A few steps into the orphanage and Taehyung slides his arm around my shoulders. With his other hand, he holds my shoulder, guiding me. My breaths are short and I can’t look at him in the face.

What do I do now…

His adjusting of the fuzzy blanket breaks my thought. I feel the warmth of his body even though we aren’t touching. I attempt to steal a glance at him but he catches my eyes immediately as I raise my head. At that moment, we stop walking… just sharing our glares. His gloomy face surprises me. The corners of his lips drop slightly. His hair is messy and partially wet from a shower he must’ve taken before Hoseok and I arrived. He purses his lips and my eyes trail to his moving adam’s apple as he gulps. My lips part and as he opens his mouth to say something, Byeol comes towards us, running lightly.

“Oh my goodness Jaemi! What were you doing out there this late? Barefoot…! You’re crazy!”

My eyes are still on Taehyung, almost ignoring her coming towards us. I watch Taehyung’s lingering eyes move to my feet. I step forward, leaving Taehyung, unable to watch his reaction and I unwillingly go into Byeol’s arms. “I’m sorry… Something just came up.”

Lie.

“Where did you go?” I try to pick out the fakeness of her voice, but it sounds too sincere. How could she do something like this to her brother…no… brothers…

“I forgot I had to get something from a friend, but at the time I was by the pond outside… I wasn’t thinking.”

Another lie.

“Ah… I see. Well, I hope you are okay. I’m also glad to hear you are making friends Jaemi.” She puts a hand on my cheek, raising my head. “Gosh, you’re freezing cold Jaemi. Let me warm something up for you so you don’t catch a cold.”

She takes a peek at Taehyung before giving me a relieving smile, and she heads towards the kitchen. I take a deep break as Jin comes from the corner, carrying a first aid kit. Before I can say anything he brings me into embrace. I close my eyes. Seokjin.

“Hoseok told me you injured something. Shall we go tend it?” He says as we break our hug.

Before answering him, I take a few seconds to look back at Taehyung, but he’s already gone.

“Ah, no… It's already stitched and sterilized. Thank you for the offer.” I nod my head.

A grin creeps up on his face and he raises an eyebrow. “Really? Who and when?”

I can’t tell him. “Nothing. What matters is that I’m okay, right?”

“I suppose so Jaemi. I would believe you if you didn’t try to dodge my question. But, if you don’t want to say anymore, I won’t force you.” He brushes right past me with no further acknowledgment or expression. “I don’t like it when people hide things to those they know they can trust.”

I watch him leave. Normally I would feel offended and sorrowful towards Jin, but I don’t. “I don’t like it when people hide things to those they know they can trust.”

I wonder what he would do if he found out about Minji (Byeol), and her secrets.

I head for my room, wanting to sleep. It was late after all. As I walk into my room, my phone goes off on my night stand.

---

Jungkook: Jaemi, can we talk?

---

I wonder what he’s doing up so late…

---

Jaemi: Let me shower first.

Jungkook: Suga just called me. What were you doing with him?

---

I hesitate to answer his text, and instead of grabbing my towel to shower, I sit on the edge of my bed.

---

Jaemi: I just… needed to see him for something.
Jaemi: Why, did he threaten you?

Jungkook: No, I’m just worried he threatened you.

---

This entire time, we’ve been talking and messaging like nothing happened. Like Daegu didn’t happen. But I found out about it.

---

Jaemi: What’s so bad about Suga anyways? Why do you hate him so much?

Jungkook: Jaemi don’t tell me he manipulated you into thinking he is a good guy.

Jaemi: STOP playing innocent, you aren’t a ‘good guy’ either Jungkook.

Jungkook: What are you talking about?

Jaemi: Daegu.
Jaemi: I know what you and Jimin did to them.
Jaemi: I can’t believe you hid this from me all these years.

---

With that, I unwrap my feet, and gently stroke the minor wounds and dry blood; heading straight for the shower. My toes started to sting when the first few drops of hot water ran down from the shower head. Over time, the numbness went away and I rest my head on the wall in the shower. Closing my eyes briefly. What do I do? what should I do?


-----

Taehyung’s POV

I have to approach her somehow. But for some reason, I feel so distant from her. Like the everything we had was nothing.

I knock on her door and it opens by itself.

“Jaemi?” I whisper. I swallow and I speak clearer. “Jaemi?”

