When Kim Seokjin  was 8 years old, Jungkook – a kid at his school – had pushed him harshly into the male bathroom  Jin had always remembered this instant well; he thinks it may have been his first ever memory . Jin reluctantly recalls how sore he was when his body clashed against the bathroom door . Little Jinnie  really couldn’t help but cry at that time as he tried to stand up, yet Jungkook  was stronger even though he was younger  and only pushed him back down more violently. Jin had sighed in defeat as he hugged his cut knees to his chest.  V  stood at the side, opposite the bullies and called to his friend.

“Come on Jin !” He encouraged “Get up,  you can’t let him do this to you everyday ” 

Little Jin recognised this at once, his navy blue button-up was ragged  It was Jin’s  absolute favourite garment of clothing, mainly because his dear umma knitted it for him last winter, the terribly cold winter .Now it was ruined, and Jin  wanted to vanish as the kids began to laugh.

From the side, V could only shake his head; this was so wrong as Jin was such a sweet boy, in fact, that was what made him an easy target. Still, every time the small   boy was picked on, V’s  heart broke a tiny bit more.

V  was very different to Jin ; He was clever, he already knew how to read and write perfectly, heck! V  could even sing! He sang all the time, to Jin  mostly, especially when Jin  couldn’t sleep during the dark. 

Jin started  his throat choked up, and his little head began to pound as he recalled the pain of that day. The cut on his pained knee throbbed hard for a dazed second and Jin swore his nose had started to run, no… wait… The small boy  reached up to wipe the liquid from his philtrum and brought his hand before his sight to inspect the properties of the substance leaving his face: blood.

His nose bled, and His head pulsated acutely.

His ears rang.

His feet burnt.

His palms sweat.

His eyelids dropped.

And V’s  voice penetrated the noise. Stopped it all. Very suddenly.

‘Jungkook  won’t do it again.’  The smaller boy  whispered. ‘Okay?’

“Okay.”

Jungkook was on the floor , his head split open. V held Jin in his small arms. 

I won’t let him get hurt anymore . V thought darkly to himself He is mine 

———————————————

Now Jin is fifteen years old, and V pushes him harshly onto their shared bed. At one time Jin and V had owned a bunk bed of which V occupied the top bunk of, but now that they had grown out of it, and umma had said: “Jin, grow up.” When he asked where V would sleep from then on, they had no choice but to share. 

Some nights Jin draws the conclusion that V has always been so violent and that the boy wasn’t the one to change, yet he has just wisened to the person his best friend is. 

Jin liked this conclusion the best; V is his constant, V isn’t allowed to change. Jin however is - that’s what the doctor said - ‘Jin, you need to change’. jin needs change, V agrees too and promises to help induce that.

‘Excitement is what you need Jin.’ V suggests as he straddles Jin’s hips and plants messy kisses along his jaw line much to the Jin’s dismay.

“Not tonight V,” he exasperates

 Jin doesn't mind V’s games on an upright day, but the V is getting too liberal, and the kids at the school stare as V insist they walk hand in hand.

 “Not again.”

V’s brown eyes widen as he aggrevately sees brown and manages to engulf Jin - half entice him back into the game - through fear mostly.

‘Why not? I thought you love me.’ 

Jin can’t break the hold V’s ominous stare has over him. His eyes are so dark  brown and Jin wonders where the iris begins, and the pupil ends, he wants to know how such dark eyes still appear so shallow and, even why, no matter how deep he looks, Jin can find no sign of life.

“I do,”

 Jin mutters unconvincingly as a small red bead strategically scales the side of his nose and draws a straight line from the corner of his bloodshot eyes to his thin upper lip. Jin  is no stranger to the irregular, impromptu bleeding that curses him.

 Rare genetic condition or something, the doctor said.

Jin firmly believes it may be something else.

 “ You are bleeding again” Jin wipes off the blood that was impromptly pouring out of V’s eyes . V looks away , he doesn’t like when Jin sees him like this  

“I do love you V,” Jin smiles through , eyes still sad as ever.

Jin’s  mother watches her son through the crack of the ever-so-slightly opened door. It is at times like this, as she watched him bleed and smile, Talk illogically and smile, stare erratically into space and smile that she wonders what had happened to young Kim Seokjin a decade ago.     

