V had been acting strange for the rest of the afternoon— I knew that he was generally strange, but something seemed off this time. Like there was something else I was missing.

First and foremost, he'd locked himself up in his room for the past hour. Once Jimin threatened to break down the door, he'd threatened back that if he did, he'd break the boy himself.

After hearing that, Jimin backed off without further arguing.

And he'd left the job up to me. A girl that was barely half his size— but apparently twice his courage.

"Hey!" I shout, pounding on the door like my life depended on it. "Are you okay? What's up with you?"

"Leave me alone," A muffled voice echoes from the other side, and I internally groan. He was acting like a teenager going through mood swings— when he was twenty.

Wasn't that an age well over adulthood?

"What's wrong? Unless you tell me, me and Jimin are going to go dive off the nearest cliff."

I ignore the weirded out look that comes my way when I say that. To be honest, I was fully expecting the next answer he sourly mutters.

"Be my guest."

Jimin sighs. "Stubborn as hell— you're not getting him out, Tzuyu. It is what it is— especially when we're talking about Kim Taehyung."

"Shut up, Jimin." V's annoyed voice is sharp enough to go through the door, and I roll my eyes at the sight of two fully capable adults acting like first graders over a lollipop.

"Jimin," I whisper, my voice suddenly hushed so that V couldn't overhear. "Act like I'm dying."

"What?"

"Just do it!"

A doubtful expression crosses his face, reflecting mine exactly. I really doubt that V would actually fall for this— he was just very difficult to trick.

Trying to determine the best way to go, I recall my usual reaction to a panic attack. Shaking— breathing hard— check.

To help my acting, I gaze at my blunted tips— which works so efficiently that I nearly do have an actual attack. I force myself to think bad things as I start hyperventilating, my breaths violent and rough against the surface of my lips.

Widening my eyes, I fall back against the wall— creating a convincing thump. A shiver crawls up my spine when the hollow sound reminds me of a body, thudding onto the ground after mangled lifeless.

"Tzuyu, are you okay?"

Wow.

Jimin is an amazing actor.

Not even a second passes before I hear the sound of a lock sliding open, followed by a soft click as the door swings ajar. I feel a pair of worried eyes as a figure shadows over my hunched form.

A horrible sort of guilt twists up my throat as V stares at me, and I instantly look up with an expression of apology.

He seems stunned at my sudden "recovery", and realization crosses his face as soon as the relief fades away. I hear Jimin giggling uncontrollably in the background as my eyes meet with his, slanted with disappointment.

Somehow that's a thousand times worse than annoyance or anger, and I leap up to embrace him in a heartfelt apology.

"I'm sorry, V." I say quietly, looking at his solemn face as my arms tighten around his shoulders. "But I was worried that something had happened."

Had his face always been so pale?

"Something— did happen." I breathe as I start noticing details I hadn't noticed before. In contrast to an hour ago, his face had turned an unnatural shade of paleness, accompanied with his red eyes.

Did he cry?

Then it hits me— he's had an attack, hasn't he? Either that or he was feeling the effects of his disease— just like I'd done with the signs in my fingertips. His face looked too similar to mine to just pass over for nothing.

"Sorry, Jimin— could you give me a second with him?"

"Sure," He says uncertainly, the laughter now only a faded trace in his voice. Even though he wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, he recognized that it wasn't a time for joking around.

I internally thank him as he disappears down the stairs, giving me and V one lasting glance before completely vanishing out of sight. When he does, I lead V back into his room.

He seems exhausted and extremely stressed— considering he usually didn't let me drag him around places by his sleeve.

Once I secure the door behind me, I sit his limp body on the plain bed, proceeding to take the spot next to him. To my growing concern, his aura had been replaced with one of depression and weakness. And I knew enough about it myself to recognize one when I saw one.

And right now, that aura was around V— the most strongest and stubborn person I'd ever met.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, V. You yourself told me that you didn't like people lying to you. What makes you think that it's the same for me?"

A flash of pain darkens his eyes, and I immediately resist the urge to kiss him a countless apologies. I couldn't be my selfish self now— I needed to be considerate and sympathize. I could still recall the panic that had frozen my blood when I had seen my fingertips. There was no reason that he wasn't feeling the same at the moment.

"I'm not feeling like myself."

My arms tighten reflexively around his figure as I press the side of my face against his broad back, trying to give him as much solace he'd given me.

"Are you feeling tired?"

"No."

"Like my life is slipping from my fingertips. That's how it feels like."

My heart clutches in my throat as I unconsciously clasp my own fingers into his. His hand is warm and smooth as I stroke the backside of it with my other hand.

"We just need to get the cure."

"We're not going to get the cure, Tzuyu." V mutters under his breath as his body trembles slightly. "Breaking into that compound is like announcing a suicide sentence. It's impossible— it can't be done."

"Nothing's impossible." I say, working up the courage to kiss him. I really wanted to, but I was so afraid of the consequences that I was frozen motionless onto the mattress.

"Will you distract me?"

"Distract you....?" The question gradually fades into the air as I realize his meaning behind the plea. Without my will, a happy smile curves my lips as I whisper of course.

Prompted by his favor, courage bursts from me in waves as I wrap my hand around the back of his collar, giving it a hard pull so he falls back onto the bed.

When I get a look at his face, I nearly laugh at the stunned expression carved into his features.

Instead of laughing, though, I bend over and kiss him on his forehead. My figure casts a shadow over his face, making it so that I couldn't see his reaction— but when his hand wraps around the back of my neck, I know that it can be nothing bad.

Wanting to distract him to the best of my ability, I make the light kisses the most dramatic way possible as I make my way down his eyes and nose before reaching his lips.

I linger for a second longer before I pull away gasping for breath. The ends of my long hair cascade down to graze the side of his cheek, and I can't believe I've never noticed how freaking long his eyelashes were before I'd gotten this close up to him.

Our noses were practically touching.

Then one of his eyes flutter open, and I nearly die from another heart attack. I can distantly feel my lower body fading rapidly as my heartbeat increases as well, matching his rhythm underneath my hand.

"Thanks, Tzuyu."

He lightly raises his upper body up to kiss me on my lips, remaining for a precious second before falling back onto the bed with a smile on his face.

"I never realized how distracting you could be when you wanted to."