He flipped every page in the album, reminisced about the memories he had with the man in the photos. Once, he smiled; once, he cried. It went on the same, days after days since the man in the photo left him. But, today, it was rather different. No tears streamed down his cheeks. He was rather, emotionless. Suga, the cousin of the two, peeped at the door while watching him. He sighed upon seeing the latter; deep in his heart, he wanted to have the boy happy again. Like how he used to be.

 

"How was he?"

Jin, a close friend of the boy queried in advance the moment Suga walked down the stairs. 
He shook his head slowly, indicating the negative response. As Suga joined the other four in the living room, he scanned every single reaction that appeared on their faces. It was hard for them to see their friend in such situation, what more, after knowing that he has no one else in this world. 

 

"We have to do something, guys" 

Jungkook, the youngest in the group broke the silence in the room. Everyone gave full attention to him, waiting for an answer. Upon having all eyes on him, he quickly suggested to have the boy moved into one of their houses. 

 

"He doesn't even want to come out from the room. How exactly are we going to force him out from this house?" Suga questioned the idea. Knowing exactly how his cousin wouldn't take the idea well, he sighed again in frustration. As he leaned slowly against the head-rest of the sofa, he gave a long stare at the ceiling;

 

"Namjoon, why did you leave us so early?"

 

-------------------

JANUARY 1, 2017 | MIDNIGHT 

 

"Yah, where are you guys?"

Namjoon questioned their whereabouts while placing down a few bottles of beer on the coffee table. They had agreed earlier to have a quick class reunion in the house as Namjoon's was the biggest compared to the others. They agreed to celebrate the new year together, as he said would be the best of the best New Year celebration for all of them. A moment after the call ended, he heard the loud knocking on the door and their voices registered in. Hoseok's was the loudest of all. Just as he was about to approach the door, Taehyung welcomed them first by opening up the door. Taehyung, his one and only younger brother whom he loved dearly. No one could ever replaced him, and he was the only one he got after their parents passed away in a car crash. Just by looking at him, he swore he would do everything that he could to put a smile on the boy's face, always. 

 

"Oi, what's up with you standing there like an idiot?", Hoseok snapped him out of his long stare when he approached him with a gentle slap landed on his arm. Namjoon laughed upon receiving the smack before he encased an arm around his best buddy, welcoming him in his house before he offered him an empty sofa to sit. Just as he was about to open up one of the bottles, he saw her.

 

Hana was the name. His first love. Like an angel, as how everyone would describe her beauty. They didn't last long, and Namjoon never provide her any reason. Not to her, not to others. Taehyung, standing straight at the door, welcomed her in with a bright smile plastered on his face. He fancied her. And, it wasn't a surprise to Namjoon when Taehyung told him about it a month after the meeting. He had never seen Taehyung being so serious with any girl before, and Hana, somehow managed to make his younger brother fall head over heels for her. Everyone questioned why he allowed the relationship between the two grow when he was once in the picture with the girl. His answer was simple;

"Destiny." An answer which no one would question. He lied to everyone, but not to Suga. Their cousin knew the other side of the story; how much Namjoon loved the girl and how he'd sacrifice his love for her for the sake of Taehyung's happiness. 

 

Months passed where he noticed the younger brother of his slightly changed. He wondered what was wrong with him. He became hard-headed and short-tempered person all of a sudden. He knew something was up, and that was when he decided to meet her. Hana turned out to be someone whom he never thought she would be. His heart was broken upon finding out the truth behind her treatment to Taehyung. She played him, very well. 

"It hurts, isn't it? Now you know how I feel when you broke up with me. Someone who is madly in love with you, without saying any reason. Now you know how it feels." 

 

His heart was shattered into pieces after knowing how Hana used Taehyung for the sake of getting her revenge at him. She never loved him, and she did it all just to make him suffer upon seeing his younger brother living in hell after the sudden break up. He didn't know how to face Taehyung, knowing exactly it was his fault in the first place. Memory after memory flashed up in his mind; from the good ones, to the bad ones. He saw them all, and he didn't know why did it become suddenly hard to breathe. His heart pounded and he gasped for air. It all happened in a split of seconds, and he was already at the other side of the road. The last thing that he saw, was a crowd circling around him and he heard someone calling for ambulance.