As I pushed the door open, I see that she’s showering. I sigh just as her phone buzzes.

---

Jungkook: Jaemi don’t tell me he manipulated you into thinking he is a good guy.

Jaemi: STOP playing innocent, you aren’t a ‘good guy’ either Jungkook.

Jungkook: What are you talking about?

Jaemi: Daegu.
Jaemi: I know what you and Jimin did to them.
Jaemi: I can’t believe you hid this from me all these years.

--new messages--

Jungkook: It’s best if we talked this over in person.
Jungkook: Please hear me out. Listen to my side of the situation.
Jungkook: And bring Jimin too.

---

Did something happen in Daegu?

The shower turns off and a feeling of fear pierces me as I put her phone down and scurry out of the room. So she went to see Suga… she chose Suga over me?

I wait five minutes before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” Her voice is soft but firm.

“I just wanted to talk if that’s alright,” I say as I make my way to her. She looks hesitant, but sooner than later, she makes space for me to sit on her bed with her. “Are you okay? I’m sorry it took me so long to ask. I just had to gather my thoughts… I didn’t know what to say.”

“It takes two to make a mistake, Taehyung. I should’ve said something more too. Thanks for the blanket.” Jaemi smiles slightly, giving me a feeling of relief.

-----

Jaemi’s POV

“So where did you go earlier?” His voice is back to normal. More happy, less depressed. I can’t tell whether or not he is hiding his true emotions. “I saw you at the pond earlier, but the moment I set foot outside, you were nowhere to be seen.”

“Ah…” My voice trails off. The entire incident of me finding the box and the photos playback in my mind. “It was school related. I forgot… something at school. I went to retrieve it from a friend.”

“Oh, really?” I see him attempted to refrain from giving me a suspicious look. “You didn’t come in holding anything when I saw you.”

“Turns out he didn’t have what I was looking for.” I let out a nervous laugh, but I knew the moment I said that sentence, my lie was revealed. What other boy do I know who doesn’t live here besides Jungkook and Yoongi. Jungkook is too far away so it comes down to one option.

“You know how I feel about you seeing people I don’t get along with. Alone. You should’ve taken someone with you at the very least.”

“Taehyung I know he did bad things, I can’t pretend to know how you feel. But I won’t be biased towards him based on what you believe. He isn’t that bad of a person.” He’s your brother. My tone is sincere, but I can already tell he doesn’t take me seriously.

Instead, he scoffs. “He must’ve poisoned you with lies.”

The next thing he mumbles and I can barely make out what he says. “Like he did to me.”

It pains me how I can’t tell him anything. The biggest secret I have, but this time I can’t tell it to the one person I want to the most. It’s not my place to open my mouth.

Instead, I break our ice. My arms make it’s way around his neck and I gently tug him towards me. Giving in, he lifts me lightly, so that I’m sitting in his lap. Sooner than later, his arms lay snug around my waist.

“I’m sorry.” I say softly in his ear. “I didn’t know it would worry you this much.”

“I hope I wasn’t overreacting. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He sighs and I feel him tighten his embrace. “It hurts me more when I know I can’t do anything about it.”

We stay like that for a while. It’s until I realize that what Taehyung and Hoseok have been saying is true. I’ve only listened to one side of this story. How Jungkook and Jimin were the reason why their late parents were in that accident. I have to see Jungkook.

-----

We’ve been talking for one hour. An hour filled with past memories. The good times. Taehyung yawns twice before dozing to sleep. He sleeps on me, just below my chest. His arm crosses my stomach, and all I see is his soft, fresh hair.

Did Jungkook reply to what I sent him?

I reach for my phone, which was facing down on the nightstand next to me. Oh. The screen was still on. I must’ve forgotten to lock my phone.

---

Jaemi: Daegu.
Jaemi: I know what you and Jimin did to them.
Jaemi: I can’t believe you hid this from me all these years.

--new messages--

Jungkook: It’s best if we talked this over in person.
Jungkook: Please hear me out. Listen to my side of the situation.
Jungkook: And bring Jimin too.

---

Just then, my phone buzzes and a new notification pops up.

---

Yoongi: Date in Seoul? My treat.

---

Right Jaemi. It’s time to set things straight. I stare at Taehyung, observing every minor detail. For his sake.