Yours Truly

79: Don't leave me today

Yoongi had his arm around a devasted Sierra. He kept glancing at the phone every now and then. But mostly he was sticking to comforting Sierra. He rubbed her back. His voice was low, as if talking to a child,
"Si, it's alright. You didn't do a thing."
"Bu-but Oppa, I triggered Jimin Oppa. If I didn't scream that day..."
Her words came out heavy and numbingly. Yoongi smiled. Sorrow peaking out of his smile. He ruffled Sierra's hair, speaking in a very adoring tone,
"If I didn't leave Jisoo alone tonight, maybe nothing would have happened."
"But Oppa... Oppa, you didn't know."
"Neither did you."
He bumped his head gently on her head. He giggled,
"Sierra, do you wanna grab a bite? I have bread, jam and ramyeon and chips. Not that healthy, I know. But it's kinda nice to the tongue, you know?"
"Bread and jam would do."

Taehyung stepped in, worried sick. With his handsome face growing pale every passing second. His hands growing colder. She swung by the doorway. Seeing Sierra on the counter, munching lazily on some bread and jam. He rushed in her arms, hugging her tighter than ever. Sniffing her scent he whispered,
"Are you alright? Kookie told me..."
"I'm A okay. Don't stress about me."
He giggled, pressing his forehead against Sierra's. Inhaling and exhaling. As if he had forgotten to do it till now. Yoongi cleared his throat,
"You want bread and jam, Romeo-nim?"
Taehyung, still with his hands around Sierra's waist, cocked an eyebrow. He cheekily said,
"Nah... I'm good. But I'd like some alone time with my girlfriend."
Yoongi shrugged, biting into his bread. He sluggishly walked out of the room, only announcing,
"Listen... You guys better be 'just talking' and nothing else. Not under my roof."
Taehyung stepped closer to Sierra. His hands wrapped around her waist tighter, thus holding her in place. He was in between her legs. He turned his head towards the doorframe and yelled in the deepest Daegu accent possible,
"Hyung, trust me. I won't be doing quickies in a house filled with cat merch and tangerines. I have better taste."
Sierra smacked his chest, gasping. Taehyung cackled, almost. Sierra looked over his shoulder, yelling,
"Oppa, the merch and the tangerines are still beautiful."
There eyes met for an instance and they both broke out laughing. Sierra, with her hands on his shoulder, leaned in, still giggling. She pressed her head against his and whispered,
"I love you."
"I love you more, my Juliette."
She smiled, gently patting his biceps,
"Now let's go. Let's not leave anyone alone. Have you noticed the pattern here? Everyone is alone before the mishap. Jimin Oppa, Rosie, Jisoonnie, Namjoon Oppa. Let's... Let's just stay together for a bit."
She wanted to jump off the counter, but Taehyung still had his hands around her waist. He burrowed his face at the crook of her neck, murmuring,
"Wait my love, I have something to tell you. Remember the day I figured you've been to the arcade I freaked out? That's because I knew the way my Hyungs ended. That day I bailed out on them, they went to that arcade and... And the next day their life changed. Hyun-sik Hyung was a trainee, a scandal broke out under his name making the company throw him out. The public was harshly hating on him. There were so many rumours. And before we could even reach out, he was no more. Woo-shik Hyung was suddenly made an archer out of the blue. He couldn't take the pressure of losing every game. We wanted to reach him, but he was taken to England. Sung-Hwan Hyung was disowned by his parents. We really wanted to take him in, but he said he'll live in his late grandfather's house in the outskirts. He got caught under some loan sharks, prompting him to take his life. And Seo-Jun Hyung... Seo-Jun Hyung was dating my sister. They were so in love. Seo-Jun Hyung was adamant on marrying her. But then one night he called me and said,
'Ya, Kim Taehyung-ah. Take care of your sister for me. I couldn't be the one to stay forever.'
And then we found out. Seo-Jun Hyung... He had taken his life by then. I found his laptop, and there was a video diary. He had recorded all his changes. The last diary was directed towards me. I... I haven't shown it to anyone but my sister. But... But, I want to show it to you. You don't have to see it, if you don't want to..."
She wrapped jer fingers around his hands. Looking into his eyes passionately,
"I do."
He tried smiling, as he fished out the phone out of his pocket. A tear softly glided out of his sharp eyes. She pecked his cheeks gently. As if to assure him, she will stay. He played a clip and handed the phone to Sierra. His hands on the counter, by her sides.
Sierra saw a really good looking man. A year or two older than Taehyung perhaps? She perceived it as that as Taehyung called him "Hyung". If not that, she would never know what age he is. Sharp features, soft aura. Jet black hair bringing a new hue to him. He was handsome, to say the least. With a husk in his voice, he started,
"Kim Taehyung-ah, our Maknae, our little bear, sorry. Hyung really is sorry. I'm the last one alive till now, but by the time you'd get to watch this clip, I won't be there for you. I know it will sound crazy, but the day we last hung out? The day you were late? You know, the day we went to that cafe where they sell those choco breads? Yeah, that day, to kill time we stumbled upon an arcade. I was the one to be blamed. I was the older one, I should've been more cautious. But when we played an arcade game with no name..."
Sierra's voice overlapped with the video,
"With a red box. We were just drawn to it and the owner suggested us to play it."
Her eyes met Taehyung's, who gently urged her to watch the rest. She sunk back in, eyes fixed on the device. A thin bead of sweat tracing her backbone. Seo-Jun's voice still going on in the background,
"We all lost. Not because we weren't playing well. But on the one level before the last one, a sudden ghost like character appeared and poof! We lost the game. Our lives started changing from the next day onwards. No one had a single clue about it. Taehyung-ah, I wish that you never know of the pain we went through. Both physically and mentally. None of us could take it. Taehyung-ah, forgive us. We are sorry. I'm living my heart behind, though. Take care of her... T-take care of the love of my life. Tell her that even I didn't wnat to do it. Tell her that this was the only way to stop hurting, changing and losing my loved ones. Tell her I never lied when I said that I'll spend all my life beside her. Tell her I had no other option left. Tell her I loved her with my all. Kim Taehyung, this has been Park Seo-Jun. It was enchanting to meet you, Maknae-ssi."