Jimin stays with him all night, wraps him in a blanket and holds him until he stops trembling. He confesses everything he's been seeing, even the things he's seen in his dreams. Jimin listens without interrupting, and when he finishes, the older boy vows to help him figure everything out. 

When he gets up in the morning, the older boy is gone. He's not really surprised. Jimin has been making his presence scarce, but at least he's there when Taehyung needs him the most. 

Taehyung can still see his mother's burnt face, and hear her screams echoing in his mind. It doesn't feel quite as frightening now that he knows it's her, but it still leaves him feeling sick to see her like that. 

He shakes those thoughts from his head and pulls himself out of bed, goosebumps rising on his skin when his feet touch the cold wooden floor. He's a little dizzy when he stands, so he takes it slow. He skips out on brushing his teeth until after breakfast, so he heads downstairs first. 

Unfortunately, Soojin is in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and sipping coffee, when he comes down. 

"Good morning," she says brightly, eyeing him as he reaches into a cabinet to grab his cereal. 

"Morning," he mumbles. He wants to ignore her, but he doesn't have the energy to deal with her prodding him or trying to start an argument. He sits at the counter and eats silently, curling into himself and doing everything he can to ignore her staring.

Just as he's placing his bowl in the dish washer after he's finished, she tries to speak to him. "Would you like to-"

"No thanks," he mutters, and hurries out of the kitchen, making a dash toward the downstairs bathroom. She calls for him, but he doesn't stop to listen. He pulls the door open and slams it behind him, leaning his back against it and letting out a sigh.

"What are you doing?"

The voice makes him jump, and he glances over to see Jimin sitting in the empty bathtub, a book in his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Escaping the witch's grasp," Jimin explains, placing his bookmark in between the pages and closing his book, before setting aside.

"And you couldn't do that in your room?"

"This was the closest room to escape to," the older boy shrugs.

"Fair enough." Taehyung locks the door and makes his way over, stepping into the bathtub and curling up next to Jimin. "I'm in the same predicament. She-"

There's a knock at the door and Taehyung is startled again. "I could really use some help picking some things up from town today, for the party," Soojin calls through the door. "We could go shopping, get some lunch, get out of the house for a bit."

Her game of playing nice is almost as unbearable as her outright being cruel. 

"I can't, I think I'm coming down with something," Jimin says, giving a pathetic cough. "Taehyung might want to, though." Taehyung slaps a hand over Jimin's mouth and glares, mouthing curses at him.

"How about it, Taehyung?" She calls. "What do you say?"

"Are you crazy?" Taehyung whispers, removing his hand from Jimin's mouth. "I don't want to go anywhere with her."

"You might be able to get some dirt on her," Jimin whispers hurriedly. "Charm her, pretend that whatever game she's playing is working on you, and get some information out of her."

"What if she really is some psycho murderer!? I don't want to be anywhere near her," he whispers fiercely.

Jimin rolls his eyes. "She's not going to kill you in broad daylight, in the middle of town."

"Taehyung?" Soojin sings impatiently from outside the door.

Taehyung huffs, and sends a glare in Jimin's direction before looking to the door. "Okay! Give me 20 minutes!"

 

 

____________________________

 

 

"Thank you," Soojin gives a charming smile to the waitress as she places her cup of coffee on the table, and then wraps her hands around the warm mug. 

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" 

Soojin shakes her head and when the waitress turns to Taehyung, he gives a weak smile, "No, thank you."

When she walks away, they're left in an awkward silence, with only the sounds of the bustling cafe around them.

The entire day has been like this; filled with awkward silences or exchanges of quick, simple words between them. He followed her around as she shopped and then lugged everything into the car when they were finished. He was finally getting a break from it, but he had a feeling she wasn't finished. 

"I'm glad you came with me today, Taehyung. We needed to spend some quality time together. Your father is quite worried about you." 

His heart skips a beat and his gaze is immediately on her after the words fall from her lips. There's a small, subtle smile on her face that hides what she truly means to say.

"He shouldn't be. I'm fine."

"Hmm well, we do hope so," she says thoughtfully. She brings the mug to her lips, her gaze falling to the beads around his wrists. 

Something glints in the light and he catches sight of the ring on her right hand. It's a large opal, with a collections of small diamonds wrapped around it. He doesn't realize he's staring until Soojin speaks up. "It was a gift from an old patient." She places the mug back on the table and fiddles with the ring. When Taehyung looks up, she's staring down at it, seemingly lost in a memory. "She's passed now, but she was kind enough to leave this for me."

