Minji hadn't said much all through dinner the night before. Jin and Namjoon kept a close eye on her, but neither of them questioned her odd behavior or asked her about why she was frantically searching the house. After dinner, she excused herself, dragging her feet to her room before she buried herself under the covers, pulling them closer to her body as she curled up into a ball. She cried herself to sleep into the early hours of the morning.

A small clattering causes Minji to stir in her sleep, springing from her bed as her eyes quickly scan the room. The glimmer of hope is distinguished when Namjoon offers her a sheepish smile, apologizing for waking her up.

"I just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready," he says, noticing the way her shoulders slump as she bows her head, staring at her hands while a stray tear slips onto her finger. Namjoon rushes to her side, eyebrows furrowed in concern as he wraps his arms around her. "Shh, it's okay," he mumbles, soothingly rubbing her back while she snuggles further into his hold.

Namjoon gently rocks them back and forth, glancing up at the door when he hears a creak from the hall. Jin worriedly looks at Minji before his gaze settles on his brother, who's expression mirrors his own.

"Minie," Jin calls, entering the room before taking a seat on the edge of her bed, his hand gently stroking her hair as she pulls away from Namjoon. Her puffy eyes stare into her eldest brother's, a sight that causes his heart to crack slightly since he wishes he knew what he could do to fix it. "What's going on?" he questions.

A small sob escapes her lips as she shakes her head, words failing her as she feels her breathing pick up, her chest heaving as she gasps for air. Both Namjoon and Jin are by her side in an instant, reaching for her hands as they both try to guide her through her breathing, but their voices are faint as she feels light-headed.

"Min, breathe, please," Namjoon pleads. "Minji, do you hear me? Listen to the sound of my voice, okay? Five things you see." Namjoon continues to talk, trying to get her to listen, but no response. Her body shudders as the sobs wrack her body.

Jin finally stands up before kneeling in front of her, hands resting on her face as he forces her to look at him. "Look at me Minji, focus," he gently speaks. Her eyes settle on his, trying her best to get oxygen coursing through her lungs. "Five things you see."

Her lip trembles as she closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She finally forces her eyes open, glancing around the room. "Y-you," she blubbers out, hiccupping slightly before her eyes shift to Namjoon, the concern etched on his features. "Joon. M-my alarm c-clock, the b-bed, my bac-backpack," she croaks out, trying to steady her breathing as Jin nods.

"Great, now four things you feel," he presses.

"Y-your hands. They're re-really cold by the way," she grumbles, earning a small chuckle from both her brothers. "Joon's h-hands, my p-pajamas, the com-comforter," she replies. Both Namjoon and Jin seem to relax a bit, noticing the way her breathing is starting to even out.

"Three things you hear?" Namjoon chimes in this time, causing Minji to focus on him before a sad smile tugs on her lips.

"You and Jin," she replies, closing her eyes as she tries to pick up on a third sound, eyebrows furrowing as she hears faint chirping outside her window. "Birds," she mutters out, opening her eyes before glancing between her older brothers. "Thank you," she whispers, pulling Jin into a brief hug before turning to Namjoon to do the same.

She lets out a small sigh, wiping her cheeks before she pushes herself off the bed, turning around to face her brothers. "I'm s-sorry about worrying you, what with everything that happened yesterday-"

"It's fine Minji, we understand. We just want to make sure that you're okay," Jin reassures. "Now go get ready, wouldn't want your breakfast getting cold."

She nods, her lips curving into a small smile as she walks into the bathroom, running through her morning routine. Both Namjoon and Jin return to the kitchen, a hushed conversation taking place as the two are going over what just happened. Neither of them seem to have answers as to what might've caused the episode.

Minji shivers as she wipes her face, a minty taste lingering in her mouth as she stares at her reflection in the mirror. Her face is slightly pale, a noticeable contrast to her puffy, red eyes. She sniffles as her eyes glisten yet again, but she refuses to cry, it wasn't going to help anyone. I'm going to finish what I started.

She shivers as her bare feet meet the cool hardwood floor. Instead of heading towards the kitchen, she turns back to her bedroom to get some socks, arms folded in front of her chest as she curls up slightly. It was definitely colder than earlier. Better get a sweatshirt too while I'm at it.

