TaeHyung sat alone on the cold floor in the living room that night. He had snuck out of the room for a moment to allow himself some space. The air in the living room was stale and despite the apartment’s lack of windows, it was cold. The kind of coldness that just pierces him beyond the skin. TaeHyung folded his arms across his chest as he pulled his knees closer and rested his head on it.

He did not know what to do with JungKook. He did not know how to make him feel better and that was what bothered him the most. He was worried about a lot of things. Money, healthcare, JungKook’ health both mentally and physically, school, and how much more perseverance he had in himself to keep going. There were just so much on his mind that prevented him from closing his eyes and taking a break from reality that night. Because the truth was, reality was hurting him like a bat in his head.

Images of JungKook earlier came back to him and perhaps to was due to fatigue-induced stress but somehow tonight, he took it harder upon himself: pain and responsibility.

JungKook was the closest to TaeHyung ever since they were born. So it hurt him even more to know that there was nothing he could do to make JungKook better. It did not help either that the rest of the boys had to deal with the both of them, adding on to TaeHyung’s guilt. Yet, he couldn’t have been more grateful towards them. If it wasn’t because he met them then, he would not have lived till today. He would not have allowed himself and JungKook to live till today.

It was just too painful and unbearable, carrying so much on his shoulders yet having his hands tied. There was just this much a teenager like TaeHyung and JungKook could bear.

JungKook was not like that from the start. In fact he was so different that if someone knew him 5 years ago, they would not think it was the same JungKook now. Life is sick like this, one day you have everything and the next, you have none.

TaeHyung too. He was not all grumpy like he is now. But right now, he could not even bring himself to smile as freely as he used to. With everything in his life weighing down on him, it almost felt wrong to be happy now.

After an hour or so, he puffed out air from between his lips as he finally sighed in resignation. It was almost like a routine. Ever so occasionally, TaeHyung would think about these little things in life that added up, and realize how hurt he was. JungKook and everything else. But that didn’t stop him from wanting a better life. In fact it was usually then that he gets up again determined to fac