Hide And Seek...

In the quiet simple house nestled between the quiet neighboring houses, there was a lush garden filled with blooming flowers, fluttering butterflies and the sweet scent of Jasmine situated just behind the house.

On the sunny afternoon, two little brothers were playing in the garden, giggling and barefoot. The garden was their favorite place— full of colourful flowers, buzzing bees, and the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze.

The two little brothers were playing catch-catch. The younger brother ran ahead, his laughter echoing as his older brother chased him between trees and flower beds. Then, suddenly— thump! The younger one fell to the ground near the patch of daisies, clutching his knees and groaning.

The older one stopped in his track. "Bun! Are you okay?" He shouted, rushing back with worry in his eyes.

As soon as the older one knelt beside the younger one, the little boy burst out laughing. "Got you!" He squealed, jumping up and tagging the older "You're it!"

The older blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter too, "Hey! That's not fair!"
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"Hyung... " Jungkook's eyes fluttered open, the last traces of the dream still clinging to him like the warmth of a fading fire. For a moment, he was caught between two worlds— the past, where his brother still existed, and the present, where only silence remained.

His chest felt heavy, as if the weight of the dream had followed him back into reality. He turned onto his side, staring at the ceiling, the eches of his brother's laughter still ringing in his ears. For a brief second, he almost expected to hear his brother's voice coming from the hallway calling him for breakfast, teasing him about waking up late like he always did. But the house was quiet. Too quiet.

Jungkook swallowed hard and slowly sat up, running a hand through his tangled hair. His throat ached, the kind of pain that came from unshed tears.

Suddenly, Jungkook barely had time to react before a small warm body scrambled onto his bed. A tiny golden-furred puppy, Benny, wiggled his way onto Jungkook's lap, his little tail wagging furiously.

Benny nosed at Jungkook's hand, licking his fingers before letting out another soft whimper, as if he could sense his sadness.

Jungkook signed running his fingers through Benny's fluffy ears. "You always know, don't you?" He murmured. Benny let out a happy little bark before pressing his nose against Jungkook's chest, curling up close.

Jungkook just sat there for a while absentmindedly stroking Benny's fur and lost in thoughts. Eventually, he gently set Benny on the bed before getting off the bed and going through his morning routine with a heavy heart and a sense of longing.

Minutes past

The golden morning light filtered into the kitchen, painting everything in soft hues. The table was set with care— toast, eggs, fruit, and a cup of hot coffee.

Jungkook walked in slowly, his hoodie draped loosely over his shoulders, hair unkempt. His eyes looked tired, unfocused. Behind him, Benny followed closely, wagging his tail, just once before sitting quietly beside his owner's chair.

"Good morning, sweetheart", Jungkook's mother said gently, turning from the stove with a hopeful smile, "You and Benny sleep okay?"

Jungkook mumbled, "Yeah... we're fine", and sat down without looking up. He pulled his place closer and began eating in slow, small bites. Benny rested his head on Jungkook's foot, sensing the heaviness in the air.

Trying to break the silence, his mother poured coffee into his cup and said with a little grin, "Benny tried to steal your sock again this morning. I caught him red-pawed"