———————————————————————

At school Jin and V are rather reclusive, in fact, they don’t truly participate in mainstream school and, therefore, have little time to mingle. Jin has always seen this as a plus; since all the bullying he went through at the primary school, getting away from the dangers other people pose is a godsend.  V and himself, are tutored in a private room within the school labelled ‘inclusion’ and despite the sanctuary it provides, 

V hates it. He claims it gives off bad energy, he says things move in there when Jin isn’t looking, Jin has never believed any of this, but that doesn’t stop V from refusing to participate in their lesson.

“Come on, you answer one; I don’t know the answer.” Jin moans as he slams his head on the desk. 

The teacher, Mr. Jung Hoseok, sighs once more. It seemed that is all he ever does when teaching this ‘class’; Jin is always like this. He spends the whole lesson that he doesn’t know the answers, asking V to help and then miraculously coming out with the right answer as if he had actually known all along.

“Jin , please,  2x + 3 = 9 isn’t a hard equation.” 

Mr. Jung proclaims. Jin  is a bright boy yet still struggles with any question he is asked, the boy  seems to have to check with his friend before speaking all the time or even get the answers to what he had been asked from V altogether.

“Come on V –” Jin whispers to his friend who slumps on the desk next to him in an exhausted stance “ – help me out here.”

V sits up “Its 3  Jinnie.”  He whispers and gives the Jin  a slight ‘smile’ before flopping back on the desk.

Jin wonders why V never gets in trouble for such a foul attitude.

“3 Seonsaegnim.”

Hoseok nods, “Good Jin, how did you come to that result?”

Jin looks over to V, who is now seemingly asleep, how did this kid get away with it?

“V told me Seonsaegnim.” Jin bows his head in disgrace.

Mr. Jung rolls his eyes and averts his gaze to V’s seat; somehow Jin  notices that the teacher isn’t quite looking at V, rather past him.

 “Of course he did.” Neither Jin nor V knows how to reply to this; Mr. Jung sounds somewhat sarcastic, annoyed a little. 

jin can’t fathom why; V is sat right there, he leant in to tell him the answer not 10 seconds ago, it is impossible not to have noticed. Sure enough, after a few seconds and a slight epiphany,  

Why don’t Mr. Jung recognise V?

“I tell you what, let’s do some drawing Ji- boys” Hoseok  suggested as the psychiatrist in him came out  “Jin you draw V for me and-“ the teacher paused and stared into space “You draw Jin, V.”

Jin loves these tasks, he loves being able to create; he never knows the right answers to any of the questions asked in class, yet this is easy. In addition, Jin loves being able to draw V 

 
V says  doesn’t care that  Jin stands a good few feet taller than him despite having a waist the size of an average person’s thigh, V whispers that Jin is beautiful when he draws Jin  

. Jin says that he also  doesn’t care that V’s  skin is paler than the heavy snow that falls profoundly every January without fail. He doesn’t even care that his friend has a peculiar smell about him, It’s not a bad smell as such, just a very particular one that reaps a certain feeling inside Jin – maybe a sad feeling, a little scared at times.

Dr. Jung  watches as one of the pieces of paper is scribbled on relentlessly and as the other lays flat on the desk still. Jin’s  work is coming together nicely, and the teen finds himself peculiarly wondering if he should do this   professionally. 

  Mr. Jung  is less enthusiastic as he set eyes on the piece – The disturbingly detailed description of what he was once blissfully unaware of but now is seeing too clearly for comfort.

“This… This is V?” He rather asks than states and Jin nods as if the young teacher is crazy.

Jin smiles and rolls his eyes lightly, “Of course, it is Seonsaegnim, can’t you see? It looks just like him!”

The  teacher shakes his head as he stares at the pale skinny boy with a dark eery shadow and bleeding eyes on the crisp paper, it is like nothing he has ever seen before, not like a boy - barely like a human. It has ghostly eyes . 

Never has Mr. Jung  received such a disturbing drawing from a boy of Jin’s age and character, it is haunting, terrifying. 

Somehow, this confirms a hunch Mr. Jung has felt for a while, he knows Jin couldn’t be making all this up;

no one could invent such revulsion.

“Uh… Yes, it… does, undoubtedly Jin … w-well done.”

Mr. Jung internally shivers as he sceptically looks at the pulled out seat and empty desk next to Jin, relieved that he can’t see what the child is able to.