"It's beautiful," he comments, his voice flat. 

The corner of her lips lift into a mysterious smile. "Isn't it?" She wraps careful fingers around her mug again. "It was rare that I had patients as kind as her. Most of them treated me so horribly, made me feel as low as dirt."

"Really?" He raises and eyebrow, "I thought you liked being a nurse."

"I cleaned up after disgusting, sick, old people for a living. I wasn't exactly living in luxury," she replies in a bitter tone. "I've been through a lot, Taehyung, and I've put up with a lot, but there was always one thought that got me through all of it."

"And what was that?" He places his elbows on the table and leans forward, feigning interest. 

"Even if I had to put up with all the disgusting things they did and said," she starts, voice low, almost at a whisper. "I knew that they would be dead soon, and I wouldn't have to deal with them for much longer."

Taehyung's heart hammers in his chest and his tongue feels dry and heavy in his mouth. She takes a sip of her coffee, seeming painfully casual after the words that just came out of . The sounds of the cafe are drowned out by the thoughts rushing through Taehyung's head, and he can't seem to look away from her.

"I think it's karma, you know?" She says thoughtfully. "They're miserable lives have ended, while I've finally found happiness."

The smile on her lips makes him feel sick to his stomach, and he can't force out a reply, so he sits in silence, mulling over her words in his head. 

"I'm going to the restroom," he finally mumbles, and scurries out of the booth. He doesn't look back or wait for her reply, and luckily he doesn't trip over his own feet as he makes it to the restroom.

He rushes in and manages to lock the door behind him, before stumbling to the sink and gripping the edges before he can fall. "What the ?" He mumbles to himself. Even after last night, the idea that Soojin had actually murdered his mother seemed like a far off notion, but after hearing that come out of , it's beginning to sink in that this could very well be possible. And he doesn't know what to think, he doesn't know what to do- 

He looks up and sees his own reflection in the mirror; skin gone pale, and the dark circles under his eyes standing out. He looks too thin, too tired, too sad- It's no wonder his dad is worrying about him. 

The lights flicker, and Taehyung glances up at them, stomach dropping. When he looks back at the mirror, a dark figure is waiting behind him. His breath catches when he sees the little girl, gray decaying flesh and blood staining her dress, staring at him through the reflection of the mirror, standing by the door with a stoic expression.

He whirls around to face her, and is disappointed to find that she hasn't disappeared, that it truly isn't just his imagination. "P- Please-" he starts, but he doesn't know what he plans to beg for. He doesn't know who she is or what she wants or why she's tormenting him. 

She opens , and Taehyung's heart hammers in fear, as he waits for her to start screaming at him again. He doesn't know what he's going to do in public, with no Jimin, no one to help him-

"Follow me."

Her voice is a soft whisper, a stark contrast to her frightening appearance. Her presence still sets him on edge, but she seems calm this time. This is different than any other encounter he has had with her.

He watches with his jaw dropped open as she turns and disappears through the door, apparently expecting him to follow her. 

He's frozen in place for a moment, his head spinning too much to be able to process what's happening, but he finally manages to shake himself from his stupor and scramble toward the door. 

He fears he may have lost her for a moment, but when he looks toward the exit, she's there, glancing back at him and then fazing through the door to go outside.

Soojin is still sipping coffee at their table, facing away from the exit, so he rushes to the exit to follow the girl. He doesn't know where she'll lead him, and he knows the consequences of ditching Soojin won't be good, but he pushes the thought from his mind and pushes his way out the door.

It's not easy following the girl; she seems to only appear just when he thinks he's lost her. She glances back at him as he runs down the sidewalk, turning corners and paying no attention to where he is.

He isn't sure how long he runs, but he's beginning to feel the strain in his legs, and an ache in his chest.

Just when he thinks he can't run any longer, he turns a corner and there she is- standing at the entrance to the cemetery. He comes to a halt and they stare at one another, until she makes a move to enter the cemetery.

He follows.

She leads him through the headstones, slower this time, and she doesn't stray from his sight any longer. He tries to stay focused on her, to ignore the thought tugging in the back of his mind that his mother's grave is somewhere in here too. He still hadn't gotten the courage to visit it. The sight of her gravesite flashes through his mind, what it had looked like during her funeral, but he tries to block it out. 

They're deep into the cemetery when the girl finally stops. She comes to a halt in between two headstones and doesn't say a word. When he catches up, he stops in front of them, staring down at the names and imprinting them to memory. 

