4 IV

Jimin was left staring helplessly at the screen. What the heck was wrong with his best friend? That was too weird, even for Taehyung. He frowned, left his phone on his bed and headed downstairs.

"Back already? You boys usually talk for hours." His mother remarked, surprised.

"Tae isn't feeling well." He lied, eyes darting around the room and refusing to make eye contact. His parents exchanged a look, obviously not buying it.

"If you say so." She said slowly and Jimin did his best to ignore the concerned look she was sending him.

"I can try talking with Jin instead while Tae rests." Jimin mused. "He's still around so yeah."

"You should probably do that." His father agreed. Jimin smiled and rushed back up the stairs as quickly as he could. He clicked on the video call option on Jin's contact and waited anxiously as he heard it ring. It took several times before it got picked up.

"Jimin?" Jin seemed a bit shocked. "I didn't think you were going to call back."

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting Tae to just hang up on me like that. He's never done anything like that before."

Jin hummed for a moment. "He did seem a bit strange. He shoved me out the door as soon as he hung up on you, so I'm just walking to Kook's school to meet up with him."

Jimin frowned. "Tae passed up an opportunity to hang out with your brother?"

That was really strange. Taehyung and Jungkook had met years ago after Jin had become friends with Jimin and they had hit it off extremely well. They would play Overwatch together every weekend and he knew that Taehyung had a massive crush on the younger.

Jimin never hesitated to tease him about it whenever possible, after all.He wondered if they had had a fight. That could explain why Taehyung was so upset.

"He did," Jin said nervously. "It's really unlike him."

"I agree," Jimin said with a frown. He hadn't seen Taehyung without a smile in years, so seeing it now was extremely worrying.

"He started acting like this right after you left," Jin admitted. Jimin only stared at him for a moment.

"You're serious."

"Yeah."

Jimin sighed. Great. Just great. Now he had a best friend to worry about on top of other, more important, problems.

Like not getting killed, for one.

"I'll look into it," Jin promised. "Don't worry about him and focus on Mr. Hottie over there."

"If you were here I would slap you," Jimin promised while Jin simply laughed at him.

"I'm serious Jimin. You haven't dated in forever. Maybe all of this is your ignored libido coming back to haunt you."

Jimin glared as coldly as he could through the screen. "I hate you, you know that?"

Jin snorted. "You love me."

"I don't." Jimin pouted and he knew that Jin would have pinched his cheek and cooed at him if he were there.

"Well, your mother does." Jin pointed out with a chuckle.

"Shit." Jimin swore, "Can't argue with that one."

"One sec-" Jin turned away from the phone. "Kook! Over here!"

Jimin waited patiently while the brothers talked and could barely pick up hints of their conversation.

"I've got Jiminnie on the phone." Jin said, holding it up so Jimin could see Jungkook's face.

"Oh, hi!" The boy waved with a smile. "How are you doing?"

Jimin stared at him for a moment. "Jeon Jungkook."

"Uh... Yes?" He stuttered. Not that Jimin could blame him, Jungkook had incurred his wrath quite often in the past.

"Did you go and dye your hair? Without me?"

His smile dropped immediately. "Maaaybe?"

Jimin glared at him through the phone. "I thought Jin said you couldn't get it dyed without one of us with you to make sure you didn't make a terrible decision and get, I don't know, neon pink hair or something."

Jungkook pouted. "I'm not that dumb. Have some faith. God."

"I know Kook. I'm just teasing." Jimin laughed. "I miss you guys, ok? Hopefully, I can get to come back and visit soon."

Jungkook rolled his eyes. "You've literally been gone for like, a day."

"Shut up I can miss you all after a day. Except I don't miss that sass at all." Jimin retorted.

He hung up after a few more minutes of teasing the younger boy, who was now sporting light brown hair with faint hints of pastel pink. Jungkook was a little shit as usual, but they all loved him anyway.

Jimin laid back on his bed and sighed before sitting up abruptly.

"I never got Yoongi's number!" He shrieked and buried his face in his pillow. "I'm such a moron, how will I be able to contact him?"

He stopped for a moment and slapped his palm on his forehead. "Right. I have no service here. It wouldn't matter anyway."

He tried to think of other ways. Carrier pigeon?

He didn't even try to imagine Yoongi, the angsty lighter guy, using a carrier pigeon. Who even used them in this day and age anyways? No one, probably.

He sighed and walked back downstairs.

"Dad, how do you talk to someone without a cell phone?"

His father rolled his eyes. "You talk. Face to face. Like we're doing right now. I thought you knew this already."

