The silence that follows is so heavy that their steady breathing is the only thing that fills the room. Taehyung's eyes go wide, mouthing hanging ajar for a brief moment before his expression settles into something akin to anger.

Jungkook? She wonders, looking between the two.

Hoseok looks as though he wants to say something, panic edging over his wide eyes, but is cut off by Taehyung who speaks harshly as he looks away.

"That's all? I didn't need to know that; you know I don't care".

She's taken aback by his harsh tone, who was this Jungkook, and what did he do for Taehyung to have such disdain towards him?

Hoseok sighs, shoulders deflating as he does. "Tae-!" he starts only to be cut off once more when the other turns to look at him again.

"Hoseok, I don't care" he states.

"Tae, it's been five years-"

"and it doesn't hurt any less".

This has Hoseok silent, eyes filled with sorrow as he sighs heavily. "You were all once so close, nothing could separate the three of you".

Three?

"He ran away, he left me alone. He hates me" Taehyung says bitterly, she can almost feel his words stinging at her eyes.

"He was grieving Tae"

"I was too!!" he suddenly shouts, startling Hoseok who is quick to calm himself, waiting for him to continue.

"You think it was easy? Knowing what happened, knowing that the burden of it would fall on my shoulders despite it not being my fault!?" She can see the slight tremor of his hands as he balls them into fists.

"I- I know but, it was all so much to process. You can't blame him for reacting that way".

"And yet he blamed me and left anyways".

Taehyung's eyes were glistening now and how she wishes she could catch those tears as they slip past his lashes, leaving little droplets staining the couch.

Hoseok reaches out, placing a hand over the others trembling one. "Meet him, just once, please. I think if you both spoke face to face, it would really help".

Taehyung's eyes are fixated upon the rug, his gaze foggy and distant as though he were far from this place. Then, just as quickly, his gaze hardens and he's blinking away his tears, jaw clenching in barely concealed grief.

"No".

"What-?"

"No, I don't care, I don't want to meet him"

"Taehyung-,"

"Hoseok I'm done with this conversation, if you're done you can leave".

Hoseok looks taken aback, hurt flashing over his features before he sighs in dejection. Slowly he stands, glancing around the living room as he does. Reaching over he places a hand on Taehyung's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Take care".

Eun Hye follows him to the door, watching until his figure disappears down the block from her line of sight. Sighing, she rushes back towards the living room finding Taehyung still seated on the couch, still like a doll.

Kneeling before him, she glances up at his face, heart aching at the sight she's met with. His eyes are glistening with tears, threatening to fall as he stares into the palms of his hands. She tries to touch him, lifting a hand towards his face in hopes of feeling the softness of his skin, only for it to go through him.

Without warning he stands abruptly, startling her. He rushes over to the coat rack, tugging on his jacket as he grabs his keys that lay upon the side table by the front door. Slipping on a pair of shoes, she hopes those sandals are warm enough, for the weather outside was cold. She recalls him coming from work home late at night, nose and cheeks dusted red from the biting cold.

He slams the door shut as he leaves and she doesn't bother rushing to the window to see him drive off.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she remains seated upon the floor, resting her cheek upon her knees. In times like these, where he was high strung and overwhelmed, she wishes she could simply hug him, or perhaps pull him away from the dark clouds looming above him and seat him in his father's old study where they could play piano until his smile returned.

It pains her to see him so alone.

Who was Jungkook? And why did the name have a familiar ring to it? Could it be someone from her past as well?

Taehyung doesn't return until the sun has long set and the moon has settled in the sky. She hasn't moved from her spot on the floor, that uncertainty gnawing away at her insides all day as she wracks her mind for anything that would relate to Jungkook.

He rushes into the house, slamming the door closed as he tears off his coat and tosses it onto the rack carelessly. He looks exhausted, mouth set in a frown as he makes his way towards the stairs. She's on her feet instantly, following closely behind him.

She can smell the faintest scent of something strong wafting from him, a strange burnt smell. It clicks in her mind the moment he stops in the middle of the hallway.

Cigarettes, he smells of cigarette smoke.

He's looking up at something on the ceiling and when she follows his line of sight, she finds a string hanging from what appears to be a door in the ceiling. How had she not seen that? Was that always there?

Tiptoeing, he manages to grab the string and tugs it hard. The door opens, pulling along with it a wooden ladder that unfolds as it descends before him. The attic.

The ladder creaks as he climbs, dust puffing out of its crevices with every step he took. She follows, anticipation bubbling in her gut at discovering something new.

The attic, to say the least, is dark. It's dark and cramped, full of cobwebs and smells of rusted metal. There's barely any room to stand and he nearly trips over an old box left lying carelessly on the ground. The moment his foot connects with it, it sends clouds of dust up at his face causing him to sneeze loudly. The sound echoes through the eerily enclosed space until silence falls over them once again.

There was so much stuff packed away and shoved into any corner that she wonders how he would find whatever it was he was looking for. Except that she's proven wrong and he seems to know exactly where to look. Shoving aside a storage container, behind it sits a wooden chest. It has little carvings of flowers around the edges, intricate details and she's left in awe at the sight. Taehyung is unfazed as he carelessly unlatches the fat metal lock hooked on it, tossing it aside with a loud clank as he throws the lid open.

Inside are albums, photo albums to be exact. All stacked neatly and labeled with sloppy handwriting she recognizes as Taehyungs. There are a few notebooks and envelopes that have discolored over time, stained yellow and murky looking.

Grabbing one of the albums, he waves away the specks of dust that fly about, plopping onto the wooden floor comfortably as he crosses his legs and plops the album down.

Sighing shakily, she sees the hesitation in him as he pauses, hand left hanging as he goes to flip open the book. Taking a deep breath, he opens it, finding a page with neat handwriting on it that read "Us", dating back to years ago. There are three names written under the date, each with different handwritings.

Kim Taehyung

Jeon Jungkook

Park Eun Hye