 

Choi Sunyoung

1985 - 1996

 

Choi Jungah

1956 - 1996

 

He stares at the first, quickly counts the age in his head, and then his gaze flickers up to the girl again. 

She was only eleven.

She doesn't say a word, before she disappears, fades away with the breeze. But she doesn't need to.

This is enough.

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Taehyung gets an earful from Soojin when he returns, but he ignores her and fidgets in his seat until they return home. When they get back, he picks up as many bags as he can and rushes inside, dumping them on the counter before rushing upstairs to his room. 

"Oh thank god you're here," he breathes a sigh when he sees Jimin propped up on his bed, listening to his iPod. The older boy pulls the earbuds out and raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to start.

He tells Jimin everything; what Soojin said, word for word, and where the girl led him. When he's finished, they grab the laptop on his desk, one he hasn't touched for months, and they start researching.

They huddle together, eyes transfixed on the laptop as they search for articles on murder cases in the area. "Here it is! Mother and daughter murdered in 1996," he scans the article. "It was just a few towns over...The mother was suffering from pancreatic cancer, and they hired a nurse to care for her at home. They suspect that the nurse, nineteen year old Jung Hyosan, became obsessed with the husband, and murdered the mother and daughter in a fit of rage and jealousy. Choi Jungah was poisoned, while her daughter, Sunyoung, was stabbed to death in her bedroom in the middle of the night and buried in a shallow grave not far from the house..." Taehyung swallows against the lump in his throat, the image of the blood on the girl's dress appearing in his mind. "Jung Hyosan fled and remains at large."

They sit in a heavy silence, as everything sinks in. Jimin scrolls through the page, reading the words for himself.

"Do you...Do you think it's her?" Jimin finally says, breaking the silence. 

As Jimin scrolls down, Taehyung catches sight of the family picture they have along with the article and he stares at the familiar face of the little girl. But in this image, her skin is bright, her pigtail braids neat and pretty, and her eyes bright with life. The mother sits in a chair, while the girl stands next to it and the father stands behind it, a hand on each of their shoulders. "That's definitely the girl I've been seeing...," he mumbles thoughtfully. The mother, Jungah, is quite pretty. She has an elegant beauty about her, with faint signs of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, but a nice smile and kind eyes. She's sitting up straight with her hands resting in her lap and-

"Wait!" He grabs the laptop and pulls it closer to get a better look at the ring on her middle finger. "That's the ring Soojin wears! The one she said an old patient gave to her!" There's no mistaking it. It's the same pretty opal ring, with the small diamonds circling it. 

They turn toward each other and stare with wide eyes. They don't say a word, and they don't need to, the truth is right in front of them.

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Taehyung's night is a long one. He's too anxious to sleep, afraid he might see the spirit of his mother or Sunyoung. And when he does doze off, he dreams of Soojin suffocating Jimin in his sleep and then coming into his room to finish him off too. He ends up crawling into Jimin's bed and curling around the older boy for comfort. It's only then that he falls asleep peacefully. 

He's woken up late in the morning by his father gently shaking him, and he's disappointed to see that Jimin had gotten up and left before he woke up. 

A groan escapes him as he sits up, vision cloudy with sleep. His dad chuckles fondly and tries to pat down his messy hair. "What are you doing, sleeping in here?"

"Couldn't sleep," he mumbles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You haven't slept in your brother's bed since you were little."

Taehyung shrugs, unsure of what excuse to give. It was a habit that he and Jimin had grown out of once they grew older, but recently, he needs the comfort and he just doesn't feel safe sleeping alone. But he can't exactly tell his father the reasons why. 

"Are you hungry? Soojin and I are going into town for lunch, and I thought you might like to come."

Taehyung shakes his head, "Not hungry." There's no way in hell he's dealing with that today. He already feels strange facing his dad after what they had just found out. And, more than anything, he wishes he could confide in his dad about everything, but he knows it wouldn't go how he would want it to. His father already suspects that he's unstable, he doesn't need to give him any more reasons to think so.

His father sits on the edge of the bed and gives him a hopeful smile, "Come on, we'll go wherever you want."

"I really don't feel well, dad. I think I need to skip out on lunch for today."

His dad presses his palm against his forehead, "You must be sick. Since when do you not want food?"

"Very funny," he grumbles. "I'm just really not hungry."

"Okay, if you say so," his dad stands up with a sigh, clearly disappointed that he had yet again failed in dragging Taehyung along with them.

