Solar: A sequel to Eclipse

•10•

Cold and tough. That's what it takes to be in this world.

Taehyung knew this. As a child until adulthood, he was known to be this way.

He was always distant from others, never wanting to give them the light of day. Hell, he only ever had friends because of his brother.

He and Jin were always side by side, sometimes it would annoy the older man, but ultimately they had the same taste in friends.

When Taehyung met Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok, he knew that the five of them would get along just fine.

But, of course, Jungkook added to the mix. And then Jimin came along too.

Taehyung was never caring about the majority of this group. And when he met Jimin, that still didn't change.

Taehyung knew that being smacked around and ignored was the right way to go. At least it was better than getting kicked or punched.

Jimin seemed to be pulled in through this logic, and Taehyung felt like he could finally show his softer side.

Even then, nothing changed.

Taehyung stared at the ceiling in his cell as he reminisced on his past actions. How he and Jimin actually were.

It had only been 10 months of being in prison, and he hated every second. He hated every moment and nothing ever changed. It had been a full week since he actually saw Jimin in person, and he was starting to feel like he would never come.

Currently, he was rotting on his bed. But soon enough, his security guard opened the cell door.

Taehyung looked to him.

"Jackson?" He asked. Jackson just motioned for Taehyung to follow.

"Looks like you have your first visitor, Kim."

Taehyung felt a rush of excitement when he heard that. He tried his best not to show it but he slowly got off of his bunk and followed officer Jackson.

A visitor? Could it really be Jimin?

For some reason, as they kept walking, Taehyung had so many ideas rush through his mind. He was excited for the first time in almost a year. But once they got to the private room, Taehyung's smile faded.

"Oh. It's you." He deadpanned.

Officer Jackson motioned Taehyung to sit at the table, which the latter obliged.

After a few moments of silence, Taehyung waited for Jackson to walk to a distance. He officially broke the silence.

"Ya know, for as long as it's been, I never expected that you would even see me again. So, tell me, why the fuck are you coming to see me now?" Taehyung asked darkly.

"I can't see my little brother?" Jin asked. Taehyung glared at Jin. He wasn't going to play into any bullshit.

"Alright, fine. I came here because I need to ask you a huge question." Jin confessed. Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"I'm locked up for ten months, no calls, no visits, not even a letter from you, and you expect me to give you a favor? Is your head so far up your own ass, Seokjin?" Taehyung scoffed.

Jin rolled his eyes.

"Well excuse me for cleaning up your mess."

The brothers say in silence for a few moments before Taehyung eventually let out a long sigh.

"Alright....what did you wanna ask?" Taehyung almost sneered as he asked this. Jin looked to his little brother and held a straight face.

"Taehyung, if I managed to get Jimin to undo the charges, could I trust you not to make the same mistake you already did?"

Taehyung was silent. He glared to Jin angrily.

"Do you really think I want your help?"

Jin scoffed.

"Well, listen. You still have another, what, 14 months to go? So do you really want to stay here that long?"

Taehyung looked to his hands and let out a soft sigh. On one hand, he did want to get out of here. But he didn't want to owe anything to his brother.

"Why do you even wanna help me?" Taehyung asked quietly. Jin pursed his lips together and then sighed.

"I'm getting sick of living with all those assholes. And frankly, if you were home, they could finally leave. Namjoon and I need you to be back home."

Taehyung was quiet. He looked to Jin.

"You still live with them?"

"Well duh, they don't have the balls to leave Jimin. At this point, I have a feeling that Yoongi and Hoseok are gonna leave with him soon. I doubt that Jungkook would wanna stay too."

Taehyung rubbed his forehead.

"Jin, what is this "great" plan that you're even thinking of anyway?"

Jin smiled.

"I want to tell Jimin everything that you told me. That way he can remember your version and not what.....actually happened."

Taehyung held a dark expression with Jin. For a while, the brothers didn't say a word. Jin stared to Taehyung, hoping that he would at least agree.

But after a minute or so, Taehyung finally looked to Jin.

"Don't expect me to ever ask you for a favor again, Jin. After I get out of here, I'm never gonna talk to you, okay?"

Jin smiled.

"Then we're at an agreement?"

Taehyung looked to Jin's hand. He wasn't sure if this was even a good idea, if this would only resort in another bad moment, but Taehyung was done with this place already.

He decided.

Taehyung shook his hand and looked him in the eyes.

"Let's get me the hell out of here."

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 

Jimin sat in his room, looking at more of the yearbook photos from their senior year.

They all looked like a mix of happy or frustrated. It was getting easier to differentiate between the emotions now.

Jimin sighed. He wanted so badly to just remember, but the only things he could even remember was the small memories that unlocked.

He was already starting to forget that coma dream.

The more he looked at the pictures. The more he realized that he really just didn't know these people anymore. The way they all act now is much different than how they act around him in the memories.

And what was that memory with him and Yoongi? Was there chemistry there before? And if there was, why did Jimin remember it now of all times? It just didn't make sense.

He wiped his face and put the yearbook away. He needed to start remembering more, because if Taehyung was really as bad as everyone says, he needed to know through his own eyes.