Lex

“You can’t just go about stealing my clothes!” Yoongi was complaining once again, and the whining from the other side of the bedroom only got louder with every word he spoke.

“But you said I could!”

“But now I have nothing to wear out with the guys!”

“Then don’t go. Stay here with me.” Her voice was suddenly serious, and he was taken aback by her tone.

“What? Stop messing around.”

“I’m not, Yoongi. This is getting out of control.”

“You’re not my mother, stop trying to act like you are.” He was harsher than intended, and it only brought more fire from her.

“Okay, I get it, Yoongi. You don’t want help or assistance because you think you can handle it. So fine, handle it. But when your shit falls apart around you, don’t fucking call me.”

The slamming of the door rung in her ears as she came to her senses. She took a quick look around the room, the only noticeable items being a lily and a lighter.

When she left the room, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The feeling left her exhausted, and she silently prayed she’d be able to find her room.

When she reached the hospital door that blocked the path to her room, she hadn’t expected the presence of another person inside. But, when she opened the door, she was greeted with chocolate irises staring back at her. The man inside was messing with a lighter: the same one she’d seen only a little while prior.

As soon as she saw him, she was thrown into a whirlpool of emotions, and her body landed on the floor with a thump.

This had happened before.

Yoongi would sneak in the window of his parents’ house during late hours of the night, reeking of alcohol. “I was out with the boys.” He’d say to his worried mother in the morning, all while blocking out as many judging looks from his father as possible.

But tonight, it was different.

Usually, she’d be on the phone to talk him out of any drunken mistakes. Usually, she’d be at the table with him to defend his actions.

His parents had left to gamble away his college savings, and it was in that empty house where he felt the most alone.

He felt neglected, and disgusted by the actions of his parents. And disgusted with himself, for letting the one person who made it better get away from him.

She’d been right to tell him not to go that night. Namjoon was currently in jail for possession, and Taehyung was facing vandalism charges. Yoongi barely managed to escape the police unscathed, but his companions weren’t so lucky.

Tonight was different because he hadn’t been “out with the boys.” They were all in jail. He didn’t have them, or her, or even his awful parents to lean on. He was truly without anyone, and that scared him.

Alcohol always sent him into a reckless rage, and she expected he’d be home trashing the place when she walked inside. Instead, she was met with silence and the faint smell of smoke. As she climbed the stairs, she began to worry for the safety of her friend. The smoke was pluming from underneath his pale door, and when she opened it, she was met with flames. Inside was a drunken Min Yoongi, battling the flames with melancholic laughter.

“You couldn’t be more stupid!” She yelled over the flames, grabbing his attention.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” He cried, the slurring of his words and motions making him difficult to keep track of.

As much as she tried to help, the wooden house caught fire far too quickly-

“Hey. Are you awake? Can you hear me?” A deep voice rung in her ears, and the man’s light shaking ceased.

“Yoongi..?” She croaked, and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my god, I never thought I’d see you again. I’m so sorr-” His apologies were interrupted by the soft pressure of her lips on his, but as soon as it began, it was over.

“You really never learned how to shut up, did you?” She sighed lightly as laughter rang through the room.

“Yeah, I guess I didn’t.”

“So.. We’re dead.. I guess.”

“Yup. It kinda sucks.”

“Doctor Seokjin looks kinda familiar, doesn’t he?” She asked, and his eyes resembled saucers at the question.

“Did you just say Seokjin?”

“You’re telling me you never saw him?”

“No, only three girls. He was here?”

“I don’t understand why it’s so important.”

“I had a friend, a long time ago. He died in an accident, but it always felt as though he was with us wherever we went. I guess it’s just surprising, is all. I felt like I was going crazy, to be completely honest.”

There was a silence.

“Hey, Yoongi?”

“Yes?”

“Were those doors there before?” Once it was called to attention, Yoongi noticed the pair of off-white doors that stood in the center of the room. They both felt a strong pull towards the doors, and found themselves walking towards it without much of a realization.

“It looks like this is it.”

“I guess so.”

“You have to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“That we’ll find each other again someday.”

The late summer breeze in Seoul swept the sweet scent of cherry blossoms through the park she walked through. Her bright eyes trailed through the crowd of people, paying no attention to the person right ahead of her. She frantically apologized to the black haired man (and his adorable dog) while she helped him pick up his shopping bags.

