The alarm clock hasn't gone off yet, but Taehyung is already wide awake. Sleep didn't visit him last night, just like the usual.

As he sat on top of the bed, his eyes lingered on the flickering light coming from the bedside lamp.

He couldn't help but think of how the once bright light is now slowly fading... dying.

How the vibrant light would turn dark one day, die in a blink of an eye.

Few knocks from the door diverted his attention, followed by Jin's voice calling out his name.

"Tae.."

"Yes hyung?" He responded through the closed door.

"I'll be leaving early today. Don't forget to eat breakfast, okay?" Jin reminded.

"Okay." Taehyung answered. He heard footsteps walking away from his room which made him turn to look at the flickering light once more.

Thoughts began running in his mind, losing himself in the silence of his own world.... his own world void of anything.

It's like his mind could turn off and block everything in his surroundings, with nothing but the fading light in front of him, slowly dying until he's engulfed in darkness once again.

Darkness painted with red as a vivid stench lingered around him.

Too vivid that he could almost taste it.

The sound of the alarm blasted off, pulling Taehyung back to his senses even before he could delve deeper to his thoughts.

It's his signal to slowly go out of bed and get ready for another day. He did his routine, not forgetting to eat the breakfast his brother had prepared for him before taking a bath and picking his usual clothes during his internship.

Nothing new.

Just another day like any other day that had passed.

When the clock strikes seven in the morning, Taehyung has already gone outside of their apartment unit when he felt his phone vibrate inside his pocket.

The name of the caller would have made him smile, if only that's possible.

"Hey. Where are you?" Jimin asked.

"I'm walking." He answered as he made his way to the stairs.

"Well of course."

Taehyung could already picture Jimin's eyes rolling as he said those words.

"Are you still at your place?" Jimin clarified.

"Yes." Taehyung stopped on his tracks when he heard a sound of music in the hallway.

It was faint, coming from the apartment unit at the farthest end, near the stairs.

Taehyung continued to walk as he listened to Jimin's voice on the other line.

"I'll wait for you outside. Let's go to the office together." Jimin instructed before ending the call without waiting for his response.

He continued to make his way out as the music began getting louder with each step closer to the said unit. His eyes caught sight of the few boxes outside the closed door.

It hasn't been long since the previous occupant left and migrated somewhere else.

Someone new must have already occupied the place.

Taehyung did not waste his time as he went downstairs where Jimin awaits him, smiling cheerfully.

"Hey." Jimin quickly placed his arm over his shoulders as the two of them walked together.

"Did you miss me?" He asked, smile still plastered on his lips.

"Do I have to say yes?" Taehyung asked in monotone which made Jimin pout at his response.

"You could at least pretend." He uttered, pretending to be hurt.

Taehyung hadn't seen the latter for a week because of an emergency that he had to attend to.

"How's your father?" Taehyung asked.

"Well.. He's still unable to get out of bed, but good thing his life is no longer in danger." Jimin responded, voice laced with relief.

"That's good to know."

It would have really been great if his face would mirror the words he uttered.

But he remained unable to express the right emotions. Fortunately, his friend already knows this side of him which he's lacking.

After a few minutes on the road, the two of them arrived at the office in the nick of time.

"Let's have lunch later, okay?" Jimin reminded as soon as the two of them entered the elevator.

Taehyung just nodded his head in response as another man rode the elevator with them before the door finally closed.

"By the way, I heard from Jennie that Yeri has been bullying you. She still won't stop, huh?" Jimin uttered in an irritated manner.

"I don't really care. You know that." He answered, shrugging his shoulders at the thought. He looked at the floor number flashed on top as he silently count the interval seconds for each floor.

"I care. She needs to stop spreading rumors about you or else I'll make sure to cut her tongue out." Jimin is beyond pissed.

He knows Taehyung is a bit different, but that doesn't make him a freak, just like what Yeri has been spreading about.

He's unique and special.

"I'd like to see you do that." Taehyung answered seriously.

The elevator finally stopped on their floor. As soon as the door opened, Taehyung headed out with Jimin following behind.

------

"Photocopy these for me."

Taehyung nodded his head and accepted the documents handed by his supervisor, Marquez.

"How many copies should I make?" He asked, checking the pages.

"Make about 10 each." Marquez answered without looking away from the computer monitor.

"Okay, sir." Taehyung replied before heading to the copier, near the supplies area.

