000 Prologue 1

On that day, it was dark outside, the streets were not as busy as before, others are walking on the street drenched in rainwater, and the only thing that can be heard in the room are faint sniffs of the people from the crowd.

In front stood five guys whose shoulders are shaking, convulsively crying for losing one of their brothers.

“He was…,” Taehyung trailed off. He wipes the tears off his cheeks but it keeps on flowing. He faces his back on the crowd who are now crying more loudly than they were before he started speaking. The tall boy who was standing beside him wearing glasses pulls him into a hug. He, too, is shedding tears as he tries comforting Taehyung.

After a minute or so, Taehyung grabs the mic again and continues his eulogy for his boyfriend. “He is,” he corrected himself. “He is the love of my life. He made me see this world differently. He made me see myself in a different light. He was there the whole time I tried loving to live and just the time I began wanting to live…he left. Yoongi, I wish you were here. I wish you were still here looking proud of what kind of a man I have become because of you. Sorry if I came a little too late. ‘That’s what I wanted you to do. I wanted you to grow, Taehyung. It’s fine as long as you’re doing great.’” Taehyung pauses and shuts his eyes as he bites his lips, composing himself from breaking down to the extent he can no longer stand.  “I know that would’ve been your line if you were here right now, hearing what I just said. I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you then. If only I had known, Yoongi. I am so sorry. I love you, I love you, I love you.” He breaks down, accidentally drops the mic to cover his face. His two older friends, Namjoon and Seokjin who were standing by his sides envelop him into a hug as he tries to stop himself from breaking down in front of all these people who say they love Yoongi too and are sorry he has to die so early for his age.

Jungkook steps in and takes the mic from the floor. “Yoongi. He was never a friend to me. He was more than that. He was by my side my whole life and imagining a life lived without him is…unimaginable. He’s a brother to me, a guide, and a parent. We aren’t blood related at all but he made me believe that the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” Jungkook’s voice cracked as he said the last sentence. He passed the mic to Seokjin, unable to say anything more.

“Min Yoongi, I know you regret not laughing on my jokes. I know you’re a big fan of it but you never said anything. Even though you never laughed at my jokes, you were with me when times got rough. You were crying with me when I couldn’t take things anymore. You believed in me when I doubted myself so much. You even went to the bathroom with me to watch out for ghosts when the electricity in our dormitory got cut. You were with me all the time that Taehyung and Namjoon sent us pictures of them being cute together because they were jealous. Life spent with you, bro, is a life well-spent. I’d…,” Seokjin sniffs. “I’d take care of Taehyung, Yoongi. You took care of me as if you were the older brother among us and now that you’re gone, I’d look after everyone. I’m the eldest but you took care of me as if I was the youngest. I’ll take responsibility now, Yoongi. I miss you so much. When you hear me tell a joke, I don’t require you to laugh anymore.” Seokjin wipes the snot coming out of his nose. “I don’t want to hear your laugh when I couldn’t even see you. You know I make jokes even when I’m inside the bathroom, right? Please don’t laugh when you hear it. Or else I’d get out of the tub even when I’m most .”

The crowd laughs. Jimin takes the mic from Seokjin and he starts. “Yoongi, how dare you leave me? You were almost just as short as I am and look at us now. I am only the small kid here. You raised me like how you would if I was really your brother. I’d say you raised me right if only I were a little bit taller. Just kidding. Every time I tell you all my worries, my difficulties in life, and all my shortcomings, you always say ‘It’s okay, Jiminnie. The time you feel most pained is the time you know you’re actually living.’ And when I answer, ‘Why should it be this way? Isn’t there any other way that could happen to indicate I am living?’ You’ll go all Augustus Waters at me and say ‘Pain demands to be felt.’ You know how much I hate that movie, right? Why use it as reference, then? But you know what? I wouldn’t mind you say that over and over again to me if it means you’ll be with us again. Even if I had to watch it every single day with you, you wouldn’t hear me complain, ever. Just…just be with us again, Yoongi.”

“Bro, how are you doing up there? Look at our ugly brothers. I’m sure you’ll enjoy taking pictures of them now—all snotty and crunched up faces. You’re making us ugly, Yoongi. After all those years of looking after us, making sure we look presentable whenever we go outside, you make us look like this? But still, I am thankful, bro. Thank you so much for all the things you did and all the things you made us do. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have ended up where we are right now. It’s all thanks to you, Min Yoongi.” Namjoon fixes his eyeglasses that are slipping off his nose and wiped his tears in the process. “You never know how much I dread that this day would come. And now, it has happened. You already left us. But I know you’re just here. I won’t make this long. Please hide the clothes you don’t want us to wear. Don’t make sounds when we’re asleep. And don’t ever forget us, Yoongi. We’ll never forget about you.”

Min Yoongi, 24 years old, a friend to everyone, a brother to some, and a lover to Kim Taehyung, died.