Trigger Warning ⚠️ : Mentions of suicide and self harm. Read with caution.

Jungkook follows after V despite his request to be left alone.

He follows him up to the roof of the hospital which is well lit with a seating area that overlooks the city.

He finds the brunette standing near the edge, his back to him.

    "V?" He says cautiously.

    "You must be this Jungkook I've heard so much about." The brunette says, making Jungkook stop in his tracks. "I'm sorry but V's not here at the moment. He's away dealing with some rather...unsettling news."

Jungkook isn't sure what to do or what to say. "What's your name?"

"Why?" The brunette asks, facing him for the first time and revealing his topaz colored eyes. "So you can go report it to the others? Or to that doctor friend of your's?"

"No. Just so I know what to call you." Jungkook says. "That's all."

The brunette scoffs, turning back around. "Who are you, Jungkook? Who are you really?"

"What do you mean?" Jungkook asks in confusion.

"What's your deal?" He asks. "You show up out of nowhere and you suddenly care so much about everyone. I've been around for years and suddenly you show up and everyone wants to talk to me and meet me and they want to know my name. They didn't care before but all of a sudden they do now. And I think you have something to do with it."

"Taehyung asked me to be his caregiver a little while ago. So I just help out when I can and keep an eye on you guys. It's for your own good, really." Jungkook explains.

"For our own good...hm." The brunette says as he starts pacing back and forth. "You think you know what's good for us?"

"I didn't say that. I said it's for your own good. I'm not here for any reason other than to help." Jungkook says. "I'm not going to hurt you. Or anyone else."

"I guess I can believe that. I'm somehow still alive so it must be true, right?" The brunette asks looking at him, his eyes are void of any life or emotion. "Thanks to you we're all still alive."

"How old are you?" Jungkook asks.

"Seventeen." The brunette answers. "What difference does it make?"

"You're young." Jungkook says. "You still~"

"Please don't say something stupid like 'you have so much life left to live' or something. Because that's bullshit." The brunette says, stopping and leaning on the short wall gating the roof. "Death has no age limit."

Jungkook sighs, trying to find the right words to say. "You said you've been around for years, right? How many years?"

"I don't really know." He shrugs. "Everyone in the system knows the exact moment they become conscious but it's not like that for me. One day I just showed up and I don't remember when or why. Maybe Hajoon knows, he knows everything else, right?"

"I guess." Jungkook says. "Well, if you had to guess how many?"

"Three or four." The brunette says. "I don't know why I am the way I am. I've always felt like this."

"Like what?"

"Like I'd be better off dead."

Jungkook falls silent in fear of saying the wrong thing.

"You don't have to say anything. You'd probably say something stupid anyways." The brunette sighs. "I just don't know why I'm here, why I don't get my own mind or my own body. Why everything seems to workout for everyone but me. Why'd I have to be the bad guy?"

"You aren't the bad guy. No one thinks you're bad." Jungkook says. "We're just worried. About you and about the body."

"There's this quote. It's my favorite quote actually. It goes 'The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.'" The brunette sighs, shaking his head. "I believe in that wholeheartedly. I didn't ask to be here and they treat me like an outsider. And Taehyung wanted to die just as much as me at one point so why does it matter if I'm the only one who will actually do it?"

"You're not an outsider. And it's not fair for you to make a decision like that for everyone. Taehyung's better now~"

"Really? That's what you think? That he's all better?" The brunette asks facing him with a small smirk. "You don't know as much as you think you do."

"What do you mean?" Jungkook asks.

The brunette steps down from the ledge, stopping in front of Jungkook and rolling his sleeve up. "See for yourself."

Jungkook remains silent as he looks at the cuts lacing his arm, looking away when he's see them.

"All better, right?" The brunette asks tugging the sleeve down. "You see what he wants you to see and that's it, Jungkook. So don't believe him so easily."

"What are you saying?" The older asks looking up at him.

"I'm saying, maybe he's the one you need to be worrying about. Not me." The younger says walking past him towards the exit.

"I'm going to worry about you regardless." Jungkook says following him with his eyes.

"Oh you're so sweet." He scoffs, pushing the door open.

