"Tae..." Namjoon's voice was steady as he slowly turned around to face his younger brother, seeing the tears brimming his eyes alarmed him. "You know I can't..."

"You promised!"

"Dad might still be alive," Namjoon hiccupped, wiping Taehyung's damp cheeks, "we might still be able to see him."

"Hyung! Get a grip! He's dead! He's been dead for fifteen years!"

"Tae how could you-"

"I can't do this anymore," Taehyung freed himself from his brother and strode to the door, swiftly leaving the building and was in his car in no time.

He didn't care that he had left his bag in his room, his coat on his chair or his tie on his desk. Instead, he drove for as long as he could, until he couldn't go on any longer.

Pulling up in a familiar scenic spot overlooking the Han River, he threw his glasses into the glove compartment and got out of the car.

He hadn't seen his brother in more than three years, and as soon as he came back he had to keep talking nonsense?

Hopping on the hood of the car, he lay his back against the windshield. He often visited this spot when he was younger, it was more like a safe haven than anything else – scenic or not – to him. It was the place he and Jimin visited whenever they were angry, or over thinking about anything.

"Hey, loser!" an acquainted voice yelled over at him and he smiled, rolling his eyes as he turned his head.

"Right on time," he watched as Jimin climbed over the fence and passed a beer can to Taehyung before jumping onto the car with him.

"Why? Were you thinking about me?" he teased, rubbing shoulders with him and he nodded.

"Well, yes, I was, thinking about how I really need to move out actually."

"No!" Jimin exclaimed, "No!"

That sent Taehyung laughing, and he was finally starting to feel better.

"How was the competition? Did you guys win?"

"What kind of question is that?" Jimin sounded offended, "Of course we won."

"Really? That's awesome! Does that mean your name will be on the Wall of Fame now?"

"Yes, but not next to your name, sadly."

"Well yeah, dimwit I'm all the way on the Science side, the better side."

"Excuse me? You didn't just-"

"What? It's the truth though?"

"Uhm?" Jimin jabbed at Taehyung's stomach. "Take that back."

"Take that back," he repeated as he continued to fake-punch the boy.

When he shook his head, Jimin started tickling him and Taehyung fought back by lunging forward and arching his arm around his, pulling him into a headlock.

Taehyung stopped, squeezing his hold on Jimin tighter, a wide grin on his face as he did so. Jimin popped a chip into his mouth and he laughed, "You're bribing me because you know science is better, right?"

"I'm bribing you because I need to breathe," his voice was strained and Taehyung let go.

"I'm letting you off easy this time," he reached for another chip and leaned back against the cold glass again, Jimin joining him this time.

"So," he started and Taehyung raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

This was the part any normal person would have been surprised, how did he know there was something up?

But this was Jimin.

"Namjoon hyung's back," Taehyung sighed.

"What?"

"Yeah, he's out of prison."

"Wow! That's awesome!"

"You know," he turned over to look at Jimin, and he sensed the movement so he shifted his gaze from the night sky to his left. "I thought that too."

"But?" Jimin turned on his side now and listened.

"But I don't anymore," he rolled out flat again, exasperated.

"Is he still... chasing?"

Taehyung sighed. He had told Jimin about his brother's antics, however, he really didn't have to. Everyone already knew anyway.

"He is, and he's not listening to me when I tell him to stop. He doesn't understand how hard he's making it for me," Taehyung sprung up.

"Did you talk to him about it?" Jimin followed, sitting up with him,

"Yeah!" he wasn't fazed by Taehyung's outburst, it was normal, "I swear he doesn't even care."

"Don't say that, of course he cares, maybe he just... he's forgotten the importance of family, you haven't been with each other for a while."

"Do you... Do you really think he's forgotten?"

"You know what I think? I think it's a work in progress. I think it's something that'll develop over time, but it's something you guys will have to work on together. You can do it, and I'll help you. Let's get through this together," he draped his arm over his shoulder, "Come here, buddy."

Taehyung opened his beer can, waiting for the fizz to die down before taking a swig.

"I hope you're right."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"Where were you?" Bree's worried voice filled the receiver and Taehyung couldn't help but smile.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you'd called."

Jimin looked over his arm as he watched his flustered friend talk to a girl!

"What were you so absorbed in that you didn't even see my messages? Don't you dare say Chemistry because I will whack you in the head."

Taehyung chuckled, "I'm sorry, I can make it up to you, what are you doing tonight?"

"Studying. For. Finals," she reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"Can you spare me an hour from your busy schedule?"

"Hmm... I don't know, I don't think I'd give up Population Health for just anyone."

