"It's always Japan," Yoongi hisses more to himself as he unlocks the door to his shared apartment with Jimin. "Freaking anime country! I ing knew he's a weeb!" 

Once inside, Yoongi tosses his shoes in anger. One landed against the wooden shelf, causing Jimin to peep his head at the noise but the photographer doesn't notice the attention.

"'I need to be there for my dad,'" Yoongi mimics. " please, he's a grown man. He's divorced, not bedridden. He doesn't need you to look after him. You're just running away from your own problems and we both know that."

"Yoongi?"

"What a ing kid. Wish I could just pick him up and drop him off a cliff."

"Babe?"

Yoongi plops down onto the couch and starts kicking the air. Jimin stands and watches from afar with deep concerns. Yoongi rarely acts up.

"Honey? You okay?"

He finally notices Jimin then, and his face flushes a little to be caught off guard like that.

"Hey!" He sits up. "Come here, you~"

Jimin buries himself in Yoongi's arms, bear-hugging the other until he chuckles.

"You don't look happy," Jimin mumbles and that earns him a sigh. The model lets go and looks at his boyfriend in the eyes, "What's wrong?"

Yoongi places a gentle hand on his boyfriend's cheek, slowly moving his thumb back and forth in a caressing manner.

"Jeon Jungkook is an idiot," 

Jimin nods, "I mutually agree, but what leads to this?"

And Yoongi proceeds to telling Jimin the whole ordeal. Needless to say, both of them have not been able to get a good night sleep that night. 

-

Jungkook gets to preparing his luggage once he's back home. He doesn't find his sister around so he's able to keep his sanity for a little longer before he has to break the news. He's decided to pack light, maybe trying to fot everything in one luggage if he can. He shoves a few t-shirts in, then some more shirts. He grabs one or two pairs of jeans and throws them in. He looks at his empty bag, and compares it to his empty heart.

He sits down.

Hands on his face, he sobs.

He doesn't know when he has fallen asleep or how much time has passed, but when he opens his eyes again, he's laying his head on his sister's lap. She's caressing his hair silently, making him calm. When he moves, she stops.

"Dad called me," she murmurs. Jungkook sits up to face her, "Are you sure?"

He has nothing to answer. Of course he's not sure. Of course he doesn't wanna go. But he has to, for his own mentality. He feels like he's slowly going crazy over literally everything.

"Don't stop me," he says to his sister.

All Hanuel responds is a tired smile.

"I'm going to respect your decision, my baby. I just wish I was a part of it."

"You can come with me. Us and dad can start over."

"What about the company?" She sighs. "What about mom?"

Jungkook wants to scoff at that. But he doesn't. He knows better than to put the blame on his mom. He still doesn't his parents' decision and he's not sure if there will ever be a day they'll let him in on it, so for now he want to be mature enough to respect it.

"Japan, is it?"

Jungkook nods, then Hanuel notices the slight change in his expression.

"Not just Japan?"

Jungkook takes a moment before he nods again, "I might go around. I'm not sure where I'll settle yet. I told everyone I'm going to Japan cause it's easier this way."

Haneul looks at her little brother and all she sees is a conflicted young man. She doesn't remember the last time she's seen her brother truly and freely happy. The last few months have been nothing but kind to him.

"I'll visit often," she tells him. "Wherever it is."

"You better!" Jungkook whines suddenly, making her laugh. There he is. "Also, help me book a flight."

Haneul rolls her eyes and pulls out her phone, then. She makes a call to her assistant, fulfilling her little brother's request. Once she's done, she helps making a list of things Jungkook might need. They work together the whole evening to prepare. That night, Jungkook crashes in his sister's room. They both go to sleep holding each other's hand.

-

Jungkook musters up his courage a few days after and presses call. He waits with sweaty palms as the call goes through. The ringing echoes in his eardrums, once, twice, he keeps waiting. He braces himself for the worst—maybe Taehyung doesn't want to talk to him anymore, maybe he has Jungkook's number blocked and all of these ringing are for nothing, or maybe Taehyung just has enough of him.

But then the model picks up and the line is quiet for a moment.

Jungkook can hear a mumbled conversation in the background, realizing Taehyung must be in the middle of a shoot.

"Hey," the other person answers so casually that Jungkook forgets what they are to each other for a moment.

"Hi, Tae,"

"Jungkook."

Quiet.

Crickets.

HE HATES THIS.

Jungkook starts sweating again. , now what? He clearly didn't think this through!

"Um..."

"Don't tell me you got the wrong number," Taehyung grumbles from the other side. "Cause I'm gonna be pissed."

"Nope. No wrong number. This is exactly the number I wanted to dial. Not that I had to dial, you were on speed-dial, as you're aware."

"Yes, I'm aware."

Quiet.

More crickets.

"Um... bye!"

"Jungk-"

He hangs up. He really did. He can already feel the heat as his phone screen lights up and Taehyung's name and smiling picture flash on it. He takes a deep breath.

"Heyyy-"

"You little , what was that?"

"Bad connection?"

"Did you blacklist me at the hospital because of bad connection as well?"

Jungkook sweats so much that he's probably dehydrated in the next few minutes. He really has nothing to say to that. Yes, he's stupid—everyone makes sure to let him know every chance he gets. But this is Taehyung... Taehyung has seen enough of Jungkook's stupid sides and is the only person he grows up closely with but why can't he be himself around the guy anymore?

This is his Taehyung.

"I'm sorry," he whispers to the phone, but at that moment he wishes he was in front of Taehyung. He wishes the love of his life could see the look on his face to feel his apology. He is really, really sorry.

Taehyung's side is quiet for a very long time Jungkook has thought the call is disconnected or something. But then he replies with a sigh,

"You know that's not enough," Taehyung sounds exhuasted.

He's right. It's not enough.

He knows that.

It will never be enough again.

"Jungkook, are you still there?"

"Y-yeah," he clears his throat. Only then that he realizes he's tearing up. "I'm here. I'm listening."

"Look, I meant it when I said I'm still your friend,"

Quiet.

"But what we had before will never be the same now. You know, us... our relationship. It's like a house of cards. Have you ever realized that?"

Jungkook wipes his cheeks quietly. "We're always bound to crumble down?"

"Yes," this time Jungkook hears Taehyung sniffs. He tries to hold it in himself. "Yes, Jungkook. You and I... we were never meant to last."

"Don't- don't say that..." Jungkook grips the phone tighter. "We're not that bad..."

"We're not bad, Jungkook. But we're better alone." Jungkook hears the clicks as Taehyung prepares to hang up. "I'll love you for a very long time. But maybe that is all it is, Jungkook."

Jungkook holds his breath.

This is it, isn't it?

This is their final good bye.

"I'm calling to say..." he finds himself choking. Taehyung still hasn't hung up so he's glad. "That I'm moving to live with my dad in Japan. It... It may be a while. Maybe forever. I'm... I'm saying goodbye."

Silence.

Silence.

Jungkook waits.

Finally, he gets his reply.

"Goodbye, Jungkook."

When the call ends, Jungkook finds himself not c