"Wow, dad. How helpful." He drawled sarcastically.

"Well, what did you expect?" His father shrugged. "Asking stupid questions gets you stupid answers."

Jimin sighed. "I'm supposed to meet up with Yoongi tomorrow but I don't know where to go and I have no way of asking him."

"You have a cellphone. Use it."

Jimin stared. "Do the words 'no service' mean anything to you?"

"...Right."

"And that's my problem." Jimin huffed while crossing his arms.

"Go out and find him? I don't know, ask your mother." Well, his dad was apparently completely useless.

"Forget it." He started walking towards the door and put on his shoes. "I'll just go out and see if I can find him anywhere."

"Good luck!" His dad called as he stepped back out into the foggy street. In his opinion, he would rather not have come back out so soon, but he didn't really have any other options anyway.

He kept an eye out for anything strange and luckily, found nothing at all. He walked for a while until he passed the old lady's coffee shop again and he debated stopping by, but decided to go back the next day for a snack. In his opinion, it would be strange to go in twice in a single day.

He tensed up as he passed the alley from earlier and hurried his steps to get as far away from it as he could. There was no way he wanted to be anywhere near that place. As he kept following the many streets, the quality of the houses seemed to be declining. Unlike his house, which appeared to be well loved but still new enough, these ones were more worn, shingles missing, dents in the walls, loose boards and the like.

A few teenagers stared at him from the side of the road, cigarettes held loosely in their fingers. He approached them reluctantly and vowed to himself that he was only going to ask for directions and nothing more.

"Um, excuse me?" He asked quietly.

"Huh?" One of the boys slid his gaze over to Jimin and he shivered, feeling the man look up and down his body. "Whaddaya want?"

Jimin bit his lip. "I'm looking for someone-"

"Well, ya came to the right people, sweetheart." The man smirked.

"We know everyone in this town." Another one said after taking a drag from the cigarette. "But I've never seen you here before."

Jimin looked up shyly. "That's probably because I just moved here."

"Oh is that so?" The first one said, tilting up Jimin's chin with a single finger so that he looked him in the eyes. "No wonder. I would have remembered someone like you."

Jimin swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea anymore. These people made his skin crawl and he wanted to get away from them.

"So who is a sweetheart like you lookin' for?" The man asked. Jimin noticed offhandedly that he had a dragon tattoo on his left bicep. In fact, they all did. Had he just approached a gang? He shuddered and he could see the smirk that told him the other man had definitely felt it.

"I'm looking for Yoongi." He said, thankful his voice didn't shake. The one who had been smoking choked and stared incredulously at Jimin.

"What's someone as pretty as you doing lookin' for someone like him?"

Jimin frowned. "What do you mean?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You ain't the type who would usually have anythin' to do with the likes of him."

"And why not?" Jimin challenged. "I could be just like him."

At that, the man let go of his chin and burst out into cruel laughter.

"Didja hear that? Sweetheart thinks he's the same as Min!"

He turned back to Jimin. "Ya better hope not sweetheart. I don't know why a pretty little thing like you wants to talk to crazy Min, but if ya want us ta find him for ya, we will."

Jimin stood his ground despite being intimidated. "I want to talk to him."

The second man barked out a laugh. "Talk to him? Now, why wouldja do that? No one wants to talk to Min."

"Well I do." he huffed to the laughter of the others around him. "So take me to him."

"Then follow us. We can show ya the way, no worries sweetheart. Are ya really just going ta talk to him? Nothin' more?"

Jimin frowned but followed them when they started walking down the street. Why was it so hard to believe that he only wanted to talk with Yoongi?

"I only have to talk to him. It's really none of your business, you should all stop being so nosy."

"Oh, but sweetheart, everything is our business." He said as he looked back over his shoulder. Jimin restrained a shudder as they led him down multiple shady looking streets. Why would Yoongi be all the way out here? They approached an old house and knocked on the door with a snicker.

"Hey, crazy Min! A little sweetheart is here to talk to ya!"

The door opened slightly and Yoongi glared through the crack.

"How many fucking times have I had to tell you to leave me the fuck alone, Jiyong?" He hissed.

The man shrugged in a way that ordinarily would have made Jimin want to punch him. "Not enough apparently."

"Go on. What the fuck do you want?" Yoongi hissed, closing the door behind him as he stepped outside. The man, who was apparently named Jiyong, held his hands up with a smirk.

"Relax, Min. We aren't here for ya today." Yoongi glared at him but Jiyong chuckled and continued.

