"Thank you, Dr. Choi," Aera wrapped one arm around the tall man's shoulder. He slightly lurched backwards, taken aback by the hug but still patted her back in appreciation. "I will be forever grateful to you. From now on if you ever need anything from us, whatever it is, don't hesitate to call. You are officially a dear friend now." She sniffled, her nose still red from crying, but she offered him a weak smile nonetheless.

"I, uh..." he faltered, putting a fist over his mouth and clearing his throat nervously. "It's nothing, really. I just wish I could give you a little bit more time, but sadly I don't have that power." He sounded apologetic, which made Aera's heart drop.

"You gave enough," she assured him. "More than I could ever ask for. More than I have ever had," she tightened her jaw against the trembling of her chin. "Again, thank you."

"You are a good man," Jimin praised him with admiration, shaking the doctor's hand. "Never change."

Dr. Choi fiddled with the buttons of his white coat, the words hardly managing to break out. "Your words mean a lot. I am happy to know that Jin has such good people as friends. And please, call me Seunghyun from now on. 'Doctor' makes me feel like I'm old." he smiled, patting Jimin on the shoulder.

After they bid their goodbyes to him, Jimin and Aera hurried to put their helmets on and climb on the Harley. The doctor observed them silently, a shy smile playing on his lips and the outer corners of his kind eyes creased.

Once the motorcycle shot down the street, Aera glanced over her shoulder one last time to see Dr. Choi waving at them with a fond expression on his face.

This man had risked his job and most likely his life to let her, a total stranger to him, have a moment with her grandmother. For her, this was unforgettable. There were no words to describe how touched she was by that. She waved back, before turning around to wrap her arms around Jimin.

***

After stopping for a quick bite along the way and for Aera to collect herself, she and Jimin arrived back at the hotel just as the sun was setting over the horizon.

"Any luck?" Jungkook questioned once they entered the security office, legs put up at his desk and eyebrows furrowing when he noticed their morose faces and downcast eyes.

"Let's talk about this later," Jimin grumbled darkly, eager to protect Aera's feelings. He wouldn't force her to disclose anything yet, not until she had processed her own emotions. They had gotten some answers, yes, but it felt like they weren't enough.

Jungkook's large brown orbs analyzed them for a bit as he bit down on a cheese stick. Abruptly, he stood up, trying to bite back a small smirk and failing as the grin spilled across his face from ear to ear.

"What are you smiling at?" Jimin frowned, reaching down for a pack of gum resting on the coffee table. "Stop it, you're creeping me out."

Jungkook's agitation was about to burst through him as he bounced on his heels. "You're never gonna believe what Taehyung and I did," he was practically giddy with excitement now.

Aera and Jimin both froze in their spots.

Oh no. Those two together. Bad idea.

"What?" Aera's voice was barely above a whisper as the possibilities began racing through her mind. As glad as she was that Taehyung was still around, she had a terrible feeling about this.

"Follow me," Jungkook was vague as he strode past them and into the hallway. Jimin shadowed him intently and she waddled after them, each step full of exhaustion.

They took the stairs down to the underground floor and headed to the storage unit, with each second Aera's confusion grew, enervating her. She took a deep breath in once they rounded the corner to the Grey Room, a place which the security guards used for bringing trespassers and unwelcomed visitors that were causing a disturbance. She had only heard about it from Jimin and had never been there.

Still not saying a word, Jungkook grabbed the doorknob and turned, and the door swung open. They stepped into something that resembled a vestibule, considering there was another door leading to a different room. The humid air filled Aera's nostrils.

"Sup," Taehyung's deep voice welcomed her and she was met with his usual uncaring attitude as he stood up lazily and tilted his head to the side. She shivered when she noticed his pocket knife in his hand.

"Just so you know, you should be very impressed with us. I expect nothing less than a standing ovation," Jungkook boasted proudly.

"Will someone just explain already? Please?" the secrecy was starting to wear Aera down. She couldn't take any more of the suspense.

Smirking, Taehyung shuffled somewhere to her right. He flicked a switch, and this was the moment Aera realized that one of the walls was actually covered in tempered glass, offering a sight of the room next to this one, kind of like a place for interrogation.

