Through the Glass k.th [HYYH pt.1]

34

*largely unedited

"I remember you, try remembering. Come back..."

~Remember-B1A4

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Jimin leaned over and read the message. Taehyung was already reading it for the third time. Jimin was just quiet, probably reading it again with him. After a moment of silence, he was sure he was reading it right, that Jungkook wanted to be left alone. But he'd answered, that meant he was alright, that he hadn't done anything to hurt himself, that he was okay.

He's not okay. Not really.

The phone chimed again.

Kookie: I don't want to see you. Not now. [12:43]

Kookie: You don't even remember me. [12:43]

Taehyung blinked. I can't, as much as I want to, I can't see it clearly. But that meant all this time, Jungkook had recognized Taehyung, but had said nothing, that all this time, Jungkook knew who he was, from where, Taehyung couldn't say, it could have been years ago, it could have been months ago.

"Taehyung, you knew Jungkook before?" Jimin asked, quiet, obviously surprised.

Before... "I think..." Taehyung said, trying to think hard on when he'd heard the name, when he'd met Jungkook, what had happened. Taehyung bit his lip. "I can't remember..." He looked back at the phone for a second. Figuring he might as well ask, he was never going to remember without a hint, he'd completely blocked out whenever it was.

Help me remember. Please, Jungkook, I want to remember. [12:46]

There was a minute or two of absolute silence, where both Jimin and Taehyung just watched the text message screen, waiting. If he's mad at me, he won't answer, I completely forgot he existed. Then the phone chimed again.

Kookie: Orphanage, Taehyung. The dining hall. Her stupid fine china plates. [12:49]

Kookie: Remember what you don't want to, V-hyung. [12:50]

"What does any of that mean?" Jimin asked, voice still quiet. "Taehyung? Don't space out on me, man. What's V-Hyung?"

That's exactly what he ended up doing, just staring at the phone, looking at the words but not actually seeing them, seeing something else. He could remember those things. He could see those etched china plates all sitting in a case in the dining hall in a locked drawer, the plates she only took out on special occasions. She'd always pretend like she was such a mother when there were people looking to adopt in the orphanage, but otherwise, she'd always lock herself in the office and work her five to five job, hardly giving them any attention unless it was to say to clean something or when it was time to go to sleep.

He remembered being probably the only one to stay long enough to know how much she brought boyfriends to work, or how many times she'd lock the door and tell them not to bother them unless the place was burning down. He remembered the crammed room full of bunk beds, sleeping on the bottom bunk, staring at the underside of the one above him.

And then he remembered a little boy leaning over from the top, hair hanging upside down, and his lips curled up into a smile.

"Wanna do something fun?"

~10 years earlier~

"What's your name?" Taehyung had asked, letting the younger boy lead him around. No one ever talked to him, he was a ghost most of the time, someone that people heard and saw sometimes, but otherwise didn't exist.