Namjoon jumped up and down on the balls of his feet as he saw the dark pickup truck drive into the gas station parking lot. He ran over to the drivers’ side as the window rolled down. “Hey, hyung, you get the drinks?” he asked Jin, excited to escape work and hang with his boys.

“Of course. It wouldn’t be much of a party without them.” Jin replied with a wink. Namjoon crossed in front of the truck to jump in the passenger seat. No matter how ty life could get, he always felt so free and happy with his friends.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” he confided. “People can be such s. I don’t think I could have taken another minute of work.” With a soul cleansing sigh he the radio, volume set to blasting level. The boys drove to Suga and Jungkook’s apartment, nodding their heads to the beat. Tonight they were celebrating Jimin’s birthday. Everyone else should there by now, and were probably already partying.

When they pulled up to the apartment and turned off the truck they could hear music blasting from inside. With giant grins, Namjoon helped Jin carry a couple 12 packs of beer and several heavy bags of liquor up to the door. With no hands for knocking, Namjoon kicked the door, waiting for someone to open it.

“Hey, hey! It’s about time you showed up!” Jimin greeted cheerfully as he opened up the door. The party was indeed already in full swing, even without the alcohol. Suga and J-Hope rushed over to greet the last two boys to arrive and help lighten their load.

“What did you bring?” Suga asked as he carried the beer to the fridge. Jin and Namjoon headed to the kitchen countertop to unload the bags. They pulled out bottles of vodka, whisky, rum, tequila, and bourbon, all cheap brands.

“Yo, we should play drinking games.” V suggested with a grin.

“Like what kind?” Jungkook asked. Being the youngest of the group, he didn’t know very many drinking games.

“Well, I’ve got a couple decks of cards.” Suga suggested. Soon the boys were sitting on the floor and Suga was dealing them each a card. On the count of three they all turned over their cards at once and whoever had the lowest card had to take a shot. Of course they all had a beer to drink while playing too. It wasn’t long before they were all drunk off their asses, doing crazy dances to the music and having a spray paint war. Anything that came to their minds they did.

The next morning, Jimin awoke to the sound of puking in the bathroom. Clutching his head, he made his way towards the sound. “You ok?” he asked a very pale Jungkook.

“Oh, hyung… I think I’m dying.” Jungkook said sheepishly.

“Nah, you just need something to drink.” Jimin replied, reaching for a cup sitting on the counter and filling it with tepid water. He handed the cup to Jungkook as he sat down on the rim of the tub. Jungkook took the cup gratefully and began to take tentative sips.

Suga came into the bathroom next, weaving slightly as he walked. “Hey, I need to take a piss.” he slurred, still slightly drunk from the night before. Jungkook flushed the toilet and then headed back towards the living room with Jimin in tow. V was curled up on the floor talking quietly in his sleep. J-Hope was on the couch, all sprawled out, long limbs hanging off the sides.  Namjoon was walking out of the kitchen as they entered the living room, a cup of coffee in his hand and a lollipop in his mouth.

“Is Jin hyung in the kitchen?” Jimin asked. “He promised me breakfast for my birthday.”

Namjoon laughed. “It’s a little after noon. If you wanted breakfast you should have stayed up with Jin and I. He’s at work now.” he teased. Jimin just pouted. He was hungover and hungry.

“Come on.” Suga said, kicking the bottom of V’s foot before shaking J-Hope’s shoulder. “Time to get up. The birthday boy’s hungry.” The two sleeping boys moaned and groaned as they entered the waking world.

Jin was tired as he drove out to the trainyard to meet up with his friends as usual. He hadn’t slept the night before and really felt the toll on his body. He felt like he could happily sleep for the next millennia but no way was he gonna skip out on his friends. They were what he lived for. With a sleepy smile he parked his truck on a nearby side street and started walking. When he arrived, no one was there and he frowned slightly. “No way am I the first one here.” he thought to himself. With a sigh, he climbed on top of one of the empty train cars and sat down, waiting for his friends.

