time diplomat | kim taehyung ✔

| A Trip To The Stars |

"Argh . . ." Astra woke up feeling really hot and uncomfortable. The fans were off and it was total darkness around her. All she could hear was a cat meowing loudly and water flowing heavily. 

The switches weren't working either.

She pushed her hand under the sheet, trying to find Taehyung's hand but, it never met anything. She pushed the covers away to the floor, squinting her eyes to adjust to the darkness but, there was nothing she could do. "Taehyung! I told you not to leave the bed, didn't I?"

Astra was on the verge of starting to cry. She was feeling scared—this was worse than what she had imagined. Her tears fell down to her cheek to her lap as she tried reaching out for the battery lamp near her bed. She didn't know what happened but, it was the moment she was afraid of.

"TAEHYUNG!" The darkness was drowning her voice, and the cat's meow was just getting louder. She followed it, letting the lamp guide her. She stopped near the animal, seeing the familiar feline. "Nini? Terry's not home yet."

Nini just stopped for a second to analyze Astra's face and then continued meowing and clawing at the bathroom door. She raised a nervous, shivering hand to the knob, twisting it and letting it creak away. "Taehyung?" She moved the light from one corner to another in the pretty vast room until she fell to the ground along with the lamp. 

Near the white bathtub, rested Taehyung, his head leaning against its frame and pool of blood that was already mixed with the running water. The entire place was flooded and there were bloody footprints all around—it looked as if he tried to help himself.

She screamed and crouched down on the floor near him. His calming heartbeat was long gone, his pink lips were turning blue and his beautiful brown eyes were shut close forever.

Nini walked closer to his dead body, sniffing and meowing louder as Astra continued crying and screaming. She pushed away from the ground and ran outside the door, bumping into random objects on the way as she felt her lungs being squeezed out of air. She banged on her neighbors' door, getting a few grunts back until they saw her being a mess.

A man rushed down the stairs to the main electricity room as he noticed all other houses had their lights functioning. Another one made his way inside the house, coming back with a look of terror as a woman held Astra close, not letting her go back inside. "I've called the ambulance."

"Someone get her a glass of water!" Another one said, patting Astra's back as she continued screaming, crying, and choking.

The day did feel long but, she wished it was longer.

The men around her walked back in and grabbed Taehyung by his lifeless arms. The arms that were supposed to be around her. 

His head was completely wounded and blood dripped through every inch of the path they crossed—on the carpet where they danced together and on the couch where they washed their fears away. Temporarily. Just trying to find comfort.

Astra wrapped her arms around his shoulders, cradling him back and forth as the few women around covered their mouths. "Wake up, Tae. Wake up, wake up." She begged, being well aware of the results. "Why'd get out of bed . . . I—I asked you not to, right?" 

Ambulances and police arrived and by this time, the entire street was awake—showing their concern for someone they never knew. The people tried to pry Astra away from Taehyung but, she swung at them, wanting them to leave her alone with him. She wanted to smack Taehyung awake but, his pretty face asked her not to. 

A police officer kneeled down beside Astra, smiling softly. "We'll take him to the hospital. C'mon."

She gave in, hiccuping her salty, painful tears, and nodded. "Get him to a hospital fast. Please."

Astra stayed with Taehyung as they carted him down by the elevator, through the Halloween hallway, and to the ambulances waiting outside. A medic stopped them, checking his pulse, and looked back at her with sympathy.

She shook her head, pushing her hair back and laughing like a maniac. "Take him to the fucking hospital. He's going to be fine!"

"I'm sorry. He's actually gone."

"DO YOUR FUCKING JOB, WILL YOU?" Another medic opened the door and pulled out a huge bag.

A body bag.

As they began wrapping Taehyung up, she could only get a final view of his beautiful, innocent, sleeping face. Astra yelled louder, trying to get to him but, the policemen held her back by her shoulders.

_ _ _ _ _

9:16 PM

Astra was sitting by the hallways of Terry's dorm. They took him away and that's when her soul left her body too.

She didn't really know where Terry went at such a time where she needed him the most but, she left a text.

ME:

Taehyung's dead.

I know what you'll say—"He just went on a trip to the stars."

You said that when mom died too.

The medics split them up. They took him away, far away to the morgue for observation and she didn't know what to do all by herself in this unknown city. The past days, her only focus was him—nothing else.

Her heart was burning up as she clutched the piece of paper Taehyung left in her jacket's pocket. He wrote it the same day along with an emoji with a boxy smile just like his. 

If I'm really dying today, as you said, I'd love it if I could take all the memories with me. They are the only things that never grow old.

I'd say sorry to each and every person I know—even Matt. And maybe even write a note for my father who's still out there expecting me to return home. Probably. Maybe no one cares except you and Sarah. 

I'll take care of Jimin as a ghost and make sure he's healthy and fit soon, haha.

I really love you and I'll pray to all gods to meet you in my next lifetime. You know how to find me ;)

Ps: You asked me not to leave the bed but, nature's call. Hope you'll forgive me in the morning.

Btw, that cat you have is really cute but, I prefer dogs more. We could have one when we move in together. If you say, we could have a cat too!

Your (clumsy) guardian angel,

Kim TaeTae.

Why did that morning never come?