"I'll bring home leftovers, but try to eat something while we're gone, okay kiddo?"

Taehyung nods, and his father gently ruffles his hair before saying his goodbyes and stepping out of the room. 

Not even thirty seconds pass before the bathroom door swings open and Taehyung jumps, an embarrassing squeak slipping out of his mouth.

"God, don't do that again!" He scolds Jimin, who stands in the doorway, leaning up against the panel, trying to muffle his laughter behind his hand.

"I'm not awake enough for this," he groans again and falls back against Jimin's pillow. 

"So, did I successfully avoid dad trying to drag us into the 'family time' plans?" 

"Yeah, actually." He throws a glare in Jimin's direction, "Thanks for leaving me here to fend for myself, by the way."

"You got out of it, didn't you?" 

"I guess."

"This gives us the perfect opportunity," Jimin says as he makes his way back to the bed.

"To what?" Taehyung's looks over at Jimin as he sits on the edge of the bed with a devious smile.

"To snoop, of course."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

So, they raid Soojin's draws and search through the closet and any nook and cranny they can see. They don't find much, but they find enough to do a little more research.

They find the name of the company that she had claimed to work for and give them a call, after putting everything back into place. 

"Okay, thank you," Taehyung says into the phone, before hanging up. They're sitting crossed legged on Taehyung's bed, Jimin pressed up close to him in an attempt to hear the other end of the conversation.

"What did they say?" Jimin asks, anxiously.

"They have no record of a Cho Soojin ever working for them..." Taehyung glances over at Jimin, and everything is really beginning to sink in. "Jiminie...Is this really happening? Do you think we're right?"

"It all adds up, Tae. She killed them all those years ago, and changed her name- and who knows what else." Jimin looks to him, his expression showing none of the fear that Taehyung holds, but instead, a daunting acceptance and burning anger. "She killed them trying to get what she wanted...and now I think she wants to do the same to us."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

The next few days are a series of Taehyung looking over his shoulder wherever he goes, and staying holed up in his room, anxiously contemplating what the hell he should do. 

Jimin is trying to tell him that they should talk to their father about everything, but Taehyung is convinced that that wouldn't go well. Soojin has him so wrapped around her finger, he would think they're crazy for coming up with such a thing. They just don't have enough proof at this point. Other than the ring, and the mysterious discovery that Soojin's previous workplace had never heard of her, they don't have much evidence to offer. He can't exactly tell anyone that he's been seeing ghosts who're giving him warnings. That would surely get him sent back to the hospital and locked away. 

He needed to get out of the house, before his paranoia drove him crazy, so he goes out with Jeongguk and they spend the evening at his house, goofing around. It feels painfully normal, after everything he's been dealing with.

"Is something on your mind?"

Jeongguk pauses the episode of Attack on Titan, and Taehyung blinks, realizing he'd been spacing out for the past 10 minutes. They started watching it at Taehyung's request, after Jeongguk had told him he hadn't seen it yet. They curled up on Jeongguk's bed and propped his laptop up on their legs. He feels bad for getting completely lost in his thoughts after the first 5 minutes, but it's been difficult to concentrate on such mundane things after the past few days. 

"I'm alright," he says, almost on instinct.

"You didn't even scream at me when we played Mario Kart. You're definitely not alright."

Taehyung lets out a huff of laughter, "I guess that is a little strange."

"Kim Taehyung not livid when he loses at Mario Kart? It's absolutely unheard of," Jeongguk teases. 

He glances over to Jeongguk as a smile creeps its way onto his lips, and he leans into the other boy's side, feeling a little lighter. "Sorry, I'm just spacey today."

"Are you sure? I can take you home if you aren't feeling well," he says, his tone more serious.

Taehyung lets his head fall on Jeongguk's shoulder, "I'm not sick," he pauses. "Just thinking about family stuff, I guess. Sorry if I seem distracted."

"No, it's okay," Jeongguk assures him. "I'm just worried about you. You seem a little distant." 

He hadn't meant for this to happen, for him to pull away from Jeongguk so much, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes it might be for the best. He wants to tell Jeongguk everything, to ask for his help, but he doesn't want to involve him in something that's growing more and more dangerous each day. Jimin is already involved, there's nothing he can do about that, but he can at least protect Jeongguk. 

"I just...have a lot going on right now that I need to work through myself."

Jeongguk takes his hand, links their fingers, and the beads around Taehyung's wrist shift down from the movement. There's a glimpse of a scar, and his stomach lurches. He hurries to push the beads back into place with a shaky hand. If Jeongguk notices, he doesn't comment on it.

