Stigma || A Kim Taehyung Story

Breathing?

“You lost him? Lost him? How?”

“Sir, I apologise, but the power of the angels is too strong.”

“I need him here now!”

“Sir, it'll only be a month-”

“I don't want to see your face again until you've found him. Clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

At the house of BTS

Jin went with the paramedics and Taehyung in the ambulance, and Jimin and Jungkook took Namjoon back to the house, where Tae’s birthday party had been held. Jimin parked up in the large driveway outside the house and got out of the driver’s seat. The house was quite fancy, since eight months ago they'd left Jin and Namjoon to find a house, and those two didn't believe in sharing rooms when you're ‘adult men’.

Jungkook got out of the back seat and closed the door behind him. He helped Namjoon out of the passenger seat and they went inside the house. Jimin hung his coat on the coat stand near the door. They went into the living room, with Jungkook awkwardly looking down when he saw that Hoseok was in the room. He hated lying, especially to the guys he actually shared a house with.

“Woah, what's wrong with Joon?” Hoseok asked, his voice still managing to sound bouncy at the same time as being worried. Jimin turned to Jungkook. “Could you stay with Namjoon upstairs for me? Thanks.” Jungkook nodded, then took one last guilty look at Hoseok before leaving with Namjoon half leaning on his shoulder.

“Um… Hoseok?” Jimin said quietly, as he sat down next to him. Hobi immediately looked up at Jimin, knowing something was wrong. “Hoseok? Since when did you call me by my proper name?” Hobi said with a laugh. “Jimin, what's up?” They were interrupted by the plinky plonky sound of Jimin’s ringtone. Hobi smiled, which made Jimin feel really bad, because Hoseok clearly didn't know what was coming.

Jimin took his phone out of his pocket and answered the call. He left the room to answer it. “Hey, Jin, how are things going? Have they told you anything about Tae?” Jimin asked, as he began to pace up and down the kitchen. He heard Jin’s uneven breathing and knew it would be some kind of bad news. “What happened, Jin? Is Tae okay? Please just say he's okay,” Jimin lowered his voice, in the hope that Hobi couldn't hear. Jin sighed. “They couldn't help him, Jimin… we were too late. He's… he's dead, Jimin.” Jimin gasped, and Jin immediately hung up the phone.

Jimin put his phone back in his pocket with shaky hands, and leaned on the kitchen worktop. He felt like he wasn't capable of this. Reluctantly, he went back to the living room and sat back in the place he was in before. Hobi looked at Jimin’s sad eyes and recognised something must be wrong. “Hey, Jimin, what's wrong? Come on, you can tell me.” Jimin went numb. He should tell Hobi. No, not yet, he thought. He tried to distract his mind, and he filled his head with the most random things he could in an attempt to keep himself calm. But before he knew it, he was crying at Hoseok, his head buried in his arm. Through the quickly falling teardrops, Jimin saw Yoongi kneel down in front of him, and put one hand on either of Jimin’s shoulders. “Jimin, what's wrong? What happened?” Jimin looked down at Yoongi, and collapsed into a breakdown of guilty tears. Yoongi received a certain look from Jimin, and he knew what was coming, he just didn't want to accept it.

Yoongi took Jimin to the kitchen and sat him down on the cold floor so their conversation couldn't be heard from the other room. Hoseok wanted to come with them, but the look on Yoongi’s face warned him not to. “Jimin, what's wrong?” Yoongi asked, his voice becoming more comforting than usual. Jimin shook his head in refusal. “Jiminie, it's about Tae isn't it?” Jimin nodded. Tears dripped from his chin onto his neck, and drenched the collar of his shirt. Yoongi pulled Jimin into a hug, letting Jimin dry his tears on Yoongi’s shoulder. “Stay here, Jiminie. I'll be back in a moment, okay?” Jimin nodded in acknowledgement and Yoongi left the room. Jimin brought his knees up to his chest, and rested his head on them, unable to think of anything other than Tae’s sudden death.

