7:36 AM

Tzuyu's POV

"What?! I thought you said you were going to book a flight for me back!"

"Why would I book a flight for such a disrespectful child?" My mother huffs, and fury widens my eyes. It didn't matter anymore— even animals knew my mother couldn't be reasoned with.

"Fine."

I say coldly as I swing my bag around my shoulder, my dead phone sitting motionlessly in my pocket. If only I could call V— but he'd just probably go out of his way to come get me, and I didn't want him to do that.

"Bye."

I'd take a bus or something back to Seoul— figure things out as I went. This was fine. It'd just take a few more hours and a lot more effort.

My bag feels even heavier as I catch a taxi, knowing that I couldn't book a flight for Seoul today. Most flights needed to be secured in advance, and my goal was to be sleeping beside V tonight— even if it meant hours of stiff riding in the back of a taxi.

"Can you get me to Seoul, please?"

_________________________

6:47 PM

Jimin's POV

"Jungkook, go." I say, pushing the reluctant boy eagerly. "One more time, okay? He's going to die if he doesn't eat soon— and then Tzuyu's probably going to strangle me for being such a useless doctor."

Jungkook purses his lips, sighing heavily. I didn't blame him— not after V hadn't answered him three times in a row.

"Okay."

The moment he disappears towards V's room, I hear my phone vibrate on the counter. Hope sparks up my mind when I skim my eyes over the caller ID.

Puppy #3

"Hello?"

The feminine voice I hear on the other side sounds exhausted, and my eyes narrow with curiosity.

"Tzuyu? Where are you?"

"I'm sorry— I was so stupid. I should've booked a plane after all— it would've been so much faster than this! Gosh, I'm so dumb that I could just—"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm near— I don't know, but the green sign says that I'm in Daejeon? The traffic here was terrible—but I'll think I'll get to Seoul tonight. Maybe a bit over midnight, I'm guessing?"

"How's V?"

"You should've called—"

"There's literally nothing I wanted to do more," She interrupts, her voice anguished. "But my phone battery hit ground when I left Busan this morning, and I literally went off to find the nearest charger station as soon as the taxi dropped me off here. Now I have to find another one."

"Well, V—"

"Put him on here, stat!" She cries, seeming to already know that he didn't eat nothing but water for the past day. "Kick down that stupid door if you have to, Jimin! Well— I mean, no offense, but Jungkook might be better for that."

"Gosh, I told him to eat!"

"He didn't call you?" I ask curiously. I would've guessed that he'd locked himself in his room talking to Tzuyu, but then it might've just been depression that she hadn't called.

"No— my phone was dead until now, and he didn't answer. So I called you instead."

"He's probably sleeping with your clothes," I mutter under my breath as I walk towards V's room, and hear a sharp intake of breath on the other line.

"What do you mean?"

I laugh. "You know, last night— he was literally hugging a pile of your clothes to sleep. Cute, right?"

"That's... adorable."

Another laugh escapes my lips when I see Jungkook crestfallen outside V's door. His face brightens when he sees the phone I have next to my face, already knowing who the caller was.

"Tzuyu!"

"Put me on FaceTime!" Her voice quickly says. When I do, she waves at Jungkook.

"Sorry about V— he gets like this sometimes," She explains, but Jungkook bounces excitedly as he points at the door.

"It doesn't matter now that you're here," He says, making a fist. "Should I break down the door?"

"It's locked?! Gosh, Kim Taehyung."

"You don't need to worry about that," She says, and I can hear her rapid footsteps as she gets into a taxi. "You know the bowl next to his door? The one on the little table?"

"Yes...?"

"There's a spare key for that door."

_______________________

Tzuyu's POV

I'm fuming.

It'd been over an entire day since I'd left, and now Jimin was telling me that V hadn't eaten anything. And even worse, he'd barricaded himself inside my room and was making both Jimin and Jungkook worry.

"We're in," Jimin's light voice echoes from the phone, and I see V fast asleep on my bed. His legs slightly hang over the edge— which was why I usually came to his room instead of mine.

My lips curve into an instinctive smile as soon as I see his familiar face.

Darkness enters my eyes.