"This lil' sweetheart wanted ta find ya. We just helped'im." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed at Jimin. Yoongi startled when he noticed and his expression quickly turned from one of surprise to one of annoyance.

"Kid? What're you- oh forget it just get in the fucking house."

Jimin walked shyly up the stairs until he was suddenly dragged inside by the wrist. Yoongi turned around and opened the door. "Go sit down or something. I'll deal with these assholes."

Jimin huffed as Yoongi closed the door behind him. Like hell he was just going to sit and look pretty. He pressed his ear to the door and listened carefully.

"Oh watch our boys. Min's pissed." Jiyong's muffled voice laughed.

"I don't want to see any of you shitheads around him again." Yoongi growled angrily. It was hard to hear, but Jimin knew already that he would never want to get on Yoongi's bad side.

"Too bad." The second guy - and crap, Jimin still had no idea what his name was - sneered.

"He's none of your business!"

"He made it our business when he asked us ta help'im."

"The sweetheart looks amusing." Jiyong said slyly. "My type too."

"Bastard."

Jimin agreed. Jiyong was a certified asshole and a creep as well. There was no way in hell he would ever willingly talk to him again.

"Ya better dig in your claws, Min. Else I might snatch'im away first."

Jimin clenched his fist in anger. The next time he saw this guy he would be getting decked in the face. Best case, there would be no next time.

"Leave him the hell alone"

"Ah!" Jiyong stopped Yoongi. "Ya forgot somethin'."

Yoongi seemed incredibly frustrated. "What." He hissed.

"The sweetheart owes us now. And you know just as much as I that we never leave a debt unpaid. It just ain't professional."

Yoongi snorted. "There's nothing professional about you."

Jimin had had enough. He stepped away from the door and walked into the kitchen so that he didn't have to listen anymore. Only a few minutes later, Yoongi slammed the door behind him as he came back inside.

"Pieces of shit have nothing better to do with their miserable lives." He hissed, storming into the kitchen before aggressively opening a cupboard and slamming a glass down on the counter before filling it with water and taking a swig.

"Oh. Right. You want some, kid?"

"I already told you that my name isn't kid." Jimin scowled. Yoongi just rolled his eyes. "It's Jimin."

"Right. Jimin. Whatever. Do you want some fucking water, yes or no."

"Well aren't you a great host?" Jimin huffed. Yoongi ignored him pointedly and filled a glass, shoving it at him and almost spilling the water.

"Take it. Now tell me, what the fuck is so urgent that you had to get help from the likes of them to find me?"

Jimin shuffled awkwardly. "I...," he began, "I don't know how to find you or get in contact with you. I also don't know where the library is."

Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of-fucking-course." He cursed in exasperation.

"You're helpless on your own." Jimin wanted to protest but they both knew it was the truth.

"Can't you just text me? I'll give you my number." He held his hand out, waiting for Jimin to put his phone there.

"I don't get service here. See?" He turned his phone on and showed Yoongi.

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "Oh my God."

"So I need to find another way." Jimin said.

"Do you have any other ideas since mine obviously doesn't work." Yoongi sighed.

Jimin grimaced. "I had one but it's too stupid to mention."

"Do I really want to know?"

"No, probably not."

Yoongi raised an eyebrow. "If you say so kid."

"Not a kid."

"... Jimin."

"I honestly don't know." Yoongi said as he placed the glass in the sink. "Couldn't you change your phone service provider to someone who covers this area?"

Jimin held his phone close to his chest protectively. "And lose the best deal I could find in Seoul? Forget it."

"Your loss."

Yoongi walked out of the kitchen and back towards the door. "Well? Are you coming?"

Jimin blinked and rushed over. "Where?"

"Library. Where else? We might as well get started."

He smiled and got ready to leave.

"Jimin just promise me one thing." Yoongi mentioned offhandedly as they walked down the cobblestone streets.

"Hm?"

"Don't do anything those fuckers tell you to do. And if they try, I'll deal with them." Yoongi growled. For some reason the sight made Jimin think of a tiny kitten trying to be fierce and he felt like giggling. He quickly realized that it would be in his best interests to keep quiet, though, and managed to restrain himself.

"Alright. I promise." Jimin smiled and smacked Yoongi's back, making him stumble.

"Aren't you just the sweetest?" Jimin cooed at Yoongi's murderous expression. "So you do care after all."

"Shut up. I take it back. You have to deal with them alone."

"Nope. You can't take it back now." Jimin smirked. "I already promised."

