Finding Taehyung

Chapter Nine - Whispers of Yesterday

As the group stepped out of the car and onto the quiet street, an eerie silence enveloped them. The area was oddly still, as if waiting for something to happen. Jungkook glanced around, feeling the weight of the location pressing on him. His chest tightened with the familiar ache of missing Taehyung, though he tried not to let it show.

The first thing that caught Jungkook's eye was the graffiti on the wall nearby—a simple, yet unmistakable drawing of a rabbit, its long ears reaching high and its eyes wide, almost sad. The lines were faded, the colors dull and weathered, but there was no mistaking it. Jungkook's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a pang of recognition.

"Hyung," Jungkook murmured, turning toward Namjoon. "Look at this."

Namjoon stepped closer, his eyes following Jungkook's outstretched hand toward the graffiti. His face shifted from confusion to recognition, his brow furrowing as memories rushed back. "I know this," Namjoon said softly. "This is Taehyung's. He painted something just like this during the 'Love Yourself' highlight reel."

Jimin, who had been scanning the area, stopped and turned toward the graffiti as well. "I remember that," he said. "Taehyung and you were supposed to be best friends in the 'Wings' and 'Love Yourself: Her' era, weren't you?"

Namjoon nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah... it was part of the storyline we created back then. This is his style. It's almost exactly like the painting he did in the reel."

Yoongi crossed his arms, stepping up beside them. "Do you think he left this here on purpose?"

"It has to be," Namjoon said, still staring at the graffiti. "It's too specific. There's no way this is just a coincidence."

Jungkook's mind raced, his thoughts tangling together. Taehyung's disappearance, the strange locations, and now this—a piece of their shared past left behind, as if Taehyung had planted it here for them to find.

Before they could contemplate it further, the sound of small, hurried footsteps interrupted their thoughts. They turned just in time to see a young girl, no older than six, running toward them. Her hair was pulled into two messy pigtails, her big brown eyes wide with excitement, and her round cheeks flushed pink from the rush. She wore a simple yellow dress, slightly wrinkled from playing, and scuffed sneakers that squeaked as she ran.

Without any hesitation, the girl ran straight to Hoseok and latched onto his leg, looking up at him with wide, adoring eyes. "Are you Jungkook oppa?" she asked, her voice filled with innocent excitement.

Hoseok blinked, clearly taken aback, and gently crouched down to her level. "No," he said, smiling softly. "I'm Hoseok oppa. But that," he pointed at Jungkook, "that's Jungkook oppa over there."

The girl's face lit up as she released Hoseok and rushed toward Jungkook, her small legs moving as fast as they could. When she reached him, she stopped just inches away, looking up at him with awe. Her tiny hands dug into the pockets of her dress before she pulled out a bright yellow lollipop and handed it to Jungkook.

Jungkook knelt down, still confused, but took the lollipop from her small hand. "Thank you," he said softly. "But why are you giving this to me?"

The little girl beamed, bouncing slightly on her toes. "I was told to come here every day and wait for you and your friends. And when you showed up, I was supposed to give you this lollipop."

Jungkook's brows furrowed, his confusion deepening. "Who told you to do that?"

The girl giggled, twirling one of her pigtails around her finger. "Tae Tae."

Jungkook's breath caught in his throat. "Taehyung? Tae Tae told you to wait for us?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "Yep! He said you and your friends would come here, and I was supposed to give you the lollipop."

Jimin stepped forward, his voice quiet but urgent. "When did he tell you this?"

The girl scrunched up her face in thought, her lips pursed as she counted on her fingers. "Like... a few weeks ago, maybe?"

Namjoon knelt beside Jungkook, his voice gentle as he spoke to the girl. "Did Tae Tae tell you anything else?"

The girl shook her head, but then her face brightened with a new thought. "Oh! Tae Tae said I could play a game with you guys! He told me how to play it!"

Namjoon exchanged a glance with Jungkook before asking, "What kind of game?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You put someone's phone on the ground, and then you hit it with a stick! Like golf, but with a phone!" She paused, giggling. "Tae Tae said it's super fun!"

Jimin's eyes widened, and he quickly looked at the others. "Wait, that's from the highlight reel, too. Taehyung had that scene where he played a game like that with his girlfriend."

Yoongi's expression darkened, his mind racing. "This can't be random. He's leaving us clues, but why?"

Hoseok ran a hand through his hair, still trying to make sense of it all. "This girl isn't just some coincidence. Taehyung must have known we would come here, and he's guiding us, but we're missing something."

Jungkook looked down at the yellow lollipop in his hand, his thoughts swirling. The graffiti, the girl, the game—it was all connected to their past, to the "Love Yourself" era. But why was Taehyung using these memories? What was he trying to tell them?

The little girl tugged on Namjoon's pant leg again, her voice soft. "Can we play the game now? Please?"

Namjoon smiled at her, but his expression was tinged with worry. "Maybe later, okay? But first, we need to figure out where Tae Tae went. Do you know where he is?"

The girl shook her head, her pigtails bouncing again. "Nope! He just told me to wait for you here."

Namjoon nodded, standing up and glancing at the others. "We're not getting any more information from her, but this is enough to tell us that Taehyung was here recently."

Jungkook clenched the lollipop in his hand, determination hardening in his chest. "He's trying to lead us somewhere. He's using memories from the past, things we'd remember. We need to follow this."

Yoongi nodded, his jaw tight. "But where does this trail lead? The graffiti, the game, the girl... it's all pieces of something bigger."

Hoseok took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the street. "We need to keep looking. There has to be more. Taehyung wouldn't leave us with just this."

Jungkook stood, his mind racing as he tried to piece everything together. Taehyung had planned all of this. He had known they would come, and he had left these clues for them to find. But the question remained—why? What was he trying to lead them to?

The little girl, now distracted by a butterfly fluttering nearby, skipped away, leaving them alone with their thoughts. As they stood there, the sun beginning to dip lower in the sky, a sense of urgency settled over the group. They were close to something, something Taehyung wanted them to find.

And whatever it was, they couldn't stop now.

"We need to keep moving," Namjoon said, his voice firm. "We're not leaving until we figure out what this all means."

Jungkook nodded, his heart racing. They were on the right path, but the deeper they went, the more dangerous it felt. Taehyung was guiding them toward something, and now, more than ever, they had to follow his trail—wherever it might lead.

Together, they would find him.