UNKNOWN. VMIN

nine

 DECEMBER 18, 2019
5:30 am

         who would've thought that jungkook's typical kind of peaceful days became ones that he started to fear the most?

          weeks before december came to an end, jungkook planned to stay indoors, absorbing all the warmth and comfort he could in playing computer games and eating as much as he can as he stayed cozy, covered in his blanket.

          all those plans came to an end, along with his comfort, with just a phone call.

          "jungkook..." seokjins's voice started as soon as jungkook received the call.

          "yes, hyung?" jungkook answered, putting his phone on speaker's mode, as he continued playing.

          "listen... i... we have something to tell you," seokjin uttered, his usual voice turning into whispers as he continued.

          jungkook's doe eyes stayed concentrated onto his game but his thoughts and emotions of worry went elsewhere. "what is it, hyung?" he replied shortly afterwards.

          "listen..." seokjin began, and soft whispers and rustling from his end could be heard before he took a deep breath and continued. "taehyung is dead."

          what? what happened? jungkook blinked; his inner thoughts taking over. the bold words 'game over' stared back at him. seokjin's end became silent, and he just sat there in silence.

          he didn't just lose the game, right? he could've just misheard his hyung, right?

          "hyung... ah," complained jungkook, seeing through his older brother's ways, "you made me lose the game. don't joke about these kind of things, hyung."

          seokjin's voice became inaudible as jungkook complained but as he started to doubt his own actions as soon as seokjin practically yelled at him over the phone.

          "jungkook, can you listen to me seriously for once?!" seokjin snapped, stopping jungkook in the middle of his own childish argument. jungkook immediately lowered his head, as he looked at the phone, as if his older brother was in front of him, flushed with anger, fear, and sadness.

          "i don't joke about this kind of things, jungkook..." seokjin contnued, his voice almost cracking as if he forced himself to speak lower besides the anger that he felt. "i would never stoop that low; i would never joke about death."

          jungkook gulped, coming to his own realization. whatever happened with his game wouldn't matter to him but what really started to bug him the most was seokjin's earlier message. he prayed that he had misheard him. if he hadn't, he prayed that this was all a part of a horrible nightmare. "i'm so sorry, hyung," he says in a low tone. "it's just that... what you said just caught me off guard... it's..."

         "sounds untrue right? unbelievable even..." seokjin replied lowly and jungkook listened as he let out a heavy breath. "i haven't even gathered my courage to even guide myself through it. how can i possibly be of any help to you?"

          jungkook stayed silent. he wanted to tell his hyung that he shouldn't feel guilty for being and feeling human. but he couldn't. his own thoughts of sadness dwelt on him.

          "taehyung is dead, jungkook," seokjin sympathized, half reminding himself of the ugly truth, half to let jungkook know the truth, "i'm sorry..."

          the call ended with seokjin hanging up. as the pitter-patter of rain from jungkook's window becomes louder, his emotional barrier coming to a burst, his tears started out in drops, in flows, until he had felt the ache of losing a friend; losing a brother, that he started bawling like a child. what's more is that he probably looked weak and feeble in his mind. but what hurt the most is that they haven't properly said goodbye.

          jimin, along with taehyung, have already gone through so much—jungkook's eyes sparkled in deep thought. and through happy or even tough times, they have been inseperable and it wouldn't be the same without one or the other. as namjoon lead jimin and jungkook towards taehyung's parents, the sparkle in jungkook's eyes died as sadness made its way through his happy reminiscing. the reality of losing taehyung crashed onto him again. he couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that would be worse than what he felt with the truth dawning itself on jimin. losing taehyung broke jungkook, what would it even do to jimin, who has been his friend, brother, soulmate, for the longest time?