LOVEGAME OVER

8 - Offline

Yoongi arrives almost immediately at Taehyung's – has he been waiting outside their building? His younger friend notices how tense the boy looks, how his fists are holding tight to the handle of his sports bag, making his knuckles go white.

They make it through the corridors, and pass by the living-room, where Mrs Kim is dusting different pieces of furniture – and Yoongi wonders why they never hired a housemaid, with all the money Mr Kim earns. Taehyung's mother softly smiles at Yoongi, but she cannot hide the pity she feels towards him – Yoongi senses it right away, and looks down.

"Did you eat, sweetheart?" she asks in a warm voice.

"I– I actually didn't. But don't worry, I'm not that hungry. Don't bother for me, ma'am."

Taehyung's mother will not hear anything, and forces the boys to sit and wait until Yoongi's stomach is full. Meanwhile, Mrs Kim asks a lot of questions, about school, about their other friends, about Yoongi's taste for music, or Taehyung's afternoon with Jimin. Surprisingly enough, the two teenagers do not mind answering – even Taehyung, who has never really found anything to say to his mother.

As the housewife asks them what their plans for the night are, Taehyung shrugs carelessly, and subtly implies that they have nothing to do, given that he is forbidden to play video games. "But you can play other games!" Seokjin suggests. "What about board games? I've got plenty in the attic, dating back to my childhood. Or card games? Do you like those?"

"I like poker," Yoongi says.

Taehyung agrees on poker, and even invites his mother in the game – he knows she is dying to keep interacting with the boys. And to his own surprise, he likes playing card games. He likes playing with Yoongi, even at something else than video games. He even likes playing with his mother. He catches himself smiling when she pouts as she loses, or screams for victory. He even manages to discover she has a tell when she's bluffing, which consists in biting her nails – how bad does he actually know his own mother?

As the boys finally head towards the younger's room to change into their pyjamas and sleep, Taehyung cannot help but think of his grounding again. Yes, he had fun tonight, but what if Jungkook is waiting for him? What if Jungkook worries about him not being able to play? What if Jungkook thinks he does not want to play with him anymore?

After trying to talk to Yoongi, who definitely just wants to sleep, Taehyung just drops it, as he perfectly knows Yoongi will not open up any further about his family problems – not now, not ever.

But Yoongi only pretends to sleep. He just cannot fall asleep. He is just thinking over and over, about what has happened at home, about what is constantly happening at home without him being able to do anything. About how he hates home. How, maybe, Taehyung's place feels like home.

He eventually decides to get up, making sure not to wake his friend up, and go to the kitchen to drink. Often at night he needs to get up. He has never had a peaceful sleep, and the Kims are now accustomed to hearing him wander about the house to rock himself back to sleep.

As he paces in the kitchen, holding a glass of water, he hears distant voices from the living-room. He heads there, thinking someone left the TV on. But he finds Mrs Kim lying on the sofa, sound alseep. Yoongi cannot help but fondly smile at her sight.

He leaves his glass on a piece of furniture, and looks for a blanket to cover her. As he vaguely tries to tuck it under his friend's mother's body, he brushes her back and immediately takes his hand off her, feeling embarrassed. Then he only stares at her peaceful features.

Yoongi is at the same time moved by her angelic face, and incomprehensibly angry. Seeing her like this, he cannot stop thinking about his own mother. His mother, who does not even care about him, or any of his siblings. His mother, who barely knows he exists. Who makes the insignificant existence he has a nigthmare. How could she even compare to Taehyung's mother?

As his mind gets carried away, as he progressively lets hatred overwhelm him, making him want to just fly away from his family and its fundamental imperfection, he finds himself feeling jealous of Taehyung's own family. Yoongi is not saying the Kims are perfect – far from it. But Mrs Kim is an amazing mother. And Taehyung cannot see this, he just cannot see how lucky he is to have her.