Detecting Falsehood

Jungkook leaves maybe ten hours later, once we've woken up from an uneasy sleep in the tunnels he carved out of the earth after his brother's death. He doesn't say much, just a promise to get our friends and some food and drink. Because by this point our stomachs are empty and I'm practically dying of thirst, even though it's not really my place to complain.

How can I make a fuss about something that's hurting us both, something that's not really in our control? What exactly can he do, without endangering us both, to get us a limitless supply of food and drink? There's nothing we can do to solve the issue, so I guess we will have to just del with it.

It's best not to think of the state of my bladder, best to just avoid the topic entirely.

I still don't know whether this will all work out. What if my friends see me and immediately report Jungkook and I to the police, don't believe any of our stories? What if all the lies I've told them over the years begin to unravel, into a twisted knot of yarn that no cat would ever play with? What if this is the end of the friendships I hold closest to my chest?

I have no way of knowing, not anymore.

I'm left alone in a dark corridor, with only a torch for company and the knowledge that Jungkook will be as quick as he can. He doesn't want to risk anyone spotting him sneaking into the tunnel with his friends, as then someone will notice that they exist. That would be a problem, only added to by the fact that we both know that his father will have the whole gang searching for us now.

I just hope everything goes okay.

Jungkook's POV

"Junghoon? You're like ten minutes late, what kept you?" Jimin asks, half suspiciously, and I shake my head at him, as the rest of the group crowd around me.
"Why did you want us to all meet up and talk about something like this when we agreed that he was probably dead?" Namjoon adds on, a pained expression on his face. "What if he-"

"Hyung, I do respect you, but please stop. He wouldn't. And he didn't. I promise I will explain as soon as I can, but it's not safe here. Or really anywhere, to be honest," I interrupt, causing all of them to scowl at me.
"And how the hell do you know?" Yoongi demands, his grief making him angry, but I can see the defeat in his eyes.
"I can't say, not yet, hyung. Please. You just need to trust me a little longer, then I will explain. I swear that on my life."

"Fine," Jin grumbles. "I may not know what is up your ass, but I know you're my cousin. And you've been more like your brother than ever, these past few months. I guess it's hard to tell, but for me it means you're becoming a better person."

For a moment I can't breathe, shocked by his words, then I bite my lip and smile awkwardly at him, muttering a thanks under my breath before beckoning everyone forward, leading them into the garden and looking around carefully. "Okay, this is gonna sound really weird, but just go with it for now. I'm about to bring you into a tunnel under the ground."

Yoongi shifts his weight onto one foot, crossing his arms. "And I'm supposed to believe this because?" I smile a little, understanding his scepticism, but wishing that he'd just go with the flow for a while.
"Because it's how I manage to get around so quickly. How do you think I managed to get to your house in five minutes when there was a massive traffic jam on the road and it takes ten minutes to run to your house overground?" I point out.

He nods reluctantly. "Fine, you got me there. Lead the way, I guess."

I make my way to the spot behind the tree, looking around once more before kneeling down and pushing the flap down, standing up again and beckoning my cousin (the most likely to actually try this) over to it first. "Slide down here," I tell him quietly, "there's a beanbag at the bottom. I'll give you thirty seconds to get off of it before I send the next person down."

I think for a moment. "Oh, and put your phones on aeroplane mode. If I want to keep this place secret, I can't have any possible danger of people finding us. It's the only way to stay safe. I know that makes it sound worse, but I'm literally begging you. It's for your own benefit."

Everyone does as they're told, frowning slightly in confusion but accepting the instruction, and that's when I realise how desperate they've become in terms of finding Taehyung. After having spent time with him, I understand that so much more than I used to. He's more than just a friend to these people. He's like extended family.

Then Jin slides down into the tunnel, followed by Namjoon, followed by Jimin, and finally followed by Hoseok (who has to hold a hand over his mouth to stop himself from shrieking. To his credit, he manages to avoid it). It's just Yoongi and I standing there, and for a few moments I think he's going to refuse to come with us, judging by the expression on his face.

But then he shrugs. "Fuck it, I'm not doing anything interesting with my life anyway. Might as well. If I die then I can get my family to sue you. It's fine." I allow myself to laugh slightly, nodding in understanding as he jumps down into the tunnel himself. Thirty seconds later, I jump in after him.

Once I've stood up, I grab a pole (just like the one which I used when sneaking around with Taehyung) and hook the flap of turf back into place, smiling when everyone tells me how cool the system is. "I made these when I was about thirteen," I admit quietly, switching on the torch I have with me and leading the others through the darkness. "They come in useful sometimes."

"Where are you taking us?" Hoseok asks shakily, and I glance over at him, to see that he's gone pale. "Are you going to kill us? Did you kill Tae?"
"Now don't be silly, Hobi, Junghoon's not a murderer-" Jin begins, trying to bring rationality back into the conversation.
"And how do you know?" Hoseok demands, tilting his head at the elder.
"He's my cousin. I think I'd notice if the family were just casually killing people."

"Actually, hyung, based on evidence, you wouldn't," I say quietly, awkwardly. There's a silence for a few seconds, then Jimin breaks it.
"Evidence?" he questions. I shrug.
"Well, my father is a gang leader, for a start," I say casually, seeing a speck of light that isn't from my torch at the other end of the tunnel and knowing that it's Taehyung (the torches are a faint shade of pink so that I can recognise them as my own). "He's ordered the death of quite a few people, to be honest."

There's another awkward silence, and for a second I wonder if Jin's going to laugh or scream at me, or both. But he simply nods sadly, a pained expression passing over his face for a moment as he genuinely considers the idea that I might be telling the truth. Maybe, I'm actually being honest with my family and friends, something I would never have even considered after Junghoon's death.

But I feel like the experience I've had with Taehyung has changed me. He's reminded me what it's like to be human, something I thought I would never feel again. I didn't think it was possible to be a person anymore. I was just a hollow shell, a body with which my brother was able to live again. But this isn't his life. It's mine.

And I intend to live it as I want to live it, not for him. He was manipulative and cruel, just like our father. Maybe he had his reasons for that, but I don't think it's fair to completely blame myself for the person I became. Not anymore.

Junghoon was the one who wanted me to trick everyone. And yes, I was stupid for not seeing through his selfish nature, but I didn't know any better at the time. I'm learning, turning into someone entirely different.

The person I was born to be, not the person my dead twin tried to create.

We carry on walking, further until we see that the figure is standing up, pointing his torch towards us shakily, clearly unsure whether it's really us or not. I smile slightly, speeding up and calling to him, a simple greeting that eases his nerves and yet doesn't reveal his identity. I want them to properly unite once more, on their own.

This is no longer something I have any place in. Their friendships are all personal and I know that. I'm just here to help it happen. I'm willing to stand to the side and let them have their privacy, as heartbroken souls are fixed by the presence of someone who should never have been forced into that dark world in the first place. I want to help.

That's something that I'm determined to do. After everything I've done to ruin his life, it seems only fair to try and help him improve it again.