stockholm syndrome; k.th

[epilogue]

aftermath

In the events of a tragic death, it is typical for loved ones to ponder who to blame.

Jimin has spent his entire life standing up for Taehyung.

It was no different when he was interrogated and lied to the police, saying, "no, I had no idea Taehyung kidnapped her. They were so in love nonetheless.".

It was no different when the funeral services asked how their ceremonies should be taken care of, "together of course. They endured so much in life, at least let them have their peace side-by-side in death." He replied.

It was no different when he met Jung Hoseok at the funeral, who could only blame Taehyung for his childhood friend's tragic death, and Jimin had told him, "no, he did not kill (Y/n). The pain of loving eachother did."

Jimin blamed their death on fate.

Now, Jungkook didn't know Taehyung well, he didn't know (Y/n) as well as he wanted to either. He didn't know their stories, their lives, their secrets. He only learned the truth after the fact; from Jimin - to whom he had finally confessed his love to and was now living with permanently.

However, he somewhat blamed himself for what happened. Perhaps, if he wasn't so stupid and he hadn't kissed (Y/n) that night when he knew she belonged to someone else, she wouldn't have run off in the cold. Maybe then, she wouldn't have died.

Of course, there was one other who blamed himself as well. Hoseok couldn't help but think that in the end, everything leads to him.

He should have protected her, he should have been more careful. He should have stopped that date and he should have taken it seriously when (Y/n) told him she suspected someone stalking her. Yoongi made sure to tell him that wasn't the case, but once Hoseok made up his mind there was no way in hell you could change it.

However, at the same time, Hoseok felt he couldn't blame anyone but Kim Taehyung; the one who caused all her suffering. The one who started it all.

Guilt and remorse. Anger and confusion. That's how Hoseok felt. The boy hadn't been doing well with the passing of his dearest friend, his family. He was malnourished, ungroomed, and even took several days off of work. Yoongi was growing more and more concerned each day.

Yoongi did his best to hide the fact that he had connections with Taehyung - his brother not by blood but by choice - but it was hard, he was mourning as well. Not to say that he wasn't upset about (Y/n)'s passing, he was of course very close to her too since she was so important to his boyfriend. Yoongi felt terrible about having to hide so much from Hoseok, but he felt that he had too. He even had to pretend he didn't know Jimin.

Seokjin and Namjoon attended the funeral as well, they loved (Y/n) just as much as everyone else did.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Seokjin had muttered, looking down at the open casket with tears in his eyes. Namjoon had held him close and rubbed soothing circles on his back as he cried, trying to keep his own emotions at bay simultaneously.

(Y/n) was beautiful. Even in death she was beautiful. However, if you looked close enough you could see where the makeup failed to cover her protruding blue viens, and the capillaries that had burst from lack of oxygen. You could see where her skin had begun to whither away and how pale and cold it had become.

She looked almost like a porcelain doll, painted with the finest paints and varnished with a lovely glaze.

Death was a horrible thing, but, it was nature's artwork.

The couple's eyes did nothing but glance briefly at Taehyung's casket beside her's, they could not bring themselves to peer inside.

Neither male knew who to blame, but Taehyung seemed to be a valid scapegoat.

Namjoon even wondered why the funeral was done together, but thought perhaps he just didn't have the full story. Maybe there was more; in many languages and colors, in different perspectives, from a different side.

Who knows? Life was full of 'maybes'.

There was one other important guest who attended the ceremony, a girl with long dark hair and beautiful black eyes. Her lips were as red as the rose petals sprinkled on the church floor and her skin as pallor as the snow that fell outside.

Kim Eunjin - Taehyung's dear sister.

As she walked through the aisle of chairs and up to the altar where the corpse of her brother lay beside the girl who captured his shattered heart, she couldn't help but think somberly, "I've been to far too many funerals in the pass few years. . ."

First her father, then her mother, and now her brother whom she had lost contact with long ago. Despite the distance, she loved him with all her heart - as if he had never left that one dreadful night.

She was all alone now.

Others watched and whispered as she approached the caskets and layed the back of her hand on the cold surface of Taehyung's cheek and wept. She wept and wept until she couldn't anymore, then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand that was dressed in black gloves and turned around without another word. She sat outside the church for the rest of the ceremony, not having the heart to see or hear anymore.

It hurt more as she realized she was just a few days too late. Jimin had told her over the phone that Taehyung and his new girlfriend was staying with him, so she had planned a surprise visit just days before the incident.

Later, Jimin and Yoongi - the only two familiar with the young girl - sat outside with her. They sat in comforting silence, for they were the only ones who truly knew it all.

Eunjin blamed her parents. She didn't blame anyone else. They were he ones who cursed Taehyung, they were the ones who ruined him.

It's said that after the funeral was over, she returned inside and spoke words of grace to (Y/n)'s lifeless form, but no one knew for sure what really happened. Eunjin wasn't heard from again after that.

The funeral service was long, lasting all day and long into the night. The small church was filled with mournful sobs and words of honor and remembrance.

Kim Taehyung and (Y/f/n),
Let them forever be at peace, for they couldn't win at their dangerous game of love.

This was hard to write and it feels so unfinished. I have a few more chapters to post so stick around for my final notes!
8/29/18