Upon entering her room, she abruptly stops, her lower lip quivering as she stares at her bed. Taehyung's gaze hesitantly meets hers, a small pout on his lips as he takes in Minji's appearance.

"Taehyung?" she croaks out, afraid to blink in fear of him disappearing again.

"Minji," he breathes out, standing from the bed as he notices the tears threatening to spill. "Is everything okay?"

"Where the hell were you?" she whispers. "Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was? I thought you were-" A small sob sounds in the room, her words getting caught in her throat at the thought of having lost Taehyung.

He immediately rushes to her, wrapping his arms around her while she buries her head in her hands, crying yet again as relief courses through her knowing that he was okay now, and that he was back.

"I'm sorry Min, I didn't know-" he starts, words faltering as he tries to figure out how to sooth her. He holds her tighter, feeling her shiver against him as he closes his eyes, gently resting his head on the top of hers. "I'm so sorry, I thought you would've wanted your space after what happened."

"Well you were wrong," she replies. "You could've at least let me know you were okay," she rushes out. "They took your laptop and everything was a mess since the drive got stolen too, so I thought that-"

"Wait, what?" he interrupts, pulling away from her as his eyebrows furrow, gaze intently focusing on her.

"Someone stole the drive," she repeats, slower this time. "And the house was broken into, the only thing that was missing was the laptop." Taehyung starts pacing, fingers combing through his hair as an expletive slips past his lips. "I'm sorry," Minji whispers.

Taehyung stops, his steps carrying him back to his best friend as he pulls her into another hug, fingers gently stroking her hair as he reassures her that everything will be fine.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, I wasn't thinking clearly," he whispers, a comfortable silence settling between them. "I, uhhh... I actually ended up going to the hospital," he admits, breaking the silence since he felt like he owed her an explanation.

He pauses, feeling his heart tighten as he recalls his mom's faint touch, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "I went to see my mom. I guess I just lost track of time and ended up spending the night," he shares.

Minji pulls away, glossy eyes staring up at him. "How's she doing? Is she okay?" she quickly asks. It's been a while since she's been in the hospital and she feels slightly guilty for not checking in on Mrs. Kim sooner.

"She's fine," Taehyung reassures. "She talks to me a lot. I can always hear her voice, especially late at night. She always updates me on how appa and my little brother are doing, and how she's constantly thinking of me. She likes to tell me stories about what I was like as a kid, and how much she misses me and wants me to come home."

He avoids her gaze as he stares at the floor, his mom's voice still faintly ringing in his head. I'm coming home soon mom, I promise.

"I should stop by later to see her, I'm sure she could use the company," Minji suggests.

Taehyung's eyes meet hers, nodding in agreement. "I'm sure she'd love that."

"Minji! What's taking so long?" Jin calls out, hoping that she wasn't going through another episode.

"Be there in a minute!" she shouts back. "Just had to get my sweatshirt since I'm cold!" She excuses herself, slipping past Taehyung as she grabs a sweatshirt from her closet, pulling it over her head before she turns to head out of the room.

The cool touch on her wrist causes her to stop as she turns back towards Taehyung.

"I, uhh... I was also thinking about what you said, about helping me. I just," he pauses, letting out a heavy sigh before his piercing gaze focuses back on Minji. "I just want you to be careful, okay? This guy is dangerous, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you too."

Minji pouts, her hand gently grasping his as she lightly squeezes it. "I'll be careful, I promise. Just stay alive for me and keep fighting, okay?" Taehyung smiles, giving her a small nod before she pulls away, rushing to the dining room to join her brothers for breakfast. Both Namjoon and Jin notice the pep in her step, both of them relieved to see that she was in a brighter mood than earlier. 

---

Saturday nights were always busy, and both Minji and Jimin were glad that they could finally shut everything down for the evening.

Jimin eagerly rushes towards the doors, locking them up to ensure that no one else comes in while Minji works on cleaning her work area. Yoongi has already taken up both of their tills, working on counting the amounts so all of them could leave as soon as possible.

"Did you get a response from Jin?" Jimin asks, approaching Minji's register as he leans against the surface, tilting his head slightly in order to earn her attention while she nods her head, chuckling at him.

"I did, he's going to come with me so I'll meet you there," she replies. Taehyung smiles as he watches the interaction from the side while the two engage in some small talk. Yoongi moves swiftly as he makes sure to finish his closing procedure, finally emerging from the office as all three of them clock out for the evening.

