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The traffic lights don't work anymore. They used to. For a while. Green lights all the way. And even when they weren't, it didn't really matter anyway. There were no one else on the roads.
Not that he's allowed to drive anyway. But maybe he can try. Time is running out. Maybe he hasn't got long. Namjoon used to keep track of time passing, making off every day in a little notebook. He himself had never cared. Why did it matter? Time may pass but the world didn't move forward anymore.
It's not that everything is quiet now. Because it's not. But it's not loud. So the sounds that used to fill up his ears are not there, and he can hear the absence of it all so clearly that sometimes he feels as though he's gone deaf.
It had been nice when Jin had used to play music in the van, he doesn't do that anymore. He understands why. Even if he will never accept it. Never accept what he's lost.
Or what he knows is coming.
When the world ended, he'd been waiting to cross the road. Some of his members had been trying to stay awake and others had been falling asleep on their feet and all he'd wanted was to fall into bed and never get up again.
Then just like that, the world had stopped. As sudden as the flick of a finger, every single human being had disappeared.
They hadn't believed it at first. Because, how did it make sense that everyone was gone? It was impossible.
It should have been impossible.
But everywhere they went, the shops, the houses, even when they had walked all the way back to their studio, there were no people. The street lights lit up empty streets, the signs above shops still flickered invitingly, the lifts worked and the toilets flushed, but there were no people.
They'd thought it was a joke, they didn't know how or who but a joke. How could it be anything but?
Yoongi had thrown a chair through a window, the glass had shattered into millions of tiny shards, the sound echoing through the corridors. No reaction. No cameras, no reproving voices, nothing.
Panic had set in then. All of them afraid and anxious. They'd fallen asleep in the studio, curling up on the chairs and the floor. No one venturing anywhere alone. Just in case. Jin had held his hand so tightly. He hadn’t told Jin that he wasn't afraid, that as long as they were together they had nothing to be afraid of. Namjoon had voiced something similar as they sat there, white faced and wide eyed. It's okay. It'll be okay. We're together, we'll figure it out.
It was just that when they woke up next morning, nothing had changed. The lights were still on, the signs still flickered. The emptiness was stark in the bright light of day. Except now there were fires billowing out from some buildings, from a stove turned on without supervision, or an iron left unattended, from something that would have never happened if this wasn't some crazy alternative reality. The air was pierced with fire alarms.
We need to leave, Jin had said. There had been dark circles under his eyes, but his voice had been clear.
Everyone had nodded, even Yoongi who might have once argued, just nodded in agreement. They'd 'borrowed' the company van, piling whatever food they found, clothes, and whatever necessities they needed. Then they'd piled in and driven out of the city. It had been hard going at the start, the streets clogged up by cars bereft of their owners. A few times Yoongi had had to go out and move cars out of their way. Jimin had always followed him. Just in case. But eventually, they'd left the city behind. That night they'd found a house to stay, its lights left on but thankfully nothing was on fire. It had been weird at first, going into someone elses' home, seeing the shoes at the door and the dishes in the sink. Jin had told them to be respectful as they slowly wedged themselves into the space that had been left behind. Namjoon had glued himself to the computer they'd found, trying to gathers clues about what had happened.
It's like a movie, Taehyung had said as they sat in the kitchen while Jin tried to make them dinner from what they'd found in the fridge and the cupboards. Maybe everyone turned into zombies.
Hoseok, sitting beside him had shivered and Jimin had poked Taehyung on the side.
There are no such things as zombies.
Aliens then, Taehyung had said, eyes lit up in excitement.
You're far too excited about it, kid, Yoongi had told Taehyung.
Jungkook remembers watching Jin standing at the stove, shoulder tense and face averted from them. He remembers walking over and wrapping his arms around him.
Don't cry, hyung, he had said, knowing Jin might not want others to know.
Jin had tried to laugh, tried to wipe the tears away but suddenly everyone, even Namjoon who'd abandoned his computer, had gathered around them. They'd just held each other. Just closed their eyes and breathed together. Even if they didn’t know what this was, what it meant, they'd face it together.
Next morning they'd moved on, Jin in the drivers' seat and Namjoon beside him and the rest of them packed in the back. They'd borrowed some blankets. We'll return them, Jin had said. No one had dared say otherwise.
Hyung look! Taehyung had cried, lying down spread eagled on the middle of the highway. Because he could. Because there were no cars. Except for their van which they had parked half a mile back. Yoongi had shook his head, a fond smile on his face. But then Hoseok had laid down beside Taehyung, outstretched hands touching at the fingertips. One by one they had all lain down on the rough asphalt, sky huge and blue over them, like a seven limbed Starfish.
If I don't think about anything else, this is not bad, Hoseok had said into the silence.
We can go anywhere, hyung! Taehyung had laughed joyously.
What if we're alone here forever? Jimin had asked quietly.
Even if we’re here forever, we're not alone, Jimin, Jin had said, tightening his fingers around Jungkook's. He had in turn held Jimin's hand more securely in his own.
I won't mind spending forever like this, Hoseok had declared and Jungkook had smiled and closed his eyes.
Two days later, Hoseok had disappeared. They'd found their pit stop for the day, a small house with yellow walls. Hoseok had been the last the get out of the van. He never made it into the house.
Jimin had run, yelling and screaming for Hoseok. They'd chased after him, terrified of losing him too.
