CHANGES ON THE HORIZON

CHANGES ON THE HORIZON

This is your friendly neighborhood Admin L!

Since opening, we’ve all been so very grateful that you all love our works and we’re constantly making changes to make you guys happy! New works, lots of asks and even participating in events!

Which is another reason why we’re going to be implementing some more changes to the blog! Don’t worry, this won’t effect the posting schedule or anything like that. However, we will be trying to redesign our layout so please be patient with us as we figure things out!

We’re also going to add more groups to our queue soon so be on the lookout for them as well. We hope that you give those stories lots of love like you all have with the previous ones and even continue to follow the ones that we have posted so far!

This is a trying time for all of us and we appreciate you all so very much!

Lots of love, Admin L

I just wan to say that i love Make it Right so much! It really hurts to see such few notes in it. I can't really do much than reblog or share it...but i wish ppl could see how your beautiful work !

Omg, owaieurjoi;djf;oalsidjfdsl! Anon! Thank you for your love and support! Reblogging and sharing is enough, trust me! And it’s my first fic for the fandom and I know that there are tons of other works out there. I just appreciate what little recognition I DO get from people such as yourself! It means so much to me to know that my work is reaching an audience of some kind, no matter how big or small. That’s what matters the most to me and continues to push me to keep updating for you. 

So thank you for being a wonderful fan and please continue to support our works as a group! I love you!

~ Admin E

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,567

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432

Chapter 32: Waste It On Me

“And I know there’s no making this right, And I know there’s no changing your mind...”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

The bigger you are, the harder you fall.

Jimin was aware of this saying and held it close to his heart more often than most. It was his way of maintaining a sense of humility. He tried to impart humble actions to others, remaining as sincere as he could and as it was allowed. Praying and fighting. Fighting and praying. It was a daily routine for him for the last ten years.

But now it was over and while he wasn’t suffering from a lack of purpose, there were other things that troubled his mind. Seemingly insignificant to some and very important to others. Jimin worried below the surface, attempting to hold onto a sense of calm despite the chaos that always seemed to erupt around them. Rain or shine, snow or a hurricane; none of it mattered. Because they’d overcome worse in their lives and this new path they walked would be no different.

Seeing Eden in the hospital – hearing that the Jade Fangs were the ones responsible – ignited something new inside of Jimin. A feeling he wasn’t aware that he could feel. One that he never knew simmered deep within the dark recesses of his own heart.

It was anger.

The feeling shocked him at first; the realization even more. Jimin couldn’t think of a time outside of his elementary years where he got angry. Annoyed? Of course. Irritated? Absolutely. But never anger.

Not until he’d seen Eden’s arm in a sling.

His eyes narrowed as he paid the cab driver. The bigger you are, the harder you fall…

Stepping out of the cab, he closed the door behind him and approached the Cha Gangnam Medical Center. The sliding glass doors automatically pushed open, granting him entrance to the main lobby. He looked around, smiling politely to the receptionist as she waved at him. Brushing his bangs off his forehead, he looked around to see if Raelyn was around. Not long after he shuffled in, she came around a corridor and stopped short upon seeing him.

For a moment, neither of them could say anything. Jimin watched her press her clipboard to her chest, the two of them sighing in tandem with each other. Raelyn did her best to put on a smile that he probably assumed she thought was believable.

It wasn’t.

“Jimin-ah,” she called softly, her voice almost lost in the noise of the lobby, “what are you doing here?”

She crossed over to him and he smiled at her. “I was just coming by to check on you.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. “Are you about to go on break?”

Raelyn looked at her watch, then nodded. “Sure, I can go on break now. Follow me.”

The two of them walked side by side as they made their way down the hall. Several orderlies and nurses greeted Raelyn, as well as a few doctors who were wrapping up their shifts. They rounded two corners and she paused in front of a room, pushing the door open and peering inside. Her shoulders seemed to visibly relax before turning to look at him while fully pressing the door wide.

“It’s just us. Come in.” Jimin followed her and Raelyn stood in front of one of the vending machines. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

Pressing the button for two hot canned coffees, the machine dispensed the items and Jimin thanked her for the drink. They took their seats at a small round table near the back of the break room where they could talk. However, instead of talking, they opened the coffees and said nothing. Jimin wasn’t sure what was weighing so heavily on Raelyn’s mind, but he had a pretty good idea. The difficult part was broaching the subject in a way that wouldn’t set her off or, worse, cause her to build a wall even higher around her feelings.

