4 am. 

Jungkook stops the car on the side of the road. 

« I need to stretch my legs and go pee. Are you staying inside or do you want to come with me ? 

- I’ll stay inside.

- Suit yourself. »

Jungkook gets off the car, taking a coat from the backseat with him, leaving the keys on. 

Jungkook steps away into the night. 

Taehyung looks at the empty car. How can Jungkook trust him that much ? Leaving the keys right there. Taehyung considers stealing the car. After all, it is every man for himself at the end of this game. 

But the young boy doesn’t want to go back to being alone. He knows he’ll have to, but not just yet. Taehyung opens the dry beef packet. He bites in one of the slice. He can’t say it’s his favorite thing in the world. But at least it’s food. And that does feel good. He drinks a little too, but he has to save the water for later. Who knows what’ll happen next ? 

Jungkook comes back in the car. With a satisfied sigh, he takes off his coat, turning on the car. 

« I thought for a minute you would take off on your own. »

Jungkook laughs. 

« I considered it. »

Jungkook stops laughing. 

« But I didn’t want to. »

Jungkook looks at Taehyung, a sad smile on his face. 

« Please warn me if you want to leave, at least to say goodbye.

- I won’t. You know it can be a risk. »

Jungkook doesn’t answer, coming back on the road, holding tears from falling. Taehyung doesn’t understand him. It’s the game. It’s the pure essence of the game. You can’t become too attached, too much risks. 

« So you’re not going to sleep I presume ? 

- I’m not tired. 

- You’re exhausted, your face tells it for yourself. 

- And the back of your car tells me you have slept in it for at least the last two days. »

Jungkook laughs. 

« Sorry I didn’t have time to properly clean it.

- Were you on some kind of mission for your team ? Were you hunting ? You don’t have any weapon though. Were you looking for some ? 

- My team ? »

Taehyung analyses Jungkook under the car yellow lights. 

He is pretty. Like the type of boy who isn’t made for this kind of game. Who should have never been forced to enter it. Like him. That’s part of why he followed him. Them two are not like the beasts who were formed for years to kill the other players. 

Taehyung feels sad. Jungkook is too pretty, seems too nice, too young to be here, with him. He knows Jungkook must feel the same way about him. They’re both sacrificed, lambs that are heading to the slaughterhouse, just for the greater good of the entertainment industry. 

What a screwed up world. 

« I don’t have a team. »

Taehyung slightly laughs. 

« Whatever, I understand you keeping secrets. But then, you also must understand why I won’t fall asleep. 

- Because you don’t trust me ? 

- Because I can’t. Like you can’t trust me. 

- I trust you. »

Taehyung stares at the road. Jungkook looks at Taehyung, caressing slightly his messy and dirty hair. 

« I trust you Tae. 

- Why are you addressing me by my nickname ? 

- I can’t ? »

Jungkook puts back his hand on the driving wheel. 

- It’s just weird. We’ve never met before. 

- Haven’t we ? »

Taehyung looks at Jungkook. 

« What are you talking about ? » This is getting weird. Really weird. Should he just jump out of the car ? 

Jungkook sees his scared expression. Jungkook clears his throat. 

« I found your notebook when I was trying to escape. It helped me survive. By reading it again and again, I felt like I knew you more and more, like I was your friend. I’m sorry I’ll try to stop. 

- My notebook ? 

- It’s in the glove compartment. »

Taehyung opens the compartment right in front of him. 

A little notebook falls on his laps. Taehyung recognizes his writing on the front page. 

« How did you… 

- I hid it under my shirt, they didn’t notice it. »

Taehyung nods, hypnotized by all of his writing. 

« It helped me a lot while in my cell. I’m glad it helped you too. Where you in the first aisle as well ? 

 - No the second. But they made me transfer just the day before. That’s why.

- I get it. »

A CD drops on top of the notebook from the glove box. 

Jungkook looks at it. 

« Do you want to listen to it ? Or would you prefer radio ? 

- Radio doesn’t work. 

- Oh yeah that’s right. I tend to forget all those little things. 

- Me too. Sometimes I even forget we’re trapped in this game. 

- You do ? When you do forget, where do you think you are ? »

Taehyung puts the CD in the CD player. 

« Back at home, with my mom, but then I wake up. And I realize they’re gone. 

- Do you only see your mom ? 

- Yes. It’s always the same thing. I’m looking at the picture of my brother and I and my mom comes in to tell me to have dinner.

- A picture of your brother ? 

- Yes. We’re both very young and we’re building a sand castle at the beach. We both have yellow hats on. I like this picture. »

The CD starts to play its first dulcet melody. 

« You have a brother ? 

- I think so. I don’t really remember him apart from the photo though. He kinds of looks like you in a way. 

- Oh really ? »

That’s also part of why Taehyung agreed to follow Jungkook. 

« What’s his name ? 

- I don’t remember. I think he died young. »

Jungkook’s grip tightens on the wheel as Taehyung gets lost in the music.