Boo || Kim Taehyung

37; end

"Kim Seokjin." He said to the slightly taller man who was sorting through CD's. The man looked up upon hearing his name, looking at Taehyung confused.

"Sorry?" He said, tilting his head to the side.

"You're Kim Seokjin, right?" Taehyung pressed.

"Yeah. Do we know each other?" Seokjin looked increasingly confused.

"Yes! No. Kind of?" If Seokjin was real, so was Byul. She had to be. "I'm–I'm the ghost in the apartment, where your friend lives. Or, I was."

Seokjin blinked very slowly.

"I'm so sorry." It was as though Yoongi appeared out of nowhere, quickly stepping between Taehyung and Seokjin. "My friend's been through a lot and he gets confused sometimes."

"I'm not confused!" Taehyung objected. "I nearly gave you hypothermia. I broke the dishes in the cabinet, and you came with her to the club I dragged her to. You remember, right?" Taehyung found his voice getting quieter as he spoke. Seokjin still wasn't saying anything. Maybe he was wrong.

"But you're not dead." He said finally. Taehyung felt like his heart might actually stop– Seokjin knew who he was, what he was talking about!

"That's just it– I never was! It was all a really weird misunderstanding."

"Taehyung, what are you talking about?" Jungkook was there now, eyes wide as he looked from Yoongi, to Taehyung, and then to Seokjin.

"Prove it." Seokjin said suddenly, narrowing his eyes.

"There's nothing to prove, I told you he's confused." Yoongi tried, putting a hand on Taehyung's shoulder.

"I, uh..." Taehyung searched his memory for something. "You brought flowers the first time you showed up at the apartment?"

"I bring flowers most places I go." Seokjin frowned. "Something else."

"I can't think of anything else! It's not like you were around all that much!" Taehyung said disparagingly. "I annoyed her to no end, you knew that, right? And I ruined her favourite lipstick when she was ignoring me– get off of me, Jungkook." Taehyung was interrupted by Jungkook trying to lead him away.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to stop talking to our friend, you're upsetting him." Namjoon said to Seokjin.

"You're all upsetting him far more than I am." Seokjin snapped. "Now all of you just mind your own business for a second so we can finish our conversation."

"Who do you think you are?" Yoongi retorted. Seokjin ignored this however, turning his attention back to Taehyung. "So let me get this straight. You were the ghost haunting my best friend, who broke everything and nearly killed me? That was all you, but you're not even dead?"

"I didn't nearly kill you." Taehyung shook his head.

"You did too. If you're telling the truth, it was you that made that god awful dish that I was told was soup. Do you know she was so upset by your spontaneous disappearance that she wouldn't even let me throw it away? It was disgusting, and she made me come over and eat it with her–"

"Taehyung?" Byul's voice cut into Seokjin's rant and it felt as though the whole world went quiet.

"You're real." Was all Taehyung could say. He pushed Namjoon out of his way as he got closer to Byul, who looked like she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Are you...?" She didn't finish her question, because she didn't have to. Her hand reached up and pocked the side of his face, into the dimple he was sure was showing up because of how hard he was smiling (a/n: look, idek if has dimples or not). He looked the same, she thought, but also different. His hair was it's natural colour, and he looked more put-together than he had floating around her apartment. But there was no mistaking it; this was indeed Taehyung. "But you moved on?"

Taehyung shook his head. "Turns out I was in a coma. It was an out-of-body experience, I just didn't know it."

Byul hit his arm. It wasn't the reaction he was hoping for, but it sure was nice for her hand not to simply pass right through him. "Idiot." She muttered, though she couldn't help the smile on her face. "How did you not know you were alive?"

Taehyung shrugged, still grinning. "I guess it explains why I never felt dead, right?"

"This really is him?" Seokjin pointed at Taehyung.

"Yeah." She said, nodding.

"I told you to stay away–" Yoongi started.

"Oh, hush." Namjoon said to Yoongi. "This Seokjin guy just confirmed everything, so just calm down."

"Who would have thought you were real!" Seokjin laughed.

Byul frowned at this. "What do you mean? I thought you believed me!" She said incredulously. Seokjin smiled somewhat guiltily.

"I believed he was real to you. I figured it was a "Lars and the Real Girl" type of situation."

"A what?" Yoongi interrupted.

"You know, like this fictional ghost you made up was helping you cope with something." Seokjin said to her. "I figured his moving on was just your way of letting go, and not needing him anymore."

She blinked. "I can't believe you! And why did you believe Taehyung so quickly then?"

Seokjin shrugged. "He recognised me, and knew things about the first time I visited you at your apartment that I'm sure you've never told anyone."

Byul turned her attention back to Taehyung. Slowly, carefully, she reached her hands out, placing them on either side of his face as though she still didn't quite believe he was standing there. She knew it was weird, but she wanted to know he was really there.

"I thought you were gone." She whispered.

"I thought I was, too." Taehyung shrugged. "I was also starting to think you were a dream."

"My hands don't go through you anymore." She said, the smile returning to her face. "You're really here." Her voice broke as she said the words, eyes shining with unshed tears. Taehyung nodded, unable to speak. 

Byul was real. She weren't a figment of his imagination, she was the exact person he remembered spending so much time with, the person he remembered falling in love with. 

He took a step closer, leaning forward and brushing his forehead with hers.

"I told you I'd find you." Taehyung said quietly, taking on one of her hands gently, and kissing the palm of her hand. "And this time, I'm not dead."

— I hope you're all doing well and taking care of yourself! Here's to a better year in 2020!