At first glance she could have sworn this was a hallucination. Her face washed blank with confusion, the blood completely draining from it.

There, in the middle of the hollow cube of concrete, hair ruffled, head hanging low as if he were unconscious and a blindfold over his eyes, sat Yoongi.

"Huh? Huh?" Jungkook's brows shot sky high, deep doe eyes sparkling with elation.

"How did you do this?" Jimin asked breathlessly. "How did you capture him?"

"Piece of cake, really," Jungkook shrugged casually. "Taehyung seduced one of his bodyguards while I turned invisible, snuck in his room and knocked him out."

"Did he talk?" Jimin gave a stern look.

"Not a word," Taehyung sighed, obviously irritated. "But that's only because this guy here won't let me torture him." He glared at Jungkook.

"Taehyung, how many times do I have to tell you, you can't torture people." Jungkook shook his head in disapproval, looking almost appalled.

The black-haired man pursed his lips. "Do I look like an amateur?"

"I want to talk to him." Aera declared suddenly and everyone's heads swung her way.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Taehyung cocked a brow. "You two used to smash, right? Maybe he'll be more open with you."

Jimin glared at him, his hostile stare practically piercing through the tattooed man.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked cautiously, eyes back at Aera. "You went through a lot today. I know I can't stop you from talking to him, even though I'd really rather you didn't. But I'll respect your decision, whatever it is."

"Yes I'm sure." she confirmed bluntly.

"Please be careful," Jimin warned, eyes burning with worry. "He's much more dangerous than we thought."

Shivering, Aera pivoted her hair to stare through the tempered glass. "It's alright," she reassured him quietly, eyes drifting to Yoongi's cuffed hands. "He won't hurt me."

"You don't get this," Jimin grumbled somberly. "I meant that as in emotionally dangerous."

The words lingered on her mind a little bit too long. Gulping nervously, she pushed the armor-plated door with all her might, stepping inside the dim room.

She was met with chilling coldness. The fluorescent lights flickered, a slim shaft of light penetrating the air vent. The gray walls made her feel like she was suffocating, much like as if she had been stuck in this concrete box forever when in reality it had been only ten seconds. The door closed behind her so loudly it made her jump.

With trembling feet, she shuffled to the center where Yoongi was seated and installed herself on the creaky chair in front of him. Even despite this low state she was seeing him in, with his hands pinned behind his back and his clothes covered in filth from the struggle, something about his presence made her feel tiny and inadequate.

It was her who was in the position of power now. He was the vulnerable one. So why did she feel this way?

At that moment she was thankful for the blindfold over his eyes. Not falling under his scrutiny, it would be easier for her to talk to him without giving him the pleasure of seeing how unsettling his effect on her was.

"Aera."

The silky baritone reverberated through her bones, making her snap her eyes wide open.

"How did you know it was me?" she croaked, suddenly feeling exposed and defenseless like a mouse under a microscope.

A small smile played on his lips. "I can recognize your presence anywhere."

It was so quiet she could hear her own breathing. Unwittingly, she found herself trying to make as less noise as possible. Her thoughts wrestled with each other as sweat started building between her fingers. She hated this feeling.

A soft, rumbling chuckle escaped his mouth, sending chills through her body.

"Is there something you find funny?" she asked, a sharp edge to her voice.

"You're nervous," he commented. "And it's so obvious."

"Yeah? How is it obvious?" she snapped. Truthfully she had no idea where she was going with this attitude, she just wanted to prove to him that she wasn't afraid of him. To deceive him that he didn't make her feel so powerless.

"Sometimes you forget how well I know you." he uttered.

The adrenaline flew through her veins as she stared right at him. As if he had sensed her gaze, he snickered. It was the taunting laughter of someone who was ridiculing her, making fun of her for how pathetic she was.

Completely paralyzed, Aera gathered the last remains of her courage and stood up, the chair screeching from behind her. She strode towards him and he raised his head, mouth falling open at the sudden movement.

Slowly but steadily, one of her hand darted to the back of his head. She briskly pulled at the knot, untying the blindfold and discarding it at the floor where it landed at his feet.

The shock registered on his face as his eyes drank her in, staring up at her. The familiar deadpan exterior blanketed his features the next second when he took a sharp inhale. There was no anger, no sadness, no resentment. Nothing.