As he sat, Jin watched the butterflies dance amongst the wildflowers growing along the side of the tracks. He thought of his friends as he watched, marveling at how much each of them had grown over the years they’d been together. They had all had pretty hard lives.

Namjoon’s mom had left him when he was just a toddler and his dad had died of cancer when he was 12. He’d been taking care of himself since then and somehow managed to stay out of social services. Suga and Jungkook had likewise been abandoned. Before Jin found them the brothers had only had each other to rely on.

V’s dad had committed suicide and left him and his mother on their own. Jin met him in high school. V had been surrounded by a group of guys who were kicking the crap out of him as he rolled into a ball and cried. When Jin stepped in and chased the guys away, he had inadvertently ingratiated himself into V’s life. The kid seemed to look up to him as a god.

Jimin on the other hand had been a fighter when Jin found him. He had had so much anger and hate in him. It seemed to drip out of every pore. Jin could feel the hurt that anger was hiding and, like an injured animal, he had worked hard to heal the boy. To this day, Jimin never spoke of what caused him to be that way, but he knew he was saved by Jin’s mercy towards him.

J-Hope had been so different from the rest of them. He was one of the popular kids in high school. He was star of the soccer team and seemed to have everything in life handed to him. Jin had been so surprised to find him outside of the gym one day smoking crack out of a pop can. When he saw Jin standing there he had given him a look with so much hopelessness that Jin couldn’t even breathe. There was no way he could let the boy continue as he was.

Now they were all together, experiencing each day with hope and love for one another. Jin had found each of them and in whatever way they needed, he had filled a hole and made each of them complete. They were better together, stronger, able to face the world and the hardships thrown at them.

As the sun began to set Jin came out of his reverie. No one had shown up today and he was now a little worried. He felt the passage of time and anxiety gripped him. He had to go, he had to hurry. He didn’t understand how or why but he knew he was running out of time.

Namjoon couldn’t take this ty job anymore. The disrespect he got was more than he could handle, especially now. Just because he worked at a gas station didn’t mean he was . People were always treating him like dirt, spitting towards him, throwing money on the ground. Even the people who didn’t outright treat him like didn’t bother to notice him as human. Most didn’t even tip him.

“Hey.” his boss yelled at him. “I told you to bow low when someone drives up, not just a little head-bob. Is that too hard for you to understand? What are you, a ing idiot? Or are you just deaf?” he sneered.

“You know what? this.” Namjoon told him. “I’m ing out.” he said as he headed behind the counter to grab his jacket.

“What did you just say to me?!” the boss yelled, his voice raising an octave.

“Do you not understand what I’m saying?” Namjoon yelled back. “Are you deaf or just too stupid to understand?” he continued, throwing the man's words back at him as he walked out the door not turning back as his boss began to yell threats at him to apologize and get back to work.

Jin was surprised to see Namjoon storm out on his job. He knew better to ask Namjoon about it though. When he was upset like this it was always better to let him have his space and cool off. With a heavy sigh, he stepped in beside his friend and stayed silent figuring his presence was enough for the time being.

V had been wandering the streets for hours. He was thinking of his dad again, wondering what life would have been like if he was still around. Jin had been like a replacement father to him but he still knew he was ed up by his dad’s death. No one really understood how ed up he was. They thought he was absentminded, some weirdo who would say things out of left field. Most people avoided him or tried to beat him up until Jin had come around. Now he had friends but he still knew he was missing an integral part of himself.

Tired and hungry and confused, he finally made his way home. When he got there he could hear shouting from inside. Seemed his mom and her newest boyfriend were fighting again. Probably about him. None of the guys she dated liked him. He was too weird for them and they complained that he creeped them out. They told her to kick him out but thus far she had refused. V would happily leave if any of the guys were good to his mom. If she found someone worthy and he knew she’d be okay he’d leave so she could live happily.

V entered the house as quietly as he could. He didn’t want his presence to make things worse for his mom but he felt he needed to be there to protect her if things got out of hand. His mom had been hurt a couple times lately and even though she swore she had caused her small injuries he was pretty sure her boyfriend was the cause.

