You Need To Survive

The Prologue (Part 3)

        It was getting late, and they decided it was time to leave the beach. But they decided to stop at the pier for a while. Suga was tired of driving, so he gave the wheel to Namjoon. Jungkook wanted to walk to the pier, and Suga decided to go with him.
        They walked together, looking at the sun that was just about to set. Jungkook sat on the pier, and Suga sat next to him. Jungkook pointed to a bird flying low over the bay. "Look. A seagull."
        Suga smiled. "Seagull? Wasn't that your nickname before?"
        Jungkook laughed. "Yeah, back in the days." Back in the days where Jin didn't attempt suicide. Back before Jungkook killed him. He sighed.
        Suga sensed his pain and he got up. "Come on, let's go join the others." He held out a hand. Jungkook grabbed it, pulling himself up.
        The truck engine was turned off when they got there. Suga peered through the window at a sleeping J-Hope. "Come on! We can just sit on the pier for a while, then leave."
        Everyone slowly piled out of the car, stretched, and sat down on the pier. J-Hope smiled. "Let's dunk Jimin into the water again." Everyone laughed. Everyone but Taehyung.
        He thought of what Suga just said. "We can just sit on the pier for a while, then leave."
        Except he couldn't go back.
        His Eomma would never let him.
        He looked at a tall structure next to the pier. It was an old thing, with rusted metal parts and strings that were blown by the wind. Taehyung looked at the others, then got up, pulled on his hood, then walked to the structure.
        He climbed to the top.
        He stood there for a while, looking at the sunset.
        He imagined Appa looking down at him, whispering, "I'm sorry," over and over again.
        He looked up and whispered into the sky. "I'm sorry, Appa."
        But it didn't feel like enough. He wanted to tell Appa in person.
        He looked at the others. They were waving at him, calling him down.
        Except Jin.
        Jin smiled at him, then raised his camera.
        Taehyung blinked
        And Jin disappeared.
        He gasped. Jin just...disappeared.
        Then he realized why.
        Jin was never there. Hadn't ever been there.
        They just imagined him to be there.
        Taehyung blinked again.
        Jin was back.
        He smiled at Jin. "I'm coming, Jin hyung."
        Then he turned and looked straight ahead, took a deep breath, then ran off the structure and jumped.