Yoongi knew this was a bad idea, but he'd have to find out at some point anyway. “Hobi? Hobi I need to tell you something.” Hoseok gave Yoongi a concerned look, and gestured for Yoongi to continue. “So, um… there's no good way of telling you this… um… Hobi? You… you're boyfriend, Tae, he-” Yoongi cut himself off with a deep breath, and Hoseok’s ears perked up when he heard the mention of his boyfriend. “He… he just died, Hoseok. I'm so sorry.” Yoongi was expecting tears, but something much more painful happened. The corners of Hobi’s mouth raised into a smile, and he began to laugh quietly. “You're all good actors.” Hoseok said, “You had me fooled at first.” Yoongi shook his head. “I'm really sorry, Hoseok, it's not a joke. It's not. You have to take me seriously.” Fear glimmered in Yoongi’s eyes, confirmation for Hobi that this wasn't a lie. Hoseok looked down. “No. No. Yoongi, no, how did he-”
“Just stay calm, okay, stay calm, I'm sorry.”

Jimin heard screams. Loud screams. He might have even felt the vibration through the wall of things shattering. Jimin knew what had happened. A few moments ago, he had the perfect life. He owned a dance studio, he had the best set of friends and he was finally close to believing that he was good looking, but now all of that was ruined. Another scream. Jimin cried quietly, since he hated it when his friends were upset. He always cared so much about them.

Hoseok screamed one last time, and collapsed into Yoongi’s arms. He wept loudly and buried his head in Yoongi’s hoodie, his eyes closed tightly. Yoongi rubbed Hobi’s back gently and looked around at what was left of the room.

“I heard screams, what's going on?” Jungkook said, coming down the stairs and standing in the doorway. “Nothing, Kookie. Just go and look after Joon for me.” Yoongi said, his back to the younger. “But he's asleep now-” Jungkook looked around the room, seeing the state of it. “Just go back upstairs, Jungkook!” Yoongi told him, turning to him now. Jungkook nodded, his eyes wide, and he rushed back upstairs. Yoongi sighed and turned back to Hobi, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek, in hope he could still manage to comfort him.

The front door was in the kitchen, so Jimin was the first to notice Seokjin come in. Jin saw Jimin staring up at him and immediately sat down and sobbed with him. Jimin closed his eyes, trying just to imagine what it might be like without Tae, but he just couldn't process it. He’d hated hearing Hobi’s screams from before. Jin pulled Jimin into one last hug before he got up to see the others.

“Yoongi? Is he okay?” Jin asked, also kneeling down. He ruffled Hobi’s hair, making the smaller boy twitch slightly. Yoongi nodded, and sniffles quietly. “I'll look after him. Jungkook and Namjoon are upstairs.” Jin nodded and left the room.

“Kookie?” Jungkook shushed Jin as he entered. “Hyung, Joon is sleeping.” he whispered, pointing at Namjoon’s face, his resting features oblivious to the extra person who had entered the room. Jin nodded and sat on the bed that Namjoon was sleeping soundly on. Jin sighed. He wished he wouldn't have to tell them, and he could just hide it from them. But then guilt would always haunt him, and be impossible to hide. “He's not okay, is he?” Jungkook whispered fretfully. Jin furrowed his eyebrows. Jungkook had said it as if it had been written on Jin’s face. “He… um… Kookie, he passed away.” Jungkook gasped. “He… he is? But he was breathing, wasn't he? He was, I swear, I could see it! I could see his chest rising, he's alive, Jin, he has to be! He must be… right?” Jin shook his head. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, they couldn't get him there on time. But there'll be a funeral, and we get to go, and we can talk to him. Trust me, there's nothing I could have done.” Jungkook nodded, but then shook his head in refusal. “I'll miss him, hyung, I miss him already!” Jungkook shouted and threw his head on Jin’s shoulder. Namjoon shifted his breathing and his open hand reached out to grab Jungkook’s. A single tear rolled down Namjoon’s face.