“I’m sorry.” he heard his mom beg as he neared the couple in the kitchen. “I was wrong to talk to her. I won’t do it anymore. I promise.” she cried. That’s when V heard a loud slap pierce the room.

“Shut your filthy mouth you lying !” he’s mom’s boyfriend screamed.

Instantly V saw red. A rage like he had never felt before boiled in his veins and roiled in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know what he was doing as his hand found an empty beer bottle on the kitchen table. He didn’t even know how he had gotten into the kitchen. All he was aware of was the fact that no one was allowed to hurt his mom. No one was allowed to hit her or say such nasty things to his mom.

When he finally became aware of his surroundings, V’s mom was curled up in the corner crying “Stop, stop” over and over again. He looked down at himself to find blood all over his hands and shirt. A broken beer bottle was clasped in one shaking fist, protruding from the belly of a lifeless man.

“What… how… no” he stuttered out in horror. His whole body went numb as he began to understand what he had done. Panicked, he ran from the house. If his mind was fractured before, it was shattered now.

Jungkook roamed the dark streets in a daze. He felt so alone, so abandoned. Everyone in his life that he loved left him. Even his own brother had abandoned him now. He thought about walking in on him, finding him completely smashed. He had run to Suga’s side, trying to comfort him. Instead Suga had hit him. He’d been doing that lately. Weren’t they supposed to always be there for each other? No matter what? Before Jin had come around they had only had each other to rely on. Now he was being thrown aside yet again. It was too much for Jungkook to handle. His brother’s coldness had numbed him from the inside out until he could feel nothing.  

As he walked, lost in a daze, Jungkook bumped into a group of guys going the other way.

“Hey!” the tallest of the group yelled at him. “Watch where you’re going.” Jungkook didn’t even hear him. He wasn’t aware of anything around him. “I said watch it!” the guy yelled again, grabbing Jungkook by the back of his jacket and hurling him towards the alley they were in front of.

Jungkook looked up at the man with a defiant fire in his eyes. “What? You want a piece of me?” he asked, provokingly. He thought to himself, “Yes. This is what I need. I need to feel again. Make me feel.”

As if reading his mind, the man smirked as he shoved Jungkook into the wall. “You got a death wish, kid?” he asked as he pulled his arm back, fist tight and ready to teach the little bastard a lesson.

Jin felt the pressure of time ticking. The inexorable need to hurry. He had left Namjoon to himself to think and was now standing outside Jimin’s bathroom. He had been given a key to the apartment a long time ago and when no one answered his knocking he had let himself in. Now he could hear the drip of the water faucet and with a shaking hand, he turned the doorknob. Time flooded by him as the door creaked open. Inside he found Jimin lying in the tub, water covering his head.

“No!” he cried out as he rushed forward and grabbed Jimin by the underarms. He hauled him out of the water as he screamed. “Jimin! What have you done?”

Jimin’s eyes opened slowly. “Hyung? Is that you?” he rasped.

“Oh, thank god!” Jin exclaimed. “I”m here, Jimin. I’m right here.” he cooed. He unplugged the tub to let the water drain as he cradled Jimin’s head against his chest and rocked him back and forth.

“I was so afraid you were gone.” Jimin whispered.

“I would never leave you.” Jin replied, tears in his eyes. Once his heart had calmed, Jin helped Jimin out of the tub and dried him with a towel. “Let’s get some warm clothes on you.” he suggested, pulling Jimin out of the room by his hand. With a heavy heart, he helped Jimin dress then tucked him in bed to rest. “I’ve got to go now but I’ll be back for you.” Jin reassured.

“You’re leaving me?” Jimin asked with fear in his voice.

“I’ll be back, I promise. I need to find J-Hope.” Jin explained.

“O… okay. As long as you promise to be back.” Jimin relented.

Jin smiled sadly. “I’ll always be here when you need me.” he promised before turning for the door.