 

-------------------

Taehyung's face showed nothing but pure anger. He stared long at the picture of his brother and him before he took the frame and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered into pieces before he took the car keys and went out of the room. Just as he was about to exit, Suga stopped him while holding a bowl of popcorn in his free arm and the other hand stuffing more into his mouth. 

 

"Yah, where are you going?" He questioned him. Taehyung looked pissed, and the look that he gave to his cousin somehow intimidated him. However, Suga remained calm as he once again queried the younger. "I'm going to ing punch that dickhead and make him apologize to Hana.", he replied. His answer choked Suga instantly before he quickly placed the bowl down on the nearby sofa; he then gave a death stare at the younger. "Watch your words, Tae. That's your brother you're talking about." Taehyung's words pissed him off. Never did he ever thought the younger would use such a word to lable his brother. And to use it because of a girl? Hell to the no. Taehyung didn't look good either. He was rather annoyed seeing his cousin defending his brother. "Brother? After ing with Hana's feelings and made me suffer because he was acting like a dumb?"

 

PANG. Taehyung turned numb the moment a slap landed on his cheek. He had never seen Suga getting all angry that way, whatmore seeing him hurting anyone. This was a first, and it was because of his brother, too. He looked at him in disbelief, rubbing his cheek that slowly turning into crimson red due to the hard blow. "You, too. Hurting me because of that head. I WISH HIM DEAD! I WISH HIM--"

 

"GUYS!", Hoseok's call for the two interrupted Taehyung's curse on his brother. He was panting when he opened up the front door. He looked at the two, mentally questioning what was up with them. "Namjoon..." The say of the name caused Taehyung to scoff at it before he shifted his attention elsewhere in pure annoyance look, but Suga sensed something else. "Guys, Namjoon met with an accident. It was ....... bad." Hoseok finally said it. Suga's orbs went wide before he quickly jumped over the sofa and ran to the door; leaving with Hoseok. The news given earlier was like a slap to Taehyung's face. His world had as if turned upside down and his legs turned jelly right at that moment.

"Please, no...."

 

-------------------

[ Throwback, Suga and Namjoon. ] AUGUST 10, 2017.

 

"Yah, why did you break up with her?"

Suga blurted out the question. He was rather curious to know how Taehyung never had any clue about the past between his brother and his current girlfriend. And to see how Namjoon wasn't bother by the two dating, when he knew how much in love Namjoon was with the girl. Namjoon sighed out slowly, taking a small bite of the pizza while chewing it afterwards. "I just feel like, I couldn't make her happy in the end." He answered. Suga creased his eyebrows in pure confusion. "Couldn't make her happy? Why?" Suga shot another question, hoping that he could dig more clues. "One of these days, I might not be able to be with her. What if, at the time when she fell for me the most, when she really depended on me, when she wants nothing but me, and I'm... gone." His answer sent a puzzle to Suga's face. He didn't know why Namjoon was behaving that way lately. He noticed everything, and this answer that he obtained, didn't make it easier for him at all. Just as he wanted to probe him further, Namjoon quickly changed the topic. 

 

-------------------

 

"Guys, Namjoon guys..", Jungkook was a mess. He quickly jumped off the chair and hugged the approaching three. He was sobbing as Suga tried to calm him down. Taehyung, on the other hand, was like a living dead. He didn't show any kind of expression. Hoseok, as he ushered him to take a seat, eventually went to query Jimin. "What did the doctor say?" Jimin sighed out; shrugging his shoulders. "The chance to survive is just 20 percent. It was really bad, you know." he fed him infos about their beloved friend. Hoseok sighed out deeply before turning his attention to Taehyung, draping his arm around his shoulders as he gently his arm. 

"It'll be fine. He is a fighter."

 

................................

[ Throwback, Hoseok, Namjoon and Jimin. ] SEPTEMBER 19, 2017.

