he was a bad guy | vkook

11jungkook

i hang up and put my phone onto the table with a sigh. i don't know what taehyung meant by saying he should learn to live on his own, but i hope it's not what i think he meant. it can't be.

i stand up and look around the room to find that minho isn't there anymore. i wanted to thank him for everything again, but he just disappeared. guess i'll go find him then.

as i walk towards the door, i suddenly remember that 'family photo' i put down when i came here. i turn around and approach the shelf where it is laying next to some books and files. i pick it up and examine it carefully. there's my dad sitting on a bench, smiling at the camera, while my brother and i are sitting on his lap. i'm 4 years old in this picture, but i still remember that day exactly 18 years ago. it was my birthday, just like today, and we went to an amusement park to celebrate it. we had a lot of fun.

i smile at my surprised expression in the photo as i put the framed picture back onto the shelf. how much has changed since then. the little me wouldn't even believe. but now i got a chance to make it back to normal, to save the ruined family. i wonder if it's gonna work out.

as i open the door to exit minho's office, i throw a last glance at the photo and wave a 'goodbye' at my brother before leaving. i know i'm never gonna see his face again.

when i walk down the corridor and reach the hall with that little barred corner, i see my dad sitting at one of the empty desks with a bottle of beer in his hand. he looks tired, but for some reason this makes him look younger - almost as young as in that picture. i approach the desk he's sitting at and plop onto the chair next to him.

"drinking at work, huh?"

he turns to look at me and chuckles. "it's almost 9 pm. work is over for me."

is it really? i check my watch. he's right. i didn't even notice how quickly the time has gone by. it feels like just a few minutes ago i was sitting on the edge of my bed, face in my hands, thinking about how much it sucks to be alone on your birthday. but now here i am, at the police station my dad works at.

"it was a long day," i mutter, thinking through everything that happened.

"i guess it was," he agrees. "you want a drink?"

for some reason i look at the bottle in his hand with suspicion and it makes him laugh.

"don't worry, it's not like i wanna poison you or something," he says, and i take the beer from him with a snort.

"it's a good one," i note and take another sip. i have never had beer with my dad before.

"it's my favorite. i used to drink it when you were little too."

when i was little. or does he mean when we were little? my brother and i?

"have you been to, um... see junghyun recently?" i ask quietly.

silence falls. i bet he dreaded this question.

"i, um... don't really have time for this," he replies averting his gaze, as he probably knows it makes me upset to hear this.

"i know but-" i trail off and shake my head. "you remember when we used to play computer games together after school? all three of us. you would come home earlier on fridays just to play with us. he used to win every time."

minho stares at the wall, not saying anything.

"and when we went cycling in the park? he taught me how to ride a bike and it's been my favorite sport ever since."

dad finally turns to me.

"you want us to go cycling again?" he offers. "we can ride to the hospital tomorrow morning, you and i. we just have to wake up a bit earlier and-"

"that's actually a good idea," i say, making him smile. his smile is just like mine. "i bet taehyung... will want to meet you too."

his expression darkens.

"i should apologize to him. it's just... i remembered about your birthday and was really pissed, so i didn't treat him too well."

"he'll forgive you," i assure him.

"i hope so."

"believe me, he will."

"i believe you." pause. "you want to... stay at my place tonight?"

i grin. "i'd love to."

with that we both get up and walk to the elevator together, step in step.

what a strange day it was.