“Noona?” She lifted her face to look at him and he could see her eyes shaking, as if Raelyn already knew why he was there. “Can I ask you something?”

Raelyn tried to put on a brave face, her fingers wrapping around the can of coffee. “Sure, Jimin-ah. What is it?”

He took a breath, pressed his lips together in a thin line, before releasing a puff of air from his mouth. “…is your freedom still important to you?”

There was a slight tink of sound as her nails scraped along the aluminum.

She scoffed, trying to brush off his question. “Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”

“Because your reason for ending things with Hoseok Hyung stemmed from the world we lived in; the cloak of shadows that we wore.” Jimin laced his fingers together as he rested his hands on the table. Raelyn’s façade faltered. “We’re not in the shadows anymore, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who will do whatever it takes to drag us back. We are working to continue our path of success and to do it the legal way.” His eyes narrowed slowly. “And you’ve been actively seeing Taehyung-ah, knowing that people are still trying to grab at our ankles.”

Raelyn frowned this time. “What are you getting at, Jimin-ah?”

“It’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”

His tone was flat and his expression matched. Raelyn’s eyes widened, her brows raising simultaneously. Her hands slid from the can to the table and Jimin lifted his coffee to his lips. He knew how intelligent Raelyn was and so it wouldn’t take her long to figure out where he was headed with this conversation.

“Do you remember what those days were like back then, Noona?” He didn’t tear his gaze from hers. “I know you do.”

“Park Jimin, you—”

“I hope you’re prepared, because now that we’re walking the legal path, there’s no stopping what the others are planning to do. You’ve already seen for yourself what they’re capable of. What lines they’re willing to cross. We can’t just beat them back with chains, whips and knives. Not like before. Not anymore.”

This was the path they were striving to walk on. It was the way they wanted to continue living their lives from now on. Jimin didn’t have to ask his older brothers what was making them feel so uneasy. The bridge they were crossing was rickety. There was no guarantee they’d be able to make it to the other side before burning it behind them – preventing anyone else from breathing down their necks. Ten years of hard work could potentially incinerate in the palm of their hands. Determined to walk the righteous path, to bathe in the sunlight, meant giving up the tools they used when shrouded in darkness.

Money could only do so much. But what it could not do was buy loyalty.

It finally seemed to click for Raelyn, the realization of what Jimin was attempting to get through to her apparent now on her face. But he also knew that if she valued her freedom as much as she claimed, then now was the time for her to make a choice. There would not be another opportunity for her to backtrack. This was the only way out that he could present to her.

“Noona,” he called, his voice gentle and a touch warmer than it had been earlier. She sensed it immediately. “If you’re serious about Taehyung, about any of us, then I won’t interfere, and I will respect your wishes. We prepared for a lot of things, but we didn’t prepare for anyone to try and stop us from leaving.” He sighed, turning his head slightly to avert his gaze. “What they did to Eden Noona? I’m sure it’s just the beginning. They’re trying to make a point.”

“W-What point?” Raelyn’s voice shook only slightly, but he could hear the hint of anger tacked on at the end. “What do they think they’re gonna accomplish by fucking around with our lives?”

Jimin had a few ideas, but he wasn’t willing to voice them. Not out loud. Not yet.

“They’re trying to tell us we can’t keep anything we care about safe.” He craned his neck to look back at her. “Not anymore.”

He watched Raelyn sink back into her chair, as if someone had taken all the wind out of her sails and left her stranded out at sea.

Jimin rose from his chair, taking the can of coffee with him. He slid one hand into his pocket, pivoting on his heel as he turned toward the door. He paused, casting a sidelong glance over his shoulder to look back at her. Raelyn was still staring at the table blankly, trying to process what he’d just said.

“If your freedom is still important to you, then you need to push us away. All of us. For your sake more than ours.”

She blinked rapidly, turning to look at him as though she was seeing him for the first time all day. No, for the first time since she’d known him. Jimin offered her a soft smile instead. One she would recognize and hopefully take comfort in.

“Take care, Raelyn Noona.”

He bowed his head toward her and turned to head out the door. He didn’t look back as he was worried about what his warning meant to her. Would she take it to heart, or would she remain steadfast at their sides?

