viridity. kth x jjk / vkook

five

JJK | 5:32 a.m. | apt. 07

"jungkook, you really should sleep now," hoseok murmured.

"i need to finish."

"kook, you're going to pass out if you don't get at least an hour of sleep tonight."

jungkook eyed the papers in front of him, gaze nearly sad.

"hoseok?"

"yeah?"

"what if i can't even get through university?"

"i know you will, kid," hoseok said. "but if you don't, then so what? you live like that."

"i'm scared, hoseok."

hoseok smiled a little, leaning forwards on his elbows with a glint in his eyes.

"kook, you're doing fine," he said. "the stress is normal, you're normal, and you're doing great right now, okay?"

jungkook nodded.

"good, now let's go to sleep."

KTH | 6:32 a.m. | apartment 263

his dad had left the house again, leaving the lights off and shoving taehyung into the closet.

he was curled up against the wall, shivering and shaking and crying all at the same time, fingers slowly running over the new bruises on his arms and pain shooting through his entire body every time he moved because of the welts on his back.

he wanted to get out. he needed to get out, because he hadn't eaten in four and a half days and he didn't know when he'd be able to get out again. worse times, he'd be left in the closet for five or six days. if he was lucky, it'd only be one or two. but if he was unlucky, which he usually was, and left in the closet for six days, he would definitely starve to death, and that wasn't how he wanted to die.

he heard the front door open and flinched a bit, shrinking further into the closet.

footsteps neared the closet door, and taehyung really didn't know what to do. he cowered into the corner, shutting his eyes tight when the lock clicked and the door began to creak open.

"tae?"

he opened his eyes.

the voice was soft, not hoarse and deep. it wasn't his father.

taehyung choked out a sob when he saw who had come, and he was instantly, incredibly grateful that his father never remembered to lock their apartment door.

"yoongi?"

"yeah kid, it's me."

soft, gentle hands wrapped around his wrists and helped him to his feet:

"how did you-"

"your dad showed up to the bar i was at, and i got worried," yoongi said. "how much did he hit you? oh my god; tae, you're even thinner than i remember. have you been eating at all?"

"i don't have a lot of money, and my dad always eats out."

yoongi's eyes cast a sad look as he picked taehyung up to take him to his car.

"your father has money for drinks and food for himself, but can't feed you a meal a day?" yoongi slammed the door behind him, walking down the stairs briskly. "god, you're so tiny. you feel like a child, tae."