"You can tell me anything, Tae. I'm here to talk if you need it. You're not alone, you know?"

"I know," Taehyung whispers, and he feels Jeongguk give his hand a comforting squeeze. 

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Taehyung has been absolutely dreading this day.

His dress shirt and slacks are laid out on his bed and, after 15 minutes, he's still in his pajamas, and currently scowling at the pieces of clothing.

Soojin had been planning this 'welcome home' party for weeks, and at this point, it's just become an excuse for her to show off everything she's attained. It's not about welcoming him home anymore. 

It's not as if that'll stop people from ogling him or throwing him looks of pity, though.

With an exasperated sigh, Taehyung gives up and turns to head downstairs for some ice cream. He needs a sugary pick-me-up, and he's too hungry to wait for dinner. 

He's walking down the hallway when he sees that his parent's bedroom door is cracked open and there's light spilling into the hallway. He glances inside when he passes, and sees Soojin sitting at her vanity, rummaging through her jewelry. She puts earrings in, then moves to wrap a necklace around her neck, and lastly, slips on the opal ring. 

And Taehyung doesn't know what comes over him, but on impulse, he pushes the door open and steps inside.

She looks at him through the mirror, painting that sickly sweet smile on her face. "Taehyung, you're not dressed," she points out, her tone disapproving. 

"What's your real name?" His heart starts beating a mile a minute as soon as he blurts the question out. He doesn't know what he's doing, he hadn't planned to do this, to confront her alone like this-

"Excuse me?" She turns to face him, expression unreadable.

"You heard me," he's staring right back at her with an unwavering gaze, willing his voice not to shake. The rest of him already is, but he can't afford to show weakness.

She stands, and it takes everything in him not to take a step back when she makes her way over to him. She's taller in heels, about the same height as him, and even though they're staring eye to eye, he feels small and frightened under her gaze.

"You don't want to do this, Taehyung," she advises calmly. 

"And why shouldn't I?" He retorts, anger slipping into his tone. He has his fists clenched at his sides, doing everything in his power to not lunge at her. By contrast, she looks completely relaxed and in control. 

"I've been very lenient with you," she starts. "And I don't want to have to do anything drastic if you can't keep your nose out of my business and your mouth shut. That would just get messy. We don't want that, do we?"

"You can't keep everyone in the dark forever. My dad-"

"Your father loves me very much, Taehyung." She interrupts. "He trusts me, respects my opinion. We've been discussing your mental health recently, and he's just at a loss for what to do." He jerks back, his retort dying in his throat. She can't do this- She can't pull this card on him- "But I think it might be best if I suggest giving Dr. Kim a call."

"You can't just-"

"I can," her voice shifts from something light and controlled to completely venomous, and she pins him in place with a threatening glare "And I will, if you try to threaten me again."

"Now," her demeanor changes completely, and she has that eerily sweet tone to her voice again. She casually adjusts the cuff of her blouse as she walks away from him and back to her vanity. "be a good little boy, keep your mouth shut, and make sure you smile for our guests."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

"Tae, we have to do something."

Taehyung leans against the wall, and he can see the concern in Jimin's expression clearly even in the darkness of the hallway. They're hiding away from the crowd of people mingling in the living room, so Taehyung can tell him what happened before the party. He's surprised Jimin even showed up, but here he is, wearing a dress shirt much like Taehyung's, and a pair of wrinkled pants. 

"I know, but I'm just- at loss for what to do now."

Jimin crosses his arms and leans back against the wall. "We can't let her get away with any of this," he muses aloud.

"I know...but who's going to believe us?" 

Jimin's expression brightens, and he turns to face Taehyung, "The ring! If we had the ring, we might be able to convince the police to look into the case again."

"And how are we going to get it?"

"We'll figure something out, don't worry."

"Jimin," he sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "We're going to be stuck here alone with her for the next three days, after dad leaves for his business trip. And honestly, I'm too scared to try anything while we're here alone."

"We'll just wait for the right opportunity, okay? We don't have to do anything rash."

"Alright, we'll just...we'll just see what we can do."

"Dad's probably looking for you by now. You might want to get back out there."

Taehyung lets out a childish whine, "Why do I have to talk to these people?" 

"Because it's your welcome home party," Jimin says, amused. 

"Yeah, right," he grumbles, as Jimin turns him around and pushes him back in the direction of the living room.

"You go greet old people. I'm going to find some alcohol."