Will she make the same choice that Eden Noona has?

Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District South Korea

The drive back to the house was quiet. The taxi driver must have sensed that Jimin had a lot on his mind and left him to his thoughts in the backseat. As traffic melded on the streets, many lights blossomed and painted the windows and streets of Seoul bright colors. Jimin heard pedestrians milling around, some holding conversations that were loud enough for him to hear through the window. He tuned most of it out, however, his own concerns going off like air horns in his brain.

Soon, everything passed by in a blur of colorful lines.

When Jimin walked through the main entryway of the home he shared with his brothers, he felt more exhausted than normal. Like he’d been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He announced himself, kicking off his dress shoes and loosening his tie before sliding into his house slippers.

A set of feet shuffled in and he turned to see it was Yoongi, a glass of scotch in his hand. “Just you?” He took a moment to peer over Jimin’s shoulder, as if someone had followed him. “The others?”

Jimin pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw texts from both Jungkook and Taehyung; one saying they’d be home late and the other saying they’d be home tomorrow. “Seokjin Hyung is still at the office with Anastasia Noona. He sent me home early. Namjoon Hyung and Hoseok Hyung are at a business meeting at the hotel.” He peered at Yoongi curiously. “You’re home early.”

Yoongi hummed in response as he took a sip of scotch. “Investors from overseas flew in so I saw to their needs. The official business meeting will be tomorrow. Hoseok-ah wanted to give them a chance to rest before going over paperwork.” He turned to head into the kitchen and Jimin followed after him. “What about the other kids?”

Jimin sat at the kitchen island, watching as Yoongi began pouring him a drink. He waited until the glass was set on a coaster in front of him before speaking. “Taehyung-ah is going to be late.” Reaching for the glass, he ignored the tinkling sound it made when his rings knocked against it.

Yoongi sidled up next to him, raising his glass so they could tap them together in a silent ‘cheers’ fashion. “Jungkook?”

The glass hovered near Jimin’s lips, not sure if he wanted to give him the answer. But he also knew he had no real reason not to. “He said he’s coming back in the morning.”

He saw Yoongi’s expression darken and Jimin sighed, not wanting to get into this conversation at all. But when he remembered what Eden said to him that day at church, as well as Jungkook’s own concerns, he knew he couldn’t avoid it. Jimin was also curious about something and the only way he would get the answers was by asking the person who’d hurt Eden the most.

“Yoongi Hyung?”

Yoongi shook his head, setting the glass down on the coaster and he tried to throw a casual smirk to Jimin. He wasn’t fooling anyone. Him least of all.

“Hm, what is it, Jimin-ah?”

“I know why you did that to Eden Noona.” Jimin stared into his glass, refusing to meet Yoongi’s gaze. “I get it more than you probably think I do.” A sad smirk passed over his features. “You were trying to keep her safe in your own way. I’m sure she’ll understand that someday, if she doesn’t already.”

Yoongi laughed but the tone was off; bitter and cold. “It doesn’t matter. She has Jungkook looking after her now.”

“Noona can take care of herself, you should know that.” Jimin continued staring into the glass, the pads of his fingers pressing into its cold surface. “You regret it, don’t you Hyung?” He turned his head to see Yoongi glaring down at the marble counter top. “You regret not trusting her.”

Yoongi blinked, his head moving slowly to look back at Jimin with confusion in his eyes. “What?”

“You didn’t let her into our world because you were afraid she’d get fed up with it. Not hurt by it.” Jimin paused, watching Yoongi’s eyes narrow. “Eden Noona is strong, you’ve seen that for yourself, Hyung. Her environmental safety wasn’t what you were worried about.”

“Ya, Park Jimin,” said Yoongi quietly, the warning clear.

Jimin had no plans to heed it.

“What you were actually scared of was Noona seeing the real you, weren’t you?” Jimin frowned. “You couldn’t trust her to stay with you when she found out. But now you see that isn’t the case, because she’s with our younger brother now, in spite of everything.”

Yoongi’s fist slammed into the marble, causing their glasses to rattle. The sudden action didn’t even make Jimin flinch. Instead, he placed a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. The two of them said nothing and it wasn’t until Jimin gave it a reassuring squeeze did he let out a sigh.

“You’re scared she’s going to get hurt for real this time. And it won’t be by any of us.”