"Am I just anyone though?" he smirked, Jimin face-palming as he cringed at him.

"I don't see why you'd be anyone special, ignoring me for a whole three days."

"I'm not going to be let off easy, am I?"

"You are correct."

He laughed, "So I'll pick you up in half an hour?"

When Taehyung hung up, he looked over at Jimin who was already shaking his head.

"I guess we're going to the lady's house?"

"No!" he jumped up, "You think you're going to be here when I pick her up?"

"You're right, that would look pretty weird," he nodded and Taehyung pointed to the side of the street.

"Stop the car there."

"Huh?" he asked as he obeyed, "Why?"

"You can get home from here, right?" he undid his seatbelt, opening his car door and running around to the driver's seat, "Quick, quick."

"Yah," Jimin stared up at him, "You're asking me to get home on my own when this is my car?"

"Don't make me bring up that time I drove to your ex-girlfriend's house with you just to give her a scarf."

Jimin sighed, "You better be home by midnight."

"Don't count on it," Taehyung winked cheekily before hopping into the car and waving a goodbye, "Love you man!"

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"Are these for me?" she gasped when she opened the door and was faced with a large bouquet of pink roses.

He grinned, leaning down and pecking her forehead, "I missed you."

She blinked up at him, "You alright?"

"Yeah," handing her the flowers and grabbing her free hand, "And I'll be a lot better after tonight, c'mon."

"Where are we going?" she asked as they walked to the elevator.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he grinned and she drooped her shoulders.

"You are seriously not going to leave me in the dark for this."

"I seriously am," he led her to Jimin's car and opened the passenger door for her.

"I can't believe you," she crossed her arms over her chest as he started to drive.

"What?"

"You ignore me for days and then you don't even tell me where we're going."

"It's meant to be romantic," he rolled his eyes, "'Whisking you away from the world' or something like that." He tried quoting Jimin's words from earlier.

She laughed, "Oh, okay then I'll let it go."

He shook his head, "Well, we're almost there," turning his head to the side, he found a parking spot down the road from the restaurant. "We'll have to walk from here."

"Okay," she hopped out, "So can you tell me where we're going now?"

"Just there," he pointed ahead, "The place next to the art gallery."

"Wow the gallery's open pretty late," she scanned the glass, looking at the art inside. "H-How are you meant to even say that?"

"Huh?"

"The name of the artist, how are you meant to say it?" she was pointing to the banner on the window, advertising that Jiri Dokoupil's exhibition's on now!

"Ji-ree Do-kaw-peel?" Taehyung suggested, making Bree laugh, "Okay you do better then."

"Ji-ree Do-ko-pill," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Okay, no, we're both wrong," he raised an eyebrow.

"Lemme just look it up," she pulled her phone out and searched for it.

"Oh!"

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"He makes soap bubble paintings!"

"Huh?"

"No like, he gets metallic pigments and diamond dust which mixes with soap lye to form molecular layers. It forms an organic compound and ends up holographic."

"Uhm," he furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head, "That wouldn't work, unless you calculate the spontanaetiy perfectly in order to get the right reaction."

"Uh-huh," she nodded, "That's what he does."

"I don't believe it," he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, "He can't do those kinds of calculations, not to get it-"

"Okay, let's see then," she pulled his arm from his chest and they ended up wandering into the gallery.

"Woah, that's so pretty," she gaped at the artwork, while Taehyung remained unfazed.

"Amines would have been way more effective."

"They'd react with the canvas, then there'd be no colour."

"Not if you added a neutralising agent, like an acid chloride," he scoffed, "what are you even learning in college, who's your chemistry professor?'"

"Do you want everyone to choke on ammonium chloride?"

"Touché," he nodded, smiling a little. He couldn't help but admit she did make him a bit proud with her arguing.

"Okay but why would you even use diamond dust? If you use iridium you can have flammable effects to make it a kinetic display."

"Why would you want to burn them, it's beautiful," he watched it in awe.

"Things are always more beautiful when they're burning. It makes you realise that it only lasts for a few moments. Fire is a living act of entropy, it reminds us that everything collapses and everything fails. It makes you appreciate the small moments in life."

"But the sun will outlast all of us, it'll be burning long after we're gone."

"You can't avoid entropy, the sun will fail and collapse."

"And then it will be a supernova and it will be even more beautiful."

"You egg, the sun doesn't have enough mass to supernova."

"Shut up let me enjoy my metaphors," he pouted and started walking to the next display.

"Your metaphors are scientific fallacies," she said when she caught up to him.

"I still think diamond dust is more beautiful."

