Me, Myself, and Them. |TAEKOOK|

33

Jungkook's POV.

    "I was in the kitchen when I started dissociating. Usually I can feel who's close and I can tell who's going to front. But I didn't recognize his presence. I didn't know what to do."

    "What's his name?"

Hajoon sighs, continuing to move around the kitchen as he prepares dinner, even though Jimin and Jungkook insisted on doing so. "I don't know. We were co-conscious on and off, that's why I started playing my music. I was going to try to get V out but...yeah, I know...I'm sorry, everyone's close right now."

"You're fine, Joon." Jimin says. "Take your time."

"Well...I guess V fronted once or twice throughout the hour. We were really switchy and...Taehyung was in distress so we were all on high alert." Hajoon says, preparing to warm one of their prepped meals. "When we're stressed I usually front to take that stress and V stays close in case I need him. Minseok was close this time too but he doesn't handle stress well so I try...y'know I try to keep him further away from the front."

    "What's the last thing you remember, Joon? Before the attempt." Jimin asks straightforwardly. "Do you know what could've triggered this alter?"

    "Oh... I don't remember much. Y'know my memory..." Hajoon sighs in a frustrated manner, stopping in his tracks for a second. "I do remember, I'm sorry. It's V. He doesn't want me to talk about it while they're close."

    "Who's close?" Jungkook asks.

    "V, Minseok, and Taehyung are the closest. My littles are close, I think because I'm back." The older says microwaving the food in a Tupperware bowl.

    "Where'd you go, hyung? Why'd you leave?" Jungkook asks, Jimin had been asking all the questions so far but Jungkook had to ask this one.

Hajoon leans against the counter, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and crossing his arms. "When I first split I was a fragment alter. I existed for one reason and that reason alone. And that reason was to hold a memory that I've kept with me since the day I was first conscious. I stayed in this secluded part of the inner world and whenever Taehyung would be reminded of anything that related to my memory I felt this tugging in my heart that would pull me closer and closer to the front.

    "I always fought it because I thought that he was trying to take my memory and I felt like I had to guard it with my life to protect him. I lost a battle in this house the other night that I should've won. And I felt like the things I remembered could never reach the rest of the system so I went back to that place. And I tried to leave those memories there, I tried to not think about them and whenever they needed me I hid."

    "Why?" Jimin asks. "You know they need you Hajoon."

    "I thought I was doing the right thing." Hajoon says, his eyes glossy with tears. "I really did, Jimin. And I know they needed me, I know my babies needed me but what I needed was for them to be okay. And for them to know that I'm strong enough to keep us safe even though I'm clearly not."

    "You have to tell us what happened, Joon. You have to." Jimin says standing from the kitchen table. "We can't help you if you don't."

Hajoon shakes his head. "I don't know what to say, Jimin."

    "Yes you do~"

    "Back off, Jimin." Jungkook says. "If he doesn't want to tell us he doesn't have to."

    "Yeah, he doesn't have to. And this will just happen all over again." Jimin says insensitively.

The room falls silent Hajoon wiping his tears before they fall.