Taehyung glares at Jimin as he scurries away, and then steps into the crowded living room. His dad spots him soon after and pulls him over to greet a couple that look vaguely familiar. They ask him a few generic questions, but thankfully, his dad does most of the talking.

"So, how are you feeling?" His dad asks when they're left alone. He wraps an arm around his shoulder and leads him to the couch to sit down. 

Taehyung shrugs, "A little overwhelmed."

His dad at least has the decency to look genuinely apologetic, "I know it's a little much, but Soojin has been planning to perfect this party for weeks, just for you." Taehyung has to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

Soojin is across the room, picking up a few empty platters, and actually looking a little flustered. "Why don't you go help her out in the kitchen? It'll get you away from everyone for a bit, and she could really use the help."

As much as he doesn't want to be near Soojin, he also doesn't want to be out here, so he complies without protest and heads to the kitchen.

Soojin is rushing around the dimly lit kitchen, trying to keep everything in order. She's organizing horderves on two separate platters, placing them quickly and carefully in a specific pattern. 

"My dad sent me to offer some help," he leans up against the counter, and stares at the myriad of food she has laying out.

She sighs in annoyance, as if his offer is more of a hindrance than a help. She reaches over and grabs a container of strawberries and shoves them at him. "The cake is on the table. I left gaps in the icing where the strawberries should be placed." She balances the two trays on her hands. "Don't screw up the design," she sneers, before making her exit.

"," he mutters after her, anger burning in his chest. He snatches the container of strawberries and stalks over to the table where the cake sits. 

It's decorated so beautifully, it looks professionally done. Taehyung scowls down at it, before opening the lid of the strawberry container and picking one out.

He has half a mind to sabotage the cake, but that would just create more drama than necessary, so he places the strawberries carefully along the edges of the cake. 

He curses under his breath when one slips out of his fingers and onto the floor, rolling under the table and disappearing through the long table cloth. Dropping to his knees, he reaches his hand under, but finds nothing as he feels around for it. With an irritated sigh, he lifts the table cloth and sticks his head underneath. It's too dark to see much of anything, but he fumbles around, searching for the missing fruit and-

Cold fingers take his wrist in a painful grasp, and he chokes on a gasp, instinctively trying to pull away. Sunyoung's face emerges from the darkness in a rush of movement, her rotting skin and dark eyes staring back at him, her face only centimeters from his. "You're next!" 

He screams, heartbeat speeding up, and with a quick shot of adrenaline, he jerks back. The table cloth comes with him when he falls back, falling on top of him and tangling in his flailing limbs. Everything comes crashing to the floor, plates breaking and silverware clanging, and the cake falling right on its top.

Taehyung is almost too afraid to open his eyes, but when he finally looks, Sunyoung is no longer there, and he hears a stampede of footsteps coming in his direction. 

"No!" 

He turns to see Soojin just inside the doorway, staring at the destroyed cake in horror. His father stands behind her, wide eyes taking in the scene, and their guests are hovering outside the door with shocked expressions.

"What did you do!?" 

Soojin stalks toward him, and he scrambles back, his heart already hammering in the aftermath of shock and fear. He untangles himself from the table cloth and tries standing up on trembling legs. "I didn't- I don't know what-"

"Taehyung, what the hell is wrong with you?" He flinches, not expecting the harsh tone from his father. He looks absolutely livid, and Taehyung shrinks back, shaken from fear and now the look his father is giving him.

Jimin comes running into the kitchen, and immediately wraps an arm around Taehyung's shoulders, pulling him into his side. "What is wrong with you!? Don't yell at him!"

Everyone is staring at the two of them, the tension in the room building with each passing second. 

"Just- go upstairs!" His father orders them, pointing his finger in the direction of the other doorway. 

Jimin pulls him along, his arm, and glaring at everyone as they pass. Jimin leads him up the stairs, and his legs are shaking with every step.

"What happened, Tae?" Jimin asks him when they're safely hidden away in his room. Jimin pushes the hair out of his face and Taehyung leans into the comforting touch, latching onto his upper arms.

"It was Sunyoung," he swallows against the lump in his throat, fighting back tears. He isn't sure how much longer he can take this. 

"She said I'm next."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Taehyung has absolutely no desire to face his father, but after tonight, he won't have the opportunity to speak with him for another three days.

And he may not have that long.

He's past the point of caring about what his father will think of his sanity. Things have escalated too much for him to keep this a secret any longer. And now that fear isn't clouding his mind, he feels a intense anger and he carries a weight of anxiety in his chest.

