JJK | 2:07 a.m. | corner convenience store

the chimes rang and taehyung walked inside the store silently, eyes focused on the floor as he made his way to the counter.

"hey."

jungkook greeted him, noting the bruise running across his cheek that hadn't been there the other day.

"hi."

taehyung's response was short and timid.

it was as if jungkook started all over again with taehyung every time he saw him.

as if every time they met again and said hello, taehyung was speaking to a stranger.

hoseok bit his lip.

"what's up? you look exhausted."

"don't we all?" taehyung said, a smile gracing his lips.

had jungkook been less astute and less perceptive to taehyung's gestures, he could have said that his smile had been genuine. but he was much too perceptive to be able to believe that taehyung's smile was anything more than an act of reassurance, anything more than a gesture to tell jungkook that he was alright when he really wasn't. and as time went by, it became more and more evident to jungkook that kim taehyung was a fucking liar, a good one at that, until one came to know of his first lie.

one lie unraveled meant a thousand more existed.

"do you want something to eat?" jungkook asked softly.

"i'm fine. it's alright."

liar.

taehyung turned away and disappeared into an aisle, coming back a few seconds later with the same six pack of beer in his hands.

he set it down on the counter with difficulty, his weak, skinny arms insufficient in carrying the weight of the liquor.

as always, taehyung timidly slid a ten dollar bill onto the counter, whispering an apology.

"it's all he ever gives me," he said. "i'm really sorry. i'll pay you back once the rent and bills are all paid for."

"taehyung, just take the ten," jungkook said. "it hurts every time you say sorry for something you can't help. you don't even have money for food."

taehyung shook his head. "i'll pay this much. i'm keeping track of how much i owe back," he said. "i'll pay you back and-"

"and i'll pay for this today, okay?"

"jungkook."

taehyung's voice was insistent, the entire word emphasized with what would have been authority had jungkook been less assertive. he was already slipping sixteen dollars into the cash register and pulling out seventeen cents.

and as taehyung opened his mouth to protest again, hoseok shoved a bag of chips his way. "it's an insufficient meal," he said. "but you're too stubborn to accept anything else, you little shit." he smiled softly.

"why are you so nice to me?" taehyung said. "i feel like such a fucking burden."

"well, you're not," hoseok said. "you're human, and humans deserve basic human decency. that's what we're giving you."

"paying for meals? letting me stay at your apartment? paying sixteen dollars for my dad's beer when-"

taehyung stopped himself.

"the beer was for your dad?" hoseok's eyes were glazed with worry, eyebrows furrowed in concern and taehyung didn't feel like he deserved it.

"it's nothing. i have to go," taehyung murmured. "thank you for paying for... for the beer today. i'll pay you back, okay?"

he grinned weakly, again one of those useless, sad, empty smiles that jungkook hated.

the door closed behind taehyung with a thud and jungkook's eyes stayed focused on the doorframe for a beat longer.

hoseok's voice was sad and gloomy when he spoke, gaze on the counter.

"he didn't even take the chips."

JHS | 8:09 a.m. | apt. 07

"his dad drinks, huh?"

"i guess so."

hazy dialogues flashed through hoseok's mind; the scared look in taehyung's eyes and the way he had trembled when hoseok said he couldn't let him take the beer without paying full price.

"he'll kill me."

hoseok closed his eyes and let out a breath, something warm and suffocating coursing through his veins.

"jungkook, remember the first time we saw him? how he said he needed the beer?"

"yeah."

"he said someone would kill him."

a beat.

hoseok continued.

"do you think he was talking about his dad?"

jungkook's heart fell six feet under, the beats narrowing.

"who does this to you?"

"no, no, i can't-"

"is it someone at home?"

"my mom said she'd come back for me!"

jungkook remembered the tears, remembered the impetuous shouts and the hurricanes.

all these hints.

taehyung had given him a thousand hints, and jungkook hadn't taken one of them.

jungkook had known that taehyung was a liar, but he hadn't sought out to unravel every lie.

he hated himself because he could have helped taehyung all along had he just looked a little bit deeper.

and even now, jungkook wasn't sure what to do to help.

KTH | 8:03 p.m. | apartment 263

"where's dinner, you brat?"

his father sat on the floor beside the couch, eyes narrowed as he tapped his foot impatiently. he took another swig from his beer.

"i don't have enough money for groceries," taehyung said, hands shaking as he spoke. "i just paid the bills and that was all i had money for so-"

"so you can't make a meal for your father?"

"you usually eat out so i thought..." taehyung trailed off, defeated as his father stood up and set his beer down on the kitchen counter with enough force to make the table shake.

taehyung trembled, eyes shut tight as his breathing quickened. his hand unknowingly traveled to his left rib where a nasty bruise lay from the night before.

"i'm sorry, i-"

his father's hand made impact with his cheek, sending him falling to the floor with an all-too-quiet thud. taehyung panted, breathless from the fall. he hadn't expected it that time.

"making pathetic excuses. you need a lesson, don't you?"

"no, dad, please-"

he was kicked in the rib and sent crumpling onto the floor with a soft whimper.

"i'll be better, please-"

his voice was choked, heavy, and he was cut off mid sentence by another kick to the side.

"you useless bastard, get up."

taehyung coughed in response.

the pain was worse than usual, his body still trying to heal from the nights before.

taehyung struggled to his hands and knees, bones aching.

"get up!"

another kick sent him sprawling back to the floor.

"please," he gasped out. "it hurts, it hurts..."

"it hurts?"

another kick.

taehyung curled in on himself, arms shielding his face as he trembled harder, sobbing.

and then a crack resounded when his father's belt made impact with his torso, and it hurt even more because taehyung hadn't fucking seen it coming.

"it hurts-"

crack.

aching.

taehyung gasped again.

crack.

"please-"

"shut up!"

"it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

crack.

crack.

and then he screamed, tears running down his face as his father grabbed a handful of his hair and lifted him up.

he was dragged to the front door, still sobbing, and his father opened the door as he spoke with a low voice.

"get out."

taehyung nodded, pushing himself to his hands and knees, still breathless from the pain.

"faster, you brat!"

his father's boot made impact with his spine, sending him back to the floor.

he held the wall, arms shaking and legs weak. he suppressed sobs as he got onto his knees.

crack.

taehyung fell forwards again with a soft sob, a single cry that escaped his lips.

his father grumbled, cursing at him as he slowly, weakly made his way into the hall.

"be back tomorrow, and make sure you've made dinner before i'm home. you understand?"

taehyung nodded, on his knees leaning his head against the wall.

the door slammed shut.