"You know what I can do to you." he said, his dark abysses boring through her. Forcing herself not to look away, she continued to stare him down. Diving into his bottomless pits of ink, she found nothing inside.

"Yes I do."

"Why did you take it off then?"

"I want you to look me in the face when you talk to me."

Her muscles tightened against the quivering of her limbs. Yoongi observed her emotionlessly with the enthusiasm of a store mannequin. He didn't flinch, he didn't move, unsettling coldness emanating from him.

"I've done this to you. Before, in your penthouse," he mumbled. "I can do it again now."

"No you won't." she shot back.

"You don't have this hold on me, Aera. You have me mistaken with someone else, I'm not your loyal pet. Speaking of, tell me, do you enjoy screwing your pussy-whipped bodyguard?"

The slap that followed cracked through the air like a gunshot. Yoongi's face reeled back with the force of the blow, letting out a startled gasp of pain before swaying down to hang over his chest.

Red-faced, Aera panted heavily with the emotions smoldering in her incensed hazel orbs. The anger in her eyes showed the scared child within, the girl who had been starved of the love she craved. The tears threatened to leave her eyes, pooling at the corners of her lids. Her wrath was her shield, the only thing guarding her from being torn down and collapsing.

"Did that make you feel better?" Yoongi muttered in between shaky breaths, face covered by raven black strands. The laughter had evaporated from his voice.

"You wanted to kill me." tormented, she accused, chin trembling and nostrils flaring.

Yoongi looked up at her, this time with widened eyes. Her strike had left a red mark on his face from the impact. Her hand still stung, reminding her of the way she had let her anguish pour through her in a fit of reckless violence.

His silence lay on her skin like poison as the quietness grew thicker. She was convinced this was another one of his cruelties, this void he inflicted deliberately to put her on edge.

"Say it!" her voice raised in volume. "Say it, Yoongi! Say how my life means nothing to you. How you hate me and you want me dead. Say it, goddammit!" her voice broke and she could feel the sobs coming.

Almost imperceptibly, he shook his head. Jaw slacked, he gazed directly into her eyes, rendering her incapable of deciphering his thoughts.

"I can't."

"Why are you doing this? Do you hate me so much that you'd want me dead? What have I ever done to you to make you loathe me that much and want to erase my existence? What have I done to deserve to be target of your hatred?" she wailed, devastated. "Answer me, Min Yoongi!"

The silence hung in the air as the tension was building up with each passing second. Aera's anger churned within, too much for her to handle.

"Did you know that it wouldn't work?" she inhaled deeply, staring at him with bloodshot eyes. "Did you?"

He was being quiet on purpose, and it drove her crazy. He knew the exact way to make every cut deeper and every pain last longer. It was his own very sadistic way of pushing her over the edge.

"Did you, Yoongi?" Aera yelled at the top of her lungs, gasping at the throbbing of her eyes. A picture of raw devastation, her whole frame started trembling like the shattered disaster that she was. "Say something!" she shouted, choking at the words.

"No."

Pain pierced through her like scorching fire. Gaze pinned at Yoongi who just returned her stare blankly, the soft swallow he gave the only betrayer of his emotions.

"No, I mean-," suddenly he was stammering which was so unlike him. "I knew that there was a possibility that it wouldn't work, but I wasn't entirely certain, no. I had to make sure that... oh, fuck." He trailed off.

Aera stumbled backwards, collapsing on the chair that thankfully was there to take her weight. The whole world around her stopped spinning. Yoongi's words were daggers in her ribs, the sharp edge turning and digging deeper. Breathless, she let out a desolate whimper.

"So it is true then." her empty gaze was accompanied by deliberate slow breathing as she tried to fight the pain back.

"Aera, I swear-"

"I kept thinking..." she didn't even bother choking back the sobs that came one after another. "Kept hoping... that you would... that all of this would just end up... to be a big misunderstanding... that you're not... the person I thought you were... that you- I kept trying to justify... your actions... I'm an idiot, fuck, I'm such an idiot!" She wept, burying her face into her hands and pressing her knees to her chest, swaying forward like a small child desperately trying to soothe herself.