“Excuse me, what’s your name? I apologize for asking, but you look incredibly familiar.”

“Oh, my name is Yoongi. Min Yoongi.”

Remember Me was all it stated, the handwriting messy, as though it had been done in a hurry. 

Who was she to remember? She couldn’t even begin to comprehend what she was missing as she turned her head to look at the pale door in the far corner of the room. 

Her bare feet made contact with the cold, white floor, sending shivers down her spine as she attempted to steady herself. It felt like she hadn’t moved in ages: her muscles sore and unbalanced. 

The hallway was shockingly similar to the room she’d just left; The whitewashed walls and hospital-grade light fixtures gave it a different sense of insanity, as though that all was nothing but a dream.

When she opened another one of the pastey sets of doors, three pairs of eyes shot directly to her, and a short girl with ash blonde hair dashed out of her seat at the sudden entry.

“Finally, you’re awake!” She spoke with a quick pace, and it seemed undoubtedly uncharacteristic with the atmosphere of the room. “Seokjin said you wouldn’t be up until later, but I’m glad you’re here now! There’s so much for you to see-” 

“Momo, slow down. You’ll scare the poor girl.” A brown haired girl stated from one of the white chairs behind them, a tea cup in hand as she eyed the two. 

“But, Mina! People rarely ever stay and maybe she’ll get to-”

“Souls aren’t meant to stay here, Momo. You know that.” Another girl stated from beside Mina, her white dress flowing slightly with her movements. 

The girl sat confused through the ordeal, avoiding eye contact with the trio as yet another voice interrupted them.

“Is she awake yet?” A man with dark hair and broad shoulders asked, and the three nodded quickly, pointing in the direction of the confused girl they left in their wake. “Do you remember anything?” His attention was on her now, and she shook her head slightly in reply. 

“Nothing?” The girl from before voiced. “Not even how you-”

“Not now, Nayeon. We’ll answer that later. Do you know where you are?”

“Some sort of hospital..?” She replied wearily, and the girls sighed from behind the duo. 

“Just tell her she’s dead, Seokjin.” Nayeon stated bluntly, and the girl’s eyes resembled saucers at the realization.

“I-I’m what?”

“You’re dead. This ‘hospital’, as you perceive it, is limbo.” Seokjin was calm, the blandness of his tone hinting that he’d had this conversation many times before.

A hollow silence filled the room as the group watched the girl with melancholic eyes.

“How did I die?” The question was a simple and common one, but this particular scenario sent a shiver down Seokjin’s spine. 

He wanted to tell her, he really did. But the possibility of a case like this going awry made his breath falter. Keeping her oblivious for as long as possible seemed like the best option, although it would definitely come back to him later. 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to learn that yourself. A crucial part of limbo is coming to terms with your death and making peace, and that’s something that only you can do.” The girls in white sighed at Seokjin’s response. They too, hoped it could have been different. 

Every minute inside limbo felt like years had past, and with little to no advancement in memory as the hours ticked by, it was beginning to feel like hope was lost. 

By the time she saw the doctor and his angelic companions again, she’d already explored the hospital many times over. Their appearance was sudden and rushed; Momo’s guilty appearance left many questions in her mind as she was coerced into a nearby corridor. 

A loud noise drew her attention from the short girl, and she caught a glimpse of a peachy head of hair before it disappeared behind an opposing wall. The color reeked of familiarity, but she couldn’t pinpoint where she’d seen it before. 

“Momo, who was that?” The inquiry seemed to mildly shock the blonde, and her nervous laughter rang through the abandoned hall. 

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” It was yet another familiar experience, but this one brought a memory in it’s wake. 

“It was just a question! There’s no need to be such a meanie.” She puffed out her cheeks, and the boy next to her smacked her arm lightly at the accusation. 

“If you didn’t ask so many questions, I wouldn’t have to be a meanie!” 

“Oh, Yoongi. You know that’s not fair! I apologize for being curious about your love life, sheesh.” The playful eye roll resulted in another arm smack, which was counteracted by the girls’ arms wrapping around his torso.

“You know, if you weren’t my best friend I would’ve totally kicked your ass.” He tried to defend his actions, but she only laughed at the possibility. 

“As if! Just face it, Min Yoongi. You’re a big ol softie.”

“Yoongi..” She murmured as her daze slowly began to fade.

“Who..?” Momo replied, concern growing for her new found companion. 

“I’m not sure..”