—————————————

Jin sits on his single bed throughout the unusually dark night of the 31st of december . Annually, such a night brought strangeness in the world of Kim Seokjin  and… V. V would always arbitrarily disappear for a good 24 hours – just vanish and not come back until the a week later  at the least. As a child, Jin always believed the lie that V went back to his home  to see his biological family every year but now that seems strange.

This happens every december 31st … 

Jin wonders what other lies V has been telling him since the beginning of time, seeing as the boy is bizarre, to say the least.

For someone who is never ever alone, these few days are bloodcurdling – so, so scary – and considering Jin is someone  reaping sympathy from anyone is a difficult thing; he should know better than to believe in monsters. 

But then again, why wouldn’t he?

A part of him knows he’s been living with one his whole life. 

——————————————

       years later and Jin is 23, he lives alone and attends university to study  . Now that he has grown up , he had so many questions for V . V hates this idea and has hence done everything in his power to prevent Jin from doing so; literal fights have taken place, and V insists Jin is way too curious . Jin has asserted he must at least try and thus V didn’t  comply .

 
As if by surprise, the anticipated night of the 31st  rolls around as it does every year and is accompanied by V leaving for a week

 

 He was 19 and had burning lot of questions for V . He waited for V and started interrogating him when he entered his room after a week 

“ Where did you go?”

“ Nowhere”

“ V….tell me”

V Doesn’t even budge . He ignores Jin’s question    . Jin looses his temper , which doesn’t happen so often . He grabs V’s collar and shook him 

“ What is your real name ?” Jin screamed “ I am sure it isn’t just a letter in the alphabet “ 

“ I told you … its V” He lies to Jin’s face. Jin lets go of V’s collar slowly . Talking with V is futile. Jin notices that V started bleeding from his eyes again . 

“What… What the even are you?!” 

Jin  screeched frantically  V furrowed his thick, black eyebrows . He didn’t bother wiping the blood that was dripping on the sides of his cheek 

“Whatever you want me to be.” He emptily proclaimed.

Jin thought that was a rubbish answer.

Before Jin could argue ,  Jin was dumbfounded . Why is it so hard for taehyung to answer such simple questions ?

Jin tries to hug V but V seemed too angry . He pushes Jin off. Jin lands on the ground and he watches V put on his coat and leave the one bedroom apartment 

Jin is paralytic with anxiety that all the bad he can remember floods into his twisted mind. V is angry , V hates him  

All of a sudden , his only comfort flickers threateningly and then shuts off completely. Jin freezes; the dark has threateningly closed in, and god knows what else with it.

Jin calls his mum . After two or more rings she answers. 

  “ Mum ?”

“ Jin?” His mother sounds surprised . It’s not everyday that Jin calls in the middle of the day. 

“  I -” Jin breathes “ I am scared ”

“ What ?Sweetie ?” His mom sounded increasingly worried 

“ Mum can you come ?”

“ Sweetie … you are in the other side of the country … I can’t come”

“ I think I am going to die” Jin hyperventilates.” my heart-it hurts ..”

“ Wait -“ Jin’s mum panics “ don’t you dare Jin…!!  I am going to send someone to your apartment to help you”

—————————————————————

“Kim Seokjin?”

 The Man asks curiously. He stands, shivering in a leather jacket, his hands are in the pockets, and his shoulders appear to be incredibly broad. Everything he is wearing is just as black as the thick hair on his head and the orbs in his eye sockets. Jin considers that this may be the start of his nightmare but confirms his name with a subtle nod anyway.

The man also nods upon realising he had the right person and shuffles on his feet. Jin now notices his leather laced boots and wonders why such a tall man requires heeled shoes,  the mysterious man was few millimetres taller than Jin was 

 A mental note is taken.

“I’m, sorry, but who are you?”  Jin  bravely requests as the man says no more.  

The tall man takes an exaggerated deep breath. 

“My name is Jeon Jungkook  I don’t know if you remember me – I was – it has been a long time, I this – 11 years?”

Jin doesn’t think such a horrible person could grace his presence at a better time. In any other circumstances, he wouldn’t care much for the boy, but Jungkook  has been on his thoughts recently, and Jungkook  actually has some questions.

Is this the person his mother send to check on him? His childhood bully?