That night no one had slept, they'd squished in together and held on with trembling hands. He doesn't know now why they'd thought they were safe. But they had. Believed they were safe. Safe together.
But they weren't. They'd never been. Any of them could have been next.
He'd huddled in Jin's arms. Out of them all, hyung had looked the most composed. Eyes dry and face set, he'd held him close on one side and Taehyung on the other. Jimin had been encircled in Yoongi's safe arms. He still doesn't know what it had been, but in Jin's arms he hadn't been afraid. Listening to Jin's steady heartbeat had calmed his nerves, and lessened the grief. He hadn't slept, kept his eyes on everyone around him all night. Just in case. They couldn't disappear if he was watching them. They couldn't.
The next day, Jimin slipped out of his hands. It was a moment, a millisecond when he had looked away from him. It had been Yoongi's low cry that had alerted him. But by the time he'd spun around, it had been too late. There was an empty space between Yoongi and him, where Jimin had stood a heartbeat ago. Yoongi had fallen bonelessly to his knees. Vacant eyes staring at the empty space.
He was just here, Yoongi had whispered. Just…here.
Namjoon had screamed, head thrown back and furious and agonised.
What the hell is going on?
No one had had an answer.
Are we dead? Namjoon had wondered a day later. They'd taken refuge in a small house, one bedroom and a tiny kitchen. They'd made a large pot of ramen, divesting whoever had lived in the tiny home from their store of instant ramen. Although, no one had looked as though they actually wanted to eat.
Yoongi had punched Namjoon in the shoulder.
Are you dead? Yoongi had asked mockingly as Namjoon hissed in pain and rubbed at his shoulder.
You know this can't be right, Namjoon had insisted. It doesn’t make any sense!
Stop it! Jin had cried, as close to snapping as Jungkook had ever heard him. Don't fight. We can't get through this if you fight.
Everyone had fallen silent then. Jin had stared at Namjoon and Yoongi for a moment longer before dropping his face onto his raised knees and hiding his face away.
Taehyung had immediately wrapped himself around Jin's curled up form. Jungkook remembers the fierce anger he'd felt then, that amidst everything they had somehow managed to hurt Jin too. Unthinkable. Unforgivable.
He'd glared at Namjoon and Yoongi, before running a hand gently down Jin's back and leaning in.
It's okay, hyung, he'd whispered softly with as much confidence as he could muster.
I'm sorry, hyung, Namjoon's voice had rung in the silence a moment later.
We'll get through this, Yoongi had said, voice soft like it only ever was for Jin. We won't fight.
When Namjoon disappeared two days later, Jungkook had realised it was a waiting game. That sooner or later they would all disappear.
Yoongi had punched their van in helpless anger. Jin had turned away from them all. But not before Jungkook had seen the tears in his eyes.
That night a thought had occurred to him, a thought that had chilled him to the bone. Striking fear into him more than the prospect of disappearing never had.
Hyung, he'd murmured into the space between Jin's shoulders, what would happen if one of us gets left behind?
It had been Yoongi who had answered him.
Kid, do you really think any of us will ever leave anyone behind?
It is now three days since Yoongi disappeared. They keep moving. Somehow it feels like the right thing to do. The roll the windows down all the way, Jin like a statue at the drivers' seat and he and Taehyung fitting themselves at the front. They should have left the van maybe. Plenty of cars around. But they can't bring themselves to let it go. Can't bring themselves to let the others go.
That night they camp out under the stars. The air is warm, the stars are bright. He used to love nights like this. But now he just feels numb.
I don't think they're gone, Taehyung says, eyes fixed on the stars. Jin follows his gaze. And after a moment, Jungkook looks up.
They're waiting for us.
He looks down when a hand slips into his'.
Jin is holding their hands.
Don't be scared. We're going to be okay.
When they wake up, Taehyung is gone.
They don't leave. They lie down on the grass and watch the clouds flitter across the blue sky.
Hyung.
Jin turns his head, he is smiling.
I'm not scared.
Jungkook wakes up.
Hoseok looks the best out of them all, patches of blue and yellow bruising marring his face. Jimin has his left arm in a sling and cast on his leg. But he smiles when Jungkook looks his way. Namjoon is sitting in a wheel chair. They'd shorn off all his hair and wrapped his head in white bandages. Yoongi, in crutches, leans against the door frame. He waves a hand at him in greeting, the familiar smirk back on his face. Taehyung is asleep by his bedside, he has a few machines attached to him with long wires. He looks around and realises there are machines attached to him as well. Tubes plugged into his veins, probes monitoring his heart and vitals.
They don't let him walk. But he falls off the bed in an attempt to leave and they finally agree to wheel him over.
He holds onto Jin's hand later.
Hyung. We're waiting.
Three days later, Jin wakes up.
Jungkook wonders if anyone remembers. That in a dream they had been the only people in the whole world. In that dream they'd held each other more closely than they ever had.
We should go on a road trip, Jimin says, months later. Just as Jin learns to walk again.
We can borrow the company van, Yoongi adds.
We can camp under the stars, Taehyung says happily.
Hoseok nods in agreement.
Okay, Namjoon tells them after a long moment. Okay, we'll do this together.
Jungkook wraps an arm around Jin's shoulders.
Jin turns to him with a soft smile.
Jungkook grins.
I get to drive.
***