Jimin had barfed for the nth time over the roads by now. He hadn't eaten anything for days and the images of the blood spurted over the floor kept rewinding in his head like a broken cassette.

He walked aimlessly calling out for his mom. His voice turned hoarse by the number of cries and screams he let out of his throat. He was tired and yet he couldn't stop walking.

"Mumma! Where are you?" Jimin's heart pierced as he remembered the guy's words.

They took away his mother.

They didn't let him mourn over her death.

Neither did they allow him to have one last glance at his mother. 

Jimin wiped his tears and stood in front of a fruit shop. He let out a loud sigh as he watched a loud crowd buying fruits for their children.

He bit his lip in frustration as he watched the kids laughing and hugging their parents when he stood there barefoot with no money to feed himself.

Why were they given the privilege to have such a beautiful life when he was offered only hunger and a life full of hurdles?

Patter! Patter!

Jimin lifted his head to watch the sky pour down. The drops of water fell right over his face making him scrunch his face. He stood still experiencing every drop sink down his clothes down to his skin.  He let the rain engulf him with cold wind slapping against his wet skin.

Are you crying for me?

Are you going to cry every single day for me?

Is this your way to tell me that I can never have a life again?

Is this how you embrace me?

Jimin threw questions at the sky with no answers falling back except his tears that blended oh-so-beautifully with cold rain that poured over him heavily.

He shifted his gaze at the shop. It was empty. The huge crowd disappeared the moment it started raining.

Jimin's lips curled up in satisfaction as he watched the shopkeeper frown with sadness.

He traced his leg back to prepare himself and sprint towards the shop at full speed. He swiftly picked an entire basket of fruits and rushed down the damp road.

"Thief! Theif! Someone catch him!" The owner screamed his lungs out.

______

Six years later~

"Taehyung!" The man howled as soon as he entered the house.

The young boy rushed towards the entrance with his hands on his back and head hung low.

"What were you doing?" The male screamed.

"I was washing the dishes, father," Taehyung spoke up in a monotone.

His father glared at him for a few seconds and then walked towards the hallway. He pulled a few notes out of his wallet and threw them over the floor, "Go and buy the necessities. You know way too well what to buy right?"

"Yes, father." Taehyung bowed in front of his father and walked over to pick up the notes.

"It's been a long since we practised. We should do it today evening. Don't you think, Tae?" The man smiled wide.

Taehyung's fingers shivered the moment he heard his father speak.

It's been only a few days since he last bet him. And the wounds were still fresh on his back.

How will he be able to bear the pain without screaming?

Taehyung bowed one last time and walked out of the house. His hands were sweating vividly but he had to keep his composure.

He can't fall apart.

Not now.

Not here.

The last time he ran out to ask for help. His father almost killed him. He had to zip his mouth and bear the pain as it is given to him.

As he was lost in his thoughts he felt someone push past him.

He almost tumbled over the road but brought himself back to a standing position. He furrowed his brows as he watched a tiny boy run away from him.

His eyes blew wide as the realisation hit him. He quickly looked for the money his dad had given him.

"Shit!" Taehyung cursed under his breath. He quickly ran behind the kid that ran past him.

"Stop!" Taehyung screamed as he ran through the crowd.

He was this close to losing his breath but he had to run.

He had to catch the guy before it was too late.

He can't afford to go home without his dad's necessities.

It would be a death wish.

"Stop! Please!" Taehyung screamed as pushed a few more people out of the way and ran as fast as he could.

The kid was too meticulous and purposely chose narrow alleys and sharp turns, making it impossible for Taehyung to chase behind him.

But that couldn't stop him.

The last thing he could wish was to die here rather than in the hands of Satan that was waiting at the house.

"S...stop!" Taehyung breathed hard as his legs slowed towards a certain turn of the road.

"Can you fucking stop following me?" The boy screamed as he slowed down too, breathing hard for his life.

"I can't. Please stop..." Taehyung almost begged as he dragged his feet towards the tiny male that almost tumbled forwards and fell right over the dead end.

Taehyung lost his balance as he hit the guy's leg and fell right over him.

"Ow! You are heavy! Get off me," the boy whined and tried to push Taehyung off him.

"Not until you return the money," Taehyung spoke still trying to catch his breath.

"I... can't," the boy's lips trembled.

"Why?" Taehyung lifted his upper body to take a better look at the male.

The boy placed his forearm over his eyes, "I haven't eaten anything for the past three days. Please let me have it."

Taehyung gulped back the lump in his throat and shifted himself to sit over the boy's tummy. He pulled the boy's hand that was covering his face.

"Don't look at me! I don't like crying in front of others," the boy spoke and put his hand back.

"Give me back my money!" Taehyung spoke in a monotone.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I am starving!" The boy screamed as he lifted his upper body with Taehyung still sitting over him.

"I did! So what? I can't suffer because you are suffering!" Taehyung put out coldly.

"How easy is it for you to talk back? If only you had experienced-"

"Want to experience my life?" Taehyung raised his tone, his face was still stone cold with utterly no emotions left to express.

"I would gladly." The boy scoffed.

Taehyung watched the male who didn't budge to fear. He simply chuckled dryly and got off the male, "Give me the money and I will let you have something."

"How can I trust you?"

"Do you have a choice?" Taehyung asked.

The boy got off the ground and patted the dust off his pants. He stretched his hand hesitantly and handed the money back to Taehyung.

"I am going to haunt you in your dreams if you don't keep your promise," the boy commanded.

Nothing can haunt me more than my father. Taehyung thought to himself and walked out of the alley with a tiny human following him like a lost puppy.

He sighed and stopped at a certain corner and turned around to have the tiny male bump his head over his chest.