As they part ways, Jimin confirms with Minji that he'll see her soon, earning a nod in response before she rushes towards Jin's car, eager to escape the cool night air. She shivers slightly as she puts her seatbelt on, her fingers immediately resting against the vent as she sighs in content when she feels the heat emitting onto her cold skin.

"How was work?" Jin asks, pulling away from the curb as he listens to Minji talk about her day while they drive towards the local hospital. Jimin arrives shortly after, parking right next to Jin before getting out of the car, the three of them stopping by the visitor's station in order to get their passes before getting onto the elevator.

Taehyung's mother perks up once the door to the room opens, a frail smile on her lips as she shuffles towards them. Jimin is the first to pull her into a hug, noticing how she holds onto him for a few seconds longer before turning towards Minji, pulling her into a hug as well.

Minji feels her heart clench as Mrs. Kim's hold tightens slightly, not ready to let go when she feels the young woman pull away. Taehyung watches the scene with a knot in his stomach, hating how much this has hurt his mother. When she finally pulls away, she glances at the other young man who is with them, offering him a warm smile as he bows, introducing himself as Minji's older brother.

She recalls meeting him a few times and nods her head, gesturing for all of them to come in further while she occupies the seat closest to Taehyung, her hands instinctively wrapping around his. Taehyung stands at the foot of the hospital bed, glancing down at his own hand as he gently closes his eyes when he feels the light pressure of her touch. Even though she is a few feet away, he can still feel it... just like how he hears her voice even when he's not here with her.

"How are you? Any news from the doctors?" Jimin inquires, leaning against the wall across from Mrs. Kim while Minji sits across from her in the other vacant chair. Jin opts for standing next to Jimin, his eyes observing the young man in the hospital bed before shifting to his little sister.

"No dear," she mumbles, a tired sigh leaving her lips. "They say there's still no progress."

Minji frowns, staring at Taehyung's disheveled hair. She leans over, her hand reaching out to push back a few of the strands while Taehyung feels her fingers in his hair. As she pulls back, the small piece of paper resting on the side table catches her attention.

"What's this?" Minji asks, unable to keep her curiosity at bay as she picks up the form, eyebrows furrowing as she reads through the paper, her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach as she reads the words Withdrawing Life Support.

Mrs. Kim sighs, waving her hand as she brushes it off. "The doctors came by today to talk about possible steps moving forward. They said that since there hasn't been any improvement in the past month with his vitals and brain signals, that it might be time to consider-" her voice falters, bottom lip trembling as a few tears stream down her weary face.

Both Jimin and Taehyung straighten up, staring over at the frail woman as her hand covers her mouth, trying to contain her emotions.

"I thought he had more time," Jimin murmurs, voice low as he stares at his closest friend, eyes shining as he fights the tears threatening to spill.

She sighs, her gaze returning to her son as she gently strokes his hair, lips trembling as her they  tug up into a pained smile. "I told them I'm not signing the papers, that he's still alive, he's still fighting," she replies. "They told me they haven't been able to pick up any indication that he's lucid and that there's nothing more to be done, but I know that's not true."

She takes a shaky breath, glancing at Jimin before her gaze lands on Minji. "I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I feel like he's here with me. I can feel it," she whispers. "Maybe it's mother's intuition, but I know he can hear me, I just know it," she affirms. Taehyung lowers his head, tears trickling down his cheeks while he presses his lips together.

Minji feels the pain creeping into her chest, tightening its hold on her heart as she watches her friend, feeling helpless as he breaks down in front of her.

She's startled when her phone pings, apologizing as she glances at the screen, eyebrows furrowing slightly as an unknown number pops up. What the hell? Without hesitation, she opens up the text message, freezing as she reads over the words.

Unknown
Curiosity killed the cat. Your friend was too curious, and now he's paying the price for it. If you want to avoid the same fate, then I suggest backing off. 

A/N: Aaand, second update! Was surprisingly really motivated to write, and felt like I couldn't leave you on that cliffhanger, so.... SURPRISE! We're slowly creeping towards the end, only 5/6 more chapters left!

I just want to say, thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! What do you think so far? 

As always, make sure to stay safe and take care!

-Em