    "Why did you go see Taehyung's mom before?" The older asks before he's gone.

    "Because. She's not who you think she is. Or who they think she is." The brunette says without facing him. "She's not some monster and when I'm around her I actually feel like I matter. Like I'm wanted, and not like some burden that everyone wants to get rid of. But yet again, that makes me the bad guy."

Jungkook follows him out when he leaves, following him down the stairs silently, his thoughts preoccupied with Taehyung.

How did this get past him? He's with Taehyung the entire time when he fronts and he never noticed.

When they get to the exit downstairs Mr. Kim is there waiting for them.

"Taehyung, are you alright?" He asks approaching him.

Jungkook sighs as the brunette walks past him without so much as a glance in his direction.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kim. He's not feeling well. I'll make sure he gets home safely." The younger says, bowing politely before following the other.

"Wait for me." He calls after the brunette, making him to stop and wait.

"Did I upset you, Jungkook?" He asks following Jungkook to the car.

"No." The older says unlocking his car. "Get in. I'm taking you home."

The brunette climbs inside the car and closes the door, buckling his seatbelt as Jungkook starts the car and drives off.

The silence between them goes unnoticed as they both are lost in their thoughts.

When they get to the house Jungkook parks the car and climbs out without waiting for the brunette.

"Chaesal." The brunette says as he gets out of the car.

Jungkook stops, facing him. "What?"

"That's my name. Chaesal." He says stopping in front of him. "Now you can tell the others."

    "You know what?" Jungkook sighs softly. "Maybe if you got to know the people in your system you'd feel differently about them."

    "It doesn't matter how I feel about them. They want to get rid of me." Chaesal says walking past Jungkook. "And honestly, I hope they do."

Jungkook follows him inside the house. "I don't think that's true. They'd take you in if you'd give them a chance. You may think you have no purpose but you do. You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

    "I don't have a purpose~"

    "Then give yourself one. You matter Chaesal. To Taehyung and to the system. You're one of the reasons he's still alive." Jungkook says. "They care about you. And whether you believe it or not so do I."

    "You don't even know me." The younger says narrowing his eyes in confusion.

    "You're right. I don't know you but I know that you're in pain. And I may not be able to relate to that pain but I know what it feels like to hurt, Chaesal." The older says. "And you have to keep going. Even when you feel like giving up. Pain...pain is~"

    "Temporary?" Chaesal finishes.

    "Yes." Jungkook says. "It's temporary."

The brunette shakes his head. "That's not true. Because I'm always in pain. And it never goes away."

    "I promise..." Jungkook sighs. "I promise it'll get better, if you give it a chance."

Chaesal chuckles, cracking a small smile. "That's a big promise to make, Jungkook."

Jungkook nods, it was a huge promise to make but he was desperate to get through to him.

    "I don't know why you care so much." The younger says. "But you're the first person to care about me at all so...I'll try."

Jungkook brightens at his words, a smile tugging at his lips.

    "But if I try, you're going to have to try harder too." Chaesal says.

    "Right. Of course." The older nods with a smile.

    "You're easily satisfied." The younger hums. "I'll keep that in mind."

    "What do you mean?" Jungkook asks.

    "Nothing. I'm hungry." Chaesal says walking towards the kitchen.

    "I'll make something~"

    "I'm ordering in. I'm not eating that shit Hajoon makes."

Jungkook chuckles softly as he follows Chaesal into the kitchen.

    "I know it's probably hard for you to trust me, Chaesal." He says leaning on the counter. "But I only want what's best for you. Just like everyone else. You're no different to me."

Chaesal scoffs as he pulls out the phone. "Yeah right. I know about you and Jongun. And you and Taehyung. You can't tell me you feel the same way about them as you do me."

    "What do you mean you know about us. What is there to know?" Jungkook asks. "We're friends."

    "Oh you must not know." Chaesal says looking through the phone for a take out place.

    "Know what?" The older asks.

    "That they both, like, seriously like you. Like, they're crushing mad hard." The younger says. "I'm ordering a pizza, do you want some?"

    "I'm...I'm good. Thanks."

Chaesal shrugs and continues to order the food as Jungkook reacts to this new information.

Was Chaesal telling the truth?

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