“I… remember,” Jin precariously confirms as he opens the door wider, not sure what he is doing because this is the first time he has talked to someone – apart from the doctors and his mother – without V present… in fact, V always tells Jin what to say, 

“ You-Your mum was worried about you and she … wanted me to check on you?”

Jin think s that he has heard more crazier things . 

“Come in.”

  Jin offers Jungkook a drink as they sit awkwardly in the sombre light. Jin can see the other squinting as if evaluating –analysing.  Jin  is uncomfortable, to say the least, and he wishes V was around to tell him what to do

. On the other hand, Jungkook  is company, and if Jin isn’t to have V. he will take anyone he can get.

 
“You seem well.” Jungkook  offers politely as he clutches his hands nervously, Jin doesn’t like the way Jungkook itches his wrists; it hits way to close to home and references some horrific habit that they seem to share.

Jin thinks Jungkook’s  remark is stupid; anyone can see that he is a wreck.

“I’m not.”

Jungkook  awkwardly nods while avoiding eye contact and then, surprisingly, cuts to the chase.  

“I’ve seen hell.” Jin proclaims with a dead tone, so dead Jin  started to believe he might be dead 

 
“I’ve seen hell, Jungkook.”

Jin  begin to water; cry, as Jungkook holds Jin in his arms. He soothes Jin, while patting his head. Jin’s hair is soft as it looks 

“ What is scaring you Jin?” Jungkook looks and sounds confused 

“ He cries blood” Jin utters. “ V cries blood and its scary” 

V once told Jin about haemophilia, “It’s when you bleed and bleed and bleed and never ever stop!” V  proclaimed with manic eyes. Jin  thought this sounded horrible. Now he thinks he understands.

————————————

V walks in to see Jin sat at the quaint breakfast table with  two chairs. One for Jin and one for himself . V finds himself surprised when he sees both seats are occupied and V wonders who this stranger is.

Jin  feels V’s  blood boil.

   Jungkook has also agreed upon this plan as he came to that very morning;   after Jin frantically screaming that  seen hell for the second time in his life, but he owes it to Jungkook  for  sticking around.  

Jungkook doesn’t do a runner as the door randomly creaks open, and a cloud of malevolent energy sweeps through the room.

V scowls in Jungkook’s general direction; he doesn’t know the identity of the newcomer yet in his heart knows it can be no one else. 

He is the child that made Jin’s  head such a horrible place to live, who angers V more than anyone else and now he is the man who will do it all again.

V knows it.

V knows all.

V doesn’t believe in second chances, 

Jin does, however, and the small “This is Jungkook.” that leaves Jin’s mouth proves to V that Jin  is already smitten.

“I know.”

 V says as he takes a seat in the far corner of the grand living room, under the big window. Jin had decided that this is V’s spot; he seems to retreat to the window sill constantly throughout the day and seeing him there was somehow right. 

Through the light, though, Jin doesn’t think V looks quite the same; he looks less… whole, as if the hot brightness has burnt a hole through his top layer and Jin can now see right inside his sorry being.

Jungkook  isn’t confused, he knows exactly who Jin is talking to; he does remember. 

Jungkook  is just surprised that Jin never grew out of, what everyone called, his ‘phase.' It immediately strikes the newcomer as a rather sad affair, and he can’t help but feel his heavy beating heart shrink in his tight chest.

 “You still…. V.” He tries his hardest to form a coherent sentence but somehow fails at the simplest of tasks.

“Huh?” Jin isn’t really paying attention “V… yes… he’s in a bad mood  right now, I’m very sorry, he doesn’t mean to be rude.”

Jungkook  scowls in thought, not in a particularly critical way, however.

 “That’s…okay, that’s fine.” He replies while drinking his coffee, still thinking very deeply as his nose crinkles slightly, 

 
   “Hey.” He says while digging a pen from his jacket pocket “this is my number.”

 Jungkook doesn’t care if it is rude to scribble on a stranger’s furniture but he does it anyway. 

“Call me if you-“ he pauses “-want a friend.”

V thinks Jin has enough friends already.

———————————————

A/N 

I wrote this at night , I don’t even know what this is . XD

I divided this story to 4-5 parts because this is so huge. I think you guys don’t want to read A Chapter very very long. I divided it for your reading convenience  :D 

I will update the other chap tomorrow !