JJK ff| Obsession 1| Completed

4. Dear mother on the floor...

Thirty minutes.

They hung out for precisely thirty minutes. Taehyung took her to a park, refusing to enter any building. Claustrophobia.

Mae appreciated it. She was tired of buildings and the fresh air was more alluring than she could ever think it would be. They lay on the grass, side by side staring at the sky–whitish blues blossoms of foam spread and dissolved on the swells, swirling in beautiful white fluffs, looking so near to touch, glazing over her with gentle whispers of relaxation. They had nothing to say, they simply shut down and relaxed, taking a breather and feel life. Looking at people without the barrier of a screen made them look incomplete like smooth, chewy clay and Mae found herself giggling discreetly.

The shrill of Taehyung's phone startled her. He cursed under his breath while he jumped into a sitting position and looked at her with an apologetic look tainted with a hint of frustration. She nodded in understanding.

"I have to go." He mouthed, skin paling. Mr Gwan had that effect. He took her by surprise when he hovered above her, leaning close to plant a kiss on her forehead. She involuntarily shivered, the image of Karlina's body flashing before her eyes.

Taehyung left, exhaustion wearing him like a sleeve.

Fifteen minutes later, she was dialling Jungkook's number, not expecting much.

Surprisingly, he picked up. In the background, Mae caught the faint beeping sound.

"What's up?" He rasped out of breath.

"I'm moving out."

Beep. Beep. Beepbeeeeep. Beep.

"Kook?"

"When?"

"Um...next week."

Beeeeep. Beep. Bee– "Let's talk later, I'm a little bit caught up in something right now."

"Yeah. Sure."

She held her phone against her ear for a pause longer. Her heart did a funny twist and her mind refused to acknowledge it. A stream of questions pricked at the back of her mind and she refused to word them out. They will remain hazy, a blur.

She decided to head home checking the date for the first time in a while.

2nd March.

She missed the times they messed around.

┆

A sharp smell struck her nose, heat blowing into her face making her step out into the fresh air and cough into her elbow.

"Mom?" Mae peeked behind the door, kicking off her shoes, and leaving the door open a crack. "Mom!" She walked into the living room, covering her nose. Hastened her steps to the kitchen, black dots bleeding into her vision. Her heart beat wildly.

"Mom." Cough. Flames waltzed on the stove, a saucepan jittering with food burnt to a black crisp. Switching the stove off, she pushed open the windows, tripping over a body when she stepped back.

Her mother lay on the floor unconscious. Cheek glued to the white, cold, marble, her robe loosely bundled around her body, the tip of her nose red, saliva slugging out of her chapped, parted lips. Her skin, red.

Mae desperately pulled her out of the kitchen. With struggle, dragged her to the door, kicked it ajar and crouched beside her mother. She was already speaking on the phone, rapping her address to the impatient man on the other side of the line. She tapped on her mother's cheek afraid of pressing a finger on her neck to find no pulse, pressing her wrist and feeling nothing, Mae's eyes focused on her mother's chest watching it rise. Slowly.