Location: Bangtan Café, Busan, South Korea
Time: 6:21 pm

"T-Taehyung?"

Jimin felt his body stiffen at the sight of his best friend in flesh, alive and breathing.

He flinched when he touched him, feeling his soul leave his body as he looked at him, horrified and unbelieving his eyes.

"Jimin.." Taehyung smiled, his eyes started watering, seeing his best friend after a long time.

He backed away, not understanding what's going on.

"It's me, Chim." Taehyung uttered, voice shaking as tears began flowing his eyes.

Jimin shivered, his own tears threatening to fall as he stared at the man in front of him.

"A-are you.. real?" Jimin asked in a soft voice, extending his hand to touch Taehyung's face.

He gasped, feeling his skin...his warmth.

"Oh God! Tae!" Jimin plunged himself to Taehyung, embracing him tight as his cries left his lips.

"How could this be? Oh God!" Jimin cupped his face, searching and feeling him under his palms.

"It is you.. You're alive!" He leaned his head and pressed it on Taehyung's own, both of them in tears.

"I am, Chim... I am." Taehyung pulled the blonde in a tight embrace, letting each other feel the warmth of their bodies after a long time.

It was in this moment that the door opened.

"Jimin I told you to stay - " Jin trailed off, his eyes widening in shock as he gazed at the person next to Jimin.

"Jin-hyung!" Taehyung uttered with glee, not expecting to see his cousin.

Jin backed away, his body tensed, unable to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.

"T-tae?" He stared in disbelief, mouth agape.

"W-what's going on?" Jin asked, not understanding any of this. He looked at Jimin who's crying in Taehyung's arm.

"Hyung.. Taehyung is alive." Jimin sobbed, burying his face on the doctor's neck.

"Oh God!" Jin felt his knees buckle, tears started to form in his eyes.

Taehyung smiled at his hyung, suppressing his sobs as the older came clashing to his body.

The three of them shared a tearful embrace, nobody spoke, only their sobs were heard that resonated inside the establishment.

--------

"You're telling me your killer helped you?" Jimin inquired while clasping Taehyung's hand.

Taehyung eagerly nodded his head, an automatic smile appeared on his lips, remembering Jungkook.

"Yes. He kept me safe, Chim. He fabricated my death so that.. Judy.." Taehyung trailed off, not wanting to remember the pain her name brings to him.

"So that she would think I'm dead." Taehyung explained, looking at the two of the most precious people in his life.

"All along.. We thought you're really dead." Jin muttered, taking one of his hands and enclosing it with his own.

"You mean to say.. the one we cremated was a different person?" Jimin asked in disbelief.

Taehyung nodded his head. "I'm sorry if I had to keep myself as a secret even for the both of you. I wasn't allowed to go out and reveal myself to anyone before."

Jin smiled. "It's okay, Tae. What's important is that you're alive and you can finally go back to us."

Taehyung bit his bottom lip at this. "Actually, hyung.. I just showed up today to let you know that I'm alive and for you to get rid of the pain that you might be feeling because of my fake death."

Jimin looked at him with concern in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not going back. I'll start living the life I have now. I wanted to meet you in secrecy because I don't want anyone else to know that I'm alive." Taehyung responded, making the two frown.

"Are you telling us you're going to live with... a criminal?" Jin asked in disbelief.

"He.. He's not as bad as you think. He was once a criminal, but now.. he has changed." Taehyung reassured.

"What about your parents?" Jimin suddenly said, making Jin flinch.

"Chim..." Jin tried stopping the younger from saying anything.

Taehyung looked at them with confused eyes. "I still haven't gotten in touch with them, but I asked -"

"Your father had a heart attack and is still in coma until now, Tae. Your mother... don't you care about how she's feeling now?" Jimin said in a sad voice.

Hearing those words seem to make Taehyung deaf. He looked at Jin who's gazing at him with sad eyes.

"H-hyung... Is that.. true?" He asked, choking in his words.

Jin sighed, nodding his head. "When they found out about what happened, uncle wasn't able to take it. I had to go back here in Korea by myself without them because auntie.. she's in the brink of losing herself as well."

"Oh God!" Taehyung cried out, covering his face with his trembling hands as tears began falling down his eyes.

"Tae.." Jimin stood, embracing him in his arms, wanting to console him.

"This is all my fault.." Taehyung sobbed, feeling a sudden tightening on his chest.

While he was having a great life with Jungkook, his parents had been suffering.

What kind of son is he? How could he forget about them?

"None of this is your fault, Tae." Jin uttered, joining Jimin in embracing him.

Taehyung's body trembled in utter pain. "I want to see them.. Please.. Let me see them." He begged, thinking of his loving father in coma and his caring mother who might be experiencing too much pain to have lost a child and to see her husband in the verge of dying.

"Please.." Taehyung clings to Jin who nodded his head as tears stream down his own eyes.

"We'll help you Tae. I'll arrange everything you need." Jin reassured.

Taehyung could only nod amid the pain he's been feeling in his heart.

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