Beyond Saturation

E

30 December 2016

Seokjin, Namjoon, Junha and Dohyeon stared at Taehyung's back until they were sure he wasn't going to turn back. Once he was far enough, they moved, utter chaos falling among them as they rushed to their car. 

"Hurry, hurry, we don't know when he's coming back," Seokjin said as he helped his husband carry the small table from the trunk of the car. Junha carried the cake and Dohyeon brought the decorations over. 

They were going to make this one of the best birthdays for Taehyung. Poor Junha didn't even know it was Taehyung's birthday until Seokjin told him that morning that he was planning to take Taehyung out and surprise him with the cake. 

It made Seokjin realize that Taehyung had lied every year about his husband gifting him great things for his birthday. Junha told him that no birthday had ever been celebrated in their house other than his own, during which, Taehyung baked a little cake and the two of them made sure to finish it before Jeongguk returned home. 

They were almost done decorating the table when Seokjin received a call from Yoongi. Assuming the man wanted to check on Taehyung, he answered right away. "Hello, Yoongi-ssi."

"Seokjin-ssi, is Taehyung around?" 

"No. We came to the beach and he went for a stroll. Why?"

"Umm..the thing is...I called my mom last night and told her everything that happened...and..."

"And?" something told Seokjin to brace himself and so he did, throwing Namjoon a glance, only to find him already looking at him in concern. He wanted to put the phone on speaker, but he didn't want to do it with the kids around. He knew Taehyung was already feeling bad about the kids knowing everything. 

"And she called the cops without even telling me..."

Seokjin gasped, making Namjoon more concerned. The said man abandoned the balloon that had been in his hand until then and walked over to Seokjin with his brows furrowed. 

"And the cops went to Jeongguk's house...and..."

"And...?" 

"Found him dead. He overdosed last night...and it was too late by the time he was found...so was Aera..."

Seokjin gasped harder. While one side of him was glad the man was gone, it still shocked him beyond belief. "A-And the bab-baby?" he stuttered. Last night, through Yoongi, he had come to know that Aera was pregnant again and that even Yoongi and Hoseok didn't know it this time. 

"Stillborn. The baby girl didn't survive all the drugs and alcohol that her mother consumed during her pregnancy." 

Seokjin gasped even louder. This time, his eyes teared up a little. He felt horrible for the baby girl. She obviously didn't deserve it. 

"I'm not asking you to come to the funeral, because I know Taehyung wouldn't even want to see his dead face, but I thought he would at least want to know that Jeongguk is no more. He can live a free and peaceful life now," Yoongi said. 

Just then, Namjoon's phone pinged, but Namjoon didn't pay attention to it. He first needed to clarify what was making his husband gasp so much while talking to Yoongi of all people. 

"Yeah, obviously we'll not be stepping into that house again even if it's for his funeral. I'll let Tae know when he comes back. No offence, Yoongi-ssi, but I think this is the best birthday present he could ever get," Seokjin said, eyeing Namjoon's widened eyes. 

"Yeah, I get your feelings, Seokjin-ssi, but it's Tae's birthday today?! I'll wish him after this call," Yoongi said. 

"You don't have to bother, Yoongi-ssi, it's okay. I know you are busy with your brother and sister-in-law's funerals in your hand," Seokjin said and watched Namjoon take a sharp breath. Even Junha and Dohyeon stopped playing around to stare at him. 

"I'll still wish him, Seokjin-ssi. At least by text. I never did that before," Yoongi said. 

"Okay, your wish. Bye, Yoongi-ssi. Take care."

"You too, Seokjin-ssi."

"Joon-ah..." Seokjin said after Yoongi hung up. He turned to face his husband and slowly, a smile pulled his lips up, but it fell right away as he remembered that Junha was still around and that he couldn't celebrate his father's death right in front of him. 

"What's happening, Jinnie?"

Seokjin explained what happened and was just about to go back to decorating the table after consoling an unbothered Junha when his phone rang again. 

It was Yoongi again. 

"Yes, Yoon-"

"SEOKJIN-SSI!!" Yoongi sounded so panicked that Seokjin had to take a double-take. 

"What happe-"

"DID YOU GET A CALL OR TEXT FROM TAEHYUNG?! BECAUSE I JUST GOT A TEXT FROM HIM AND HE...HE..."

Seokjin's eyebrows furrowed in anticipation. "He what?!" he exclaimed. 

"I think he is committing suicide!! His text sounds like a goodbye, y-you need to check on him as fast as-"

Seokjin hung up on him and opened his texts, his hands trembling violently when he noticed that he did have two texts from Taehyung. He jerkily opened them and quickly realized that one was addressed to him and the other was addressed to Junha. 

He didn't even have to read it thoroughly to realize that it was indeed a goodbye.

His breath picked up heavily, but Namjoon shook his shoulders violently, looking just as panicked, having come to the same realization after reading Seokjin's message over his shoulder. 

"Not the time to panic, Jinnie, pull yourself together!! We need to search for him as soon as possible!!" 

Seokjin's eyes widened and he looked at Junha and Dohyeon, staying long enough to tell them to go and lock themselves in the car. He threw the car's keys at them and then he and Namjoon took off in the direction Taehyung went for the stroll as fast as their legs could take them. 

They tried calling Taehyung's phone, but none of the calls got answered. About twenty minutes later, he heard the familiar ring of Taehyung's phone. They looked around frantically and found the phone lying abandoned on the sand. They also found a dog barking ferociously at the waves. 

They looked down at the phone and then back at the waves. 

And they knew it. 

They knew they were too late. 

That there was nothing they could do anymore.

Right?

Wrong.

If only they had run a few meters more. 

If only they had kept running without spotting Taehyung's phone.

If only then, they might have stumbled across an unconscious body looking eerily similar to that of their own Taehyung.