[3] Code: REBIRTH || KTH

Ch7: Turn A New Page

"You were his friend, weren't you?" Sarang says out of the blue, her eyes staring at space.

"Seokjin," She adds. "You helped him with it. The riot."

Taehyung nods before realising she's not looking at him, so he mutters a "yeah"

It grows quiet again, the silence suffocating Taehyung before a question slips out of his mouth without realising it.

"Do you hate us?" He asks, his palms growing sweaty so he wipes them on his pants.

Sarang turns to him with an expression he can't read, but he can still see the emptiness in her eyes, so he assumes the worst.

"I'mㅡ I'm sorry," He stammers, "We hadㅡ we had no idea thatㅡ that they wouldㅡ"

"Are you crazy?" She cuts him off with a scoff, "If it weren't for you and him, they would've never considered revising the code laws."

"If it weren't for me and him," Taehyung pauses, glancing at her scar, "You wouldn't have... "

"Oh, you mean this?" She lifts her cast covered arm. "Others have had it worse due to the stupid code laws."

"So." Taehyung licks his lips and cleats his throat, "Do youㅡ do you think Seokjin's a hero? Or... or a mass murderer?"

So that's it, he thinks to himself. That's the question that's been gnawing away at his heart. The question that he didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer of. Taehyung knows that it's not his fault, that although the concentration camps were a byproduct of the riot, it wasn't his and Jin's doing. But he can't help but feel guilty. So that's why I was scared to ask, he thinks.

"Neither," Sarang admits with a shrug as if the answer is obvious, "He had the right idea, the persistence and bravery. But the execution... horrible."

"It's not your fault, Taehyung," She says as if she read his mind, throwing a small smile his way, "I wasn't hurt because of you. But because of the stupid justice system that sees me and you both as animals."

Taehyung feels tears brimming in his eyes, and he looks away, biting down on his lip. He lets out a bitter chuckle as a tear falls and he realises he can't hold it in anymore.

"You have no idea how many people I've hurt," He mutters, his voice barely above a whisper, "You have no ideaㅡ"

He chokes up on his words, letting out a cough to conceal his sobs as the tears fall down on his cheeks.

"Honestly, it's a miracle you weren't prosecuted for what you did," Sarang states calmly, "Or all the other hybrids. I know a lot of people have died. But Seokjin took the blame for all of you. Don't you think he gave you a chance to redeem yourself? A chance to turn a new page. Maybe he knew how guilty you feel after everything, so that's why he did it. Turn himself in."

"I'm not saying what you did was right," She adds, staring back at space, "Or that you killing a lot of people is justified. But I believe everyone deserves a second chance. But just a second chance, and no more. So don't take it for granted and become the best version of yourself."

By the time she's done talking, Taehyung is on his knees, his face buried in his hands as he tries to catch his breath, his chest heaving as the tears stream down his face.

It takes him a few minutes to get himself together. He wipes his tears, takes in a deep breath, then looks up at Sarang whose eyes are looking somewhere else.

"There's someone I know," Taehyung says, gulping, "someone I knew when I was a kid, and I don't think they'd be proud of me for what I've done."

Sarang stays still, not looking at him or uttering a word. Taehyung doesn't know what he expected, but definitely not complete silence. Maybe words of comfort? Or a harsh truth he didn't want to hear?

Still, he's satisfied with the silence. Maybe a response isn't what he wants. Maybe he just wanted his thoughts to be heard because it was too much of a burden carrying them all by himself and he felt like he was crumbling underneath the pressure.

With another deep breath, Taehyung stands back up, wiping at the tear stains on his cheeks before heading to the door.

"Get well soon," He says before leaving the room.