So, after the guests have left, and he knows Soojin is in bed, he makes his way to his father's office and knocks on the door. His dad mumbles a soft 'come in' and he pushes open the door, steps in, and shuts it behind him.

The beads on his wrists clatter in the silence, as he fiddles with them behind his back. "Dad, I have to talk to you about something."

His dad sighs, and turns in his chair, "Well I sure hope you're going to tell me what the hell has been going on with you recently."

"It's Soojin!"

"Tae, don't start this. Don't try to point the finger at Soojin. She's done nothing but try to earn your approval and-"

"Bull!" 

His father flinches back, eyes wide, and he stares at Taehyung like he's never seen him before. 

Taehyung steps forward, and the words come pouring out of him. "She's lying to you! You have no idea what she's hiding from you! Soojin isn't even her real name!"

"Taehyung, that's ridiculous. What are you talking about?" 

"She killed mom!"

There was a beat of silence as his father stares at him, not moving. They're staring at each other, neither of them looking away as Taehyung curls his hands into fists. His father places his hands on the desk and stands up slowly, his expression morphing from blank shock into guarded hesitation. He takes a step forwards, and looks as though a he's approaching a rabid, wounded animal. "Taehyung, you don't know what you're saying."

Taehyung takes an involuntary step back as the atmosphere in the room tenses dangerously, the tension so thick it's almost tangible. 

"I know you're scared, and I know you were relieved to finally come home, but we can get you help again-"

"I'm not crazy," Taehyung whispers, and he bites his bottom lip to hide the fact that it's quivering. He doesn't want to cry right now.

"I know you're not, Tae," he doesn't try to get any closer to Taehyung. He just stands in place, hands out in front of him as if he's trying to show that he means no harm. "But you're not thinking straight. We can call Dr. Kim and you can talk to him about all of this-"

"God, I knew you wouldn't believe me," he says, almost in a whimper, and buries his face in his hands. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, Tae, I'm sorry, just-"

"No, just- forget it, okay? Forget I said anything."

He turns away without looking at his dad, and walks out the door, slamming it behind him. His father doesn't follow him.

 

 

____________________________

 

 

The only person Taehyung has left in this world is Jimin. It's always been Jimin. Taehyung has nowhere to go, no one to turn to, except for his brother. 

Jeongguk calls, over and over, but he ignores every single one of them. He can't bring himself to drag Jeongguk into this, to be a burden on the other boy. That's all he's ever been to Jeongguk. 

He climbs into Jimin's bed that night, and doesn't say a word. Jimin just holds him and lets him cry, and he's never been more grateful for his brother. "We're going to get through this, Tae, it's okay," Jimin murmurs into his ear as he his hair, holding him as close as he possibly can. He's always been taller than Jimin, always a little bigger even though he was younger. But he feels so small in Jimin's arms like this. There's nowhere else he feels safer.

They both used to find comfort in their mother's arms, but now they only have each other. 

There's a slight quiver in Jimin's voice, a hint a fear that he probably doesn't mean to let slip through, "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

Jimin isn't in bed with him when he wakes up, but he finds a note on the pillow next to him from the older boy.

It doesn't explain where Jimin has gone, but it tells him to stay away from the house for the next few days and avoid Soojin at all costs. Apparently he's left money for Taehyung to take a cab into town and stay somewhere else for the night. 

Taehyung takes the money from under the pillow and throws his feet over the edge of the bed, hesitating. He doesn't know what Jimin plans to do, and he doesn't want to leave in case anything happens. But he has to trust that Jimin won't do anything stupid. They had both already decided it would be a suicide mission to try anything with their dad gone. 

And he knows his dad is already gone when he looks at the clock and sees that it's past 2 in the afternoon. There’s a bitter taste in the back of his tongue when he thinks of his father leaving without even saying goodbye, but he tries to push the thought from his mind. 

He has more important things to worry about than his father's distrust in him. Like staying alive.

He calls a cab and asks them to stop somewhere down the road, where Soojin won't be able see him drive away. He dresses in a hurry, puts the money in his wallet, and shoves some things in a backpack, before making his way to Jimin's window. It had always been easier to climb out of Jimin's window. They'd use it when they would sneak out in the middle of the night to swim, and they'd always get caught, but it was fun regardless.