"Ow! Why did you stop?"

"Do you have eyes on your feet? Walk properly!" Taehyung spoke up and turned around to walk ahead.

"I am walking properly!" The boy pouted and looked down at his bare feet which were bruised all over.

"Whatever," Taehyung mumbled and started to walk again.

He stopped in front of the beer shop and eyed the male beside him. The boy simply flashed him a confused look.

"What are we doing here?" The boy asked innocently.

"We need to buy bottles..."

"Are we allowed?"

"Not just that...if you want me to feed you. We need to steal it so that we can have money to buy you food." Taehyung offered.

"Are you crazy? The owner in that shop will skin you alive and then check for your innocence. I am out of this," the boy stepped back.

"Then starve to death," Taehyung replied quickly and started to walk towards the shop. The boy freaked and instantly took hold of Tae's elbow, "No, wait!"

"Hmm?" Taehyung hummed.

"Why can't we just buy the bottles and steal food instead? Isn't that easy?" The boy suggested.

"Which is better? Running away from sober people or drunken people?" Taehyung fired back with the same firm face.

"Sober....?" The boy looked at the male and immediately changed the answer, "Drunken people! Yes, that's right. Stealing from here would be easy."

"Then do as I say!" Taehyung pulled the boy closer and whispered in his ear.

"Okay! So, we are doing this," the boy smiled wide and Taehyung's head felt... fuzzy as he watched the male.

The boy started to walk toward the bar shop and Taehyung followed him shortly.

"What's your name?" The boy asked as they grew closer to the shop.

"Taehyung. What about you?"

"Jimin."

"You remember the plan, right?" Taehyung reconfirmed.

"All I have to do is keep the owner busy while you pull out a few bottles from the boxes is that right?" Jimin answered confidently.

"E... exactly." Somehow Tae's heart wasn't ready for this.

He was going to let this boy experience the same pain he goes through every day.

Well, he asked for it. Didn't he?

"Hey!" Jimin called out, "If we pull this right. Can I have my favourite dish?"

"S...sure," Taehyung replied with sweat building up his forehead.

"Uncle?" Jimin called out as he raised his toes and tapped over the counter.

"Kids aren't allowed here!" The male growled as he slammed his big fists over the counter.

"I...want some help," Jimin began, "Could you tell me the directions to the nearby church?"

Taehyung, on the other hand, sneaked from the side and picked a few bottles in his tiny arms. Jimin eyed him and then continued to converse with the man.

Just as Taehyung was about to sneak out, the owner called out.

"Hey, stop right there!" The male growled and Taehyung immediately picked his pace and ran out of the shop.

Jimin's skin turned pale as he watched Taehyung run away and he felt his legs drift away from the ground. The guy had picked him up by his shirt and turned to face him.

"You filthy piece of rat!" The man growled and threw Jimin out of the shop over the road.

Jimin screamed in pain as the man kept kicking him. His ribs, legs and arms hurt but he couldn't run away. He had no other option but to scream louder as the time passed.

Don't look back!

Don't hear him out!

Don't look back!

He asked for it!

Taehyung screwed his eyes shut and kept running further away but stopped abruptly as he couldn't hear anything anymore.

He...didn't ask for it.

He...didn't deserve it.

Taehyung gulped back a lump and tried to walk further but his legs couldn't move.

I can't help him!

He is a lost cause!

I can't possibly...help him.

I...can't

Taehyung's throat felt dry as he held the bottles close to his chest.

"If we pull this right, can I have my favourite dish?"

That's it! He lost it. He couldn't get worse. Taehyung exhaled sharply and turned back to run like a bull.

Jimin stopped moving as he felt numb. He couldn't feel the kicks anymore. He couldn't feel anything anymore.

"Call that bloody motherfucker if you don't want to die!" The man screamed as he gave one last blow to Jimin's back.

"Get off him, you fatso!" Taehyung paddled his way like a duck and threw a bottle right over the male's chest.

It shattered into pieces but didn't affect him one bit. He simply wiped the glass pieces off his chest and turned towards Taehyung that dared to waste his alcohol.

"What did you just call me huh?" The guy growled in a low tone and advanced towards Taehyung who stood there stunned.

"What did you just...argh!!" The man screamed as he felt a glass piece pierce through his leg starting from the back of his thigh till his calf.

"Run!" Jimin mumbled weakly as he held the glass piece in his bleeding hand.

Taehyung, on the other hand, took another bottle and smashed it against the guy's head completely knocking him over the ground.

He quickly rushed towards Jimin and pulled him over his back to run out of the alley.

What a great way to meet your destiny!

A secluded bar shop with no neighbouring shops or houses to detect any noises was an advantage in itself for the two young kids to run away.

To run for their life.

Taehyung kept running with Jimin over his back. He couldn't think of anything but just run. Run as if there was no tomorrow.

"S..stop, he isn't following us," Jimin mumbled and tried to lift his hand but it was in vain.

"I...don't know what to do anymore."

"Abandon me somewhere and go home like nothing ever happened," Jimin suggested.

"Do you know how much I regret meeting you?" Taehyung uttered.

"Why...?"

Taehyung stopped in his track and slid Jimin off him. Jimin tried to stand but collapsed over the ground.

"I don't want to go home," Taehyung blurted.

"Huh?" Jimin tried to keep his eyes open but they were getting blurry as the time passed.

"You just gave me a reason to run away from that man!" Taehyung screamed over Jimin's face.

"What do you...?" Jimin fell to the ground unconscious.

A/n:- I did something crazy but before that!

What do you think about their roles?

Who's up for some vmin fluff?

And imma bringing Jungkook soon. Don't worry. Hehe!!

Love you kids

Maddie🙂❤