jungkook's past;

"It's a little weird how every level has a space that you can use. Don't the guards guard every crook and corner of hell?" you question, trudging behind the boys.

Five of you had left the torture room, making sure to shut the doors. The image of the bloody, filled with children's bodies room sent shivers down your spine. It was as if they had boiled live children to create this punishment. What exactly had Jin done to deserve this?

"Well, I built this room by myself. I had tried to escape and found a brick somewhere. I don't know what came over me, but I smashed it onto the wall. Then, the wall split, and out came Hoseok. It's like a newborn baby that collides into you right after being squeezed through the mother's v-"

"Hey!" Hoseok interrupts, shooting Jin a glare. Jungkook and Jimin sniggered, eyes crinkling, pearly whites twinkling under the lights. "Oh well," Jin shrugged. "My first thought was, he looked handsome. But he was definitely lower than me," Jin grinned, nose scrunching a little.

He steps through the parted walls, signalling us to do the same. "Jin?" hesitantly, you called out. "Worldwide handsome at your service!" he sings back, twirling around the empty room. The room was like a tunnel. It was narrow and dark. However, there was a dim light flashing towards you. Like a light at the end of a tunnel.

"I'm not sure if you'd be comfortable sharing, but may I know why your punishment was to be soaked in children's body parts?" you whisper, biting your lip. Your hand travelled to your neck, toying with the necklace on your neck.

Jin came to an abrupt stop, hands dangling mid-air as he stared at the light source. Jungkook took a step towards you, lips pursed in a straight line. Every action of theirs made you regret speaking out your thoughts.

Hoseok made his way towards Jin, placing a hand on his broad shoulders. Jimin sat down, back against the wall. He crossed his legs, eyes staring up at the ceiling. Then, Jungkook took your hands in his, pulling you to sit down next to Jimin.

"Do you want me to start?" Jungkook murmurs, thumb caressing the side of your hand. Jin walked towards you three, nodding silently. Hoseok and Jin sat opposite, legs crossed. You pulled your crossed legs towards yourself, as to not let it touch Hoseoks'. The space was limited, but it was comfortable. Jimin was completely sucked into his own world.

[Jungkook's pov]

Flashback

"You're only here for my money." the male growls, picking up a flower vase. He smashes it onto the wall, yelling non-stop at the petite lady. Her body trembles vigorously, legs giving out soon after. She slides down onto the floor, hands over her ears as tears pour down her face.

I couldn't take it anymore. The screams, the cries, the shatterings. What was once perfect was now broken. And I hated it. So I ran. I ran away, packing only a few clothes and fruits.

The streets were empty and pitch-black, like a ghost town. The street lamps flickered, occasionally buzzing here and there. The atmosphere was creepy and dark, but I wasn't scared. Not now, not ever.

The streets were livelier in the mornings and evenings. Despite the bright looks on the people who roam the streets in the morning, the atmosphere was still the same. The streets reeked of alcohol and spoilt food.

That was the life in busan.

I couldn't remember how it was like before when the air smelled fresh when the beaches were clean. Humanity destroyed lives. I ran into an alley, knocking into rubbish cans as I tumbled into an open space. There sat a cardboard, as if it was waiting for me. I plopped onto the ground, throwing my head back, only for it to collide with the wall. Hissing, I looked up at the starless sky.

Black. I loved the colour black. That would be what the world would see before it ends. Black. It signifies death. I would love to see how the world would end. Would a piece of black blanket engulf the world?

Weeks passed, and I survived through salty, sandy, dirty seawater. No food, only water. The sand would scratch my throat, but that was the only drink I could afford. The salt only made me thirstier. The thought that had been haunting me was, whether I should go back.

It was night again, and I was strolling the streets. I didn't have a watch, but it must've been pretty early into the night. Houses were lit up, speakers were booming through the freaky, silent night.

A party. There was a house right before my eyes. The house was decorated with fairy lights, and fire flickered unsteadily on the barbecue equipment. Laughter reverberated in the air, chatter filled my ears. Six people were laughing, dancing, and eating the scrumptious food on the table.

Licking my lips, I eyed the food. It's been so long since I've tasted food. My eyelids threatened to shut as I walked past the gates, reluctantly gazing somewhere other than the barbecued food. My stomach growled, clearly annoyed at my actions.

Just then, my body shut down.

I woke up in a bed, a comfortable, soft, fluffy bed. The aroma of bacon and buttered bread filled my nose, causing me to pull the covers off and rush downstairs. I almost tripped over myself in the process, legs thumping down on the wooden staircase like an elephant.

"You're awake," an unfamiliar voice calls out. But all I could think about was the nicely made sandwich on the table. Bacon, eggs, cheese, and bread. My favourite. Before anyone could say anything, I gobbled the food down, forcing the huge chunks of bread down my throat.

"Slow down there, bro," the same light, sweet voice spoke. Then, it dawned on me. Dropping the half-eaten bread, I looked up. A boy, years older than me, stared back with a tilted head. He had brown, silky hair, plump lips, and broad shoulders. Then, I stood up, eyes taking in the new surroundings around me.

Where was I?