Jin didn’t know where he was going or why. He had an inexplicable need to find J-Hope but his feet were carrying him in the wrong direction of his friend’s home. Another night had passed and as the sun rose he let his feet wander towards a feeling of cotton covered pins and needles. He didn’t understand the pull but he knew he needed to get there before it was too late. He needed to get to his friend.

J-Hope was lost in himself. Without knowing where to turn, he found himself at the house of a very old acquaintance. Now he was standing in her bathroom, searching the visage in the mirror for something to hold on to. It had been so long since he had gone clean but this descent into the drugged darkness didn’t scare him like he thought it should. No, he welcomed it with open arms.

He slid the mirror aside, opening the medicine cabinet behind. Inside he found several prescription medication bottles just as he knew he would. He didn’t even bother reading the names on the bottles before he opened them up and began swallowing the medications by the handful.

He was tired of living for others. He had given up trying to live up to his parents’ expectations. When he dropped out of high school they finally disowned him. It was okay though because his friends were his family. As long as they were by his side he would be okay.

He wasn’t okay anymore though. He was tired of living. He was tired of hurting. He just wanted the stabbing pain of his heart to stop. He didn’t want to feel anything ever again. He washed his face with cold water in the sink and dried it on the hand towel nearby before leaving the bathroom.

“Sorry to crash in on you.” he said to Younghee once again. “I’ll get out of your hair now.”

“Yeah, man. Whatever.” Younghee replied, waving him off. She was high and didn’t want his foul mood to bring her down. She was secretly glad J-Hope hadn’t shown up any sooner or she would have been forced to share her stash with him.

J-Hope walked to the front door and opened it to leave. He was beginning to feel a little dizzy, a little fluffy like a cotton covered cloud and he welcomed the sensation. His feet no longer seemed to drag on the ground as he began to walk. Night faded into day and he found himself on a long bridge that seemed to have no beginning and no end.

He didn’t want to be like that bridge he thought as he felt his body finally give out. His vision wavered in and out. He swore he saw Jin running to his side, calling his name. But that couldn’t be right, right?

Jin was beginning to think he’d never find J-Hope. The passage of time was screaming in his ears like an alarm and he was beginning to get frantic. He didn’t know what would happen if he didn’t find him fast.

He found himself running over one of the many bridges across the river. When he reached the halfway point he saw someone staggering in his direction. He kept his pace up until he realized who it was. “J-Hope!” he called to the figure. Instead of an answer, he saw his friend reach towards him as he lost his footing and fell forward. Dashing ahead, Jin called his name over and over.

He reached the lifeless body lying on the sidewalk and screamed, shaking his shoulder. In a panic, he rolled J-Hope onto his back. He checked for a pulse and thought he found one though it was very faint. He looked around for help but didn’t see anyone so he scooped his friend up into his arms and ran. He wasn’t sure where he was going but he had to make J-Hope better. That’s all there was to it.

When Jimin awoke he was no longer in his bed. He found himself on the couch in the living room instead. Confused, he got up and went into his bedroom. On his bed lie J-Hope, an IV pole stationed by his side. When J-Hope saw him he sat up in bed, the look on his face heartbreakingly sad. The same look was reflected back to J-Hope on Jimin’s face. Neither boy knew what to say but they were both ashamed by their actions. Jimin sat next to his friend and wordlessly wrapped his arms around him.

Jin found himself standing down the block from Suga and Jungkook’s place. A coldness permeated his whole being as he began to take tentative steps in their direction. His friends were falling apart and he didn’t know why. It seemed time was an enemy that was restricting him from stopping their self harm. All he could do is show up after the fact and collect them in his arms. He couldn’t understand what had broken them but he knew he could fix it as long as they were all together again.

Suga lay on his bed flicking his lighter on and off as he worried about his brother. The boy had left him after he had hit him again. He was sorry for hurting Jungkook but he just hurt so bad that he couldn’t hold it all in like he was supposed to. He was supposed to be strong for his brother but he had nothing left inside him except this freezing ice.

