***

Taehyung drove very slowly, as if he was having an internal conflict whether to keep going or stop and make a sharp U-turn.

I fidgeted with the locket on my neck nervously as the large raindrops fell loudly on the roof of the car. My lower lip had become red and sore from me biting it almost non-stop. It was my habit to do that when I was extremely nervous.

"So how's school?" Taehyung glances at me, breaking the dead silence in the car.

"Fine, I guess. I haven't been able to really focus on it." I mutter. College was the last thing on my mind at that moment. All I could think of was whether we'd find something terrible in Jungkook's apartment or not.

"What about you?" I ask Taehyung, remembering it's only polite to return the courtesy of asking.

"Same." He replies dryly. "I have some exams coming up."

I nod silently as we pull up in front of Jungkook's address. The apartment building wasn't that big, only five floors. Jungkook's apartment was on the 4th one.

We take the elevator in full silence, none of us in the mood of any more of the small talk. We barely make eye contact as we stand there under the flickering lamp. I imagine Taehyung's just as freaked out as me at the moment.

We finally arrive on the 4th floor and I follow my boyfriend's best friend to the foyer. He walks up towards the big wooden door of Jungkook's apartment, stands on his toes and takes out a key that was hidden somehow in a crack on the upper part of the door frame.

Taehyung glances at me with his wide eyes before putting the small metal in the lock, when suddenly the neighboring door opens with a loud noise. We both jump in horror as though we're two burglars caught on the crime scene.

"Oh, dears, did you enjoy your trip abroad?" A soft voice echoes in the corridor and its owner steps out in the antechamber. It was a chubby old lady with round glasses and messy white hair. She had a warm and friendly expression on her face as she looked at us.

It was Mrs. Lee, one of Jungkook's neighbors. She and her husband had no children or grandchildren and so she thought of him as family.

"Trip?" I slip out wryly, my mouth and throat dry.

"Yes, dear. I didn't hear you and your boyfriend come home for quite some time, and I imagine you've maybe traveled somewhere?" Mrs. Lee beams, giving us a bright smile that makes her chubby cheeks even more prominent. "Oh, and you should warn me when you're going to be absent for a long time, Jungkook, I've been worried!"

She knits her eyebrows at Taehyung, jokingly scolding him. He blinks at her, totally lost.

I realize the old lady's sight isn't so clear anymore and she's obviously mistaking Taehyung for Jungkook.

"Ah, yes, yes, we'll do that from now on, Mrs. Lee!" I laugh loudly, grabbing Taehyung by the hand and his whole body stiffens. He gives me a puzzled look but when I squeeze him lightly he quickly becomes aware of the situation and his lips stretch into the most charming smile.

"Yup, so sorry to make you worry." His apologetic deep eyes melt Mrs. Lee's heart and she sighs.

"Oh, it's okay, dear," she chimes and claps her hands in endearment. "And please don't fight anymore, sweethearts. The walls are thin, you know, we hear everything. If I and Mr. Lee fought like you did the other night, we'd never last for 50 years!"

I gasp but quickly try to keep my natural composure.

"Fight? What fight are you talking about, Mrs. Lee?" I ask nonchalantly.

"You know, sweetie, the fight you had the night before you left for your trip? It went on for so long, you both were shouting and yelling... I didn't want to interfere, it's none of my business." The lady lowered her voice and sighed sadly.

"Yes, but we're all fine now, right, darling?" Taehyung laughs nervously and wraps his hands around my waist, placing his chin on my shoulder. I slightly jump at the unexpected gesture, but keep up the act and caress one of his hands lightly.

"Yes, of course." I reply hoarsely and clear my throat. "But we've got to get going, so please excuse us, Mrs. Lee."

"Aw, my sweet love birdies!" The nosy neighbor chimes even after we've nearly closed the door behind us.

I bury my face in my palms and feel a couple of sweat drops on my forehead.

"What was that all about?" I whisper and look at Taehyung in disbelief.

"No idea. But from what I gathered it seems that there's been some kind of an argument in here." He shrugs as he locks the apartment from the inside. "We don't want any accidental intruders again."

I step inside the large apartment, almost tiptoeing. Why was I doing that?

It was completely empty. There was no one to hear us.

I stand in front of the bedroom door, suddenly frozen. Part of me is afraid to death that we're going to find Jungkook's cold body somewhere in here.

Or maybe worse.

We won't find anything at all.

I gulp at the thought and shake my head, glancing back at Taehyung. His face was as pale as mine and I could see the agitation in his eyes. He then toughened up and walked up in front of me, opening the white and heavy door.

I almost squeeze my eyes like a little child that's watching a horror movie.

"Nothing here." Taehyung announces, feigningly calm. I exhale with relief and take a look around the room. The king-size bed's sheets so smooth, almost like in a hotel. The purple lilac curtains closed, no sunlight beaming through them. My eyes fall on the large wardrobe. Taehyung notices and reaches towards the handle, opening the door with a quiet screech.

