Seokjin walks into Taehyung's apartment after unlocking the door with the spare key—he always kept it with him.

"Taehyung?" He calls as he shuts the door. "It's me, mom sent me. She said you weren't answering your phone."

He walks to the living room as he looks around for any sign of Taehyung. He drops his keys on the couch before walking to the kitchen. The apartment is quiet and still—too quiet.

"Taehyung?" He calls, looking through the kitchen—opening the cabinets and the refrigerator to find them empty. He frowns. He recently brought groceries over. Just as the thought leaves him he finds everything he brought in the garbage bin. "What the hell...?"

He hears movement down the hall, turning his attention in that direction before heading over. He peaks into the bathroom in the hall before walking down to where Taehyung's room was. He knocks, listening in for a second before pushing the door open.

He looks around the room, eyeing the perfectly made bed and the undrawn curtains suspiciously.

He hears movement in the closet, followed by the sound of labored breathing. "Is that you, Taehyung?"

"Please...please don't~" Taehyung's voice says, Seokjin can barely make out the whispers through his heavy breathing.

"Taehyung-ah," Seokjin says, walking hesitantly to the closet. He pulls the door open, his eyes landing on a distraught Taehyung who's hands are pressed tightly against his ears. "T-Tae, what's wrong?"

"Leave me alone," Taehyung sobs, flinching away when Seokjin touches him. "Leave me alone, leave me alone~"

"It's me, Taehyung, it's Seokjin," Ge says, kneeling down in front of him. "Take your hands down, Tae, it's me."

"You're not real," Taehyung says, keeping his eyes squeezed shut and pressing his hands against his ears harder when Seokjin tries to pull them away. "You're not real, leave me alone. Please leave me alone."

"It's Seokjin, I'm your hyung. I'm real, you know me."

"No," Taehyung cries, tears slipping down his face. "Please leave me alone, please."

"I have to call someone," Seokjin says, hesitating in case Taehyung stopped him. He stands after a moment, fishing his phone out of his pocket before calling their mom. "Mom, s-something's wrong with, Taehyung."

Seokjin barely hears his mom's alarmed response over Taehyung's heavy breathing and crying.

"No, he's here, but something's wrong," Seokjin says. "I don't know what to do, he won't listen to me."

His mom tries to get through to Taehyung, but eventually they give up and call for help.

When the paramedics arrive Taehyung is in the same frazzled state, tears streaming down his face as he gripped his hair tightly in his fists.

It's hard for Seokjin to watch Taehyung struggle against the paramedics as he is escorted out of the apartment. He averts his eyes and tries to block out his cries but he still takes in everything he's saying.

    "Seokjin-hyung, please," He cries. "Don't let them take me, please. Why're you letting them take me~"

    "Seokjin? What's going on?" His mother speaks on the other line. "Are you following them to the hospital? You have to be there until I can get there."

    "I-I'm...yes I'm following them."

~

I'm here, Taehyung. You don't have to be afraid.

    "Stop," Taehyung mumbles, pulling against his restraints as he stares at the ceiling. His mind is hazy from the sedative but he is still mostly aware of everything happening around him. "Please, make him stop."

I should've left when you asked me to...I pushed you too far, I'm sorry.

    "It's okay, Taehyung," Seokjin says from where he sits beside his bed. "Mom's talking to the doctor and she's gonna figure everything out."

    "Don't let them do this to us, Taehyung,"

Taehyung turns his head in the direction that Jeongguk's voice seems to resonate from, only to find another empty corner of the room.

    "You know what happens if they interfere."

    "We're gonna get you some help," Seokjin says. "Maybe find some medication that works. That sounds good, right?"

    "They want to separate us, beautifu, that's all they want."

Taehyung looks back at Seokjin, tears welling in his eyes as his head began to ache with confusion. "Hyung?"

    "Yeah?" Seokjin asks, standing from his chair and sitting on the edge of the bed.

    "Please...tell me you hear him too," Taehyung whispers, his voice cracking.

Seokjin shakes his head, taking Taehyung's restrained hand. "I don't hear anyone."

The devastation in Taehyung's eyes intensifies as Jeongguk's voice becomes louder in his ears.

    "Seokjin?" Mrs. Kim calls softly, gesturing for him to come outside of the room.

    "N-No, hyung," Taehyung says, trying to reach for him despite the restraints. "Don't leave me."

    "We're going to be right outside talking to the doctor, okay?" Mrs. Kim says to him. "He's coming right back, I promise."

Seokjin reluctantly stands and follows his mom out of the room. "I'll be back, Tae, don't worry."

Taehyung closes his eyes, his breath shaking as he tries not to panic. He feels his presence, he knows that if he looks he'll be standing right there waiting~

    "Closing your eyes won't make me disappear."

    "You're not real."

Taehyung hears Jeongguk laugh shortly, he hears his feet dragging the ground slightly as he approaches the bed.

    "Look at me," He says, his voice closer now. "Look at me, beautiful."

    "You're not real," Taehyung repeats, trying to keep calm.

    "If I'm not real then why am I standing right here?" Jeongguk asks, chuckling when Taehyung finally opens his eyes. "I'm right here, see?"

    "I'm crazy," Taehyung says with tears in his eyes. "You're not real and I'm crazy."

    "That's not true," Jeongguk says. "Don't say that about yourself."

    "How did you get in here?" Taehyung asks. "Did anyone see you come in?"

    "No, I was careful." Jeongguk smiles. "No one saw me."

    "Seokjin and my mom are right outside," Taehyung says. "There's no way you could've gotten in here without anyone seeing you."

    "I did," Jeongguk says. "Why would I lie to you?"

    "Because you aren't real," Taehyung says. "I made you up. I-I-I don't know why but I did~"

    "You're being ridiculous." Jeongguk huffs. "I came here because I was worried sick."

    "He's not real, he's not real," Taehyung repeats, closing his eyes—although the darkness behind his eyelids offers little to no relief from his looming presence.

    "Open your eyes and look~"

    "I'm back, Tae," Seokjin says, walking into the room. "Are you okay?"

Taehyung opens his eyes, looking around the room as he releases another shaky breath.

    "The doctor wants me and mom to meet her in her office for moment," Seokjin says. "We'll only be gone for about ten minutes. Do you think you'll be okay?"

Taehyung nods. "I'm fine..."

    "Ten minutes," Seokjin says before leaving the room.

    "Is he okay?" Mrs. Kim asks, drying her tears with a tissue. "I would've gone in but I don't want him to see me upset."

    "He's fine," Seokjin reassures her. "Let's go see what's going on."

They take the elevator down to the floor that their doctor's office is on, finding her standing outside of the room looking down at a clipboard.

    "Doctor," Mrs. Kim says getting her attention. "Did the brain scans come back?"

    "We had to send them to the lab but we should have them any day," She says. "I have something a little more interesting to show you two. Something that may help us to understand what's going on with Taehyung."

    "What?" Seokjin asks in confusion.

    "Please," She says gesturing for them to follow her into her office. She opens the door for them and lets them walk in first.

They are greeted by to other people sitting in chairs just in front of the doctor's desk. They both stand when they enter, waiting for the Doctor's introduction.

    "This is Jeon Jeongguk and Park Jimin."