He watched Yoongi drain his glass and set it back on the table. “This is just the beginning. Those bastards have barely started scratching the surface.” Yoongi placed a hand on his forehead, turning to look at Jimin and his eyes looked more tired than they had just a few minutes ago. “…but you’re right, Jimin-ah. I’m scared. I’m scared of what they’re planning to do next.”

Jimin nodded, his hand sliding off Yoongi’s shoulder to return to the counter top. The two of them held their glasses; one empty and the other untouched.

“Me too, Hyung.” There was a heaviness in Jimin’s voice that he hadn’t meant to let slip. But it was too late to take it back and there wasn’t really a point to it. “…I’m scared too.”

i loved the latest update for make it tight. Love every character is the main character in your story and everybody has their shining moment. Loving the chemistry of eden and JK. Thank you for the updates

Anon, you’re so sweet! Thank you for loving the story so much! It makes me so happy!

Ngl, when I first started writing this mess of a story, I hadn’t originally planned for it to be so long. I like to think of us at the Season 2 mark of Make It Right, hence the new cover. But here we are. And even though I have bias and bias wreckers in BTS, my favorite thing is writing for the group as a whole. The most important aspect of this story is to showcase the boys’ brotherhood because that is what made me fall for them as a group in the first place. Showing their courage, camaraderie, and love for each other as brothers in the face of adversity is something I want to always be able to highlight in each of my stories. I want them all to have their shining moments and to be the main character in everything I write. Because that’s what they deserve. 

I, too, love the chemistry between Eden and JK. But I also love the chemistry between all the women and their love interests. They have their own separate struggles and stories and I want them to be able to act as supplements to the main story versus being the main focus. 

Again, thank you so much for your kind words. It’s comments like these that keep me going and push me to keep putting up more content for you all! You’re the best! 

~ Admin E

Fragmentation 0.3 - MYG

Plot: How does one measure freedom? Are our choices truly our own, or are they part of a preset design outside of our control? We all have a question burning inside of us, though few speak it out. It is the question that drives us forward, seeking purpose in our lives. What is The Matrix?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | The Matrix!AU | angst | sci-fi | action | drama

Pairing: N/A

Warnings: Strong language, allusions to suicide, extreme angst, graphic violence

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,206

AN: Now it’s Yoongi’s time to shine. And that is an allusion to different things. I’ll let you decide what I’m talking about. As I stated before, all information in the universe can be found on the official Matrix Wiki so please use that as a reference guide if you ever get confused!

Tag List: @aroseforyoongi​, @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432​

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Keep reading

Fragmentation 0.1 - JHS

Plot: How does one measure freedom? Are our choices truly our own, or are they part of a preset design outside of our control? We all have a question burning inside of us, though few speak it out. It is the question that drives us forward, seeking purpose in our lives. What is The Matrix?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | The Matrix!AU | angst | sci-fi | action | drama

Pairing: N/A

Warnings: Strong language, allusions of suicide, extreme angst, graphic violence

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,008

AN: It’s finally here! I know that I am still in the process of updating Make It Right, but I have been dying to get this series off the ground. Especially since no one in the fandom has written in this Universe from what I can see. So I’m super excited to share this with you all. This is the prequel to my upcoming series, Defragmentation, which showcases everyone’s origin stories and how they managed to escape from The Matrix. Because this universe is so extensive, I strongly suggest that people utilize the official Matrix Wiki as a reference point because there will be much in this world that I will not go into in-depth explanations for. Again, if anyone would like to be added to the tag list, please feel free to message us!

Tag List: @aroseforyoongi​, @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​ (I’m adding you because I purple you; don’t @ me)

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Sabine saw The Code first.

Just after his fourteenth birthday, Hoseok met up with his best friend after school for their traditional birthday shenanigans. The funny birthday card, the sweet cupcake with a single candle on top, and a handmade present that he  knew Sabine spent the better part of three months putting together. That was supposed to be the plan. Nothing changed in the ten years they knew each other.

Instead of meeting on the roof after school, Sabine told Hoseok she would be waiting for him at the abandoned playground on the edge of town. He didn’t understand why she wanted to meet there, of all places. Kids didn’t go there anymore because of a major accident and the lack of upkeep made it look creepy. Going there after the sun went down just gave it eerie vibes.