“I’m such a piece of .” he said to the empty room. “What the is wrong with me? How can I call myself your brother after that?” He tried to sit up but, although his torso was off the bed, all he could do was hang his head in shame. “You deserve better than this. You shouldn’t have to even breathe the same air as me.” he cried out.

As an arctic desolation stole over Suga he began to shiver. “No more.” he whispered as his teeth chattered. “I’ll make sure I never hurt you again.” he promised as he flicked his lighter on once again. He held it to the bedding he was sitting on, watching the flame grown from the lighter to the blankets. With a sudden “woosh” the bedding caught on fire. He sat there, mesmerized by the flames as they quickly began to grow in intensity.

As the heat grew he felt the flesh of his face grow tight. Smoke filled the room and the blaring of the fire alarm began its deafening siren song. The fire was quickly inching towards him and he smiled, hoping the coldness within himself would finally fade away forever.

“Suga!” came a scream from the doorway.

He looked toward the voice as if in the slow motion of a dream. “Jin?” he asked, confused.

“Suga! What have you done?” Jin cried out. “Come with me. You have to come with me now.”

Suga sat, watching as Jin ran through the smoke and fire. “Why are you here?” he asked. “How are you here now?”

Jin reached out and grabbed Suga’s hand, pulling him from the bed and out of the room.

Pain blossomed behind Jungkook's closed eyelids as he lay in a broken heap on the cold ground. The smell of rotting refuse revolted within his sinuses and he smiled grimly. This was good. This was right. The world had tossed him aside like the garbage he was. Hidden here, behind a filthy dumpster, he would while away his last moments as he bled out, his blood mixing with the sludge leaking on the wet pavement all around him.

Jin could feel time rushing by him yet again. It sliced at him, causing deep slashes of pain as he moved inexorably forward. He was swimming against the tide, his body beat by the rocks of effort it took to find his friends. Jungkook lie ahead, he could feel it as he rounded a corner and looked down a dark, deserted alley.

He stopped, a blinding pain causing him to become dizzy as nausea washed through him. Jungkook was here although he couldn’t see the boy. He could feel it in his soul. Taking a deep breath, he began to move into the alley, searching for his friend. The foul smell of decayed meat and garbage assaulted his senses. Bile rose in his throat. The ground was wet and as he walked he noticed the slime covered pavement grow darker. Following this trail, he rounded a large dumpster.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the mangled body lying on the ground. It was covered in blood, limbs bent at wrong angles, face so messed up it wasn’t even recognizable. “Jungkook?” Jin whispered in fear. It couldn’t be, could it?

“Hyung?” the boy on the ground breathed out, the voice almost inaudible.

“Kookie?” Jin asked again as tears caused his sight to waver.

“You came.” Jungkook grunted out, pain lancing through his quiet voice.

“Of course.” Jin reassured as he bent by his friend’s side. “We need to get you out of here, fix you up.” he whispered before scooping the fragile body up in his arms.

Jungkook awoke to find himself in a soft bed. His body had been bandaged and, although it hurt when he moved, the pain was bearable. He recognized the room and after a moment of hesitation he realized he was at Jimin’s house. He sat up slowly, confusion muddling his thoughts. Unable to understand how he had gotten there, he pulled himself to standing. He was determined to find some answers.

He heard quiet voices in the living room and headed in that direction. When he entered the room the voices stopped, all eyes turning to him. Jimin and J-Hope sat on the loveseat and Suga was on the couch. His questions momentarily vanished at the sight of his friends. Silently, he approached his brother, gently sitting on the couch next to him. A hush of shame seemed to take over the group and Jungkook bowed his head, unable to speak.

V found himself standing on a pier two stories up over the ocean. Looking down at himself he saw dried blood on his clothes and hands. How much time had passed? Was it still today or did all this horrible happen days ago? It felt like weeks, years even. Somewhere along the line time had ceased to have any meaning for him.