Fortunately, no one is using the machine before him. He silently operated the copier, eyes glued on the papers when he heard a commotion.

Taehyung doesn't really care, if not for the fact that he has heard his name being called in a rather loud manner.

"Taehyung!"

He turned to look at the owner of the voice and saw a woman approaching him.

What's her name again?

He couldn't remember. He just recognized her as the woman who's spreading rumors about him.

The one who thinks he's a freak.

"You did this, right?!" She bellowed, throwing a box in front of him.

The contents scattered from the impact, and Taehyung was sure he heard someone in the forming crowd gasp at the sight.

"What the fuck?! Is that a dead rabbit?!" Someone from the crowd pointed out the obvious scene in front of everyone.

Taehyung bent down and stared at the dead animal with its eyes bluged, stomach sliced, limbs tied, and ears cut out.

Blood is oozing out of its opened belly as the horrible stench of something decaying filled the air.

"What made you think I'd do something like this?" Taehyung asked as he extended his hand and held the dead rabbit in his hands.

He heard the people around utter expletives, some were even grossed out by his action but he couldn't care less.

His eyes lingered on the opened wound, blood now dripping slowly to his arm.

"Someone saw you place that box in my table!" She accused, making Taehyung look at her direction.

Is that fear he sees in her eyes?

He couldn't tell.

"I didn't." He shortly responded as he turned his attention back at the dead animal on his hand.

Taehyung slowly traced his finger on the blood gliding on his arm. He stared at it closer, feeling the texture on his fingers.

"You're seriously a freak!" the woman bellowed, disgusted by the sight of him.

However, Taehyung didn't pay attention to his surroundings as he focused his attention on the blood on his fingers.

He could hear the people murmuring, but everything just sounded like noises to him.

Their faces all look the same with expression he couldn't put a name on. Their eyes were all on him, but nothing seemed to make any sense.

Not until he felt a hand slap the dead animal out of his grasp, letting it land on the tiled floor which made the crowd grimace at the sight.

"What are you doing, Tae?"

Taehyung saw Jimin next to him, eyes fixated on his bloodied hand.

"Your freak friend tried to threaten me with that." the woman uttered in disgust.

"Shut it, Yeri." Jimin retorted back, not caring if the latter is older than him.

He doesn't even care if their internship would be affected by his actions.

All that matters to him is Taehyung.

"Let's go wash your hands." He quickly guided Taehyung away from the crowd, uncaring of the nonstop chatter of Yeri and the unsolicited opinion of the crowd.

"I didn't do it." Taehyung said as soon as they entered the restroom.

"I know." Jimin responded, helping Taehyung clean his hands under the running water.

"Someone must have pulled a prank on her." Jimin mumbled, rinsing his hands thoroughly.

"Why would she think I did that to her?" Taehyung asked, unable to understand the woman's reasoning.

"That's because she thinks you're getting back at her for all the false rumors she spreads about you." Jimin explained, finally satisfied to see his now cleaned hands.

He slowly faced Taehyung towards him, eyes glued on those chestnut eyes.

"Tae.."

Jimin couldn't find the right words to say. He wanted to rectify Taehyung's actions, but he doesn't know how to say it without sounding so harsh.

It's not like Taehyung would feel hurt though.

He sighed, smiling dismissively to Taehyung.

"You should go home for today. I'll tell Marquez you had an emergency." Jimin suggested.

"Why? It's not like I'm hurt or sick." Taehyung asked, not understanding where Jimin is coming from.

"Just go home and rest for the day, Tae. I'll call Jin-hyung to inform him." Jimin insisted.

He doesn't want Taehyung to go anywhere near that bitch again. He'll report what happened to the university dean and ask for an internship transfer for Taehyung and himself.

"Okay."

Taehyung did what he's told.

He went straight home, leaving everything for Jimin to handle.

"You're back early today." the tenant from the first floor said, seeing him back in the apartment building.

He didn't respond and just acknowledged the woman with a nod.

As he went upstairs and passed by unit 201, he noticed that the pile of boxes he saw earlier were no longer outside.

The door was slightly opened as the same sound of music played even louder this time.

He couldn't remember when and where he had heard the song, but it has a rather intriguing tune.

Taehyung shrugged as he made his way to his apartment, clueless of the sight that awaits him the next day.

The sight of police officers waiting at his doorsteps.

-------

Love you 💜