RED STRING REWRITTEN

12

Chapter - The Silence Between Words

Scene: Tae's Apartment - Very Late Night

(The city outside hums softly, streetlights spilling dim gold through the curtains. Inside the apartment, the silence is heavy, suffocating almost. Tae sits on the edge of his bed, knees drawn close to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around himself. His eyes are open, red from crying, but he refuses to close them. Every creak of the building, every distant car horn makes his body flinch. He can still feel the unwanted grip on his wrist, the weight of his boss's shadow. He hasn't spoken a word since Jungkook brought him home.)

(Jungkook sits on the sofa across the small room. He pretends to be scrolling his phone, but his eyes never leave Tae. Every time Tae's shoulders tremble, Jungkook's fingers curl tighter around the phone. He wants to move, to comfort, but every time he takes a small step forward, Tae's body stiffens. So he stays. On the sofa. Guarding.)

Jungkook (softly, breaking the silence once):
"...Hyung. You should try to rest. I'll be right here. I promise."

(Tae doesn't respond. His arms tighten around his knees. Jungkook swallows his helplessness and leans back against the sofa, whispering almost to himself.)

Jungkook:
"I'll watch the night for you. No one's coming here. Not while I'm alive."

(The night drags. The clock ticks louder than usual. Jungkook fights sleep, his head nodding forward only to snap back up again. But every time his eyelids flutter, the memory of Tae's terrified cry-"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME-!"-shoves him awake. He doesn't let his guard down. Not tonight. Never again.)

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Scene: Morning - Tae's Apartment

(The sunlight sneaks through the curtains, painting the room in pale warmth. Fourth stirs awake in his room, stretching lazily. The apartment feels strangely... quiet. Usually, Tae is already bustling-preparing breakfast, humming softly. But today, there's only silence.)

(Fourth rubs his eyes, frowns, and pads out into the living room in his loose T-shirt. He stops when he sees Jungkook sitting on the sofa, hair messy, still in yesterday's clothes. Tae is in the kitchen corner, but he isn't moving much-just staring blankly at the kettle as if waiting for it to whistle. Fourth tilts his head in confusion.)

Fourth (blinking):
"Jungkook-hyung? Why are you here... this early morning? Did you... sleep here?"

(Jungkook looks up, forcing a smile though his eyes are tired and sharp from a sleepless night.)

Jungkook (light tone, lying smoothly):
"Mm. Yeah. I was late last night... fought with my father. Tae-hyung didn't want me wandering outside like that, so he told me to stay. Just crashed on the sofa. Don't worry-we didn't share a bed, little boy."

(Fourth scowls immediately, puffing his cheeks a little.)

Fourth:
"I'm not a little boy!"

(Jungkook chuckles faintly at the reaction, but Fourth's eyes quickly dart past him-landing on Tae. His brother is unusually quiet, moving slowly, avoiding his gaze. Fourth narrows his eyes.)

Fourth (soft, curious):
"Tae-hyung... are you okay? You're... quiet today. And you're not smiling."

(Tae doesn't answer. His hand trembles slightly as he pours tea into a cup. Jungkook quickly cuts in, masking the tension.)

Jungkook:
"Don't worry about him. He's just tired from work. You know how your hyung is-always overworking. Right, Tae-hyung?"

(Tae forces a small nod without looking up. Fourth frowns deeper. Something isn't adding up, but Jungkook's tone leaves no space for more questions.)