on patrol | vol. ii ✓

CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO.

Captain Kim's apartment, which had been a makeshift den for sleepless nights and barely touched food as the police officers spent days and days trying desperately to find the right lead to put Congressman Lee behind bars, is now a bustling hub of the entire station and more, celebrating an end to all that had plagued them.

Even Namjoon, who is usually wary about people getting drunk around his son, lets everyone be, knowing that they deserve to unwind a little after what had unfolded. The trial pertaining to Congressman Lee is still in progress, and while none of them know for sure that the man will stay behind bars, it doesn't stop them from celebrating the little victory.

"Thanks."

Jihoon stops playing with the small piece of leaf which had fallen onto his shoulder at the sudden voice and glances behind him to find his step-brother entering the balcony as well. Jihoon says nothing and returns to staring at the illumination of the city in front of him.

"Thanks for...everything you did," Yoongi elaborates slowly as he makes his way towards the space next to the other man and leans against the fence.

"It wasn't for you," Jihoon answers after a moment of deliberation, blinking slowly as he focuses on a particularly bright light coming from a tall tower miles away from where he's standing.

".....I know. But still, thank you."

"....You know," Jihoon starts slowly, twirling the leaf between his fingers again. "I used to hate you."

"......"

"Do you remember when I first showed up at your house with our father?"

Yoongi says nothing as he stares straight ahead, recalling buried memories of what it had been like seeing Jihoon for the first time. The pain he had felt. The anger he couldn't control. Looking back, he knows that Jihoon hadn't done anything wrong...but his young mind needed an outlet for the betrayal he had felt.

"For the longest time you pretended I was invisible."

"....Yeah..."

"And then one day. I was sick. I mean, really sick. I was lying on the living room floor because I couldn't carry myself to my room. Do you remember that day?"

"......"

"You came back from school. I thought you'd walk right by me, but you picked me up and carried me to bed. You yelled at me, saying how much I was being a nuisance and that you didn't want to see my face in the living room...but you still gave me meds and waited until I fell asleep..."

Yoongi does remember. He had long forgotten about it, but now he remembers. He had entered the house, ready to go straight into his room and forget about the rest of the world when he saw the small man crumpled into a heap right in the center of the living room. At first, he thought that Jihoon may be dead. Afterall, as much as he didn't want to admit it, Jihoon had looked just as miserable, barely touching his food when they were forced to eat together.

Once he was mere inches away from the boy, Yoongi knew he was alive, but his face was flushed red from fever, with beads of sweat covering his forehead. He's still not sure what had compelled him to pick the small boy up in his arms. Perhaps it was some semblance of sympathy, knowing that both of them were prisoners of his father's greed and control. Maybe he felt a thing thread of connection to him because Lee Jihoon looked so damn much like him. Whatever it was, it had forced Yoongi to take the boy to his room and nurse him until the fever died down somewhat.