“When I was a kid, my daddy used to say that if you ever miss anyone who has passed on, just look up at the stars. Because that’s where that person will be – up there with the stars watching over you.”

Those words rang in V’s head as he trudged across the bridge, dragging a thin tree branch along the metal rails. He glanced up at the clear, sunny sky and rolled his eyes.

Where were the stars when you needed them most? Jin wasn’t around anymore, but where were the rest of them? Why weren’t they in this together anymore? Exactly when did everything start to fall apart like this? And why did he feel sudden and uncontrollable urges to hurt the people around him? 

V swung out with the branch and slammed it into an empty drink can that was sitting on the bridge. So many questions but the boy got no answer in return. Turning his head to the side, he spat on the walkway, and quickened his footsteps over the bridge.

He had no idea that one of the answers to his questions was on that very same bridge, but on the other end from where he was and, cluelessly, heading in the opposite direction.

The sun was hot, so hot. Despite the effects of the pills, J-Hope had made it out of the old flat and was now making his way aimlessly down the bridge. On his right, cars sped by him on the highway and on his left, was the ocean. Big, blue and glistering under the strong sunlight. Hobi had never felt so lost in his life. Everyday was just a cycle of pain, then taking pills, getting numb, and when the pills wore off, repeating it all over again.

The same question that appeared in the others’ heads also popped up in his. Where were they? Why was he alone now, when in the past, he never was? Didn’t they want their hope anymore?

His head began to pound hard. The sun’s heat was so unforgiving and the drowsiness from the pills was beginning to get stronger. J-Hope willed the pounding to stop, but it didn’t.

Thump…thump…thump. His head went.

Thump…thump…thump. His head went.

Jungkook’s head felt like it was going to explode. And by the way he was stumbling around and leaning on the walls for support, his body seemed to have no idea which way was up or which way was down. He tried to straighten up, but he felt another hard blow to his face. And another. And another. With his eyes not being able to focus on anything, he felt hands grab his collar and swing him into the wall opposite. Then he felt something hard – a shoe, most probably – kick him right in the middle of his stomach.

Groaning, he slumped halfway down the wall and tried to see who his attacker was. It wasn’t easy, with the way his vision kept blurring in and out. He vaguely made out the images of those two men he had bumped into earlier, hovering over him. He briefly considered trying to fight back, but with the way every part of his body was screaming out at him, he didn’t think he had the strength to take on two of them.

Trying to scoot back up into a standing position and bracing himself for the next blow, Jungkook’s vision suddenly clouded over again and the sounds of his attacker’s voices began to fade out.

Slowly, everything started to fade out again.

He blinked, looking around him. Suddenly there was light and he was standing on a railway track in front of an old, very familiar-looking boxcar. Jungkook frowned. Not again…he thought.

Just then, a hand waved itself in front of his face. Jungkook glanced up to see Jimin standing inside the boxcar, with V beside him, red in the face and smiling gleefully. “Hurry up, Kookie, get in here!” Jimin called. “The hyungs are waiting!”

Staring up at his hyung, who could hardly contain his excitement behind his adorable, childlike smile, Jungkook suddenly remembered. Wasn’t he here just now? All seven of them, they were running around the railway tracks and getting into the old boxcars for fun. Remembering Jimin’s outstretched hand from earlier, Jungkook let out a happy sigh of relief and reached out towards his hyung, being unable to remember the last time he felt so overjoyed to see him.

He felt a hand grab his, but it did not pull him up into the boxcar into his hyung’s warm, embracing hug.

No, a hand pulled him up roughly, and slammed his entire body into the closed shutters of a shophouse. And repeated punches and kicks followed immediately, so fast that Jungkook couldn’t even breathe in between. His mind couldn’t process what was going on either.

After what seemed like endless blows to his already-beaten-up body, his attacker gave him one final blow to his chest and released his hold on his collar. Completely unable to stand on his own, Jungkook slumped to the floor in a bloody, broken heap. His entire body felt like it was on fire, or in pieces – or both, he couldn’t see anything beyond the blackish purple stars in his eyes and he felt a piercing pain in his stomach with every desperate gasp of air he in.

Confused, frustrated and hurt, the only thought Bangtan’s little maknae had in his head was of that outstretched arm from the boxcar.

For the second time that night, Jungkook’s voice sounded out – but this time, small, soft and slightly quivering – “Ji…Jimin hyung?”

There was no answer. The men had left, and there was no sound at all in the dead of the night in such a dark, lonely alley. There was no railway track, no boxcar, no Jimin.

Everything blurred for a moment, then went black.

Everything blurred for a moment, then went black.

The last thing J-Hope saw was the path ahead of him tilting violently towards the side, before he felt his head hit the hot, hard cement floor.

Then he felt nothing.

- AUTHOR'S NOTE - 

Next chapter is out! Hope you all are liking the flow so far! Please continue to comment and subscribe, it would mean a lot! :) And stayed tuned!