Real Life

㉛What Are You So Afraid Of?

 
Jungkook felt miserable. Devastated. And he was the reason.

He had pushed Taehyung away and was left with his pride. It didn’t seem so important when Taehyung actually stormed out of his apartment, but it was too late to undo what he had said and done.

Sobbing uncontrollably for a long, long time with his head buried in the pillow, he felt numb. His mind was a vacant mess — he didn’t know why he was crying anymore. He just needed to let it out.

After a few hours of lying on the couch and with no tears left to cry, he heard his phone beep. He extended his hand weakly towards the table and grabbed it. He observed the message Jimin sent him, asking if they could come over. He replied since he knew they wouldn’t leave him alone otherwise, saying he wanted to stay alone today and for the weekend and that he would see them on Monday.

Taehyung wasn’t in a better condition. Once he left his apartment, he couldn’t tame his tears for a long time. The first thing he did when he got home was open a bottle of soju. Then the next one. And another one after that. He wasn’t as mad at Jungkook as he was at himself. He had no idea how to help him, and that was what wrecked him the most.

Yoongi texted him, asking about Jungkook since they didn't know what had happened with the two. And Taehyung was surprised at himself when an urge to see them bloomed in his gut. Usually, he wanted to be alone and just drink either at his place or a bar. He never wanted company in times like these.

But this time, he asked them to come over. And the sight his friends faced was wrenching. A row of bottles of soju were on the coffee table, and Yoongi rushed to check if they were all empty. Upon realizing they were, his chest clenched with heartbreak, and he gazed at Taehyung, who was sitting on the couch with another soju in his hand. His eyes lay glassy in their sockets, with tears at the ready to fall, and a visible exhaustion carpeted his traits.

“What the hell?” Namjoon uttered.

“You drank all these bottles?” Seokjin asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Taehyung said, his voice coming out so frail and broken, just like his heart.

The five boys settled down in the living room, waiting for Taehyung to explain what had happened. And once he did, their worry about both Jungkook and Taehyung only upsurged.

“Jimin-ah, can’t you go to his apartment? I don’t want him to be alone,” Taehyung pleaded, grasping the bottle in his hand.

“He asked me to leave him alone. Even if I show up, he won’t open the door. You know him,” Jimin said with palpable bitterness.

“He can’t be alone, guys. He can’t...”

“We’ll try going to him tomorrow, don’t worry,” Seokjin said, offering him a comforting smile.

Taehyung remained silent most of the time, listening to whatever his friends chatted about in hopes of alleviating even a fraction of his pain. He only spoke when they asked him something. As much as they tried stopping him from drinking his sixth bottle of soju, they didn’t succeed. But that bottle knocked Taehyung out; he laid his head back and drifted off to sleep before he knew it.

Namjoon moved him to his bed and draped the blanket over his body before returning to the living room.

“Guys, this is messed up,” Hoseok uttered. “What are we going to do?”