Trepidation

Chapter 40: Yesterday and Today

"Jihye please don't be dead," I heard a voice plead. 

I grumbled in response, waving my hand in the direction of whoever was speaking. 

"Pancake!" 

I peeled open one eye, wincing at the harsh white light invading my vision. 

My whole body ached and it was a struggle to simply raise my head. "Here wait one second!" 

I watched with lidded eyes as Jimin hurried to slip and extra pillow behind my head.

"Thanks," I shot him a weak smile.

The bed I was on wasn't the most comfortable and the white walls were a little unnerving, but I felt at ease knowing Jimin was there in what I could only label as a hospital room.  

 "What happened?"

He gulped, taking a seat in the chair beside where I was resting. "Well after Wonwoo hurt you I um-" 

He paused fiddling with his fingers as if in silent contemplation. 

"Is he dead," I questioned, an edge of uncertainty to my voice. 

He sighed. "He is. I guess when he was holding onto you, you unconsciously sent fire coursing into his veins and by the time I had forced him to the ground, his body had already erupted in flames."

I paled at the sudden gruesome information not knowing how to feel.  

My dream had been real, all those things Wonwoo said and the way the fire consumed him whole. 

I killed my brother who in his last moments instead of cursing me decided to love me. 

"Jihye your crying." 

I let out a sniffle as Jimins warm finger came into contact with my cheek, wiping away the tears I didn't even know I had shed. 

"I know he was trying to do something terrible and I promised I wouldn't hesitate to kill him, so why do I feel so bad?" 

A strangled sob left my lips and I buried my face in my hands. 

"Shh, it's okay let it all out," he whispered into my ear, enveloping me in a gentle hug. 

And I did. I cried, for the brother, I never really got to know, for all the people he hurt, for the throb in my bones. 

I eventually calmed down letting out a quiet hiccup. "How am I still alive? He froze me from the inside." 

I remembered quite vividly the cold spreading throughout my body, a pain I had never quite felt before rendering me incapable of fighting back.

His lips turned into a frown. "Chaeyoung managed to heal you and your ability fought against the ice.

You barely survived and I honestly wasn't sure if you were going to wake up." 

I watched his eyes mist over and I grabbed onto his small hand. "I'm alive so you don't have to worry, I don't plan on dying for a long time. Unless I get eaten by a shark or something." 

I smiled trying to lighten the mood and I guess it worked when he leaned in to press a sweet kiss against my lips. 

I giggled.

 "You don't know how much I missed this," he whispered, using his teeth to tug gently on my lip. 

"We've only kissed twice dumbass."

He clambered on top of the bed careful to avoid my recovering limbs. He leaned down nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. 

The blond proceeded to press his lips against my exposed skin and I let out a small whimper at the sudden intimacy. 

"Yo Jimin we brought burger king-"

I pushed Jimin off me with a startled shriek and the boy fell to the ground with a groan, revealing the rest of Bangtan standing in the doorway. 

"Jihye your awake!" Jungkook screeched, rushing to wrap his arms around me in a bone-crushing hug. 

"It's good to see you too Kook, but I can't breathe." 

He immediately pulled away mumbling a flurry of apologies. 

"It's okay," I giggled as the other boys filed into the room equally large smiles on their faces. 

Jimin stood up from the ground with a pout looking like a kicked puppy and I couldn't help but ruffle his hair to his disapproval.  

"Here Jihye, you can have my burger," Taehyung offered, "you've been out for a few days you must be hungry." 

I could see Seokjin was about to protest so I immediately snatched half of the red-haired male's burger shoving it into my mouth. 

The raven sighed, massaging his temple. "You really should only be eating what the hospital provides for you, to ensure a quick recovery." 

I scrunched up my face in between bites of the meat. "Ew, no hospital food is nasty." 

"Didn't the hospital ask questions when you guys took me here?" 

"No, we have our connections, my brothers actually in the room beside yours," Seokjin explained. 

I clapped my hands together, eyes lighting up at the news. "I'm so happy to hear that your brothers alright!"

"Me too they managed to save everyone encased in that strange freezing liquid."

"Whos they?" I questioned. 

Hoseok piped up. "After you passed out, the Australian council showed up. They cleaned everything up and sent the injured to the hospital. They moved the body Wonwoo found into some ancient underground cellar, so no one will get there hands on it again."

I let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, what's going to happen to the council here?" 

"All the snakes have been weeded out but it still needs a leader. The Australian council would like it if you took over. As the only known aquelis they believe you're the most suitable candidate," Yoongi revealed. 

"What," I managed to get out, I was shocked by their decision.

"I think you'll make a good leader, you have a natural affinity for it," Namjoon added with a half-smile. 

I snorted at that. "If any of you know me I'm definitely not fit to be leader, I want you to do it Namjoon. If you'll take it.

You've always been the brains behind Bangtan afterall." 

"I-" 

He was cut off when the door slammed open. My dishevelled mother stumbling through the door. 

"Song Jihye, you have a lot of explaining to do!"