The sky was painted with a dull blue shade, threatening to turn grey soon. It had started to get chilly. By evening all of them except Joon and Jimin, had left for home.

Ever since Jin, as Taemin, had caught them publicly, Kookie and Tae felt their awkwardness return. As they walked side by side, occasionally stealing glances, a voice called from behind.

“Tae! Kookie! Wait up!”

They turned to see Hoseok running towards them. As he caught up, the three boys continued walking in silence. What Jin had said affected them a lot. Events played in their heads in a loop.

“Uhm…” Hoseok broke the silence.

Though any talk wasn’t expected, Kookie nor Tae looked at Hoseok as he started to talk,
“I wanted to talk to you Taehyungah. Alone.”

It was now that Tae looked at his hyung. They stopped walking. Sensing tension, Kookie volunteered,

“I’ll go ahead. See you at home hyung,” he said to Tae with minimal eye contact, and walked ahead and fast.

As they watched Kookie leave, Hoseok turned to Tae.

“I still am sorry Tae. I know I never properly apologised to you because of whatever happened after…” Hoseok recalled Juan’s entry amidst their argument.

“But I know that just an apology isn’t enough for what I did.”

Tae heaved a sigh but he spoke without looking at Hoseok.

“Hyung, I’m over it. Really.”

“But Taehyungah-“

“I didn’t break up with her because of you hyung. Yes it hurt me that you kissed her while we were still together-”

“Tae-“

“Let me talk hyung!” Tae shouted all of a sudden.
Hoseok nodded and stopped talking.
Tae continued.

“But I remember you saying something like…you were in love with her?”

Hoseok lowered his head. Without meeting eyes with Tae he nodded again.

“You can’t chose who you fall for. I know that now,” Tae gazed in the direction that a certain someone had just left. When he saw Hoseok follow his gaze, he cleared his throat and said,

“So I forgive you. Just let it go. It’s all in the past now.”

Hoseok nodded again and they resumed walking.

“Uhm…” Hoseok started talking, unsure of how to bring it up.

“What hyung said about you and Kookie…” he trailed off.

Tae exhaled.
“Let me talk to Kookie first.”

Hoseok nodded again as he put his hands into his jean pockets. Tae pulled his coat over himself to escape from the chilly air. They walked in silence taking in the increasing evening darkness, hoping for a better day.

--------

“We’ll pack his stuff tomorrow so that he can leave with me tomorrow night. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

Jimin told Joon as he walked backwards to the door.

“We don’t want to be here when cops realise the similarity between this incident and Juan’s.”

Joon nodded and said,
“Both being Jin hyung’s schoolmates, they’ll connect the dots easily.”

Joon saw Jimin’s gaze shift from him. Upon turning around, Joon saw Jin leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, watching them with a smile.
“What?” Jimin asked.

“That won’t happen,” Jin continued,” my school ‘burnt down’ remember? All the records have been destroyed.”

“Did you do that?” Jimin stepped closer to him.

“Maybe,” Jin shrugged. When the boys stood idle, thinking about it, Jimin saw his hyung smiling watching them.

“What now hyung? I mean Taemin…” Jimin immediately corrected himself.

Jin smiled as he shook his head. He said,
“I just thought of the first day you brought him-” Jin pointed to Joon,” -to us at the Bowl. You were so small.”
Joon just smiled back feeling a little embarrassed.

“You know about that?” Jimin asked confused.

“I have been there for a really long time. There is so much you don’t know,” Jin answered as he walked to them.

“I wish we could be kids again,” Jimin sighed,
“We had our best time at the Bowl…before…of course…” Jimin tried to correct himself.

“No I agree,” Jin nodded and said,” the Bowl was where it all began.”

As Joon stood reminiscing his childhood days, Jimin interjected.
“So I’m going to leave now. Whom will we meet tomorrow? You or Jin?”

“I really don’t know. I’ll try to let him come,” Jin said raising his crossed fingers.

They followed Jimin as he walked out. Waving goodbye, Jimin walked into the dark. Jin watched Joon sit down on the steps. He joined him.

“Do you hate me?” he asked.

Joon shook his head eyeing the ground.

“Liar,” Jin mumbled.

Joon chuckled and said,
“I used to. But I kind of understand you now.”

Joon saw Jin smile from the corner of his eyes.

“There is something I don’t understand though,” Joon said suddenly.

“What is it?” Jin asked him.

Turning towards the elder, he asked,
“Why are you here? Not now. I mean, I have known Jin hyung since I was nine. Which means when hyung was ten. But he never let us know of your presence. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Jin sighed.
“What do you know about his parents?”

Joon thought for a while. Then he turned to Jin and shrugged.
“His appa committed suicide while he was a baby.”

Shock spread across Joon’s face.

“His eomma was mentally ill. She tried to kill him when he was three by drowning him. Which was when I was born. That is also the reason why he is afraid of water bodies.”

Joon stared at him, his mouth agape.
“I…I had no idea,” he stuttered.

“Jin doesn’t remember half of it. He blocked it out. But I do. His eomma was sent off to a mental facility and he was kept under grandpa’s care,”
Jin sighed and continued,
“She died at the facility the same year.”

Joon covered his mouth with one hand. He found it difficult to breath.
“I never knew that he had been through so much…”

As they sat in silence, darkness overcame the colours in the sky. Crickets had started chirping. A certain night came to Jin’s memories when he was rejected. Trying to forget, he shook his head and said,

“You do realise that if I go to a doctor, there is a chance he might find that I killed two people…”

When Joon didn’t respond, he continued,
“And Jin will have to suffer its consequences along with me, if that happens?”

“I know,” Joon spoke,” but he needs to get well.”

“What if he won’t be able to suffer through it?” Jin asked him seriously.

“He has to. And he will.” Joon had started to lose his patience.

“You don’t know him like I do. He’ll just crumble,” Jin said shaking his head.

“Will you stop putting him down! He will get through it. I know him.” Joon semi yelled as he stood up and walked into the house, leaving a fuming Jin at the steps.

Joon walked straight into the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water. As the cold liquid grazed his throat, he felt himself calming down. Feeling a little bad at his outburst earlier, he went back to Jin to apologize.

“Hyung! I mean Taemin, I’m-“

Joon stopped as he looked around the front porch. He walked back into the house, his eyes searching. He went to Jin’s and then Taemin’s room. He searched all the nooks and corners of the house.

As he felt his vision shake and his heart beat faster by the minute, he took his phone and unwillingly dialled Yoongi’s number. He knew needed to have a talk with Yoongi, but it could wait. He had a bigger problem at hand.

When Yoongi picked up at the second ring, he said,

“Call everyone right now,” he sighed and said,

“Hyung is missing.”