"Put the phone right next to his ear," I whisper, and the screen travels closer to his peaceful face. "Yeah— right there. Now stop."

I smile.

"Yah! Kim Taehyung— wake up!"

Even Jungkook flinches a bit as V jerks awake, his eyes wide and alert. I giggle when he nearly trips over his own feet, my blankets tightly entangled with his legs.

"Tzuyu?"

"Hey," I say, my face stern as he dazedly takes the phone from Jimin. "You look too pale. Why aren't you eating, huh?"

"Why aren't you here yet?"

"Sorry about that," I apologize, pursing my lips together. "My parents happened, so I'll be there late in the night. I don't know exactly when."

"You look pale, Tzuyu."

"You, too." I say, pinching my cheeks quickly. "Didn't I tell you to eat when I left?"

"I... didn't have an appetite."

"Do you still not have an appetite?"

"I mean," He says, smiling a little as he runs his fingers through his messy hair. "I guess I can eat something if you promise to come back soon."

"I promise. And be nice to Jimin and Jungkook, okay? They've been trying to feed you for over a day— you know how hard that is?"

"I'm sorry," I hear him say, and suppress another giggle. His voice was so deep from just waking up, yet he looked so adorable on the screen.

"Work on eating, and I'll work on getting home soon."

_______________________

11:53 PM

Tzuyu's POV

I'm exhausted.

It's now pitch dark as the taxi drops me off in front of my apartment, the streetlights flickering in the dim light of the moon.

Everything aches from sitting inside a taxi for more than fourteen hours, and I groan as I breathe in the cool night air. There was nothing I wanted to do more than just go inside and fall asleep in V's arms.

Then something rustles.

A chill runs up my spine as I whip around, terror quickly replacing fear when I see a dark figure in the shadows of the building.

Holy—

Then the silhouette stumbles out into the moonlight, and only then relief crashes down on my mind as the light shows the features of who I'd thought as a serial killer.

It's not a serial killer at all.

It's Jeon Jungkook.

"Jungkook!" I hiss as I quickly rush over to him. A silent curse runs through my lips when I see his eyes closed, his breaths even with sleep.

Sleepwalking.

He's sleepwalking.

It's a miracle he got all the way out here, and I bite my tongue when I realize that Jimin had again, forgotten to give the boy his daily medicine.

I'm starting to doubt if he really is a genius.

"Jungkook?" I repeat, pinching his nose lightly. Even when I tickle his neck and pull on his ear, he sleeps like the dead.

I sigh.

Guiding him just by pulling on his sleeve, I manage to lead him all the way back to the top of the apartment and inside the door.

And he's still asleep.

Now it's well past midnight, and I'm almost certain I have shadows under my eyes as I find the sleeping pills Jimin keeps for him.

"Jungkook," I whisper, not wanting to wake the others as I sit him down on the couch. "Eat."

"Mkakdjjwjsklppphh?"

Giggling at his indecipherable mumbling, I tap at the pill. "Are you awake yet? Can you understand me?"

He nods like it's the hardest thing ever.

"Stick out your tongue," I order, placing the small tablet down when he does. He swallows groggily, and I sigh in relief when he collapses on the couch like a rock.

Already giving up on the prospect of moving him to his bed, I settle on tucking a blanket over him.

After brushing my teeth like a zombie and splashing some water over my face, I stumble my way over to V's room.

At this point, I'm so tired I could just sleep on the floor.

Recognizing his shape on the bed, I don't hesitate another second before crashing down next to him. The bed dips, and I hear him flinch awake through my hazy brain.

I'm so tired.

"Tzuyu," He says deeply, and I can hear the relief in his voice as he pulls me closer to his chest. Warmth falls over me like a blanket, and I wrap my arm around his shoulder as he presses a palm against my back.

"I missed you." He whispers, pressing his lips against mine before shifting down to my cheeks and jaw. "I missed you a lot."

"Me too." I mumble in the dark, breathing in deeply. His warm, fragrant scent tickles my nose, and I sigh in pleasure.

"I won't be so late next time."

All of a sudden, he bites down against my bottom lip. It's a bit harder than usual, and a surprised gasp escapes my lips as he stares at me sternly.

"There's not going to be a next time."