Z APOCALYPSE

CHAPTER 28: Things

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"Hey," I have carefully spoken as I reached our prison cell. There, I could see Taehyung all curled up in a ball with a thick layer of blanket covered his body.

I woke up strangely okay this morning with a strange dream the night before. My parents and Minho are there as well. In the dream, I cried and they comforted me. They told me that I should not worry and that all the comforts that are too much that when I woke up, the tears are there. Strangely, I didn't felt the aching pain of loss but a ton of realization.

"Yeah?" There was it. I'm right. I don't need to see his face just to know that he was crying.

I walked beside the double bed metal post and climbed up the mini stair to the second bedding.

"Are you crying?" I asked even though I could hear in his broken voice that he was.

"No, I'm not." He immediately responded. I saw him shuffled under the blanket before craning his head out.

"Are you alright now?" He asked biting his lower lip gently.

I internally sighed. This was all my fault. I almost forgot that some people are looking up to me and I got drowned in my sorrow and filled my heart in misery from my loss.

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. It's been a week when Minho has died. And it's been then that I've been missing from the responsibilities that I made.

His face crumpled in a painful agonizing way. It made my heart squeeze.

"I just hope you're okay now." He almost whimpered. Almost begging.

"I'm okay now, Taehyung. I'm sorry for ignoring you guys all. I've been caught up with my own these past few days." I apologized as I caressed the back of his head to calm him down. It's been a rough week for me, I'm sure of that. I just realized that nothing will happen if I stay that way. That miserable, weakling one. I know Minho hyung doesn't want me to stay like that at all.

"I'm s-scared hyung." He sobbed as he crashed his body on me.

"I'm scared that I'm gonna be next. That you will move on and forget about me if I died." He cried as he gripped on my shirt.

Is this the result of being careless and irresponsible? I could feel my heart-wrenching. I forgot the exact words that I'm always telling him whenever he feels like this because I'm so distracted by all the things that had happened to us.

"No. Nothing bad will happen to you or Luhan. I won't let that." I told him firmly as I rubbed his back. He's shaking and I realized how bad I am to let this poor young boy feel bad and scared because of my irresponsibleness.

"But M-Minho... he was gone..." he trailed. His eyes are still shut but his tears are falling continuously. This statement made a lump in my throat. Minho died. Didn't I try everything to save him?

Tears pricked my eyes once more.

"I'm back Taehyung." I comforted him as I kissed the top of his head. Silent tears fell on my eyes but I wiped them quickly.

"He once told me that he really missed his little brother before... so I guess they are happy in heaven now." I croaked out in the most unnoticeable way. I bit my lip to prevent any unwanted sound of despair.

I let myself indulge in the corner of darkness for quite some time, forgetting that there are people that I needed to keep safe.

Yes. I needed to keep them safe and alive because I am nothing if I failed that. That's my mission in life. The inspiration that I get from them and the wellness of myself reflect the way I keep noting in my heart and mind the responsibility that I created.