numb •jjk+kth•

08

My feet crunching through the snow was all I could hear. It was early in the morning and I'd left Taehyung in bed whilst I'd gone to get some food for breakfast.

The snow silenced the town and gave off a melancholy feeling.

The bruising on my ribs had almost faded but it was still a bit sore when I stretched. Yugyeom hadn't made an appearance since the day Taehyung had threatened him and I wondered if it was truly the end of that. I needed to know if Jungsung had told him or not, if what Suga had said is true. I felt bad still for lying to Taehyung about who had attacked me but I didn't want Yugyeom to hurt even more.

I'd known him for years as he and Jungsung were inseparable. They did pretty much everything together. My brother graduated but Yugyeom got kept behind a year which was why he was still at school with me.

I crushed on him when I was younger, he was so tall and good looking. When I told my brother this, he laughed and ruffled my hair, agreeing that his best friend really was amazing. I suppose I should have seen it then. I'd been honest with my sexuality since I entered high school but Jungsung kept it at bay. He'd never really told me outright but I picked it up from a few fly by comments and looking back on my memories now, I should have known it was Yugyeom.

The pain in my chest didn't stay with me all the time anymore but it occasionally came back to visit like an old friend, mainly whenever I thought about my brother...

"Kookie?" A sweet voice broke my thoughts and pulled me back to the present. In my daydreaming, I'd gone the wrong way and I'd ended up a bit further out of town, more towards Taehyung's house.

"Gran?" I walked over and she wrapped her arm through mine. "What are you doing out here at this time?"

"I could ask you the same, young man. Is Taehyung asleep?" She held me close, wrapping her coat around her more against the chill.

"Yeah, I was going to the store but I guess I wandered too far." I gazed off into the distance, noticing we were near the cemetery, the railings on the other side of the road.

"Good, I'm glad I've run into you actually. Do you have some time?" She asked, looking up at me. I was unsure as to what she wanted but after the way she had looked after me and taken me in, I had all the time in the world for this lady.

I nodded with a smile and she guided me through the snow into the cemetery.

"I come and visit Jin-yo every Friday on my way to the store. I know if he were here, he'd tell me to come after the store so I could bring him some sweets." She laughed as we walked through the rows of gravestones and I felt my head tilt in confusion.

"Oh, that's right. Jin-yo is my late husband, Tae-tae's grandfather." I felt my heart twist when she explained it. I was about to apologise but I noticed how fondly she spoke about him. It didn't seem to be a painful missing.