"Don't cry," Yoongi begged, his own face creasing as he jerked forward, completely forgetting that he was restricted by the cuffs. "I can't handle you crying baby, please."

"Everything you said to me," she yelped, legs growing weak. "was to deceive me. Every word you said was dishonest. You manipulated me. You erased my memory. You wanted to harm me. Why?" the questioned seemed to be more directed at herself than at him as her teeth caught her lower lip. She couldn't look at him, couldn't bear the sight of someone she once used to love deeply who had now vowed to destroy her, and see cool hatred.

"That's not true." he said in a strained voice.

"Why did you say those things to me at the masquerade? Was it to make me vulnerable? To mess with my brain? Making me reminisce about our time together. So cruel..."

"No..."

"You kissed me," she choked back a whimper. "And then made me forget. Why did you do this, Yoongi?"

"I..." words seemingly left him as he struggled to catch his voice. Dropping his gaze to his lap, he bit on his lower lip.

"Do it again."

Her sudden request left him shell-shocked. His head snapped up and his mouth hung low.

"What?" Yoongi croaked, pupils dilated with astonishment and something else that looked a lot like guilt.

"Do it again," she repeated blankly, face wet from the tears relentlessly streaming down her face. "Make me forget, Yoongi. Make me forget our love or that I was ever yours. I don't want to remember. I don't want any of it!"

"Do you-" he gave a nervous cough, his tongue swiping across his lips. "Do you really want this?"

"What's the point?" she whispered, lowering her gaze to her lap.

"You want to forget about us?" Yoongi's voice was low and quiet, like rolling thunder before a violent storm. His hard expression melted into something totally different. Regret.

Aera seemed unfazed, like she was emotionally bankrupt. Wiping her tears roughly, she grew mad at herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. And in front of Yoongi at that.

"Do it, please. Make it all go away. This pain is more than I can take. Isn't this what you do now? Go ahead, compel me," she kept mumbling incoherently. The more she tried to stop the tears, the more they kept coming, pooling at the corners of her eyelids.

"I can't do it." he refused quietly.

"Do it, for god's sake!" she thundered, digging her nails into her hands while glaring at him. She was completely and utterly distraught. "I'm telling you, do it!"

"I won't!" he yelled, causing her quivering eyes to enlarge. Her breath caught in her throat and she froze. It was the first time she was hearing him yelling, never once in their relationship had he yelled at her.

"Why?" she shouted back.

As if out of spite, he fell silent again.

"Because I'd rather you hate me than forget about me." he whispered eventually.

Jaw slacked, she stared at him before letting out a scoff.

"You won't make a fool of me this time."

"I'm not-"

"Even back when we were together, I was your little toy to play with. You'd crush me down, tear me apart until I could no longer function. Then you'd come back and collect all the small pieces and put them back together. Until you get bored, and do it all over again. And again. And again."

"Aera..."

"And I just stood there, waiting for you to ruin me again. Because I loved you. I loved you, Yoongi! Did you ever love me?"

Caught in her rant, she looked up to lock her gaze with his. She was drowning in the dark and endless abysses that stood in front of her.

"I would have died for you. I would have loved you all my life," she choked up. "Guess it's just time to wake up and realize you never truly was the one I thought you to be."

She buried her face in her hands as the memories flashed through her mind like a fast-forwarded movie montage.

[ flashback ]

"I'll look after you," Yoongi said, tucking a strand of Aera's hair behind her ear. He pulled her in, making her sit in his lap and held onto her tightly.

"Yoongi!" she bit back a giggle, flushing when he placed a butterfly kiss on her neck, his lustrous raven black hair tickling her. She slipped her hands down his shoulders, pulling away to look in his dark eyes. "How do I know you're not lying?" she pouted playfully.

"Baby I never lie," he smirked, peering up at her with adoration. "Wait a second, I wanted to give you something."

"What?" Aera gawked when he slipped a hand in his pocket and took out a small red box. "Oh my god." She froze, wide eyes flashing towards him.

"It's a promise ring," he assured her, having sensed her assumption. "I wanted to give you something meaningful to wear as a reminder of my love for you."

"It's beautiful," her eyes lit up and filled with happy tears as he she looked down on the ring he slowly slipped on her finger.

"It's just temporary. Until we replace it with the really important one," he smiled shyly, cheeks red.