His mind wandered, unable to stick to anything long enough to form coherent thoughts. Anything it landed on was a minefield of pain and misery. He had been abandoned. His mom must hate him. The police were surely looking for him. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to run. Like this, his life had run ashore. The proverbial river had dried up. There was no hope for tomorrow.

V’s eyes searched the horizon. The ocean was so beautiful as it stretched into infinity within the sky above. There was no telling where the one stopped and the other began. He wanted to be like that. No pain, no worries, just a promise of forever. It’s what he had had with his friends before everything broke. He wanted, needed to feel that again.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, V made up his mind. He would have that again. He would get it all back. Without another thought, he ran towards the lip of the pier, jumping as far as he could go. The grey sea churned beneath him, eagerly accepting his self-sacrifice. It pummeled him from side to side, sweeping him away towards oblivion.

This time Jin found himself following a whirlwind trail of confusion. It wended its way through all his old haunts with his boys. He passed the gas station Namjoon had worked at noting a redhead blundering his way out to a car to fill up the tank. The boy frowned slightly and said something to the driver who flicked his cigarette in the boy’s face in reply.

Soon he was at the train yards where everything felt quiet and still. His memory played holographic images of everyone climbing on top of the cars. Their carefree laughter rung in his ears as the images ran alongside him. He veered to his left then finding the hidden trail leading through a little wooded area towards the foundation of the old train station. The station had been torn down a decade ago and had become a hangout for the group where the could be free to open up and be themselves. They had never feared the eyes of the judging outside world here.

Jin could smell the ocean from here. The salty scent was mixed with a wash of fresh tears and he veered off course again, the whirlwind that pulled him along once again quickening his steps. He picked up his steps as a new sense of urgency overtook him.

Again he was running through the woods, this time on the opposite side of the abandoned station. He could hear the crash of the ocean as the trees cleared. Ahead was the tall pier he and the other boys were too afraid to climb. On top he spied a boy as he began to run. The recognition was instant.

“Stop, V, NO!” Jin screamed as the boy hurled himself from the top of the pier. Time seemed to finally stand still as Jin watched the boy fall. He looked so beautiful, so graceful as he seemed to waft through empty space. The spell was broken as he splashed into the tumultuous sea.

“You can’t swim!” Jin screamed. Without a second thought he ran to the cement lip that bordered the rocky ocean and  jumped into the freezing water. He swam with all his might towards where he guessed V to be although he couldn’t see him anywhere. Taking a deep breath, he plunged beneath the choppy surface, hands flailing as he searched for V.

With the help of his intuition, he finally snagged a limp hand on his third try. He hauled the listless body to the surface, gasping for breath as his head breached the water. His energy flagging, he swam towards land, finally pulling himself and V’s flaccid body to safety.

“You’re so stupid!” he yelled. “Why, V? Why?”

With a cough followed by a stuttered breath, V rolled to his side. “Hyung.” was all he could manage to say but the warmth in his eyes filled Jin’s aching heart.

“Come on, man. Let’s get you some place safe.” he said, helping V to his feet and leading the way.

Jin looked around the small living room at the faces of his friends. It was obvious they had been through a lot lately. He didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t have the time to find out just yet. Time was still moving forward.

“We’re almost out of time, aren’t we?” V asked from his seat on the floor leaning up against the loveseat. All eyes turned to him in confusion then towards Jin in expectation.

“Yes.” he answered. He didn’t know how he knew, he just did. He didn’t know what he was talking about at all but the conviction was there.

“We can’t go yet.” Suga stated. “We’re not all here.” the thought saddened Jin and as he looked at the solemn faces of his friends, he knew he wasn’t alone in the sentiment. This was the first time he wasn’t wandering the streets looking for his friends and he wasn’t sure what it meant. Namjoon was still out there but there was no pull to find him.

“It won’t work without him.” Jimin said. “I don’t have any idea what I’m talking about but I know it’s true.” he added. The others nodded. They were feeling the same.

“We’ve got to hurry though.” Jungkook added. “I don’t know what’s happening but this urgency is like an itch I can’t reach. It’s driving me crazy.”  

