The Eighth One - BTS AU (Mystery/Thriller) | Complete

Chapter 59

“And now I have a reason to live.”

Hoseok’s heart ran a thousand miles an hour. His vision shook. All of it was too much to take in.

Jin continued as he walked again. He leaned against a wall facing everyone.

“Do you know how surprised I was when you spoke my name at the lake three years ago? Jin and I, both of us were so shocked. Of all the people in the world, it was you who thought someone with my name could exist!
I feel so happy every time I think about it.”
He smiled, lost in his thoughts.

Jimin recalled that day. It was Joon who had said that their dance group could be called as ‘Jung Taemin’ because it sounded like a real name.

As Jimin eyed Jin, he started observing more now. Jin rubbed his eyes, and then ran it through his hair. A gesture seen repeatedly in the past few days.

This isn’t Jin hyung. This is Taemin.

“Jin cannot handle this world. He couldn’t ever since you left. But I can. Maybe it’s time I live for myself.”

“But how did you get the contents of the trunk here? I dug it myself. The ground was hard and solid!” Yoongi asked feeling irritated.

Jin snickered,” you think I took it out last night?” he smiled and shook his head as he spoke,

“when all of you had made a pact to be ‘best friends forever’ and had made that time capsule,”
he scoffed,

“I felt upset. Why wasn’t I included if I was your ‘eighth friend’? Which was why I had dug it out that night itself.”

Yoongi scowled.

“Jin had tried to stop me. But I was stronger. He didn’t even know I had taken it till last year! He was upset at first, but later forgave me,” Jin shrugged.

When he noticed disapproval on Jimin’s face he added,
“He never thought any of you’d ever return. And like I said, I was his only friend,” he sat up straight in excitement.

“But that was how I knew…we knew…that I could take over him completely while he wouldn’t have to deal with stuff.”

“You mean he wouldn’t know at all, no memory of it?” Tae asked Jin who nodded slowly.

“You could say that.”

“But you said it was you who pushed Juan, not Jin hyung,” Kookie eyed him suspiciously.

“Back then I could control his actions only at certain times. That’s how that happened,” Jin shrugged.

“No! This is wrong!” Joon yelled,

“Jin hyung needs to live his life. You can’t simply take over! He needs to see a doctor. You’ve committed two murders for crying out loud!”

A grim look appeared over Jin’s face.

“I did what I had to do. I saved him. I saved us! Jin doesn’t need a doctor. He needs a friend. One that won’t leave him to suffer alone,” Jin gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“If hyung won’t face it on his own, he’ll never be able to face it. You can’t keep taking over whenever someone leaves,” Joon replied calmly trying to make him understand.

Jin laughed,” that’s wonderful coming from you! When was the last time you went home? Leaving your little sister alone to ‘handle things’.”

Jin turned to Yoongi.
"Same goes for you. Not man enough to go home and save that woman but man enough to keep bothering Soran huh?”

Joon snapped his neck and looked at Yoongi. Furrowing his brows he asked,
”What?”

Yoongi’s eyes widened in shock as he blurted,
“You knew?”

“It’s true?” Joon asked him feeling betrayed.

“Did you two love birds make up yet?” he turned to the two who sat side by side. As his eyes went to their interlocked hands, Kookie and Tae let go of each other.

“You should decide fast on it because this one here feels really horrible about being ignored,” he pointed to Jimin as he spoke.

Jimin looked at Jin and then at the others. He felt embarrassed and annoyed. Heart racing, he looked away.

“And Hobi,” Hoseok looked terrified when Jin turned to him,
"You must be living in your own world if you think that Tae forgave you for kissing his girlfriend.”

Hoseok lowered his eyes for a second before he glanced at Kookie. Kookie met his eyes and sighed.

As they contemplated what Jin had said, Yoongi suddenly spoke.
“We’ve done some wrong things, we know. But they are silly compared to this. Your existence shows that Jin hyung isn’t well. You know that more than anyone!”

Yoongi spoke softly as he continued,
“He needs to see a doctor. He needs to get well.”

Jin stood up immediately. His face reflected hurt as he ran to his room. Unable to comprehend what was happening, it took a second for Hoseok to rush after him.

He followed Jin to his room and saw him climb down. Hoseok himself climbed down the stairs after him, to the basement. When he looked around, he saw Jin sitting on his bed facing the wall.

Soon all the boys got there.
“Hyung?” Tae called softly.

Jin did not react.

“Taemin?” Kookie tried.

Slowly he turned around, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Please let him come back…”

Kookie begged.

Jin said nothing. Instead, just shook his head and lowered his eyes.

“Please…” Kookie’s eyes had started tearing up.

“Jin getting well would mean my death,” Jin looked up at Joon, his eyes in pain,
”I don’t want to die. I want to live.”

Joon’s eyes softened. He could understand his pain. Joon decided to put aside his anger at Taemin because Jin was more important.

“But you will live. As Jin. Because you and Jin are the same person.”

“NO!” Jin shouted as he shook his head.
”WE ARE NOT THE SAME!”

The boys jumped in fright when in his anger Jin flung the lamp nearby onto the floor. As it broke, thousands of its fragments spread across the floor making a mess.

Taking in a deep breath, Joon carefully made his way to the fuming boy and knelt beside his bed. Holding both of Jin’s hands in his own he said,

“Both of you, you are two parts of the same soul. He needs more of you in him while you need more of him in you. And we’ll be here, by your side, supporting both of you.”

Hoseok was holding his breath until now. He said,
“I love Jin hyung. You know that. I’d support him whatever the situation is.”

“We all love Jin hyung. We are sorry all this happened. We didn’t know both of you were suffering so much,” Kookie said as he walked to Jin.

“We love you too. What you did was to save us. To save him. And we had so much fun with you in the past few days..."

Tae sighed and continued.
"But he cannot disappear. You need to let him live. Help him survive,” Tae said as he sat on the bed.

As the boys surrounded him, asking for Jin’s freedom something unexpected happened. Tears fell onto his hands that made Joon look up and see the crying face.

“Fine,” he murmured hesitatingly,” I will let him return.
"Provided you always be with him. And never leave him alone.”

Tears fell down from Hoseok’s eyes as he clutched onto Yoongi. He stood up and hugged a sitting Jin.

“But you’ll have to tell Jin because he has no idea that all of this has happened.”
Hoseok nodded at Jin's words and smiled.

Soon all of the boys hugged him, piling on top of each other while Joon sat crouched holding onto Jin’s hands in his own.