[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴋ.ᴀ.ʀ.ᴅ][ʙ.ꜱᴇᴘʜ ᴀᴜ]

♤ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓸 ♤

♤ Operation Run! ♤

"We should do something after class." Taehyung said, smiling softly as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips.

Matthew studied the older male. "We are doing something now." He replied simply.

"I know but breakfast is just breakfast, Jinseok." Taehyung pouted. "We should do something fun, like video games or basketball," Taehyung mumbled. "Or help my father plan his stupid dinner party."

"I have late classes today and then I'm going to Drew's afterwards." Matthew said, casually. "Besides, don't you think we spend too much time together?"

Taehyung's face dropped. "You think we spend too much time together? Isn't that what best friends are supposed to do though?"

"I guess?" It came out as a question.

Taehyung set his coffee cup on the table and rubbed his hands on the sides as he stared down into it. "Can I come with you to Drew's then or do you really not want to hang out with me?" A pout spread over soft facial features.

"You know you can't. My friend's don't..." Matthew didn't even know how to finish that sentence. "You can have me tomorrow okay? I don't have classes so we can hang out all day if that's what you really want."

"You promise?" Taehyung asked, looking up hopefully and Matthew felt bad for blowing him off this afternoon.

Matthew nodded. "I promise."

*****

Matthew would never have seen this coming.

He had woken up the next day as normal, nothing out of the ordinary, so he went about his usual morning routine. Until he came upon a small silver parcel sitting on the kitchen counter. He frowned and looked around the kitchen noticing that Eric wasn't around.

Matthew carefully picked up the parcel and saw that it was addressed to a Matthew Kim. He shrugged and hesitantly unsealed it. He emptied the contents onto the table and out of it slid a broken silver watch.

It was the one from his dream.

"What the fuck?" Matthew mumbled under his breath.

Just as he picked up the watch, Eric came bursting through the front door. Blood covered his shoulder beneath his hand and tears in his eyes.

"Jinseok! You need to get out of here. You need to hide." Eric shouted at him.

Matthew was in shock as he stared at his brother. The sound of a gunshot rang in the background and the sight of Eric falling to his knees broke Matthew out of his trance. Matthew rushed to his brother and rolled him onto his back. He held him in his arms, not caring that blood was getting all over his hands as he applied pressure to Eric's wound.

"Hyung!" Matthew sobbed.

Eric reached up and touched his cheek. "Get out of here Jinnie. D-don't let them catch you." Eric said weakly.

"Hyung who did this?" Matthew had tears streaming down his face.

Eric shook his head the best he could. "Doesn't matter... Take the watch... Find Somin."

That was the last thing Eric ever said to him. Matthew wanted to scream but the sound of another gunshot prevented him from doing so. He placed Eric's body on the floor and crouched as he ran to his room to get his essentials. Matthew escaped out the back of the house and ran down the back streets to the one place he knew he could hide.

There was a spot in the park across from Taehyung's apartment building. It used to be a part of the playground before the playground got remodelled and moved to the other side of the park. It was a cubbie house of sorts but it was so old and run down that the only people who used it were him and Taehyung.

So many things were happening in Matthew's brain and he couldn't quite process them all.

His older brother was dead. When he came to this realisation he sat against the wooden wall and stared down at his blood soaked hands. He was silently sobbing, he didn't have the energy to cry. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there crying before his phone began to ring.

Matthew grabbed his phone from his pocket and looked at the caller i.d.

'Shit Taehyung.' Matthew thought as he answered and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Where the hell are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago! My father wants me to help him with his stupid meeting now because you didn't show up and rescue me from it." Taehyung scolded him.

Matthew wanted to speak. He opened his mouth but all that came out was a strangled whimper of pain.

"Jinseok?" Taehyung asked worriedly when he heard the sound.

Matthew couldn't help it. He broke down into tears.

"Jinseok where are you? I'm coming to get you!" Taehyung exclaimed. Matthew could hear him running around frantically.

"Our spot." Matthew mumbled before hanging up so that he could bury his face in his knees.

It didn't take Taehyung long to get there and when he did, he immediately pulled the crying younger male into his arms for a comforting hug.

"Jinseok what happened?" Taehyung whispered.

Matthew kept his hands to himself but leaned his forehead onto Taehyung's shoulder as he cried.

"M-My Hyung...." Matthew whimpered again and lifted his hands to show Taehyung the blood. "S-Shot."

"Shot?!" Taehyung had a bewildered look on his face as he looked at Matthew's blood covered hands. Taehyung thought for a moment. "Come to my house, we can get you cleaned up and a fresh pair of clothes... You can tell me all about it or cry to your heart's content but just know that I'm here for you."

Matthew tried to take deep breaths. "I didn't get to tell him..."

"Tell him what?" Taehyung frowned.

"That I love him." Matthew sobbed.

"I'm sure he knows that Jinseok." Taehyung said softly. "Come on, let's go get you a nice cup of tea."

Matthew let Taehyung pull him up and lead him to his apartment. He was too mentally exhausted to think for himself.