want to go to work. So, try to get some sleep.”

Jin nodded his head.

“Where am I?” Jin asked as Rapmon gave him water and a pill.

“My house, I didn’t know where yours was so, I decided to bring you to mine.”

“It seems neat and tidy,” Jin laid down on the bed. “I didn’t think you’d be this neat.”

“Organization is the key to success be it messy or clean.”

“Your voice sounds really familiar,” Jin whispered his eyes slowly closing. “You feel familiar.”

Rapmon looked at the sleeping Jin and smiled, “I feel familiar huh – finally,” then laid down pulling the cover for the both of them and closed his eyes shut.