She raised an eyebrow, "Iridium is still better," she said, grinning and wringing an arm around his waist, "This is fun."

"What? Arguing?"

"Yes," she nodded, seeing the look on his face she added, "It's only fair, I mean-"

"Yeah, yeah, I ignored you for three days."

"You did," she looked down at his watch, "Oh no, dinner."

"Okay so you never forget to eat even when we're knee deep in Bio Chemistry but you forget dinner when you're just ridiculing me?"

She smiled, "You know me so well."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The two of them went to the restaurant right after, and although it wasn't something Bree was too fond of, she liked being treating special once in a while.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked when he parked Jimin's car in Bree's apartment carpark.

"Huh?" he couldn't fight back the blush rising to his cheeks.

"It'll only complete the romantic experience," she teased, "walking me back to my door, you know?"

"Then I'll be happy to."

He got out and opened the door for her, bowing when she thanked him.

"Are you coming back to College tomorrow?" she asked, hopeful.

He sighed, yawning, "Yeah, I'm coming back."

"Okay good, because Na Kyung missed you."

His tired eyes glistened with laughter, "Oh, did she?"

They reached her front door and she stopped, "I missed you."

That caught him off guard.

"A lot."

But he regained his composure, smiling a little, although his heart was doing somersaults.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, taking her hands in his, "I really am."

"Just promise, next time something happens, you'll come to me, okay?"

He blinked.

"Okay?" she insisted and he nodded.

"Okay."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"I hope everyone's preparation for finals is going smoothly," Professor Taehyung said as he turned the projector off, "This class needs to get the best grades out of the whole Science Department, I made a bet with the Professor Sam in Biomed Engineering."

The auditorium laughed, "You're going to be losing your money sir!"

He chuckled, "I was pretty confident in you guys before, but now, I'm just trying to figure out where that confidence came from in the first place."

Even though he had left unannounced for a whole week (of lectures), the atmosphere that filled the hall was as if he was never gone.

She was sitting at her usual spot in the library, tapping her pen against her notebook as she tried to figure out the last question on the page, when a can of energy drink suddenly slipped into view.

Looking up, she saw Taehyung's worried face in front of her.

"Where's your water? I told you to have a water bottle with you when you're studying."

She smiled, exhausted, "Hey."

Popping the drink open, she sipped at it.

"How long have you been here? Did you take any breaks?"

His expression was full of concern, as he examined her tired face.

"Uh, yeah."

"You're lying," he raised an eyebrow, "I know you don't take breaks."

"Then why'd you ask," she muttered and he closed her book. "Hey!"

"We're leaving, let's go," he half whispered, it was a library.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, but it was too late, he was out of reach.

She followed him as he took her books to his car, "Where are you going?"

"We are going for a little ride, you need a break."

"Tae-"

"Get in," he rolled his eyes as he held the door open for her, "You'll regret it if you don't come."

She sighed, and caved.

The drive was quiet, he had been playing the radio and right now, the OST to one of her favourite dramas were playing but she was too tired to belt out in song.

They reached the Han River and he parked there, "We have reached our destination," he said while taking his seatbelt off.

"Is this seriously wher-" she didn't finish her sentence because he had gotten out of the car and walked to the railing.

"Taehyung!" she hissed, getting out of the car, "It's so cold!"

"No it isn't?" he raised an eyebrow as she walked over, folding over herself from the cold.

"It really is."

He laughed at her, "You look like a granny," he observed how she hunched over, folding her jacket tighter.

"Thanks for the kind words," she scoffed and when she reached him, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in front of him so he could hug her from behind.

"Look at that, it's not cold anymore," she said and he smiled, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Don't you just wish we could stay here forever?" he asked as he rocked her side to side.

"I don't know, not sure how long the warmth of your jacket is going to last for the both of us."

"Don't worry, we're good for the rest of the night at least."

"Oh, that's a relief."

They stayed like that, rocking side to side, talking about nothing important, listening to the water ripple and flow against the stone.

"Bree?"

She turned her head slightly, looking at him, "Yeah?"

He spun her around fully, so that her back was against the railing and she was facing him.

And she finally got to look at him properly, for the first time in weeks. She got to watch how his hair softly jerked in the wind, how his perfectly smooth skin reflected the light from the river and how dreamy his eyes looked.

Fishing in his pocket, he took out a little box.

"I still think diamond dust is more beautiful."

She tilted her head.

He opened the box, pulling something out and in the dim light of the street lamp, she saw it glistening, making her eyes widen.

"But you're more beautiful," his words came out as a whisper, as he tried to put the necklace on her, treating her neck with so much care.

"Tae-"

"More beautiful than diamond dust."