"You must've starved for days. Kid, go home. I don't know how can you resist not eating all this delicious food. I mean, I would totally run away from home, but go back just to eat. Like, food is life! How can you starve? Well, I did run away from home, which is how I ended up- are you even listening?" the unknown male rambles on and on.

I walked out of the kitchen, making my way towards the living room. "Kid, at least tell me your name?" he follows, closing on me. "Jeon Jungkook," I whisper, taking a seat on the torn, puffy couch. "Well, Jeon Jungkook. I'm Kim Seok Jin, aka Mr. Worldwide Handsome. This is my house, and I've got some rules for you." the male sits on the table that was placed right in front of the couch.

There was a television on a wooden table, far away from the couch. Behind the couch, there were windows. And outside, was the porch. Seokjin sat on the table that was stationed right in front of me, knees touching.

"Number one, no shouting. Number two, no secrets. Number three, no inviting any of your friends. Number four, always finish the food on your plate. Number five, I'm here if you ever need me, Jungkook. I'm not some kind of controlling adult. Feel free to talk to me if you ever need to." and with that, he returned to the kitchen.

-

I set up the computers on the table. After breakfast, Jin showed me back to my room. My room. I had a room all to myself. It wasn't large, but I wasn't complaining. Right beside the door was a closet filled with clothes.

Then, by the closet was the bathroom. The bed was placed by the corner, facing the door. Behind the bed were windows. And beside the bed was a long study table. Locking the door, I moved towards the table.

I wanted to play a little since I was bored. Turning on the computer, I typed in the password. No secrets, Jin's voice echos in my head. But this wasn't a secret, right? It was a hobby. My fingers danced across the keyboard, typing a few words into the system. Black screens pop up, text concealed with symbols.

Easy, I thought.

The clicking of the keyboard reverberated in the air as I broke the codes. In ten minutes, I broke the codes, and different screens popped up. Videos of strangers roaming streets, eating in restaurants, playing in arcades spread across the screen.

It was way too easy to hack into the CCTV surveillance system. The cursor moved towards the right, clicking onto the 'more' option. There, I found the camera that sat in front of my house. A camera my father had set up. For hours, there were no movements.

Fear crept up within me. Was my mother okay? Should I have never left? I had to check. My hands clicked on the mouse, moving it side to side, trying to look for the cameras around the neighbourhood. However, before I could check, I could hear Seokjin calling for me. Ignoring his call, I clicked onto one of the cameras.

And I wished I hadn't ignored Jin.

I wished I hadn't left.

I wished I had returned.

I wished I hadn't seen anything.

A black coloured trash bag laid by the river, accompanied by many others. Blood pooled on the floor. It was a place where not many people visited. It was a place only the three of us knew of. When everything was better, we'd sit there, enjoying the view of the river and eat sandwiches made by my mother. Our neighbourhood was empty as if only the three of us had lived there. My heart thumped loudly as I switched screens. It might not be her, I reassured myself. However, what I saw next told me otherwise.

My father was back home, clothes stained red, hands coloured with blood. Or that was what I thought. I wished cameras weren't black and white. His hands were darker, and black spots were splattered on his shirt. I could only stare.

I couldn't do anything. The noises around me faded away, only to be replaced with a loud ringing sound. The screen became blurry as my hands hung above the keyboard. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. Lips parted, I stared at the screen as my view became clearer.

A tear slipped down my face. Black. That was the colour I had seen before my world crashed. I was right. Watching my father walk out of the house with clean clothes, I clenched my fists. He will pay. With the cameras, I followed the man.

The filthy, disgusting, horrendous male. He walks past the river, where my mother's body was thrown to. With a smirk on his face, he spat at the trash bags. Another tear slips out as I brought my hand closer to my face.

Afraid Jin would hear me, I bit down on the skin of my hand. Hard. Whimpers escaped, despite how hard I tried to hold it in. That monster walks into an alley, and that's the last time I've seen him. Taking in deep breathes, I let out a soft whimper.

My breath got irregular as I stared at the empty screen, tears falling out at the speed of light. If only...

If only I hadn't left. If only I wasn't a coward. If only I had returned. If only I was brave. Maybe this wouldn't happen. Gasping for air, I stared at the screen, hatred filling me. I moved towards the bed, hugging the pillow tight as I screamed into it.

"Jungkook?" Jin's muffled voice could be heard from the other side of the door. "Leave me alone!" I yelled back, voice cracking in the process. And he did, or so I thought. For a few minutes, everything was silent. I sniffled, burying my face into the sheets.

Then the sound of keys and footsteps echoed down the hallway. A few seconds after, the door opened, revealing a frowning Seokjin. My eyes darted towards the door, where a key sat in the keyhole, while the other dangled mid-air.

"You didn't sound okay," Jin whispered, voice softer than usual. He sat by the side of my bed, a small smile placed on his lips. Searching his eyes, all I found was sadness and understanding. I thought he would've thought that I was pathetic, and had done this out of sympathy.

But I was wrong.

Not a second after, I was in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He was silent, hands rubbing my back. There, I knew the true meaning, feeling, of comfort, and safety.