LOST STARS

Chapter 13

******Time skip: 6 months********

There was a lot of noise and activity in the Jeon home. Despite everything, Jungkook couldn't hear well. He became fixated on the image of his grandfather on the bed. The grandfather, who used to light up whenever Jungkook entered the room, now lay motionless. However, Jungkook had not been trained to deal with this situation. His initial reactions were anger and disappointment at not receiving a response from Jeon Sr. Jungkook reasoned that he kept hitting and shaking his grandfather's chest, possibly because he was sleeping.

"Don't take..." That was all he said as the family moved his body for the final time. He could only watch with wide eyes as people took away his safe haven in a world that had suddenly become too loud, bright, and overwhelming.

Then there was Kang, his father, walking back and forth, his dark shape standing out against the sad sky. Kang's hopes and dreams were cut off like a blade by the old man's clear will.

According to the Will, everything would go to Jungkook's Trust Fund. Putting his parents on a fixed monthly allowance to help them survive. They were now equally good or bad as the housekeeping staff. His mouth twitched, a warning sign of impending trouble over his failed attempts to gain control of the estate in this life.

Nobody was paying attention to Jungkook, so he went emotionally deeper inside, where words weren't needed.

The only sounds heard in the house were of Kang and Eun fighting. She turned even more to alcohol as a coping mechanism, which resulted in more fights. Hoseok would bring Jungkook to his room, where he would play music that Jungkook could handle. Everything that Hoseok did was centered on meeting Jungkook's needs, from what he ate to what he wore. It was possible to continue living that way for some time, but that was not to be.

Kang's unpleasant voice filled the dark hallways of the ground floor of the Jeon estate. He asked all the household staff to come there at a very ungodly late hour. All of them, tired from the day's work, gathered there and watched Kang's face. Waving his hand dismissively, he just said, "From tomorrow on, there is no need for you to come. You are all dismissed." Immediate shock and gasps took over the room.

At the back, Hoseok stood motionless, in his typical gentle demeanour. Sunghun's features hardened as he heard the words. He had a son he needed to fend for. Despite their wails, Kang's emotions did not change one bit. His eyes were firm and words filled with anger as he repeated and walked away.

"Please, sir," the gardener begged from behind, his knees still dirty from taking care of the turf he loved. "This job is our only income. our entire life."

"Life changes," Kang replied, each syllable symbolizing an empty kitchen and hungry stomachs in their houses.

Jungkook was not actively present but the commotion brought him from his room to the hallway on the first floor. He watched everything from the corner of his haven in a hostile world. He saw Hoseok's eyes stay on him as the older man walked towards the main gate while they talked quietly. Even though things were confusing, those eyes brought him comfort. Like a young animal startled by the hunt, Jungkook's eyes darted away. Even though he couldn't break the stillness, his heart was racing.

"Look at me, Jungkook," Hoseok said quietly, craning his neck to keep the visual connection. However, Jungkook was unfamiliar with the words, and his gaze would not—could not—match that of his friend.

"Enough!" Kang's voice broke through the tension. "Leave now." His voice was like an airplane that just gave a Mayday call and a crash was imminent.

With heavy feet dragging one behind the other, the staff made it out. The shoulders were drooping with the clear burden of how would they put food on the table tomorrow. As Hoseok neared the door, he slowed down, looking back up at Jungkook. He maybe hoped for the one look, that summed what Hoseok and Jungkook shared, but he also knew he wouldn't get it. Jungkook's hand twitched and he was now pulling at the skin at the dip of his neck a lot harder now: but nothing else—no sorrow, no smile, no longing. Hoseok was okay with it. He knew.

The house fell silent, save for the sound of doors closing behind uprooted lives. Kang turned on his heel, his satisfaction fading inside. He had pared away the excess, reducing the estate to its bare bones. Jungkook frowned and pulled on his skin at the collarbones as he entered his room and closed the door behind him. His world shrank even more as walls closed in without Hoseok to act as a buffer.

Hoseok, now only a shadow beyond the window pane, turned for a final look.

********

Taehyung had been less animated with his hands and gestures since Yoongi left six months ago. When his father lost his job, he was left to support the two of them alone. In the early 1990s, newspapers started to print more and more, and Taehyung was well-suited to distribute them because he was familiar with the town.

Sunghun, though, decided to take action for the community. In return for helping him in his early years, Sunghun became a neighborhood carer for the children of young working couples. That his father was not by himself during the day brought him joy, and Taehyung was composed.

Because Taehyung was the source of their joy with balloons of all colors, children kept him company as well. No one else in the market seemed to make children happier than Taehyung.

With more balloon handling experience by now, he created balloon animals and related elaborate backstories about them. Children would assemble around him and, curiously, piece together his quiet language with their wide eyes.

More of a practiced art, his smile appeared on his face like second nature. His typical exuberance had somewhat subsided since... well, a few years ago. Smiles were hidden at the corners of his mouth and did not reach his eyes.

Usually, Taehyung would finish everything and head home as evening turned to dusk. Sunghun wasn't in the best of health, and even though they didn't talk, Taehyung knew he had to get home at a certain hour. Soju was one of the main things that came as a change and addition. It kept Taehyung in constant company. In the evenings, it was tough to see him without a bottle or two.

Taehyung went to his mezzanine bed after a quiet dinner with Sunghun. His drunken sleep prevented him from seeing many of Sunghun's torch flashes. The fact that Taehyung was not hearing him was evident as he continued to yell at him. It was only with the first light of day the next morning that he got up and looked down.

He then saw Sunghun, still and huddled on the ground. Taehyung felt a rush of panic attacks. There were only quiet screams—no shouts, no sobs, no cries for help. Feeling the weight of worry more than the man, Taehyung swept his father on his back in one quick motion, adrenaline taking over. He kicked hard at Jimin's door as he hurried towards the main road and motioned for him to follow. Quickly assessing the circumstances, Jimin locked his house and fled behind Taehyung.

Staff members helped to get Sunghun onto a stretcher and to the emergency room as soon as they arrived at the hospital. The doctor informed Taehyung that his father needed immediate surgery due to a failing kidney after the required routine examinations. It was going to cost 7,000 won for the operation. Taehyung's heart sank the instant Jimin confirmed all that he understood correctly.

"OK, Aehyun. He saves money at home in a little box, right? I'm going to check that out. Relax. Breathe." Jimin said, giving Taehyung a back pat.

Kidney failure, surgery, urgent, 7,000 WON—these words hammered inside of him the entire way back. Had Jimin not been there, he might have stumbled on the way home. Though 7000 won was an insurmountable mountain, his father's survival awaited him on the other side and he was determined to cross it.

Taehyung had argued, begged, and done everything else he could in the hospital. Though it was a sight that saddened the doctors, there was no way to negotiate a way out of it.