Jin didn’t know what to say but he could feel it too. Time was running short and if they didn’t get there in time, it would be forever too late.

Namjoon sat at a small table in the grungy convenience store, a cup of cooling coffee in front of him. He was facing the window, staring towards the darkened street but saw nothing in front of him. Instead he saw Jin’s face as he had insisted on going to work the morning after Jimin’s birthday party. It was hard to believe that had been three weeks ago already. It had also been the last time he and his friends were all together.

He blamed himself for Jin’s death. He knew his hyung was still drunk. While the rest had slept, the two had stayed awake talking and teasing as they always had… drinking all the while. “Jin sure could put ‘em away.” Namjoon reminisced with a sad smile. Jin had worked in a beauty salon as the receptionist. He said his beauty gave the customers something to look forward to. Everyone had for saying such things but he was probably right.

The car accident had been a surprise to say the least. A head on collision with a semi wasn’t something easily walked away from. The lack of a seatbelt made it impossible to live through. The police had told Namjoon Jin was DOA… dead on arrival. He hoped it had been quick and painless. It’s all he could do.

Jin’s death had exploded the group like a bomb. After all, Jin had been their support. The world had tried to beat each of them down, cracking their hearts and their minds. But Jin had come along, picking them up, dusting them off, gluing the broken pieces back together. He had found them like wounded animals and had taken them into his care to nurse them back to health. Without him, they felt like nothing again and the pressure was almost too much for Namjoon to bear.   

As if Jin’s death wasn’t enough, now Namjoon had to watch his friends not just break but shatter. The first week he had spent running between his friends. They were all lost in their own heads and wouldn’t talk to him. They wouldn’t let him in. He would have given about anything for Jin to be there for them. He could always get them to talk. He could get them through anything.

The next week the cops showed up at his place questioning where V was although they wouldn’t tell him why they wanted to know. He started his own search for the boy but couldn’t find him anywhere. When they showed up a couple days later they needed him to identify Jimin’s drown body. Namjoon had been shaking so badly when he looked into Jimin’s empty stare. Suga hadn’t taken the news well but Jungkook had promised to look after him.

Then he was called into the morgue again. This time J-Hope had been found overdosed. Some jogger had been out for a run and found his body lying on the walkway of a bridge in town. The paramedics had arrived and got him to the ER. The doctors pumped his stomach but it was just too late. Perhaps it’s always too late for those who have no will to live. Namjoon had been afraid to tell Suga and Jungkook. It seemed Suga was becoming more and more unhinged. There were empty alcohol bottles strewn about their apartment and he swore Jungkook was moving stiffly, as if he had been hit.

This afternoon the police had come to see him again.He was never a fan of cops to begin with but by now they seemed a harbinger of doom. He wasn’t wrong about that either. Seems Suga had burned down his apartment while still inside. Upon Namjoon’s questioning, they assured Jungkook hadn’t been home at the time but no one knew where he was.

Namjoon hung his head, tears in his eyes. In the last three weeks his life had been turned upside down. Things had been to begin with but it was okay. He had his friends whom he loved more than life. It was more than enough to make him happy. Now four of his friends were gone and the other two were missing. He didn’t know how to go on living without them, but he didn’t know how to stop living either. He just didn’t know how to give up. It wasn’t in his nature, no matter how bad things got.

With hot tears silently streaming down his cheeks, Namjoon got up from the little table and headed into the public bathroom.

After washing his face to clear his head, Namjoon headed back to where he had been sitting.

“I said, put your ing hands up!” a voice yelled as he exited the bathroom. Peering around the corner he saw a man waving a gun in the cashier’s face.

“ me.” he whispered to himself. “ just keeps getting tier.”

“Hey you!” a second man hollered. “Where’d you come from?”

Look towards the voice, Namjoon saw a second man now pointing a gun at him. “I… was in the bathroom…” he stammered. “This is so not my life.” he thought to himself as he slowly raised his hands in the air.

