Not For Long

.20

Jungkook stood far, giving the time and space for Chaeyoung to be with Taehyung for a while. He watched as Chaeyoung pulled Taehyung into a tight hug, which caused the male to break down. Jungkook looked away then, not because of jealousy or any raging feeling that he'd feel whenever he saw the two. But he, too, a total stranger to Taehyung and his family, felt the sadness and sorrow.

He knew that feeling very well. He knew what it felt to lose a precious family member to death. As he looked around, all the people he could see were drowned in an extreme feeling of sorrow. But this person who had just left the world must be a very great and warm person, because the weather on that funeral day wasn't hot and humid nor was it gloomy and dull. There wasn't any rain, yet it wasn't hot at all.

He glanced around and saw Jennie. She wasn't crying anymore, but she sure cried a hell lot, her eyes showed it all. Namjoon was holding her protectively, and he too looked like he was in deep sorrow. From what he observed, Taehyung's mother must have treated them really well like they were her own children as well and if only Jungkook was one of them, he knew he'd be as sad as them, if not more.

As time passed, people were leaving and both Namjoon and Jennie approached Taehyung and Chaeyoung who were now sitting on the ground. Jennie said something to the both of them before Jungkook noticed Chaeyoung turning to look at his direction. Taehyung and her nodded at what Namjoon said next before Taehyung pulled her into his embrace, and they hugged tightly for a few moments.

Jungkook straightened up as Chaeyoung made her way towards him and as soon as she reached him, his words disappeared before he could ask if she was ready to go home when he saw how swollen her face looked after those times she had cried.

"Let's go," she said weakly, her voice breaking.

He didn't say a word as he helped her to open the door for her and as soon as she got inside, he noticed that she just leaned her head to the headrest, not bothering to buckle her seatbelt. Jungkook settled himself in the driver's seat, and leaned towards her to help her fasten it. Before he started to drive, he gave her a long stare and hoped that the color that had gone from her face would resurface and although it would be truly impossible to lead life exactly like before now that someone precious to her had left, she needed to keep on living.

*

Chaeyoung leaned her head against the wall inside the elevator, her hand held the railing just in case she'd get sucked down by gravity when she felt her knees went weak. It still felt unreal that earlier on that day, she along with her friends went to send off Taehyung's mother for her new journey. It was unbelievable how this could happen.

Life has always been paired with death, that fact is known to everyone including her. But it didn't feel real at all when death did come to replace life. She felt like it was too soon. She was angered that miracle did not happen upon the precious lady.

The elevator stopped and it was time for Jungkook to exit it. But he took the time to stare at her, and as much as she wanted to look back at him, she didn't have the strength to even do that.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jungkook asked her, pressing the button to keep the door opened.

Her lips separated to let out a simple 'Yeah' but it didn't come out. Instead, she nodded once softly with her eyes boring holes into the floor as she kept her head low.

"If you need anything, please tell me," he said, stroking her head softly and when his hand was absent from her head, she began to long for it.

But even when she needed him so much, her words were trapped within her that the only thing she could let out was the sound of her sniffles.