When he arrived, Sabine was idly moving back and forth on one of the swings. Her eyes looked focused on something just behind him. When Hoseok turned to see if there was anyone there, he felt a chill slide down his back when there was nothing. He wasn’t sure if Sabine was trying to scare him, but it was working.

“Hey, Hobi,” she called to him, standing from the swing to meet him, “you haven’t been using your inhaler lately.”

He tilted his head slightly. Now that she mentioned it, he hadn’t been. The doctor told him to only use it when he felt it was necessary. For the last year, he didn’t feel a need. P.E. wasn’t as hard for him as it used to be and he could run four full laps around the track without feeling winded.

“No, I haven’t,” he replied, meeting her gaze, “but why bring that up, Bean?”

She smirked, brushing past him to stare out across the road. The street lights flickered to life, illuminating the pastel green landscape around them. Hoseok knew that look and it almost always meant trouble. He really didn’t want to get involved with another of her hair-brained schemes on a school night.

“Can you see it?”

He turned to look in her direction, her back still facing toward him. “See what?”

He watched Sabine’s back muscles tense slightly until she craned her neck to look at him. “You can’t see it?”

“See what?” he repeated with a sigh. “I don’t see anything except you being weird.”

For a while, Sabine said nothing. It wasn’t like her to be silent for this long and Hoseok was consciously aware of how hard she was looking at him. He was about to tell her to say something, anything, instead of staring at him like he’d grown a second head. Just then, she let out a defeated sigh and began walking away, leaving him behind.

“Hey,” he called, already starting after her, “what am I not seeing?”

“Doesn’t matter,” came her dejected response, “no point if you can’t see it.”

He wanted to keep bugging her about what it was she was seeing and he wasn’t, but Sabine clearly made up her mind about something. 

Hoseok just wished he knew what that “something” was.

“Sabine, wait!”

Hoseok watched his best friend continue her ascent up the fire escape without him. He tried not to be too loud, considering that their neighbors were middle-aged office drones who worked nine to five hours and had 2.5 kids. The last time it got rowdy in their complex, the local authorities were called almost immediately. Add the fact that they were sneaking out after curfew and it was easy to see why Hoseok was a little nervous to be raising his voice.

But Sabine kept going, as if she hadn’t heard him.

Pouting, Hoseok quickly ran up the stairwell after her - his legs feeling much lighter than they usually did. Normally he would feel winded trying to keep up with her, but today it felt easier to breathe. Which was strange, considering he’d been diagnosed with asthma since he was a child.

Then again, a lot of things were different for the past two years.

His parents told him that it was the normal adolescent hormones that popped up at the age of thirteen. “Puberty” and all that nonsense. He’d learned about it in school and, at the time, it made sense. He figured that it was just “growing pains” and nothing more.

Ever since his fourteenth birthday, however, he knew that things were changing at a pace that almost didn’t seem natural. Things were getting weirder and weirder every day. Hoseok even had a weird case of déjà vu when he thought he saw the same cat go by twice. 

That couldn’t have been the case, though. That sort of stuff wasn’t real.

Hoseok mentioned it to Sabine just a few days before his fifteenth birthday. He remembered the way her eyes almost seemed to light up - a look he hadn’t seen on her face in almost a year. The truth? Their friendship was strained and Hoseok was confused as to why. He couldn’t remember doing anything to upset her and she was the sort of person who was blunt and honest about her feelings at all times.

Though she had been surfing the net more and more. There were days where Sabine would skip out on their normal hangout time to stay glued to her computer. Her parents said she was studying or doing homework, but he knew Sabine was extremely intelligent and rarely had to put any real effort into her school assignments. Hoseok was no dummy either, but even he needed her help from time to time when it came to classwork.

The days bled into weeks and then the weeks into months. Before long, he was beginning to dread that things weren’t going to be the same between them anymore.

Then Sabine showed up at his door, telling him to come with her to the roof of their apartment complex. He wasn’t about to question her reasoning. Hoseok was just glad that she was talking to him again outside of class.

When he finally reached the top, Sabine was standing on the edge of the roof on the other side. Her dark curls whipped around her head as a sudden gust of wind blew through the air. Hoseok shivered, feeling the cold bite go straight through him. He crossed the roof to where she was, rubbing at his arms to warm them up. 