The second man waved him out of the back hallway with his gun. “Move it.” he added to emphasize his point. With a slight roll of his eyes, Namjoon complied. “Hurry up, Chanyeol. Let’s get the money and get gone.” he said to the man in front of the cashier.

“ you, Baekhyun! I told you not to say my name!” the other man replied, obviously pissed.

Baekhyun’s cheecks pinked before he realized, “Then why’d you just say my name?”

“Pay back’s a .” Chanyeol sneered.

While his attention was averted, the cashier reached for Chanyeol's gun. There was instant chaos. The two were fighting for control and Baekhyun didn’t know how to help while keeping Namjoon in place. Finally, he made up his mind. He could help if he didn’t have to watch this loser. With a cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he turned his full attention to Namjoon. “Say goodnight, .” he whispered as he fired at Namjoon’s head.

“Hey, man. We going out tonight?” Namjoon asked Jin as they strode up to Jimin’s apartment. They both had goofy grins plastered on their faces.

“Hell, yeah!” Jin exclaimed. “We’re gonna paint the town red!” he added with a carefree chuckle.

Jimin threw the door open as he heard their approach. “Took you long enough.” he chided goodnaturedly.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatevs.” Namjoon said, brushing him aside. “Everyone here?”

“Of course.” J-Hope hollered as he ran up behind Jimin. “We’ve been waiting for you.” he added in his perky voice, a crazy dance of happiness following close behind. Namjoon laughed as he gave the man a pat on the shoulder.

“Let’s head out!” Suga bellowed as he pulled a hyper Jungkook along with him into the entryway.

They headed out to Jin’s truck, jumping in the back as Jin and Namjoon took the seats in the cab. “Let’s roll!” Jin yelled as he started the truck, music instantly filling the small space. Hoots and hollers could be heard from the back as they peeled out onto the street.

They drove around for a while before deciding to fill up their gas tank at Namjoon’s old work. Pulling up, everyone but Jin got out. Namjoon distracted his old boss as the new hire filled up the tank. The rest of the boys wandered the store picking up snacks and throwing stuff at each other as they played. At Jin’s loud whistle, they all ran back to the truck and Jin pulled out. Namjoon watched in the rearview mirror as his boss tried to chase them down on foot. Seems no one felt the need to pay and he smirked. It felt good to with the old man.

The little window in the back of the cab slid open and V’s face appeared. “Hey. There’s spray paint back here. Wanna have some fun?” he asked with a mischievous grin. Jin just nodded and took a sudden corner, throwing V away from the window. He sped down the road into the tunnel that ran beneath the city.

“This looks like a good place to stop.” he said, grinning as he swiped his car to the side and suddenly applied the brakes. Namjoon just smirked. Jin had stopped in the middle of the tunnel, effectively blocking traffic.

“Nice.” he said, smiling broadly. Everyone was piling out of the pickup as he opened his door and sprang out. The boys were a joyful riot as they threw popcorn and chips at one another. They climbed the cars, jumping up and down on them. V was painting happy faces on the cars. Jimin acted like we was going to wash it off as he undid his zipper and took a piss on the hood of a car.

People were yelling and honking their horns but it seemed everyone was too afraid of the group to get them to stop.

“. It’s time!” Jungkook yelled as he felt a pounding pressure near the entrance to the tunnel. He still didn’t know what the hell was going on but they were a group again and he was happy.

“Let’s get out of here.” Suga yelled as they ran back towards Jin’s truck. Without stopping, they passed him and ran. The feeling was carefree and filled with love towards one another. Somewhere along the line they had gotten their innocent youth back. As they ran towards the exit of the tunnel, Jin following behind in his truck, a lush paradise was opened to them.

“We made it!” J-Hope cried with glee. Jin abandoned his truck and joined his friends as they walked into the light. They hugged one another and cried of happiness.

“This wouldn’t be possible without all of you.” he said in a reverent voice. “I need you. Now and always. Paradise isn’t possible without love.”