«sober⚣mvk»✔

veintiocho.

   "Just call me when it's over," Jimin leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on Taehyung's lips, smiling at the male as the younger got out of the car, fixing his black dress jacket.

   "I will," Taehyung responded, smiling at Jimin through the window, looking after the car as Jimin pulled out of the parking, beginning his walk inside the funeral home. The one thing Taehyung didn't expect when he walked in was all the people, and to brought into a hug by Jeongguk's mother.

   "Oh, Taehyung. I'm so sorry," Jeongguk's mum cried into Taehyung's chest, her thick Busan accent making Taehyung nauseous.

   'Fuck. I forgot about her,' Taehyung thought, trying to keep the fright off his face as he put on a poker face. He looked down, willing his eyes to tear up ever so slightly.

   "Hi," Taehyung choked out, looking back up to Jeongguk's mother, seeing just how well his tricks were working by the look on her face. Jeongguk's mother was always sweet to Taehyung, and the one thing Taehyung loved the most about her is that she didn't care that her son was gay, and already had a boyfriend. At least she was accepting of her son's life. Unlike Taehyung's own family.

   "Did you hear? They labeled the cause of death as liver damage, saying he drank too much," Jeongguk's mother started, a sense of guilty relief washing over Taehyung. "I've tried to get him to rehab, but he just wouldn't listen."

   "Yeah, I tried to talk to him about it, but he was pretty hardheaded," Why was Taehyung being so casual, and honest, with the mother of the man he killed?

   "Taehyung, was Jeongguk happy? I know how fondly he spoke of you, but, did he enjoy the time he lived?" his mother was getting choked up. Wow, did this woman know how to make Taehyung feel guilty, without even knowing it.

   "From the times he was sober, yes, he was happy," Taehyung found that to be the best answer. He couldn't just say 'Yeah, when he wasn't drunk out of his mind he liked to sleaze around with other women.'

   "Oh, that's good," she wiped a stray tear. "Come, let's sit."

   When it was time to say the last goodbyes, Taehyung started to feel sick to his stomach while making his way to the open casket to bid Jeongguk a farewell. Casting his eyes down to look at Jeongguk's lifeless body, looking ethereal and calm in the mahogany box, Taehyung felt the smallest sting in his eyes, his head hurting as the realization of the situation. Taehyung had leaned down and ghosted his lips on Jeongguk's forehead, the skin too cold for Taehyung's comfort.

   'I love you, Jeongguk. Please, be happy wherever you go,' Taehyung said in his head, bringing his hand away from where it rested on the side of the casket down to hang by his side as he walked away and out of the building, hearing the ringing in his ears as he heard Jeongguk's mother choke out a sob. 

   'Its not your fault, Taehyung,' Taehyung willed himself to know. And he knew, he honestly knew it wasn't his fault, maybe it was Jimin's, but even with that thought, Taehyung couldn't find the deadset guilt he felt when he was talking to Jeongguk's mother anymore. Now, he felt relieved. And he knew it was bad. Inhumane, even. But he honestly felt lighter. Maybe it was because he knew he wasn't caught, or maybe it was because now he could be with Jimin. 

-

   "Jimin, could you come pick me up now?" Taehyung asked into the phone, hanging up when Jimin said he was on his way. Taehyung  sat down on one of the benches that were littered around the perimeter of the funeral home, watching as Jeongguk's family and friends filed out of the building, all wearing a mask of sorrow, cloaked in black.

   It took about 20 minutes before Jimin pulled up to the building, watching as multiple stopped Taehyung to talk with him and offer their pity about Jeongguk, getting heedful of all the males hugging or patting Taehyung, wishing that Taehyung would hurry it up so they could get back to Seoul, back home together.

   "How'd it go?" Jimin asked as Taehyung sat down in the car, pulling the seat belt over his chest, looking straight ahead.

   "Fine."

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sorry my writing sucks in this chapter, my head isn't in the right place. i got news that someone close to me passed and i haven't taken it well.