"Jungkook surely packs light. All of his clothes are here." He mumbles and I make my way next to him to take a look.

I spin on my heel, directing my feet to the living room. Everything's tidy and orderly as if a very thorough maid had taken care of the apartment.

But it wasn't a maid. I knew Jungkook, he was exceptionally studious with his belongings.

"Nothing in the kitchen." Taehyung calls out from across the hall and I don't answer. An object on the shelf above the TV draws my attention.

It's a framed picture of me and Jungkook on the day of our one-year anniversary. We had had a big argument that very same day, God knows what about. I couldn't even remember the cause of it. But we had talked it out and went for ice cream just like the day we met, strolling by the beach.

It was one of the best days of my life.

I took the picture in my hands and dabbed on it. I looked at my face, illuminated by the summer sun, tiny wrinkles formed on my skin from smiling so wide for so long. Jungkook's hair was in a mess, because of the wind that day, but it only gave him a sort of charming look. His large arm enveloped around my neck, squeezing my cheek lightly. His eyes were calm and happy, beaming a sense of security and tranquility. The blue sea reflected in his wide orbs.

We looked so happy. The happiest we've ever been.

That was also the day we shared our first 'I love you', I remembered. A dry lump started forming in my throat and I felt as if someone was clutching my neck with their hands.

Before I knew it, two little drops fell on the photo.

I looked around the quiet room that now felt haunted to me. Haunted by the memories I would never be able to relive again. Haunted by the happiness that has vanished like smoke.

Haunted by the love I would never be able to retrieve back.

This is when it hits me – I will never look in the same loving eyes, staring at me from the photo. Never will I see again the same smile, his illuminating beautiful smile. I will never caress again Jungkook's soft skin, his tender lips. I will never be in his strong embrace.

I will never hear his melodic voice tell me how much he loves me.

He was gone.

I hear quiet steps behind me as Taehyung approaches me carefully.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asks as I turn around to face him. His shoulders are tense, his gaze wary. He slightly raises his hand as if to touch me, but sees my hands clutching onto the picture frame in despair. My face must've looked awfully distressed because I caught a glimpse of pity in his eyes.

"Y/N..." he breathes.

"No, I'm not." I whisper finally, my voice breaking as I realize I really wasn't fine. My hands drop the photo and it lands on the ground with a loud thud.

I stare at the scattered pieces of broken glass on the floor, and then at my palms, looking at them in bewilderment as if they weren't mine.

My chest starts heaving as the blood pumps loudly in the veins of my head. I can almost hear my heart pounding in my ears.

"Jungkook, he-he's... he's gone, Taehyung." I breathe and run my fingers through my hair.

"Don't- Don't say that. We don't know anything for sure yet-"

"Oh, but we do." I interrupt the boy with a whisper, giving him a wide smile which probably made me look like a psycho. "We do know, Taehyung. Jungkook's gone for good. He's God knows where and we can't fucking do anything about it." I grit my teeth at the helplessness as tears start falling down my cheeks.

Taehyung stares at me silently, not averting his gaze.

I look at a glass of water sitting peacefully on the table and grab it immediately, tossing it against the wall where it breaks in tiny little particles.

"Jungkook won't be needing this again!" I yell as I run my fingers through the shelves, knocking down every object placed there. "Or this." I take a crystal bottle that I had painted for him for one of his birthdays and demolish it as it crashes on the floor. "Nor this!" My next victim was another photo collage of us, sitting proudly over the sofa.

"He won't be needing any of this!" I scream frantically.

"Stop it, Y/N, you're gonna hurt yourself on the glass!" Taehyung pleads but I'm deaf to his warning as I trash Jungkook's apartment bit by bit. The only thing on my mind right now is destroying every single evidence of him ever existing, of the love between us.

I give Taehyung a sardonic smile as I give the TV a strong kick.

"I said stop it, goddammit!" Taehyung growls and grabs me tightly by the upper-arm, pulling me in his embrace, not letting me move.

"Let go!" I whimper, frantically tossing myself but he's too strong for me. "Let go of me, just- let go, please..."

I crumble down in Taehyung's strong arms, my body relaxed. I was so tired of fighting this.

Of fighting the truth, the reality of which was that I was all alone in this heartbreaking pain. That I will never see Jungkook again. I was so exhausted of leading myself into the delusion that all of this might have been just a misunderstanding, a simple mistake, maybe an accident.

But it wasn't.

I clench on Taehyung's back and bury my face in his big shoulder, leaving a black stain of mascara on his white T-shirt. With the corner of my mind, I notice that he strengthens his grip around me. I tumble even deeper in his arms.

"It's okay," he shushes as he gently strokes the hair on the back of my head. "Just breathe."

Slowly but steadily, my breathing becomes normal again as Taehyung holds me in the middle of my boyfriend's trashed apartment.

The tone of his husky, deep voice is the last thing I hear before my eyelids become heavy as my mind dives into darkness.

"It's okay."