He sneaks around the side of the house, stays close to the trees as he makes his way down the road, and hopes that Soojin hadn't spotted him. The cab arrives faster than he expected, and the ride into town is a constant stream of nervous silence. He bites at his nails until they bleed, and tries (and fails) not to wonder where Jimin is and if he's safe and what he's planning, if he's planning anything-

When he gets there, he doesn't know what to do. He has the cab driver drop him off at a cafe, because he isn't sure where else to go. His phone sits in his pocket, holding endless missed calls and unread texts from Jeongguk, but he can't bring himself to give in. He's vowed to stay away from Jeongguk, for the other boy's sake, and that's what he's going to do.

He sits inside the cafe for hours, sipping at his hot chocolate as it slowly grows cold, and tries not to let his mind wander. People watching entertains him for a while, but it's not enough to distract him from his thoughts. 

"Taehyung!"

He feels a hand on his shoulder and jumps so violently that he almost falls out of his chair. When he glances back, a hand over his racing heart, he sees that the owner of the voice is the exact person he's been trying to stay away from.

"I've been calling and texting you for days. What's going on? Are you okay?" Jeongguk stares down at him, nothing but genuine concern written in his features, and Taehyung feels the guilt festering in his gut.

He turns away and stands up, making a bee-line for the door. Jeongguk, predictably, follows him.

"Tae, what the hell?" Jeongguk grabs his arm, gives a gentle pull until he finally stops walking away. "Why are you acting like this? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," but even to his own ears, it doesn't sound convincing. "Just leave me alone, Jeongguk. I can't talk right now."

He pulls away, and Jeongguk lets go, doesn't try to yank him back. 

"You're not fine," the other boy says bluntly. "But I can help if you'll just let me." 

"I can't, okay?" Taehyung says through gritted teeth, past the point of frustration. "I can't tell you."

"Okay," Jeongguk puts his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, just- will you please at least come to my house? It's getting late, and you're out all alone."

Taehyung hesitates, tries to give himself a million reasons why he shouldn't, but he's already turning toward Jeongguk without making a conscious decision to do so. He's going against everything he had decided, but when Jeongguk is looking at him with those eyes, his resolve completely crumbles.

"Okay-," he takes a deep breath. "Okay, I will."

 

 

____________________________

 

 

True to his word, Jeongguk doesn't pressure Taehyung to talk. They sit on his bed, and Jeongguk puts an arm around him, let's him lean into him and press his cheek onto his shoulder. He lets himself relax a little, rubs his nose against Jeongguk's neck and enjoys the comforting scent of him.

"Jeongguk, if I- if I tell you, will you promise you won't think I'm crazy?" He's going to regret this, he knows he will, but when he's in Jeongguk's presence, he feels the urge to spill everything, to trust him completely.

"I don't think you're crazy, Taehyung, I would never think that." And there's nothing but pure honestly in Jeongguk's voice.

"I think- I think that Soojin murdered my mother."

Silence envelopes them, but it isn't the same tense silence he had experienced with his father. It's careful, calculated, but not dangerous. Jeongguk tenses at his side, and he worries for a second, but then Jeongguk speaks. "And why do you think that?"

"I'm almost positive she murdered a family, years and years ago, and then she ran, and changed her name and identity. It's just- it's complicated and I can't explain everything, but I just know-"

"I'm not saying I don't believe you," Jeongguk promises, pulling away from him to face him. "But I need more than that."

"She- She has a ring that she wears, and she said it belonged to an old patient. So, Jimin and I- we were doing some research and we found information about this mother and daughter who had been murdered and the mother had the same ring-“

Something in Jeongguk's expression changes, shifts into something akin to shock. There's confusion swimming in his eyes, a mix of emotions that Taehyung is too worked up to decipher.

"Wait, Taehyung...what are you talking about?"

"Jimin suggested we snoop through her things, and we found information on the place she said she used to work for. We- we called her previous employers and they have no record of her working there. We think she may have changed her name."

"J- Jimin?" Jeongguk says, pulling away from Taehyung's grasp and getting up to stand in front of Taehyung instead.

"Yes!" He insists, frustrated that Jungkook continues to interrupt him. He knows the story is a little far-fetched, but he doesn't understand why Jungkook looks so baffled. "Jimin said that-"

"Taehyung!" Jungkook grabs him by the shoulders, his grip firm and his voice loud in the small space of his bedroom. The expression on Jungkook's face frightens him, and his shouting stops Taehyung immediately. "What are you talking about? Tae...you know what happened to Jimin."

"Wh- What?"

"He died on the same night your mom did, Taehyung. He died in the fire with her."