The next second, her lips caught hers again and she felt herself melt into his embrace.

***

"HOW COULD YOU!" Aera raged, trashing against Yoongi's arms that desperately tried to secure around her.

"Please babe, calm down-"

"Why did you do this to me, Yoongi? Why?" she wailed, landing sloppy punches at his firm chest.

"It's not what it looks like," he cried out. "Please, baby, please don't do this!"

"I gave you everything!" she shouted, unable to catch his breath. "All of me, and you threw it away for a cheap fuck! I hate you! I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

"You don't understand, please baby," he begged, his own eyes glistening with a glossy layer. "I can't- I can't see you in pain like this, please!"

"I hate you! Let me go! Fucking let me go, Yoongi!" Aera yelled with her whole chest, collapsing down in a blubbering mess on the ground.

"I won't," he sobbed, chest heaving as he knelt down in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'll change. I'll be better, I swear, just hear me out-"

"Fucking leave!" she hissed, shoving him aside with all the strength she had left. Shaking, she fought back the tremor and managed to take the promise ring off her finger, throwing it in his face. "And take all your shit with you."

***

The knock on Aera's door was extremely quiet, like whoever was on the other side was uncertain if they wanted to come in.

She glanced at the clock. It was a little bit past 3 am.

Sliding from underneath the warm blanket, she shivered when her bare feet hit the floor. She turned the knob silently and opened the door. No words, no questions were needed for her to know that it was him.

"Baby," Yoongi was a whimpering mess, his hair a nest of fluffed up hair and his usually sharp look now had transformed into a wrinkled disaster, with his shirt halfway undone and his coat covered in liquor stains.

"Please don't do this to me again," Aera could feel the tears come back just at the sight of him. "Please don't call me that..."

"I'm despicable," he admitted in between shaky breaths, eyelids fluttering. "But I love you so fucking much it's killing me."

"Don't," she begged, clutching on the door. "You can't keep doing this to me. You hurt me..." she trailed off, her voice cracking. She had promised herself she'd be strong this time. This had happened way too many times for her to accept it again. She would be a fool if she did this. She couldn't...

"Take me back Aera, I beg of you," he pleaded. "I can't function properly without you. Me and you, we're bad for each other but we can't live without one another. I don't know what life is without you, and I don't want to know, just please take me back..."

"No," the sobs broke through one after another and there they were again, the two of them a crying mess in front of each other.

"I adore you," he went on, taking slow, unsteady steps towards her. "I need you. You've ruined me for everyone else, Aera, I can't live without you... I'm a fuck up and only you can fix me."

"Yoongi, I can't. I can't keep doing this to myself..."

"Shhh, baby," he took her face in between his palms. "It will be different, I'll be different," he whispered, the harsh scent of alcohol penetrating her nostrils. "Let me just hold you baby, please. I need to hold you."

Sniffling, Aera looked up at his liquid dark orbs. As if her body was operating out of her control, she took a step back.

And she let him come in.

She let him in again.

This time it would be different.

But it never was.

[ end of flashbacks ]

"Time after time I came back for you only to be hurt again. I loved you despite your many unforgivable flaws, I wasn't afraid for even a second." Aera gulped down another sob. "I loved you with a devoted, unconditional love, like how a puppy loves its owner. I was so naïve..."

Glancing up at him, she was astounded to see that his own eyes seemed teary. In the gloom of the dark room and her own blurry eyes, she couldn't be sure, and what was more, she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it.

"Did you ever truly love me, Yoongi?" she repeated, clinging internally to some vain hope. "Answer me. Honestly. Put down the mask, and tell me. Did you love me?"

Again, he stayed quiet but this time he stared directly at her silently with a conflicted expression. His left eye twitched and he let out a long wavering sigh before lowering his gaze again, facing the ground.

"That's what I thought," Aera stood up and marched to the door. She had handed him a loaded gun and he had pulled the trigger, breaking her into pieces again. Stopping at the door, she glanced over at him one last time. "You're completely gone."

Letting the heavy door close behind her, she didn't have the chance to hear the last words he uttered almost inaudibly.

"I never stopped."

author's note:

I managed to break my own heart omg
I'm depressed ;_;