us ;

The hate was still there. The burning sensation on your chest was irritating you. You wanted to pull that darn necklace off your neck and throw it at Jimin. But you couldn't. The muscles in your hands just seemed to not operate. "T-Then, how did this necklace come into my possession?" you stutter, still unsure of the mixed feelings that had settled in the pit of your heart.

The pain, the betrayal. There were more undeciphered emotions that swirled around, nauseating you. Out of the many unsure things, you were sure about one thing - you needed time. Time to absorb this, to decide if forgiveness was worth it. Worth the memories. You didn't even know if it was your forgiveness he was seeking. You were Kang Y/n, not Kim Y/n, the love of his past life.

"You'd have to ask your parents about that," Taehyung answers, soothing voice sending tingles up your arms. It was as if your mind was fogged up. You couldn't think clearly. It was all in a haze. Were you supposed to be mad at Taehyung? Were you supposed to say 'good job for killing the Queen'? Were you supposed to slap Jimin's face oh-so dramatically as shown in multiple k-dramas?

Was this supposed to affect you?

After all, it happened to Kim Y/n.

"Y/n?" Jungkook calls out, a mix of fear and worry evident in his voice. "I'm good," you reassure them. But you really weren't. And you bet they could see right through you. "Do you want to take a bit, then continue with your brother?" Namjoon suggests, brows furrowed together. It was pulled together lightly, the ends of his lips dropped to the floor in a gentle move.

You let out a soft laugh, deciding to break the tension in the air. All heads turned to you, giving you their full attention. Except for Jimin. His eyes were glued to the floor, fingernails picking at the dirt. "I'm good. Let's solve it once and for all." you forced a smile, teeth clenching behind your skin. No matter how bad you needed to break, to cry, to absorb it, you wouldn't do it in front of them.

You were overwhelmed. But a little more wouldn't hurt.

Jihyun, can you hear me?

You spoke to the voice in your head, silently hoping he isn't able to read your thoughts. You would never want to influence him with all the negativity. Despite everything, you were still the younger's role model.

Yes sir, Kang Jihyun reporting for duty. What may be the issues right now, sir?

You couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh. Trust your brother to lighten up the mood. "He's in. But I'm the only one who can hear him, what's the plan?" you announce to your fellow phantoms, who were sitting there looking at you as if you were their teacher. "It's a family issue, right? We'll leave. I don't think Jungkook has much to say either. I'm sure you'd be able to find out from your brother too. Good luck, y/n. We'll be outside if you need us. Take some time to absorb it all, okay?" Jin replies, walking over to pat your shoulder.

You gave him a curt nod, smiling gratefully at him. You could always rely on Jin. One by one, except for Jimin, they walked over and whispered words of encouragement, from Yoongi, a pat from Namjoon, and three hugs from Jungkook, Hoseok, and Taehyung.

Jihyun?

You prompt him to start explaining.

The last time we met was when you came to America. I never fully told you what I had taken on as a part-time job. I did IT. That friend of mine, Jongsuk, had introduced me to the owner who decided to take me in. The pay was high, and it worked well for me, y/n. I didn't want you to be the only one paying for my fees, so I decided to work for it.

You were suffering so much, from the start of our parent's death, til now. You were the breadwinner of our family, y/n. And I was afraid that the stress would've been too much. The owner, Minhyun, taught me a few tricks and codings. We spent nights decoding symbols, checking on the systems. Then, he piled up more work, more codes for me to decipher. "born genius." he said.

You could hear the venom rolling off your brother's tongue. This would not end well, you could tell.

Night after night, I'd submit the decoded codes. I was curious. It runs in the genes, doesn't it? And the curiosity does kill. It killed me. I clicked onto one of the websites, checking where it'll bring me. Ultimately, I had been the one who decoded everything. I should know the purpose of doing it, no? When I did, a bunch of sites popped up, green symbols running down the black screen. As I read along, the meaning of the symbols all too fresh in my mind, I understood.

Minhyun had used me to make money.

Your brother paused, hissing darkly. A tinge of guilt invaded your heart as you waited for him to continue. Maybe, just maybe, you should've moved to America with him. Maybe, then you wouldn't have met Jimin. Maybe, you'd be able to stop this from happening.

He used it to hurt people. I never wanted any of that, y/n. I never. He hacked into companies' systems and stole information. He brought down companies, threatening to expose them if they did not pay him. He ruined lives. People committed suicide. I didn't want it. I didn't know. I'm so, so sorry.

He whispers, infuriated voice toning down to a whisper.

I know.

And with that reassurance, Jihyun and gone silent for a moment. You could feel his presence. You could almost imagine what he was doing - backs touching the bar, head pressed into his knees. Because that what you were doing. You felt responsible. Responsible for bringing him up. You felt like a failure, for not being able to save him.

Yet another question slips out.

You said us. Who's us?

The Kang Jihyun you knew was back. The one who would avoid, run, or leave if possible when facing things that he did not wish to face.

Jungkook and I met on our level. We shared a level. The both of us used to be cellmates until they separated us. After all, we were both hackers.

His light-hearted laugh echoed in your head. You took a moment to suck it in. You missed his laugh. But you weren't going to let him go with it.

I'd like to think it was destiny. Destiny for the Jimin dude to meet you. Because of that, you met me. You met the bangtan boys.

That only added to the endless questions in your head. Was it destiny, really?

I'll ask you again. Who's us?

Jihyun sighs, giving in.

Our parents.