The Last Of Us | tk ✓

epilogue | end of the beginning

ROAD TO INCHEON, S. KOREA
11:11 PM, January the 15th, 2033

The continuous whir of the jeep's engine stirs Taehyung awake in the back, complemented by the cold shower of rain splattering on the glass windows. Hair sticking out every which way, he speaks groggily staring at the back profile of Jeongguk who is driving the vehicle silently in the front, befuddled, "What is going on?" Jeongguk smiles after hearing his voice, though Taehyung does not see this.

To be fair, Taehyung was taking this very well, considering how he has been kept under a heavy dosage of depressants to keep him sedated and usually found himself around hospital equipment, blurry advertence, rather than the cool nature outside after the near-death experience in the tunnel. "Hey," Jeongguk says gently, "We are going to Hobi's. Are you alright?" Eyes fixed on the highway road, he furrows at the greenery-hugged asphalt straight ahead in apprehension, the momentary windshields sweeping in and out of his vision.

"Mm." Taehyung glances out the window, puzzled irises. "What happened at the hospital?"

Jeonguk's fingers on the steering wheel tauten at the question. "I... They were gonna..." He could not bring himself to stew over any of the past events, gulping thickly.

Taehyung shifts to poke his head between the front seats, hand resting on each as a knee jabbed in the gap, to better take in Jeongguk's disquieted demeanour, he reprises in antsy tones, "They? They, the Fireflies? What happened, Jeongguk? Did they get the cure from me? Did it work?" He waited for Jeongguk to utter an answer, but all he did was hand Taehyung a tape recorder with his free hand.

Before Jeongguk can ask him, Taehyung presses on the button beneath which are the faded black letters, Play. He listens closely, a crease etched, deepening, on his forehead while hearing the garbled voices of the two doctors. Once the recording stops, and the sound of the rain and the low hum of the engine returns in full disclosure, Jeongguk's mellow vowels finally respond, "They would have killed you, Tae." But Taehyung shakes his head.

"No, Jeongguk," he pronounces, a tint of the plea as he rejoined, "We have to go back."

"Taehyung..."

"You don't understand!" Taehyung exclaimed steadily, yet edging to an outburst.

Jeongguk drives on, glaring hard at the path they take, and says flatly, "I won't let them have you murdered, Taehyung." Taehyung remains agitated, mouth agape at the stubborn jeep taking them farther and farther from the tunnel they left behind.

"Jeongguk, please." The younger's tone has become brittle, face flushing a dangerous hue of red, "Turn around." It was more of a demand than a suggestion.

On the contrary, to Taehyung's encompassing indignation, Jeongguk remained morose, with tranquility, not a ripple on his features, and tried once more, saying tenderly, "You are just a lab rat for them, Taehyung."

"I SAID TURN AROUND," Taehyung bellowed, and a moment later, Jeongguk stopped the car in the middle of the road. Slightly taken aback by this, Taehyung tries to calm his breathing, chest heaving in the effort to keep his emotions intact.

Calmly, Jeongguk gets out of the car and, in the now heavy rain falling in thick sheets, rests his hips on the bonnet of the car, his clothes sticking on his body within seconds.

Scoffing, Taehyung follows suit, water sploshing by his angry boots making for Jeongguk's way, coming face to face with the older with sheer vexation. Damp and the wet garments Taehyung adorned weighing him down, fringe plastered on his forehead, but under those, are his eyes with pits of imputation directed straight at the doe-y eyes staring back in resignation. "You don't understand, Jeongguk," Taehyung muttered once more, inches from the aforementioned.