“So,” he said, trying to ignore the awkward feeling in the air, “what’s up?”

She continued to stand on the rooftop’s edge, her hands stuffed into the large front pocket of her hoodie. Sabine didn’t answer him right away and while that would have bothered him before, he was just glad to be able to be close to his friend again. If he was admitting anything to himself, it was that Hoseok missed her. A lot.

“Do you feel that?” she asked suddenly, causing him to look up at her.

“Feel what?”

Sabine sighed, turning to look down at him. “C’mon, Hobi. I know you feel that.”

He really didn’t understand what she meant, and was about to tell her as much. Suddenly, she reached down to grab his arm so she could pull him up onto the perch beside her. Hoseok almost squawked, losing his balance slightly until she tightened her hold on his sleeve to steady him. 

“Bean, I really don’t know what you’re talking about…” And he felt bad about it.

“No. I think you do.” Sabine gave him a pointed look. “You feel it, but you just don’t want to admit it.”

He sighed. “What is it I’m supposed to be feeling, Bean?”

“That this,” she said, stretching her arm out toward the cityscape, “isn’t real.”

Hoseok balked at her. “Wait, what?” He blinked once. “What?!”

This time she scoffed. “You haven’t had to use your inhaler in the last two years. You run the track regularly during P.E. and you’re able to keep up with me now.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to argue with what she was insinuating. It wasn’t like any of it was a lie. But to say that none of it was real? That was just crazy.

“I’ve been reading up on these forums and there are whispers about this place. About how it’s not real.” Sabine’s brows furrowed as she bit her lower lip, averting her gaze from his. “How our whole life is one giant lie.”

A soft ache welled in his heart. Had she been battling with these feelings of depression alone all this time? Was that why she’d pushed him away? 

“Hey,” he said gently, reaching out to grasp her hand, “that’s not true. How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true. I’ve seen the glitches. I’ve seen the code.” Her tone was a mixture of hurt and indifference, like she couldn’t decide what emotion to display to him. Sabine turned to look at him. “And you have too. You just keep pretending that you haven’t.”

Hoseok frowned. “Sabine, come on…”

“You just want to keep being blind to it, but I know you’ve seen it too!”

The truth? He had. He had seen weird things - almost like flickers and after images. He figured it was because he was overworking himself or that his body was continuing its weird pubescent changes. What other reasoning was there? If he saw the same cat twice, it was just a coincidence. If he felt lighter on his feet, it was because he was taking the time to exercise properly. If there were ripples in the glass reflecting a person that was both him and not him, that had nothing to do with anything. It didn’t mean that their world wasn’t real or that their lives had no meaning.

...right?

A rush of movement reclaimed his attention and he screamed in horror as Sabine jumped off the roof. Hoseok reached out, grabbing at her wrists. The force of the jump coupled with gravity pulling her weight down in a rush caused his knees to crash into the concrete perch. The pain was immediate and he gripped onto Sabine with all of his might. Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes as he looked down at his best friend, unable to fathom why she’d had the sudden urge to want to kill herself.

“Let go,” she said, causing him to sob.

“Are you crazy?!”

“Just let go, Hoseok.”

When he looked down at her, she wore an expression he couldn’t place. It seemed almost peaceful; resolute. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was a level of acceptance plastered over Sabine’s face that was profound. It caused his heart to leap into his throat and for a moment, the landscape dissolved into an array of black with strings of green numbers and letters in every direction. Even his best friend’s image was shaped around these numbers and letters.

His knees scraped across the concrete, causing his grip to slip a little. And then everything returned to normal. Or, at least, the normal that he believed himself accustomed to.

When Hoseok’s eyes met Sabine’s once again, he saw her crying. He didn’t have to ask why. Because he already knew the answer. 

“...it’s not real,” he mumbled.

Sabine nodded, smiling up at him. “So let go.” Her fingers tightened around his wrists. “Let’s go.”

He smiled at her, leaning down a little further, and gave a small laugh. “Okay.”

Hoseok waited for her to close her eyes first. Then he closed his. When he felt her thumbs pressing into his wrists, her silent way of saying she wasn’t going anywhere, he let gravity take hold of them both. The world rushed around his ears - the wind howling from the speed of their descent. At some point, he groped blindly until his arms wrapped around Sabine in a strong embrace.

And then everything went dark.

“Welcome to the Real World.”