Taehyung's dad gave him another fleeting hug and the young male squeezed back, breathing in the man's light cologne and the crisp scent of his fabric softener. All too soon, the latter let go and gave his son a half-hearted wave and a distant smile before hopping into his gray, run-down car and speeding away.

The son could do nothing but watch the back of the diminishing vehicle and sigh before slowly  returning into the house, his hands in his pockets.

Persuading his parents to stay home with was like trying to capture fog with your hands; impossible. And once again, he was left all alone in his so-called 'home.' Truth be told, Taehyung always felt that the place was more like his prison. He felt trapped and suffocated in there, especially since no one was ever home but him and the dead silence drove the boy crazy. It was just too... loud.

Taehyung always knew that his parents loved him with every ounce of their beings. He knew it, but it didn't stop him from resenting them for never spending time with him. It didn't stop him from watching other kids enviously when they coldly brushed off their parents for showing public displays of affection.

The male was a grown teenager, yes, but he was also someone's offspring. Just like every child out there, Taehyung wanted attention from his parents too. He yearned to be fussed over and nagged like a normal child, but his parents were like wisps of smoke in the air.  

Maybe that was why he always sought for solace in books and stories each time his parents abandoned him for work. At first, he only read to kill time but now? Now it was his escape from reality. The reality that even though Taehyung's parents loved him with every ounce of their being, they didn't love him enough to stay with him for more than a minute.