From Fears to Tears

Droopy Eyes

"It hurts, Hyung! Please make it stop!"

This is the same nightmare that he is having over and over for almost a week now. He is used to the headache already but something inside his chest keeps on hurting every time he wakes up from the dream.

He turned on the TV before preparing his breakfast. Wednesday mornings are allotted to cleaning the whole house, he had requested this to his boss before accepting his work.

He grabs his cereals and sits down on the couch to wait for the morning news before he starts his chores. Jimin must have left early as his shoes are already gone from the shelf. When he came home last night, the art director was already inside his room without eating dinner. Did he eat something before going to bed? I feel really bad for our current situation.

"This is Luna Keyzer for the morning news. We are here at the corner of the April river which flows through the busy district of Seoul. This morning, a man identified in his 20's was found dead with multiple stab wounds on his abdomen. The police are still trying to investigate and catch the suspect"

As soon as the reporter finished her sentence, the milk on Jungkook's mouth came flowing down to his bowl. No. No. No. It can't be. He was still alive when I left him. And there must be someone who saw him and... and... I don't know. Like, call an ambulance for him maybe. Oh my god! I'm a murderer! I killed a person! Jungkook is panicking already upon hearing the news. His conscience will not let him sleep if he doesn't confess. So, he changed his clothes and went straight to the police station.

Jungkook is sitting inside an interrogation room, waiting for the police officers.

"Who's this?", a typical investigator came in. Why must they always wear black leather jackets? Is it a uniform that says 'I-AM-WORKING-WITH-THE-POLICE' or something? He recognized him to be Choi Yiorgos, a half-greek, half-korean officer from the violent crimes division who is always featured on TV for interviews.

The other one who came in together with the investigator is wearing a police uniform that has a name tag that reads Sergio, he was the one whom Jungkook spoke with when he first came to the station, he informed him that he was the one who beat up Sining Art Center's curator who was on the news. After that, he was led to this room to wait and give his statement and additional information for further investigation. "He claims to be the suspect of the April River Murder this morning", Sergio explained.

Jungkook told the two officers what happened yesterday for the second time, and was asked where the murder weapon is. But he doesn't have any knives or sharp objects with him when he beat Livi up.

The investigator informed him that based on his first statement with Officer Sergio, he left the beat-up victim around 18:30 but based on the autopsy, his time of death is around 22:00 and the cause of death are the multiple stab wounds. They have counter-checked the CCTV's around Garyx Tower's guard house and elevators that can prove Jungkook's alibi. Thus, making him not the prime suspect as of the moment. He was let go for the day but was asked to keep his lines available in case that they will need to contact him for anything that can help catch the perpetrator.

When Jungkook went out of the enclosed room, he saw Jimin and Sandy outside giving their statements as well. When their eyes met, Jimin looked away. It hurts. My heart hurts. This feeling of helplessness is slowly killing me on the inside. He makes it his resolve that even if they will never go back to the way they were before, he will always care for Jimin in ways he cannot even imagine.

He waited outside the police station door for Jimin and Sandy to finish.

"Wait in the car for me", Jimin said as soon as they got out, giving the assistant his car key.

When Sandy is out of their sight, the Art director quickly turns to face Jungkook and asks, "Are you ready to talk to me now, Jungkook?"

The other did not answer and just looked down. Jimin sighed loud and started heading towards his car. Looking at Jimin's back slowly walking away from him feels like his life slowly fading away from him. Please look back, please look at me one more time. But the other just continued on his way.

He wants to run and hug him so tight, to remove the evident sadness on the other's face which he has caused.

But he is scared. Afraid of all the unknown things about his life. His past that even him is uncertain if he wants to find out. Feeling terrified right away just by the thought of knowing what heinous crime he must have committed to be bleeding to death in the middle of a street. To realize that there is another reason to be disappointed with himself by learning about his past, and to be way more unworthy than he is now..

❌⭕️❌⭕️

A week has passed and their day to day routine continues. Jungkook waking up from an endless repetitive nightmare, going to work at Abyss Restaurant, cleaning their house at Garyx Tower, cooking meals which his housemate doesn't even touch because of their previous argument. Jimin goes to work before Jungkook wakes up, and goes back home when he is asleep already. He doesn't even know if the art director is eating properly because his tendency to drown in workloads is apparent due to the upcoming exhibit and with his curator gone, literally because he's dead already, the work that Jimin is doing has doubled.

Jungkook remembered that today was the launch of the art paintings by that famous artist who made Jimin work his ass off. He really wanted to come but his Wednesday shift starts in the afternoon. But upon arriving at the Abyss restaurant, Seokjin, his boss is already putting up the 'closed' sign and locking the front door..

"Why are we closing early today?", Jungkook asked.

"We are all going to my friend's art exhibit, the one that is hosted by Jimin", Seokjin replied.

Jungkook's eyes widened in excitement. After a week, he can see Jimin again. Control yourself, Jungkook! You are going there for the exhibit. The three of them, including Yugen, get inside Seokjin's car excitedly to head to the Sining Art Center.

Due to the popularity of the painter, the place is overflowing with people. Jungkook is not really knowledgeable with Arts but he takes his time in looking at the canvasses, and reading the descriptions below. Seokjin and Yugen left him while he was still immersed in a particular gigantic painting of a brown wolf. There is something eerily familiar with it that he cannot pinpoint what. There is nothing written below except for the title of it, maybe, he is not really sure.

"Full moons bring the loudest howls", the guy next to him read it loud.

Jungkook is a little startled as he did not feel him coming beside him, he turns his body to observe him. His skin is so pale, he can pass up being a ghost.

"Do you know what it means?", asked the guy whose eyes are still fixed on the painting.

Jungkook is not good with words as well so he just blurted out something. "Wolves like the moon?". It's not like this is a graded recitation, there are no right or wrong answers, right?

The other guy chuckled and finally faced him. His eyes are a little droopy which makes him look tired or sleep deprived, and his face is a little puffy like a marshmallow.

"Min Yoongi", the white guy offered his hand.

"Jungkook. I, ah, just Jungkook", he hesitated at first, but grabbed the other's hand not to embarrass the other.

The moment Jungkook touched Yoongi's hand, he was hit by an extreme migraine like a tornado which made his environment spin. And a little later, he is unconscious on the floor.