 

"I really can't wait to graduate! Just imagine how smart we'll look in those robes.", Hoseok draped his arms out, inhaling the air with his eyes closed, imitating the Disney character; Timothy Green. Namjoon and Jimin smacked his arms before bursting out a small laughter. "Yeah, that too, if I managed to graduate." Hoseok and Jimin looked at the other before encasing their arms around him. "Hey, don't say like that. We'll graduate, alright? Plus, you're the genius one in our group." Hoseok quirked his eyebrows twice while giving his friend a cheeky smile. Namjoon replied with weak smile before he muttered lowly; "That, if He let me." Jimin looked at the answer in a positive way. He patted his friend with a smile on his face. "Don't worry, you will graduate, mate!"

 

-------------------

[ Throwback, Jungkook and Namjoon. ]  SEPTEMBER 27, 2017.

 

"I can't find anything. What does he like? Watches? Sportshoes?", Jungkook scanned the new arrival of the sweaters. He wanted to give a good present for Taehyung since the latter gave one of the best presents on his birthday. Namjoon followed him while humming. "It doesn't matter. He'll appreciate it enough if you got him something." Jungkook turned his body to face the friend. "Yah, how are you going to throw the surprise party for him this year?", Jungkook raised his eyebrows before he turned to scan another section of the new arrivals. "I doubt that I'll be able to throw him a birthday party this year." Namjoon's answer sent a puzzle to Jungkook. He looked over with a worried look. "Why? No money? Yah, you know I can lend you some for the party, right?" He didn't get it; nor did Namjoon give more hints about it. He smiled at the offer, nodding his head. Jungkook thought it was nothing, but just a mere capital-problem.

He just didn't get it.

 

....................................

 

An hour had passed; and they reminisced every memory that they had with Namjoon. They had been friends for years; and now, the idea of losing one friend was far beyond their expectation. "Kim Namjoon's relative." the doctor called, and they instantly formed a circle around him. "I am his younger brother. Doctor, how is my brother?" Taehyung wanted an answer. He was praying to God to save his brother. He cursed himself for being mad at his brother. He cursed himself earlier for not asking his brother's side of story. Now, he just wanted to hear that his brother was okay. The doctor, however, reacted otherwise. "I'm sorry. We've done everything we could." Those words totally crashed their hopes.

 

Jungkook immediately pushed the door open and walked in while his tears streamed down like river, while Suga and Jimin followed him in. Hoseok stayed close to Taehyung and guided him inside the room. The sight of Namjoon, 'sleeping peacefully' on the bed broke their hearts. Jungkook cried out like a small kid while shaking his body to wake him up; calling his name repeatedly. Suga avoided to see his friend as he held onto the nearest wall, with his head down; sobbing. Hoseok tried not make things worse by joining them, even though his tears triggered to fall down the moment he saw Taehyung started to sob and later spoken. 

 

"You didn't love me."

 

.................................................

[ Throwback, Taehyung and Namjoon. ] 

 

"Why did mom and dad leave us? Don't they love us, hyung?" Taehyung held his brother close; hugging him while sobbing. Namjoon his head, calming him down before he finally spoken. "This is what we call fate and destiny, Tae. It happens for a reason." Taehyung looked up at him with a pure confused-look on. "For a reason? What could be the reason? We lost them." Namjoon gave a sincere smile in return. "Every ending has a new beginning, Tae. And our new beginning starts now. You have me, and I have you. That's enough. We'll look after each other."

 

-------------------

NOVEMBER 4, 2017 | MIDNIGHT.

The dark blue sky came into his sight as he looked out of the window. Somehow, he felt happy to see the sight. Step by step was taken and Taehyung finally claimed the space on the bed. There was a frame near his bed. A photo of him and his brother on his birthday party last year. He smiled upon seeing it. He knew, he will finally be reunited with his family. A bottle in his hand fell down on the floor once he finally lost grip over it. He whispered; 

"Wait for me, I'll join you, soon."

 

 

That was, indeed, his last words.