Petrichor • MYG

14

Few days later, Suga really avoided you. You tried looking for him around campus, but yet you never found him.

"Aish dammit this guy !" You hissed pissedly while looking at your phone, you tried to call Suga but his phone was inactive.

"Aera !"

"Tae !"

You waved at Taehyung who walked towards you through the campus hall, he looked a bit rushed.

"Great I found you here, listen, Aera..."

"Sorry Tae, did you see Suga ? I really need to talk to him right now," You cut Taehyung before he could finish his words.

"That's what I wanna talk about," Taehyung said, looking a bit anxious, "Don't go seeing him again, Aera."

"What ? Why ?" You frowned at him.

"Doesn't matter why. Just promise me you won't ever see him again." He said again.

"What nonsense are you talking about ?" You said, looking at him a bit pissed as he looked a bit hesitant.

"Bye, Tae, I have to go now." You were going to leave but Taehyung held your arms.

"Please Aera, listen to me. Trust me, don't ever see him again." He said, getting more anxious.

"Damn you're getting paler, Aera. You looked like a mess." He said again, checking you out, "Go back to us. I miss you Aera, we all miss you."

You were getting pissed with his nonsense words so you just pulled your hand harshly from Taehyung.

"You said this because you think he's a loser, right ? You're just the same as others. I better spend my time with losers rather than with jerks like you guys !" You snapped at him, ready to leave, but he held your arms again.

"No, Aera, you don't understand ! You know I don't mind who you wanna be friends with, I'll always support you !" He snapped back at you.

"But this... this is... different." He said again hesitantly.

Taehyung looked down to the floor, avoiding your eyes. It looked like he was contemplating something.

"What ? Tell me." You said impatiently.

Yesterday it was Suga who had been talking weirdly, and now it was Taehyung. You really needed to know what this really was all about.

"Your friend, this Suga... He doesn't exist." Taehyung finally said, making you look at him with your eyes widened.

"I'm worried about you, so I go check on him." He said again, "I've asked our friends and teachers, they've never seen him this past few weeks. And I also checked the absence card, he hasn't been coming for two weeks."

"Maybe he just forgot to fill out the absence card." You shrugged nonchalantly.

"No Aera, listen." Taehyung said firmly with a serious look in his eyes.

"I called his home yesterday and his mom answered." He gulped before continuing his words.

"She said Suga has passed away. He died because of a motorbike accident two weeks ago. The same accident as yours. He's dead, Aera."

You lost your words as you looked at Taehyung in disbelief. Your mind was still processing what he just said.

"You really don't want me to hang out with him, do you ? You made up a crazy story like this ?" You finally said, looking irritated.

"No Aera ! Listen ! He's dead ! Suga is dead !" Taehyung said while shaking your shoulders frustratedly.

"That's impossible Tae ! He's always with me these past two weeks ! We hung together in the yard, having lunch at the cafeteria... You can ask the other students, lots of people are seeing us together !" You shouted, not less frustrated than him.

"No Aera, they're not." He said firmly.

"They're always seeing you alone. You've been spending your time just by yourself these past two weeks. Others talk bad about you because they saw you laughing and talking alone like crazy around the campus." He explained as you just stood stunned there.

"Wake up Aera, look at you ! You're getting more and more weak." Taehyung said, looking desperately at you.

"You know when the dead and the living are together, the dead will absorb the strength of the living, right ? That's why you're getting like this. You can be the living dead if you're still with him, Aera !" Taehyung said again, trying to make you realize.

"No. That's impossible. I won't believe you !" You said harshly as you let go of his hand and rushed away from there.

"Aera !"

***