Yoongi grumbled pettily and sped up, causing Jimin to gasp and jog in order to catch up with him.

"Yoongi, don't leave me behind! Come back here you asshole!" He shouted. Yoongi just laughed and sped up more, leaving Jimin behind and even more frustrated than he had been. They walked for about 15 minutes or so before they arrived at a more than slightly imposing looking building.

"And here we are," Yoongi gestured with a flourish as if he were a tour guide, "the library."

Jimin stared at it unimpressed. "The libraries back in Seoul are a lot nicer."

Yoongi rolled his eyes and walked in. "City people."

The inside wasn't much different. Old, dusty and much darker than Jimin would have liked on an ordinary day. The two ignored the librarian and walked over to the bookshelves.

"Where should we start?" Jimin asked, looking at the signs that told them where to find the books they were looking for.

"Wherever. We might as well go through as much as we can." Yoongi mused as he glanced around.

Jimin stared at him skeptically. "I doubt we'll find any answers in the kid's zone."

"Oh? Are you positive that it won't be hidden in some fairy tale or something?" Yoongi teased. Jimin raised his hand threateningly with a a scowl and took a bit of pride in the fact that Yoongi flinched back slightly. Not that he would ever hit anyone in the first place.

"Alright, alright. I'll start on this end." Yoongi said, gesturing to the law section.

"I'll check here." Jimin pointed at the history books. "This seems like the most likely spot, and it's also the best place for me to learn more about this town."

Yoongi shrugged. "All the books are really dry though. Good luck not dying of boredom."

Jimin waved him off and started skimming the shelves. He wasn't sure what would be even remotely relevant in the first place since most of the books had really vague titles and nothing really stood out to him. He grabbed a few at random off the shelf and flipped through briefly. There didn't seem to be anything about a shadow in them at all.

He sighed and took out another few. World history. Probably not helpful in this case.

He moved down the shelves and skimmed through as many books as he could, just setting them down in a pile once he had checked them. The librarian would probably yell at him later but he didn't care.

At the end of the row, there was a small leatherbound book. Jimin pulled it out and gently opened to the first page. There weren't any barcodes on the cover or inside and he frowned in confusion. It was handwritten and seemed decently old. He read the pages slowly, struggling to read the person's writing, the letters blending together and judging by the smudged scrawl, they may have been left handed.

It seemed to be an account of how the town began. There wasn't much he could read since the ink was faded after hundreds of years. But one of the parts he could make out caught his eye.

It talked about the natural cave systems under the village and how they began to bury their dead down there. The catacombs. He focused more on what the writer had tried to convey. Was there any mention of the shadows? He bit his lip and flipped further ahead in the book. It mentioned death by disease and accidents, and several cases of missing people, but no shadows.

He sighed and shut the book sadly. Maybe this was a dumb idea. Who said that there would be any information about this thing, whatever it was, in the public library anyway?

He walked out of the row and looked for Yoongi and Jimin found him reading a book on spiritualism several rows down. He approached as silently as he could and tapped Yoongi on the shoulder.

"Yoongi?"

Yoongi jumped and spun around with a barely muffled shriek of surprise.

"Don't scare me like that!" He hissed as Jimin began to giggle.

"Sorry. I just found this." Jimin held out the book for Yoongi to take.

Yoongi placed the other book down and took the one in Jimin's hands.

"Oh." He said simply. "This book."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Jimin asked curiously.

"I've already looked through this. Back after the second time." Yoongi admitted. "There's nothing helpful to me, but maybe it'll help you a bit with learning more about this place in general."

Jimin hummed and took it.

"Thanks. I guess." He said dejectedly. "At least I tried."

Yoongi shrugged. "We still have the rest of the library to go through. Don't worry too much, ok?"

Jimin nodded and went back to the row he was in before. He began to put the book back before deciding against it. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before sliding it into the pocket of his sweater. The book was small enough that it fit and it was hard to tell that it was there. He felt somewhat guilty, but he needed to study it and he was fairly certain the librarian would stop him if he came clean and asked to borrow it. He was fairly certain that a book this priceless wouldn't be allowed to leave the premises.

He continued to absentmindedly check the books until Yoongi came and said the library was closing. The librarian watched them like a hawk as they left and her eyes seemed to bore into his back. It was as if she knew he had something to hide and was waiting for him to admit it.

Oh god. What if he'd just broken the law? If he got caught, would he ever see Yoongi again? He didn't know and he didn't want to find out. With every step that he took away from the library, his guilt increased tenfold.